Powerline-lite to Shawline upgrade results

Hey all,

I tried an alternative power cable to my Powerline lite; a Chord Shawline (1m going straight from my nova into the wall power outlet).

What I discovered was that I marginally preferred the sound when using the PL Lite.

The Shawline:

Pros-

  • very open and revealing in the treble,
  • slightly stronger in the bass,
  • slightly wider imaging and soundstage

Cons-

  • slightly harsh in the treble, loses the sweetness
  • lacked a little warmth

So, plenty to like about the shawline but the dealbreaker for me is that the treble is just a bit too open sounding. I listen to a lot of jazz and when you’ve got the likes of Coltrane and Hubbard blowing their horns, any harshness in the higher frequencies can spoil the fun. It’s a very thin line, but the chord shawline just crosses over it.

In comparison, the PL lite is a touch warmer, more organic, and just a bit more enjoyable to my ears.

I read somewhere that it is a common finding that when changing a PL lite to a non-naim alternative, the result can be a bit ‘bright’, which may suit some people/systems.

Has anyone experienced this? Care to share your thoughts/findings?

Regards,
Stavs

Best cable for your Nova will probably be a full Powerline. Try one and see if you like it. Around £400 on ebay. If you don’t like it sell it back on there. Will give better bass, more definition and clarity.

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Agreed… have a try on power line … it’s good

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