Sablon power cords

[dminches]

What are people doing, if anything, to keep the Prince or King IEC securely in place in the inlet?

I am going to try out a Furutech NCF but the issue with them is that they aren’t really practical for inlets that are 3-4 feet off the ground.

 

[howiebrou]

What are people doing, if anything, to keep the Prince or King IEC securely in place in the inlet?

I am going to try out a Furutech NCF but the issue with them is that they aren’t really practical for inlets that are 3-4 feet off the ground.

You can add extension rods to the furutech NCF but I agree its not ideal. I use coasters or you can get a plastic Medicine container and then adjust with playing cards or coasters. Not very elegant but it works. If you can get perspex rods cut to your preferred height that works too (about 1.5inch diameter). Or try a cheap tripod if there is space.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hi, my limited experience w the NCF wasn't positive in the end. My solution for my monoblocks IECs which have a less than tight engagement w the Prince Sablons has been to somehow balance a bend in the cord upon an adjacent surface, and on one side, wind the Prince around the upright leg of my central Symposium equipment rack.

 

[LL21]

I use the Furutech NCF because they are a decent (but not great physical mechanism)...agree with Spirit...personally not a huge fan of the impact on music but its 'ok'.

Regarding several feet up in the air, what we do is if you face the NCF's longer "feet" under the unit...and you use masking tape to tape them down on the surface...that generally holds the NCF stable...and the Bocchino then stays firmly in the IEC.

 

[dminches]

Thanks for the suggestions. I guess this requires a bit of DIY.

I am thinking about cutting some wood furring strips (1” x 2”) (not sure what you guys call these in Europe) to the proper length and positioning them underneath the cord as it comes out of the connector.

 

[LL21]

Yes, I know what you mean...that makes sense, and I thought of doing that as well...and specifically using something very flat so that it could also go underneath the back feet of the unit itself so as to ensure the 'platform' holds up the NCF. However, I realized it could also create imbalance in the unit, etc, etc...so I ended up moving the unit forward slightly to create more space in the back...managed to get the NCF on it...turned it so the long side of the legs are facing inward and full on 'terra firma'...and then used masking tape to ensure they stay down.

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...the Boccino on the King is too wide for the NCF platforms, FYI. This pic shows a flat NCF platform with the extension rods, and a few Shunyata Dark Field bits. I wouldn't buy this stuff for this purpose, but having it around, it fits the need.

 

[dminches]

...the Boccino on the King is too wide for the NCF platforms, FYI. This pic shows a flat NCF platform with the extension rods, and a few Shunyata Dark Field bits. I wouldn't buy this stuff for this purpose, but having it around, it fits the need.

I am concerned more on the IEC side than the wall outlet side.

Regarding your application, did you try supporting the wire as it comes out of the Bocchino instead?

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...I did not, but I think you could, David. I have one of the two-part "clamshell" cable fittings that I considered using as you describe. I wanted to "hear" the Sablon w/out NCF influence of the clamshell clamp. That platform is more of a support. I don't *think* it has the NCF aspect/treatment.

I used these devices as @LL21 described previously, at the back of components, propping up the IEC end, gear moved forward to allow for good, stable placement on the rack. That works.

At one point, I had two or three of the "clamshells" or platforms all on the extension rods, in series, ladder-like, up the back of the rack/gear.

Frankly, cable management pushes my OCD Audio Buttons. I long for a cable-tidy solution.

I just built, and have to spray-finish, a cable "rack." I will take a pic when finished. It has two vertical legs, connected by a horizontal dowel to support cables. Prototype worked well.

I don't know how else to well-manage the back-end cable snake nest if you don't have oodles of space to stretch-out the cables.

 

[austinpop]

I am using these, along with flat wood coasters, to support the Bocchino plug at the outlet, and the Bocchino IEC at the inlet. Not the most elegant, but it works:

Amazon.com

 

[LL21]

Very solid looking! Good to know!

 

[2glory]

1 demo Prince on the throne. I hear what has been written here on this thread. I am kind of speechless and experimenting with different components. Sablon USB comes today in the post to run on the Bricasti M1 SE.

Looking at 2 Kings, one on my MS and one on the Dac. Hemingway Beta on all other components. Can the King outrun the Hemingway Sigma ZCore?. Anyone?

Now the XLR cables. Same sonic signature as the Prince?

 

[LL21]

Congrats. In my experience the Sablon Prince really is that good on an absolute performance scale (never mind once you bring value into the equation). It surpassed:

- TA Opus 5
- Gryphon VIP Ref 5
- Crystal Absolute Dream
- Vertere
- Purist Audio 25th Anniversary, Dominus & 20th Anniversary

The only one where I could have kept it over the Sablon Prince was Siltech Triple Crown...but I did not because the price at £17K (USD$24K) is just not where i want to go...and particularly not for a slight but noticeable improvement...where I have not tried the Sablon King which could well match or surpass it.

Also, in 2 areas when I needed more cables, I tried and kept the Z:Axis new Reference SL-777 on the Zanden 4-box which is now my current favorite power cable for this 4-box sensation owing to its remarkable way with timing/micro nuance.

Look forward to hearing how you do with the Kings.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Just varying my platinum Sablon Prince btwn CDP and TT motor LPS, getting great results w both, the uptick on digital is really vibrant dynamics, and on analog an increase in bloom and texture. Soon I'll get a second so both components will be covered.

 

[2glory]

LL21,

It took the Siltech 3 Crown to beat out the Prince @ $24K?

Mark is a Genius.

 

[LL21]

LL21,

It took the Siltech 3 Crown to beat out the Prince @ $24K?

Mark is a Genius.

100% agree. The Siltech is remarkably good...I have not heard any PC that could make such musical sense of the complexity of Beethoven massed strings before...not just distinct strings combining back one, but really doing so in a way that made SENSE of the combination of those stringed instruments working together as opposed to just taking an arbitrary scalpel to them in order to show 'edgy detail'.

It really made sense of the music...impressive. But a very meaningful but incremental improvement at something 7x-8x the price. The improvement was even less over the Z:Axis SL777 which supremely well articulated in such areas...but the Prince answers back with serious macrodynamics without which I could not otherwise have a system with such great effortless ability.

 

[Sablon Audio]

Within my model hierarchy, platinum king > regular king > platinum prince > regular prince when it comes to micro nuance and timing. Regular silver iec version has a denser midrange but with less precision.

@LL21 and @2glory, you both have the regular prince whereas @spiritofmusic additionally has the platinum model. I feel that most systems would benefit from a mix of platinum and silver iecs, rather like salt and pepper to taste.

 

[dminches]

Mark, what is the difference between the regular and platinum versions? I realize there is a material difference. Where is the platinum used?

 

[Sablon Audio]

Hi David, I dismantle the regular silver plated Bocchino iec and send off the contact pins for an additional platinum layer to be added.

 

[LL21]

Within my model hierarchy, platinum king > regular king > platinum prince > regular prince when it comes to micro nuance and timing. Regular silver iec version has a denser midrange but with less precision.

@LL21 and @2glory, you both have the regular prince whereas @spiritofmusic additionally has the platinum model. I feel that most systems would benefit from a mix of platinum and silver iecs, rather like salt and pepper to taste.

Thank you! I value the tonal density of your cable immensely. I wish I could hear what the King would do...but it is a US plug unfortunately, and I am loathe to change all the outlets. Presume there is no Bocchino plug for UK?