$34,000/6-foot length

Almost all of us have heard the sonic differences that elite power cords can make. The rub, of course, is that differences are not necessarily improvements; instead, they can amount to distinctive sonic flavors. That is not the case with Edwin and Gabi Rynveld’s newest offering. Their Crystal Cable Infinity power cords markedly lower background noise; increase resolution, density of tone color, and dynamic contrast; and add a more substantial third dimension to images. In a word, they are better. There is no “magic” involved in Crystal’s products, Edwin is, far and away, the most scientifically grounded engineer working in the cable market. The Infinities, for example, emply coaxial conductors with a central core of pure, solid, single-crystal silver. With shields of braided silver and strands of silver-gold alloy, such a construction is said to “resist induced RF distortion and keep magnetic interference out of your system” And so it does, to an extent that has to be heard to be credited. Yes, Infinity costs a lot, and yes, it is worth every penny asked. The best power cord JV has auditioned and this year’s TAS AC Power Cord of the Year. (Forthcoming)

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Empirical Design Cables

Prices Vary

Empirical Design is probably the most under-the-radar, over-the-top-performing high-end cable company in existence. It’s been my reference for nearly 20 years, along the way winning two previous Golden Ear Awards. But those were back in the aughts. It’s worth noting that, through constant incremental evolution, these cables and power cords have retained what originally set them apart: top-notch parts-quality, straightforward topologies, hand-built construction, and a price roughly one-tenth that of cables of comparable merit. Recently, two events reminded of these cables’ unique attributes. First, the sonics of a review component were transformed—no exaggeration—by the insertion of a $240 Empirical Design power cord. Second, some fancy-pants speaker cable recommended by the speaker’s manufacturer was shown up by the far more neutral ED wire. At prices in the hundreds rather than the thousands, these cables are a no-brainer investment for most systems.

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VooDoo Power Cables

$2900/$3450/$4700

While I am still in the middle of my review listening period, I am so impressed with these power cords that I’m awarding them a Golden Ear before the proverbial pen has hit paper. With Air Dragon on the server, Air Phoenix on DAC and preamp, and a double dose of Air Tesla on my dual-mono amplifier I am attaining improved levels of resolution, better 3-D rendering of instruments/vocals, and a boost in dynamics and presence over my previous reference Shunyata Sigma power loom. The quality of the products is Fabergé level, and they are enormously flexible, which can be a huge issue with reference power cables due to their volume and mass. Stay tuned for the full review.

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