RUSS ANDREWS 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION YELLO MAINS CABLES, EVOLUTION-100 POWERKORD and POWERBAR S 6 WAY EXTENSION BLOCK REVIEW

Chris Baillie takes a listen to the Russ Andrews 30^TH Anniversary Edition Yello Mains Cables, Evolution-100 Powerkord and PowerBar S 6 Way Extension Block.

Yello cables and the Power Bar S.

I am old enough to remember when the HiFi press started talking about the potential benefits of using high-quality mains cables in the late 80s. Unfortunately, being a student on a limited budget at the time, I was not able to do anything other than experiments, such as cleaning mains pins, contacts and fuses. However, I recall Kimber Cables being at the forefront of mains cable development and reading interviews with Ray Kimber in the press.  Russ Andrews became the UK distributor for Kimber Cables at a fairly early stage and has been a significant influence in the development of many of Kimber’s products since.

It was the early 2000s before I was able to bite the bullet and purchase my first loom of aftermarket cables and mains block. Right up until this day I count this upgrade to be one of the most surprising and significant upgrades that I have made. Over the last 20 years I have made further upgrades to the mains supply of my system, including installing a dedicated spur and earth, coincidentally having followed the Russ Andrews guide for doing so, available for free via his website. Although, over the years, I have owned a good few Kimber/Russ Andrews cables, including an original Yello mains cable and 2-way extension block, used to feed AV components, I have yet to feed my main system with them, and so was very pleased to have been given the opportunity to do so.

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY

Firstly, we will look at the 30^th Anniversary Edition Yello cables. These are built up with a standard looking, although good quality, 13A mains plug using Kimber cable, twisted to aid the rejection of RFI, feeding a basic IEC socket. These are available from £65 for 1m lengths.  I was sent a mixture of 1m & 1.5m Yello cables, 4 in total. Russ Andrews selected fuses are fitted to the 13a plugs.

The Yello cables cost from £65 per metre.

Next up was The Evolution-100 Powerkord, priced from £169 for a 0.5m length, which is a significant upgrade over the Yello cable. The Powercord is built from a thicker gauge of Kimber Cable than the Yello and is again woven. It is fitted with a larger plug with an MK logo and feeds a very impressive looking Wattgate 320 Evo IEC plug.

Better connectors are the immediate difference between the Evolution 100 and the Yello cables.

Finally, we have the 6Way PowerBar S block, priced at £147.  As the name suggests, it has outputs for six components, fitted with 13A plugs. The main body of the PowerBar S is aluminium and it has fixings that allow for wall mounting. The faceplate has plastic UK spec, un-switched sockets, with a standard IEC input socket. When purchasing, you need to factor in a cable to feed the block. Russ Andrews recommend one of their Yello mains cables as a starting point. The PowerBar S I was sent fitted with a Superclamp, available for an extra £11. The Superclamp is designed to protect against minor mains spikes and surges and, according to Russ Andrews, is said to offer significant performance benefits.

The Yello Power Cables and PowerBar S are the entry point in the respective Russ Andrews ranges.  The Evolution-100 Powerkord is one level higher in the range than the Yello power cable. I was only sent one of these cables for this review, which in a way was a shame, although, as you will read later, it did give me enough insight into its capabilities, to whet my appetite as to what, potentially, a full loom of such cables might achieve in my system.

PERFORMANCE

For the last five years I have been using a ‘Hydra’ from Sean Jacobs’ Custom HiFi Cables. This consists of a single mains plug, leading into a distribution box where four cables exit to power each component in my system. For reference, the Custom HiFi Cables set up cost me around £400, when purchased. My system, for this review, consisted of the following components. Melco NA1/2 server,  Melco S100 Network Switch and ADOT Fibre Optic Kit. Moon 780D Streaming DAC, Moon 600i Amp, Totem Forest Signature Speakers. Tellurium Q Ultrablack 2 speaker cables and XLR interconnects, AudioQuest Vodka and Supra Ethernet cables.

As the Russ Andrews 30^th Anniversary Yello mains cables and PowerBar S represent the entry-level into the Russ Andrews mains supply ecosystem, I began by removing my ‘Hydra’ and installing a basic mains extension block and the mains cables that were supplied with each component. I then played some music. As expected, there was a substantial drop in performance. The soundstage shrank, fine details smeared, and each instrument became harder to follow. The music lost much of its sense of space and became less interesting to listen to. I then introduced the PowerBar S, fed one of the Yello mains cables, with further Yello cables feeding each component. Thankfully, things returned to a level, close to what I’ve become accustomed to with my own system.

A closer look at the Yello cable and it’s clear where the name comes from.

I conducted extensive listening tests, beginning with the title track on David Gilmour’s On An Island – 24/96 Qobuz download. I was struck by the increased detail, wide, expansive soundstage, and the good sense of depth. Vocal effects were more obvious, and each instrument became easier to follow. To use a well-worn HiFi cliché, it was like a veil had been lifted compared to the DIY store mains block and stock cables. The music was again more involving and enjoyable to listen to. Compared to my usual mains loom, the sound perhaps lacked a little scale, dynamics, impact and instrumental separation, but I was still having fun.

Substituting the 30^th Anniversary Yello cable, which connected the PowerBar S to the mains, for the Evolution-100 PowerKord cable, brought some surprising improvements. Returning to David Gilmour’s On An Island, I was able to clearly follow both David Gilmour and Graham Nash’s vocal lines which clearly separated the two cables feeding the PowerBar S. Now each singer had their own space in the soundstage. Instruments had more obvious dynamic qualities and more air around them, notably the Hammond organ. Moving on to the track This Heaven from the same album, in addition to the more airy and detailed presentation, mentioned with the previous track, I noted that the bass guitar had more of the bouncy character I had been used to with my usual set-up. Next, I listened to a DSD 2.8mhz file of Dave Brubeck’s Take 5. I noted a sense of brilliance, body and dimension to the saxophone, a greater sense of the acoustics and a more lifelike and natural sounding piano. Another DSD 2.8mhz file, this time from Miles Davies’ Kind Of Blue, the track Freddie Freeloader. The PowerKord Evolution-100 feeding the PowerBar S, bass was fuller, deeper and better defined. Piano sounded more dynamic and it was easier to pick out timing clues. Both Miles’ trumpet and Coltrane’s sax had more body and were better defined within the soundstage.

I listened to more tracks and, I think you get the picture, the Evolution-100 PowerKord brought worthwhile improvements over the Yello cable, which did not surprise me, justifying the price differential between the two cables. I would ideally have liked to have experimented further, and substituted the three 30^th Anniversary Edition Yello cables, feeding the three main components in my system, with Evolution-100  PowerKord cables. Of course, doing so might have led to an expensive purchase, so it was probably just as well that I was not given the opportunity Returning to my usual mains supply set up, gave me a bigger sound, with greater scale, but slightly less detailed presentation. Clearly, there is scope for improvement over what I am currently using, perhaps available from higher tier Russ Andrews cables and blocks.

CONCLUSION

I very much enjoyed auditioning the Russ Andrews cables and mains block, and feel that they offer great value for money. There are, of course, many alternative options out there. However, what I have always liked about Russ Andrews cables, is that there is a clear upgrade path to follow.  The company offer generous trade-in discounts for upgrades, with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

I do feel my system would benefit from venturing further up the range than the Yello mains cables and am now curious as to what sort of performance lift, I might get from the Signature PowerBlock.

For anyone upgrading from stock cables, especially if they own a budget to mid-priced system, the 30^th Anniversary Edition Yello mains cables and PowerBar S extension block are a great option, which I thoroughly recommend. The Evolution-100 PowerKord offers improvements over the 30^th Anniversary Edition Yello cable, which is well worth the extra investment and offers a glimpse of what Russ Andrews’ higher tier products, may be capable of delivering.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality:

The Yello cables feel and look very well put together and built to last. The Evolution-100 PowerKord exudes quality

The PowerBar S is ruggedly built and looks great

Sound Quality:

The 30^th Anniversary Edition Yello mains cables and PowerBar S offer a balanced performance, which I found gave a major performance benefit over and above stock mains cables and a DIY store extension block

The Evolution-100 PowerKord  provides fundamental sonic benefits over the 30^th Anniversary Edition Yello mains cable when used to feed the PowerBar S. I can only imagine the potential benefits I would enjoy if I had been supplied with enough Evolution-100 PowerKord cables to power each individual component in my system

Value For Money:

You could build your own quality mains cables for less, but DIY builders are not Russ Andrews’ target market. I feel these products are competitively priced compared to the direct competition. If you intend to take advantage Russ Andrews’ upgrade scheme, value for money becomes truly excellent. Also worth mentioning is that Russ Andrews products have always enjoyed strong resale values.

We Loved:

Refined and detailed performance. Major sonic upgrade over stock cables and extension block. Great looks of both PowerBar and, especially, the Evolution-100 PowerKord . Clear upgrade path and 60-day trial.

We Didn’t Love So Much:

Nothing, other than I would have loved to have had the chance to power my whole system, with Evolution-100 PowerKord cables,

Elevator Pitch Review: Russ Andrews 30^th Anniversary Edition Yellow cables and PowerBar S, offer a great introduction to the Russ Andrews range of mains products and show just how much benefit even entry-level, dedicated high-performance audio mains cables and extension blocks can give overstock items. The step-up to the Evolution-100 PowerKord illustrates that there is much to be gained from venturing up the ladder of the Russ Andrews range of mains cables.

Prices:

30^th Anniversary Edition Yello Mains Cables – from £65 for 1m, available in various configurations

Evolution-100 PowerKord – from £169 for 0.5m, again lots of different options available.

PowerBar S Extension Block – from £113 as a 4 way, up to 8 way available, Superclamp fitted option an additional £11. £158 for the 6 Way with Superclamp, as tested here.

SUPPLIED BY RUSS ANDREWS

Chris Baillie