Going to dip my toes in the Power Cord abyss

I have been told to go Cullen or Shunyata by many guys with big rigs. The Shunyata is out of my range, but these are right in there and probably just as good.

This really is one deep Abyss :)
 
Brian,

Very cool. I hope you like your Cullen power cable as much as I like mine.:thumbsup: Looking forward to your impressions.

Cheers,

Scott
 
USPS tracking numbers generate when the shipping info is done on their site. It has nothing to do with the item going anywhere, unfortunately. Marrs Communications suffered from this, put the shipping info into the USPS and create a label and then get around to shipping whenever the hell they feel like it. This is NOT the way to run a business in today's Instant Gratification times that many real companies are trying to compete in by having more warehouses around the country for shorter shipping times.

I have shipped items, Priority, and the first scan doesn't happen until it gets to Phila from the burbs and that is sometimes 30 hours after it is picked up and 12 hours before it is delivered. Goes from no info on the package to the item delivered. Don't recall if it was slow getting the info into the computer or slow getting it to Phila. Whatever the tracking always eventually showed but at times not until it was already delivered, unwrapped, installed and burned in.

Sort of rude of the Maze organization to act like that but they probably have had dealings with some folks that didn't go well and they have decided to avoid dealing with anyone that asks too many questions. There are plenty of other vendors, real vendors making things for people to buy because they want to sell that will be happy to supply you with a cable.
 
So here is how to do business.

After dealing with Maze and him just cancelling my order, I emailed Patrick Cullen. We went back and forth 12 emails, and yes I asked questions. I placed my order before noon. Patrick emailed back to say he would build it that day and ship it Friday and I would see it Monday or Tuesday. On Saturday, he emailed to tell me the cable did ship on Friday but he had to go out of town and was unable to update the tracking, but again I would see it Monday or Tuesday. The package was at my door by 3pm yesterday, Monday. I emailed him just to say the package arrived and he responded shortly and for the 3rd time, thanked me for my business. That is the way it is done and Maze should take some lessons.

On another forum it was suggested that I was too much trouble for a customer ordering less than a $100 cable. So that suggests that if I placed a $1000 order I may have been treated differently? If that is the case, again bad for business because I will have negative comments about bad business practices anytime anyone asks about Maze Audio, and as per his last email to me, he doesn't care.

Now on to the Good Stuff!

I purchased a 4' of the Gold Series. Nice plugs and very flexible for a 10g cable. Since it has been suggested and decided to put the best cable wherever you touch the outlet, the Cullen went on the APC unit. That allowed me to free up one of the PS Audio AC3 cables which then went on my Pre Amp. That freed up a Pangea AC14 that then went on the OPPO. I warmed up the system for an hour and then played several discs. First impressions, and unsure if it is just the Cullen or the combo of that and the AC3 going onto the pre, but it appears to be smoother with a bit more control. The music seems to flow even more fluidly than before and more so oozes out of the speakers instead of struggling or being forced out. (Anyone who has heard the 600 watt Mc Monos driving the big B&Ws at Magnolia should understand what I mean.)

I really wish now that I had just started out ordering from Patrick Cullen and now plan to slowly purchase more and use the existing Pangea and PS Audio cables in other systems when I do.

I highly recommend the Cullen Cables for eliminating noise and interference and having nice, tight fitting plugs. :thumbsup:
 
Cool about the Cullen power cable! :thumbsup:
On another forum it was suggested that I was too much trouble for a customer ordering less than a $100 cable. So that suggests that if I placed a $1000 order I may have been treated differently? If that is the case, again bad for business because I will have negative comments about bad business practices anytime anyone asks about Maze Audio, and as per his last email to me, he doesn't care.
It never mattered if an order was $5 or $500. When I was in sales, everyone got the same customer service and respect no matter how large or small the order was. There was always the possibility that today's $5 could lead to that $500 order in the future. I freely admit we did have PITA customers, largely the time wasters who would take up a good chunk of your time only to purchase something small and still complain about the price. But still...respect, at least while they had set foot in front of our parts counter or were on the other end of a phone call! (We weren't too kind when we finally got rid of 'em, but that was for our ears only. ;) )
 
Cool about the Cullen power cable! :thumbsup:

It never mattered if an order was $5 or $500. When I was in sales, everyone got the same customer service and respect no matter how large or small the order was. There was always the possibility that today's $5 could lead to that $500 order in the future. I freely admit we did have PITA customers, largely the time wasters who would take up a good chunk of your time only to purchase something small and still complain about the price. But still...respect, at least while they had set foot in front of our parts counter or were on the other end of a phone call! (We weren't too kind when we finally got rid of 'em, but that was for our ears only. ;) )


I do Customer Support for a global company and all my customers are the top Big Pharma companies. I know all about PIA customers and I have to deal with them on a daily basis.

What ever happened to "The Customer is Always Right" even when they may not be. It is called Respect and Appreciation to have customers.

I still have no clue how asking if I got a good tracking number even equates to a Demanding Customer. I didn't demand anything, but only asked a simple question without attitude. I guess my $69 and positive reviews and recommendations just were not worth answering a simple question.

He did me a big favor because the Cullen Cables are worth every penny.
 
Just an FYI per my local UPS store owner. UPS doesn’t update their shipping records until 6-7 pm every evening. When you see messages such as “a label has been created” etc. you need to be patient. The person you bought it from can tell you nothing more than UPS at that moment.
 
Brian,

I'm glad to see you received your power cable and are enjoying it. From my experience with Cullen cables I find them to be neutral and balanced. They are also extremely good at lowering the noise floor of my system. You'll enjoy them more and more as the settle-in over the next few weeks.

Patrick is a pleasure to deal with. I'll be adding another Cullen power cable and speaker cables to my system which will then have all Cullen Cables in it. I'm really looking forward to it.

Cheers,

Scott
 
Hey, Hyfi and Wildcat,

Any more thoughts on your new power ccables now that they have had a couple more weeks of break-in?

Cheers,

Scott
 
Hi Scott. My thoughts right now are that it sounds like I have a completely different system running. I am having a blast digging deep into my collection and havings so many disks sound like I never heard them before.

Oddly, the loss of volume I thought I experienced in the beginning seems to have returned but I can still crank it louder without fatigue or the wife yelling because it just sounds so good.

I have also had a chance to watch several movies with the robust APC cord on my Integra 30,3 and a Pangea AC14SE on the OPPO. The sound quality has improved and I am not struggling as much to find a mode where I can hear the dialog better.

I have also been on a mission to tidy up all my cabling which is difficult when your rack holds 3 different systems as well as a TV, VCR, and Digital Converter box. One thing I seemed to have resolved was a very odd crackling static noise I was getting thru my speakers on and off. I ruled out tubes, I ruled out the speakers and amp but it was still driving me nuts. Then along with swapping PCs and making sure all ICs crossed PCs at 90 degrees, I also repositioned the Power Supply for my VAC pre which is a 20lb box on the floor behind the rack. It so happened that I am using TrendNet thru the wall networking boxes and had 2 ethernet cables going to Integra and OPPO that were draped over the PS and the umbilicle power cable from PS to Pre. It seems to turn out that the random chatter that goes on with networked items was leaking into my stereo somehow. With the cable tidying, that seems to now be eliminated.

I now wish I bought more Cullen cables and not the Pangea and PS Audio cables, but overall I am very happy with the money I spent for the upgrade in SQ I got.
 
@Samac Mine are all good so far. I noticed less difference due to the power conditioner already being in there cleaning things up, than if I were using a simple power strip. But the hospital grade wall outlet really clamps down on that power cord nicely now and things seem to be a bit more solid. I will say that everything sounds clean, tight and focused now. I still haven't had time to deal with the power cord going to the power amp (I have to modify the chassis to install an IEC socket), but am keeping my eyes open for another bargain on an AC-5. No complaints though--the PS Audio cables are coexisting nicely.

I'm going to be ditching the switching mode power supply for the phono stage shortly, replacing it with a regulated linear power supply. For long-range planning, I'm trying to wrap my head around how I am going to power two tube monoblock amps--I likely will be moving the amps between the speakers if I do that. And if they are like my current amp, both of those would need to be modded to install an IEC socket. (I have a Premier 11 currently, but my goal is a pair of Premier 12s, once I get other upgrades out of the way, or I find a killer deal I can't pass up.)
 
That's great, Brian. I'm very glad the power cables are working so well for you, especially the Cullen. I'm always a little hesitant to recommend something because it can be so system dependent.

Like you I have been paying more attention to cable management and that in itself makes a very worthwhile improvement.

I should have a pair of Cullen speaker cables and another power cable sometime next week. I also had Patrick put a new C7 power inlet on my streamer. He sent pics of his work and he did a beautiful job. I can't remember but have you installed new outlets? I didn't go nuts with one but I did install a cryo'd hubbel. Insane grip and nice improvement.

Cheers,

Scott
 
That's great, Wildcat. Yes, better outlets do make a fine improvement and it's great not having power cables sag when plugged into them.

Man, Premier 11s, that's sweet. I can't imagine how good the Premier 12s would be as well. CJ makes some outstanding gear. You have a well thought out upgrade path.

Cheers,

Scott
 
Man, Premier 11s, that's sweet. I can't imagine how good the Premier 12s would be as well. CJ makes some outstanding gear. You have a well thought out upgrade path.
I've always wanted tubes, and had an incredible bargain on a PV14L a few years ago. Then I came across this Premier 11 last spring due to someone selling it to cover medical bills. I really could use more power, which is why I still want to find a pair of Premier 12s. C-J can bridge a Premier 11 to a monoblock but it is not an ideal setup that way. I had also looked at a Premier 140, and that is still a remote possibility, but the Premier 11/12/8 series is supposedly one of the last "classic" C-J designs. (The Premier 8s are nice at 275 watts each but jeez...there are eight power tubes per side. That's ~$800 in power tubes alone when it's time to retube, and they are a utility company's dream. ;) )
 
I'm not too keen on shipping this beast--I would have to order a proper carton from C-J to play it safe, and I would worry about it making it through UPS in one piece. I can do it myself (I have a very small metal cutting wheel which would handle it)....it's just trying to find the time to do it.

One thing I am also looking into is upgrading it from an 11 to an 11A. The modification was only in the biasing LED driver circuit--the original is said to have a little bit of noise to it.

C-J wants about $1500 to go through it and put all new CJD Teflon caps in it. They also want $350-ish (plus parts) to install an IEC socket. Plus, they say they cannot perform the upgrade from 11 to 11A (we're trying to find out why on the CJ Owners Forum--I'm going to see if C-J can get me a schematic for the original 11 so I can compare it to the 11A and the 12 which use the same driver circuit).
 
Hyfi, Wildcat,

New cables settling in.
DSC04926.jpg

New speaker cable and coax as well. All is sounding good but there are many hours of break-in ahead.

Cheers

Scott
 
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@Samac Looking good there! :thumbsup: My next step is making my own interconnects, once I get past tax season. I'm going all out this time--Techflex sleeving and heat shrink tubing included. I may even see if I can get a supplier to custom print some heat shrink tubing with arrows on it, as I prepare them with floating shields.
 
Hey, Wildcat, thanks. I wish I had the talent to make my own cables. My C7 cable, like my others, is made by Cullen. I look forward to seeing your cables and reading your impressions of them.

I'm three days in with the new cables and I'm very pleased. I'll post more thoughts on them in a couple more days.

Cheers,

Scott
 
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