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Once he stumbled across liquid polymers and figured out the correct ratio of various types he was closer to a viable solution. With these critical fundamentals in place, cables of almost any length can now be readily assembled. From a mechanical perspective one of the major advantages of his new power cables is that they are totally limp and easy to position. Compared to anaconda products that consume a lot of space, are bear to wrestle with and capable of lifting lightweight components right into the air, the Liquid Airs readily conform to wiring channels and fixtures.
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Listening to the sound of silence: Popping the Oracle into my digital source minimalist system without preamp, the first thing that struck me was how a layer of grit, grunge and vaguely defined non-musical sounds were immediately removed from the presentation. The soundstage was definitely better defined, wider, deeper and higher. There was an accompanying illusion that the average sound level was higher. It wasn't of course but a higher percentage of the energy delivered by the amps now seemed to contribute to the musical experience rather than being diverted into artefacts that effectively ‘subtract’ power. It was as though the system became more effectively focused on creating music. Timbres were richer, fuller, more colourful. Voices gained that wonderful biological nuanced quality in which the songs are tinged with emotion in a way that starts to grab hold of you.
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Certainly the noise floor dropped, meaning the audible dynamic range clearly increased and the background between notes became somewhat more like real air in a performing venue. There’s almost nothing there. That's of course the point. These benefits were all quite apparent when listening through my Odyssey Kismet monoblocks and Weiss DAC 202.
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Lightning quick, delicate and refined: Perhaps the most striking effect of the Liquid Air cables was their speed, slam and grip. Even higher end and otherwise lovely sounding power cables from other vendors seemed a bit woolly or muffled by comparison. The Liquid Airs are very expensive to be sure but the kind of musical experience they deliver is suggestive of turning the spigot up all the way.
While previously used cables were quite free of coloration, neutral and balanced, the Liquid Airs enhanced complex recordings such as choruses with orchestra with more realistic detail without in any way sounding etched or otherwise acquiring audio neurosis.
Simple arrangements such as female vocalist plus jazz band stood out in the acoustic space of the recording venue much more than before. Dimensionality of images improved as did the retrieval of ambience. There was more information presented in a natural coherent manner. As with the Oracle turning down the noise does more than just clean up the picture. The energy that was lost seems to be folded back into the experience.
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These descriptions are of course highly subjective and not meant to imply any technical model or mechanism. But it’s quite apparent that both power-guzzling solid-state amplifiers and dainty sources benefited from the Liquid Airs alike and this despite the robust power supplies designed into both types of components.
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Conclusion: Both the Oracle power conditioner and the Liquid Air power cables clearly delivered substantial benefits to my midrange reference gear. The question of course is cost effectiveness especially at the lofty prices they command. Are they good enough to be worthy of an extended audition? Certainly. How do they perform with really high-end gear? Are they state of the art?
In the case of the Oracle one should also consider the $8.500 Audience adeptResponse aR12, the $4.499 Running Springs Audio Dmitri and the $4.499 PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant. None of these come cheap and each will doubtlessly have considerable virtue. The Oracle’s build quality alone makes it a contender but extensive listening to the others—also apparently well-built—will be essential before one decides which way to go.
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In the case of power cables where my experience is a bit deeper, the Liquid Airs to me are definitely close to the top in their price range. Finding suitable competition will require more investigation although Silent Source Audio, the Running Springs HZ Crown Jewel and the new XLO Purple Reign series Purple Rush come to mind as possibilities.
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Physical: Weight approximately 30 pounds (12 kg); 18" wide x 16.5" deep x 9" high (46 x 42 x 23cm).
Electrical: Two IE -C15 inlets, two 20-amp circuit breakers.
Final comments: The Oracle and Liquid Airs offer eye and ear-opening technology that tames power gremlins and increases sonic transparency.
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