Russ Andrews

Evolution-300 Powerkord Mains Cable

£440 RRP

Let's put things in perspective, shall we? For many music lovers who care about high-fidelity sound reproduction, the price of the Evolution-300 PowerKord might be the sort of money they would consider spending on a main ingredient within their system – an amplifier or pair of loudspeakers, for example. On the other hand, those who will stop at nothing to wring the last smidgen of sound quality from their system, regardless of cost, will think this is so cheap it's pretty much off their radar. After all, Russ Andrews can supply a SuperKord costing over five times its asking price!

Speaking objectively, the Evolution-300 is one up from the bottom of the company's PowerKord range. It sits above the Evolution-100, which is about a third cheaper, and below the Evolution-500 and EVOS-S PowerKords, which cost two to three times as much. So, when looked at in context, it's pretty keen value. In the Russ Andrews range there are numerous options to cater for all tastes and pockets. My review sample came equipped with a UK plug and standard W320e IEC connector.

UP CLOSE

The Evolution-300 features higher purity copper conductors than previous generation Powerkords, courtesy of wire specialists Kimber.

Sixteen individually insulated Kimber Kable conductors are used, twice as many as the Evolution-100 has, and these are woven together to reduce radio frequency interference, according to the company.

While previous PowerKords employed a more conventional earth-down-the-centre woven cable design, this uses what Russ Andrews calls "a low induced noise earth arrangement", whereby the earth is helically wound around the outside of the weave. This is housed in a special noise reduction sleeve, which, nevertheless, remains flexible despite the cable's girth.

My main reference system is reasonably well sorted in the power department in many respects, although it doesn't feature any power cables of this quality. I'm lucky enough to have a dedicated spur from the mains to feed it, and the wall sockets are switchless types. I also use the Chord Company's PowerARAY plug, which provides an escape route for unwanted HF noise. After that, things are less fancy. My distribution strip is a twenty year-old entry-level IsoTek block, and the power cords for my sources and amps are generic black kettle leads.

When upgrading power cables, Russ Andrews recommends starting with source components first, then the preamp and finally power amps, or an integrated amp, if that's what you run. While I concur with that order, I prefer to take things closer to the mains supply, with the Evolution-300 plugged into the wall socket, feeding the power strip.

When I replaced the IsoTek cable with the PowerKord, the first thing I noticed was the tight fit. While the standard cable slips out of the socket with the slightest tug, the PowerKord needs to be pushed firmly home, which is a good thing as this ensures a solid connection. Similarly, there's no sense of looseness when inserting the PowerKord's substantial plug into the wall socket.

THE LISTENING

In my system, the Evolution-300 Powerkord brings improvements in several subtle ways, which together add up to a far more immersive listening experience. In broad terms, the soundstage opens up as if there had been some almost imperceptible congestion beforehand. The result is a more expansive sound overall but with a better focus on the main elements of the recording. Centrally placed lead vocals become more solid, yet there's a sense of extra space and air surrounding them. The result is a more natural and organic sound.

For example, playing Simon and Garfunkel's America from the 1968 album Bookends illustrates this point – as Paul Simon's lead vocal, sometimes double-tracked, becomes bathed in extra reverb as it increases in volume. This is an effect that I had previously failed to notice. While this track has some classic late-sixties wide stereo placement of instruments, the PowerKord gives greater soundstage depth, making for a more three-dimensional image.

Whatever music you choose to play, this greater sense of space between the notes makes for a more realistic and involving listening experience. It highlights the 'inky black' background that is perceptible when the noise floor is lowered. It's as if you're getting more of the music with all its nuance and emotion. Indeed, Johnny Cash's powerful performance of Hurt sounds even rawer and more emotive here, and when I replay the track with the PowerKord removed from my set-up, the music seems somewhat flatter and less engaging.

THE VERDICT

There will always be sceptics, but those who listen for themselves should be able to hear a clear sonic improvement via Russ Andrews' Evolution-300 Powerkord. It's an impressive performer at the price and well worth auditioning if you have a mid-priced hi-fi system. There's a sixty-day money-back guarantee on this product, so the manufacturer is, in effect, putting its money where its mouth is. Try it for yourself and make up your own mind.

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