Current views. Not a periodical's title, this is just about the impact enhanced current conduction has on high-draw amplifiers. When I replaced the Ocellia OCC Silver wall-to-distributor cord and matching distributor-to-amp cord with Titan Audio's 3-metre Eros on the wall and 1.8m Nemesis Signature on the Pass Labs XA30.8, the increase of bass power, impact, gravitas and overall weight was undeniable. Of course not every amp draws in excess of x 10 its rated output power. But unless they exploit sliding bias, class A specimens all do. Now strapping on a low-gauge cord that delivers more current harnesses more of the amp's actual potential particularly in the low registers. There's no "how was it for you" uncertainty for the (morning) after. These effects are undeniable and assertive.

Vis-à-vis our usual mono-crystal copper Acrolink with Oyaide IEC and Furutech mains on the source stack's wall connection, splurging £2'500 worth of titanic silver was rather less beneficial. The key change here were slightly brighter sharper textures. Those worked well on the darker heavier Pass but not so much on the lit-up ultra resolving Aqua/Wyred front end with iMac transport.


On the class A/B 55-watt LinnenberG monos (110w/2Ω), the switch from Ocellia silver to Titan Audio high-draw copper (Helios) didn't impact bass power or extension but once again the feel of transient incisiveness. The copper cords were mellower and bloomier, the silver specimens grippier and tauter. This telegraphed as a sideways shift into a different climate, not an up/down move into a different quality tier. At £175/ea., Titan's third-from-the-bottom model was clearly very competitive. Likewise for the £600 Eros. It showed Ocellia's triple-braided OCC a clean set of heels on audible XA30.8 gravitas and grippiness. With my extensive swap options between cable loaners, let's segue into the conclusion rather than tarry over minutiae valid only to specific components. In Titan Audio's current power-cord portfolio, the biggest returns are to be had by models #2/3 and #4/5. That means £100/£175 and £400/£600 respectively. By the time I hit the latter twins of Elektra/Eros, I was on mostly even footing with our familiar Zu Event loom; except for Eros. That struck me as more potent on the amps which require a 3-metre stretch to reach the wall. Its right-angle plug also neatly prevented the minor slippage our home rental's UK receptacles cause on straight UK plugs.

Final views. Let's face it. Power cords are not sexy. They disappear behind equipment to soon gather dust. The sex appeal of jewelry-type plugs with polished chrome, carbon fibre and such seems dubious then. But, power cords function as immediate extensions of your kit's power supplies. Strangulate those even mildly and there will be an immediate impact on performance. Leaving performance under the table throws away money you already spent on the hardware. Though that argument is perfectly logical, our willingness to spend big on power cords remains compromised by their seemingly basic utility. It's more fun to invest discretionary hifi dollars elsewhere. It's here where Titan Audio's value proposition kicks hardest. If one has a $6'500 amp as we do in the smallest stereo Pass, laying out 1/10th or £600 for a 1.8m Eros cord shouldn't be a stretch. If one listens instead to a €1'250 April Music Stello, mating it to a £175 Helios makes equal sense. Very craftily then, our Irishmen seem to have positioned the majority of their catalogue at this very likeable and likely 10% juncture. Of course punters may deviate from my recipe and mate their £2'500 range topper to something well below €25'000. For example, owners of a Bel Canto Black EX or Devialet all-in-one might. If you're a very critical listener with all else sorted already, the added refinement of mono-crystal silver can become decisive. But that's a rather smaller step than between Helios/Tyco and Elektra/Eros. In fact, on a rig of insufficient magnification power, it may not matter enough. The majority of sonic pilgrims should thus be perfectly content to get elektrik or erotic; without busting the bank. Given hifi's pricing climate, that's a most happy conclusion. "How was it for you?" could even lead to an enthusiastic "let's do it again" and replace another underperforming cord. In that way then, power cables can be sexy; without kinky strangulation.


Titan's passive point-to-point no-frills power strip is another contender. It bettered a generic competitor and opened doors to upgrades of the power link between it and the wall. Here the sky is the limit. More relevant to shoppers who buy at the big box movers is having a better alternative than the infernal power strips available there. Those are kosher for lights and toasters and coffee makers but not for proper hifi. At £200 for six outlets plus a 1-metre detachable Styx power cord, Titan Audio's entry-level Styx power distributor becomes the perfectly sane solution. Score a few for team Eire!
 

Titan Audio website