Signal Cable Magic Power - Review/Demo

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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,663
    edited February 2005
    Originally posted by dorokusai
    have some mental fortitude to TRY it.....don't be a JohnK.


    ED Z
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited February 2005
    OK,
    I have demo'd the signal power cord and the volex 14 guage cord in my system and here's what happened.
    I'll be as brief as possible.

    I re connected my system with all the stock powercords( I already upgraded my powercords to Kimber Kable. After I listened to my system witht ehstockers , I connected the Volex first to the dvd player(using for cd's) and listened again. No difference what soever. The powercord from the stock Pioneer Elite dv47a and the Volex seems to sound exactly the same. I found no difference at all. Then I tried it on the B&K abd again no difference at all. I find the Volex to be a factory replacement other then a upgrade.

    Now for the Signal cable.
    I started out witht eh DVD player and noticed a slight difference in clarity. It was hard to hear at first (could be I was getting tired of moving my gear around and changing cords) but there was am Impovement. The voice and strings where alittle clearer then when using the stock cable.
    Ok now for the amp side. The Signal cable seemed to make a bigger difference here. I felt that the stock cable sounded dynamic limiting in comparsion. It bothers me alittle that when receivers and amps come out of the factory , they don't already come with a better powercord. I know it might take the fun out of all this kind of thing, but I would pay little more to get alittle more.
    So to wrap up the signal cable powercord on the B&K , Dynamics was what was gained.

    EDIT IN>>>
    I should have mentioned that to those who never tried this demo should give it a whirl. It's fun no less and you might be shocked in what your system can do. There is small gains to unlock and this is one way of doing so.

    I decided to chellange the Siganl cable powercord to my Kimbers. I plan on doing that today as I got to tired to keep it going. Not to mention I can't demo all that long without getting clouded in my judgement. I'll report back with my findings today or tomarrow.

    Who will get the cords next??

    Email me with an Address to send them 2.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,755
    edited February 2005
    Man I noticed that too...

    My B&K sounded alot more vieled with the stock power cord, that SC power cable took it to a whole new dimension man...

    They seem to mate very well...
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited February 2005
    It's fun man. I'm gonna shot out the Kimber and the Signal today and post it tonight.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited February 2005
    Cool, Dan! I'll be looking forward to your review.

    I love my SCPC, and right now burn-in DH Labs PC to see how they differ, courtesy of pjdami (thanks again Paul!). I'll post my impressions when I am done.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited February 2005
    Nice review Dan. I always look forward to reading them. You can be brutally honest about things and straight to the point. That's what I like to read.

    PT you're welcome.

    Paul
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited February 2005
    Cool guys ,

    Here is my review after a long shoot out.

    I took the Signal cable and used it on both the DVD player (using as a cd player) and on the B&K.

    First up was the DVD player , for some reason or another I always start there. I listened to Norah Jones SACD Come Away With Me for best sound quality and a fair comparsion between the Signal Cable and Kimber Kable. The song I used was "Nightingale".With the Signalcable in place , The sound was crystal clear. No loss in overall sound quality as I heard it. The signal cable didn't really change anything when I Installed it. I didn't notice anything different at all. I played the song again to get a good feel on Dynamics , tones and melody. I put back in my Kimber Kable power cord and noticed slighty better Guitar string tone. The guitar changed sound and I wasn't sure if it was for the better or worse or even indifferent. So I listened to Nightingale again and found the same thing. I then switched the Kimber for the Signal and now I could tell a different tone. Again nothing really changed much but I could hear a difference in the way the guitar sounded. I't was like the dude used a Martin with the Kimber and a Yamaha with the Signal. Both sounded really good and I don't really favor one over the other. This all depends on my mood in what or how I like to listen to things at a given time.

    Winner here no body. There different and perform differnt but I couldn't make up my mind which I liked better.


    Next up was the B&K. I ran the Signal cable here and re installed the DVD's kimber cord. Now something is different. I feel the B&K was dynamic but the sound quality was different. It sounded like I put a cloth over the speakers and clouded or fingerprinted the cd. I wasn't ready to be convinced that the power cable did all this to by system so I went over all my connections making sure the Bi wires (8tc 8tc shotgun Kimbers) didn't come loose from moving my gear around so much. Nothing was unplugged or loose so it had to be the way the Signal cable sounded. This time I perferred the way the Kimber sounded. I put it back in I felt refreshed. Like someone washed my clothes in Fresh rain and I was sitting there with the sun on my face(don't ask where all that came from but I just did the laundry and it smelled really good). I really like the way the Kimber sounded and the Dynamics where slighty Improved.

    The signalcable is no slouch. It's a really nicely build cable. For what you pay for it , it's well worth the asking price. I'm glad to be a part of this wire demo program as this demo was fun.

    I perfer my Kimber over the Signal but they cost alot more. I guess you get what you pay for.

    Good luck to the next guy who demo's it. I will pack it up and wait for a Email for the next guys address.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited February 2005
    Originally posted by pjdami
    Nice review Dan. I always look forward to reading them. You can be brutally honest about things and straight to the point. That's what I like to read.

    PT you're welcome.

    Paul

    I find no reason to color the review. I write them as I find it. I sit there and listen with my ears. I could care less why it does what it does. Being an Installer I get so much theory I'm kinda beat on it. When I'm home I like to just experience my system without all the technical reasons. Make no mistake I don't think it's not nessary to know about technical things but I do it for a living and want to relax when I'm home.

    I guess after doing this so long , reading all the things that manufactors say there products do and why they are better then the others beats me. I have heard it so many times and felt alot of it is a crock of crap. I'd rather be Impressed by it's real world performance then read the box and think "WOW look what it is suppost to do". I don't care if the product can sound like nature. Bring air and life to my system , clean up all the noise that I can't hear anyway , bring beautiful colors to my picture bla bla bla.Show me the performance and earn my respect it will. Lie to me and I'll beat it.

    Like this powercord review , the upgraded cables make a difference but it's not as much as one would think.... or maybe it is. I had low expectations when I started the power thing. But it makes the small changes that can be enjoyed if you have the time to enjoy it. I love shootouts of all kinds. It's so cool to learn.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited February 2005
    So do I own the Signalcable power cord now??? Or is someone on the list to receive it next?

    Please Emial me with an Address of the next guy who gets it. Also post in here the correct guy so I can send it out.

    I am finished with my demo,

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited February 2005
    PM Brent McCall.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited February 2005
    gotcha
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • Brent McCall
    Brent McCall Posts: 63
    edited February 2005
    Mantis:
    You indicated that you are an active installer (AV).
    Been one myself since 1977 (Sony DST, Crestron, Elan, Vantage, Runco, Sharp, Mac., BIG Dish, Little Dish, Vantage, Lutron etc.)(dam'n I'm old).
    I am very interested in the power cable difference.
    I have concentrated my efforts on interconnects and have not really looked at power (other than dedicated 20 amp circuits for my hifi). I do believe more is better.
    Brent McCall
    Ethereal Home Theater
    (386) 846-7264 Cell
    (866) 839-9187 #203

    My Gear
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,663
    edited March 2005
    Brent,

    When you're done, please let me know and I'll PM you my address.

    Jesse
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,092
    Is the demo still going on? Lol!! I wonder where the cable is now.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 8,121
    pearsall001 wrote: »
    Is the demo still going on? Lol!! I wonder where the cable is now.

    Dude someone is bored lol...but this forum is basically dead.
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
    Game Room 5.1.4:     Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
    Bedroom 2.1     Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,092
    rooftop59 wrote: »
    pearsall001 wrote: »
    Is the demo still going on? Lol!! I wonder where the cable is now.

    Dude someone is bored lol...but this forum is basically dead.

    Too funny but yes & yes. This place used to be the bomb but time has certainly taken it's toll.

    There's still a lot of great guys here but the overall atmosphere has lost it's luster.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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