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REVIEW: VH Audio Flavors 1, 2, and 3 Cable

Model: Flavors 1, 2, and 3
Category: Cable
Suggested Retail Price: $129
Description: VH Audio Power
Manufacturer URL: VH Audio
Manufacturer URL: VH Audio

Review by LKDog (A) on May 22, 2003 at 21:41:09
IP Address: 12.217.76.106
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for the Flavors 1, 2, and 3


This is a review for the Flavor 2 Power cord for analog gear.

I am using this on my Musical Fidelity A300 integrated amp and it has replaced a Crump design DIY PC that I made about 6 months ago which was also a very nice cord and amazing value.

The VH Audio PC appearance is well described in other reviews and on the website so I will not belabor how it looks other than it is substantial, flexible, and well made. I purchased a premade model although it does not appear that it would be difficult to make one up from the parts available on the VH Audio website. The labor charges are very reasonable, however, and well worth it to me.

With the 60 day Money Back guarantee I figured I had nothing to lose. The cord shipped on a Thursday and I received on a Friday. I hooked it up on my lunch hour and turned on the tuner and went back to work. Later that night I gave it a listen knowing the recommended break in was 75-100 hours.

The first thing that struck me was a bigger soundstage-both wider and deeper. The other thing I noticed was a loose bass which was sort of expected as this had been the case with the Crump cords I had made before.
This tightened up quickly during break in.

I left it on all night and it has been burning in for about a week straight now on mostly low volume. Although I have not listened a lot at higher volumes, I think it is fairly well broke in.

The improvement in my system has been excellent with the following effects:

-More detail
-better separation and spacing of instruments, yet cohesive presentation
-smoother
-wider soundstage
-more depth
-louder at the same volume level than previously
-blacker background
-faster
-better balance across the sound spectrum

These changes were all noticeable above the previous power cord which had done its job very well. Taken together it was a significant change for the better.

An interesting thing to note is that the previous week I had borrowed a different IC to use from my source (Pioneer Elite DVD/CD Player) just for fun.
The borrowed IC was a Straight Wire Crescendo which temporarily replaced my DH Labs BL-1 Series II IC's. The Straight Wires are 700$ a pair.
The Straight Wires were a nice improvement over the DH Labs, as one would expect. Great resolution.

I returned the Straight Wires to my friend a few days before the VH Audio PC arrived.

The improvement in the overall sound from the VH Audio Flavor 2 Power cord
was more significant in my system than from the Straight Wires. This is meant as no disrespect to the Straight Wires which I liked a lot, it is just that the VH Audio PC made a very large improvement. It has been suggested that the MF A300 integrated amp needs a very good and heavier gauge aftermarket power cord to reach its potential so that may be one of the reasons I have had such a good result with this power cord. The previous 14ga Crump cord, although good, was maybe not as well suited to the demands of the MF A300.

That is how I will end this review. This is an excellent product and well worth the money. It allows the MF A300 to do its thing very well.

I am now ordering the Flavor 3 for my source and hope that it also is an enhancement to my system.


Product Weakness: Really nothing. Great value. Great service.
Product Strengths: Allows the equipment to function at its potential which results in many nice improvements in sound


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: MF A300
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): none
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Pioneer Elite DV C36
Speakers: ACI Sapphire 25th Anniversary Edtions/ACI Titan subwoofer
Cables/Interconnects: Dh Labs t14 Speaker wire/Dh Labs BL-1 Series II IC's/DH Labs subwoofer cables/Crump power cord on source/VH Audio Power cord #2 now on amp
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Funk, fusion, blues,jazz
Room Size (LxWxH): 25 x 15 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: big sofa
Time Period/Length of Audition: one week
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: VH Audio Flavors 1, 2, and 3 Cable - LKDog 21:41:09 05/22/03 (2)


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