KBL Power Cables

Opabin

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Feb 25, 2023
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@KBL Sound
KBL is perhaps less well known in the North American market than in Europe, but recently gaining attention with its special XDMI product. I’d like to welcome KBL owner and designer Robert Szczerbowski to WBF and ask about your AC power cables.

If possible, could you give us a few comments about your approach to power cable design? What are the key elements that set your cables apart from competing brands? What performance characteristics are most highly valued by KBL users?
 
Thank you for this question. I do not have any different treatment of power cables in terms of sound characteristics. In all types of cables, I strive to obtain the most palpable, realistic sound, free from mechanical character. When listening to music, we all want to forget about the equipment and reproduction and let ourselves be drawn into the music itself.
Many devices have hidden potential that their owners do not even know about, and which is covered up by poorly designed cables or those made of compromised raw materials. In the last dozen or so years, but mainly in a few, there has been significant technological progress in the field of materials that can be used in audio. We use these materials because they ensure, in combination with well-thought-out designs, a reduction in the loss factor to a degree never before possible.
So, natural sound, while maintaining full saturation and resolution, without the advantage of analyticality is the basis. But what my cables do perhaps better than others is to separate performers which are no longer glued together. It's not just about the dimensions of the sound stage, many cables do this quite well, although sometimes it seems artificial.
With our cables, the impression of space around the instruments is evident, just like in a real performance. And then you can hear not only the sounds released from the instruments, but also the palpable instruments themselves with their three-dimensionality. Thanks to this, they are more present and distinguished. Voices in choirs seem perfectly separated, and soloists, when singing, even give us their throats and mouths. This increases the sense of realism.
To achieve this, I use my design strategies developed over the years, which of course I prefer to keep secret. Besides, they are different in different types of cables, that's obvious. I only use monocrystal copper everywhere, which is the most expensive, but at the same time, in my opinion, is the best conductor for audio applications. You get only ONE crystal of metal from one plug to another, no grainy structure at all.
Now, if you're asking about power cables, over time I've discovered my own ways of running the wires and voicing them. In all series from Red Corona SRX upwards, the wire bundles are physically spread out, which reduces current flow interference due to the smaller mutual influence of magnetic fields. In the flagship EXtrema series and the Himalaya Pro2 power cable from the lower shelf, this is even directly visible from the outside. The cables are massive braids, a braid as if three separate cables treated in a really separate way when it comes to voicing. Uncompromising plugs, appropriately selected for the performance of the cable, complete the rest, ensuring that the cable works as intended. I hope I have answered satisfactorily for you, best I could :).
 

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Thank you for this question. I do not have any different treatment of power cables in terms of sound characteristics. In all types of cables, I strive to obtain the most palpable, realistic sound, free from mechanical character. When listening to music, we all want to forget about the equipment and reproduction and let ourselves be drawn into the music itself.
Many devices have hidden potential that their owners do not even know about, and which is covered up by poorly designed cables or those made of compromised raw materials. In the last dozen or so years, but mainly in a few, there has been significant technological progress in the field of materials that can be used in audio. We use these materials because they ensure, in combination with well-thought-out designs, a reduction in the loss factor to a degree never before possible.
So, natural sound, while maintaining full saturation and resolution, without the advantage of analyticality is the basis. But what my cables do perhaps better than others is to separate performers which are no longer glued together. It's not just about the dimensions of the sound stage, many cables do this quite well, although sometimes it seems artificial.
With our cables, the impression of space around the instruments is evident, just like in a real performance. And then you can hear not only the sounds released from the instruments, but also the palpable instruments themselves with their three-dimensionality. Thanks to this, they are more present and distinguished. Voices in choirs seem perfectly separated, and soloists, when singing, even give us their throats and mouths. This increases the sense of realism.
To achieve this, I use my design strategies developed over the years, which of course I prefer to keep secret. Besides, they are different in different types of cables, that's obvious. I only use monocrystal copper everywhere, which is the most expensive, but at the same time, in my opinion, is the best conductor for audio applications. You get only ONE crystal of metal from one plug to another, no grainy structure at all.
Now, if you're asking about power cables, over time I've discovered my own ways of running the wires and voicing them. In all series from Red Corona SRX upwards, the wire bundles are physically spread out, which reduces current flow interference due to the smaller mutual influence of magnetic fields. In the flagship EXtrema series and the Himalaya Pro2 power cable from the lower shelf, this is even directly visible from the outside. The cables are massive braids, a braid as if three separate cables treated in a really separate way when it comes to voicing. Uncompromising plugs, appropriately selected for the performance of the cable, complete the rest, ensuring that the cable works as intended. I hope I have answered satisfactorily for you, best I could :).

Thank you, Robert, for this perspective on your products. As far as secrecy goes, the need to protect your IP is well understood around here I should think. That said, if there are details that are safe to share on WBF, I’m sure there would be interested readers.

In your reply and in KBL's online information, I was struck by a couple of points. It seems KBL updates its cables or releases new designs on a fairly regular basis, a sign of active and continuing development. You noted the recent progress in new materials for use in cables, and I see the list for EXtrema PC insulation is pretty long: Teflon, kapton, polypropylene, cotton, polyolefin, and air. Would you say that cable insulation has been the major focus of development at KBL? New applications of familiar materials? What is the newest type of insulation in KBL power cables?

The second point was the obvious care paid to cable topology and your innovations in the layout of the top cable tiers. While solid core conductors are common in other brands, I was surprised to learn there are almost 600 ultra-thin monocrystal copper wires forming the conductors of the EXtrema PC. Could you explain why you favour a multistrand conductor over solid core conductor design?
 
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Yes, new technologies in insulators mainly come down to damping and the greater resistance of wires to static charges. And they do allow for new ideas in cable constructions. As for the wires themselves, the strands that I use in power cables (and almost only there) have a greater impact on the spatiality and resolution of the sound compared to solid core. And I guess only few manufacturers use them. Usually, at least a few solid cores are used in one run. This also improves the flexibility of the cable.
All that needs to be done in a good cable is to provide the electrons with the most undisturbed flow. For this purpose, there must be the best possible conductivity, the least lossy dielectric and protection against the harmful effects of external radiation. At first glance, it seems trivial and obvious, but as we can see, not every producer does it and most cables on the market are not perfect. We still hear more equipment than music with them, it's not as organic as in real life. And yet it can be more, as it turns out.
Ultimately, it's better to drink wine than to analyze its chemical composition. If we know the region, the vine and the growing conditions - it's enough. Similarly with cables: better to listen to them than to examine them. I think that I officially provide a lot of information about the materials used in production, because my philosophy of good sound is based on their class and quality. The rest is silence.
 
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My order for an EXtrema Power Cable was sent to KBL Sound (Warsaw) a week ago and I’m now enjoying that buzz of anticipation we get before a new component arrives. My cable is a bit custom: 2.05 metres long so it will fit neatly into the narrow space behind the rack and the plug is a C19 to connect with the 20A IEC input of my new QBASE Reference AC distributor. With the QBASE arriving imminently and me without a suitable C19 cable, I chose not to wait for Fred's KBL cable tour, despite never having tried the EXtrema in my system.

Risky? I suppose so, but I’m optimistic about this one. EXtrema Power is apparently the newest and most rigorous application of KBL's design ideas in the power cable lineup. There are reports here on WBF of EXtrema RCA, USB and XDMI, all really positive and no real reservations. Then there are also very good KBL cable reviews online at Enjoy the Music, HiFi Knights and High Fidelity (EXtrema power cable, https://highfidelity.pl/@main-1320&lang=en). And finally, I’m just impressed with the design priorities and the innovative drive of KBL Sound. We’ll soon see if my intuition has paid off.
 
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This post is especially aimed at owners of CEC TL0X or TL0 3.0 cd transport.
Is it possible to improve the sound of this already excellent belt drive cd transport? Yes, you can! We have just developed a DC cable using monocrystalline copper and air dielectric according to the criteria of the flagship Extrema series. This cable connects the power supply to the device (7pin XLR) and may be the weakest point in this unit.
Thanks to Extrema DC cable we get a better defined, livelier, more resolved and palpable sound. The instruments are more individualized thanks to the larger volume of air around them. Broadened frequency extremes with deeper and more nuanced bass, generally more naturalness, i.e. more music in music, which makes the performance more realistic.
When we return to the original cable, the sound seems flat, less controlled and boring. In a top system, the difference can be truly significant.
Cable off the offer, on special order only.


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@KBL Sound Are you using monocrystal silver conductor for your cables? I read some reviews about KBL cables and they mentioned monocrystal silver and monocrystal copper for conductors.

 
@KBL Sound Are you using monocrystal silver conductor for your cables? I read some reviews about KBL cables and they mentioned monocrystal silver and monocrystal copper for conductors.

Yes, but this requires clarification. All series from Zodiac to Extrema are built on the basis of monocrystalline conductors. Copper is used in all these cables, and the only current exception is the Himalaya SX interconnects and phono cable, in which we use monocrystalline silver. The decision to use these conductors is related to the voicing of the cables, and only in this one case is it justified to use silver in a single crystal instead of copper single crystal.
 
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Yes, but this requires clarification. All series from Zodiac to Extrema are built on the basis of monocrystalline conductors. Copper is used in all these cables, and the only current exception is the Himalaya SX interconnects, in which we use monocrystalline silver. The decision to use these conductors is related to the voicing of the cables, and only in this one case is it justified to use silver in a single crystal instead of copper single crystal.
Okay. Thank you for the information.
 
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A few days ago, a new EXtrema power cord arrived here and was installed between the wall socket and my new Nordost QBase AC power distributor. I intended to give it an extra day on the Cable Cooker but couldn’t as I lacked the requisite adapter for the IEC C19 20Amp plug. But not to worry as KBL gives all its cables a high voltage conditioning routine before shipping. The EXtrema is not a slim cable but quite flexible and easy to dress. It looks impeccable with flawless craftsmanship and inspires immediate pride of ownership. Only after handling the cable did I notice the 3 separate elements are not in fact braided but instead follow a relaxed twist.

EXtrema1.jpeg

New power cables can often be a rough ride as they break in, but happily EXtrema was smooth and impressive from the word go. First impressions include an even frequency balance, noticeably good microdynamics and noise suppression, and the ready capability of presenting a large, detailed soundstage when appropriate. Of course you must remember these impressions represent the combined effect of the two new units in my system; unfortunately they can only be used together as I don’t have another 20A power cable. As I listened over the first couple of days, I was struck by a new sense of ease in the presentation as if some previously unnoticed limit had been raised or removed. While the early days performance of the EXtrema is already quite encouraging, I believe there is more to come and will report back after a few hundred hours.
 
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