Just tested the Clearer Audio Copper-Line Alpha mains cable - here are my findings...

[Pistol Pete1]

Just bought the Clearer Audio Copper-Line Alpha mains cable, and thought you would all like to hear my conclusions on it:

I have the onkyo 606, with the Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 package, but with the 1030i floorstanders as an upgrade to the standard front speakers.

I also have a Marantz CD 63mkII KI Signature cd player.......

The test included attaching the 'Alpha' cable up to the cd player, and then to the Onkyo 606, but as I have only purchased one cable, the tests were done individually.

First was the cd player......wow what a difference this cable made. The vocals were clearer and more pronounced, the separation of the music was a massive improvement, and the whole sound was just 'less muddled'. I was hearing a more distinctive treble, and deeper bass notes coming from the speakers.....in fact, I was hearing things I had not noticed before (I have a set cd I use when testing an upgrade, so I know the songs well)

Ok, next the Onkyo 606.....again there was a similar improvement, but not to the same extent as the cd player. Swapping the cable back to the cd player highlighted this fact.

After the initial improvement with the cd player, I was slightly disappointed with the improvement with the Onkyo. Yes, it was an obvious improvement, but the cd player showed such a massive leap in sound quality (the wife noticed the difference after about 5 seconds of music- yes, there was that much difference!!!

), that I was expecting more.

One things for sure though, the 2 channel cd playback has never sounded so good from an Onkyo 606 amp - despite the upgrade actually being attached to the sourse component.

As always, though, I now wonder what it would be like if I had 2 of these cables, one for each machine......

May have to ask the bank manager permission.........that's the wife!!! Especially with a 60 day money back guarantee.......

 

[jase fox]

Pistol Pete1:
Just bought the Clearer Audio Copper-Line Alpha mains cable, and thought you would all like to hear my conclusions on it:

I have the onkyo 606, with the Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 package, but with the 1030i floorstanders as an upgrade to the standard front speakers.

I also have a Marantz CD 63mkII KI Signature cd player.......

The test included attaching the 'Alpha' cable up to the cd player, and then to the Onkyo 606, but as I have only purchased one cable, the tests were done individually.

First was the cd player......wow what a difference this cable made. The vocals were clearer and more pronounced, the separation of the music was a massive improvement, and the whole sound was just 'less muddled'. I was hearing a more distinctive treble, and deeper bass notes coming from the speakers.....in fact, I was hearing things I had not noticed before (I have a set cd I use when testing an upgrade, so I know the songs well)

Ok, next the Onkyo 606.....again there was a similar improvement, but not to the same extent as the cd player. Swapping the cable back to the cd player highlighted this fact.

After the initial improvement with the cd player, I was slightly disappointed with the improvement with the Onkyo. Yes, it was an obvious improvement, but the cd player showed such a massive leap in sound quality (the wife noticed the difference after about 5 seconds of music- yes, there was that much difference!!!

), that I was expecting more.

One things for sure though, the 2 channel cd playback has never sounded so good from an Onkyo 606 amp - despite the upgrade actually being attached to the sourse component.

As always, though, I now wonder what it would be like if I had 2 of these cables, one for each machine......

May have to ask the bank manager permission.........that's the wife!!! Especially with a 60 money back guarantee.......

Hi PP, i agree that i do also believe that mains cable upgrades are more & most noticeable with CD players, i used to have a Russ Andrews yello powercord (thats there cheapest cable) connected to my CDP & i noticed improvements however, then out of curiosity i tried a RA Classic powercordcord to my CDP & my god!!! what a major massive difference it made!!! it was like id changed my speakers, amp & CDP all in one go, the improvements were sensational to say the least, the vocals were more realistic sounding, individual space around intruments & as for the bass my subs have never sounded so deep & tight, its like listening to a whole new system so if there was ever any proof that powercords make a difference this is it !

I used the RA yello cord for my plasma & that made a huge difference with that, clarity was better, a much deeper picture, colours more vivid & blacks well , blacker ! So i would recommend you use a copper alpha for your tv aswell pete

Out of curiosity did you have to cut the cable on your CDP as i used to own the 63 signature & the cables built in isnt it?

 

[Big Aura]

that's all very re-assuring. I bought one a few weeks ago, but as I was told "NO MORE DAMNED CABLES" I can't really fit it when the wife's around. As it's going around the back, she'll never notice!!

Do you have a tacima power block also, or are you just using the Clearer Audio?

 

[Anonymous]

hi PP,

I use these cables on all my kit, and have had Darren at clearer add extra super supressers to them as well! wow what a difference these make put one to your screen and its like you've bought a new tv!

i'm now gonna send my cables back to them to be cut to the exact req length and up grade the plugs and IEC connecters to wattgate 320i's and to put extra sup's for each ends! ( they will look like the silverline power leads)

i can't praise these cables enough they are truly awesome!

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Hi Jase,

Thanks for your suggestion about trying it with the tv. I was going to at some time, but not got round to it. If it's a big difference, I'll get another and either use it for the amp or tv (whichever it improves the most!).

Both the onkyo and Marantz have their mains cables going straight into the box. I bought the marantz off ebay a few years ago (no problems with it so far!!), and the previous owner had cut the cable to try various mains cables, so had done all the hard work.

I did the onkyo last night, as it's a fairly straight forward job.

Once I have decided which will keep the upgraded mains cables, I'll look into seeing if there is space on the back plate to mount a surface mounted mains socket to make it look a little neater.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

petesneds:
hi PP,

I use these cables on all my kit, and have had Darren at clearer add extra super supressers to them as well! wow what a difference these make put one to your screen and its like you've bought a new tv!

i'm now gonna send my cables back to them to be cut to the exact req length and up grade the plugs and IEC connecters to wattgate 320i's and to put extra sup's for each ends! ( they will look like the silverline power leads)

i can't praise these cables enough they are truly awesome!

They do very good coaxial cables too! To be honest, I've not done any A, B testing with the power cables in my system. I've bought second hand good ones, for a decent price and I just trust that a few quid more is making sure I'm not letting my system down with cables. I have the Alpha, a RA Powermax (I think it's called) and a Merlin Tarantuala figure of 8 into a Tacima block. The only problem I find is that they are not too flexible and all my kit is pressed back against a wall. And I really got the bug with AV, after I had cables chased into my walls - my LCD power cable is the free one and I can't change it. I did have the Merlin cable in my Sky HD box and then swapped that to my BD player and I don't notice a change with Sky.

I would like to find a decent power unit for my DacMagic, just to see if it can be improved even more - the cable is very cheap looking.

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Yes Big Aura, I have a tacima mains block too.

That on it's own gave some good improvement, but nothing like the improvement with this cable to the cd player!!!

 

[jase fox]

I also think its best to put a powercord to everything to be honest as its going to improve performance in its own way, if i were on the market for new powercords today i think i would go with the Clearer audios but i have russ andrews & from what you & others say about them it sounds the same results as to what im getting from the RA cords.

As for your CDP Pete i thought either you or someone would have done a conversion job to the mains lead. I would of loved to of heard the 63 signature with a specialist powercord as it was very impressive on its own.

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Jase,

The marantz is in a totally different league with the Clearer Audio lead. I'm still astounded at the difference it has made.

The bass is so full and crisp, and the clarity of the vocals and treble just sounds amazing - and this is with an AV amp.

I'm thinking of digging out my old Marantz PM6010 KI Signature amp and seeing what it's like with that!!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm in the process of setting up a system and these are on my shopping list for each bit of kit. As a novice I asked CA how these leads improved performance so; this is what they said:-
'Ideally for the best performance the power cables should be plugged directly into the wall sockets. You will still gain improvements plugging into a standard extension but you will not get the best out of the cables and ultimately your system.

With regards to the improvements, this is achieved through improved power transfer and shielding; and there are many variables which contribute to the performance. Improvements will also be gained when using a power cable with a Sky HD Box and we have lots of happy customers doing so. You will require the IEC to Figue 8 Adaptor which can be found in the "Accessories" section should you wish to use a power cable on your Sky HD Box as well. As you may be aware we offer a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee so you can try without risk'.

@ £35 a throw (if the power source is close) that's got to be the cheapest way of improving the quality of i dividual appliances?

D.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Hence its five-star rating and Award win

 

[mafrost]

I've also found that it really helps reduce the brightness of the PS3 and significantly add realism to the vocals. I'm not sure whether it really adds any weight to the bottom end, but the overall sound is considerably more pleasant and less fatiguing.

I'm still swapping cables around as I'm trying to compare the Copper Line Alpha to my Merlin Tarantulas (which are absolutely amazing feeding my MF pre/power). I'll write back with any further observations.

 

[Anonymous]

avast behind:'Ideally for the best performance the power cables should be plugged directly into the wall sockets.

Will your system still be protected if there is an electrical surge or lightning?

 

[Big Aura]

don't think so, it stops interference, not surges.

 

[jase fox]

Pistol Pete1:
Jase,

The marantz is in a totally different league with the Clearer Audio lead. I'm still astounded at the difference it has made.

The bass is so full and crisp, and the clarity of the vocals and treble just sounds amazing - and this is with an AV amp.

I'm thinking of digging out my old Marantz PM6010 KI Signature amp and seeing what it's like with that!!
Ye i can imagine it is Pete as like i said it was great without one, but the way you describe the performance of your CDP now is the way in which my Arcam does, its worked wanders with it, every CD i listen to sounds like a new master of it, hearing things ive never heard before.

Truly amazing !!

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the club.

I have Classic Powerkords fitted to everything and have been using them for over 20 years.
Wouldn't be without them, help to get much more detail out.

You get another huge jump again by improving earthing on the line, dedicated spur (40A wiring) and further mods with mains conditioning. ;-)

 

[jase fox]

trevor79:Welcome to the club.

I have Classic Powerkords fitted to everything and have been using them for over 20 years.
Wouldn't be without them, help to get much more detail out.

You get another huge jump again by improving earthing on the line, dedicated spur (40A wiring) and further mods with mains conditioning. ;-)I think the Classic powercords are tops however, im using a RA yello powercord for my plasma which is giving great results, out of curiosity i took the yello out & used a classic cord & i couldnt tell much difference in quality between the two cords to be honest, i thought there would of been with the classic being a better cord, that said & what is your thought Trevor on plugging your amp/receiver straight into a wall socket for better results? As opposed to plugging it into a specialist 8 way extension?

Would plugging an amp straight into the wall socket make much difference do you know? Id try it myself but the cord wont reach to it !

 

[Anonymous]

Faizal,

As I understand it, using a surge protector will not affect performance, nor will using a 2/3 way plug in wall socket (if you dont have a dedicated bank of sockets). But for best results they do recommend using a high performance power block. D

 

[clearer_audio]

Hello Eveyrone,

It is great to read all of your positive experiences and feedback. I thought I would contribute to this thread:

Pistol Pete1 - Really pleased to hear that you are happy with the cable. With regards to your Onkyo it may take some further burning in time for the cable to reach optimal performance. The CD player draws less current so burn in is less of an issue. I would recommend leaving the power cable on the Onkyo for a week or so and then re-assess the improvements. As always a cable on both components will provide the best performance.

Gerrardsnails - with regards to the cables being a bit stiff, the Copper-line Alpha Power Cable has been designed to be flexible. The cables will become more flexible over time but you can speed up the process. Simply remove the cable(s) from the system and bend the jacket lots of times. This will help free up the internal structures (do not worry because everything is fully supported so there is no problem in doing this) and you should find the cable becomes more flexible. Also you can put tight bends on the cables where you need them to help with dressing.

Masfrost - it is good to hear your feedback on the PS3 performance. The cables are proving very popular with game consoles and especially the PS3 to further improve performance with Blu-ray.

Faizal - plugging our power cables directly into the wall socket will not offer protection from surges or transients. If you would like surge protection go for a high performance block which offers this (ideally the surge protection should protect all three channels - live-neutral / live-earth / neutral-earth). I would stay aware from basic extension leads if possible.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Darren

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jase

"Would plugging an amp straight into the wall socket make much difference do you know? Id try it myself but the cord wont reach to it!"

It really is down to the current draw. If the flow is a little restricted I find it shows in the speed of the transiant responses and openess of the music.
When using a block I always put the high current items at the top of the tree (1,2,3,4). If you have a seperate plug just for your Amp it could well be benificial, try it and see.

What is a no cost upgrade to do is sort out all the cables into neat runs which does reduce the interaction between them all.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Darren,

Thanks for the info. I currently (pardon the pun) have my equipment plugged into a monster AV surge protection block, so would plugging the CA mains cables into this block offer the same performance as plugging it directly into the wall socket.Also are your products available here in South Africa? There are other brands available,but looking at the positive feedback would like to know who markets them here in South Africa?

 

[topbloke55]

I have been able to do some side by side comparisons as I already have Russ Andrews Reference Power cords for my Amp, CD player and Pre-amp.

I was looking for new cables for my plasma and blu ray layer, so order a Copper-Line Alpha and a Sliver-Line power cable and here are my findings.

Copper-Line Alpha
On the Plasma initially I saw no difference with the Russ Andrews, however through longer usage the Alpha line appeared to have slightly less noise, which was more noticeable on SD content.

On the Amp the Russ Andrews sounded more open for my tastes, although given the £100 difference in cost the Russ Andrews would have only got 3 stars to the Coppers 5 stars, for me though I would have paid the extra money . well that was until I tried the next cable!

Silver-Line
On the Plasma this offered no gains over the Russ Andrews or the Copper-Line.

On the Amp, a completely different story . WOW! The Whathifi review uses the work "astonishing improvements" and it does.

The biggest thing that strikes you straight away is the silence, the lack of background noise. But something I never realized was there in the first place, the system already had a very clean sound with tons of detail . that just got turbo charged.

From the silence the background the sound then builds with improved clarity, plus it appears to change the tone slightly giving a more overall balanced response across the frequencies. This brings out more detail plus makes poorly recorded CD's sound better.

It does not stop at the CD player, move to Freesat and the detail from the sound tracks increases, news readers sound even more natural.

One thing I was wary off was "Is this change for the better or it is just different?" Having had the cables in for about a month now the answer is Better.

Everyone's system is different, however I highly recommend giving the Sliver-Line a go. £150 does seem like a lot, but if your system is up to it this is a fantastic upgrade.

And finally
So the final decision was Copper-Line on the Plasma, Silver-Line on the Amp and Russ Andrews on the Blu-ray . just need to get a few more Silver-Lines . wonder if they do bulk buys?

 

[jase fox]

trevor79:Hi Jase

"Would plugging an amp straight into the wall socket make much difference do you know? Id try it myself but the cord wont reach to it!"

It really is down to the current draw. If the flow is a little restricted I find it shows in the speed of the transiant responses and openess of the music.
When using a block I always put the high current items at the top of the tree (1,2,3,4). If you have a seperate plug just for your Amp it could well be benificial, try it and see.

What is a no cost upgrade to do is sort out all the cables into neat runs which does reduce the interaction between them all.Thankyou for this info Trevor, im going to try it & see what result i get, i do like the idea of plugging my Amp directly into its own socket using the RA classic powercord, have you done this Trevor? Or havnt u a spare socket to use?

 

[Anonymous]

My pleasure Jase, personally I have gone way past that and have a low impedence 40A spur direct from a 20A circuit breaker in the 1st rail on the Consumer Unit.
The spur is totally isolated from interference from then on, and my Tacima is fitted to the wall and wired into a junction box under the floor.
I have two BT units and my 875 is plugged into the 500va along with the PS3/RDR970 in the other socket. I run my MA RSW12 sub off the other one. My TV is plugged directly into the Tacima. Use Classic Powerkords on everything. (although they have almost no effect as the Mains is so clean now going through the BT units)

My plugs are polished and hard wired, but the BT units have fuses and protection circuits inside them and all my equipment is internally fused.

All this enables the whole system to effortlessly draw as much current as it needs with no contamination upsetting the processing internal circuitry. Makes an astounding difference.

Even the picture and sound quality on recently produced programmes on SB TV is near to HD on most channels!

 

[rob_981]

I'm quite keen to get one of these cables too, but my Sony tv connection only has two pins (the two at the bottom of the connection - the one at the top isn't there). Can I still use this cable?

Also, my Onkyo 606 has a cable connected directly to the amp. Is that just down to where it was manufactured? Is it possible to change the cable?