Another Dagogoan's take on corruption of power! Norm Luttbeg rids himself of corrupted power via the Synergistic Research Tesla PowerCell & Active Power Cords

For audiophiles, line power conditioners probably date to the Tice Power Block and the later, Titan companion unit in the middle 1980s. Before that time, I had already tried a friend’s military surplus, very large and heavy isolation transformer that hummed so much that I had to try all manner of materials to make it practical for use in my listening room. I gave up as its benefits were unworthy of its liabilities. Since that time, I once counted more than forty devices that I have tried to condition my electrical service. Among them, in addition to two Tice Power Blocks and Titans were a Square D and other isolation transformers, LineRovers that used an unrecalled method, a home made in a plain wooden box conditioner by Len Hupp, the editor of Audio Horizons, several PS Audio power regeneration units, several different models from Sound Application, a Walker Velocitor, an Equi=Tech QR-5, I believe, a Reimyo ALS-777, a complete Isoclean system, including PT3030G isolation transformers and the 80A filter box, an Acoustic Revive RTP-6 outlet box, and many more. Many of these still enjoy favor with audiophiles, but I have been less than thrilled by most of these units.

Once, to get to the bottom of the question of which was best, I bought four AC conditioners and had a private shoot-out. What a disaster! I found some components sounded better on one conditioner and others on another. Some characteristic of each conditioner appealed to me. Furthermore, out of curiosity I tried feeding one conditioner from another. This mattered also. Ultimately, I sold all of them. My bottom line on most is that after getting accustomed to a conditioner, I merely removed them from my system. In most cases, I did not put it back.

Once, when my system was on, lightening struck a water heater a mere six feet away from my system, which was on at the time, including the amplifiers. The lightening burned out the garage door opener, the answering machine, the intercom system, and tripped two ground faults in my house. The Sound Application Reference and my system, however, were unaffected. There are some non-audio benefits for conditioners. I now routinely pull the plug on my system when weather threatens or when I am out-of-town.

This is a review of an entirely new idea in line conditioning, the Synergistic Research PowerCell 10 SE. This is the top-of-the-line unit. Other PowerCells are the PowerCells 6 and 10. Synergistic Research has been in business for twenty years, so they are doing something right. Ted Denney says the PowerCell concept came to him when he was despairing about power conditioners. It is apparently unique–not an isolation transformer, a regenerator, a series of notch filters, or a quantum module. He told me it was his greatest achievement, while I commented that  his Acoustic ARTs were pretty impressive. Having now experienced the PowerCell, I would have to agree with him.

So what do we know about how it works? Their webpage says, “The PowerCell 10 SE (Special Edition) sets itself apart from the PowerCell 6 and 10 via a higher performance Active EM filter and an additional Quantum Tunneling process. While the PowerCell 6 and 10 have a 20 amp IEC for AC connectivity, the PowerCell 10 SE has a 32 amp Powercon connector and comes standard with our highest performance power cord for line conditioners- the Tesla Precision AC. With 5 isolated circuits you enjoy the same benefits as the standard PowerCell 10 with total isolation for up to 5 active components or enough connectivity for an entire Home Theater.”

So each outlet is isolated, all PowerCells have Quantum Tunneling.

“Quantum Tunneling is a process that changes the way a cable conducts signal at the sub atomic level affecting the entire cable assembly–connectors, solder joints, dielectric and signal and ground conductors are all transformed and integrated as a single unit. By applying a two million volt signal to a cable at a specific pulse modulation and ultra high frequency for an exact duration of time, we transform the entire cable at a molecular level through a phenomenon called Quantum Tunneling,” and, I have learned, shielding works both on the noise coming from the outside world as well as that seeking to feed back on other equipment through the electrical lines. One should really watch their demonstration of doing the quantum tunneling. Quantum Tunneling is done on all Synergistic components. All that I can say is that the amperage has to be quite low, and it seems to work.

Before I introduced the Synergistic Research PowerCell 10 SE, all of my equipment was plugged into an Acoustic Revive RTP-6 Ultimate with Stealth Dream power cords to the wall as well as to the components. All of this had been stable for over a year. The wall outlet was an Isoclean ICP-003G wall socket.

As the PowerCell is a good deal bigger than the Acoustic Revive RTP-6 and because I was ultimately going to add the Synergistic Research Tesla wall outlet, I placed the PowerCell on the other side of my system to draw from a second dedicated receptacle. This meant, of course, that I could not merely unplug the Acoustic Revive and substitute the Synergistic Research. The Stealth Dreams had to be twisted into new positions, meaning that they would take some time to recover. 

The Rest is History 

Almost immediately I heard the PowerCell to be more dynamic, louder, to have more profound and well-defined bass, a sparkling top-end, and a wide open sound stage. Again, all that had been changed was substituting the Synergistic Research PowerCell and its 32-amp Powercon connector power cord.

For some time I have been using the FIM K2 sampler disc, This Is K2 HD Sound! in evaluating systems, including at CES, THE Show, and the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. I used it here also. The first cut, “Symphonic Dances” from Reference Records, has the orchestra vividly placed in a panorama before you and has several stupendous crescendos. With no increase in the volume setting on the linestage, these crescendos were thunderous, enough to get a comment from my wife downstairs and frankly to express wonder that I heard no protests from my speakers. Also individual instruments within the orchestra were now quite evident, even when I turned the volume down.

The second cut, “Zapateado”, is a flamenco performance that I have known to sound quite different from one system to another. Some make it sound like he is dancing on a hollow, poorly constructed floor, some that the mike stand is picking up vibrations from the floor, and some that he is a very heavy man. The PowerCell reveals that none of these are accurate to the recording. Furthermore, at various times the dancer moves around the floor in a circle. Now, you can count how many times he does this, and whether he does so counter clockwise or clockwise. (Calling all Dagogoans: check your system! –Ed.) The realism is outstanding although I would not want to listen to such music for long.

Cut five, “Touch”, has lightly struck bells that shimmer and gongs with nice decay as well as an enormous drum that just explodes on you, especially with the PowerCell. Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” done by the All Star Percussion Ensemble, cut sixteen, provides an excellent test of ambience, accuracy of wood and bell timbre, and dynamics. There are substantial non-musical details in this recording, such as a thunderstorm early on, people moving around as the performance continues, and traffic noise outside. Overall, the PowerCell provides a dramatic opening of the sound stages to the listener.

▲Synergistic Research Tesla Hologram A

At this point, I had a substantial gain in just about everything plugged into the Synergistic Research PowerCell. My next step was to install the Tesla Plex Quantum Tunneled Duplex Receptacle. It replaced a simple Eagle outlet. With nothing else changed, I was unprepared for the improvement in the sound. Dynamics greatly improved, as did every attribute I had heard with the PowerCell, all from the mere substitution of a $95 Quantum Tunnel-treated ordinary looking hospital grade AC outlet. There is no better demonstration of the benefits of this Tesla inspired treatment.

Next came the Synergistic Research power cords. There are six different power cords- Tesla T1, T2, and T3, the Precision AC, and the Hologram A and Hologram D. All of these power cords are in the new Tesla series using, “three revolutionary technologies based on the work of Nikola Tesla - the Tesla Tricon cable geometry, Zero Capacitance Active Shielding, and a proprietary Patent Pending conditioning process in a new line of cables that are smaller and more flexible than (their) previous models with significantly higher performance and value.” The Tricon cable geometry apparently lends the envelopment of the sound around you. Zero Capacitance Active Shielding “…significantly improves cable bandwidth especially in the areas of low frequency extension and control, and high frequency air and transparency with improvements in sound stage depth and width.” Finally, the “quantum tunneling” treatment is done on all cables. Fear that all of this would be taken as mere marketing hyperbole resulted in “Tesla Challenge” in which you can audition cables in you home at no risk.

▲Synergistic Research Tesla Hologram D

I relied on Ted Demmey’s advice concerning what to try and where. In most cases, the comparison was between the Stealth Dream power cords and the various Synergistic Research power cords. All cables were plugged into the PowerCell. At Ted Demmey’s strong recommendation, the first power cord I tried was the Hologram D, for digital, power cord. It was used initially on my Exemplar/Xindak DAC 5 and later on the Lindemann 820S SACD player.

On the FIM K2 Sampler, the orchestra on cut one occupied the entire front end of my listening room, with the speakers’ whereabouts now lost. The noise level had greatly diminished, giving many clues as to what was going on in the orchestra, and yes, some minor mistakes in the performance. All the dynamics and extension in the treble and bass were still there, even much improved. I certainly have not heard all power cords designed for use on digital gear, but this, in my opinion, is a must for digital.

With the Lindemann 820 S, two power cords are needed, unless you are also using their preamp, which I was not. One power cord goes to the digital side and one to the analog side. Having only one Hologram D, I used it on the digital side, which at the time I thought meant only the transport. I continued to use the Stealth Dream Digital power cord on the Analog side. Note that the Lindemann had just arrived and had not been used presumably for days. Whether it was because of the Lindemann needing time or not, I was not impressed. Out of curiosity, I reversed the power cords, using the Hologram D into the analog power supply and the Stealth into the digital side. This was much better, and two days later gave what was to me the best digital sound I had heard up to that point.

Several weeks later I got a Precision AC and a Hologram A to compare on my amplifier. I will discuss that comparison momentarily. I ended up substituting the Precision AC power cord for the Stealth Dream on the analog power supply of the Lindemann and put the Hologram D back on the digital side. This was quite good and has made me wonder what a Hologram A might add to the digital portion of my front-end. I had one, but frankly, would not take it off my amp to try. Maybe at some future time I will add a second Hologram A, or maybe another Hologram D. I have since learned that the analog side is just the amplification after the DAC, so it truly is analog.

▼Synergistic Research Tesla T3

At this point I put a Tesla T2 power cord on my H-Cat P-12R X8 line stage, again replacing a Stealth Dream Preamp power cord. I heard some improvement, certainly worthy of an exchange, as the Synergistic Research T2 is far cheaper. I now suspect that a Hologram A would be outstanding in this application but have not tried one there.

My final experiment with Synergistic Research power cords was comparing the Precision AC and the Hologram A on my H-Cat PA 100.2 amp. The first step was comparing the Precision with the Stealth Dream Power I had been using. I was not initially impressed, but after an overnight break-in, I would give a slight nod to the Precision AC as having somewhat better bass and being quieter.

I then put the Hologram A power cord on the amplifier. After several notes, I knew it was clearly superior, at least on this amp and in my system. Ted Demmey warned me about this in our conversations saying that many prefer the Precision AC. To my ears, with the Hologram A, the bass was thunderous, well controlled and quite directional.

Up to this point, I had not listened to vinyl, although I had put a Synergistic Research Tesla T 2 on the H-Cat phono stage at the same time I put one on the H-Cat line stage. Again, on Ted Demmey’s recommendation, I tried plugging the Shindo Labs turntable fixed power cord into the QLS-6 (Quantum Line Strip) and tested which way it needed to be inserted for best sound.

Again, I was taken aback by the sound. The sound stage broadened and became quite deep on some recordings. The bass, when called on, shook the floor and my listening chair. And the treble was sparkling and shimmered on bells and symbols. My favorite test recording of a live recording, Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall, became so real with such definition that you could hear the individual singers and note their placement. Even when Belafonte turned somewhat while singing, you could vividly hear that. The approach of the subway cars was now evident even when pretty loud singing was taking place. Every record I put on was a new experience, and on putting on some that I had yet to clean, it came through as exactly what  needed to be done.

Needless to say, the Synergistic Research PowerCell, the Tesla Plex, at least one Hologram A and one Hologram D, and probably two Tesla T 2s are staying as part of my reference system. There is no question that my Shindo Labs and H-Cat equipment is greatly contributing to the qualities that I heard, but the Synergistic Research PowerCell and power cords greatly enhance their performance.

Addendum
 

About one month has passed since I wrote this review. As positive as I continue to be on the Synergistic Research Tesla power cords and the Synergistic Research PowerCell, several recent changes in my system resulted in a massive improvement in my sound, due in part to the addition of a Synergistic Research Hologram D and a second Hologram A  power cables.

I received two packages that led to those changes. One contained a Hologram D power cord, which is recommended for digital gear, and a Hologram A power cord, which is for analog gear. I had been using the Tesla T2 power cord on my H-Cat P-12R X8 line stage and wanted to try the Hologram A in its place. The Hologram D was for my second digital source, the Exemplar Music Server used with the Exemplar/Xindak DAC-5 DAC.

The second package was the Exemplar/Xindak DAC to use with that server.

After listening to the system with the Tesla T2 still on the linestage, I installed the Hologram A and turned everything back on. As expected in early listening, it did not much impress me, but by late that evening, I thought the more expensive Hologram A ($2600) outperformed the Tesla T2 ($650). The next day, however, I was dissatisfied with the ill-defined bass of the Hologram A and reinstalled the T2. I thought it was a better fit for the line stage. There was more detail, a more precise sound stage, and a less thick bass.

When I then installed the newly updated Exemplar/Xindak DAC-5 and connected it to my Exemplar Music Server, I used a well broken-in SR Hologram D; I continued to use an old Bogdan Red power cord on the Music Server. After about four hours, I listened to Best Audiophile Voices , Premium Records, cut five, “When I Dream” by Carol Kidd. The sound stage was vivid and wide. I played disc after disc – jazz, classical, and popular. Late that afternoon, I wondered what would happen were I to use my other Hologram D on the Music Server.

I put it in and got the Music Server back up and sat down to relisten to much of what I had just heard. I had not thought that a power cord on the Music Server would have much effect since it’s merely a computer chip, hard drive, and digital output board and does not have a switching power supply. I was quite wrong! The authority of the bass improved dramatically and the resolution of everything jumped. The H-Cat has an outstanding holographic image, but this was even further improved. Until one o’clock in the morning, I listened to digital, and I had to get up at 5:30 to go on a trip. Regretfully, it will be three more days until I can get back to listen more. When I did get back, I thought to put a SR treated cheater on the Hologram D to the Music Server as it was really necessary with the H-Cat line stage.

The sound stage gained realism, vividness, and effortlessness. Several selections proved examples of this. Frank Sinatra’s final cut, “One for my Baby”, on Only the Lonely, MF/Capitol had a very intimate and full of pathos feeling with all of these improvements while it sounded forced without them. Carol Kidd’s “When I Dream” gave a big sound stage with a great sense of being at the recording venue.  Finally, the All Star Percussion Ensemble’s Pachelbel’s Canon in D, on The K2 Sampler, FIM, has much background information and fast percussion making it sound quite real, including the thunderstorm at the beginning. There was a definite synergism between my electronics and the Synergistic Research power equipment. I expect this will extend to other electronics.

I have listened to many digital sources in my room, in others’ rooms, at CES, THE Show, and at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Never have I heard anything approaching what I was hearing. It was the ultimate realization of PCM.

Certainly the Exemplar/Xindak DAC, Exemplar Music Server, H-Cat P-12R X8 line stage and amp all contributed to my experience, but it was the two Synergistic Research Hologram Ds on the DAC and server that put it over the top. Truly outstanding!