I thought I post this. I had an Audio guy wrote me to tell me to disconnect the DBS 74V from the power cords and see what I thought. Well, I tried it and wow the impact was huge, with more real presence, weight, detail, and more natural sounding. They sounded really good before but now like a new system. Still open but now with more body to the music, bass more solid, less light in the mid-bass. Anyone who owns the AQ cables with the DBS, give it a shot and unplugged the battery pack, and see what you think. I like it on the I.C. and speaker cables though and there I keep the DBS plugged in. But the power cords are a different story. take seconds to do and it is free and cheap, like your feedback on what you heard also. I was very, very surprised.
AudioQuest POwer Cords with DBS packs.
- Thread starter Phillyb
- Start date
Yes I have there diamond ethernet cable and have actually installed 2 dbs packs on it With even better SQ. I emailed Audioquest on the dbs packs regarding break in time and his reply stated it takes 150 hrs both way to break in or loose the charge.
I would be interested in to hear your thoughts at the 150 hr mark.
I would be interested in to hear your thoughts at the 150 hr mark.
I have had the power cords a while now, they sound better without the packs. From classical to rock I tried them both ways and the power cords sound better without the pack, which tells you how good the copper they use and silver and design are. I have 3 Tornados and one Firebird, with all Firebird I.C. and speakers cables, and the DBS pack is a must for those, sound quality with the DBS packs is superb.
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How do you properly disable the pack? Did you just take the battery out of the pack(tube)? I have a 5000 with a Hurricane HC to the wall. I also have a Hurricane HC to the 5000 from my amp(Viola Symphony), Hurricane source to the 5000 from the line preamp(Viola Crescendo). If I understand correctly it will take 150 hours for the pack charge to dissipate completely once the pack is disabled. I would like to listen to the difference in my system as you have done.
The other change I want to make is plug the amp directly into the wall and listen to that difference.
The final change; I will run 2 new lines from my panel to replace the one line now feeding my source components, the main amp, and the left channel subwoofer amp. The right channel subwoofer amp is plugged into a separate line.
According to Audioquest and awhile back my system didn’t sound right one day with a loss of life, sparkle so to speak and I noticed something a few days prior so I’m going through my system and noticed the wire connecting the DBS pack to the cable disconnected , I have been tweaking my system and it got detached. i plugged it back in and sent Audioquest an email asking about break in and explained what had happen , the quick reply stated either way 150 hrs which is inline with what I experienced.
try it let us know your findings
try it let us know your findings
All vinyl, all you have to do is unplugged from the DBS pack. Worth a try again it will depend on one's system. You will hear it as soon as it is unplugged and then plugged back in. I don't mind them in, but in one setup I liked the sound better without. There are no absolutes in audio, my thought was to try it and see for oneself.
You making good moves on running new lines, and putting the amp directly into the wall. Front-end gear works with good conditioning because all your amp does is feed to the speaker what it is given. Best of everything as far as cables go on the front end and that includes the Niagra line or in my case a PS Audio regenerator.
You making good moves on running new lines, and putting the amp directly into the wall. Front-end gear works with good conditioning because all your amp does is feed to the speaker what it is given. Best of everything as far as cables go on the front end and that includes the Niagra line or in my case a PS Audio regenerator.
Does anyone have experience using AQ High Current power cables on source components? My understanding is that the AQ Source power cables use smaller gauge wire with improved shielding over their High Current counter parts.
When I was running Shunyata cables and a Hydra A/V + Typhon, Shunyata suggested and I used their Alpha High Current cables even on my source components, including digital.
Perhaps because of the difference in the two companies technologies, my question is creating an apples/oranges rather than apples/apples comparison.
When I was running Shunyata cables and a Hydra A/V + Typhon, Shunyata suggested and I used their Alpha High Current cables even on my source components, including digital.
Perhaps because of the difference in the two companies technologies, my question is creating an apples/oranges rather than apples/apples comparison.
Phillyb - thanks for the info. Yes, I now see that you can actually unplug the cable from the pack. I originally didn't realize that is how it is constructed. I completely agree with trying a change and letting your ears guide your decision.
Yes, running the new lines for me will be doable and is paramount. The suspended ceiling makes access relatively easy and my panel is only 20 ft away from the wall on which I will put the 2 new lines/duplexes. Plus, I have enough room in the panel that I can put each line on its own breaker.
I purchased all HC Audioquest power cords, excepting the Blizzard (my 1st purchase). One reason was an owner told me the HC work just fine on the line-level gear in fact he thought it sounded better now the non-HC is cheaper so depends on your budget. I wanted the HC so I could be assured of having HC cords should I change amps to monoblocks and other gear. I can say they work as advertised. In 35 years some of the best power cords I have used, I love the Tornadoes, and the 1 Fire I have I love it on my McIntosh amp, with the Tornados on the front end gear and PS Audio P-12 AC regenerator, and the Fire on the amp the reproduction is superb. I unplugged the power cords from the DBS pack for a while just to see how they change, so I left them for a week that way, so today was my day to plugged the DBS packs back in, and after listening awhile I found them to sound more natural, more placement, less in your face and aggressive which is what I liked at 1st, but now I understand the impact of the design better, you don't know until you try something and then go back, and like so many times in audio the more flashy or biggest change sometimes wears thin after a while. But in some systems, one might prefer them unplugged.
Objective measurements of AQ's DBS bias packs show that having none is better than having it powered on (click link below):
AudioQuest Wind High-end Cable Review | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
AudioQuest Wind High-end Cable Review | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
I've used Audioquest cables in past years. They always sounded much better with the DBS battery packs engaged.
My cables were not burned in enough. I went through and connected the DBS packs and they sounded better, perhaps less upfront and detailed but in the end more relaxed and natural. I have now 2 Firebirds on the front end gear, one hurricane on the PS Audio P-12 Rgenorator unit for the front end gear, and I put a Dragon on my amp and that was transfornal. The sound stage grew, the size of the instruments, height, and vocals sounded more real, detailed, and natural. I am done with power cords. My interconnects and speaker wire is Firebird, speakers Spatial Audio Sappires M3's which replaced my Quad Electrstsic Solution rebuilt ESL 63.
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