I have just carried out a demo on my Bartók Apex and Vitus SIA-025 Integrated amp, with two Entreq ‘Primer Hexa’ mains cables. As I left the dealership, he said, “I’d be absolutely shocked David, if these cables don’t blow you away” Well, I’m his worst nightmare, because they didn’t blow me away. In fact, there was no difference between them and the stock Vitus and dCS power cables. I also let the Mrs demo them, she also found zero difference.
I didn’t think it was going to be ‘night and day’, but thought there would be some benefit to the cables? Admittedly, they were not high end, retailing at £350 each. But, as we all know, money is not what it’s all about. That is demonstrated with my new Sommer XLRs at £138. They sound brilliant, better than the Entreq and Tellurium XLRs at £450!
Cables DO matter in a system, but I can’t help feeling, that some mains cables may be smeared in snake oil? I say this with ‘tongue in cheek’, but if I were to put them on my washing machine, perhaps the washing would come out whiter?
I did read it in a previous post somewhere, that they actually preferred their dCS cable.
Perhaps a higher end mains cable may cut the mustard?
I run my Bartok and Rossini clock with OEM cables and I’m quite happy. I sold my previous up market power cords because I could hear no difference with the dCS. Ditto for my power conditioner. Horses for courses - everyone has different needs.
imho the first thing prior to experimenting with new power cables should be running a dedicated line for the system. A nice Furutech, or similar, outlet would be next on my list. An appropriate power distribution strip should then follow.
The first power cables I would experiment with would be between the wall and distribution strip, and then wall and amplifier. If happy I would then work my way down the line.
I do use after-market Power cables, mainly to ensure the cables are of adequate quality so as to not spew crap out among the rest of the nearby cables - try bunching your stock power cord together in parallel with your audio signal cables, you’ll hear a loss of sound-field imaging.
The only convincing demo I ever heard about main cable, was a guy from the company Isotek. We could hear a very audible difference between cables. However, the biggest difference was between stock cable and medium priced Isotek cable. Between very expensive and super expensive Isotek cables the differences became subtle….
I just made my own up from some shielded cable and decent plugs both ends, it didn’t cost much to do and works absolutely fine. I have had a few much more expensive mains cables over the years from deals to try and I have never been able to hear any difference.
I can see how an un shielded mains cable could effect other sensitive cables behind the rack being close but I can’t see how say a meter or two of hugely expensive mains cable that looks like a huge snake can make any difference to the mains going into the box? As long as both cables are made correctly. You have meters and meters of 2.5 mm normal mains cable in the house, and then certainly nothing like the expensive mains cable inside the box, so why should putting a very small lenght between them make any difference? Unless one is say shielded correctly and one isn’t and messing with the system like a nasty wallmart plug did that came with my melco n100.
I viewed a presentation by the owner and chief designer of Siltech who explained this was the main criteria they used to design power cables. I recall him saying something to the effect their power cables are designed to mostly eliminate radiated “junk” at a measurable distance of 1m. The video is on YouTube and was a highly educational presentation.
What I like about Siltech is they are not a bunch of people in a garage spinning out wire. Their design staff is manned with a number of PhD engineers doing serious work. Almost 50 years of making cables shows them to have well earned and deserved staying power, similar to dCS
While my Siltech speaker cables and interconnects are “pricey” the power cables I use from them are somewhat reasonable (when compared to other audiophile brands). The clock and AES/EBU I also use are reasonably priced as well.
Of course that is not to stop them from manufacturing their oligarch line, which is at a completely different price point. I guess if some are willing to pay then why not meet that market demand.
I’ve been a fan of Siltech cables for a very long time; SPX 20s in my secondary systems, and even in my main system, the Kharma Enigma Power cables I use have, I believe, Siltech supplied cores.
This argument is one I hear often and I just want to highlight a fundamental misunderstanding baked into it.
Mains is Alternating Current, AC. It doesn’t flow from the substation to your house, through your ”meters of normal mains cable” and then ”into the box”. Well it does, but only for 1/50th of a second, and then for the next 1/50th it flows back the other way. Rinse and repeat.
So the mains cable connecting your DAC to the wall is the last filter between the wall and the DAC, but also between the DAC and the wall.
Just pointing that anything between the IEC socket on your DAC and the wall can influence what travels downstream to your DAC and what travels upstream to the wall. And in a ring main architecture anything bad travelling back the other way can cause problems in other equipment. The power supplies in dCS products, which are extremely painstakingly refined designs and of fundamental importance to their sonic performance, take both of these aspects into account.
And just to be clear, I’m neither advocating nor dissing aftermarket mains cables here. As in all categories of product, some of them are very good and some are less good.
Thanks for replying, that’s interesting… Funnily enough, my dealer is also trying to sell me a Power Conditioner, in the way of a Chord PowerHaus M6. Which Conditioner did you have?
I do in fact have that. Not sure what the cable diameters are in the States, but I have installed a 10mm Radial circuit with one double un-switched socket, with its own fuse box. totally separate from the home wiring. Perfect for my Bartók and Vitus amp, but when I get my Server/Storage, I’ll have to add another socket or have some kind of power strip. To be honest Gregg not sure what would be better, additional sockets on the 10mm Radial, or a strip? (Have I just opened a can of worms by saying that?)
Siltech are a very much respected brand, but I’ve never demoed any of their cable. I do remember one of the dealers that I use, was trying to flog me some Siltech Classic Legend 880i XLRs at over 3K!
David - since your previous life had you living in Salisbury green for many years, your Naim background will tell you a posh Chord Music power cable sells for 4800 gbp. Naim’s own Super Lumina is similarly pricey as well
A Siltech Classic Legend 880, a mighty fine cable, at 3k is not too bad when compared to the above.
The 880 is at the top of the Classic Legend series. I happen to use one between my Furutech strip and the wall, and another between my DarTZeel amp and the wall. Even though my Vivaldi stack is pricey, Siltech advises the 680’s, a step below the 880, are adequate for digital components- and those are what I use.
Now, don’t ask which Siltech model I use for XLR interconnect and speaker cables (4.5m)
Admittedly, they were not high end, retailing at £350 each. But, as we all know, money is not what it’s all about. That is demonstrated with my new Sommer XLRs at £138. They sound brilliant, better than the Entreq and Tellurium XLRs at £450!
