Reviews
Reviews / Testimonals
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves…
…After replacing the standard copper umbilical cable to the outboard power supply with the new Revelation Audio Labs CryoSilver™ umbilical cable, I shook hands with THE new champion of audio reproduction. As now configured, the ModWright/Sony not only tops all other digital reproduction I’ve heard to date, but all analog reproduction as well. No phono cartridge I am familiar with reaches the sublime levels of this player. Nothing does…The addition of the silver umbilical cord was the crowning touch. I am in awe.”
reviewed HDMI i2s digital link cable in Positive Feedback Online, Issue 14
[read full review]
I can say that these cables take you so much closer to the musical truth…that, once you hear them, you will not be able to part with them. I know I can’t. Brad, send me a bill ’cause you ain’t getting these violet cables back.”
…super-black backgrounds, a broad soundstage, excellent separation, and the bass was extremely tight, clean, and extended…the Precept’s bass performance was cleaner and tighter than that of the ElectraGlide Reference Tri-Glide power cord…midrange was extremely detailed…High-frequency details were rendered with precise, crystal clarity and a crispness of tone…the Precept synergized beautifully with [a tube amplifier under review]…a match made in audio heaven!…I tried the Precept cord on [a phono stage] that was here for review, and found sonic bliss. The Precept provided improved detail, separation, bass and midrange clarity, and soundstage depth and separation. Everything just sounded right—so much so that I began to wonder why….Its strengths—soundstage width, pitch-black backgrounds, stunningly clear detail, and clean, extended bass—are undeniable…I loved the way the Precept partnered with the amps and the phono stage [in for review], and chose to keep the review sample so that I can continue to experiment with the Precept in future reviews.”
…It doesn’t do anything wrong. The highs were as effortless as I have ever heard, while bass was deep and tight…a solid step forward…a joy to hear. Simply put, it never hindered the music. If you are looking for a worthwhile upgrade…send Brad Vojtech an email. You won’t regret it.”
For me the biggest compliment I can give your product is to say that they are ‘musical.’ I don’t use that word very often…Instead of my being aware of aspects of the sound that have been improved, I am aware of how organic the sound is. Phrasing and dynamics that are a critical part of any performance are heard with more subtlety and articulation and therefore a more complete understanding of what the artist is actually doing is revealed for me to enjoy. I have listened to some other cords and none I have come across have made this type of improvement. I applaud your efforts to make such a musical component at such a reasonable price.”
I would like to share my experiences with the Revelation Audio Labs cables including their Precept power cables, Paradise RCA and XLR interconnects, Paradise phono cable, and Testament speaker cables.
My first exposure to Revelation Audio Labs began with the purchase of a Precept AC cable in December of last year [2004]. I wrote a review of this cable and compared it to two other well-known and respected AC cables.
This was the finest AC cable I had ever heard due to its revealing midrange; great speed and power in the bass, and a detailed, but non-fatiguing high end.
Three months latter, I purchased a Graham Phantom tonearm and decided to replace the Graham IC 70 cable I was using with a RAL Paradise phono cable. Here are the results of that experience.
I was so impressed with the phono cable, that I ordered speaker and interconnect cables from Brad at Revelation Audio Labs. I am using two sets of XLR interconnects and one RCA set that runs from my preamp to my Wilson Watchdog subwoofer. I was using Silversmith Silver speaker cables and Cardas Golden Reference XLR interconnects. Compared to the Silversmith Silver speaker cables, the Testament speaker cables were faster with far greater resolution from low to high. High-end details were simply something else; a Martin guitar sounded like a Martin; a Gibson mandolin sounded like a Gibson. On the other hand, the Silversmith speaker cables were slower and darker in comparison. Most of all, the dynamic qualities of the Testament speaker cables were simply the best I have ever heard. The Testament bass was very fast and defined with great power and slam.
The Cardas cables have been reviewed by a number of Audio sites recently, but in my opinion the most accurate review was that of Robert H. Levi of Positive Feedback Online.
The Paradise cables were faster with a greater sense of blackness to the background than the Cardas. The bass was not as prominent, but more detailed. The highs were also more detailed and had a greater sense of ease or speed, but were less prominent than the Cardas Golden Reference. Both cables had a wide and deep soundstage.
In summary, I heard the same qualities in the speaker and interconnect cables that I heard in the Precept AC cables. I did notice a synergistic effect when all the cables were Revelation Audio Labs. The first thing that struck me was the degree of enhancement of background silence. Very small details emerged from this silence that was previously obscured by the other cables. The natural beautiful midrange of the RAL was enhanced and had almost a ‘tube-like’ midrange quality. The third enhancement was to the soundstage width and depth. It became huge. Two other audio enthusiasts have e-mailed me their impressions of RAL cables. The common thread that seems to run in everyone’s impression is the uncolored and engaging quality to the midrange most often described as ‘musical.’
Given the cost of high end cables today, the Revelation Audio Labs cables are truly a bargain.
My system and pictures can be found at Audio Asylum under Mercman.”
Prophecy Digital Link cables:
I’ve had a chance to let my new Revelation Audio Labs ‘Prophecy’ CryoSilver Reference DualConduit USB 2.0 Digital Link Cable break in for 250 hours, and my music playback has been completely transformed and considerably better sounding than it did when the cable was new, and amazingly better than using a standard upgrade USB cable! When I broke in the RAL ‘Prophecy’ i2s Bus cable in on my Audio Alchemy digital front end back in 2004, it brought a substantial improvement in sound quality, but the sonic improvements that your RAL ‘Prophecy’ Dual Conduit USB Cable has manifest brings a much deeper level detail, a more accurate tonal correctness and authentic imaging than I have ever heard before in over 30 years of seeking improved sound quality from my audio system.
Thank you so much for creating this amazing USB cable which has brought my music playback alive in a way that I could only dream of before!
I would be honored if you would like to use any of my comments about the amazing Revelation Audio Labs ‘Prophecy’ CryoSilver Reference DualConduit USB 2.0 Digital Link Cable, because you have created the one and only USB cable that makes a wonderful improvement in sound quality where everyone said it could not be done, which to me qualifies it as a sonic miracle! I came across the $3,500 Locus SinoSure v2 single conduit USB cable the other day and I noticed that they had filled this huge cable with very complicated wire geometry in an effort to do what you have so simply and much more effectively done with your innovative Dual Conduit design. —Stephen W. (Sept. 2011)
REVIEWS: HDMI i2s digital link cable
Perfect buying experience. Super fast shipping. I let this cable burn-in for 100 hours, before any critical listing. The cable connects my PS Audio Direct Stream DAC and transport. OMG! It’s that good. The cable it replaced was quite good, but this is on a whole other level. It does the entire audio spectrum flawlessly. It conveys the most difficult musical passages with stunning resolution. Not sure cables get any better than this.” – AudiogoN member getheleadout
Another amazing transaction and another amazing RAL HDMI cable. Sounded excellent right out of the box and it is improving every day. Shipping was super fast, even during the busiest time of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. BTW, this is my 3rd RAL cable. Both Ethernet and USB were beyond reproach and bested cables from AudioQuest (Diamond) WireWorld (Platinum), Shunyata (Sigma v2), SOtM (dCBL-CAT7), just to mention the few. I have a feeling that HDMI cable will do the same as I2S connection. Highly recommended!” – AudiogoN member arago
I now have about 200 hours on my HDMI I2s cable you made me, it’s quite a ride as it breaks in but it’s settled in now. I ran it non stop with my Aurender for over a week. My rig is sounding the best it ever has, the Umbilical cable you made me earlier for my Wavelet and this cable has the system’s music sounding so “right” So natural, detailed and timber just right.! I enjoy it immensely, thank you.” – F.T., MI
Just a few observations regarding the addition of the ‘Prophecy’ I2S to my PS Audio PerfectWave MK II DAC/Transport combo. I have incorporated “silver” cables in my system for many years. I am using Kimber KCAG throughout my Krell/VPI/Wilson setup. I was using a AQ Carbon HDMI when I received my PS Audio gear.
It sounded good but didn’t “WOW” me. I am particularly interested in DSD digital material and what can be extracted vs. vinyl. I spent a good deal of time researching different I2S cables and associated reviews. I was not willing to spend over $500 (even though I did with the RAL LOL). I have no problems spending money on cables as I have Kimber Power, KCAG, and Transparent Ultra V5 speaker cables. I just couldn’t justify $2k for a short run of seemingly “silver” HDMI cables (AQ Dragon etc). Seems like the reviews I saw on the RAL CyroSilver were solid and your treatment of the silver seemed more technically sound.
When I received the RAL I2S cable I was very impressed with the build. I appreciated your manual and the “warning” on twisting/bending. Prior to installing the cable I did a bit of listening with the current AQ Carbon setup. Soundstage decent, reasonably articulate instrument placement with good rendering of space.
I then installed the RAL Prophecy. All I can say, anyone who doesn’t believe cables make a difference don’t have ears!!! The Prophecy immediately created a more natural presentation of the music with far greater detail than the AQ Carbon. Each instrument sounded “proper” in it’s tone, weight, and timbre. Voices rendered with far better clarity and smoothness (even strong voices like Diana Krall or Allison Krauss). The depth of the sound was more closely that of the same analog LP (I am not an anti-digital guy so not afraid to say this LOL). I could hear the layers of the recording and sense the outer boundaries of the recording studio.
I could go on and on with what I have discovered over the past few weeks. I am a big believer in “silver” cables, and you have reinforced that belief. I am sure I will be back for other offerings in the future. Very happy that I found Revelation Audio Labs. Thank you so much for the kind addition of the faith-based coin. I really appreciated that you are running your business on Christian principles. Congratulations!! Merry Christmas!” – G.C.C. in Liberty, Ohio
I’ve swapped my ($2,400) Audioquest Dragon 48 HDMI and ($6,400) Wel Signature AES XLR back to the Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy HDMI cable and RAL AES XLR digital cables and my findings are that the RAL cables have a smooth yet detailed sound which I find refreshing over the very detailed but less-smooth sounding Audioquest. Although the Audioquest are excellent cables I prefer the Revelation Audio Labs ‘Prophecy’ cables in my system which already enjoys the RAL analog XLR cables everywhere as well as the RAL umbilical cables for my Pass Labs XP-32 preamp. I much prefer and enjoy my new sound and I look forward to the RAL shotgun speaker cables I ordered. Very exciting. I have taken a very good, well-balanced system to another league with the RAL cables. Highly recommended.” – M.B., Canada
REVIEW: 13W3 i2S connector for Muse Transport & DAC
I bought the Muse Model 8 Transport and Muse 296 DAC over 5 years ago and have enjoyed its analogue-like performance afforded by the i2S cable. I always felt that the ‘weak link’ in this system was the stock Belden 13W3 cable provided by Muse- I thought the performance would be further improved with a higher quality i2S cable. After trying several times to locate a replacement, in July of ’04 I was referred to Brad Vojtech of Revelation Audio Labs thru Audio Asylum ‘;@ }. Brad told me he could build me this cable, but as it would be his first of this type using 13W3 connectors, it could take a while to find suitable quality connectors that he would be happy with.
Brad told me the wait would be well worth my patience. He was right.
Revelation Audio Labs describes the cable as ‘featuring state-of-the-art mil-spec CONEC connectors, cryogenically treated ultra-pure (5-N’s) solid silver conductors, air dielectrics, Teflon insulators, multi-layer/multi-material EMI/RFI shielding and proprietary Ceramic Micro-Bead Conduit. Meticulously artisan-built, hand-crafted in the USA, designed to be the most robust, advanced, exotic, and musical i2S audio cable in the world. The materials and construction techniques are world-class, aerospace quality.’
They aren’t kidding…
I received the completed cable in November of ’04. I was very impressed by the quality of construction and materials used, clearly superior in solidity and appearance to the stock cable. But the proof is ultimately in the performance, so out went the stock cable, and in went the Prophecy…
Fresh out of the box this cable is truly a Revelation. While Brad recommends a 100 hour burn-in time, the sound was improved across the board. The bass was the most noticeable- bass seemed to gain at least a 1/2 octave deeper, with much improved “push”/extension, detail speed and more ‘bounce’ — there was more energy driving the music, equivalent to a major component upgrade. The soundstage was deeper and wider, with a clearer, more stable presentation and imaging of instruments, evolving in free space, and a better separation between individual instruments. Midrange and highs improved with a more individual ‘ease’ to the music. Voices were even more lifelike sounding like complete bodies with chests, not just mouths singing. Sounds I never heard before on very familiar albums were heard for the first time, which added to my overall involvement and enjoyment. Over time, the sound became even smoother, with a more natural ease and musical flow. Bass tightened up more. Where I previously thought I needed to improve the bass response, which was the weakest part of my system, I no longer feel the need to do so.
This cable has made a wholesale improvement to the enjoyment and overall musicality of my system. If you own a Muse transport/DAC combo with 13W3 i2S cable, this is a no-brainer — RUN, don’t walk, call Brad Vojtech at Revelation Audio Labs, and order this cable today. Your ears will thank you.
Regards, Gary H.
(By the way, this 13W3 cable can also be used with Sonic Frontiers digital gear.)”
The cables (Prophecy i2s and Parable power cords) arrived today. I hooked them up and there was an immediate sense of more information and fine detail of greater image specificity within a space. This is an across-the-board system improvement that would have required thousands of dollars of investment in new components. I will now try to resist the temptation to listen while they cook for the recommended burn-in period.” Thanks, A.J.
Talk about ‘Bang for the Buck.’ This has got to be the best (money) I’ve ever spent. I could go on and on about just how great the cable is, because it truly is amazing, but I’ll make it short by saying that I agree with everything that you — and the reviewers mentioned in your product description — had to say about the cable. Far superior to the Audio Magic cable, no comparison, not even close. IT’S AS IF I WENT OUT AND SPEND $THOUSANDS$ ON A BRAND NEW SYSTEM. Incredibly musical. Anybody that’s using the Perpetual Technologies P1A/P3A combo will never know just how good the combo can sound unless they’re using your cable. Thanks for making available such a great product for all of us to enjoy. God Bless You.”
As far as reviews, I’m not into the jargon of reviewers and don’t want to use terms I feel are vague (what is ‘grain?’ is yours the same as mine?). I HAVE heard a good deal of live music over the years, in venues ranging from my living room, to small clubs, to theaters to stadiums. I try to compare what I hear from my stereo system to that collective musical memory. By that standard, adding the Revelation in place of the Audio Magic Mystic clearly resulted in more musicality from my system — most obvious to my ears. My system: Musical Design T1 CD transport; Perpetual Technologies 1A and 3A processor and DAC; Sound Valves VTP-101i preamp; Blue Circle BC-28 power amp; Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Reference System speakers.”
I’m quite satisfied with your (Prophecy i2s and Parable power cord) cables. Burned them in for 106 hours, then put on discs to which I’d recently listened, and was amazed by the improvements. I first noticed improved bass: more defined, cleaner, and tighter. It’s as if the cables shaped a diffuse beam into a tight signal. (Note: my speaker cables and interconnects are no slouches.) Next, I sensed a wider and deeper soundstage. One of the strengths of my system (and most satisfying to me), I believe, is its ability to portray a three-dimensional soundstage. With your cables, the soundstage expanded, especially in its depth. This expansion, by the way, is by no means overwrought — on the contrary, it’s in the realm of bigger is better. Live recordings particularly benefited from the introduction of your cables into the system. I clearly detect a better portrayal of the stage, whether it’s in a smoke-filled club or a huge stadium. In fact, REO’s ‘You Get What You Play For,’ my ultimate system-testing CD and my favorite live album, never sounded better. ‘Golden Country’ filled the room wall-to-wall. I momentarily thought I was listening to a multi-channel system. This pleases to no end. Layering of instruments and vocals is much improved. I can now clearly make out background vocals, for example. This was startling on Alice Peacock’s excellent self-titled CD. Before your cables arrived, background vocals were muddled a tad in the mix — I had to strain to make out the words. Now I can make out the words sans strain. Plus, on many live recordings, individual voices in the crowd, singers bumping microphones, guitarists unplugging from amps, drummers busting sticks, are all rendered more vivid, making the recordings more lifelike, and listening to them way more enjoyable. Finally, I like the fit and finish. And I was right: my eight-year-old son likes the color. I do, too. I wish to emphasize that I am pleased with the improvements your cables bring. I wish you continued success.” — M.B.
Revelation cables are in the house…thanks in large part to the rave reviews of a few of the guys on (the Perpetual Technologies/AV123) forum (you know who you are) I picked up the i2s and power cables used. Already having a $150 Camelot i2s cable (which came with my PT gear when I bought it used), I was pretty reluctant to buy these… seemed like a lot of cash to drop for what was likely (I thought) to be a minimal upgrade. Well, I was wrong. I don’t know how they do it, but these cables make an enormous difference. There was distortion before that’s just plain gone now, and the impact of that on the sound of the system (particularly when it comes to ‘micro-detail’) just can’t be overstated. Maybe it was interference on the power lines running from the Monolith? I have no clue, but I do know that these things should be required equipment if you have the PT gear. So now I have the absolute Cadillac of Perpetual Technologies hardware (Modwright Monolith PS, P1-A, all three Revelation cables, and a Modwright Level II P3-A) and I’m wondering, how much better could Redbook playback possibly get?”
After allowing sufficient time for burn-in, I have done a lot of serious listening to the Revelation Audio Labs i2s in both i2s direct and indirect mode and have concluded overall that the Revelation Audio Labs is indeed an excellent interconnect. To date the only head to head listening tests I’ve done is with the Audio Magic Mystic Reference i2s, and although I have not yet broken out the results, it is obvious that the Revelation i2s is the clear winner.” — P.W.
The cable had about 24 hours on it when I sat down to listen last night. It gets better and better…and I loved it out of the box. In my system, there is no doubt about it’s superiority to the Audio Magic. It takes the upper midrange/treble glare out, is smooth, non fatiguing, revealing, detailed, and balanced. Problems I had attributed to other aspects of my system, were in fact, the Audio Magic. I eagerly await its full burn-in. This cable is a WINNER. It brought that ‘I want to hear this, now I need to hear this, etc.’ I would like to contact Perpetual Technologies to let them know they need to include or offer this with their products — as one hasn’t heard what they are capable of until this i2S is part of the package.” — R.T.
This thing is incredible. Separation of the frequencies becomes better. Imaging becomes more solid and precise. Detail increases and everything just sounds more crisp and real. Bass becomes more solid. I now understand why people have raved about it. For the price it is a no-brainer IMO.”
I now have about 48hrs on the cable and it gets better and better. It is the most significant improvement in my system in as long as I can remember.”
How do they sound? ‘WOW’ is all I can come up with. Huge improvement in soundstage and it definitely took the digital edge off.”
The performance of your Prophecy i2s cable was HEAD, SHOULDERS and TORSO above the other two i2s cables that I auditioned (0.5-meter Audio Magic Mystic Reference, $149, and 1-meter LAT International, $99). It allows the highly detailed and refined digital signal, transmitted through the Siltec Golden Ridge digital cable and Perpetual Technologies P-1A 24-bit interpolation engine in my system, to come through completely unscathed. The musicality is unprecedented in my experience; I now no longer listen to the sound, but can get totally into the music. REMARKABLE!” — J.
I’m smiling right now listening to (a favorite recording). SOUNDS FANTASTIC!!!. Absolutely a night and day difference…What!? They will sound better when they break in — can’t wait! Your cables have definitely increased my listening pleasure.” — B.K.
I like your Prophecy i2s and you will NOT be getting it back! It has a body and a clarity that my Mystic Reference cannot match, which surprised me because I had always considered the MR to be a solid performer. By comparison the Other Cable sounds uncultured. But there’s worse! I also run an Mystic R i2s from my Audio Alchemy DDS Pro to the PT P-1A and when I put your Prophecy between the P-1A and P-3A, the transport to P-1A cable (Mystic) was exposed as being very harsh (you following me?!). Why this should be, I don’t know, but I had to put a AES/EBU after the transport to eliminate the digital nasties. This is good news for you, because I now have to audition a 1-meter Prophecy! I would also like to hear your Power supply to P-1A and P-3A cables also… this is a place that I’ve always thought of as a potential source of electrical interference. Thanks for a great product.” — B.G.
I believe you have the best i2S cable out there.”
Hello Brad, I would like to thank you for your S/PDIF digital cable and how it has transformed my system. The cable took a few days to settle in, sounding a bit thin and analytical at first. After the burn in period the sound was transformed and I could hear the true potential of my Perpetual Technologies P-1A/P-3A DAC combo for the first time. I think that anybody who has the RAL ‘Prophecy’ i2S cable should seriously consider using the RAL S/ PDIF from their transport to the P-1A. I am not exaggerating it was like upgrading a piece of equipment it was that good from high frequencies to bottom all seamlessly integrated and sounding neutral, true to the timbre of the individual instruments. The speed of the cable is also amazing so that micro details in the recordings that I didn’t even know were there now add to the sense of immediacy and realism, of musicians playing real instruments. You have to hear this for yourself as I was a little skeptical at first thinking merely that the cable would change the color of the sound rather than transform the whole musical experience of the system as it did. Given that Brad offers a no quibble 30 day return policy, as you Americans say, trying this cable in your own system is a no brainer. ” —Alex, UK
I received the cables today. They are OUTSTANDING!! You should advertise the power cables more. The I2S is much better than the original. You have a great product and you should be very proud.”
Music flowed, far more musical than the Mystic i2s. God bless you and yours. With such a great product and customer service, your business should prosper. I surely hope it does.”
Your cable has arrived, and is, indeed, already a noticeable improvement over the Mystic Reference…I’ll review it when the burn-in seems to have completed.”
Just gave the cable its first listen. It is FAR more musical than the Audio Magic.”
I think the cables are a wonderful improvement. Right out of the box it gave me incredible holographic imaging and wider soundstage.”
I finished burning in my Prophecy i2S digital link cable, and then sat down to do a serious A/B comparison with a cable I made myself from some VH audio cotton insulated silver wire. I thought sure my homemade cable would be just as good if not better, since it was utterly minimalist in design.
I have an associate’s degree in electronic systems technology, and have been an electronics technician in the U.S. Air Force for almost 18 years — all my training and experience tells me a digital cable should have no effect on audio whatsoever. I should be able to stick almost any conductorÊin the circuitÊand itÊdo just as well as the most expensive digital cable, but that’s not what I heard.
Realizing that human nature would not allow me to be objective, I asked my wife to listen with me. She didn’t know which cable was which, yet our observations were identical.
My cable had a slightly grainy quality which I would have never noticed if I hadn’t had yours to compare it against; yours simply sounded smoother, but paradoxically, there was more detail. And more presence. It sounded like I was a little closer to the musicians and singers.
So now I’m mad. I was all proud of myself for designing this cable that would be just as good as your expensive snake-oil cable, and then I could send your cable back for a refund and laugh at you all the way to the bank. Instead I’m keeping it and crawling off to lick my wounds. And try and figure out why mine didn’t sound as good.” —C.M.
Precept A/C Mains cable:
The topic of after-market power cables seems to elicit a multitude of responses from fellow audiophiles; some positive, some negative, some just plain mean spirited. Over the last three months, I have discovered that after-market AC cables can not only significantly change the sound of a component and enhance a system’s audio performance, but truly unlock the potential of fine components.
There is a store located about 10 minutes from my office called Jeff’s Sound Values. Jeff sells not only new equipment, but a great deal of used gear and accessories that are usually offered on Audiogon. About three months ago, I began trying different used power cables from Jeff. All of the used cables I tried were good in some areas, but lacking in others. I really did not want to put out the kind of money some of my friends have spent for the Shunyata Anaconda ($2000) or Nordost Valhalla ($2500); two AC cables that I really like, although quite different in sonic character.
There are an incredible number of expensive power cables being made today with every conceivable design. Being a 6th grade graduate (went to school with Jethro Bodine), I have some knowledge of scientific methodology, but find the claims of many of these folks to be far fetched. The descriptions of many of the AC cables on the internet suggest that if these manufacturers were recruited for NASA, we would be exploring the universe today with Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Recently, the boys at Jeff’s Sound Values suggested that I try a pair of used Stealth Audio Cloude Nine AC cables. These babies seemed to have no significant shielding, and were composed of 7 silver ribbons in a flexible plastic jacket.
To make a long story short, these cables were far better than the PS audio xStream Statement cables I had been using. They had a wonderful midrange, but did have a problem in that they were not well-suited for high current demands. Their magic was lost when used on my power amps and PS Audio P1000 power plant. I was now determined, or perhaps obsessed, to find something like the Cloude Nines for these components.
About a month ago, I read an ad in Audiogon for Revelation Audio Labs’ Precept AC cable. I noticed that Dan Wright of ModWright endorsed this company’s products. A well respected friend also advised me to try Brad Vojtech’s cables.
The Precept Cryo-Silver AC cables appear to be very well made with expensive Furutech rhodium connectors. The cables are also quite flexible making installation easy in tight spaces.
The first thing I observed after break-in (100 hours recommended; the cables are a little hard sounding and constricted when first plugged in) is an amazing degree of quietness or blackness to the background of voices or instruments. These cables are highly detailed without brightness or exaggeration of the high-end. Bass is very tight with great impact and speed. The bottom octave has great power and detail as well. The soundstage is very large and deep with a nice bloom to the midrange, but not excessively so. The Precept has an ease to the sound that is simply addicting.
Comparisons were then made with the Shunyata Anaconda Alpha and the Nordost Valhalla. Two of my friends loaned me their cables for this review.
The Shunyata has a large sound with great bloom to the midrange. It sounds less detailed than the Nordost or Revelation Audio Labs Precept, but is very seductive sounding with its warmth and lack of grain.
The Nordost is detailed and fast sounding like the Precept with a great sense of air and extension in the highs. I prefer the Precept, as it has the detail and speed of the Nordost, but also the bloom of the Shunyata without the extra warmth. The power, detail, and extension of the low end are superior on the Precept than the Shunyata or the Nordost. The degree of quietness is superior on the Precept vs. the other two cables. My Wilson subwoofer seems to blend seamlessly with my Wilson 7 speakers now that Precepts are powering my power amps. The transient response of the bass in my system has never been better.
I feel that the Revelation Audio Labs Precept is simply an outstanding AC cable, and should definitely be considered when auditioning high end AC cables for your system. Pictures of the Precept cables and the rest of my system are in the Inmate Picture Gallery.”
[read full review]
I am very happy with the sound I am getting. More and more I am forgetting the equipment and just listening to the performance. For me the biggest compliment I can give your product is to say that they are ‘musical.’ I don’t use that word very often. Most times I am able to hear what the component is doing or what it is not doing. It may be good/bad or just different but I am still aware of the component and its artifact(s). Your cords have improved my system but not in the usual way. Instead of my being aware of aspects of the sound that have been improved, I am aware of how organic the sound is. Performances come across more complete. Phrasing and dynamics that are a critical part of any performance are heard with more subtlety and articulation and therefore a more complete understanding of what the artist is actually doing is revealed for me to enjoy. I have listened to some other cords and none I have come across have made this type of improvement. I applaud your efforts to make such a musical component at such a reasonable price.” — J.K.
Well, I received the wire on Friday, installed it on the Cary 306/200 CD player Saturday morning and gave it a four hour ‘settle in’ period before listening tož familiar cuts at normal volume for several hours.ž
First, it’s only fair for me to say that I have always been skeptical of the benefits of exotic power cords. Several years back a friend and I collected about a dozen high end wires and spent weeks testing in two systems. The clear winner here turned out to be the top of the Belden line! at about $35 for 6 feet.
Having said that, I must admit that I was utterly unprepared for the major effect your wire had in my reference system. The improvement was not subtle or arguable at all. The entire presentation had an improved clarity and palpable presence that was, to my ears, quite astounding, and these are qualities I already had in very large measure.
Several minor, yet annoying, anomalies in my system simply vanished! What I had attributed to a room resonance problem, because it persisted throughout many tweaks and component improvements, has turned out to be some grunge or something in the power mains, and I have dedicated lines and conditioners.
Suffice it to say the Belden is out.
Although I will really spend some serious time evaluating the wire over several more weekends with a number of CDs, I doubt my initial impression will change. I have several ‘golden-eared’ friends who know my system well (one has the Cary CD player) who, no doubt, will be needing this wire when they hear what it has done for me. In fact, after my full review period I intend to insist that Dennis Had come to NY and hear what your wire did for his CD player. This power cord should be standard on all 306/200s.
Congratulations on your technology, Brad. Usually I would not be so enthusiastic about a product, particularly a wire, after only several hours of listening, but the improvement was so obvious, and also in areas where it really counted with me, that I here make an exception. You really have made something important.”
Its been several weeks now since I bought these Precept II AC mains cables from you at Revelation Audio Labs. I promised you that I would let you know my views on them no matter what they were.
My company, San Domenico Stringed Instruments in the UK, are international dealers and restorers of fine violins, etc. I as head of the company for 35 years I have a finely tuned ear for detail in sound and all musical nuances.
The set up I use at home is, as far as I am concerned, about “it”: dCS La Scala transport , dCS Elgar+ DAC , dCS Verona masterclock, Lamm M1.2 monoblocks , top quality interconnects and Living Voice Avatar OBX speakers. All this kit is supplied with juice from an Isotek Titan mains conditioner which is fed itself from a dedicated mains supply.
Why am I boring you with all this background? Well, you might think what could possibly be wrong with this fantastic set up? I have now added your Precept II AC cables to all the runs from the conditioner to the equipment. What a difference ! Everything has become more organic – a much over used term these days – but truly it is the first time I have heard a human voice sound exactly right, and the texture of instrumental sounds are now perfect. The sound stage has gone outwards, backward and forwards, expanding in all directions.
Brad, thanks for all your help , I could not live with my equipment now without your Precept II cables in the system.”
—Fond regards, Howard Morgan, President
San Domenico Stringed Instruments
Cardiff, Wales , UK
Revelation Audio Labs Precept II A/C Mains power cable initial impressions: Given my previous experience with their i2s cables, I decided to give the power cables a shot, and see what this company was really capable of. Well the cables just arrived today. I bought two, for my transport and DAC’s power supply. The Furutech connectors were extremely solid, as was expected, given the level of their connectors with their i2s cables (which are just on a whole different level, compared to the chintzy connectors of the other i2s cables out there). But on to what really matters…the sound! So I plugged the cables in, and all I can say is WOW!!! The first thing that jumped out at me was how much fuller the sound became. There was an increase in air as well. This was most apparent with horns, in which the realism of the sound from the airiness, besides just tone, improved. And as much as it is difficult to define, and has become extremely cliché in the audiophile world, musicality took a big step up. The blackness to the sound enhanced, creating more precise imaging, and a further extension in depth. Dynamics, especially micro-dynamics, and the transient response all strengthened. These elements all helped better the attack, slam, and texture of the sound. All of the finger-work, strumming, and plucking on the acoustic guitar became more apparent, helping to display the guitarist’s artisanship. Bass also tightened and the control truly intensified. Every note on the upright bass was clean and clear, while the bass drum was allowed to really show why it is also referred to as the ‘kick’ drum. Sustain remained perfect, allowing the cymbals to really shine and reveal all of the overtones. What struck me the most though, was the increased realism and balance. There were no negatives to the addition of these cables, unlike some power products, which is extremely important to me. I have auditioned a fair amount of other power cables, and found quite a few not to my liking. However, I would not hesitate to recommend trying one out for yourself. These cables are certainly worth every penny.” — R.M.
I received the ‘Precept II’ today. Connected it to my tubed CDP. My initial impression is one of amazement. I have never heard anything like it. The music is wonderful. How can one cable, even before burn-in, have such a positive effect. Can’t wait ’til my wife hears the music. She was very skeptical. My only concern is that I may become obese. 🙂 The cable is unbelievable or better said as finally believable. Thanks very much.” —T.C.
Your cables arrived yesterday Sydney time. I hooked one cable up to my Z Cubed power box and another to my Croft Vitale preamp. I haven’t done too much swapping of cables yet. Without doubt these are better than the Venhaus Audio cables they have replaced. Bigger soundstage, more detail, more effortlessness, a wonderful sense of air or spaciousness. I have been playing a few Judie Tzuke albums and where at times there seemed to be some effort in getting her vocals through the cables, now it just flows out ever so effortlessly. I could sense a real ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ kind of liquidity when listening with these cables. Very smooth, dead quiet background and tranparency is much better. The attack and decay characteristics are also top-notch. There are certainly a lot of cables out there on Audiogon. I chose yours because the ad was really convincing. I have no regrets. They are every bit as good as your ad would indicate. I look forward to purchasing some more of your cables some time in the future as funds permit.” — T.V.
High-end audio manufacturers always make compromises in design and manufacturing despite proclamations to the contrary. Simply put costs must be reduced in some areas so the manufacturer can emphasize the areas they think are critical to performance and market characteristics. Musical Fidelity, widely regarded as offering the consumer outstanding value, is no exception to this rule. Despite the incredible performance of the entire kW line improvements can be made and Revelation Audio Labs (RAL) has proven to me that replacing the unique power cord arrangement of the kW 500 or kW 750 yields astonishing results.
Specifically, RAL manufactured three custom cords which are used to connect the main amplifier unit and separate power supply unit on my kW 500. I first experimented with the preamplifier power cable which is a benign looking piece utilizing DIN connectors on each end. The stock Musical Fidelity cord (back to compromises) is far from special – it does the job but at minimal cost with common wiring and standard plugs. Replacing this cord with RALs immediately yielded incredible results. Suddenly more information from each source was revealed. Additional benefits (which became more apparent following break-in) included more bass control, laser focused imaging and an overall more musical sounding presentation. Following this enhancement I replaced the two amplifier cables which provide dedicated left and right channel power to the main amplifier. Bass output improved markedly over the stock cables and the kW 500’s already significant sense of control and pace was further refined.
If you own the kW 500 and/or kW 750 you must investigate these cables! For a simple plug and play solution you will not yield higher returns – the RAL cables provide a quantum leap in performance for a relatively small investment. Yes, the Musical Fidelity equipment is fantastic but compromises had to made. Contact RAL and make those compromises a distant sonic memory.”
—Dale Humphrey
1010 Stonebriar Dr
Verona, WI 53593
608.848.9037
dshumphrey@charter.net
OK, I’ll admit I was a skeptic. I had just recently bought the Musical Fidelity “triple threat” X-PSU (v3), X-DAC (v3) and X-10 (v3) and spent about 3 weeks of burn-in time, during which they changed significantly for the better. I love this DAC – and the X-10 is a must. But that’s a separate review.
So, in this context I happened to be trolling through Audiogon for the first time and saw your ad for the Passage Cryo-Silver Reference power cable. I was intrigued and, after a few emails to you, decided to give it a try by ordering just one cable as a test. At only $139 and an in-home trial I figured what do I have to lose. In this crazy high end world that’s a very small price to pay for any improvement. And, as good as the triple threat combo is, the power cables did strike me as lower quality and a little on the cheap side.
In due time (a week to the west coast of Canada) the Passage cable arrived and, as we had discussed, I inserted it between the X-PSU and X-DAC. The result was an immediate and very obvious improvement in many areas that audiophiles love, but with a somewhat light character. Mindful of the minimum 100 hrs of burn-in time recommended I put the CD player on repeat 24/7 and left the system volume low.
Each day I stopped for a few minutes and listened to what another 24 hours had wrought. As time progressed the bass, which had increased in articulation as soon as I inserted the cable, became fuller, as did the midrange, and the soundstage started to gel. The burn-in is a must for this cable.
After 8 days (yes, I really did wait for 200 hours) I sat down for a serious listening session. HereÕs what I heard, quantified as best as I can in my system/room and to my ears (using 8 test CDs that combine classical, acoustic jazz, choral, pop/rock):
BOTTOM END:
- Better articulation of things such as the plucked string of a bass (acoustic or electric) and the note that follows
- Much easier to follow the bass line within an ensemble
- Enhanced lower fundamentals that give you the sense of space, particularly a large church with choir
MIDRANGE:
- Increased clarity and purity of tone that made things simply sound more musically “right”
- A sense of ease and effortlessness and overall greater resolution that enhanced the palpability of vocals (both male and female), piano, acoustic guitars, etc.
HIGHS:
- A reduction of some (but not all) of the sibilance that seems to be inherent on certain CDs — immediately obvious as soon as I added the cable
- Like with the mids, cleaner and purer highs were noticeably apparent on things such as cymbals, synths, the snap and the actual “snares” of a snare drum. With the cymbals and snares things such as brushed cymbals/drums truly came alive. There was also an increased sense with cymbals of both the strike as well as the shimmer/ring that follows, as well as that sound expanding into space (as happens live)
- Better resolution of reverb and general acoustic cues re: ambience and space
SOUNDSTAGE:
- This was one of the obvious immediate improvements — a wider and deeper place (either artificial studio or real acoustic environment) in which the musical event takes place
- At the same time the spaces between instruments/people, which were suggested loosely with the stock cable, increased dramatically and became more tangible
- A much enhanced sense of three dimensionality, both of the overall space as well as each musical source within that space
- More layers and enhanced sense of collections of instruments/voices arrayed in a rows/groups in a space (classical or choral vocal)
IMAGE FOCUS:
- The placement of each instrument/voice in space was much more specifically localized — focus improved
- Specificity of instruments deep in the soundstage was enhanced — it was much easier to hear low level sounds in the back part of the “stage,” especially the back corners
- Images seemed more solidly locked into place and more coherent
Without writing volumes (as there’s more to come), that’s a reasonable synopsis of the effect of inserting a single Passage cable between the PSU And X-DAC. In simple terms I experienced an overall increase in the musicality and “life” of the system in the most surprising (to me) way.
A humorous note as an aside, but that demonstrates the increased resolution…One night I put on Sade’s Love Deluxe as an overnight burn-in CD. My home is multi-level and very open plan and in the am I was one floor below my system as it played at low volume on a particularly rainy day. Suddenly a regular “tap,” pause, “tap,” pause, “tap” intruded on my consciousness, sounding for all the world like the sound of a rhythmic drip of water hitting the hardwood floor. With a sinking feeling (I had just experienced a roof leak and knew exactly what that sound was) I came upstairs looking for the source. As soon as I entered the living room I realized (to my great relief) exactly what it was: a small percussion part that had simply never been apparent before on the Sade CD. I listened for a few moments and marveled at the incredible enhancement of every aspect of the music, especially all the small synth/percussion things that were previously buried.
So after my experiences with the first cable I obviously had to try a second Passage. It duly arrived a week after ordering and was inserted in the system between the PSU and X-10. Now all of my power supply umbilical cords feeding the DAC were Revelation Audio Labs. And this is where my understanding of how electrical power works gets seriously “messed with.” Because as much of a difference as the cable between the PSU and X-DAC made, the addition of the cable between the PSU and X-10 made an even bigger, even shocking, improvement to the system. I just don’t understand how replacing one 0.5-meter power supply umbilical cable can make such a dramatic difference.
I followed the same methodology as above re: 24/7 burn-in, but this time couldn’t wait more than the requisite 100 hours before a serious evaluation session (same 8 CDs as before). That was last night, a loooong night into the wee hours. As I write, the system continues to fill my adjacent room with glorious music.
I’ll attempt to capture the differences the second cable made. The X-10, being a tube buffer, improved in all of the key sonic areas that one would expect of a major upgrade in tube gear, and a few you wouldn’t:
BOTTOM END:
- The first cable allowed me to hear the plucked string of a bass — this one gave me much more sense of the whole note and the instrument it came from
- The bass line became both a much more distinct and separately articulated entity, as well as better integrated in the overall fabric of the music
- Deep bass notes were much more apparent — in a way that I didn’t think my system was cable of. It simply went deeper and with way more authority, allowing me to hear bass notes that were not as audible previously.
- On well-produced pop/rock the bass rocked and it was incredibly easy to hear the distinction between a synth bass vs. and electric bass
- Bass guitar and bass drum, while tonally distinct, locked together in the tightest way (partly a function of increased dynamics, too)
- Overall bass tonality seriously improved
MIDRANGE:
- That reviewer term “palpable presence” manifest itself here (best way I can think to describe it) — the entire midrange spectrum was much more “there” than before, especially vocals, sax, etc.
- I heard much more of the body of the instrument or voice — the sound of the wooden guitar body, the resonant cavity of a piano and of the male voice were all much more apparent
- Music was warmer and more natural — but in no way “woody.” Perhaps its best to say the midrange had an increased sense of illumination and life — I don’t know how to articulate this better, it just seemed more real
- Brass sounded much more “golden” and simply glorious. I can now hear much more cleanly the specific timbres of alto/tenor/soprano sax, trumpet and trombone, whether foreground or buried in the back of a mix/orchestra
HIGHS:
- As with the previous cable, a reduction of more (but still not all) of the sibilance on certain CDs
- Reverb tails and overall ambience were again more apparent, enhancing the sense of the real/studio-faked space
- Cymbals developed much more sheen (crash) and you could hear the individual rivets of a ride cymbal much better
- Bells had much more presence as well as a fuller sound — not only the initial strike but the soft envelope of the decay
- Everything sounded “rounder,” more complete, more whole, more fleshed-out
SOUNDSTAGE:
- The soundstage expanded in the most amazing way: not only did it become deeper and wider, but it also expanded well in front of the speakers and seemed to envelope the listener/room. I have never heard this before in my system and it thrilled me completely. It enhanced the sense that, not only were the musicians in the room with me, but that I was virtually transported to the room in which the recording took place.
- Depth and width grew to well outside the walls of my room — the sheer volume of acoustic spaces was vivid and exciting
- Every CD became much more holographic and I was literally immersed in the music
- Spaces between sources increased yet again as did the layering of sounds within a space
IMAGE FOCUS:
- Images were much more defined in a seemingly natural space and were bigger and more tightly delineated
- Image specificity deep in the soundstage was enhanced even more — things were much more naturally (there’s that word again) real
- Images seemed more solidly locked into place and more coherent — each image seemed to be more individualized and more “whole”
- There seemed to be an ‘envelope of air’ around each instrument
DYNAMICS and “BLOOM”:
- Music seemed “sharper” and faster — pace and rhythm improved greatly on both rock/classical
- The snap of drums and other percussive sounds was enhanced in a much more real and natural way — far greater “jump” factor
- As an example a crash cymbal, when hit, starts with an explosion of sound in a very specific location (the cymbal) and then expands outward to fill the surrounding space — I can hear this for the first time
- The dynamic scale of music, from softest to loudest sounds, increased significantly
- Musical crescendos in naturally recorded spaces (classical, jazz) bloomed in the most amazing way, expanding to truly fill the space in the dynamic sense (this is the first time I have heard this effect in my system)
I think you get the idea. I have re-read this email a few times because I’m trying to ensure that this is a reasoned overview and not a “rave” job. But I have to tell you that the differences the 2 Passage cables made was on the level of changing to much better components — and for only $179 x 2. I am confounded and astounded. And for what it’s worth, I have never written a letter to an audio manufacturer praising a product before.
But anyone who uses a Musical Fidelity X-PSU to power their other X components really owes it to him/her self to listen to the differences this “little cable” will make in their systems. I won’t suggest that my experiences will be the same as anyone else’s, but I feel confident stating that you will never hear what the “triple threat” MF system is capable of without testing this cable. The difference it has made in my system has been dramatic and sublime, and led to a significantly more satisfying, natural and engaging musical experience that is infinitely more thrilling.
I will be candid in admitting that I am shocked, as the Passage cable has provided an increase in enjoyment and involvement far beyond what I expected from a mere cable (a power supply umbilical cable no less!), and beyond what I thought the MF gear was capable of. It’s an amazing product and an amazing upgrade bargain for Musical Fidelity owners in my opinion. In an industry rife with purple prose of the highest order regarding the “stunning benefits” delivered by this or that exotic component/cable, your slogan “Revealing the organic truth in music” sums up exactly what my experience with the Passage cables has been — it’s a completely true description of their impact in my system.
Thanks Brad.” —M.K., Vancouver, BC
I received the MSB Power Cord on Thursday — fast, thanks! I’ve burned it in for 20 hours or so and I think I can judge it fully now. It’s so easy to recommend this wire as folks that need if already have $700.00 (on the low side if you got a great deal on a standard Link and a P1000 power supply and use an inexpensive digital cable) to well over $1800.00 for a Gold Link III, P1000 and expensive digital cable. Me, I got the whammy — Gold Link III, P1000, Sony DVP-S7700 transport with MSB custom 192K outputs (a $600.00 modification). All this and I never heard the true worth of this expensive (for me, at least) combo until now. The Cryo-Silver MSB power cable is an great product and, for OTT (over-the-top) guys like me a ridiculously easy recommendation. It simply does more than add 5% to my enjoyment for only 5% of the system price. The bass comes in gobs; fast and clean now. I am hearing the major differences between alto and tenor saxophones…hearing the tapping of finger pads as they are played. The entire performance is cleaner and more detailed. Bass, the foundation of music, is there as never before. I had hoped this wee cable mattered and indeed it does. The impact of introducing this cable into my system was greater overall than the transport upgrade to 192K. Yep, $600.00—touted upgrade was bested by a $169.00 power cable. I really do appreciate your terrific communication throughout and hope you have much future success.” — J.E.
I managed to get about some 96 hours of continuous playtime with the power cord and wanted to let you know what I’ve heard so far. Ok, after the initial hookup and about 30 minsutes of playing, I listened to my favorite CDs: Fourplay 4, Amanda McBroom, Rick Braun, Johannes Linstead, Peter White and Nouvea Flamenco. I chose these as there are dynamic and relaxed music on them. To be honest even after 30 minuites of playtime, your cord sounded better than the stock MSB cord even though things were still not fully there but one could still hear the difference like the smoothness, control etc. Now after 96 hours of playtime, the difference is noticeable and clearly better. There is a nice sense of smoothness and sweetness to the overall sound. No fatigue, edginess or harshness. The highs and upper mids are detailed, extended with no irritation at all. On top of this, it’s not thrown in your face. Apart from this, the other thing noticeable is the bass and mid-bass side. Both have authority, weight and punch. There is also control and extension which is better than before and it is here that I’m puzzled cause the bass is definitely tighter and should probably sound leaner but it is not. Although tighter, it still punchy, weighty and tuneful which is interesting. The overall sound is not too forward or too laid back. It is just right and everything (instruments) are placed where they should be. Your cord has also helped to make the system less noisy and has definitely helped to improve the performance of the Monolithic power supply and MSB DAC. It takes away the bad things in CD recordings and makes listening to CDs enjoyable as I’m also able to play louder than before and not get irritated. Even at low volumes, the details can be heard. Oh yes! Your construction is first rate! Well Brad, thank you for your product. It is well worth the asking price. Also, thank you for your advice and sharing with me your thoughts and opinions which were thoughtful and knowledgeable. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.” — R.
WOW, I always knew my MSB Gold Link DAC III and the P1000 power supply provided the best sound I have had in my system. I could not imagine it getting much better, but it did. I always suspected the power connection between the P1000 and the DAC was the weak link, but I never, in a million years, could have predicted the improvement the ‘Cryo-Silver Reference’ power cord made to the sound and enjoyment of my system. The biggest complaint I have always had of my own system is its lack of deep bass, which I always attributed to the 40Hz lower limit of my speakers. Not any more, the bass is definitely deeper, tighter, and faster. The resolution and sound staging have also increased, along with every other descriptor you can hear. I’m still shaking my head!!! How can this half-meter cable make this much difference???? I have only had it burning in for ten hours or so, but it has already exceeded all my expectations, and them some. I know it will just keep getting better over time, which totally blows my mind! Thanks again, I’m sure we will do business again.” Regards, S.S.
Got the cable on Monday and put it in this weekend. With electrostatics you pick up very little change you make to your system….this little cable has really added to the overall musicality of my system — a real difference!!!” — K.W.
What a wonderful cable! Just a quick audition. However, there are more details, solid bass and better dynamics. Great. I’ll tell my friends about this cable. Thanks for your excellent work.”
I recently bought two of your ‘Passage’ CryoSilver Reference umbilical cables for between the Musical Fidelity X-PSUv3 and the X-10v3 & X-DACv3. I will definitely not send them back!!!
At first, just after putting them in my system, I thought they sound better, but too “sharp” & too “cold”. But because of the burn-in-time I waited a few days, leaving the system always on. Normally I would changes cables back to the old ones and back to the new ones again and so on to compare them, but with these two cables it wasn’t necessary at all. I’ll leave them in the system and will never change back to the old ones… 🙂
Just after switching the old cables against the new ones (from Revelation Audio Labs), I recognized, that the Higher Tones were very much clearer and that the instruments are more for themselves, so you hear every instrument for its own, like in its own chamber or something like that (I can’t find the right word in English). Also I recognized more Quiet Ground or Darkness in the music (the Silence in the music seemed just more silent), which turns out to bring out tones, I’ve never heard before and to let you hear tones for a longer time, it’s possible to hear them fading out longer than before. The bass seemed the get clearer and it went far more to the bottom than before. The fast response to tones has increased (more dynamic: In bass more punch, in higher tones like a hihat oder guitar slaps or something like that, it came so fast that I got (nearly physically) shocked. Incredible!
But as I said above, just after switching the cables, everything sounded on the one hand better and on the other hand it sounded too cold, too analytic and too sharp.
So I took my time to burn in the cables, and the harshness vanished completely, leaving a cable with an increased amount of all the (positive) characterics described above.
I think, the Musical Fidelity components are very good, and they’ve got all of the things, this cable does. But these cables bring out, what the components are “born” to sound like. If you have got Musical Fidelity, you have definitely to give it a try. For me it is nearly, as if I have bought another X-DACv3, X-10v3 & X-PSUv3 to double the effect of very fine music.
Thank you very much! Best regards from Germany!” — Stefan S.
Your Revelation Audio Labs’ Passage CryoSilver Reference Umbilical Cable is a Power Cable “Effulgent”. Its ability to transform the “Musicality” of ones sound system to a level of realism is quasi “Surreal”. My X-DAC V3 per se did give my front end a new voice. However, it still lacked a certain “Je ne sais qua”. I thought replacing the wall wart cord (A Joke) of my X-DAC V3 with a dedicated Power Supply would give me what I wanted. Hence, I went out and purchased the X-PSU. The difference it made to my system with the Musical Fidelity stock power cord (A Joke) was so diminutive, I could not justify the added cost for this product. With all of the “Hype” about the amazing difference a separate Power Supply would make to ones sound, my musical listening experiences (with these units and the stock power cable) always left me lugubrious even after several weeks of listening. (Giving the stock power cord the benefit of the doubt for burn-in time) I purchased the RAL cable on the strength of a poster on Audiogon whose tag is “Johnny Canuck”. His very meticulous description of the “Effects” this cable made to his sound aroused my curiosity. These “Sonic” effects he described were spot-on with what I was hoping to attain from my system with the purchase of the X-PSU but never got. My consummate disappointment with my X-PSU (non performance/hype) however, made me extremely skeptical. After receiving the RAL Power Cable and connecting it (cold mind you), I literally went into a state of shock. The difference was so “Prodigious”, it was unbelievable. This cable requires 250 hours of burn-in. I put my transport in repeat mode and left it on 24/7. Every day I would listen for about an hour and there were times when I could actually hear this cable transforming my sound to another level during my 60 minute listening session. Every day would yield an enhancement in sound quality. This cable Transforms the musicality of the music rendering it more “Mellifluous” and “Real” with all the “Natural Nuances”, “Pinpoint Imaging” and “Holographic” instrument placement. Purchasing the Musical Fidelity X components without the RAL power cable is ludicrous. I say this because without the RAL cable, you will never experience the “REAL Level” these products are capable of attaining. (I wonder if Musical Fidelity is aware). The RAL Umbilical Power Cable is the “Sine Que Non” cable for anyone seeking the “Organic Truth” in their music. Thank you Brad.” — M. M. Follow up: “You have my permission to use my thoughts about your exemplary product. I can’t believe Musical Fidelity hasn’t tried to work something out with your company. I can only imagine how many additional units they would move with your Power Cable. BTW, I wrote this testimonial with about 50 more hours of burn-in to go. Your product truly exemplifies KAIZEN……Continuous and orderly improvement.” — M. M.
Many thanks indeed for the two Passage umbilical power cables which arrived yesterday – barely a week door to door from Florida to Norwich, UK. I have linked them up and they are currently breaking in, though I could not resist a brief listen at the outset, just to check that all was in order. I was most impressed: the cable linking the PSU unit to the Phono Stage and thus driving my Rega turntable made for a much fuller, warmer, and more bodied sound, but although it was more substantial, it was also tight and articulate with a very deep soundstage and splendid placement of the instruments and voices within a very realistic setting. These are going to provide endless pleasure and are already offering the qualities I felt lacking in my system. With break-in this can only get better. Thank you for your help, and for the quick and easy way in which the whole transaction was handled. I didn’t realise it was so easy, not having negotiated PAYPAL before. All best wishes” —M.R.
Follow up: “Since writing the cables have now had time to settle in to the system and have continued to improve. I’m astounded at the even-handed improvement in sound across the whole range from what is now a clear, refined treble, a marvellously real, well separated mid range, and a hugely improved bass. What’s more they work their magic with whatever genre I throw at them, orchestral, opera, chamber music, piano, solo violin, etc., etc. And I hear so much more as well; the old cliché about “finding oneself with a new record collection” is certainly true in this case.” — M.R.
The cable came late Thursday evening. Fit and finish is superb.
Thanks to some unknown inmates at the Audio Asylum or I never would have heard of Revelation Audio Labs and the ‘Parable’ Cryo-Silver™ Reference Power Cord.
Recently I have been looking at my system for the weak link and a likely candidate for an upgrade. Since my X-Cans have been superseded twice I felt a new headphone amp would be the most obvious choice. When I heard that you made an after market umbilical cord to go between the X-PSU and X-Cans I thought ‘what the heck’ and looked up your web site. I liked what I saw and with your assistance purchased one.
Right out of the package and into my system the sound was superb. I mean WHY should this cord provide such a significant improvement?! It just doesn’t seem right, but wow. The first thing that struck me was how much the noise floor dropped, heck I did not even know it was there until the substitution of theÊOEM cord was replaced by the ‘Parable.’Ê It was as if the performers were playing on a stage that was fog shrouded and the exhaust fan was turned on. Cymbals took on the metallic bite that you hear live versus a jelloie — my word — shimmer. Voices, oh boy voices, are now so real that it’s almost scary. Top to bottom of the audio spectrum the sound has improved. Not one negative and hell they haven’t even broken in yet!
Well, Brad, I guess I’ll have to take another look at my system to see where I may improve it, because the X-Cans are staying put.
Hmmmmmm…maybe I should ask you about you line voltage power cords?” Thanks, J.S.
Though my cryo power cord is not fully burned-in (60 hours) I can tell you that the improvement it has brought to my system is nothing short of spectacular. For the first time in my life I can be really carried away by listening to CDs. It is so much more involving, alive, so much more like the real thing. A few times I mistakenly thought I was listening to my high end-ish turntable, while I was listening to a CD. Before the introduction of your cord, it was impossible to make that kind of a mistake, the turntable used to sound so much better. But not anymore. I cannot imagine giving you a better compliment than that.” — R.V., Netherlands
The cables from your company arrived today, very quick, most impressive. I’m listening to them now, all I can say is fantastic. I’ve only recently purchased the Perpetual Technologies PA1/PA3 signature DAC combo. I thought the standard PTs wrought a fantastic improvement on what I’d previous been using, and was totally knocked out, replacing the standard cables supplied, with yours. I was already enjoying my CD collection anew; with your cables, the process will have to start over. More detail, more atmosphere, more emotion, more width/height/depth, more everything. The speakers just disappear in to the wall of sound that is the soundstage. Truly amazing, and they’ve only been connected 3 hours, can’t wait to see what achievable after 100 hours.” — M.M.
Received cables today in mail – nice package, nice connectors. I Pro-Gold’ed the connectors, and have them burning in for the recommended hours, but of course I had to listen to ’em right outa the box. Obvious difference…a quieter background (equal to a Bybee on mains of Monolithic power supply $80 bucks), plus the bass seems tighter, and the last glaze over midrange has vanished. I have been chasing that glaze problem for months…have tried everything I could think of…AND NOW I find out, it was the stupid factory copper zip cord cable…you have no idea how much energy I have put into finding that problem! Anyway, now the liquidity of my pre amp tubes are truly shining, and this is even before break in! I will keep you posted for a better review but…it can only get better, me thinks.” — M.
I received the Perpetual Technologies/Monolithic power cables last week. I put them in expecting a subtle difference and was COMPLETELY blown away. I mean completely. You’ve heard all the descriptions and adjectives before so I won’t go there. Let’s just say I had no idea that the difference would be so huge and send the sound in such a better, more involved direction. If I had to describe what I’ve heard within the first 10 hours of use it would be much greater and deeper bass information, a huge increase in ambient detail and a dryness in voices replaced by a more natural resonance. All of this was noticeable right away but in a natural, not over-hyped, way. The quality of these power cords definitely piques my interest in your other products. I think this is a no-brainer for the MS/PT combo. Thanks for such a cool product…” — J.B.
Well, I’ve received the power cables for the Perpetual Technologies duo first and have since run them in for at least a good 50 hours or so (still waiting for the i2s to arrive). Right out of the box, there is a distinct improvement in detail and clarity over the stock power cords that comes with the Monolithic P3. The most obvious aspect is that musical decays are more natural and have greater longevity. This could be due to lowered background noise, hence allowing more details to show themselves. After 50 hours or so, the next obvious change is in the soundstage width and depth. Both have certainly broadened beyond my speakers’ physical borders. The other aspect which struck me is the solidity of the images presented. Before the power cord change, imaging was already pretty good in my system. However, with the Revelation Audio power cords in, they are rock solid in place. I can distinctly place each instrument and performer within the music. Another notable improvement (to my ears) is that the overall musical presentation seemed to be smoother, particularly in the mid-range and highs (smooth here does not equate to loss of detail — in fact details have increased, from the various pieces of music that I have been using to evaluate components). I did not talk much about the bass because I am using a pair of stand-mount speakers (NHT SuperOne XUs) and bass is not their forte. Still, there is a fair amount of bass detail coming through. Not deeper (limited by natural law of physics — 6.5 inch is not going to go real low) but with greater detail (one can easily make out plucked bass strings’ vibration, thump of piano’s lower keys etc. without having to critically listen out for them). Palpability is the next aspect I would like to highlight. In particular, on the Norah Jones album, I could almost feel her breath. Combined with the image solidity mentioned above, the whole musical presentation is really fleshed out and 3 dimensional. All in all, the power cords have wrought a significant improvement over the stock cords and only at the 50 hours mark. I honestly could not recommend them enough. They do allow the music to be that much closer to the real thing. Anyone can do a double blind test and I am sure he/she will easily hear either some or all of the improvements (not just difference, which may not necessarily be better) that I mentioned above. Of course, some may approach from the angle that one would have to spend some money to get the better sound. But, to me, it’s worth every penny as the Parable power cords do bring out the best from the dynamic PT duo (which is the first reason why us folks here bought them, they are a real class act). In any case, I am curious to hear what others experience with their respective systems when they switch from the stock cords to the Revelation Audio Labs ones. The other good thing about Revelation Audio Labs is Brad Vojtech. He’s great to deal with. The improvements wrought thus far just let me enjoy the music more.”
After 50 hours burn-in, your power cords have a noticeable and primary effect on the ground floor noise, and the potential glare I mentioned, and a secondary effect to the soundstage…giving more air around vocals and percussion. I believe even the un-modded versions (of P-3A) will benefit from the new ‘Rev’ power cords.” — S.R.
In previous emails I have described my significant enthusiasm for what your i2s did for my system. I can, with the same degree of WOW, comment on the power leads from the MP3 to the P1A and P3A. Your cables are nothing short of GREAT. Anyone who has this combination (Perpetual Technologies P-1A/P-3A and the Monolithic P3 Power supply) and hasn’t incorporated your cables has not heard how great they can be improved…and sound. It would seem to me that Mark Schifterand Dusty Vawter would make these standard accessories for their equipment. They are worth every penny of the cost. Feel free to use me as a reference if anyone has questions.” — R.P.
Well, I am now over 200 hours of break-in on the Revelation P1-P3 Monolithic power cords. I have had the hardest time putting my overly analytical finger on just what has happened to the sound since introducing the power cables….It’s better, no doubt, but how, is the quandary. First, the bass is tighter / fuller than ever…more improvement than the Modwright level 1 changed the bass…. Then on the other end, percussion instruments, cymbals, chimes, tubes, wood block, even digital sampled percussion is more evident in every recording, but I have concluded, that it’s not accentuating this range as much as it has reduced a background ‘noise’ that lessened/obscured these instruments in the past…some call it ‘more air,’ or ‘tonally’ better, more true, life like, etc….for me, it defined the soundstage better, and I most of all like the way the sounds decay now, where that was never evident before, even after the Modwright level 2….these are a huge improvement over the stock cords, but please understand I am not saying that these can replace the Modwright upgrades, as its a synergistic effort from all that makes the electronics sing. Now onto the issue that I have discovered. I had a real nice midrange that I really liked, my modded CJ Premier 3 has 7 tubes in the output, and I had spent a lot of time tweaking that sound as it came outta my ESL 63s (including boutique power / speaker cable / cords as well). After about 100 hours I noticed a grain, or a grit, or a vibration of sorts around the midrange vocals…after 150 hours it was still there…maybe even more, and this was getting irritating. Not prominent, mind you, but there, in what had been totally beautiful to me before…well around 200 hours when I was pretty sure these wires were done with what ever they were going to be doing, I really started listening over the weekend…I messed with the Altis 3 transport, the digital cable, your Prophecy i2s cable, Pro Gold’ed all connections, etc…and you know what I found? Your power cords had lowered the noise floor enough, that i was now hearing a slight micro-phonic vibration in one of my tubes! I am sure it was there all the time, but I was unable to isolate it…so I have two new matched tubes burning in, and the sound is back to where I thought it shoulda been. SOOOoooo there you have it…I like ’em, I’m keeping them, and I will be happy to write a review in AA as soon as I decide what to say, and have the time to do it. BTW my Monolithic P3 has a Bybee on the main, so I borrowed a friend’s un-modified Monolithic P3, and it has an even more noticeable noise floor reduction than mine. Thanks again.”
Last night I pulled a late night listening session, and with your (power cord) cables broke in, I was enjoying my digital system like never before. Great resolution, increased depth, and a non-fatiguing musicality kept me up much later than usual. Thanks for helping me get to this point. Great customer service!”
I received the cables today. They are OUTSTANDING!! …much better than the original. You have a great product and you should be very proud.”
I wouldn’t have thought it possible for such apparently insignificant cables to make such a difference. In my system they make a greater improvement to the sound quality than the upgrade PSU does with its own cables! I’ve always had faith in the ability of cables to improve the sound but not to the extent that their use could surpass that of the component itself when used with its own cables. In fact, I was slightly disappointed with the PSU, only appreciating its value when used with the Parable cablesÊ(this was not down to burn-in as it was used). It just goes to show how much the original cables (i2s digital cable included) were strangling the performance of these products. I would go as far as to say they should be seen as essential purchases for anyone owning this equipment, otherwise they will have no idea as to their full potential. The only problem with such transparent cables is that they reveal other faults that were previously masked. I have always had problems with the mains electricity supply despite having Kimber Powerkords on all my equipment running through a mains conditioner (Isotek Minisub), so I only hear my system at its best at certain times of day, which is very frustrating. With this in mind I would like to purchase one of your Precept AC mains cables to power the Minisub if you think this would be appropriate.” — D.S
Paradise analog interconnect cable:
I have installed a 26-foot pair of your balanced (Paradise) Cryo-Silver interconnects and burned them in for at least your suggested time and am now listening. I will leave it to others to describe the incredible resulting details. I will say only that I have been listening less to the music I love since I can no longer listen as background music. I am pulled into the music I hear as I never have before. A full symphony, quartet or piano concerto leaves me so emotionally and sonically sated that I cannot continue without a breather. Instruments, harmonies, duets, etc. use me up quickly and leave me ecstatic. I am now very careful to select music that I really want to hear for I know that incredible sound is what will come out of my speakers, both instrumentals and vocals. One last but important point is that I now longer have that subliminal urge (around for 50 years) to add or change equipment since I keep reminding myself that I have reached a point of utter satisfaction. Thank you Brad!” — H.S.
I am sending you a copy of a performance of the Verdi “Requiem Mass.” It was performed in Amsterdam in 1939 just before the beginning of the Second World War. Verdi was an agnostic, but was so moved by the death of a great Italian writer by the name of Manzoni that he was overcome by the need to honor him in God’s name. I was so moved when I heard this piece through your cables, notwithstanding the age of the recording. The clarity of the performers was amazing. I was in tears before it ended and I never do that. I do attribute the emotions to the use of your cables for I have listened to the recording before and never had such a reaction.” — H.S.
I have had my second set of ICs in for about 350+ hours now…and just ordered a digital cable. I seem to be on the way to an all Revelation cabled system. The addition of the second IC was not a subtle change but one easily recognized…even from another room. The balance, the relaxed presentation, the dynamics, the sense of the music, etc., etc.,…all dramatically improved. These ICs have allowed me to much more easily avoid “listening to the system” and just enjoy the music. They were more than a 1+1 improvement. The whole synergy was greatly enhanced. I know “your mileage may vary,” but I am “on the bandwagon.” They have just contributed greatly to my regaining the pleasure of listening, and the reason I (we) are addicts of / addicted to this hobby.” — R.P.
I have used many interconnect cables in my system, including Audience Au24, Empirical Audio Holophonic PC, Ridge Street Audio Poiema! and Poiema!!, Acoustic Zen (both copper and silver versions), and Kimber Select 1030. Simply said, Revelation Audio Labs Paradise interconnects bring the music to life like no other interconnect I’ve used in my system.” — G.J.
Hi Brad, how are you? Your RCA (analog interconnect cable) is great. I have let a Hi-Fi reviewer on hifi.nl hear it and he also admired the great sound of the cable. oh oh oh what a fantastic cable! Beats the Kimber KS. I am going to sell my Siltech interconnect cables. But your interconnect is “growing” yet, and the sound is great. After (further) listening, I shall write a review about the cable. I’m doing my best to promote yor cables in Holland.” — Have a good day, Wijnand www.klaviers.nl
Hi Brad, The Revelation Audio Labs ‘Paradise’ CryoSilver Reference interconnects are by far the best I’ve ever owned, and have owned a really big list of cables. These cables just get out of the way and let the music through – highs, midrange, and low end are right, and where they are supposed to be. This is the most natural, unrestrained sound I have ever had in my system. If high end audio is your thing you need these cables – they won’t disappoint. Brad Vojtech has been more than helpful in my quest for the sound of music. Thanks Brad for keeping me up half the night listening to my system again, I do not want to turn it off and go to bed, so I know it is right. You wouldn’t put inferior cables on your race car – don’t do it on your high end music system. These cables are truly great – and will not cost you an arm and a leg. The only problem is, getting used to these, you won’t be able to settle for less – I won’t.” —J.R.
Paradise Tone Arm Phono Interconnect (DIN to RCAs):
I own both the Graham IC-50 and IC-70 tone arm cable. The IC-70 is the superior cable of the two. Using the IC-70 the last several years with the Graham 2.2 tone arm, Koetsu Jade Platinum cartridge, and Basis Debut Vacuum turntable has been very enjoyable.
A problem developed after I replaced the Graham 2.2 tone arm with the Graham Phantom tone arm. The Phantom is a far more revealing tone arm than the 2.2. The IC-70 cable now sounded bright and hard, grainy at the high end and weak in the bass. The biggest loss was the richness of the Koetsu midrange. I’m not taking about warmth, but a very thin sound with loss of body to the midrange of the Koetsu.
I replaced the Graham IC-70 cable with a Revelation Audio Labs Paradise Cryo-Silver Reference Tone Arm Phono cable. The Revelation was burned in with a friend’s Cable Cooker after I owned it one week. After several weeks of burn-in, the sound is outstanding!
The Revelation Audio Labs is the best phono cable I have heard; and I have tried many. The highs are detailed without hardness; the midrange is rich and musical. The bass is tight, deep and powerful. The soundstage is huge with enhanced depth. Most importantly, it draws me into the musical performance.
In the past, I was sucked up in the audiophile fantasyland of cables. I owned very expensive Transparent Audio cables. My “Revelation” occurred after I tried a relatively inexpensive cable and found it to be superior to the Transparent cables I owned. This does not mean Transparent Audio is dishonest; they are excellent in marketing their product. Remember, they are a business, not a charity.
We consumers have to use our heads and mostly our ears.
My system is now entirely Revelation Audio Labs cables. I ordered Paradise balanced interconnect cables and Testament loudspeaker cables from Revelation Audio Labs. They are far less in price than the Cardas Golden Reference interconnects and Silversmith Silver speaker cables I am presently using. I have found that price has very little to do with the ultimate sonic experience with cables. I guess it took me a long time to think for myself.
Remember that Revelation Audio Labs sells direct. It is a small operation with no dealer network, minimal inventory; they build cables when they are ordered. Overhead is far less here than a company such as Kimber or Cardas. Also, the usual dealer markup in audio is 40%. The dealer has his overhead as well.
Is the Revelation Audio Labs the best phono cable? How could I ever know or determine this. The important thing is that it gives me a great deal of pleasure when listening to my music. This is what excites me.
By the way, don’t you ever try a Precept AC power cable from Revelation Audio Labs. Like a XXX potato chip, you can’t stop at one! I purchased seven (7) of these babies because I felt they were outrageously good.
This, my friend, is the pure audio hobby: buying an unknown product with most likely a very limited resale value — buying a product because it fulfills your musical expectations.
The Revelation Audio Labs cables have provided me with one fine ride.” — S.P.
Finally found the time to get my dealer to come over and set up the Phantom arm two weeks ago. When he had finished, he said he was not happy with this particular sample and asked Graham for another one. This took an extra week to arrive from the States. Anyway, we finally kicked off last Friday and everything sounded good but we had a system hum. So yesterday morning I opened up my ancient Sonic Frontiers step up amp and pre-amp, meticulously took out every valve and cleaned their plugs, etc., as well as all the RCA’s on the back plate. That did the trick. Basically, the system has no particular sound, it just plays music, which is what it should do. All I can say is that considering the front end sets the pace of the whole system, the arm, cartridge, turntable and your cable simply have no sonic signature I can detect. As a combo, they are totally neutral, not bright, not dull, just totally transparent and not there. Thanks for a great cable! PS: system is as follows: Simon Yorke S7 turntable, Graham Phantom tone arm, Virus MC cartridge (limited production from Switzerland), Sonic Frontiers SFL-2 Signature series pre-amp, Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 Signature series phono stage, Gamut D200 Mk 3 power amp, Magnepan 2.7 speakers.” — God Bless, Ian, UK
Testament loudspeaker cables:
“Regarding burn-in, the Purist Audio Design disc has allowed the music to “pop in.” I guess they are 80%-90% broken-in.
Impressions of Testament speaker cables compared to the Silversmith Silver speaker cables:
The Testament speaker cables are faster with far greater resolution from low to high. High-end details are simply something else; a Martin guitar sounds like a Martin; a Gibson mandolin sounds like a Gibson. On the other hand, the Silversmith speaker cables sound slower and darker.
Most of all, the dynamic qualities of the Testament speaker cables are simply the best I have ever heard. The Silversmith tends to compress dynamics with a darker more congealed sound. The TestamentÊbass is very fast and defined with great power and slam.
The Testaments are more forward in character—a good thing for my Levinson 32 preamp which tends to give a more distant perspective.
In short, your Testaments are a wonderful, revealing, dynamic speaker cable. My Silversmiths are up for sale.” — Paul
Having now had adequate opportunity to test the cables, I thought a short review was in order.
Soundwise, I find them an improvement on my Tara Air 1 cables. They have greater extension and air than the Taras. Of more interest is the more full and defined bass. I have had poor luck with silver cables in the bass and I felt I might need to go back to the Taras if the Testaments did not measure up. Some discussion with other audiophiles leads me to believe that the less satisfying bass found in many silver cables is due to the makers using too thin a gauge of wire. This is often suggested as the reason for the brighter highs, as well. Perhaps simply using a beefier gauge of silver wire is your secret—I don’t know! In any case, I’m pleased.
I also note that while the Taras were very sensitive to outside interference (they really had to be up on cable elevators and dressed away from the steel stand) your Testaments seem, to my ears at least, to be pretty much immune. Again, this is impressive and speaks well to the effectiveness of your (design).
Overall, I’m happy with the biwire pair” —T.S.