Issotec mains cable review

Borrowed on of these at £75 from a local dealer on the weekend to use with my transport.

Switching between a very cheapo mains lead and this there was virtually no difference, if there was any it may have been in my head. I'd say that if I'm not certain about a difference then it's not worth the money....

so it went back.

Still waiting to be convinced about mains cables!!!

Tim

 

tim,
how long did / can you borrow it for? swapping about like that gives you an idea of big differences that are immediately obvious. however if at all possible i'd run the new cable for a few days listening and then a few days before giving it back swap back to what you have. that way i find you get a better idea of what is going on overall.
cheers


julian

 

It was a cable that was already run in. Demoed extensively over 2 days...

 

Funnily enough I did this sometime last year. Had the same experience, not a jot of difference. Had the Premium (I think) on CDP and Elite on the amp.

I demoed for a week, and swapped back at the end of it. Didn't notice an 'up' at the beginning or a 'down' at the end.

The Isotek cleanline, on the other hand, is a worthwhile piece of kit.

 

tim,
it's not a matter of burning in (or maybe it is in the psycological sense). it's more about getting used to the change and then switching back to the old way of doing things and seeing if the difference is worth the cost of the item.
cheers


julian

 

I made some mains cables using the cable shown below.
There certainly was an improvement with the amp. But none with any of the sources.


Description: Cable, mains, flexible, 3 core, double screened, PVC sheath, grey, 20A
Technical Specification:-
Construction, CSA 2×2·5 mm2 (10/.25) plus 1×4·0 mm2 (56/0·30)
Overall dia. 12·2 mm
Current rating 20 Amp max
RS Stock No. 379-671
Manufacturer RAYDEX Part No. RD8507

 

I recently tried an Eichmann Express AC power cable with their power board and it seemed to work a treat in comparison to my Audusa Eupens.

Initial impressions were of a more focused sound, with better imaging and staging. There were no major changes in balance, but gone was the sibilance. Bass notes seemed a bit rounder with better textures, but not necessarily anymore extended or deeper. Biggest improvement was in timing and dynamics.

It could be a combination of cable change as well as the fact that i'm now using a power board with no filters, suppressors, etc.