The reader is once again encouraged to visit the Audio Excellence AZ web site for a more thorough description of the Power Wing II but here are some selected highlights of both the stock model and my particular unit. The use of the word “stock” is rather misleading because Alan Kafton works closely with his customers in determining exactly what will go into the finished product in order to suit his or her sonic preferences.

Stock Model
• Overall dimensions are 20 inches long X 5 inches wide X 5.5 inches tall.
• The chassis is constructed of 18-gauge, non-magnetic stainless steel with a curved bottom similar to a bathtub shape.
• The top plate is 14-gauge non-magnetic stainless steel (this is where the outlets are affixed).
• Computer Numerical Control fabricated one-inch-thick Corian end-caps. The end-caps act as supports and footers for the chassis and also assist in the dispersion of spurious vibration. The Corian supports allow the Power Wing to be placed on either of its sides (inside an equipment rack), or upright, next to or behind equipment racks, when space is at a premium.
• The user may choose any three Oyaide outlets for the Power Wing II. Each duplex receptacle is electrically isolated and filtered from the other. (There is an upcharge for the R-1 model.)
• Furutech gold-plated 15-amp IEC inlet.
• The ultra-fast Carlingswitch™ magnetic circuit breaker was chosen for the on-off switch.
• The internal circuitry is a very low impedance, non-current-limiting design and is completely hand-fabricated.
• High-purity Cardas solid-core, 10-gauge copper is used for the buss architecture.
• All of the internal circuitry including the inlet are deep-cryo treated twice, and certified by Cryogenics International.

Subject Power Wing II
• Three Oyaide R-1 oulets and R inlet.
• Bybee Gold AC Bullet (no longer manufactured).
• Fo. Q damping materials used inside and on the outlets, the IEC, the top plate, and a few other select places.

The stock model costs $3,250 and one similar to mine (without the Bybee) would be approximately $3,650.

The Power Wing II arrived in late January, 2014 and as can be seen in the photographs below, it was very well-packed and survived its journey from Phoenix unscathed.

The fit and finish of the unit was first-class.

Initially, the Power Wing II was placed directly on my living room carpeting to the right of the equipment shelves. However, I was able to get the power cords to lie with almost no touching between them by placement on the left. After discussions with Alan, I also purchased a large bamboo cutting board to separate the Power Wing II (and the Vajra power cord) from the static-prone nylon carpeting in my apartment.

Listening Impressions:
• One word repeated itself over and over in my listening notes: clear. Details and subtleties previously buried in the recording mix were considerably more apparent.
• The music was housed in the quietest envelope my system had ever produced.
• What I call inner detail and what most closely corresponds to the sustain portion of a musical note was more nuanced.
• The decay portion of notes went on longer as a result of the lowering of the system’s noise floor.
• Bass was more authoritative and a singer would, on occasion, take up residence in my living room.
• The treble was smooth but very well extended imparting a greater degree of clarity to transients.
• The sound stage extended well into the room as it had before but also farther behind the plane of the speakers than previously.
• Dynamics on both a micro- and macro-level were significantly better with no congestion.
• Color saturation, fine detail and depth of image on video (both from my cable box and Oppo BDP-95 and later the 105D) had never been this good.
• The differences between recordings especially when listening to playlists comprised of many different albums were easily heard.

I could go on in this vein but I think the point has been made.

Concluding Thoughts
What I’ve found over the years and especially most recently is that what I used to consider to be peripherals are in fact vital to my overall musical enjoyment. The judicious selection of products such as power conditioners/ filtration devices and power cords has elevated the performance of my system to the point where audiophile wanderlust is no more. As much as the original Power Wing was an improvement over the Shunyata conditioners I’d been using, the Model II was in an entirely different league. Its R-1 outlets and R inlet mated perfectly with both my wall outlets and the majority of my power cords.

If you’re considering cleaning up the electrical power going into your components so that you’re able to truly hear and see what they’re capable of, the Power Wing II should definitely be at the top of your short list. Especially if you were considering spending a heck of a lot more than what the Power Wing II costs. Enthusiastically recommended.

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.

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.

Before proceeding to the installments on the Power Wing II, I thought it would be useful to list my system as it’s currently configured since so much has changed since regularly blogging last year.

Starting from the Oyaide R-1 wall outlets, we have the following.

Power Distribution:
• Audio Excellence AZ Power Wing II power line conditioner with Prana Wire Vajra power cord (Oyaide M1/F1 connectors).
• PS Audio Juice Bar with Blue Circle Audio BC68 filtered power cord.

Display
• Samsung 46” LCD TV with HiFi-Tuning C7 power cord and Mapleshade Vivilink Plus HDMI cable.

Front-End Components
• Oppo 105D with Bybee Golden Goddess power cord (Oyaide M1/F1 connectors) supported by Acoustic Revive RAF-48 air floatation board. Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0PA interconnects and LAN-1.5PA Ethernet cable. Prana Wire Photon USB cable. Mapleshade Vivilink Plus HDMI cable.
• Olive O3HD Media Server with Tel Wire power cord (Oyaide P-/C-004 connectors) supported by ESD Elevators. Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0PA interconnects and LAN-1.0PA Ethernet cable.

Integrated Amplifier
• conrad-johnson CA200 Control Amplifier with Acrolink 7N-P4030II power cord (Oyaide P-/C-004 connectors) supported by Mapleshade Megamounts. HRS Damping Plate. HiFi-Tuning Gold fuses.

Speakers
• Quad ESL-989 with Acrolink 6N-P4030II power cords (Oyaide P-/C-004 connectors) and Acoustic Revive SPC-PA speaker cables with RBN-1 banana plugs. Acoustic Revive RWL-3 Acoustic Conditioners placed behind each speaker. HiFi-Tuning Supreme fuses.

Miscellaneous
• Acoustic Revive RR-777 Ultra Low Frequency Pulse Generator with KingRex MK2 PSU.
• Black Discus and Black Sticks Devices by Mad Scientist Audio.
• Western Digital My Passport Slim 2TB external hard drive
• Two PNY 128GB Classic flash drive
• Transcend 64GB flash drive
• Macally Mini 7-Port USB 2.0 Hub with AC Adapter

Some Practical Considerations

There a few factors to be considered when using the Vajra that will impact the listener on an everyday basis.

The Oyaide M1/F1 Connectors are large and heavy. Therefore the user should ensure that there is sufficient space allowed to plug the Vajra into the intended component. Also, there is going to be some sag even when the Vajra is connected to an audiophile or hospital grade “grip of death” outlet. If a run-of-the-mill outlet is used, it could be possible that the M1 side of the power cord could even pull itself entirely away. I use Oyaide’s R-1 outlets both for my wall outlets and in the Power Wing II. The R-1 uses the same palladium over platinum over beryllium copper metallurgy as the M1. In addition, the inlet on the Power Wing II that mates with the F1 uses this same scheme.

The Linebacker In-Line Conditioner is also large and heavy and does not lend itself to be left dangling from a component. As a result, the most stable placement would be on the floor or if there’s room, on the equipment rack shelf. The latter placement will result in an effective cord length that’s shorter than anticipated from its absolute length.

I have only used the Vajra connected to a PSA Juice Bar and later the Power Wing II and in both these cases, they were placed on the floor. I’ve found it useful to position the Linebacker over a bowl or even ESD Elevators. This causes less strain on the connectors going into the wall outlet and the IEC inlet at the other end.

Connected Vajra on 12/13/13

When inserting the Vajra into the system for the first time the Acrolink 7N P4030II with Oyaide C-/P-004 connectors which had previously been used on the PSA Juice Bar was moved to the conrad-johnson CA200 integrated amp and the Vajra replaced it on PSA Juice Bar.

Listening Impressions
• Clean and clear
• Louder, smoother and more natural
• Dead silent with music sounding more complex
• Individual instruments are more clearly heard and differentiated
• Tonal balance is even across the board with no particular frequencies emphasized
• Very coherent
• Wide and layered sound stage
• Transients are sharp without edginess
• Bass is very solid
• Vocals (as is everything else) are extremely clear
• Dynamics are outstanding
• Purity of tone that wasn’t present before
• New reference level performance from my system

It's been quite some time since I posted to my blog -- October 6, 2013 to be exact. The reason is that I find Xanga's current posting engine awkward, unfriendly to the user and just a general PITA to work with. There. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let the games begin.

The subject of today's installment is the Prana Wire Vajra Power Cord. Silly name aside, this is without a doubt the best power cord I've ever used. And the most expensive by far. The used 2 meter cord I was lucky enough to purchase at a deep discount has a retail price of $6,548. I kid you not.

Here's what it looks like:

When you take into account what the cord is comprised of, the price becomes more understandable although still awfully expensive. Not nearly in the same league, however as Prana Wire's Avatar II power cord which would cost $24,400 in the same length!

Anyway, here's a partial listing of what you get and where applicable how much each item would cost:
1) Oyaide M1 and F1 Beryllium/Copper Platinum/Palladium plated Reference Series Connectors ($690)

2) Super Enhanced Ground Plane (SEGP) Upgrade ($600)

3) Linebacker In-Line Power Filter ($2,250)

The Vajra power cord itself is composed of 7 gauge ultra high purity silver copper hybrid. This particular cord appears to have been produced June 9, 2012.

In the next installment my impressions of how the Vajra "sounds" connected to first a PS Audio Juice Bar and then the formidable Audio Excellence AZ Power Wing II will be explored. Stay tuned.

This installment will cover Gold Fuses by AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) and HiFi-Tuning, and the Quantum Chip made by WA-Quantum GmbH.

All of the fuses and chips were used in my conrad-johnson CA200 control amplifier. My CA200 has proven to be problematic when it comes to the mains/IEC connector slow blow 6.3 Amp fuse. In different situations, primarily when powering-on the unit from an off position, the mains fuse has repeatedly, although not always, been tripped. While changing power cords, I have gone through two HiFi-Tuning Supreme, an AMR Gold and even a stock glass fuse in this situation.

AMR Gold Fuse
At $20 apiece, these are the least expensive aftermarket fuses I’ve used. Sonically, I’d put them on par with the HiFi-Tuning Gold fuses. They’re an improvement over stock glass fuses with a slightly warm presentation that still imparts improvements to both clarity and dynamics.

HiFi Tuning Gold XT Fuse
As stated, the mains/IEC fuse in my conrad-johnson integrated amplifier has proven to be problematic until I installed the extra slow blow (hence XT designation) Gold fuse from HiFi-Tuning. The extra slow blow fuse is intended for use, according to the manufacturer, wherever a power transformer drawing high current is present. It works and at $39.95 is a relative bargain in the aftermarket fuse arena.

Quantum Chips
WA-Quantum form Berlin, Germany is the manufacturer of Quantum Chips and they are available for a variety of applications including fuses, capacitors, transformers, coils, cables and loudspeakers. This is the same company that produces the HiFi-Tuning product line.

A word of warning: although the advertisements for the fuse chips depict them attached to the end cap of the fuse, the chips do not conduct electricity. As a result, placing them on the end cap of the fuse renders the fuse non-functional. I have placed them on the body of the fuse and in this position they work fine.

I’ve tried them on both stock and aftermarket gold fuses (AMR and HiFi-Tuning) with positive results. They seem to kick up performance a notch so that stock fuses sound more like Gold fuses and Gold fuses more like the Supreme level fuses. The operational phrase here is “more like” in that while the chips do offer an improvement, they are not a replacement for the actual aftermarket fuse itself. However, at a price of $7.50 for the 5mm chip and $9 for the 6mm chip, they are a bargain. The 5mm chip is intended for use with 20mm/.75" fuses and the 6mm for 32mm/1.25” fuses. You may want to try them “on one end of cap where it will not interfere with fuse holder contact” as the Cable Company states in their ad copy, maybe you’ll be more lucky than I was.

Today’s installment will serve as the introduction to my latest power cord purchased from Alan M. Kafton at Audio Excellence AZ.  As a side note, Alan is a pleasure to deal with:  knowledgeable, friendly, willing to spend as much time with you as required by phone and/or e-mail, and a straight-shooter.

 

The Players

Acrolink 7N-P4030 II Cable

The 7N-P4030 II power cord represents Acrolink’s latest iteration of the 7 nines (99.99999%) pure annealed copper 10 gauge cable.  It’s sheathed in a polymer polyolefin casing said to have a dielectric constant 1/3 that of polypropylene and 1/4 of PVC. 

     

 

Oyaide P004/C004 Terminations

The Acrolink power cord is terminated with Oyaide’s next to top grade P/C-004 connectors.  I chose this particular set of connectors because their Palladium over Platinum over Beryllium Copper match the Oyaide R1 electrical outlets I’ve recently installed in my listening room.   See these previous installments regarding the R1:  Part 1 and Part 2. 

     

     

Alan constructs the Acrolink power cord in your choice of Oyaide connectors.  P/C-037:  Rhodium over Silver over deoxidized Phosphor Bronze.  P/C-046:  Palladium over Gold over deoxidized Phosphor Bronze.  P/C-079:  Gold over deoxidized Phosphor Bronze.  Each connector type has its own distinctive sound.

It should be noted that Alan treats both the connectors and the power cable with a double cryogenic process and then puts the power cord on an audiodharma Cable Cooker for six days.  Alan is the creator of the audiodharma.

 

VooDoo Silver 15Amp to 20Amp Converter

Because I would be trying the Acrolink power cable with Shunyata power conditioners in addition to components, a 15Amp to 20Amp converter was required.  Alan recommended the VooDoo Silver ($149) and one was ordered.  VooDoo also makes a less expensive Copper converter for $69. 

The Silver adapter is also cryogenically treated and is constructed of 10 gauge 4N Silver (99.99%).  The IEC connector is Rhodium over Silver over Copper.  There are other construction goodies also for your $149.

 

The next installment will cover my experiences to date with the power cord and adapter.  Stay tuned. 

It’s been a month and a half since I had the Oyaide R1 electrical outlets installed and I’d like to report my impressions regarding this product.  The second outlet was installed by a licensed electrician since this one “fed” other outlets in my living room and I found the task of figuring out what to do with seven wires too daunting.

To recap, the left channel outlet feeds a Quad 989 speaker and a Shunyata Guardian Pro 6 power line conditioner.  The reader is directed to the following installments regarding the Guardian:  Parts 1, 2, and 3.  The right channel outlet powers the other Quad and a Shunyata Hydra Model 8 plc (see Parts 1 and 2). 

 

Listening Impressions:

• I found that it took a few days for the cryogenically- and audiodharma Cable Cooker-treated R1 outlets to settle in.  Initially, the treble portion of the audio spectrum seemed a bit tipped-up.  However, once the outlets had a chance to “relax” over the course of a few days, things became much better.
• Bass is solid with more growl when the program material allows.
• Some improvement to the midrange is heard mainly as richer inner detail but it is not as large an improvement as heard at the frequency extremes.
• Cymbals are more realistic and less like a metallic white noise.
• The treble is more prominent but not in any way that unduly calls attention to itself.  It is simply more clear and pleasantly lacking in glare.
• Details previously buried in the mix are now audible against the infamous black(er) background.
• Dynamic range, both micro and macro are better.

 

In general, the installation of the R1 outlets resulted in a clear and clean presentation that allows the listener to become more deeply immersed in the audio experience.  The improvements garnered by installing the Oyaide R1 outlets have resulted in a more realistic and enjoyable overall sound to my system and although not inexpensive, they are, in my opinion, well worth the cost.  Decidedly recommended.

 

Coming Attractions:

Assuming that our host, Xanga, remains viable, look for future installments covering:

• Acrolink 7N-P4030 II Power Cord with Oyaide C-004/P-004 Connectors
• Cable Elevators
• Harmonic Resolution Systems Large Damping Plates
• VooDoo Silver 15 Amp to 20 Amp Adapter

The subject of today’s review represents a foray into another company’s power cords, the Audience powerChord “e”.  This cord retails for $689 for a six feet length although the Cable Company is currently running a special and is offering the powerChord “e” at $489 while supplies last.  Other than being a satisfied customer, I have no other affiliation with the Cable Company.

Technical details for this cord include:

• Termination with Wattgate IEC and plug
• Multistrand, unshielded construction
• Low resistance, low impedance design

Two of these cords reside in my system at the moment.  The first was placed on my conrad-johnson CA200 integrated amplifier.  A second powerChord “e” was placed on my Oppo BDP-95 universal player three and a half weeks later.  This second cord had been modified by its previous owner who replaced the IEC end with a Furutech FI 11Cu IEC.  As far as I could tell, the basic sound of the powerChord “e” was retained with this modified sample.

     

 

     

     

     

 

 

Listening Impressions:

• Clarity and transient response are near or at reference level within the context of my system.
• A smoothness to the overall sound that is more similar to the Taipan Helix Alpha as opposed to the more incisive original Taipan Alpha.
• A full, rich, almost tubular sound with a noticeably low noise floor.
• Excels at projecting a nicely dimensional sound stage populated by life-size images.
• Bass response may be slightly less prominent but still articulate.
• Voices are especially clear and nuanced.

 

Within its price range, the Audience powerChord “e” is a worthy contender.  Its flexibility makes it especially attractive when compared to more unruly power cords that seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to placement.

If you are the type of individual who believes that bits are bits, that all cables sound the same, a properly executed power amplifier sounds just like any other properly executed amplifier, then, please read no farther.

For those of you that are still with me, welcome.

It has been said that the last six feet of the electrical supply feeding an audio product are critical to sound quality.  By extension, therefore, not only are power cords of importance, but so would be the electrical outlet that your equipment (including power conditioners, strips, etc.) is plugged into and, indeed, even the electrical line leading from the circuit box to the outlet.

I live in an apartment, as I imagine some of you do as well, so having dedicated power lines installed feeding my equipment is not an option.  The electrical outlets are and that is the subject of this review.  One word of caution:  when replacing the standard outlets in your abode, lethal voltages are involved and unless you are competent enough to handle this endeavor, engage a qualified electrician to perform the work.  Electrocution and/or electrical fires are serious matters.

The subject of this review is the Oyaide (pronounced “Oh-yah-ee-day”) R1 electrical outlet.  The R1 is manufactured in Japan and is comprised of twice-polished beryllium copper base metal, plated with platinum which is then finished with palladium plating.  The mounting bracket is 24k gold plated brass and the R1 is totally non-magnetic to minimize potential disturbances from magnetic fields.  The body of the outlet is filled with 30% fiber glass to help minimize vibration and is constructed of Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). 

It is a 20 Amp outlet and does not follow USA conventions regarding the electrical fastening screws.  American standards follow the use of a brass colored screw for the hot (positive) connection, a silver colored screw for the neutral, and a green for the ground.  All of the screws are silver colored.

 

 

 Oyaide R1 Box Front & Back                                                                  Oyaide R1 Outlet Front
     

Oyaide R1 Outlet Back                                                                          Oyaide R1 Outlet Neutral Side
           

Oyaide R1 Outlet Positive & Ground Side
                                                                                                         

This isn’t your father’s outlet and with all of these exotic, and expensive, materials it isn’t cheap either.  The review outlets were purchased from VH Audio at a price of $180 each and were both cryogenically treated and were “cooked” for six days on an Audiodharma Cable Cooker Pro.  At this level, one would think that bracket mounting screws would be included but for whatever reason, they were not.  Therefore, be sure to hold onto your old ones.

The matching Oyaide WPC-Z Carbon Fiber faceplate and aluminum frame is $250.  I didn’t purchase the two of them I would need and instead used the wall plates already in my apartment.  An audiophile, in whose ears I trust, reports that the Oyaide WPC-Z helps reduce noise a bit.  At this level of performance, it might be worth considering.

 

Part 2 will cover the “sound” of the Oyaide R1 outlet.  Stay tuned.