The Electra 5.2 Power Cord – Another Look

[Masterlu]

Very well expressed Jim.

[jimtranr]

Thanks, Ivan. In light of a subsequent listening session I'm beginning to think that my comments were just preface, that 100 or even 125 hours is not the Electra's burn-in end point.

Following that post, I sat down to listen to the Eiji Oue/Minnesota recording of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances (Reference Recordings RR-95CD), another entry on my "test" checklist. Interpretively it rivals the Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw for my affection, and its sonics trump even the sterling, albeit '80's Decca/London effort of the latter--the RR's one of those sublime instances where detail and musicality are in no way at war with each other.

I'd listened to the Rachmaninoff a couple of days ago and was duly impressed with the "I'm in the hall" sense of the presentation at my midfield position, definitely an improvement over the pre-Electra configuration. This evening's listen nearly blew me out of my seat. I've commented earlier on the "reach in and touch someone" sensation with the Electra on some recordings. Well, this reach was further in than in the last outing with the Rachmaninoff.

To make sure that what I was hearing wasn't a fluke, I put on the same ensemble's traversal of the Copland Third Symphony (RR-93CD), another of this week's post-Electra-installation listens. (This is one recording, BTW, where you want to make sure your amp has plenty of headroom vis-a-vis your speakers' sensitivity. The tympani and particularly the bass drum strikes will clip the amp's drawers off [so will one of the Etudes Tableaux tracks on the Rachmaninoff disc], and maybe damage your speakers as a result, if its power supply isn't up to the task.) What I got is the same result in conveying additional venue presence--more "there" there.

I'm not suggesting that the Electra's the cable equivalent of CJD teflon--but it may actually take a little more time to fully wring out than the 125 I originally thought. In any event, it's well worth the wait.

[chessman]

This is fun.

[prepress]

A potentially dangerous question (for me): how much of a difference would an Electra make over an Aurora? I understand fully that these things have a subjective element to them and can depend upon one's system, but I'd be interested in hearing opinions. I'm contemplating a system reconfiguation, and the lengths I have with my Auroras may not work in the new setup. They currently feed MC501 amps.

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by prepress

A potentially dangerous question (for me): how much of a difference would an Electra make over an Aurora? I understand fully that these things have a subjective element to them and can depend upon one's system, but I'd be interested in hearing opinions. I'm contemplating a system reconfiguation, and the lengths I have with my Auroras may not work in the new setup. They currently feed MC501 amps.

My best and honest answer is "noticeably improved"

[prepress]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

My best and honest answer is "noticeably improved"

That's about what I figured, and was afraid of. Well, we'll see how things go.