Quail group buy review thread

[Sovkiller]

If you are a borderline, I'm not, I do not believe in power cords, over this those cables are nothing fancy, just well done and mechanically better cables, with better plugs, that is why hospital grade, but nothing else, as I was using one very similar just without the ferrites, made by them also, no differences that I could talk to.....

Anyway, I doubt that any power cord will make any difference as well, I'm not a power cord believer at all, once you clean and condition your power, any will work fine IMO and IMHE, the conditioning that a power cable will offer by itself is really low, OTOH the power that any of our amps demand is extremely low in comparison with the power that any of those cables can handle with no problems at all of any kind....so....

 

[KenW]

Don't know if the power cord factor is real or not. Personally, I haven't been able to hear a difference but these cords are well made and I feel more comfortable with them than the pc cords I was using. Worth the money for sure. Nice value.

 

[chrisczarra]

My first impression after popping the cords into my Rega Mira and 963a were of slightly more prominent bass and detail. But I would have to do some AB comparisons to make sure.

And the cables do fit very securely to the power outlets and the components.

 

[mycoman]

Yes! Very nice secure, solid fit... on both ends. That alone is worth the price. The stock cord was a little loose on the IEC end.

 

[Mr.PD]

I got one of these cords in the mail today. Thank you to the kind person that had theirs sent to me. Whoever you are

It seems to be a very well built cord. The connectors fit tighter than those on my Zu Bok cord, the equipment end fits much nicer than the Zu. It's also fatter than my Zu.
I'm letting it burn in now.

 

[Megaptera]

I haven't bothered listening for any sonic improvements (I don't expect any that I'll be able to hear, so if I notice any, cool, but I'm not gonna go looking for it) but from a simple mechanical perspective, this cable's a big improvement. That's what interested me about it, and that's what I got, so I'm happy.

 

[Mr.PD]

I compared my Quail cord with my Zu Bok cord on my Arcam CD23T.
The Zu has better balance. The Quail seems to up the bass just a tad and it smooths out Mark Knopfler's voice on Sultans Of Swing The Very Best of Dire Straits. I also noticed a little recessing of the symbols, and the little ticks from the drum kit. The presentation seemed a bit warmer overall. Going back to the Zu cable, I noticed a wider presentation, crisper highs, and the bass being tighter, if not quite so low, but also not so forward. It may just seem not to be as low of bass because it isn't as upfront as it is with the Quail cord. I decided I like my Zu cable better with Arcam.
So, I connected the Quail to my MOHR amp. It only had the Headroom supplied power cord. The Quail opened up the MOHR a bit, and the bass is deeper. I am noticing that the music is more spacious than before, it kind of fills the back of my head now rather than being in a small place in the middle of my head. Impact is better, and everything is more detailed. A definite improvement.

Now, all of these differences are small, and subtle. Nothing really jumps out at me, I had to really listen to pick them up. The amp differences are a little easier to hear than the CDP differences. Also, I left those ferret things on the Quail cord. I am tempted to knock them off like Edwood did.

 

[Demolition]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.PD Also, I left those ferret things on the Quail cord. I am tempted to knock them off like Edwood did.

If ferrets were on my cords, I'd be tempted to knock them off, too. Especially if they were chewing on them.

D.

 

[mjg]

well, i have recieved mine.

Totally excellent deal, and 2 great fellas that made this happen, i thank you guys very much.


I haven't done any listening. I jsut popped it on right now and im listening to some metallica (fade to black)

.
I'll know soon if i can observe an improvement (on my emmeline hr2) but i assume some break in must be done.

Build quality is nice, nice thick jacket, excellent connectors, looks pretty cool!

Over all, a deal to good to refuse, thanks again.

 

[MikoLayer]

i did notice there was a bit more bass and sound has changed somewhat overall, but cant really put my finger on it >.<
edwood, did riddance of ferrites improve the sound? in what ways? sorry if i am missing what you already have said, i am kinda slow this morning...

 

[av98m2]

Just got my Quails last night.

Plugged into my powerstrip

Close-up of the clear plugs.

The iec plugs have the best and tightest fit of any I've tried so far (wattgate, shurter, furutech)

Notice the reflection from my TV set, anyone guess what sitcom I was watching?

The Quails are very well built and good value for money. As far as sonics are concerned I'm not a big believer in powercords making a significant difference by themselves, I can only say they do not sound any worse than my previous powercords(belden 19364).

 

[null]

While I can't really tell if there is increased SQ when using the Quail with my guitar amp, I must parrot what other people said about how the cable is very well built. (and damn sexy I might add!)

 

[doobooloo]

Just got my hands on two brand new Quails from the first group buy.

I don't really believe that the power cord alone can make a differnece (I do believe, although never tried, that power conditioning can make a difference and perhaps in the presence of power conditioning a power cord may be able to make a difference) but for now they sure do look pimp. Love the weight and feel of the cords.

Now I feel my system is somewhat "complete"...

If I do see some noticeable improvements over time I'll post it again here.

 

[tortie]

Just posted the feedbacks for those who ordered in the 2nd group buy. Sorry for the super late feedback guys! If I missed someone, dont hesitate to send me a PM.

 

[Czilla9000]

I bought two from the first group buy. I have only used one of them (the other one is a spare). I have it plugged in my Stax amp and a Monster HT1000 power cleanser-thingy.

I think I may have heard a bit better soundstaging, although it could very well be my imagination.


Hesitate before dissing ferrite. The super-expensive Virtual Dynamic cords, from the sketchy details I can find out about their design, have ferrite pebbles down the entire length of the cable.