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General HIFI => Cables => Topic started by: bhobba on October 06, 2017, 03:17:51 PM

Title: Comparison Of Yarbo And KLE 3 Power Cables
Post by: bhobba on October 06, 2017, 03:17:51 PM
Hi All
 
This is what me, Rawl99, and two others that were there (one a Hi Fi nut like me and Rawl - one just with an interest) heard when we compared the following two power cables:
https://kleinnovations.com/kle-innovations-klei-products/klei-ac-architecture/klei-gpower3-ac/
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/YARBO-Audiophile-GY-9000PW-Cable-Cord-Per-1M-Germany-Hi-End-/151290418439
 
The system was as follows:
1  Heavily upgraded Wadia Transport
2. Killer DAC - two were tried mine and Rawl's - Rawl's has had a few more tweaks done and was better - that so and so.
3.  Heavily upgraded cheap Chinese power amp.   Up there with the best I have heard eg the BHK, heavily upgraded Prima Luna Dialogue etc - not as resolving as those amps or with as much 'aliveness' but a really nice textured sound.
4.  RCA cables and Speaker cables also from Keith Eichmann - but I cant recall which ones they were, but knowing Rawl almost certainly some of his bettter ones.
5.  Fully specked ML5 Reference with Duelund VSF Copper for all capacators.
6.  Most stuff was on isolation springs to absorb vibrations.
 
The power cable was into the amp.   When I arrived, it had been playing for a little while but sounded pretty sweet - quite harmonically rich and textured.  Rawl calls it harmonic resolution - I call it what I said - rich and textured.  Think sterile and Hi Fi'sh - its the exact opposite.  Some like that sort of thing though - sorry for using the word sterile if you are in that camp - you would likely say uncolored - not that I thought the sound I heard was colored - but different things float different peoples boat and describe it in different ways.  This being the Killler DAC forum I am pretty sure what floats guys that post here boat - and it not 'sterile'  :P :P :P :P
 
We listened to a fair bit of different music including my reference - Dianna Krall - Case Of You.  Voices lovely and alive but not lacking in detail - beautiful engaging sound that seemed to get better as the system continued to warm up.  Rawl is biased of course but had recently been to the Munich show and thinks it was at least as good as any system he heard over there - but then again he is very very critical.   He is the type of guy that will tell the brutal truth - when listening to a million dollar system if it sounds like rubbbish to him he will say so.
 
OK time to try the Yarbo.  We put it in but then sojourned to Sizzlers for some dinner so it could settle.
 
When we returned for me:
1.  It was flat and dull.  Gone was the richness and texture.
2.  It had a sort of metallic sheen - that's the only way I can describe it
3.  Detail seems unaffected - the non Hi Fi person there plays the piano and said she thought the piano now sounded more lifelike.
 
We played through the same songs and for me it was all the same - maybe the best way to describe it is the Yarbo was Hi Fi'ish - the KLE more emotionally satisfying.
 
We then put the KLE back and gave it time to settle.  The same as before - but as the evening wore on things seemed to open up more.  It still had the same richness and texture but the detail came more apparent.   The piano person now thought it was sounding more like a real piano.
 
There is a big difference in the price of these cables.  Is it worth the difference?  I don't know - I would pay the price difference (the KLE now belongs to me - I bought it) but that's just me.  You must listen yourself to see if it does it for you.
 
Thanks
Bill
Edited just now by bhobba
Title: Re: Comparison Of Yarbo And KLE 3 Power Cables
Post by: stevenvalve on October 06, 2017, 08:44:17 PM
I had the top KLE  interconnects here, and they sounded very natural and organic, musical warm smooth very good indeed, my only complaint was they could be a little more transparent, but over all just great, but so was the price tag, but considering the stratospheric price tag some company's sell there interconnects for, quite reasonable.
Title: Re: Comparison Of Yarbo And KLE 3 Power Cables
Post by: onthebeach on October 07, 2017, 11:39:56 AM
Hey Bill nice review. I haven't tried KLs PCs yet but I'm keen to give them a go into my new Falls audio 807 amps. I'm using Yamamurra PCs for Wadia transport and Kdac and Falls audio PCs into amps. I've just got some more Yamamura PC courtesy of SG to make up a couple for the amps so will see how that goes.
I've got KL ICs and SCs via Rawl and they are very very nice indeed.