Forte F3 Audiophile Power Cord - 1.75M Power Cord

Audience occupies space in the upper reaches of pricing on all their wires. Very expensive stuff - their current "entry-level" power cord, for example, starts at $840 for just a 1 meter length! So for this Forte f3 budget cord to exist, compromises certainly have been made. Audience has made this power cord to appeal to a wide audience (sorry). It's a smart strategy many cable-makers undertake - attract new customers to the brand with an attractively priced, good-sounding entry-level product in hopes of snagging them into trying products higher up in the line.This power cable has been discontinued and thus can be found everywhere for roughly half its original price. It does little wrong and many things well, if not exceptionally so. It sounds ever so pleasant on just about any component, on just about any recording. It is never strident but is imbued with a smooth, full sound, complete with rather soft highs and full bass. And it is reported to be a 10-gauge design, so it should be capable of providing sufficient current to amps and power strips/conditioners. What more could anyone want, right? Well....There are sacrifices inherent in such a price-conscious design. Despite its 10-gauge rating (and name!), it is not the most dynamic power cord I've heard. I'd call it beautifully relaxed. It is reasonably clear and detailed, but not notably so. And not for a moment will you hear the airy, spacious highs or 3-dimensional acoustic definition that more expensive cords can deliver. Its biggest short-comings, however, are some thinness in violin tone on top and an opposing darkness in the lower-mids/upper bass. All of these qualities tend to make every recording sound pretty much the same, albeit in a rather pleasant way.However, it is certainly superior to another well-regarded power cord which is similar in price and design (entry-level 10-gauge): that being the Shunyata Venom HC. Unlike this Forte f3, the Shunyata really can only be considered for use on power conditioners, where it performs reasonably well (but no more than that). It sounds quite mediocre on amps and CD players, where it smothers the life out of everything. So in this comparison, the Audience Forte f3 is a champ, as it can sound good on any component you might try it on.However, it is a closer match with another competitively-priced product, the Pangea AC 14XL. I'm not a fan of Pangea wires (which are made exclusively for online retailer Audio Advisor), but the 14XL, designed specifically for CD players and preamps, is a standout product. Compared to the Audience Forte f3, this Pangea is better in many regards: it is a bit more "real" - that dimensional portrayal of a real orchestra in a real hall. It is also more open, refined and focused on top. However, like the Forte, it has a similar short-coming in that difficult lower-mid/upper bass range. It is a bit thick and muddy there, right where the Forte sounds a little dark and veiled. I'd take the darkness over the thickness all things being equal. And I wouldn't expect the Pangea to deliver the goods to current-hungry power amplifiers. So again, the Forte retains the edge.So while the Audience Forte f3 delivers a credible taste of the high-end, for the price you cannot expect miracles, and Audience doesn't (can't) deliver any. At its current street price of $150, it is a good buy for use in the right application. It would be very much at home in a modest stereo system, where it would mightily improve the sound of a budget CD player or receiver. I would be hesitant to employ its use in an ambitious home theater system, though. It simply doesn't have the startling dynamics or clarity of detail required of a movie soundtrack. That slightly veiled midrange might make dialog difficult to decipher. It is, however, an attractive, very well made product which should last a lifetime. Just don't expect it to perform like a more expensive Audience power cord and it will be satisfactory in many applications.

A great AC cable for the money. Has many of the higher end Audience cable qualities at a much lower price. Not as transparent as the new AQ Thunder but very musical and a perfect buy for systems that may be too analytical.

I have a total of 6 of these. The outlet part is fine but the device side wont stay in place. I have tried them on 3 different pairs of speakers, an amp and a receiver. Comes right out, sometimes without moving the device at all.