Posted by Tan
I was thinking about what I could do to improve my system further short of upgrading any of the main components and without a major financial outlay. My mind turned to cable. As I had been pretty happy with the cable combination I was using, from power cords to interconnects to speaker cables, I thought of one cable in my system that I had not done anything with, which was the umbilical cord that went between the 2-chassis Pass Labs XP20 preamp that connect the separate power supply to the main body.
I had been using the umbilical cord supplied by Pass Labs with the XP20, a DB-25 cable similar to the parallel cable used to connect to our computer to a printer before USB connection became ubiquitous. Just that Pass Labs' version looks chunkier, felt heavier and is of a better build quality than the printer type.
I googled to see whether there were any 'audiophile' DB-25 cables out there, the picking was indeed slim, I came up with just a couple, which was not surprising as the market for such cables must be very small.
I chose to go with Revelation Audio Labs from the US (http://www.revelationaudiolabs.com/cables-power/index.htm, they make power cords, interconnects and speaker cables in addition to a few types of umbilical cords used in various manufacturers' products) as their version looked particularly well made, but of course I was purchasing on faith and luck as I had no means of testing it beforehand, being thousands of miles away.
Purchases with Revelation Audio Labs can be made via their website or ebay, shipping is free worldwide. The standard 0.75m length for the DB-25 cable costs USD999 and add US189 for every additional 0.25m. I made my enquiries and duly placed my order. During the (anxious) 2-month wait for the cable to arrive, my queries on the ship out status was promptly replied by Revelation Audio Labs, and there was no hiccup in the final delivery.
Indeed, when I finally had the cable in hand, I was impressed with the build quality. The cable is made up of 2 separate cables intertwined into one. It has a wider girth than the Pass Labs' version. Revelation Audio Labs says that the analog power supply voltages is separated in a dedicated discreet conduit from the digital control signals within the cable. The connectors at both ends are mil. spec. Amphenol male-to-female DB-25 connectors and solid cast metal shielded shells.
The cable is somewhat stiff but as my preamp's 2 chassis are placed closed together I had no problem in connecting them.
I thought I had to let the cable run in for a while before I could discern any significant changes but I didn't really have to. After I swapped in the new cable and pressed play on my cdp, I could hear clear changes, nay, improvements in my system's performance immediately (Revelation Audio Labs says that they run-in their cables before shipping). These improvements were consistently heard over the next days and weeks.
The immediate sensation I had was that the noise floor was lowered. The vocal and musical instruments were now playing on a darker background, the body of each became a tad cleaner and clearer, but the air around each, and also of the recording venue, was not diminished. In fact the ambiance in the recordings was further enhanced and easier to discern. Additionally, the little edginess in the highs in some recordings that I thought was from the recordings themselves was either diminished or eradicated entirely, the highs became just that bit smoother and silkier.
With this, many low level details became more apparent, it was like turning the focus ring on a camera lens just so slightly to improve on an already good focus. What I thought was extraneous noise on some recordings before was actually little details captured, such as an unintentional touch of the finger on a string, or a soft smacking of the lips by the singer. Nuances and vocal inflections in the artists' performance were also better resolved, heightening my listening enjoyment.
One improvement area that I thought was worth the entire upgrade cost alone was the bass. Bass became more impactful and better controlled. Bass notes were also better defined. On plucked double bass for example, the body of each note was better delineated, and I could hear the start and decay of each note more clearly.
I am really impressed with the Revelation Audio Labs' DB-25 umbilical cord. It is a significant improvement relative to the outlay. If you have a Pass Labs preamp with external power supply, you owe it to yourself to try out this umbilical cord upgrade. This is a great product, highly recommended!
