June 8, 2014

• Audio Excellence AZ Power Wing II, Part 1

  Before beginning to describe the Audio Excellence AZ Power Wing II, it seems appropriate to first detail the genesis of the unit. I purchased a used original model Power Wing through an audiophile buddy on the West Coast back in August, 2013.

  Up until that point I still owned a Shunyata Hydra 8 (see installments 1 and 2 for more information on this model) and Shunyata Guardian Pro 6 which were serviceable but left me unsatisfied for various reasons. So, when the Power Wing became available (a rare event since it seems that their owners hold onto these units indefinitely), I immediately purchased it with the intention of having its creator, Alan M. Kafton, update the power line conditioner to its current incarnation.

  

  

  One Oyaide SWO-DX and Two SWO-XXX Outlets

  

  Side View

  Before having the PLC upgraded, however, I wanted to hear what it sounded like as is and therefore had the unit shipped to me to use for a couple of weeks. This way, I’d be able to do a before and after comparison. One of the reasons this particular unit appealed to me was due to the fact that it was finished with rose-colored end caps, an option that was no longer available. Little did I know that this was not to be the only thing to make the finished Power Wing II unique but I’m getting ahead of the story.

  The original unit housed three Oyaide outlets: two SWO-XXX and one SWO-DX. The Audio Excellence AZ web site describes the sonic characteristics of these particular outlets as follows.

  Oyaide SWO-DX: Rhodium over silver over deoxidized phosphor bronze. Provides a more “immediate” and vivid presentation, with the sound field nearer the plane of the speaker, as if you moved your listening chair closer to the recording. Subtle details in the recording seem more evident, since the overall presentation has been moved forward. This effect is similar to sitting closer to the concert stage.

  Oyaide SWO-XXX: Palladium over gold over deoxidized phosphor bronze. Offers the deep and wide soundstage of the GX, but with a “cooler”, more neutral tonal balance. It provides additional micro-detail and nuance, together with enhanced venue information retrieved from the recording.

  I had already installed two Oyaide R-1 wall outlets (see here and here) and anticipated having the same placed into the updated Power Wing II. However, one of the features of the unit is the ability to mix’n’match outlets depending upon the end-user’s needs and desires for system fine-tuning. I thought this would give me an opportunity to try two other variations before deciding which ones to select. Another nice point is that even after receiving the finished product, you can still switch outlets by sending the unit back to Alan.

  At this point in time, I was using an Acrolink 7N-P4030II power cord finished with Oyaide P-/C-004 connectors as the link between the wall outlet and the Hydra Model 8 so that’s what I used for the new unit, too. Connected to these units were my conrad-johnson CA200, Oppo BDP-95, Samsung LCD TV, and my set-top cable box.

  Okay. So, how did it sound in its original formulation?

  Listening Impressions
  • The volume level seems to be a bit louder than with the Hydra
  • The lower register is more meaty
  • Sweeter but not at the expense of a loss in fine detail which is, if anything, better
  • Reference level sound stage for my system
  • Picture quality is clearer with more finely nuanced flesh tones, for example

  Generally speaking, the original Power Wing shows an across the board improvement over both the Hydra Model 8 and Guardian Pro 6. At this point, I’m looking forward very much to what further changes will occur once the unit has been updated.

  • 7:33 am
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