Comparative review Tellurium Q Black II Power cable

Published : 2022-01-26 - Categories : Categories , Last hi-fi news , Reviews

Tellurium Q Black II Power Cable

One Of the driving ambitions of Tellurium Q is to continually upgrade its products. To this end, it has recently updated its Black range of power cables with the release of the Black II, at the same cost as the original. The company focuses its research on electric signals, physical phenomena and choice of materials. As a result, the Black II has different conductors, insulators and conductor geometry, as well as improvements to the overall shielding, compared with the original. For the review, I have been sent both cables. They look similar and are fitted with high-quality Furutech connectors, but the Black II is slightly more flexible.

I connect the original power cable to my valve phono stage and valve preamp and commence listening on my Studer A810 with a 1960 15IPS master tape recording of Mstislav Rostropovich and the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra playing Schumann’s Concerto For Cello and Orchestra. The recording has a huge dynamic range and Rostropovich’s exceptional cello playing really comes across beautifully. Swapping to the Black II and playing the tape again, this time Rostropovich’s cello playing has more expression and emotion. The soundstage widens and the orchestra is more dynamic. Meanwhile, the position of the cello in my room is more clearly defined.

Black power

Sticking with the Black II and playing Eva Cassidy singing Ain’t No Sunshine, the opening acoustic guitar solo is superbly clear, and when Cassidy joins in, her vocals have real presence in the room. The bass is rich and deep, and all of the music’s emotional qualities come across beautifully well.

When I repeat the track but with the original Black power cable fitted, the music is still excellent overall but the vocals sound undeniably slightly more recessed.

There’s no doubt in my mind that, compared with its predecessor, the Black II offers a notable improvement in audio quality with a new level of refinement to the sound. Given that there is no increase in cost, it’s clearly better value for money too.

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