Reviewers: Marja & Henk
Financial Interests: click here
Sources: PS Audio PWT; Dr. Feickert Blackbird MKII/DFA 1o5/Zu DL-103; Phasure XX-PC;
DAC: Phasure NOS1 DAC; PS Audio Direct Stream DAC [loaner]; DiDiT DAC212 [in for review]
Streaming sources: XXHighEnd; iTunes; Devialet AIR; La Rosita Beta; Qobuz Desktop
Preamp/integrated/power: Audio Note Meishu with WE 300B (or AVVT, JJ, KR Audio 300B output tubes); dual Devialet D-Premier; Hypex Ncore 1200 based monoblocks; Trafomatic Kaivalya; Trafomatic Reference One; Trafomatic Reference Phono One; Music First Passive Magnetic;
Speakers: Avantgarde Acoustic Duo Omega; Arcadian Audio Pnoe; Podium Sound One; WLM Sub 12; Sounddeco Alpha F3; 2 x Zu Submission MKI; Soltanus Virtuoso ESL [in for review]
Cables: complete loom of ASI LiveLine cables; full loom of Crystal Cable cables; full loom of Nanotec Golden Strada; Audiomica Pearl Consequence interconnect; Audiomica Pebble Consequence; Ansae Supreme [in for review]
Power line conditioning: PS Audio Powerplant Premier; PS Audio Humbuster III; IsoTek Evo 3 Syncro; AudioMica Allbit Consequence
Equipment racks: Solid Tech and ASI amplifier and TT shelf
Indispensable accessories: Furutech DeMag; ClearAudio Double Matrix; Franc Audio Ceramic Disc Classic; Shakti Stones; Akiko Audio sticks; Kemp polarity checker
Online Music purveyors: qobuz.com, bandcamp.com, amazon.co.uk  
Room treatment: Acoustic System International resonators, sugar cubes, diffusers
Room size: ca. 14.50 x 7.50m with a ceiling height of 3.50m, brick walls, wooden flooring upstairs, ca 7 x 5m with a ceiling height of 3.50m, brick walls and concrete floor downstairs.
Price of review item:  €2’200


When we were asked to review a power cord, our initial thought was, ouch. It’d be another tough assignment. When you think about it, power cord reviews are quite a tiresome exercise. Over the years we’ve learnt that each component reacts differently to a given power cord design. To obtain a really objective/subjective notion—this not being rocket science, that’s exactly what our hobby is about—said cable must be connected to each component on hand to suss out its overall behaviour. In our case, we have four complete systems ready to roll at any time. Each consists of at least three wall-powered components. So you get the picture. With a single power cord to review, the determination about which component benefits the most and least isn’t merely an average PITA. It's here where a complete loom makes things rather easier.


We were thus pleasantly surprised when Piotr Świercz of the Polish Ansae company offered us exactly such a full set of power cables. In total Piotr would ship 5 top-line Ansae Supreme power cords. Just in case we’d need extra extension or had to split things up—he only offers 1.6-meter cords—he’d add an Ansae Manik power cable and some distribution blocks. Together that made for a review solicitation we could not refuse. The extended set would enable us to assess the review’s target, the Ansae Supreme power cord, as a system. From experience with power cords of various makes, size and geometry, we’ve learnt that they, and for that matter interconnects too, are not just a means of signal transport. On the contrary, these cables are an important part of a hifi chain which ties the individual components together and in doing so creates a single cohesive eco system.

That system consists of particular hardware pieces each of which is endowed with a character as per the designer’s taste. It all gets combined by the system’s owner again based on personal taste. In such a complex interactive hardware symphony based on highly personal tastes, which exact cables tie it all together represents the harmonizing aspect. We all agree that each component carries a sonic fingerprint. It blends and interacts with the other components. Alchemy seems peanuts by comparison. Create gold from lead? Try assembling an audio system that plays music 100% to the preference of its audiophile and will satisfy that audiophile for time to come. Did you ever wonder what the life span of an audiophile’s system is? After how many hours—we must use hours since days are far too coarse a metric here—does the internal critic start acting up? That opinionated old chap starts fidgeting and frantically goes through on- and offline reviews of novel audio stuff whilst keeping track of an ever-elastic budget somewhere in the back of the mind.