dcguy73
Formerly known as dc_guy
C'mon, churn those things out already! I've been waiting three weeks for them to come back in stock and that's an eternity in audiophile time.
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iFi audio's SilentPower Collection: GND Defender, DC Blocker, Nova, and SupaNova!
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Tubewin
1000+ Head-Fier
So did anyone find out if it was better to connect audio components directly into the wall with the supernova or have the supernova connected to the powerstation to another supernova to an audio component.
dcguy73
Formerly known as dc_guy
I tried the SupaNova/Powerstation/SupaNova combination and it was not to my liking. It was too much. It sounded very analytical and accurate sounding at the expense of warmth, at least in my system. Extremely black background, but not worth it in the end. YMMV.
With the Powerstation, I liked having it connected to the wall with a passive cable and then connecting components to it with SupaNovas. The other combination I liked was connecting the Powerstation to the wall with a SupaNova and then connecting my components to it with passive cables.
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Tubewin
1000+ Head-Fier
Ah, I see. And here I was worried that it would sound too rolled off. Interesting. Does having your components plugged in the powerstation sound better than having your components connected directly into the wall with the supernova cables?
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snk8699
100+ Head-Fier
Introduction
Well this post has been a long time coming. I wanted to spend a considerable amount of time with the 2 SupaNova cables, PowerStation, and 3 AC iPurifiers in my setup to properly evaluate their influence over the entire system. It’s all too easy to have a quick listen and then post a glowing recommendation for a product, but I had a feeling these products were unquestionably different from just about every other power cable I’ve experienced. So I’ve taken some notes, did some comparisons, and feel I have a better understanding of what’s happening. I don’t post a lot on Head-Fi, but sometimes I feel compelled to share my thoughts on products that elevate my listening experience. I feel this is one such product.
Context
I’ve tried over 30 power cables ranging from $50 - $27k and can definitively say they ALL affect the overall sound for better or worse. I’m certain they were all engineered with a goal of mitigating inbound EMI/RFI, but the rest of the sound is determined by build materials, wiring configuration, shielding, and proprietary technology. I strongly feel aftermarket power cables are one of best upgrades you can make to your system once you’ve chosen your DAC/Amp. It’s a no brainer once you hear the changes for yourself and experiment with different combinations; however, the price should not be the deciding factor of what is good and what isn’t. Power cables, like other audio products, adhere to the law of diminishing returns and more expensive doesn’t guarantee you will like the sound. Preferences will always come into play.
Build
Audiophile power cables serve a wonderful purpose of enhancing our listening experience, but most are ergonomically terrible. The gauge is typically so large that it’s difficult to bend them on the rack and twist them to accommodate the socket. Some have unwieldy connectors that don’t ever seem to fit quite right in the socket and you have to use a shim or cable lift to support them. One of my power cables only fits 30% into the Chord DAVE’s socket, so it makes me constantly nervous that it’s going to fall out and smack some other piece of equipment on its way to the floor. First world problems for sure, but it’s the nature of the beast that we audiophiles know all too well.
The SupaNova is very light, flexible, and the proprietary connector fits 100% into the Chord DAVE without issue. This matters to me because I’m old enough now that I care about ergonomics and design for everyday real world use and feel the SupaNova is outstanding in this regard. Even the active noise cancellation module in the center of the cable is light and doesn’t require laying down on the rack. I’m also sure iFi added that clear sleeve so you could see their beautiful handy work with the copper twists.
1 SupaNova
I bought a SupaNova power cable the day it first appeared on Amazon. I was intrigued by the active noise cancellation, which is something I’ve never experienced on any other power cable. I will admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with iFi products outside of the Micro iDSD Black Label and nano iDSD Black Label, but everyone on Head-Fi seems to tout their products as having the best price-to-performance ratio in the game. I plugged the SupaNova directly into the wall, connected it to the DAVE, and queued up the same playlist I use for testing all new products. Immediately, I was struck at how different it sounded than my current, more colored power cable. The more I listened, the more I noticed that the SupaNova was much quieter, the hardness of brass instruments was dramatically improved, and the low level details of the singer’s breathing patterns were closer in the foreground.
This might be the most uncolored power cable I’ve ever heard. It sounds like nothing, perhaps due to the active noise cancellation. I am listening with the Utopia and A8000 which both have beryllium drivers and feel like I’m only hearing the sound of the transducer. This is personally what I’ve always wanted in a power cable: to not interfere with the sound and reduce background noise.
1 SupaNova + PowerStation + Current Power Cable
This was a really fun sounding combination! I connected the SupaNova from the DAVE to the PowerStation and then used my current power cable from the PowerStation to the wall. This combination imparted all of the flavor of my colored power cable, but enhanced its characteristics due to the suppressed background noise. I felt like I was hearing my current power cable at its best and getting to know it all over again. I can see this being the perfect balance of enjoying your favorite power cable alongside the SupaNova.
The PowerStation does come with a stock cable, but it bottlenecks the system. The sound is thin, compressed, and screechy. I had an identical experience with the AudioQuest Niagara 1200 using a stock cable. Power conditioners in general are not meant to be used with a $1 stock power cable. You will not hear your system at its best and question the validity of power conditioners as a valuable addition.
2 SupaNova + PowerStation + 3 AC iPurifiers
This is the full iFi loom right here. Assuming the noise cancellation properties of each of the iFi components is additive, then I am truly just hearing the characteristics of the DAVE and my headphones and it is glorious! It improves upon a single SupaNova with further noise suppression and doubles down on that uncolored sound. This has allowed me to hear electronic sounds in songs that I thought were all the same, but now know they are in fact different notes and tones at different distances. I have an even greater sense of where the sound is now coming from because nothing is smeared together. It’s amazing to know that what ‘center’ was before is actually more left of more right depending on where the artist is standing. Lastly, the clarity of the mids allows me to hear the inhales and exhales of female vocals to a degree that I didn’t even know I cared about before. All of these nuances described above were always in my favorite tracks, but I never took notice of them the way I do now.
Let’s be clear and say this is not going to be for everyone. The overall sound is like water and entirely dependent on the other pieces of the system chain. The only color I want in my system right now is the headphone and I have achieved that goal with this combination. In fact, it’s almost overwhelming at first and I slowly grew to appreciate exactly what the tradeoffs were versus the other power cables in my collection/experience. Switching back to the other combinations after weeks of listening, I knew that I was not willing to give up the noise suppression first and foremost. This active noise cancellation works wonders even in a suburban neighborhood. I imagine anyone in an apartment complex, suburbs, or the city could benefit from this degree of noise suppression.
Conclusion
The SupaNova gets my strongest recommendation due to its price, build quality, ergonomics, active noise cancellation, and sound (or lack thereof). I feel it works best when attached to a source component, but it really did excel in all of the combinations listed above. The bottom line is that no other power cable I’ve tried was able to reduce the background noise to this level and I failed to realize how important this is to hearing my system at its best.
I bought everything off of Amazon knowing that I had the option to return them if they didn’t meet expectations. As I said in the beginning of this dissertation, I was impressed enough that I had to put the proverbial pen to paper. That really says it all.
Cheers
Well this post has been a long time coming. I wanted to spend a considerable amount of time with the 2 SupaNova cables, PowerStation, and 3 AC iPurifiers in my setup to properly evaluate their influence over the entire system. It’s all too easy to have a quick listen and then post a glowing recommendation for a product, but I had a feeling these products were unquestionably different from just about every other power cable I’ve experienced. So I’ve taken some notes, did some comparisons, and feel I have a better understanding of what’s happening. I don’t post a lot on Head-Fi, but sometimes I feel compelled to share my thoughts on products that elevate my listening experience. I feel this is one such product.
Context
I’ve tried over 30 power cables ranging from $50 - $27k and can definitively say they ALL affect the overall sound for better or worse. I’m certain they were all engineered with a goal of mitigating inbound EMI/RFI, but the rest of the sound is determined by build materials, wiring configuration, shielding, and proprietary technology. I strongly feel aftermarket power cables are one of best upgrades you can make to your system once you’ve chosen your DAC/Amp. It’s a no brainer once you hear the changes for yourself and experiment with different combinations; however, the price should not be the deciding factor of what is good and what isn’t. Power cables, like other audio products, adhere to the law of diminishing returns and more expensive doesn’t guarantee you will like the sound. Preferences will always come into play.
Build
Audiophile power cables serve a wonderful purpose of enhancing our listening experience, but most are ergonomically terrible. The gauge is typically so large that it’s difficult to bend them on the rack and twist them to accommodate the socket. Some have unwieldy connectors that don’t ever seem to fit quite right in the socket and you have to use a shim or cable lift to support them. One of my power cables only fits 30% into the Chord DAVE’s socket, so it makes me constantly nervous that it’s going to fall out and smack some other piece of equipment on its way to the floor. First world problems for sure, but it’s the nature of the beast that we audiophiles know all too well.
The SupaNova is very light, flexible, and the proprietary connector fits 100% into the Chord DAVE without issue. This matters to me because I’m old enough now that I care about ergonomics and design for everyday real world use and feel the SupaNova is outstanding in this regard. Even the active noise cancellation module in the center of the cable is light and doesn’t require laying down on the rack. I’m also sure iFi added that clear sleeve so you could see their beautiful handy work with the copper twists.
1 SupaNova
I bought a SupaNova power cable the day it first appeared on Amazon. I was intrigued by the active noise cancellation, which is something I’ve never experienced on any other power cable. I will admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with iFi products outside of the Micro iDSD Black Label and nano iDSD Black Label, but everyone on Head-Fi seems to tout their products as having the best price-to-performance ratio in the game. I plugged the SupaNova directly into the wall, connected it to the DAVE, and queued up the same playlist I use for testing all new products. Immediately, I was struck at how different it sounded than my current, more colored power cable. The more I listened, the more I noticed that the SupaNova was much quieter, the hardness of brass instruments was dramatically improved, and the low level details of the singer’s breathing patterns were closer in the foreground.
This might be the most uncolored power cable I’ve ever heard. It sounds like nothing, perhaps due to the active noise cancellation. I am listening with the Utopia and A8000 which both have beryllium drivers and feel like I’m only hearing the sound of the transducer. This is personally what I’ve always wanted in a power cable: to not interfere with the sound and reduce background noise.
1 SupaNova + PowerStation + Current Power Cable
This was a really fun sounding combination! I connected the SupaNova from the DAVE to the PowerStation and then used my current power cable from the PowerStation to the wall. This combination imparted all of the flavor of my colored power cable, but enhanced its characteristics due to the suppressed background noise. I felt like I was hearing my current power cable at its best and getting to know it all over again. I can see this being the perfect balance of enjoying your favorite power cable alongside the SupaNova.
The PowerStation does come with a stock cable, but it bottlenecks the system. The sound is thin, compressed, and screechy. I had an identical experience with the AudioQuest Niagara 1200 using a stock cable. Power conditioners in general are not meant to be used with a $1 stock power cable. You will not hear your system at its best and question the validity of power conditioners as a valuable addition.
2 SupaNova + PowerStation + 3 AC iPurifiers
This is the full iFi loom right here. Assuming the noise cancellation properties of each of the iFi components is additive, then I am truly just hearing the characteristics of the DAVE and my headphones and it is glorious! It improves upon a single SupaNova with further noise suppression and doubles down on that uncolored sound. This has allowed me to hear electronic sounds in songs that I thought were all the same, but now know they are in fact different notes and tones at different distances. I have an even greater sense of where the sound is now coming from because nothing is smeared together. It’s amazing to know that what ‘center’ was before is actually more left of more right depending on where the artist is standing. Lastly, the clarity of the mids allows me to hear the inhales and exhales of female vocals to a degree that I didn’t even know I cared about before. All of these nuances described above were always in my favorite tracks, but I never took notice of them the way I do now.
Let’s be clear and say this is not going to be for everyone. The overall sound is like water and entirely dependent on the other pieces of the system chain. The only color I want in my system right now is the headphone and I have achieved that goal with this combination. In fact, it’s almost overwhelming at first and I slowly grew to appreciate exactly what the tradeoffs were versus the other power cables in my collection/experience. Switching back to the other combinations after weeks of listening, I knew that I was not willing to give up the noise suppression first and foremost. This active noise cancellation works wonders even in a suburban neighborhood. I imagine anyone in an apartment complex, suburbs, or the city could benefit from this degree of noise suppression.
Conclusion
The SupaNova gets my strongest recommendation due to its price, build quality, ergonomics, active noise cancellation, and sound (or lack thereof). I feel it works best when attached to a source component, but it really did excel in all of the combinations listed above. The bottom line is that no other power cable I’ve tried was able to reduce the background noise to this level and I failed to realize how important this is to hearing my system at its best.
I bought everything off of Amazon knowing that I had the option to return them if they didn’t meet expectations. As I said in the beginning of this dissertation, I was impressed enough that I had to put the proverbial pen to paper. That really says it all.
Cheers
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Tubewin
1000+ Head-Fier
So I ordered two supanova's cables and the powerstation. I just received the ifi powerstation and had it connected to my dac and hp amp with stock power cables. The sound I'm getting with the powerstation is rolled off, dull, veiled, and less dynamic, it's just less engaging. Before receiving the powerstation, I was using a panamax m5100-pm. I was hoping the powerstation would have been an improvement, but to my ears it was not. I hope the supanova power cables won't have the same effect as the powerstation. I live in a suburban area, so my main power may not be that dirty to justify a sound signature I do not enjoy. I'll most likely be returning the ifi powerstation (I'll wait for my cables to come in before returning the powerstaiton). The panamax sound signature was the opposite of how I described the powerstation. Sort of disappointed. My audio chain is PC -> Matrix Spdif 2 (i2s) -> Musician Pegasus -> GS-X Mini -> Stellia. It's not a be all end all high end gear setup, but I believe it's resolving enough to be able to hear how the powerstation was affecting the sound.
dcguy73
Formerly known as dc_guy
The stock power cable is bleh. If you bought the Powerstation from Amazon or elsewhere and have a 30-day return period, I’d suggest holding onto it until you get the SupaNova cables. Connect the Powerstation to the wall with a SupaNova, and then plug the rest of your gear in. Consider plugging your digital chain into the Powerstation but plug your amp directly into the wall using your second SupaNova. I’ve found with my amp that it sounds better plugged in that way.
Also, as you say, you have decent power in the suburbs. I live in an apartment in a multi-unit building built in the 1950s, so my power is of lousy quality, and the Powerstation had a big impact.
Tubewin
1000+ Head-Fier
I was using https://www.amazon.com/WAudio-Hi-End-Audio-Power-Cable/dp/B01L2MBYWC power cord. It's a cheap cord but better than the stock. You haven't heard some aspects of the sound being dialed down with the powerstation? Yeah, I think it might be a "to each their own" type of situation as far as who this is going to help. I'll be getting the supanova's Monday so I guess we'll see.
dcguy73
Formerly known as dc_guy
No, just the opposite. When using the Powerstation with my digital equipment (network switch, music server, DDC), I hear more aspects of the sound due to the reduced amount of background noise. I do find the Powerstation is not a good fit for analog equipment like amps, as they can sound a bit constrained. Amps sound best plugged into the wall, and in my case, via a SupaNova.
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Tubewin
1000+ Head-Fier
So, I have neither dac nor amp plugged into the ifi Powerstation. I have my GS-X Mini hp amp plugged directly into the wall with the Supanova and my dac connected to my Panamax M5100 PM with a $30.00 power cable. I have the other Supanova cable connected to the ifi Powerstation and to the Powerstation, I have just my computer, Uptone lps 1.2, and computer monitor connected. The ifi Powerstation seems like overkill to power those type of components, but this was the best combination that I was able to achieve. Whenever I connected the dac(Pegasus R2R) to an ifi product, it became noticeably softer, less dynamic, less engaging, and less detailed. From the breaths of the singers to the highs, it was missing something, it became less life like. But, I do agree about the amp being connected directly to the wall with the Supanova. Sounds became fuller, a slight touch warmer, and thankfully, there was no loss in detail and no discernible muddiness. So, I would definitely caution the ifi Powerstation as a situational component in someone's audio chain. If you have clean power, the juice might not be worth the squeeze. But I would definitely say that the Supanova cable to a headphone amp and then directly to a wall outlet, produced a favorable result to my ears.
Okay, so the powerstation does seem to make a positive difference when my pc and lps are connected to it. I switched to my older power conditioner and it sounded harsh and off. So I guess the magic sauce (for me) is to plug everything but the dac and amp to the powerstation. Looks like I'm keeping the powerstation as well... sigh.
Okay, so the powerstation does seem to make a positive difference when my pc and lps are connected to it. I switched to my older power conditioner and it sounded harsh and off. So I guess the magic sauce (for me) is to plug everything but the dac and amp to the powerstation. Looks like I'm keeping the powerstation as well... sigh.
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dcguy73
Formerly known as dc_guy
I'm glad to hear the SupaNova worked well with your amp. That was a home run for me as well.
Your impressions may change over time, and I say that from experience with iFi products. I'd suggest giving everything a week to settle in, for you to get used to the sound of how you've got it set up now. Then try moving stuff around again. You may change your mind (or not).
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snk8699
100+ Head-Fier
It looks like the SupaNova is flying off the shelves and currently back ordered everywhere. Any idea when they will be back in stock?
dcguy73
Formerly known as dc_guy
Moving this older pseudo-review of SupaNovas in my system from the Rockna Wavelight source thread to here, as it belongs here much more than there.
This applies to both DACs I am testing. I am not using a SupaNova directly with either DAC (need something smoother there), but with the rest of my connected digital equipment.
Strangely enough, I like the sound of my tube amp plugged directly into the wall with the SupaNova cable. That’s not a combination I would have thought would work, but I get a little noise from the latest set of tubes I’m using in the amp, and the SupaNova cuts that right out.
A suggestion for iFi:
The SupaNova v1's noise cancellation is right on, but maybe consider tuning the copper cable part of SupaNova v2? I equate the effect of SupaNova v1 to thoroughly cleaning a window on both sides and having sunlight streaming through at noontime brightness. Some houseplants (and audiophiles) thrive with that kind of direct exposure, but some do better when the light is less intense (and some audiophiles prefer it that way).
UPDATE: Since I posted this in the Rockna Wavelight source thread, I exchanged my PS Audio P5 Power Plant power conditioner for a P12 Power Plant. The P12 is much more effective at reducing noise than the P5, so I have taken two of the four total SupaNova cables out of my main system. Of the two still in my system, one SupaNova connects a Pangea Audio power strip to the wall, and the other connects my tube amp to the power strip. I've moved the other two SupaNovas to my desktop system to power my iFi Pro stack.
The SupaNova cables are great for lowering my system’s noise floor. By themselves, they bring down the noise floor for attached components to virtually nothing. However, they don’t play well with my power conditioner. The combination constrains the dynamics a bit. Also, they’re not what I would call relaxed or smooth sounding cables. I get the best results mixing the four iFi cables plugged into a power strip with the rest of my system powered by Cardas cables that are plugged into my power conditioner. This gives me the combination of an extremely low noise floor and a relaxed sound to the music, much more organic than relying on the iFi cables alone.
This applies to both DACs I am testing. I am not using a SupaNova directly with either DAC (need something smoother there), but with the rest of my connected digital equipment.
Strangely enough, I like the sound of my tube amp plugged directly into the wall with the SupaNova cable. That’s not a combination I would have thought would work, but I get a little noise from the latest set of tubes I’m using in the amp, and the SupaNova cuts that right out.
A suggestion for iFi:
The SupaNova v1's noise cancellation is right on, but maybe consider tuning the copper cable part of SupaNova v2? I equate the effect of SupaNova v1 to thoroughly cleaning a window on both sides and having sunlight streaming through at noontime brightness. Some houseplants (and audiophiles) thrive with that kind of direct exposure, but some do better when the light is less intense (and some audiophiles prefer it that way).
UPDATE: Since I posted this in the Rockna Wavelight source thread, I exchanged my PS Audio P5 Power Plant power conditioner for a P12 Power Plant. The P12 is much more effective at reducing noise than the P5, so I have taken two of the four total SupaNova cables out of my main system. Of the two still in my system, one SupaNova connects a Pangea Audio power strip to the wall, and the other connects my tube amp to the power strip. I've moved the other two SupaNovas to my desktop system to power my iFi Pro stack.
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