power struggle continues

transparent audio reference powerlink 2 - the best compromise so far

after prolonged listening to nbs omega junior, i find something amiss. the mids are a bit hard and dry, the speed is way to fast (hence destroy the gentleness of slow music) and the overall effect is just a tad hi-fi-sh. the nbs initially awed me with its drive, PRaT and its superb bass but these qualities are not be-all and end-all for me. i am demanding other qualities like density, weight, wetness, warmth, organic flow, musicality. (gee, what a fussy pot!) it is really not fair in asking all these in the RM1K cable tho. i definitely have to up my price point.

so the search continues.

with just a couple of phone calls, i have with me the siltech G6 ruby hill (RM7K)and transparent audio reference powerlink 2 (RPL2, at RM3K). now the battle looks more exciting.

at RM7K, the generation-6 siltech, like the previous forbes lake interconnect i tried, again impresses me with its ultra delicate and refined presentation. the silver-gold composite really scores in midrange density and cultured high frequencies. everything is so ultra smooth and defined, to be extent of being a bit dainty and civilised. now, this would be a great cord for systems leaning on the rough side or even perhaps a solid-state system but in my system, i find it too much, too good. but i must maintain that in the right system, the siltech can be the best power cord you will ever need.

i have never really fancied the older generation of transparent cables in the past. to me, it is bloated in the mids with not much highs and lows. but some audiophiles swear by their higher-range cables like the opus MM. RPL2 (reference powerlink 2) is their 3rd-ranked power cord so it is rather high-end.

what can i say but RPL2 is the most balanced power cord in my experience so far! it has everything in the right dosage - not too much, not too little; just right. it doesn't have the bass authority of nbs but it still handles rock pretty well. it doesn't have the dryness of nbs; it has more warmth and moisture in the mids. it doesn't have the bloatiness of the absolute hi-fi's brandless cord or the leanness of the nbs; it has just the right density and weight. it doesn't have the too-delicate-to-touch quality of the siltech but it has enough boldness and drive to rock.

RPL2 seems like the best compromise i could ever ask for.

for the fun of it, i tried replacing my ps audio xstream statement - which has proven to be a firstl-class power cord for digital source - with the transparent. alas, the RPL2 cannot even touch the ps audio in terms of weight and bass solidity. the RPL2 is light-weight and floaty, altho' it has more details and is more refined than the ps audio. it truly justifies my faith on the ps audio xstream statement.

ok, let's make a conclusive remark about power cords: the higher end you go, the more you get in terms of (1) resolution (2) image precision/definition (2) image compactness (reduction of bloatiness). generally cheaper power cords are ill-defined in imaging and they tend to bloat.

can transparent reference powerlink 2 stand the test of time? watch this space.