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Jeff Wheaton
The modern cables utilize different geometries of wire, updated modern materials, wire configuration, size of conductors, the dielectric of the conductor, resonant frequency of the cable, termination technique, and more. These factors affect the finished product and sonic potential. Some of the audio industry power cords are designed from a blank paper with the wire optimized for where it will be used in a system and designed for the peaks of power flowing through it. The IEC housing, AC plug, and more are designed and fabricated with careful attention to the details. I have great respect for the companies that design products from the ground up and that utilize what they decide is the best sonically with their listening tests. Despite the innovative technology, the ultimate question is if the power cord being evaluated can help take a system to the next level of performance.
This will be a review of the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables and Crimson MKII Source Power Cables which are designed to take a system to the next level. In addition to being cables designed from the ground up by Clarus Engineers. I was very excited to get started.
The Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables and Crimson MKII Source Power Cables performed exceptionally well during the review process. They have sound construction, solid IEC plugs, and solid male AC outlet plugs with a durable finish. They were attractive as well. I can heartily recommend these as additions to the list of high-current and source power cables to evaluate for those wanting to add a new power cord to their audio system. The sonic improvements I experienced met and exceeded my expectations.
Clarus Audio Crimson MKII High Current and Crimson MKII Source Power Cables Highlights
- Low electrical resistance.
- Pure Continuous Cast Copper.
- Flexible for the diameter of the cable.
- Multi-Gauge design.
- Three layers of shielding.
- Unique Conductor Geometry.
- High-Quality Conductor gold finish.
- Non-current-limiting.
The Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables and Crimson MKII Source Power Cables utilize Type B and IEC C15 connectors. According to Clarus, no other audiophile-grade cables feature the innovative engineering breakthroughs and enhanced high-end performance of Clarus MKII Power Cables.
It requires a high degree of product confidence for a company to design and manufacture its own power cables and create tooling to make just the connectors.
The connectors are very attractive, solid, and easy to grasp, and the cable makes a tight connection when placed in the AC outlet. The cables are a bit tough to twist while adjusting to fit in the outlet, but no cable of this size is easy to manipulate while making tight turns.
I truly wish a flimsy, thin power cord sounded the same as a quality power cord, but that is unfortunately not the reality. I have tried many power cables and, unfortunately, they do sound different. Power cables can be terrible in one system and magical in another. So, auditioning is imperative.
Unfortunately, there is no perfect cable for every system and price does not dictate which is the best product for an amplifier or conditioner.
Clarus has been making audio products since 2013, inspired by the creative mind of Jay Victor as Chief Engineer. Much of his work with Clarus is patented or patent pending which speaks to the diverse, creative ideas throughout the Clarus product line.
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I must first state that the surface of the positive, neutral, and ground pins of the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables and Crimson MKII Source Power Cables were very durable, and did not scratch after plugging into the wall, power strips, or AC conditioner. They were removed more than once for comparisons. The finish of the gold pins was quite impressive for their durability. The gold finish was highly polished to a mirror-like finish with no sign of flaking. I have used many Rhodium plugs and they have scratched after 2-3 uses with some brands. This is disappointing. I like the two contact surfaces to be mirror surfaces in contact with no air gaps for micro arcs to occur.
The Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cable is designed to be used with power amps, subwoofers, powered speakers, power conditioners, and other components.
A dealer whom I trust told me the most important cables are the two going into the AC conditioner and to your amplifier. They were the two cords that could be a significant bottleneck if not matched properly. At first, I thought he had added a few too many edibles to his salad, but his advice has proven me wrong on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, there is no perfect cord for every system and price does not dictate the better or worse product every time.
Both the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cable and the Clarus Crimson MKII Source Power Cord are rated for 15A. The cables need at least 6 inches of space near a wall for a gentle curve to components above or below. A tighter curve can occur, but there is more twist needed to make the turn. I never felt the cable would pull out of the connector if a tight turn was utilized. The connector housing is machined out of polymethylene (POM) and covered with a multi-layer of brass and carbon fiber. POM boasts excellent mechanical strength and vibration-damping properties for noise reduction, while the multi-layer shielding keeps noise from entering the AC signal. A heavy-duty strain relief design provides the final level of protection that guarantees safe, long-term reliability.
The connectors are very attractive, solid, and easy to grasp. The cable makes a tight connection when placed in the AC outlet. The cables are a bit tough to twist while adjusting them to fit in the outlet, but no cables of this size are easy to manipulate while making tight turns.
The Clarus Crimson MKII AC Power Cables, whether in High Current form or Source form, are large in diameter but very flexible for their size, unlike many on the market. There is also special attention paid to the diameter of the conductors and isolation from adjacent conductors to minimize interaction. There are enough unique attributes to their cables that patents were issued for several features of their designs. Each cable has a unique geometry, gauge, and material selection. Gold-plated copper is used in the AC plug and the IEC connectors. The signal contacts are made with high-purity and high-conductivity tellurium (TE) copper providing low resistance, superior sound quality, and long-term reliability. The sound reflects these details in construction.
This may not be the review for you if you believe all power cords sound the same, AC power conditioning is unnecessary and a waste of money, or this is all voodoo. However, I have had too much experience with power cords and numerous AC filtering devices to know that the improvements can be real. In addition, I know of recording studios, who shall go nameless, who have invested heavily in AC conditioning, wiring, and much more to fanatical levels and I will leave it at that.
Power amps tend to draw current in pulses and excess resistance in a power cable may restrict the peak level of a required pulse, limiting the transient response of an audio amplifier. Power cable wire gauges must be sufficient, so current needs are met. However, power cables that use only large conductors tend to lose dynamics. Clarus’ high-current power cables overcome this problem by utilizing a combination of conductor sizes that fully retain transients. Additionally, twisting insulated conductors in a bundle creates distortion-inducing magnetic fields. Because of this, Clarus High-Current Power Cord designs an alternate twist to cancel out magnetic fields and eliminate distortion.
Clarus’ high-current power cables utilize two shielding layers to minimize RF- and electromagnetic-induced noise. This approach results in an exceptionally low noise floor that allows you to hear deeplyinto your favorite recordings.
Both Clarus Crimson MKII High-Current and Source Power Cables are terminated with high-performance US Type B and IEC C15 connectors. Since IEC receptacles are notorious for accidental disconnection, Clarus designed the C15 connector with a proprietary high-retention connector with very tight tolerances. If you look closely at the molded end of the IEC C15, there is a raised collar. Simply insert the plug into an IEC receptacle and you will feel a click when the plug has seated securely for a tight fit and reliable connection. When disconnecting the IEC connector from your amplifier, wear gloves, and rest assured you will need more than a simple tug with two fingers. If you opt for the organic, bare-knuckle IEC plug removal then you will risk depositing some skin cells on the wall when the plug finally allows a removal to occur. Do not wriggle the plug back and forth. That is a perfect way to damage the surface and bend things in a way that the tension is no longer effective. Connector contacts and termination pins are made with C1100 pure copper which has superior electrical and thermal conductivity. C1100 is rated 101% electrical conductivity by the International Annealed Copper Society, IACS. To keep the contacts from oxidizing, the copper is gold-plated. High-conductivity materials provide exceptionally low resistance with superior sound characteristics.
A heavy-duty strain relief design provides the final level of protection that guarantees safe, long-term reliability.
According to Clarus, the Clarus MKII Type B and IEC C15 connectors feature unique and innovative engineering breakthroughs and enhanced high-end performance that distinguish Clarus products from their competitors. The connectors are very attractive, solid, and easy to grasp, and the cable makes a tight connection when placed in the AC outlet.
The current review system still has my trusty Pass XP20 dual-chassis preamp, Conrad Johnson EF1 phono preamp with upgraded capacitors, Luxman DA06 DAC, Acoustic Zen Crescendo MK II speakers, and Audio Power Ultra 116 with amps into the wall in a dedicated line. I also used my VPI Anniversary Classic turntable and assorted cables including Synergistic Foundation SX interconnects, speaker cables, USB, and phono cables.
The power cables arrived in a beautiful well-protected box. They were just beautiful to look at and the build quality inspired confidence. The appearance is not very different from buying a 95+ point wine. When the initial impression has that visual element of seeing a beautiful label and then a high-quality cork is seen, confidence builds, giving the impression the designer has paid attention to the smallest of details. Who wants a twist-off cap on a 95-point wine? The beautiful box gives a different impression than if they arrived in a zip-lock plastic bag and generic box. The Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cable and Clarus Crimson MKII Source Power Cable have had attention paid to the smallest details.
Various Artists, “Ultra HD-Audio 2017”
I plugged the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables first into my M135 amps. Immediately, the sound in my system changed. I started comparing them with the stock black cords that arrived with my equipment. I started first with the power cords to the amplifiers, then to my preamp, then my DAC, and finally my phono preamp. I knew within 30 minutes these were very good power cables and I was looking forward to more extensive listening. The first impression is something I have always valued as the initial impact of the sound creates an impression that stays with my ears. I played some high-rez material from the work of Mark Waldrep, Ph.D. from his AIX/RECORDS 2017, along with other AIX recordings. The mix is in 24/96 PCM and faithfully delivers natural-sounding music. I suggest listening to the AIX recordings which are of very high quality with the added ability of being able to watch the performance and enjoying the high definition 24/96 PCM Audio and 24/96 mix recordings. I certainly like some of the music more than others but that is a matter of taste. The fidelity was impeccable on all the recordings but some of the video is not as good as the audio. However, this is about the music.
There are many more formats on the market available now than there were 7 years ago, but I still consider these recordings to be reference-level high-end recordings. I am not certain whether all selections of the physical media are still available. A friend purchased some DVDs from their website a few months ago. I heard only that stock was limited to what was on hand.
With recordings of this quality, the musical harmonics are present without needing to strain to hear them. With the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables and Crimson MKII Source Power Cables, the harmonics were a believable part of the music. When they were removed, the harmonics left. The sustain in the upright bass now sounded pinched. The note decay was now just a sudden drop-off.
Ernest Ranglin, “Order of Distinction”
AIX 2017- The excellent DVD John Gorka, “Let Them In” AIX 85053 has an immediate rich, full piano sound that just engulfs the room with a natural tone and a voice equally natural in sound, reminding me of how great high rez recordings can sound. Magnificent sound just flowed with no faults identified. Next was Ernest Ranglin, AIX 85047, with a guitar introduction that is just full of open-body guitar tones with the soul of the music fully intact. Then the drums and vocals enter with other instruments, and one forgets about digital or analog. This is just quality music with a much-improved instrumental tone. This was followed by Lowen and Navarro, “Walking on a Wire” AIX 85062, with an intro by a 12-string guitar that sounded like a 12-string: crisp, and detailed, but with superb texture, separation, and no smearing. The brushes and drums sounding very realistic, with tasteful fills not intruding on the vocals. This was another superb recording. Next was The Banda Brothers “Primavera” AIX 85050 which features female vocals, flute, upright bass, percussion, and piano all seamlessly blending together in a wonderful musical tapestry. There is just a liquid sound that is still detailed with no grain or edge to the music. It was musically complete. Steve March Torme’s “Lulu’s Back in Town” AIX 83042 is a male vocal work with a big band sound. The grand sound of dynamic horns was present with no offensive edge on the horns with great spacing and dynamic range. The sound was very tight. The trumpets were soaring with the dynamic leading edge of the horn section. The trombones gave the full horn sound and, again, it was a musical treat. The Brand New Opry with “One and only You” AIX 85058 was just delightful as well. The male vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, cello, and fiddle with a blue grass groove were very enjoyable. This all sounded distinct with a wonderful attack while retaining a full texture and body.
The Carl Verheyen Band, “Rumor Mill”
“Layla” by Laurene Juber, AIX 80018 playing a 6-string acoustic guitar was magical. The performer’s fingerpicking with the hand slaps on the strings had a very dynamic “pop” giving the feel of a live performance. This is another superb recording. My first impressions were that these would be great cables to use with jazz, acoustic, and baroque string quartets. To finish it off, I went with a hard-driving DVD on an AIX recording by “Lonestar with The Carl Verheyen Band, AIX 80039. This is a blistering blues number with a Fender guitar leading the way and very visceral drums with wonderful bass guitar filling in the music. That famous Fender tone was there. The tom-toms had a solid, well-weighted tone and a very dynamic sound.
I listened to some music by a now-famous cover band everyone knows about, Leonid & Friends. This is a very well-mixed and performed cover of Chicago’s music that exceeds the musical enjoyment I feel hearing the original recordings by Chicago.
The musical improvements I heard also carried over as I put the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cable and Clarus Crimson MK II Source Power Cable in my home theater system. Putting back in the stock power cables just drained all the micro dynamics and the stage size shrunk in both depth and size while the textures were much thinner.
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A listen to my Home theater system also revealed the many benefits of the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables and Crimson MKII Source Power Cables. They provided a lower noise floor, less grain, and both silkier and fuller textures when playing musical concerts from Classical, Jazz, Rock & Roll, and more. The music just sounded more complete the strings were smoother and rich in tonality. The wood resonance from the cello and the decay of the upright bass were very realistic.
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The Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cable and Clarus Crimson MKII Source Power Cables are a must-audition if you are looking for anything near this level of performance or price range.
- Smooth, durable surfaces of the blades of the AC plug.
- Smooth, scratch-resistant surface of the outer shell of the connectors.
- Database of users and their experiences of which components have matched well with the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current Power Cables and Clarus Crimson MKII Source Power Cables.
Both the Clarus Crimson MKII High Current and Clarus Crimson MKII Source Power Cables represent very solid performance when compared with power cables at even double the price. They provide significant benefits for both high current and source components.