Cable Asylum: Tel Wire cords in "high current" applications by LarBo

Hey Murali,

Like you I'm still in the relatively early stages of assessing the Tel Wire PCs. However, in contrast to your application on the CDP I'm using two Tel Wires to power my CTC BBQ amp (essentially a single chassis version of the Parsound JC-1 monoblock SS amps). I think this can be considered a "high current" spot.

I've tried a number of different cables on this amp - Elrod EPS-3S, the "old style" FIM silver and gold level PCs, TG Audio SLVR and a few others. Prior to the Tel Wires I'd always come back to the TG SLVRs in this spot - which makes sense as this was Bob Crump's amp and he clearly "voiced" it using the SLVR cables. Even the FIM gold cables - which are extremely large solid-core conductor cables intended for high current applications - were not as good as the TG SLVRs (though the FIM golds are excellent in other spots in the rig).

Well so far (after about 250 hours) the Tel Wire cords are doing VERY well on the BBQ, and are providing many of the improvements you noted when trying one on your CDP. More assured and extended bass response, improved dynamics, perhaps a slight increase in soundstage but certainly improved space between instruments within the soundstage (presumably a "quieter background" helps with this). I don't know how much of this is wire-related (apparently Chris at Tel Wire has sourced his wire from the same place TG gets theirs), design-related w.r.t. the wire configuration/braiding or due to the different connectors. I'm using Oyaide R-1 receptacles throughout, so this could well be due to a good synergy between the Oyaide P-004 on the Tel Wire and the R-1 outlet - and I actually think this may be a major influence in what I'm hearing though I haven't tried anything to prove it.

At any rate, my point here is that in this particular "high current" application the Tel Wire cords are the best I've personally tried. I'm convinced now that cable performance depends heavily on "synergy" with the associated gear it's used on so I'm not necessarily saying the Tel Wires will out-perform the Elrod, TG or FIM cords in all tests - just in my system in this spot they're doing very well, and better than these aforementioned cables.

I hope to put together a more full comment on the PCs once they've got A LOT of time on them (I think that's only fair). In my experience though there's not a major change in character once a cables got more than 250h of relatively high current time - some smoothing and refining but not major shifts.

FWIW, YMMV, I'm not a shill, etc etc

An expert is someone who knows no more than you but is from out of town.
-Mark Twain