IPodPJ
MOT: Bellatone Audio
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Virtual Dynamics Power 3 power cord -- An initial, honest review.
Why I Like it:
The Power 3 didn't sound as good as my Cobalt for the first few minutes, but that was short lived. After just a few minutes of break-in and mental burn-in it surpassed it. But in a different way. The Power 3 has incredible soundstage, dynamics, imaging, and musicality. Like any good power cord, it will lower your amp's distortion levels by a tremendous amount. I've noticed that a good power cord will make five times the enhancement to your system than a good interconnect will. Power is the life-blood of any audio system, and the Power 3 will allow your equipment to run as efficiently as possible.
This is an extremely euphonic cable. It has a very warm tone to it so if you're using tubes, I'm not sure it would synergize to well with them. The Power 3 paired with a solid state amp makes it sound like you are listening to tubes, but tubes that reproduce the entire sonic spectrum well. I am fortunate that the Opera is a fairly neutral amp (at least when used with analog inputs) and that every upgrade I make is easily discernable. I am hoping that some of this warmth tones down with burn in, but as it stands it is still quite good. I really need to give it at least a week of burn-in before I can give a solid opinion of it. Virtual Dynamics recommends 200 - 400 hours of burn-in on the Power 3, and just by the size of this cord I believe it. >> Fast forward to now: After about 15 hours of burn-in, its warmth has lessened significantly. That euphonic tube sound along with a warm, organic, and opiated glow-type tone have almost stabilized. Adding the Cobalt Ultimate Power cord (which has a neutral-to-cold sound compared to the Power 3) to my computer has neutralized the audio. The Power 3 is extremely organic, and that is one quality that stays with the Power 3 after burn-in.
My Cobalt Cable Ultimate Power places the vocals a little closer to you, has a bit more detail in the highs, and quicker transients, but it has also been burned in for about a month now. The Power 3 has a much wider soundstange, better imaging, improved depth, fuller tone, better dynamics, and places the center image further back which I find to be more relaxed. One of it's best features is the ability to present all the bass notes very accurately and with acoustic transparency. Bass is one of the hardest parts of the frequency for a component to portray accurately. Every instrument playing bass notes (as well as the mids and highs) should be well defined and easily discernable from eachother. The Power 3 does this effortlessly, while stock power cords have a tendency to muddy the bass and blur all the notes together in one big, bloated bubble. All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to get another Power 3. In truth, it's giving me my very first taste of the Virtual Dynamics sound and I am already extremely hungry for more. I can't even begin to imagine how good some of their higher-end power cords must sound but I will soon find out as I am on the loaner list for a Master LE 2.0.
Areas for improvement:
This cable is a beast. Quite simply, it is gargantuous. The thing must weigh at least 6 or 7 pounds. It requires some strenous bending before you can even plug it in and test it out. I had to move my amp forward by at least 8" on my desk so that the power cord would be able to rest on it without busting the jack on my amp or launching my amp up in the air like a jet taking off from the runway. On an included sheet of paper, Virtual Dynamics tells you that the cable requires a lot of bending before you use it. This is no lie; be prepared to spend at least 30 minutes bending the cable before you even attempt to plug it in.
The cord is 2.5 times thicker than my Cobalt and weighs four or five times as much. Be prepared to have at the very least 10" - 12" of clearance behind your amp. You will need that much to accomodate the support you need to hold it up as well as the 90 degree bend. You will need the same amount of clearance on the other end if you are using a power conditioner. If you have a conditioner with plugs on the top, you can get away with a little less.
When I first used my Cobalt cord, one thing I immediately noticed was an increase in volume. The Power 3 isn't quite as dramatic in this regard, having a lower volume level than the Cobalt. This is probably due to the enormity of the cable, but it's not a bad trade off for the added benefit of Virtual Dynamic's Dynamic Filtering technology.
As a graphics artist in the printing industry for more than half my life, it might be of mention that their packaging could use an upgrade. Whether it's their entry model Power 3 or their premier Master LE 2.0 power cord, they are supplied in a plastic bag with a digitally printed header card stapled to the top. While this has nothing to do with the sound quality and build strength of the cord, packaging and presentation always help to reinforce a consumer's confidence in a company.
Like they say, this is indeed a man's cable. I just wish the man had not used quite so many steroids.
Conclusion:
If you haven't had experience with aftermarket power cords, I strongly suggest you open your mind to the wonders they can do for your system. Like many others, before I tried one I was extremely skeptical and thought people were fools for using them. When I finally received my first one, I was speechless after hearing the dramatic difference it made -- I wound up eating my words and apologized for being such an ignorant skeptic.
After spending time with it, I realized that they don't magically add anything to your audio; rather poor quality cords will detract from your component's full potential. A good power cord will allow your component to run more efficiently and thus provide you with music that is more pleasing to your ears. They all have their own sonic attributes which will reflect on your audio. This is why it is important to have a good one (in addition to a power conditioner).
So if you've been considering upgrading your stock power cord or are intrigued at all by what you've read here, give this one a try. The Virtual Dynamics Power 3 is an excellent place to start. It will allow your music to come through with a lustre and vibrance that it never had before.
Why I Like it:
The Power 3 didn't sound as good as my Cobalt for the first few minutes, but that was short lived. After just a few minutes of break-in and mental burn-in it surpassed it. But in a different way. The Power 3 has incredible soundstage, dynamics, imaging, and musicality. Like any good power cord, it will lower your amp's distortion levels by a tremendous amount. I've noticed that a good power cord will make five times the enhancement to your system than a good interconnect will. Power is the life-blood of any audio system, and the Power 3 will allow your equipment to run as efficiently as possible.
This is an extremely euphonic cable. It has a very warm tone to it so if you're using tubes, I'm not sure it would synergize to well with them. The Power 3 paired with a solid state amp makes it sound like you are listening to tubes, but tubes that reproduce the entire sonic spectrum well. I am fortunate that the Opera is a fairly neutral amp (at least when used with analog inputs) and that every upgrade I make is easily discernable. I am hoping that some of this warmth tones down with burn in, but as it stands it is still quite good. I really need to give it at least a week of burn-in before I can give a solid opinion of it. Virtual Dynamics recommends 200 - 400 hours of burn-in on the Power 3, and just by the size of this cord I believe it. >> Fast forward to now: After about 15 hours of burn-in, its warmth has lessened significantly. That euphonic tube sound along with a warm, organic, and opiated glow-type tone have almost stabilized. Adding the Cobalt Ultimate Power cord (which has a neutral-to-cold sound compared to the Power 3) to my computer has neutralized the audio. The Power 3 is extremely organic, and that is one quality that stays with the Power 3 after burn-in.
My Cobalt Cable Ultimate Power places the vocals a little closer to you, has a bit more detail in the highs, and quicker transients, but it has also been burned in for about a month now. The Power 3 has a much wider soundstange, better imaging, improved depth, fuller tone, better dynamics, and places the center image further back which I find to be more relaxed. One of it's best features is the ability to present all the bass notes very accurately and with acoustic transparency. Bass is one of the hardest parts of the frequency for a component to portray accurately. Every instrument playing bass notes (as well as the mids and highs) should be well defined and easily discernable from eachother. The Power 3 does this effortlessly, while stock power cords have a tendency to muddy the bass and blur all the notes together in one big, bloated bubble. All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to get another Power 3. In truth, it's giving me my very first taste of the Virtual Dynamics sound and I am already extremely hungry for more. I can't even begin to imagine how good some of their higher-end power cords must sound but I will soon find out as I am on the loaner list for a Master LE 2.0.
Areas for improvement:
This cable is a beast. Quite simply, it is gargantuous. The thing must weigh at least 6 or 7 pounds. It requires some strenous bending before you can even plug it in and test it out. I had to move my amp forward by at least 8" on my desk so that the power cord would be able to rest on it without busting the jack on my amp or launching my amp up in the air like a jet taking off from the runway. On an included sheet of paper, Virtual Dynamics tells you that the cable requires a lot of bending before you use it. This is no lie; be prepared to spend at least 30 minutes bending the cable before you even attempt to plug it in.
The cord is 2.5 times thicker than my Cobalt and weighs four or five times as much. Be prepared to have at the very least 10" - 12" of clearance behind your amp. You will need that much to accomodate the support you need to hold it up as well as the 90 degree bend. You will need the same amount of clearance on the other end if you are using a power conditioner. If you have a conditioner with plugs on the top, you can get away with a little less.
When I first used my Cobalt cord, one thing I immediately noticed was an increase in volume. The Power 3 isn't quite as dramatic in this regard, having a lower volume level than the Cobalt. This is probably due to the enormity of the cable, but it's not a bad trade off for the added benefit of Virtual Dynamic's Dynamic Filtering technology.
As a graphics artist in the printing industry for more than half my life, it might be of mention that their packaging could use an upgrade. Whether it's their entry model Power 3 or their premier Master LE 2.0 power cord, they are supplied in a plastic bag with a digitally printed header card stapled to the top. While this has nothing to do with the sound quality and build strength of the cord, packaging and presentation always help to reinforce a consumer's confidence in a company.
Like they say, this is indeed a man's cable. I just wish the man had not used quite so many steroids.
Conclusion:
If you haven't had experience with aftermarket power cords, I strongly suggest you open your mind to the wonders they can do for your system. Like many others, before I tried one I was extremely skeptical and thought people were fools for using them. When I finally received my first one, I was speechless after hearing the dramatic difference it made -- I wound up eating my words and apologized for being such an ignorant skeptic.
After spending time with it, I realized that they don't magically add anything to your audio; rather poor quality cords will detract from your component's full potential. A good power cord will allow your component to run more efficiently and thus provide you with music that is more pleasing to your ears. They all have their own sonic attributes which will reflect on your audio. This is why it is important to have a good one (in addition to a power conditioner).
So if you've been considering upgrading your stock power cord or are intrigued at all by what you've read here, give this one a try. The Virtual Dynamics Power 3 is an excellent place to start. It will allow your music to come through with a lustre and vibrance that it never had before.
