AudioQuest Hurricane @ CES 2017

[joey_v]

Did you have the wel nrg on hand for an ab?

Originally Posted by johndoe21ro

The Hurricane HC has a lot more body (mid-bass) and bass than NRG-1000 and NRG-WEL. It simply creates an unbelievable dense, solid wall of sound. The resolution is excellent (probably comparable although lower than that of the NRG-WEL). What I don't like? Although the stage is pretty wide it's not very deep. And it has a front row kind of presentation... And I think that highs could be a tad smoother and more detailed.

P.S. The Hurricane has almost 40 hours so we'll se what happens later...
__________________
Amp: BAT VK-600SE
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e22 w Paul Hynes SR3-12 Power Supply; MacBook Pro i5 13' w Samsung 850EVO 512GB SSD; Squeezelite w Logitech Media Server
Speakers: Triangle Magellan Cello II
Cables: AudioQuest WEL XLR 72v DBS, AudioQuest Everest DBS 72V, AudioQuest Hurricane High Current 72V DBS, AudioQuest NRG-10 72V DBS, AudioQuest Diamond USB 216V DBS, UpTone ISO Regen w USPCB A>B Adapter
Rack: Solid Tech Hybrid
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w IsoTek Optimum EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; HiFi Tuning Supreme 3

[GreginNH1]

The Hurricane PC sounded the best plugged right into my wall outlet. Immediate improvement in bass - solid and defined. As others have mentioned, the soundstage came forward a bit without compression. Finer details in the recordings are more recognizable- especially at low volumes.

I’m a bit concerned about having my amp plugged directly into the wall but bypassing my PS Audio P10, has certainly lifted the veil.

The difference between the AQ and my current PCs is quite remarkable.

[Ricjor1]

My final Hurricane should arrive on Tuesday. It will go from my preamp to my Torus RM20. I hear very good improvements despite the fact that all of my components are plugged into a power conditioner. Isn't crazy how a power cord affects the sound of a system? Three Hurricanes and two Tornados has taken my system to the next level of refinement across the entire audio spectrum.

[johndoe21ro]

Originally Posted by mulveling

Nice impressions, johndoe21ro. That's kind of how I felt...NRG WEL vs Hurricance is an interesting, and overall close, comparison. I hope my next pair of Hurricanes are about to ship...they'll certainly destroy the NRG 1000's they'll be replacing.

They certainly destroyed my NRG-1000! No contest here! As for the WELs I think they are better for preamps and digital sources. Perhaps matching WELs with amps is not as easy as with Hurricanes. And they don't provide enough grunt as they should... That's why I chose Hurricanes HC over WELs. My conclusion is that the Hurricanes are amazing cables! I wish I could afford Dragons but they are way out of my league for now...
__________________
Amp: BAT VK-655SE
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e32 w UpTone JS-2 Power Supply; SOtM tX-USBultra w UpTone LPS1.2; Apple Mac Mini w UpTone DC Conversion Kit & UpTone JS-2 Power Supply; Squeezelite w Logitech Media Server 7.9.0
Speakers: Triangle Magellan Cello II
Cables: AudioQuest WEL XLR, AudioQuest Everest, AudioQuest Hurricane HC, AudioQuest NRG-1000, AudioQuest Diamond USB
Rack: Solid Tech Hybrid
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w Optimum EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; Synergistic Research Blue Quantum Fuse

[audio bill]

It does go against common sense or even electrical engineering theory how significantly power cables can affect component performance given the length of standard Romex power cable in our walls leading to an AC outlet. The most reasonable explanation I've heard is that a power cable is best viewed as being an extension of a component's power supply rather than simply the final length of cable feeding it. So its electrical characteristics can affect the performance of connected gear just as power supply modifications themselves can.

[Ricjor1]

I agree, if I could afford five Dragons I would have them.

[joey_v]

Originally Posted by audio bill

It does go against common sense or even electrical engineering theory how significantly power cables can affect component performance given the length of standard Romex power cable in our walls leading to an AC outlet. The most reasonable explanation I've heard is that a power cable is best viewed as being an extension of a component's power supply rather than simply the final length of cable feeding it. So its electrical characteristics can affect the performance of connected gear just as power supply modifications themselves can.

So does this mean we should just buy 0.5m lengths of audiophile cords and then the rest of the way, just buy a 10g romex extension cord?

[audio bill]

Originally Posted by joey_v

So does this mean we should just buy 0.5m lengths of audiophile cords and then the rest of the way, just buy a 10g romex extension cord?

Many cable manufacturers recommend their power cords in a specific length for optimal performance, but may offer it in other lengths to meet system needs and customer demand. From an engineering perspective capacitance for example is proportional to a cable's length, so a longer cable results in higher capacitance which is one property that can directly affect the power supply of a connected component.

[joey_v]

Originally Posted by audio bill

Many cable manufacturers recommend their power cords in a specific length for optimal performance, but may offer it in other lengths to meet system needs and customer demand. From an engineering perspective capacitance for example is proportional to a cable's length, so a longer cable results in higher capacitance which is one property that can directly affect the power supply of a connected component.

So is it better to have a longer power cord or shorter?

I thought the shortest speaker cable length was best? Shouldn't it be the same for power cords?

[audio bill]

Originally Posted by joey_v

So is it better to have a longer power cord or shorter?

I thought the shortest speaker cable length was best? Shouldn't it be the same for power cords?

Unfortunately it's not that simple, for example while some additional capacitance can be beneficial in a power cable it would generally be detrimental in a speaker cable. Cables have many electrical characteristics which have to be considered and balanced to optimize them for a specific application - resistance, capacitance, inductance, reactance (non-resistive component of impedance), speed of propagation, etc. While it would be nice if there was a simple formula which could generate an ideal cable for a specific application it often comes down to listening tests to help reach a sonic design objective in cable design.