ArgentPur PC12 power cords by Greg Voth

I first became aware of Ernest Meunier when I reviewed his ArgentPur 13 (13AWG/2.4MM2) speaker cables in early 2023 (in these pages). Those cables were a custom-ordered 2.5-meter pair, terminated in spades (ArgentPur’s construction is banana/spades). I used my Opera Consonance M100SE 40 watts per channel integrated amplifier for the review. When I received Meunier’s ArgentPur PC12 power cables for review this year, that same pair of 2.5-meter ArgentPur 13 speaker cables was again provided by Clement, so I once again brought out the M100SE integrated.

Shortly thereafter, our lives took a turn, with a second brought on by COVID-19, worse than the first. With a medication mismatch and a few fainting spells in one night, I ended up in the hospital some weeks later, being treated for two brain bleeds. Recovery has been a bit too slow (concerning my left hand), but exercise is improving. I’ve never been a world-class typist – at least, I have an excuse now. A word of advice: if you ever feel you might pass out, lie on the ground first – don’t let gravity do it for you!

Finally listening again, with my integrated connected to my Tekton Double Impacts as before, I’m listening to digital files through an Auris BluMe Pro Bluetooth high-resolution receiver and a single ArgentPur PC12 power cable powering the tube integrated. This time, I’ve replaced the Opera’s fuse with a new graphene “Sluggo” and inserted a Vera-Fi Audio’s Swiss Digital Fuse Box (review in these pages) between the Opera and ArgentPur PC12 power cable to provide the necessary component protection. In addition, a Vera-Fi Audio Main Stream (review on these pages) now stands in duty in the power strip.

Clement asked if I wanted to attend Capital Audio Fest, riding down with him for a day as we’d done in the past. I had to decline – just weeks out of the hospital, I felt it too soon to be in crowds or on my feet for much of a day there. I had written to Meunier previously, and we spoke by phone sometime after CAF. Meunier was in attendance at the Atrium Marketplace.

Tech Talk Etc.. with Ernest Meunier

I wrote and asked Meunier to enlighten me about his PC12 power cable development and how he started, and he replied, “Let’s see… The original discovery of improving the soundstage and removing top octaves’ etch was when I replaced my reference speakers’ jumpers with pure Ag. I then made speaker cables of the same, presenting them to my buddy Walter at FIDELIS. He passed them to his golden-eared evaluator, who, after a week, sold off his highly-curated [G.V.: far more expensive cables] and had me make him a complete ArgentPur loom.

Harbeth’s dealer network had NO interest in taking on a new cable line, so I recently reset my MSRPs about 1/3 less for a direct sale model. But I’m getting ahead of myself…”

Last year, I solved a client’s significant noise issue in a Manhattan condo by making him a custom SHIELDED RCA in monocoque construction. I was also asked to make Power Cables. Given that the needs therein are different, using pairs of simpler 18AWG pure Ag could make reasonably supple PCs. Thus, the PC15 (all front ends) and PC12 (all amps) were born, with a rarely recommended big PC10 for big dedicated lines and conditioners. I added the smallest PC18 for very light front-end loads at an even more attractive price.”

Power Cables? I [Meunier] sometimes doubt their effects, but a couple of younger pros with better ears than mine suggest that my PC15 and PC12 perform WAY above their reference cables. I DO know that after exhaustive comparisons, my Monoblocs fully cabled with Ag perform a quantum level better than the core OEM amp modules. The soundstage and timbral realism I obtain in my ref system are breathtaking.”

Note: Meunier is also now making AgPur wired GaN-FET amps.

The ArgentPur PC12 power cables

According to the ArgentPur site, the PC12 power cables consist of matrices of twisted pairs of solid pure Ag [silver] strands individually threaded through their air-cushioned fluorocarbon tubes… just like all AgPur products. Stock sizes are 1.5M, terminated with premium Viborg 503S Ag plugs.

The PC12 is described on the company site thusly:” Twelve individuated heavy solid pure Ag strands (total 12AWG) provide a clear choice for nearly all moderate-to-high current components, including most large amplifiers…  Experience suggests that an all-AgPur power cord family preserves utmost transparency.”

Meunier added, “… my [power cables are comprised of] solid pure Ag (hence the name) [with] each solid strand hand-threaded through very voluminous Teflon tubes, the matrices sitting in a light and minimalist Techflex cover. ALL connectors are silvered for a complete Ag through-path.”

Listening

First up was Arild Andersen, Daniel Sommer, and Rob Luft’s album “As Time Passes” (2024 April Records). Luft delivered lilting guitar lines, accompanied by Sommer’s playful percussive work, as Andersen’s deep textural bass provided the glue holding the trio together. Emotive, moving, dynamic with air, I thought to myself. I sat entranced. With the tube integrated turned up a bit, I heard a deeper stage and further into the music as this trio spread out more to the ear, creating relaxing melodies that drifted effortlessly from one track to the next. With the PC12 power cable in place, this album, which was listened to a number of times during this review (and many times for enjoyment as well), expanded in stage depth, bass response, dynamic contrast, transparency, and instrumental body.

On Ea, the second track, the drums started things off, sounding quite honest, with the bass drum particularly bold, as multiple guitar parts were tracked (or a looping pedal utilized) as Luft plucked and played around the primary theme. Andersen’s bass doubled the occasional guitar line here and there as Luft added instrumental swells. Unexpected rim shots caught me by surprise. The PC12 cable added something more than my reference power cables.

Water/H2O (feat. Sy Smith) found on Richie Goods & Chien Chien Lu’s “Connected Vol. 1” (2023 RichMan Music, Inc) leans heavily into percussion and low-frequency extension while offering a respite from the usual fusion spectacular. There is a connection between the sweet vocal accompaniments heard, the taut imaging, the air and dynamic contrasts, and the thoughtful marimba and piano playing. “Connected Vol. 1” has often become a pleasure to play since I stumbled upon it last year. The PC12 power cable’s addition in this simple set-up appeared to dial up pleasure, fleshing out the detail and enhancing instrumental focus. A hint of laid-back “smooth fusion” is presented, and as this album progresses, it’s thoughtfully interspersed with conversations about the time of the pandemic in which it was recorded.

Dianne Reeves’ rendition of Laura Nyro’s To A Child on Billy Childs’ “Map to the Treasure – Reimagining Laura Nyro” (2014 Sony Masterworks) provided material for the PC 12 power cable to shine. The strings were rich and emotive, and the bass more than ample, as the twinkle of the piano aptly accompanied Reeves’s beautiful vocal, driving the arrangement. Smooth, thick strings with acoustic guitar and cello phrasing and delicate percussion were thoughtfully rendered with the PC12 power cable in this setup. The sound stage width, depth, dynamics, and transients were smile-inducing throughout my listening to this recording.

With a play of the track, whatsoever, from Lee Pardini’s “Home Bodies” (2021 GroundUp Music), I found the much-played album had more “oomph” and a grander presence than previously heard. Instrumental body and presence were far and away superior and with the PC12 in place. I find it hard to believe that my 23-year-old tube integrated presented this, not to mention what the bluMe Pro Bluetooth 5 DAC can deliver – the bluMe Pro DAC has an impressive chipset (why I bought it a few years back). As Pardini’s second track, Main Title, played, I heard skins a-poppin’ with incredible depth and a soundstage that drew me in. Killer track! This album got me through a good part of the pandemic.

The Wrap

The ArgentPur PC12 power cable improved my enjoyment of our Opera Consonance tube unit. Meunier offers a 27-day trial for a demo of a 1.5M length of the PC12 cable. That’s enough time for you to dig it.

Specifications:

Product reviewed: ArgentPur PC12 power cable

Price: $1200 for 1M (27-day trial available for demo length of 1.5 M)

website: https://argentpur.audio

Email: info@argentpur.audio

Contact:

Ernest A. Meunier

Phone: 781-526-3860