POSITIVE-FEEDBACK.COM :: ISSUE #39
Recession Tweaks: Five tweaks for under $500
by Ryan Coleman

Audio Magic Pulse Gen ZX
MSRP $400
www.audio-magic.com

The Audio Magic Pulse Gen ZX is simple to install across the hot and neutral terminals of the component's IEC, but its size may make for some troubles; some components don't have the 2" by 2" of spare real-estate inside. That's too bad as this is a product that simply must be tried inside digital sources.

I'd have to say that no product ever flummoxed me more nor made me question what I was hearing than this one. It seemed I was hearing more and less at the same time.

This product concentrated its impact on the midrange and treble areas. While it seemed the treble range was shelved down by a couple of decibels, I was confident that more information was coming through at the same time: piano decays, horns, guitars, cymbals, bells—you name it. The higher in the frequency balance, the more consistently it sounded a little quieter in the mix versus the rest of the frequency spectrum, but with more information being resolved.

However, I did say that it also impacted the midrange and here (much like the treble range) it was also delivering more information …lots more. Vocals especially were revelatory; part of the failure of home stereos is their inability to capture all the minute harmonic fluctuations that occur in sound (recorded or not). Nowhere are we more sensitive to this than with vocals, as we're constantly listening and talking (unlike music, which few of us are involved in on a daily basis). The Pulse Gen ZX resolved those gentle harmonic fluctuations; the pitch inflections that take a person from ideal overly homogenized recorded voice back to being a human that was recorded and thus making the vocal reproduction more lifelike.
Here's another head scratcher. I was consistently able to listen at a louder volume with the Pulse Gen ZX in the rig than without. As for why, I point to my findings on the treble region. It's not the bass frequencies that lead to listener fatigue; just think about those goofy bass-boom car stereos that people drive for hours with. It's the treble that causes fatigue, and with the treble slightly attenuated (but while resolving additional information), I found myself listening louder and with less fatigue which meant more involvement with the music.

At this point I had to question all I knew. It is inherently contradictory to hear more information within a frequency range that's attenuated at the same time. But I think I came to a theory that explains it. The Pulse Gen ZX is designed to eliminate self-generated noise within a component. It seems to me that self generated noise (EMI/RFI) manifests itself as a distortion—a glare in the treble range that the ear can perceive (as we're sensitive to this frequency range, per my earlier comment on listener fatigue); one that we're so used to hearing that we simply assume its correct. By removing it we're actually forced to reevaluate all our prior conceptions of recorded music in this frequency range. Much like your first pair of eye glasses, your standard of what is accurate will change.

Another analogy from photography: when a photo has a flash that is too aggressive or uneven, the central part of the face will be too bright (the nose protrudes and is thus closer to the flash) and the neck and perimeter of the face which are further from the flash will appear noticeably darker. The contrast in shadings between the two areas of the face is obviously wrong. That sums up digital without the Pulse Gen ZX. The insertion of the Pulse Gen ZX is like getting a good flash where all areas of the face are more consistently lighted. It's more lifelike and more pleasing to look at. It's just better.

The insertion of the Pulse Gen DX results in what one initially thinks is treble attenuation, but is actually the removal of a pervasive distortion that we've been living with since digital was forced upon us. The retrieval of more information throughout the treble and midrange is evidence that this distortion, which previously masked information encoded on the disc, is removed. So many CDs are poorly mastered and too hot on top, that the Pulse Gen ZX was an unmitigated improvement on them. On a few CDs (maybe 10% of those I own) I found it a trade-off between the reduced treble emphasis which sounded a bit too soft in the mix versus the benefit of the additional inner detail that the Pulse Gen ZX consistently delivered upon. But given its benefit on 90%+ of CDs and the promise of more inner detail off of every CD, that's a tradeoff every audiophile should be willing to make. One of my friends summed it up when he said "it sounds more analogue." Indeed it does. If digital SOUNDS LIKE THIS (don'tcha hate people shouting in text?), the Pulse Gen ZX says "go ahead, turn it up, I won't bite."

(I had every intention of trying this product in my preamp and amps, but my preamp didn't have space, and after loaning out a few Pulse Gen ZXs for insertion into some very expensive Esoteric digital gear, I found all I got back was a promise that the owners would pay for them. However, I suspect that its benefit, much like the Acoustic Revive RGC-24, will be most audible and beneficial in the source, and its effects downstream will grow increasingly questionable. However, that's just a hunch; Jerry, care to send a few more?)
What can I say? Highly recommended for any digital component you are using. If you're using digital amps, do try this thing and drop me a line.

©2009 Design Haus

Audio Magic :: Rave Reviews

10/2004 - Audio Magic Clairvoyant 4D Interconnects and Speaker Cables (www.ultraaudio.com)

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Customer Product Reviews

Hi Jerry,

I trust very few of these reviewers as you never know their system/room etc, but its not a bad discription of the effects of the ZX.

My feeling is that it has brought the belcanto ice power modules (which the ZXs are installed) even closer to the best amps I have ever had in my system, the Halcro DM58s. They are so clean,fast and utterly invisable that its like a miracle, but extreemly expensive.

For the cost and effort this is a good time to be an audiophile, and you are helping us reach that audio nirvana we strive for.

I would say the ZX realizes the potential of the equipment its put in, and frees the sound both dynamically and distortion wise.

I will order more shortly (as soon as I have the guts to open my DCS and fiddle).

Best

Chad

Ok. The amps (Belcanto Ref1000 monos with small tweaks) have been on for about 1 hour with the pulse gen ZX installed. The amps work, I am still alive, and my hair is not sticking up and smoking!

Well I have been subjected to the most detailed believable sound I have ever heard. Soundstaging so defined I can hardly believe it. I was listening to an old CD called Oxygen by JM Jarre. Its an old synth classic from 1976. At the end of the tracks I could hear all the noise from the old synth outputs and the various studio effects units ground hum and just old school noise/hiss. This was never in such focus and not so convincing and correct before.

My system was already very good and maybe having the clarity I had before has made the effect of the Gen ZX more obvious. For sure the presentation is as natural as I have ever heard.

Good work! I guess I need to see if I can fit them into my DCS now...

Regards

Chad

Hi Jerry,
 
Sorry for not getting the result to you any sooner, since I was having some replacements made in my system.
 
Let me tell you about the first day I received the Mini. I let the Mini plugged in for just about a couple of hours before I sat down with a friend. When I heard it, I wanted to shake your hand! The music is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better! What really first impressed me was much darker in the background, wider and deeper sound stage. And with that darker background, I could really hear a lot more details. It's just so much more transparent. I really couldn't believe it! And it was not broken in yet! My friend said that he had never listened to the same song anywhere as beautiful as this time.
 
After it was broken in, I let a friend borrowed it because I really wanted him to try it on his system. A day later, he called me and said that he would get one soon. I asked him how it was? And he said "Now I get the name of this company, since it's really like magic"
 
Jerry, your products are really amazing. I happen to have Xstream IC, Excalibur II IC, Xstream PC, and the Mini. And they've got this flavor of sound that I really appreciate no matter it's IC, PC, or power conds. Your stuffs don't sound like the others out there but better for me and I really enjoy it.
 
The next thing I really want to try is your speaker cable. That's the only thing I don't have from Audio Magic!

Thanks
Obb

P.S. I've heard a lot of great things about you from Lev from Milwaukee. He actually introduced me to your product. And I feel that I was really lucky to know about your products.

Hi Jerry
I've been using the Mini for about 2 weeks and am quite impressed.It cleaned up the sound,deepened the stage and allows images and backup singers to be seen and heard. This lightweight unit makes the BPT 2 Ultra and RGPC 400's i've used sound broken and maybe they were.

Now i am wondering what your Stealth XXX or Eclipse II would do for me.

Also i'm thinking of adding one of your power cords to my Linn Linto phonostage. Which would you suggest?

Best
ed
Jerry,
 
It was a pleasure speaking with you and I just can't tell you enough about how happy I am with your product. I feel very lucky to have bought it as I was looking for a really good power conditioner. The serial number for my unit it sn#11930. If I could get any information pertaining to my unit, I would very much appreciate it. I just want to have it for historical purposes. I'm going to be keeping this unit for a very long time.
 
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Mike
Hi Jerry:
 
Just a note of thanks for repairing my cord. You guys went beyond the call of duty on this & I just wanted to express my appreciation. It's companies like yours that make this such a great hobby.
 
Regards,
 
Jac Steinberger
Hi Jerry, I am very impressed with the new wire, both the Sorcerer 4D and Illusion 4D digital cables you sent out are noticeably better than previous generations. I was quite impressed by the new Sorcerer, but immediately noticed an improvement in resolution when the new Illusion digital landed. What is it about the Illusion that makes it sound so much better, just more wire?

The Stealth XXX was also interesting, much better than the old Stealth. I am still flipping switches to find the best setting for my gear, but I can hear the difference in the different positions. It was especially interesting and easiest to see the improvement in my projection system. Better colors, lower noise by a significant margin over the old Stealth. It looks like your latest generation of wire and conditioners are a noticeable improvement, good work,

Take Care,

E. Devlin,
Greyhaven Audio/Video
Member: Davidwells4
Action: Bought from you
Item: Audio Magic Stealth XXX

Submitted Rating:
Positive
Submitted Feedback:
Jerry is excellent, very very smooth transaction, great coms and highly recommended. If you haven't had the pleasure i suggest you do. AudioMagic are truly the best PLC's on the market.
Jerry,
 
It is funny with us audiophiles because we are such a fickle neurotic group. When I didn't have the Clairvoyant SE in my rig, I thought I could live without it--the Audience Au24 S/PDIF cable is that good. Then, I placed the Clairvoyant in....shit what a difference!  When before I thought I had great bass definition, soundstaging and imaging, now I have deeper bass, better overall instrument soundstaging and imaging, while at the same time being never bright or etched--the Clairvoyant SE just lets all of the music through unmolested. Wow! What a musical cable. Jerry you did it again to me, I am sending you a check!
 
Thanks,
 
Jeff
Hi Jerry:
 
I received the Sorcerer cables today. Plugged them into my preamp ad amp andlet them cook in for a few hours. They replaced VenHaus Flavor 2 cryo which are fully broken in.
 
All I can say is holy effin' $#!t!!!!
 
Man, I'm hearing resolution like I've never heard before. I also noted how colored the VH cables are compared to the Sorcerers. The Sorcerers also handily beat out the similarily priced Running Springs/Cardas Mongoose. While the Mongoose also lacks coloration, the Sorcerers brought out more texture and resolution and seem to have increased dynamic range by 2-3 dB.
 
I can only imagine what a Clairvoyant sounds like!
 
Anyway, I like 'em.
 
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Jerry,
 
After 7 days of brokin (168 hr), I think it's the best power conditioner I have used, better than Monster Htps 7000, Shunyata Hydra 8, Chang lightspeed ht 1000 and many others. I think it's just the beginning and after 200 or 300 hr more, it'll sound better again.

WOW! You make really good product, Jerry.

Soon I think to try your speaker cable.
 
Thanks a lot,

Jean-Guy
Jerry,

This is just a preliminary report. First, my equipment is very good and very transparent. Pass Labs 250.5 amp, X-1 preamp, Electrocompaniet EMC-1 24/192 upsampling CD player and Legacy Signature III loudspeakers. Sounds so good that I've bought and sold power conditioners from MIT, Shunyata, and Equitech. So, now I've purchased your new XXX Purifier. Not broken in yet, of course. Let me tell you this. This unit is THE BEST component I have ever purchased. Sounds better than anything else I've owned. Wide, deep soundstage. Great well defined bass. The highs are VERY detailed, yet not bright. No grain or harshness whatsoever. I'm still "playing" with the filter matching, which is such a great innovation. If anyone wants to email me for my opinion, feel free to give them my address. I am so satisfied and very pleased with this unit. And it's not close to being broken in yet. Will email you back in a week or so with an update. Thanks so much for letting me be one of the first ones to try this product. It is truly a breakthrough and should help everyone out here with your filter matching capabilities. I forgot to mention that I also have a dedicated outlet for my equipment.

Thanks Again,

Rick Davis
I received the Eclipse yesterday. Cold out of the box it was amazing and outclassed my prevoius transformer based PLC. I don't want to go through the hypes often used in these cases, but I considered the purchase of the Eclipse the single most important improvement in my system in the last three years. I would warmly recommend it to all my audio buddies.

Keep-up the excellent work!

Best wishes for the new year from Venice,

Michele
Hello.

I bought a used Audio Magic Stealth from a guy on Audiogon and had it shipped directly to you for an upgrade to the supper filter. you told me to hook it up to a heater for a few days to break it in. I didn't follow your instructions and hooked it to my system as soon as I received it. I can't believe the difference it makes! Every thing sounds better and I don't mean in a small way. I can hear all the fine details to the music and the base slam really makes me wonder if I'll need the new Revel B15a I ordered. My system is somewhat high end and very capable. I believe your unit allowed my system to perform to it's potential. If it needs to break in to be it's best then that will just be icing on the cake. Thank you for inventing something that really works well!

John A.
Jerry,

Received the IIlusion pc today. Most times this level of improvement means changing components and that doesn't always mean for the better. Not so with this cord. I have tried probably 20 power cords and none have provided an equal level of improvement. Usually a new pc takes about 2 days to find out if it is worthwhile but this one showed its greatness in about 10 minutes. And that is with a Sim W-5 amp that always takes 2-3 days to settle down even if you turn it off for a simple cord change out. If you have any 'Stealth'line conditioners and another Illusion pc let me know. I'd like to get another setup to loan out to audio shops and to friends .I am sure it will be as convincing as it is on my system.

Thanks again,

Peter D.
Hi Jerry,

Glad to report The Eclipse is a winner ! The turning point is one day I decided to work from home {Im in the travel business}. So I bought some extension cords from the hardware store and ran the washer/dryer all day on the eclipse {along with some fans , a double bulb lamp , and a few other goodies thrown in} made a major difference in the eclipse {and made my wife happy as all the laundry got done!}

The sound is great {that was expected because I heard what the Matrix could do} but what really surprised me was the video. I had it tweaked with a Tice and a Ultimate outlet, so it was already in jaw dropping condition, but I gotta admit you have it beat ! The range of colors is magnificient !

The only wish I would say for the Eclipse would be more digital circuts , as when you combine audio with Home Theater as I do , you have so many components that are digitally based. {Perhaps a mini Eclipse digital would be a great future product}.

Once again The Eclipse is a masterpiece! Juicing it up on the washer/dryer really brings it to life! The sound is great and video confirms it is definetly not the placebo effect!

Best Regards,

Darrylhifi on Audiogon
Jerry,

The Clairvoyant is all I hoped it would be. I even enjoy listening to all my old CD's again!! As I upgrade my system I will certainly be considering replacing speaker cables with Audiomagic products.

Thanks again,

Jean
Hi Jerry,

Thought I would give you some impressions of your Eclipse so far time on the bores so to speak is nearer 600 hours, (one question, is the 1000 hours quoted, as the running period, at idle or 'In use' so to speak.

Initial impressions, (cold out of the box) I had it just on the Wadia first, very impressive, we use a decent power conditioner any way , better than the Hydra 8, the Eclipse, was just more of every thing, the depth of field is awesome, the stage is expansive in the basic sense !!!, bass weight and SPEED were increased, detailed and dynamics went up another league, and the musical flow/groove was further enhanced beyond that of what I was expecting.

And that was just on the CDP, I had to wait another 3 days, I had to fabricate another 8 foot power chord for the inlet IEC on the Eclipse. After 2 days on the cooker the power lead was slipped into place and the Belcanto power amp hooked up.

Jeeze this thing is damn good, the presence/texture and sheer physical force of the sound went other worldly, the sound now has a solidity to it, I've never heard before (I do have a couple of guys (customers) who have £120K systems and these don't do this!!!!)

Its been steadily improving over the last 3 weeks or so. Basically, Jerry, in essence it's a Cracking piece of kit, a superb upgrade, although not cheap, if you have the system then I'd say its an imperative purchase.

Many thanks for assistance with the construction and purchase. I feel will we be doing more business in the future, BTW do you have a UK distributor? Many thanks Tone

Tony
Dear Audio Magic,

As you know 3 months ago I sold my Stealth 3 duplex and bought a Hydra 8 because the dealer who sold me the Stealth said it was better, after recieving it and running it for a month, it was obvious I made a huge mistake. I have since sold my Hydra and bought a Stealth XXX after speaking with you, 2 weeks of solid run time have shown the XXX to be far superior to the Hydra and the old Stealth. FANTASTIC JOB!. Me and my audiophile buddy will be comparing your XXX vs. his BPT tonight, I'll let you know.

Day 2: The Bpt is good, but not an Audio Magic XXX , expect another sale soon!.

Keep up the good work!.

Paul

After 40 hours w/ the PAD burn in CD and then another 30 w/ straight music on top of what I already had on these they finally jumped out at me. VERY good Jerry, VERY GOOD! They have the glorious midrange of the Omega Mikro and then have more body overall all as well. The top end is still not quite as extended as OM but it is much faster in the PRaT department and the top end is coming around more and more all the time. They are very sweet up top where you can pick up on the meat of the cymbals and not just the transparent shimmer that most like to hear from expensive cables. Still I find myself turning up the volume more than usual to get that extension but they are certainly not going anywhere anytime soon and I feel after all the 400 hours is complete they will get what I want on top too. I recommended them just tongiht to another OM fan over in Germany and will let a few others that I share cables w/ know later this week as time allows. I only wish that they were 4 feet instead of 3 meters to make up for that bit you lose w/ the terminations but that is a small bone to pick. I do just LOVE how the vocals are so HUGE and rich and NATURAL sounding and the transparency in the mids is amazing.

Thanks for some great work Jerry and I may be bak for more a bit later.

Best Regards,

Dan B.
Jerry,

I have now had the Stealth XXX in my system for almost 1 month. I promised you a review of this very special unit. Here it goes.

Any good review starts with the audio gear. The source for my music is an Audio Research CD1 running through wavelength audio electronics(300B amp) and ending in a set of Merlin VSM speakers. I always felt that the extended treble of the Merlins was balanced perfectly by the 300B amplifier. The wall electricity was fed through a Power Wedge conditioner.

In the months prior to adding the Stealth to my system, I had felt the system was somewhat dull. I wasn't entirely sure of the cause, but like any good audiophile I started changing some things around. The first thing I did was replace my NOS tubes with the more modern variety. While the music took on a "brighter" tone, it was still lacking in dynamics and life. I changed interconnects to no avail. I moved my speakers here and there. Again, to no avail. Almost as a last resort, I decided to replace the aging Power Wedge with your Stealth XXX.

It is very difficult to put into words the immediate and dramatic improvement in my system, but I will try to explain. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to see an old masterpiece painting before and after the old varnish as been removed. The masterpiece was always beautiful, but once it is cleaned every aspect of the painting is improved from the intensity of the colors to the ability to see the finest details. And so it was with the Stealth XXX. It was as if the addition of the Stealth washed away a layer of haze that had been sitting over the music. The music became cleaner, more dynamic, and more natural. The soundstage enlarged as I was carried into the music.

All is well again with my system. My NOS tubes are back in their rightful place and I am enjoying my CD collection once again. Without hesitation I give the Stealth XXX my highest recommendation. It is magical.

Richard Rodman
Thanks from a very satisfied customer. Adding the Stealth XXX to my system has made music more beautiful, dynamic, and fun to listen to.

Cheers,
Ron
Hi Audio Magic!

I received your power cord. First thought was that I should have bought more expensive one because it didn't look to impresive (well what can you expect for $99?). It was my first attempt over the simple computer grade cord because I didn't believe I could hear a difference, but difference isn't subtle at all! Music seems to flow now. Thank You and keep up with good (and cheap) work.

Best regards,
Wojciech.
I have had my friends Stealth XXX for just two days as he really insisted I try it, and I would just like to say, I hate you Audio Magic!. I recently bought the new Hydra and the Stealth XXX just beats it in every way, now I must sell my Hydra and buy the XXX or I won't be able to listen to my system again.

Awesome product Audio Magic!!!

D. Jennings
North Carolina
Jerry,

I don't no whether to thank you or to curse you!

I suppose initially I will thank you for the Stealth and the custom length Extreme interconnects. Since I have put them inline the sound my little 5 channel AV system (Yamaha DSP A1 and Vandersteens) is now generating is almost beyond my belief. The space, the depth, the openness is truly stunning. Imaging is now pinpoint. The quiet is quieter, the punch is punchier, the low end is much tighter; and, an audio haze I was never aware of has lifted unveiling. We are talking mid-level audiophile sound from a frigging receiver!?!

Clearly the sound improvement would justify an expenditure of 2-3 times what you are asking, but I haven't even mentioned improvements to the video side. The picture my TV, an HD 57" Sony XBR fully ISP calibrated, is now putting out has trumped all the improvements to the audio side of things. The picture I am seeing is LIQUAD! My satellite reception now looks like the progressive output from what my Denon DVD player used to output. The output of the DVD player now looks like nothing I have ever seen before -- I have no frame of reference simply because I have never seen a better picture on a TV of any kind at any price. I have literally exhausted my superlatives and to proceed amy further would sound contrived.

The reason I am cursing you is that my personal productivity, as one who home offices, has completely gone into the toilet. I cannot seem to pull myself out of the basement theater and keep from watching movies and listening to my CDs. I'm getting nothing done, but I'm loving every minute of it!

I can barely wait to get one of the digital mini Stealths in place and see what that does to the digital front end which is just running through my antique power wedges. If it generates just 1/10th of what the full Stealth it'll be a tremendous bargain.

Thanks again - I love you and hate you.

Respectfully yours,

Tim
Dear Jerry,

I received my Stealth Power Purifier some time back, and I am sorry for being quiet for all this while -- I am still trying to convince myself that my amazement and awe throughout my listening sessions are not arising from my "need" to justify the expense.

Thanks -- but now I have the problem of an urge to get another unit, or one of those mini units ...

Regards,

C H Lai
Hi Jerry,

Just a note to let you know how much I am truly enjoying my Stealth. You've really hit one out of the park with this. It has improved my system so much, that I definitely consider it a component and not an accessory. While the reviews were spot on in their observations as to audiophile improvements, I think the real genius of your product is how it lets you forget the sound and concentrate on the artistry and intent of the musicians and composers.

By the way, my TV has improved about 40% in picture quality and I can't wait to try it with my Sony W400Q LCD projector in the future. Another nice benefit is how great and detailed music sounds at much lower levels, also.

A wonderful product. One of the very best I have discovered in 30 years as an audiophile. Thanks again.

Best,

John J.
Reno
Hi Jerry,

Don't know if you remember me - you sent me my new stealth a few weeks ago, which I purchased through Hi-Fi Farm.

Let me first say how amazing my system sounds! ! I was skeptical after reading all of the reviews prior to buying (I have Hi-end stuff like Rowland, Muse etc), but your stealth has provided the single greatest improvement I've yet attained!

Alan K.

Dear Jerry,

I have run the Audio Magic Stealth Power Purifier now for about two weeks in my system and these would be my comments:

A change to the overall system sound was apperent from the first minutes of music I played, I had connected only my digital components (Transport and DAC) at first. On the first impression the sound was improved so I connected the remaining equipment - the effect on the sound was the same just more pronounced. Over the period of the first 5 CDs the sound got better and better gradually, after around 3 days of playing music with all components running from the Stealth I had the feeling that things had settled in a bit. By now the effects can be described pretty reliably and I will try to describe a little (I am from Germany so my English might be a bit funny at times, sorry).

The biggest improvement for me is overall naturalness of instruments and voices, closely followed by improved clarity and 'air' between instruments and ambience resolution in the recordings. This is consistent throughout every CD I played after installing the Stealth. The level of detail that is available, staging and layering of instruments have increased dramatically (and I thought before having the Stealth that my Merlin VSMs were excellent in that department already!). All this happens without any trace of forwardness or long time listening fatigue. What's more, the perceived traces of glare and harshness especially in classical music are gone since the Stealth is in my system. Frequency range seems extended for highs and lows, the decay of piano notes, strings or percussion instruments is awesome. There is also a better sense of timing and rhythm to the music, complex music passages are portrayed with more clarity and ease.

It is also apparent that the changes in sound that I noticed when I listened before between daytime and nighttime (the system sounded more involving and smooth at late night to early morning) are gone, the sound from the system is now very reliable and independent of the time of the day. This is great since I found it pretty frustrating to enjoy a record late at night a lot, then getting up on the next morning playing it again and wondering where the magic from the night before had suddenly gone. How big is the effect of the Stealth in my system? About as much as a significant upgrade of a component or even two, more significant than any improvements I have wrought from changes to the cabling (the speaker cables coming closest, the effect of the Stealth is leagues more obvious than those of interconnects or power cords!).

In conclusion the Stealth is now an integral component of my system that I wouldn't want to be without! It's real 'magic' lies in how much it contributes to the enjoyment of the music overall without unduly highlighting or any particular aspect or area of music reproduction. In terms of seeing the Stealth as an accessory it could be considered expensive, but seeing it for what it really is - a very important component - the Stealth must be one of the biggest bargains for music lovers or the best thing since sliced bread!

I am so convinced by your product that I am seriously thinking about telling just about every hifi fanatic here in Hong Kong that they must try one - would you be interested to have a distributor here in Hong Kong? I could think of doing it myself through people I already now and some Internet marketing as a side business, but I could also set you up with contacts from audio shops here in Hong Kong. Let me know if you would be interested at all and if what you would prefer.

Best regards from Hong Kong and thanks for such a great product, I still can't get over the sound I am getting from my system with the Stealth in place, I am loosing sleep over all the late nights I had playing my stereo recently!

Joerg

Jerry,

I'm blown away by the improvements you've made over the original Sorcerer product, not to mention what your power cords have done to my pre-amp and player.

Current System: B&W 803 Nautilus
Audio Research VT100 II
Sonic Frontiers Pre-Amp
Rega Planet

I'm convinced you made a deal with the devil somewhere along the line!

Take it easy,

Randy K
Castle Rock, Colorado
Was listening to it in my main system last night (Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3D CD player, MF NuVista M3 Amplifier biamped with MF A3.2 Amp, Monitor Audio GR 60 speakers), : could not get myself to bed. It needs breaking in? It already sounds better than any other power conditioner I have used including the Hydra, PS Audio 600, Fuhrman..... It is a remarkable product and deserves the great feedback it is getting at audiogon (where I heard about it) and at enjoythemusic.com (where I read the reviews). I am saving up to get at least 2 more for my home theatre and secondary stereo systems!

best regards,

P Pillay
Singapore
Hey Jerry,

What can I say? Here's what: Your product is the best thing I have done to my system in 6 years. I am going to skip all the superlatives because I am not good and the high fidelity adjectival lingo. I was (am) going to get new speakers and integrated, but now, with this new baby, and all the wonderful things I'm listening to, I will be able to wait 'til, at least, the fall. I don't know what you have in this 2 pounder, but it's killer. Audiogon, and the like, will get a great word from me. Also: Tony Kob, whom I purchased the Stealth from, was great. I'm running, when not listening to my stereo, a space heater, that's drawing a good solid high amperage current. It's definitely speeding up the break-in. I have the heater plugged into the far right outlet, like you said. Question: Should I plug into the other outlets? Any other cool things you can recommend would be appreciated.

Great product Jerry.

Best,

warrren
Hola:

Wow!!! This week I had the opportunity to audition a Xtream power cord and Excalibur II interconnect on my system and the experience was short of amazing. Those cables were loaned to me by a friend and distributor of your line in Puerto Rico, German Corujo. He is a friend since many years and he told me about the excellent performance of AM cables and how they beat more expensive cables. It was true and more....

I put the Excalibur II from my Channel Island modified Link DAC to my McCormack RLD-1 preamplifier. All other cables are not to the level of the II's , being the Kimber PBJ I/C's my best cables. Also, I use Kimber 8TC and XLO Pro 1200 as my speaker cables.

Even thought, the additional air, detail, timbre, soundstage and musicality was extremely noticeable. My system was sounding so good that it make me wonder what it is capable of , using AM all the way from digital. power, I/C and speaker cables.

Only when I changed from a Parasound preamplifier to my McCormack RLD-1, I noticed such a change, but not in the same amount. The cable make a more radical change.

German told me that you have an affordable line of speaker cables and I/C that are amazing as well. I asked him for some of those to check then out.

Congratulations, you have great products and a well deserved reputation.

Thanks,

Jose Garcia.
Hi, Jerry,

I've had my Audio Magic Stealth for two weeks and a couple of days, and would estimate the burn-in time I've done with a 1500 watt space heater to be 75 hours.

Yesterday was the first day I heard really full bass, which is great news since that was the only area where my Hydra had subjectively bettered the Stealth until now. All of a sudden yesterday afternoon, I noticed how good the bass was, even without my subwoofer. This is something I never expected with my Decware Zen SET amp, and something I never heard with the Hydra.

There was some unpleasant brightness in the first week, and that is completely gone by now.

When I first heard the Stealth in comparison with the Hydra, I felt like raving over what a huge improvement the Stealth was. Now that I've gotten used to the sound with the Stealth, and as it starts to burn in, I don't feel like raving so much because everything is sounding the way it is supposed to sound, very natural and convincing, not calling attention to itself. There was something about the sound with the Hydra which called attention to itself, a kind of surrealism as opposed to a natural realism. With the Hydra, I was getting up frequently to tweak, and with the Stealth I spend more time just listening.

I would concur with Srajan's enjoythemusic.com review in nearly all respects. Resolution, soundstage depth and image focus are all greatly improved over the Hydra.

I'm looking forward to further improvements in the next hudreds of hours. Thanks for a great product!

"Mr. Gil
On the Excaliber II

Hi,

I just picked up 6M pair of Excaliber II interconnects from a local dealer. I had some concerns about the length, since I was formerly using a 1M Silver Audio Hyacinth cable.

The Excaliber II cables sound great! What I enjoy most is how harmonic tones from instruments seem fuller and the instruments more real.

Thanks for making a great product, nice job. When my budget allows I will definitely be switching my system to other Audio Magic products.

Lynn
Hi, Srajan,

I was enjoying some of your reviews today, particularly the "Walkerisms" piece in the latest EnjoyTheMusic.com. I think the incisiveness and style of your writing is terrific. I was reminded to write to you about my experiences with the Audio Magic Stealth

After a lengthy (300 hrs+) burnin with a 1500-watt space heater, everything sounds exactly to my liking. Maybe I can stop being an audiophile and just listen to music for awhile. :-)

I almost forgot that the Stealth was in the system until I lent it to a friend a few days ago. I can't bear to listen until the Stealth returns. Thank you so much for reviewing this component so accurately. There is nothing about the Shunyata Hydra that I miss.

I've never found a polite way to pass along the spelling of a word, so I'll just drop the word epitome here as a replacement for epidemy and hope I have not been too rude in doing so.

Thanks again!

©2005 Design Haus

Audio Magic :: Rave Reviews

10/2004 - Audio Magic Clairvoyant 4D Interconnects and Speaker Cables (www.ultraaudio.com)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ARCHIVED ONLINE REVIEWS!

Customer Product Reviews

Jerry,
 
As I explained on the phone, I’m an audio skeptic. I popped the Pulse Gen ZX in my modified universal. After about 1.5 hours I heard some subtle improvement. I was able to try three placements for the ZX and settled on one near the power supply (as you had suggested) and left it for the night Oh, well. Frankly, not what I expected, but you had also mentioned that leaving it connected would lead to further improvements.
 
Today I warmed up the system and put on a disc. At noon MST I stepped into a live performance. I had the “It never did that” reaction. I don’t know what is in this little black box and really don’t care. It allows my source to be the best is has ever been and that is pretty damn good. Thank you!
 
You said these little devices are addictive. You are absolutely correct.  In fact, when you have a chance can you put together another one for me? I have to try this effect in my amp and don’t dare take it out of the universal. Thanks for my share of audio magic. 
 
Regards,
 
Phil

Hi Jerry,
 
For an update, I now have a Pulse Gen ZX in my HTPC and in my main Butler tube hybrid amp and the music is sweet. The highs are extending and the bass is tonally deeper. Everything has been cleansed w/o being made too intense. In fact it's like the harshness has been drained... or so I thought 'til today when I received my 2 small Quantum Noise Disrupters. As you suggested, I placed them over my 2 Butler amp's transformers and I can only liken what I've received as nirvana heaven. With the combination of the Pulse Gen ZX next to the transformer and the Noise Disrupter over the transformer on my main Butler amp, any possible hardness has been drained and I'm listening to music at volumes that I could never comfortably listen to before because of the intense clarity of my system. These 2 products together have tamed my system to the point of perfection for me. I still have my Sunfire processor to do a Pulse Gen ZX install on along with my 2nd Butler rear channels amp but I could stop now and be totally satisfied. Curiosity of course won't allow me to. I will be using a Shakti Stone over the Sunfire's transformer cuz that's what I have available but I just had to write and tell you how impressed I was with your small Quantum Noise Disrupters. Even tho I haven't yet put a ZX in my rear Butler amp, just having the Noise disrupter over the transformer made a noticeable improvement tonite while I was watching the Red Sox game in Dolby Digital on NESN HD. I could swear I could pinpoint the seatings of those loudmouth fans around me. I can't wait to install a Pulse Gen ZX in my rear Butler amp now. It's a guarantee I'll be placing another order soon, it's just a matter of me figuring out how many of what... cuz the combination of your 2 products on a component is simply incredible... at least on my main Butler amp!
 
I am simply tooooo happy Jerry.
Cheers,
Robin B.

Hi Jerry.

I just wanted to follow-up with you quickly to let you know that I had picked up an original Stealth Power Purifier (serial number 11461...as a side note: are you able to look up how old this unit is with this reference; also, how long do you break the units in before shipping?) and introduced it into my mid-to-lower-hi-fi tube system, and must congratulate you on this unit! Never have I experienced such an improvement (and not subtle, either) - short of complete upgrades of components here and there - in my system; it's pretty crazy. This is the last frontier for a while for me, I think. I've had some pretty nice PLC's come my way (some were pretty beneficial; others not so much), but none have done what your product has accomplished. Bravo! Not to sound like a sound-bite or anything, but this is seriously not leaving any system I have or will have. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a XXX-like unit (or whatever you might offer at the time), but this is staying. You've won over any future business of mine. Keep it up Jerry.

Thanks!

Jason

Hi Jerry,

I trust very few of these reviewers as you never know their system/room etc, but its not a bad discription of the effects of the ZX.

My feeling is that it has brought the belcanto ice power modules (which the ZXs are installed) even closer to the best amps I have ever had in my system, the Halcro DM58s. They are so clean,fast and utterly invisable that its like a miracle, but extreemly expensive.

For the cost and effort this is a good time to be an audiophile, and you are helping us reach that audio nirvana we strive for.

I would say the ZX realizes the potential of the equipment its put in, and frees the sound both dynamically and distortion wise.

I will order more shortly (as soon as I have the guts to open my DCS and fiddle).

Best

Chad

Ok. The amps (Belcanto Ref1000 monos with small tweaks) have been on for about 1 hour with the pulse gen ZX installed. The amps work, I am still alive, and my hair is not sticking up and smoking!

Well I have been subjected to the most detailed believable sound I have ever heard. Soundstaging so defined I can hardly believe it. I was listening to an old CD called Oxygen by JM Jarre. Its an old synth classic from 1976. At the end of the tracks I could hear all the noise from the old synth outputs and the various studio effects units ground hum and just old school noise/hiss. This was never in such focus and not so convincing and correct before.

My system was already very good and maybe having the clarity I had before has made the effect of the Gen ZX more obvious. For sure the presentation is as natural as I have ever heard.

Good work! I guess I need to see if I can fit them into my DCS now...

Regards

Chad

Hi Jerry,
 
Sorry for not getting the result to you any sooner, since I was having some replacements made in my system.
 
Let me tell you about the first day I received the Mini. I let the Mini plugged in for just about a couple of hours before I sat down with a friend. When I heard it, I wanted to shake your hand! The music is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better! What really first impressed me was much darker in the background, wider and deeper sound stage. And with that darker background, I could really hear a lot more details. It's just so much more transparent. I really couldn't believe it! And it was not broken in yet! My friend said that he had never listened to the same song anywhere as beautiful as this time.
 
After it was broken in, I let a friend borrowed it because I really wanted him to try it on his system. A day later, he called me and said that he would get one soon. I asked him how it was? And he said "Now I get the name of this company, since it's really like magic"
 
Jerry, your products are really amazing. I happen to have Xstream IC, Excalibur II IC, Xstream PC, and the Mini. And they've got this flavor of sound that I really appreciate no matter it's IC, PC, or power conds. Your stuffs don't sound like the others out there but better for me and I really enjoy it.
 
The next thing I really want to try is your speaker cable. That's the only thing I don't have from Audio Magic!

Thanks
Obb

P.S. I've heard a lot of great things about you from Lev from Milwaukee. He actually introduced me to your product. And I feel that I was really lucky to know about your products.

Hi Jerry
I've been using the Mini for about 2 weeks and am quite impressed.It cleaned up the sound,deepened the stage and allows images and backup singers to be seen and heard. This lightweight unit makes the BPT 2 Ultra and RGPC 400's i've used sound broken and maybe they were.

Now i am wondering what your Stealth XXX or Eclipse II would do for me.

Also i'm thinking of adding one of your power cords to my Linn Linto phonostage. Which would you suggest?

Best
ed
Jerry,
 
It was a pleasure speaking with you and I just can't tell you enough about how happy I am with your product. I feel very lucky to have bought it as I was looking for a really good power conditioner. The serial number for my unit it sn#11930. If I could get any information pertaining to my unit, I would very much appreciate it. I just want to have it for historical purposes. I'm going to be keeping this unit for a very long time.
 
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Mike
Hi Jerry:
 
Just a note of thanks for repairing my cord. You guys went beyond the call of duty on this & I just wanted to express my appreciation. It's companies like yours that make this such a great hobby.
 
Regards,
 
Jac Steinberger
Hi Jerry, I am very impressed with the new wire, both the Sorcerer 4D and Illusion 4D digital cables you sent out are noticeably better than previous generations. I was quite impressed by the new Sorcerer, but immediately noticed an improvement in resolution when the new Illusion digital landed. What is it about the Illusion that makes it sound so much better, just more wire?

The Stealth XXX was also interesting, much better than the old Stealth. I am still flipping switches to find the best setting for my gear, but I can hear the difference in the different positions. It was especially interesting and easiest to see the improvement in my projection system. Better colors, lower noise by a significant margin over the old Stealth. It looks like your latest generation of wire and conditioners are a noticeable improvement, good work,

Take Care,

E. Devlin,
Greyhaven Audio/Video
Member: Davidwells4
Action: Bought from you
Item: Audio Magic Stealth XXX

Submitted Rating:
Positive
Submitted Feedback:
Jerry is excellent, very very smooth transaction, great coms and highly recommended. If you haven't had the pleasure i suggest you do. AudioMagic are truly the best PLC's on the market.
Jerry,
 
It is funny with us audiophiles because we are such a fickle neurotic group. When I didn't have the Clairvoyant SE in my rig, I thought I could live without it--the Audience Au24 S/PDIF cable is that good. Then, I placed the Clairvoyant in....shit what a difference!  When before I thought I had great bass definition, soundstaging and imaging, now I have deeper bass, better overall instrument soundstaging and imaging, while at the same time being never bright or etched--the Clairvoyant SE just lets all of the music through unmolested. Wow! What a musical cable. Jerry you did it again to me, I am sending you a check!
 
Thanks,
 
Jeff
Hi Jerry:
 
I received the Sorcerer cables today. Plugged them into my preamp ad amp andlet them cook in for a few hours. They replaced VenHaus Flavor 2 cryo which are fully broken in.
 
All I can say is holy effin' $#!t!!!!
 
Man, I'm hearing resolution like I've never heard before. I also noted how colored the VH cables are compared to the Sorcerers. The Sorcerers also handily beat out the similarily priced Running Springs/Cardas Mongoose. While the Mongoose also lacks coloration, the Sorcerers brought out more texture and resolution and seem to have increased dynamic range by 2-3 dB.
 
I can only imagine what a Clairvoyant sounds like!
 
Anyway, I like 'em.
 
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Jerry,
 
After 7 days of brokin (168 hr), I think it's the best power conditioner I have used, better than Monster Htps 7000, Shunyata Hydra 8, Chang lightspeed ht 1000 and many others. I think it's just the beginning and after 200 or 300 hr more, it'll sound better again.

WOW! You make really good product, Jerry.

Soon I think to try your speaker cable.
 
Thanks a lot,

Jean-Guy
Jerry,

This is just a preliminary report. First, my equipment is very good and very transparent. Pass Labs 250.5 amp, X-1 preamp, Electrocompaniet EMC-1 24/192 upsampling CD player and Legacy Signature III loudspeakers. Sounds so good that I've bought and sold power conditioners from MIT, Shunyata, and Equitech. So, now I've purchased your new XXX Purifier. Not broken in yet, of course. Let me tell you this. This unit is THE BEST component I have ever purchased. Sounds better than anything else I've owned. Wide, deep soundstage. Great well defined bass. The highs are VERY detailed, yet not bright. No grain or harshness whatsoever. I'm still "playing" with the filter matching, which is such a great innovation. If anyone wants to email me for my opinion, feel free to give them my address. I am so satisfied and very pleased with this unit. And it's not close to being broken in yet. Will email you back in a week or so with an update. Thanks so much for letting me be one of the first ones to try this product. It is truly a breakthrough and should help everyone out here with your filter matching capabilities. I forgot to mention that I also have a dedicated outlet for my equipment.

Thanks Again,

Rick Davis
I received the Eclipse yesterday. Cold out of the box it was amazing and outclassed my prevoius transformer based PLC. I don't want to go through the hypes often used in these cases, but I considered the purchase of the Eclipse the single most important improvement in my system in the last three years. I would warmly recommend it to all my audio buddies.

Keep-up the excellent work!

Best wishes for the new year from Venice,

Michele
Hello.

I bought a used Audio Magic Stealth from a guy on Audiogon and had it shipped directly to you for an upgrade to the supper filter. you told me to hook it up to a heater for a few days to break it in. I didn't follow your instructions and hooked it to my system as soon as I received it. I can't believe the difference it makes! Every thing sounds better and I don't mean in a small way. I can hear all the fine details to the music and the base slam really makes me wonder if I'll need the new Revel B15a I ordered. My system is somewhat high end and very capable. I believe your unit allowed my system to perform to it's potential. If it needs to break in to be it's best then that will just be icing on the cake. Thank you for inventing something that really works well!

John A.
Jerry,

Received the IIlusion pc today. Most times this level of improvement means changing components and that doesn't always mean for the better. Not so with this cord. I have tried probably 20 power cords and none have provided an equal level of improvement. Usually a new pc takes about 2 days to find out if it is worthwhile but this one showed its greatness in about 10 minutes. And that is with a Sim W-5 amp that always takes 2-3 days to settle down even if you turn it off for a simple cord change out. If you have any 'Stealth'line conditioners and another Illusion pc let me know. I'd like to get another setup to loan out to audio shops and to friends .I am sure it will be as convincing as it is on my system.

Thanks again,

Peter D.
Hi Jerry,

Glad to report The Eclipse is a winner ! The turning point is one day I decided to work from home {Im in the travel business}. So I bought some extension cords from the hardware store and ran the washer/dryer all day on the eclipse {along with some fans , a double bulb lamp , and a few other goodies thrown in} made a major difference in the eclipse {and made my wife happy as all the laundry got done!}

The sound is great {that was expected because I heard what the Matrix could do} but what really surprised me was the video. I had it tweaked with a Tice and a Ultimate outlet, so it was already in jaw dropping condition, but I gotta admit you have it beat ! The range of colors is magnificient !

The only wish I would say for the Eclipse would be more digital circuts , as when you combine audio with Home Theater as I do , you have so many components that are digitally based. {Perhaps a mini Eclipse digital would be a great future product}.

Once again The Eclipse is a masterpiece! Juicing it up on the washer/dryer really brings it to life! The sound is great and video confirms it is definetly not the placebo effect!

Best Regards,

Darrylhifi on Audiogon
Jerry,

The Clairvoyant is all I hoped it would be. I even enjoy listening to all my old CD's again!! As I upgrade my system I will certainly be considering replacing speaker cables with Audiomagic products.

Thanks again,

Jean
Hi Jerry,

Thought I would give you some impressions of your Eclipse so far time on the bores so to speak is nearer 600 hours, (one question, is the 1000 hours quoted, as the running period, at idle or 'In use' so to speak.

Initial impressions, (cold out of the box) I had it just on the Wadia first, very impressive, we use a decent power conditioner any way , better than the Hydra 8, the Eclipse, was just more of every thing, the depth of field is awesome, the stage is expansive in the basic sense !!!, bass weight and SPEED were increased, detailed and dynamics went up another league, and the musical flow/groove was further enhanced beyond that of what I was expecting.

And that was just on the CDP, I had to wait another 3 days, I had to fabricate another 8 foot power chord for the inlet IEC on the Eclipse. After 2 days on the cooker the power lead was slipped into place and the Belcanto power amp hooked up.

Jeeze this thing is damn good, the presence/texture and sheer physical force of the sound went other worldly, the sound now has a solidity to it, I've never heard before (I do have a couple of guys (customers) who have £120K systems and these don't do this!!!!)

Its been steadily improving over the last 3 weeks or so. Basically, Jerry, in essence it's a Cracking piece of kit, a superb upgrade, although not cheap, if you have the system then I'd say its an imperative purchase.

Many thanks for assistance with the construction and purchase. I feel will we be doing more business in the future, BTW do you have a UK distributor? Many thanks Tone

Tony
Dear Audio Magic,

As you know 3 months ago I sold my Stealth 3 duplex and bought a Hydra 8 because the dealer who sold me the Stealth said it was better, after recieving it and running it for a month, it was obvious I made a huge mistake. I have since sold my Hydra and bought a Stealth XXX after speaking with you, 2 weeks of solid run time have shown the XXX to be far superior to the Hydra and the old Stealth. FANTASTIC JOB!. Me and my audiophile buddy will be comparing your XXX vs. his BPT tonight, I'll let you know.

Day 2: The Bpt is good, but not an Audio Magic XXX , expect another sale soon!.

Keep up the good work!.

Paul

After 40 hours w/ the PAD burn in CD and then another 30 w/ straight music on top of what I already had on these they finally jumped out at me. VERY good Jerry, VERY GOOD! They have the glorious midrange of the Omega Mikro and then have more body overall all as well. The top end is still not quite as extended as OM but it is much faster in the PRaT department and the top end is coming around more and more all the time. They are very sweet up top where you can pick up on the meat of the cymbals and not just the transparent shimmer that most like to hear from expensive cables. Still I find myself turning up the volume more than usual to get that extension but they are certainly not going anywhere anytime soon and I feel after all the 400 hours is complete they will get what I want on top too. I recommended them just tongiht to another OM fan over in Germany and will let a few others that I share cables w/ know later this week as time allows. I only wish that they were 4 feet instead of 3 meters to make up for that bit you lose w/ the terminations but that is a small bone to pick. I do just LOVE how the vocals are so HUGE and rich and NATURAL sounding and the transparency in the mids is amazing.

Thanks for some great work Jerry and I may be bak for more a bit later.

Best Regards,

Dan B.
Jerry,

I have now had the Stealth XXX in my system for almost 1 month. I promised you a review of this very special unit. Here it goes.

Any good review starts with the audio gear. The source for my music is an Audio Research CD1 running through wavelength audio electronics(300B amp) and ending in a set of Merlin VSM speakers. I always felt that the extended treble of the Merlins was balanced perfectly by the 300B amplifier. The wall electricity was fed through a Power Wedge conditioner.

In the months prior to adding the Stealth to my system, I had felt the system was somewhat dull. I wasn't entirely sure of the cause, but like any good audiophile I started changing some things around. The first thing I did was replace my NOS tubes with the more modern variety. While the music took on a "brighter" tone, it was still lacking in dynamics and life. I changed interconnects to no avail. I moved my speakers here and there. Again, to no avail. Almost as a last resort, I decided to replace the aging Power Wedge with your Stealth XXX.

It is very difficult to put into words the immediate and dramatic improvement in my system, but I will try to explain. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to see an old masterpiece painting before and after the old varnish as been removed. The masterpiece was always beautiful, but once it is cleaned every aspect of the painting is improved from the intensity of the colors to the ability to see the finest details. And so it was with the Stealth XXX. It was as if the addition of the Stealth washed away a layer of haze that had been sitting over the music. The music became cleaner, more dynamic, and more natural. The soundstage enlarged as I was carried into the music.

All is well again with my system. My NOS tubes are back in their rightful place and I am enjoying my CD collection once again. Without hesitation I give the Stealth XXX my highest recommendation. It is magical.

Richard Rodman
Thanks from a very satisfied customer. Adding the Stealth XXX to my system has made music more beautiful, dynamic, and fun to listen to.

Cheers,
Ron
Hi Audio Magic!

I received your power cord. First thought was that I should have bought more expensive one because it didn't look to impresive (well what can you expect for $99?). It was my first attempt over the simple computer grade cord because I didn't believe I could hear a difference, but difference isn't subtle at all! Music seems to flow now. Thank You and keep up with good (and cheap) work.

Best regards,
Wojciech.
I have had my friends Stealth XXX for just two days as he really insisted I try it, and I would just like to say, I hate you Audio Magic!. I recently bought the new Hydra and the Stealth XXX just beats it in every way, now I must sell my Hydra and buy the XXX or I won't be able to listen to my system again.

Awesome product Audio Magic!!!

D. Jennings
North Carolina
Jerry,

I don't no whether to thank you or to curse you!

I suppose initially I will thank you for the Stealth and the custom length Extreme interconnects. Since I have put them inline the sound my little 5 channel AV system (Yamaha DSP A1 and Vandersteens) is now generating is almost beyond my belief. The space, the depth, the openness is truly stunning. Imaging is now pinpoint. The quiet is quieter, the punch is punchier, the low end is much tighter; and, an audio haze I was never aware of has lifted unveiling. We are talking mid-level audiophile sound from a frigging receiver!?!

Clearly the sound improvement would justify an expenditure of 2-3 times what you are asking, but I haven't even mentioned improvements to the video side. The picture my TV, an HD 57" Sony XBR fully ISP calibrated, is now putting out has trumped all the improvements to the audio side of things. The picture I am seeing is LIQUAD! My satellite reception now looks like the progressive output from what my Denon DVD player used to output. The output of the DVD player now looks like nothing I have ever seen before -- I have no frame of reference simply because I have never seen a better picture on a TV of any kind at any price. I have literally exhausted my superlatives and to proceed amy further would sound contrived.

The reason I am cursing you is that my personal productivity, as one who home offices, has completely gone into the toilet. I cannot seem to pull myself out of the basement theater and keep from watching movies and listening to my CDs. I'm getting nothing done, but I'm loving every minute of it!

I can barely wait to get one of the digital mini Stealths in place and see what that does to the digital front end which is just running through my antique power wedges. If it generates just 1/10th of what the full Stealth it'll be a tremendous bargain.

Thanks again - I love you and hate you.

Respectfully yours,

Tim
Dear Jerry,

I received my Stealth Power Purifier some time back, and I am sorry for being quiet for all this while -- I am still trying to convince myself that my amazement and awe throughout my listening sessions are not arising from my "need" to justify the expense.

Thanks -- but now I have the problem of an urge to get another unit, or one of those mini units ...

Regards,

C H Lai
Hi Jerry,

Just a note to let you know how much I am truly enjoying my Stealth. You've really hit one out of the park with this. It has improved my system so much, that I definitely consider it a component and not an accessory. While the reviews were spot on in their observations as to audiophile improvements, I think the real genius of your product is how it lets you forget the sound and concentrate on the artistry and intent of the musicians and composers.

By the way, my TV has improved about 40% in picture quality and I can't wait to try it with my Sony W400Q LCD projector in the future. Another nice benefit is how great and detailed music sounds at much lower levels, also.

A wonderful product. One of the very best I have discovered in 30 years as an audiophile. Thanks again.

Best,

John J.
Reno
Hi Jerry,

Don't know if you remember me - you sent me my new stealth a few weeks ago, which I purchased through Hi-Fi Farm.

Let me first say how amazing my system sounds! ! I was skeptical after reading all of the reviews prior to buying (I have Hi-end stuff like Rowland, Muse etc), but your stealth has provided the single greatest improvement I've yet attained!

Alan K.

Dear Jerry,

I have run the Audio Magic Stealth Power Purifier now for about two weeks in my system and these would be my comments:

A change to the overall system sound was apperent from the first minutes of music I played, I had connected only my digital components (Transport and DAC) at first. On the first impression the sound was improved so I connected the remaining equipment - the effect on the sound was the same just more pronounced. Over the period of the first 5 CDs the sound got better and better gradually, after around 3 days of playing music with all components running from the Stealth I had the feeling that things had settled in a bit. By now the effects can be described pretty reliably and I will try to describe a little (I am from Germany so my English might be a bit funny at times, sorry).

The biggest improvement for me is overall naturalness of instruments and voices, closely followed by improved clarity and 'air' between instruments and ambience resolution in the recordings. This is consistent throughout every CD I played after installing the Stealth. The level of detail that is available, staging and layering of instruments have increased dramatically (and I thought before having the Stealth that my Merlin VSMs were excellent in that department already!). All this happens without any trace of forwardness or long time listening fatigue. What's more, the perceived traces of glare and harshness especially in classical music are gone since the Stealth is in my system. Frequency range seems extended for highs and lows, the decay of piano notes, strings or percussion instruments is awesome. There is also a better sense of timing and rhythm to the music, complex music passages are portrayed with more clarity and ease.

It is also apparent that the changes in sound that I noticed when I listened before between daytime and nighttime (the system sounded more involving and smooth at late night to early morning) are gone, the sound from the system is now very reliable and independent of the time of the day. This is great since I found it pretty frustrating to enjoy a record late at night a lot, then getting up on the next morning playing it again and wondering where the magic from the night before had suddenly gone. How big is the effect of the Stealth in my system? About as much as a significant upgrade of a component or even two, more significant than any improvements I have wrought from changes to the cabling (the speaker cables coming closest, the effect of the Stealth is leagues more obvious than those of interconnects or power cords!).

In conclusion the Stealth is now an integral component of my system that I wouldn't want to be without! It's real 'magic' lies in how much it contributes to the enjoyment of the music overall without unduly highlighting or any particular aspect or area of music reproduction. In terms of seeing the Stealth as an accessory it could be considered expensive, but seeing it for what it really is - a very important component - the Stealth must be one of the biggest bargains for music lovers or the best thing since sliced bread!

I am so convinced by your product that I am seriously thinking about telling just about every hifi fanatic here in Hong Kong that they must try one - would you be interested to have a distributor here in Hong Kong? I could think of doing it myself through people I already now and some Internet marketing as a side business, but I could also set you up with contacts from audio shops here in Hong Kong. Let me know if you would be interested at all and if what you would prefer.

Best regards from Hong Kong and thanks for such a great product, I still can't get over the sound I am getting from my system with the Stealth in place, I am loosing sleep over all the late nights I had playing my stereo recently!

Joerg

Jerry,

I'm blown away by the improvements you've made over the original Sorcerer product, not to mention what your power cords have done to my pre-amp and player.

Current System: B&W 803 Nautilus
Audio Research VT100 II
Sonic Frontiers Pre-Amp
Rega Planet

I'm convinced you made a deal with the devil somewhere along the line!

Take it easy,

Randy K
Castle Rock, Colorado
Was listening to it in my main system last night (Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3D CD player, MF NuVista M3 Amplifier biamped with MF A3.2 Amp, Monitor Audio GR 60 speakers), : could not get myself to bed. It needs breaking in? It already sounds better than any other power conditioner I have used including the Hydra, PS Audio 600, Fuhrman..... It is a remarkable product and deserves the great feedback it is getting at audiogon (where I heard about it) and at enjoythemusic.com (where I read the reviews). I am saving up to get at least 2 more for my home theatre and secondary stereo systems!

best regards,

P Pillay
Singapore
Hey Jerry,

What can I say? Here's what: Your product is the best thing I have done to my system in 6 years. I am going to skip all the superlatives because I am not good and the high fidelity adjectival lingo. I was (am) going to get new speakers and integrated, but now, with this new baby, and all the wonderful things I'm listening to, I will be able to wait 'til, at least, the fall. I don't know what you have in this 2 pounder, but it's killer. Audiogon, and the like, will get a great word from me. Also: Tony Kob, whom I purchased the Stealth from, was great. I'm running, when not listening to my stereo, a space heater, that's drawing a good solid high amperage current. It's definitely speeding up the break-in. I have the heater plugged into the far right outlet, like you said. Question: Should I plug into the other outlets? Any other cool things you can recommend would be appreciated.

Great product Jerry.

Best,

warrren
Hola:

Wow!!! This week I had the opportunity to audition a Xtream power cord and Excalibur II interconnect on my system and the experience was short of amazing. Those cables were loaned to me by a friend and distributor of your line in Puerto Rico, German Corujo. He is a friend since many years and he told me about the excellent performance of AM cables and how they beat more expensive cables. It was true and more....

I put the Excalibur II from my Channel Island modified Link DAC to my McCormack RLD-1 preamplifier. All other cables are not to the level of the II's , being the Kimber PBJ I/C's my best cables. Also, I use Kimber 8TC and XLO Pro 1200 as my speaker cables.

Even thought, the additional air, detail, timbre, soundstage and musicality was extremely noticeable. My system was sounding so good that it make me wonder what it is capable of , using AM all the way from digital. power, I/C and speaker cables.

Only when I changed from a Parasound preamplifier to my McCormack RLD-1, I noticed such a change, but not in the same amount. The cable make a more radical change.

German told me that you have an affordable line of speaker cables and I/C that are amazing as well. I asked him for some of those to check then out.

Congratulations, you have great products and a well deserved reputation.

Thanks,

Jose Garcia.
Hi, Jerry,

I've had my Audio Magic Stealth for two weeks and a couple of days, and would estimate the burn-in time I've done with a 1500 watt space heater to be 75 hours.

Yesterday was the first day I heard really full bass, which is great news since that was the only area where my Hydra had subjectively bettered the Stealth until now. All of a sudden yesterday afternoon, I noticed how good the bass was, even without my subwoofer. This is something I never expected with my Decware Zen SET amp, and something I never heard with the Hydra.

There was some unpleasant brightness in the first week, and that is completely gone by now.

When I first heard the Stealth in comparison with the Hydra, I felt like raving over what a huge improvement the Stealth was. Now that I've gotten used to the sound with the Stealth, and as it starts to burn in, I don't feel like raving so much because everything is sounding the way it is supposed to sound, very natural and convincing, not calling attention to itself. There was something about the sound with the Hydra which called attention to itself, a kind of surrealism as opposed to a natural realism. With the Hydra, I was getting up frequently to tweak, and with the Stealth I spend more time just listening.

I would concur with Srajan's enjoythemusic.com review in nearly all respects. Resolution, soundstage depth and image focus are all greatly improved over the Hydra.

I'm looking forward to further improvements in the next hudreds of hours. Thanks for a great product!

"Mr. Gil
On the Excaliber II

Hi,

I just picked up 6M pair of Excaliber II interconnects from a local dealer. I had some concerns about the length, since I was formerly using a 1M Silver Audio Hyacinth cable.

The Excaliber II cables sound great! What I enjoy most is how harmonic tones from instruments seem fuller and the instruments more real.

Thanks for making a great product, nice job. When my budget allows I will definitely be switching my system to other Audio Magic products.

Lynn
Hi, Srajan,

I was enjoying some of your reviews today, particularly the "Walkerisms" piece in the latest EnjoyTheMusic.com. I think the incisiveness and style of your writing is terrific. I was reminded to write to you about my experiences with the Audio Magic Stealth

After a lengthy (300 hrs+) burnin with a 1500-watt space heater, everything sounds exactly to my liking. Maybe I can stop being an audiophile and just listen to music for awhile. :-)

I almost forgot that the Stealth was in the system until I lent it to a friend a few days ago. I can't bear to listen until the Stealth returns. Thank you so much for reviewing this component so accurately. There is nothing about the Shunyata Hydra that I miss.

I've never found a polite way to pass along the spelling of a word, so I'll just drop the word epitome here as a replacement for epidemy and hope I have not been too rude in doing so.

Thanks again!

©2008 Design Haus

Audio Magic :: Rave Reviews

10/2004 - Audio Magic Clairvoyant 4D Interconnects and Speaker Cables (www.ultraaudio.com)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ARCHIVED ONLINE REVIEWS!

Customer Product Reviews

Hi Jerry,

I trust very few of these reviewers as you never know their system/room etc, but its not a bad discription of the effects of the ZX.

My feeling is that it has brought the belcanto ice power modules (which the ZXs are installed) even closer to the best amps I have ever had in my system, the Halcro DM58s. They are so clean,fast and utterly invisable that its like a miracle, but extreemly expensive.

For the cost and effort this is a good time to be an audiophile, and you are helping us reach that audio nirvana we strive for.

I would say the ZX realizes the potential of the equipment its put in, and frees the sound both dynamically and distortion wise.

I will order more shortly (as soon as I have the guts to open my DCS and fiddle).

Best

Chad

Ok. The amps (Belcanto Ref1000 monos with small tweaks) have been on for about 1 hour with the pulse gen ZX installed. The amps work, I am still alive, and my hair is not sticking up and smoking!

Well I have been subjected to the most detailed believable sound I have ever heard. Soundstaging so defined I can hardly believe it. I was listening to an old CD called Oxygen by JM Jarre. Its an old synth classic from 1976. At the end of the tracks I could hear all the noise from the old synth outputs and the various studio effects units ground hum and just old school noise/hiss. This was never in such focus and not so convincing and correct before.

My system was already very good and maybe having the clarity I had before has made the effect of the Gen ZX more obvious. For sure the presentation is as natural as I have ever heard.

Good work! I guess I need to see if I can fit them into my DCS now...

Regards

Chad

Hi Jerry,
 
Sorry for not getting the result to you any sooner, since I was having some replacements made in my system.
 
Let me tell you about the first day I received the Mini. I let the Mini plugged in for just about a couple of hours before I sat down with a friend. When I heard it, I wanted to shake your hand! The music is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better! What really first impressed me was much darker in the background, wider and deeper sound stage. And with that darker background, I could really hear a lot more details. It's just so much more transparent. I really couldn't believe it! And it was not broken in yet! My friend said that he had never listened to the same song anywhere as beautiful as this time.
 
After it was broken in, I let a friend borrowed it because I really wanted him to try it on his system. A day later, he called me and said that he would get one soon. I asked him how it was? And he said "Now I get the name of this company, since it's really like magic"
 
Jerry, your products are really amazing. I happen to have Xstream IC, Excalibur II IC, Xstream PC, and the Mini. And they've got this flavor of sound that I really appreciate no matter it's IC, PC, or power conds. Your stuffs don't sound like the others out there but better for me and I really enjoy it.
 
The next thing I really want to try is your speaker cable. That's the only thing I don't have from Audio Magic!

Thanks
Obb

P.S. I've heard a lot of great things about you from Lev from Milwaukee. He actually introduced me to your product. And I feel that I was really lucky to know about your products.

Hi Jerry
I've been using the Mini for about 2 weeks and am quite impressed.It cleaned up the sound,deepened the stage and allows images and backup singers to be seen and heard. This lightweight unit makes the BPT 2 Ultra and RGPC 400's i've used sound broken and maybe they were.

Now i am wondering what your Stealth XXX or Eclipse II would do for me.

Also i'm thinking of adding one of your power cords to my Linn Linto phonostage. Which would you suggest?

Best
ed
Jerry,
 
It was a pleasure speaking with you and I just can't tell you enough about how happy I am with your product. I feel very lucky to have bought it as I was looking for a really good power conditioner. The serial number for my unit it sn#11930. If I could get any information pertaining to my unit, I would very much appreciate it. I just want to have it for historical purposes. I'm going to be keeping this unit for a very long time.
 
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Mike
Hi Jerry:
 
Just a note of thanks for repairing my cord. You guys went beyond the call of duty on this & I just wanted to express my appreciation. It's companies like yours that make this such a great hobby.
 
Regards,
 
Jac Steinberger
Hi Jerry, I am very impressed with the new wire, both the Sorcerer 4D and Illusion 4D digital cables you sent out are noticeably better than previous generations. I was quite impressed by the new Sorcerer, but immediately noticed an improvement in resolution when the new Illusion digital landed. What is it about the Illusion that makes it sound so much better, just more wire?

The Stealth XXX was also interesting, much better than the old Stealth. I am still flipping switches to find the best setting for my gear, but I can hear the difference in the different positions. It was especially interesting and easiest to see the improvement in my projection system. Better colors, lower noise by a significant margin over the old Stealth. It looks like your latest generation of wire and conditioners are a noticeable improvement, good work,

Take Care,

E. Devlin,
Greyhaven Audio/Video
Member: Davidwells4
Action: Bought from you
Item: Audio Magic Stealth XXX

Submitted Rating:
Positive
Submitted Feedback:
Jerry is excellent, very very smooth transaction, great coms and highly recommended. If you haven't had the pleasure i suggest you do. AudioMagic are truly the best PLC's on the market.
Jerry,
 
It is funny with us audiophiles because we are such a fickle neurotic group. When I didn't have the Clairvoyant SE in my rig, I thought I could live without it--the Audience Au24 S/PDIF cable is that good. Then, I placed the Clairvoyant in....shit what a difference!  When before I thought I had great bass definition, soundstaging and imaging, now I have deeper bass, better overall instrument soundstaging and imaging, while at the same time being never bright or etched--the Clairvoyant SE just lets all of the music through unmolested. Wow! What a musical cable. Jerry you did it again to me, I am sending you a check!
 
Thanks,
 
Jeff
Hi Jerry:
 
I received the Sorcerer cables today. Plugged them into my preamp ad amp andlet them cook in for a few hours. They replaced VenHaus Flavor 2 cryo which are fully broken in.
 
All I can say is holy effin' $#!t!!!!
 
Man, I'm hearing resolution like I've never heard before. I also noted how colored the VH cables are compared to the Sorcerers. The Sorcerers also handily beat out the similarily priced Running Springs/Cardas Mongoose. While the Mongoose also lacks coloration, the Sorcerers brought out more texture and resolution and seem to have increased dynamic range by 2-3 dB.
 
I can only imagine what a Clairvoyant sounds like!
 
Anyway, I like 'em.
 
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Jerry,
 
After 7 days of brokin (168 hr), I think it's the best power conditioner I have used, better than Monster Htps 7000, Shunyata Hydra 8, Chang lightspeed ht 1000 and many others. I think it's just the beginning and after 200 or 300 hr more, it'll sound better again.

WOW! You make really good product, Jerry.

Soon I think to try your speaker cable.
 
Thanks a lot,

Jean-Guy
Jerry,

This is just a preliminary report. First, my equipment is very good and very transparent. Pass Labs 250.5 amp, X-1 preamp, Electrocompaniet EMC-1 24/192 upsampling CD player and Legacy Signature III loudspeakers. Sounds so good that I've bought and sold power conditioners from MIT, Shunyata, and Equitech. So, now I've purchased your new XXX Purifier. Not broken in yet, of course. Let me tell you this. This unit is THE BEST component I have ever purchased. Sounds better than anything else I've owned. Wide, deep soundstage. Great well defined bass. The highs are VERY detailed, yet not bright. No grain or harshness whatsoever. I'm still "playing" with the filter matching, which is such a great innovation. If anyone wants to email me for my opinion, feel free to give them my address. I am so satisfied and very pleased with this unit. And it's not close to being broken in yet. Will email you back in a week or so with an update. Thanks so much for letting me be one of the first ones to try this product. It is truly a breakthrough and should help everyone out here with your filter matching capabilities. I forgot to mention that I also have a dedicated outlet for my equipment.

Thanks Again,

Rick Davis
I received the Eclipse yesterday. Cold out of the box it was amazing and outclassed my prevoius transformer based PLC. I don't want to go through the hypes often used in these cases, but I considered the purchase of the Eclipse the single most important improvement in my system in the last three years. I would warmly recommend it to all my audio buddies.

Keep-up the excellent work!

Best wishes for the new year from Venice,

Michele
Hello.

I bought a used Audio Magic Stealth from a guy on Audiogon and had it shipped directly to you for an upgrade to the supper filter. you told me to hook it up to a heater for a few days to break it in. I didn't follow your instructions and hooked it to my system as soon as I received it. I can't believe the difference it makes! Every thing sounds better and I don't mean in a small way. I can hear all the fine details to the music and the base slam really makes me wonder if I'll need the new Revel B15a I ordered. My system is somewhat high end and very capable. I believe your unit allowed my system to perform to it's potential. If it needs to break in to be it's best then that will just be icing on the cake. Thank you for inventing something that really works well!

John A.
Jerry,

Received the IIlusion pc today. Most times this level of improvement means changing components and that doesn't always mean for the better. Not so with this cord. I have tried probably 20 power cords and none have provided an equal level of improvement. Usually a new pc takes about 2 days to find out if it is worthwhile but this one showed its greatness in about 10 minutes. And that is with a Sim W-5 amp that always takes 2-3 days to settle down even if you turn it off for a simple cord change out. If you have any 'Stealth'line conditioners and another Illusion pc let me know. I'd like to get another setup to loan out to audio shops and to friends .I am sure it will be as convincing as it is on my system.

Thanks again,

Peter D.
Hi Jerry,

Glad to report The Eclipse is a winner ! The turning point is one day I decided to work from home {Im in the travel business}. So I bought some extension cords from the hardware store and ran the washer/dryer all day on the eclipse {along with some fans , a double bulb lamp , and a few other goodies thrown in} made a major difference in the eclipse {and made my wife happy as all the laundry got done!}

The sound is great {that was expected because I heard what the Matrix could do} but what really surprised me was the video. I had it tweaked with a Tice and a Ultimate outlet, so it was already in jaw dropping condition, but I gotta admit you have it beat ! The range of colors is magnificient !

The only wish I would say for the Eclipse would be more digital circuts , as when you combine audio with Home Theater as I do , you have so many components that are digitally based. {Perhaps a mini Eclipse digital would be a great future product}.

Once again The Eclipse is a masterpiece! Juicing it up on the washer/dryer really brings it to life! The sound is great and video confirms it is definetly not the placebo effect!

Best Regards,

Darrylhifi on Audiogon
Jerry,

The Clairvoyant is all I hoped it would be. I even enjoy listening to all my old CD's again!! As I upgrade my system I will certainly be considering replacing speaker cables with Audiomagic products.

Thanks again,

Jean
Hi Jerry,

Thought I would give you some impressions of your Eclipse so far time on the bores so to speak is nearer 600 hours, (one question, is the 1000 hours quoted, as the running period, at idle or 'In use' so to speak.

Initial impressions, (cold out of the box) I had it just on the Wadia first, very impressive, we use a decent power conditioner any way , better than the Hydra 8, the Eclipse, was just more of every thing, the depth of field is awesome, the stage is expansive in the basic sense !!!, bass weight and SPEED were increased, detailed and dynamics went up another league, and the musical flow/groove was further enhanced beyond that of what I was expecting.

And that was just on the CDP, I had to wait another 3 days, I had to fabricate another 8 foot power chord for the inlet IEC on the Eclipse. After 2 days on the cooker the power lead was slipped into place and the Belcanto power amp hooked up.

Jeeze this thing is damn good, the presence/texture and sheer physical force of the sound went other worldly, the sound now has a solidity to it, I've never heard before (I do have a couple of guys (customers) who have £120K systems and these don't do this!!!!)

Its been steadily improving over the last 3 weeks or so. Basically, Jerry, in essence it's a Cracking piece of kit, a superb upgrade, although not cheap, if you have the system then I'd say its an imperative purchase.

Many thanks for assistance with the construction and purchase. I feel will we be doing more business in the future, BTW do you have a UK distributor? Many thanks Tone

Tony
Dear Audio Magic,

As you know 3 months ago I sold my Stealth 3 duplex and bought a Hydra 8 because the dealer who sold me the Stealth said it was better, after recieving it and running it for a month, it was obvious I made a huge mistake. I have since sold my Hydra and bought a Stealth XXX after speaking with you, 2 weeks of solid run time have shown the XXX to be far superior to the Hydra and the old Stealth. FANTASTIC JOB!. Me and my audiophile buddy will be comparing your XXX vs. his BPT tonight, I'll let you know.

Day 2: The Bpt is good, but not an Audio Magic XXX , expect another sale soon!.

Keep up the good work!.

Paul

After 40 hours w/ the PAD burn in CD and then another 30 w/ straight music on top of what I already had on these they finally jumped out at me. VERY good Jerry, VERY GOOD! They have the glorious midrange of the Omega Mikro and then have more body overall all as well. The top end is still not quite as extended as OM but it is much faster in the PRaT department and the top end is coming around more and more all the time. They are very sweet up top where you can pick up on the meat of the cymbals and not just the transparent shimmer that most like to hear from expensive cables. Still I find myself turning up the volume more than usual to get that extension but they are certainly not going anywhere anytime soon and I feel after all the 400 hours is complete they will get what I want on top too. I recommended them just tongiht to another OM fan over in Germany and will let a few others that I share cables w/ know later this week as time allows. I only wish that they were 4 feet instead of 3 meters to make up for that bit you lose w/ the terminations but that is a small bone to pick. I do just LOVE how the vocals are so HUGE and rich and NATURAL sounding and the transparency in the mids is amazing.

Thanks for some great work Jerry and I may be bak for more a bit later.

Best Regards,

Dan B.
Jerry,

I have now had the Stealth XXX in my system for almost 1 month. I promised you a review of this very special unit. Here it goes.

Any good review starts with the audio gear. The source for my music is an Audio Research CD1 running through wavelength audio electronics(300B amp) and ending in a set of Merlin VSM speakers. I always felt that the extended treble of the Merlins was balanced perfectly by the 300B amplifier. The wall electricity was fed through a Power Wedge conditioner.

In the months prior to adding the Stealth to my system, I had felt the system was somewhat dull. I wasn't entirely sure of the cause, but like any good audiophile I started changing some things around. The first thing I did was replace my NOS tubes with the more modern variety. While the music took on a "brighter" tone, it was still lacking in dynamics and life. I changed interconnects to no avail. I moved my speakers here and there. Again, to no avail. Almost as a last resort, I decided to replace the aging Power Wedge with your Stealth XXX.

It is very difficult to put into words the immediate and dramatic improvement in my system, but I will try to explain. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to see an old masterpiece painting before and after the old varnish as been removed. The masterpiece was always beautiful, but once it is cleaned every aspect of the painting is improved from the intensity of the colors to the ability to see the finest details. And so it was with the Stealth XXX. It was as if the addition of the Stealth washed away a layer of haze that had been sitting over the music. The music became cleaner, more dynamic, and more natural. The soundstage enlarged as I was carried into the music.

All is well again with my system. My NOS tubes are back in their rightful place and I am enjoying my CD collection once again. Without hesitation I give the Stealth XXX my highest recommendation. It is magical.

Richard Rodman
Thanks from a very satisfied customer. Adding the Stealth XXX to my system has made music more beautiful, dynamic, and fun to listen to.

Cheers,
Ron
Hi Audio Magic!

I received your power cord. First thought was that I should have bought more expensive one because it didn't look to impresive (well what can you expect for $99?). It was my first attempt over the simple computer grade cord because I didn't believe I could hear a difference, but difference isn't subtle at all! Music seems to flow now. Thank You and keep up with good (and cheap) work.

Best regards,
Wojciech.
I have had my friends Stealth XXX for just two days as he really insisted I try it, and I would just like to say, I hate you Audio Magic!. I recently bought the new Hydra and the Stealth XXX just beats it in every way, now I must sell my Hydra and buy the XXX or I won't be able to listen to my system again.

Awesome product Audio Magic!!!

D. Jennings
North Carolina
Jerry,

I don't no whether to thank you or to curse you!

I suppose initially I will thank you for the Stealth and the custom length Extreme interconnects. Since I have put them inline the sound my little 5 channel AV system (Yamaha DSP A1 and Vandersteens) is now generating is almost beyond my belief. The space, the depth, the openness is truly stunning. Imaging is now pinpoint. The quiet is quieter, the punch is punchier, the low end is much tighter; and, an audio haze I was never aware of has lifted unveiling. We are talking mid-level audiophile sound from a frigging receiver!?!

Clearly the sound improvement would justify an expenditure of 2-3 times what you are asking, but I haven't even mentioned improvements to the video side. The picture my TV, an HD 57" Sony XBR fully ISP calibrated, is now putting out has trumped all the improvements to the audio side of things. The picture I am seeing is LIQUAD! My satellite reception now looks like the progressive output from what my Denon DVD player used to output. The output of the DVD player now looks like nothing I have ever seen before -- I have no frame of reference simply because I have never seen a better picture on a TV of any kind at any price. I have literally exhausted my superlatives and to proceed amy further would sound contrived.

The reason I am cursing you is that my personal productivity, as one who home offices, has completely gone into the toilet. I cannot seem to pull myself out of the basement theater and keep from watching movies and listening to my CDs. I'm getting nothing done, but I'm loving every minute of it!

I can barely wait to get one of the digital mini Stealths in place and see what that does to the digital front end which is just running through my antique power wedges. If it generates just 1/10th of what the full Stealth it'll be a tremendous bargain.

Thanks again - I love you and hate you.

Respectfully yours,

Tim
Dear Jerry,

I received my Stealth Power Purifier some time back, and I am sorry for being quiet for all this while -- I am still trying to convince myself that my amazement and awe throughout my listening sessions are not arising from my "need" to justify the expense.

Thanks -- but now I have the problem of an urge to get another unit, or one of those mini units ...

Regards,

C H Lai
Hi Jerry,

Just a note to let you know how much I am truly enjoying my Stealth. You've really hit one out of the park with this. It has improved my system so much, that I definitely consider it a component and not an accessory. While the reviews were spot on in their observations as to audiophile improvements, I think the real genius of your product is how it lets you forget the sound and concentrate on the artistry and intent of the musicians and composers.

By the way, my TV has improved about 40% in picture quality and I can't wait to try it with my Sony W400Q LCD projector in the future. Another nice benefit is how great and detailed music sounds at much lower levels, also.

A wonderful product. One of the very best I have discovered in 30 years as an audiophile. Thanks again.

Best,

John J.
Reno
Hi Jerry,

Don't know if you remember me - you sent me my new stealth a few weeks ago, which I purchased through Hi-Fi Farm.

Let me first say how amazing my system sounds! ! I was skeptical after reading all of the reviews prior to buying (I have Hi-end stuff like Rowland, Muse etc), but your stealth has provided the single greatest improvement I've yet attained!

Alan K.

Dear Jerry,

I have run the Audio Magic Stealth Power Purifier now for about two weeks in my system and these would be my comments:

A change to the overall system sound was apperent from the first minutes of music I played, I had connected only my digital components (Transport and DAC) at first. On the first impression the sound was improved so I connected the remaining equipment - the effect on the sound was the same just more pronounced. Over the period of the first 5 CDs the sound got better and better gradually, after around 3 days of playing music with all components running from the Stealth I had the feeling that things had settled in a bit. By now the effects can be described pretty reliably and I will try to describe a little (I am from Germany so my English might be a bit funny at times, sorry).

The biggest improvement for me is overall naturalness of instruments and voices, closely followed by improved clarity and 'air' between instruments and ambience resolution in the recordings. This is consistent throughout every CD I played after installing the Stealth. The level of detail that is available, staging and layering of instruments have increased dramatically (and I thought before having the Stealth that my Merlin VSMs were excellent in that department already!). All this happens without any trace of forwardness or long time listening fatigue. What's more, the perceived traces of glare and harshness especially in classical music are gone since the Stealth is in my system. Frequency range seems extended for highs and lows, the decay of piano notes, strings or percussion instruments is awesome. There is also a better sense of timing and rhythm to the music, complex music passages are portrayed with more clarity and ease.

It is also apparent that the changes in sound that I noticed when I listened before between daytime and nighttime (the system sounded more involving and smooth at late night to early morning) are gone, the sound from the system is now very reliable and independent of the time of the day. This is great since I found it pretty frustrating to enjoy a record late at night a lot, then getting up on the next morning playing it again and wondering where the magic from the night before had suddenly gone. How big is the effect of the Stealth in my system? About as much as a significant upgrade of a component or even two, more significant than any improvements I have wrought from changes to the cabling (the speaker cables coming closest, the effect of the Stealth is leagues more obvious than those of interconnects or power cords!).

In conclusion the Stealth is now an integral component of my system that I wouldn't want to be without! It's real 'magic' lies in how much it contributes to the enjoyment of the music overall without unduly highlighting or any particular aspect or area of music reproduction. In terms of seeing the Stealth as an accessory it could be considered expensive, but seeing it for what it really is - a very important component - the Stealth must be one of the biggest bargains for music lovers or the best thing since sliced bread!

I am so convinced by your product that I am seriously thinking about telling just about every hifi fanatic here in Hong Kong that they must try one - would you be interested to have a distributor here in Hong Kong? I could think of doing it myself through people I already now and some Internet marketing as a side business, but I could also set you up with contacts from audio shops here in Hong Kong. Let me know if you would be interested at all and if what you would prefer.

Best regards from Hong Kong and thanks for such a great product, I still can't get over the sound I am getting from my system with the Stealth in place, I am loosing sleep over all the late nights I had playing my stereo recently!

Joerg

Jerry,

I'm blown away by the improvements you've made over the original Sorcerer product, not to mention what your power cords have done to my pre-amp and player.

Current System: B&W 803 Nautilus
Audio Research VT100 II
Sonic Frontiers Pre-Amp
Rega Planet

I'm convinced you made a deal with the devil somewhere along the line!

Take it easy,

Randy K
Castle Rock, Colorado
Was listening to it in my main system last night (Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3D CD player, MF NuVista M3 Amplifier biamped with MF A3.2 Amp, Monitor Audio GR 60 speakers), : could not get myself to bed. It needs breaking in? It already sounds better than any other power conditioner I have used including the Hydra, PS Audio 600, Fuhrman..... It is a remarkable product and deserves the great feedback it is getting at audiogon (where I heard about it) and at enjoythemusic.com (where I read the reviews). I am saving up to get at least 2 more for my home theatre and secondary stereo systems!

best regards,

P Pillay
Singapore
Hey Jerry,

What can I say? Here's what: Your product is the best thing I have done to my system in 6 years. I am going to skip all the superlatives because I am not good and the high fidelity adjectival lingo. I was (am) going to get new speakers and integrated, but now, with this new baby, and all the wonderful things I'm listening to, I will be able to wait 'til, at least, the fall. I don't know what you have in this 2 pounder, but it's killer. Audiogon, and the like, will get a great word from me. Also: Tony Kob, whom I purchased the Stealth from, was great. I'm running, when not listening to my stereo, a space heater, that's drawing a good solid high amperage current. It's definitely speeding up the break-in. I have the heater plugged into the far right outlet, like you said. Question: Should I plug into the other outlets? Any other cool things you can recommend would be appreciated.

Great product Jerry.

Best,

warrren
Hola:

Wow!!! This week I had the opportunity to audition a Xtream power cord and Excalibur II interconnect on my system and the experience was short of amazing. Those cables were loaned to me by a friend and distributor of your line in Puerto Rico, German Corujo. He is a friend since many years and he told me about the excellent performance of AM cables and how they beat more expensive cables. It was true and more....

I put the Excalibur II from my Channel Island modified Link DAC to my McCormack RLD-1 preamplifier. All other cables are not to the level of the II's , being the Kimber PBJ I/C's my best cables. Also, I use Kimber 8TC and XLO Pro 1200 as my speaker cables.

Even thought, the additional air, detail, timbre, soundstage and musicality was extremely noticeable. My system was sounding so good that it make me wonder what it is capable of , using AM all the way from digital. power, I/C and speaker cables.

Only when I changed from a Parasound preamplifier to my McCormack RLD-1, I noticed such a change, but not in the same amount. The cable make a more radical change.

German told me that you have an affordable line of speaker cables and I/C that are amazing as well. I asked him for some of those to check then out.

Congratulations, you have great products and a well deserved reputation.

Thanks,

Jose Garcia.
Hi, Jerry,

I've had my Audio Magic Stealth for two weeks and a couple of days, and would estimate the burn-in time I've done with a 1500 watt space heater to be 75 hours.

Yesterday was the first day I heard really full bass, which is great news since that was the only area where my Hydra had subjectively bettered the Stealth until now. All of a sudden yesterday afternoon, I noticed how good the bass was, even without my subwoofer. This is something I never expected with my Decware Zen SET amp, and something I never heard with the Hydra.

There was some unpleasant brightness in the first week, and that is completely gone by now.

When I first heard the Stealth in comparison with the Hydra, I felt like raving over what a huge improvement the Stealth was. Now that I've gotten used to the sound with the Stealth, and as it starts to burn in, I don't feel like raving so much because everything is sounding the way it is supposed to sound, very natural and convincing, not calling attention to itself. There was something about the sound with the Hydra which called attention to itself, a kind of surrealism as opposed to a natural realism. With the Hydra, I was getting up frequently to tweak, and with the Stealth I spend more time just listening.

I would concur with Srajan's enjoythemusic.com review in nearly all respects. Resolution, soundstage depth and image focus are all greatly improved over the Hydra.

I'm looking forward to further improvements in the next hudreds of hours. Thanks for a great product!

"Mr. Gil
On the Excaliber II

Hi,

I just picked up 6M pair of Excaliber II interconnects from a local dealer. I had some concerns about the length, since I was formerly using a 1M Silver Audio Hyacinth cable.

The Excaliber II cables sound great! What I enjoy most is how harmonic tones from instruments seem fuller and the instruments more real.

Thanks for making a great product, nice job. When my budget allows I will definitely be switching my system to other Audio Magic products.

Lynn
Hi, Srajan,

I was enjoying some of your reviews today, particularly the "Walkerisms" piece in the latest EnjoyTheMusic.com. I think the incisiveness and style of your writing is terrific. I was reminded to write to you about my experiences with the Audio Magic Stealth

After a lengthy (300 hrs+) burnin with a 1500-watt space heater, everything sounds exactly to my liking. Maybe I can stop being an audiophile and just listen to music for awhile. :-)

I almost forgot that the Stealth was in the system until I lent it to a friend a few days ago. I can't bear to listen until the Stealth returns. Thank you so much for reviewing this component so accurately. There is nothing about the Shunyata Hydra that I miss.

I've never found a polite way to pass along the spelling of a word, so I'll just drop the word epitome here as a replacement for epidemy and hope I have not been too rude in doing so.

Thanks again!

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