The sound
Contents
We can be quite brief: this is the best power cable we have ever tested at Alpha Audio. The impact of this QSA Lanedri Ultimatum Infinity is really big. Beyond expectation even. And we have tested a lot of power cables, interlinks and speaker cables at Alpha.
Of course this cable is for the happy few. And for 18,000 euros a cable has to be exceptionally good. It’s as simple as that. However, this cable does live up to many of the manufacturer’s claims… Whether it is worth the investment, we leave it to you to judge. We also estimate that enthusiasts shopping in this category will have a system that is in proportion.
Organic
What is particularly noticeable when we connect the QSA Lanedri to the Sonnet Pasithea is that the presentation becomes a lot more organic. That’s the first word that comes to mind. It flows more; the edges disappear…. it feels generous and rich. But still very honest, insightful and transparent. In short: no coloration, just a richer sound palette. A combination we almost never experience. It’s something you just have to experience for yourself…. everything feels richer, but it’s not coloration.
How it is possible for a mains cable to achieve such effects also remains a mystery to us. Who knows, maybe we’re going to find out one day. For now, we just have to accept it as it is. Moreover, it is an equal effect with the QSA Lanedri speaker cable; it too realized a wonderful flow, openness and a particularly fine and large stereo image where instruments and voices are given space. Apparently, the QSA-treatment and burn-in process provides this signature.
Stacking
According to the manufacturer, the effect increases as you start using more cables. Now, of course, this is also commercially very lucrative. But we know it is true…. we have had the speaker cable as well as the power-cable in use at the same time and yes: the effect gets bigger. However, we find the impact of the power-cable greater and more interesting. Moreover, we noticed that the power-cable on the Pass Labs power amplifier had less impact than on the Sonnet. So be sure to try it out, because the degree of impact varies quite a bit.
Large plug
The connector of this QSA Ultimatum Infinity is – as mentioned earlier – custom made to accept the thick cables. This also makes the plug very large. On the Sonnet and Pass Labs this is not a problem. But it simply does not fit on the Mutec MC3+ , which was a shame, because a clock usually benefits a lot from a decent cable. We were curious about the impact though.
Now it will fit on most equipment, but know that so it is a large plug and on a small piece of equipment it may cause problems.
Hello everyone
I’m not surprised that the braided cable sounds so good, I use braided power cables from Aliexpress myself and I’m very happy with them.
There are even braided speaker cables from MazeAudio.
Many thanks for the test, as always a pleasure. Your listening tests and lab tests are always a highlight, keep up the good work.
Many greetings from France
Frank