Marc Mickelson

June 1997

More is Better: Marigo RMX Reference Ultra Power Cords

Think back to...March. Bill Clinton was President, Hi Fi '97 was just a gleam in many an audiophile's eye, and I reviewed the Marigo RMX Reference Ultra power cords. I found the Ultras to provide definite improvement to my system, even though I had just two cords to use. Enter Ron Hedrich, Mayor of Marigonia, who, like a politician, was full of promises, namely to send me three more cords and a Marigo RMX Reference AC Distribution Center so that I could power my whole system with them and thus get the complete picture of the Marigo treatment.

The additional cords and power center arrived shortly after the review was published. I won't say more about the Ultra's construction or materials--see the original review instead. The AC Distribution Center has its own integral Ultra power cord, and this provides a level of passive conditioning to the power it, uh, distributes to six hospital-grade outlets (you can order it with up to 14 outlets or have them added as your system grows). It has a handsome case--it looks like a DAC or other component--but it's really nothing more than its name implies: a routing device for your system's power. Marigo can add 20,000-amp surge/spike protection to the AC Distribution Center for $100. The unit I received (and have subsequently purchased) didn't include this.

In my original review of the Ultra cords, I noted the increased dynamics and sense of power wrought by a pair of the Ultra cords. Having five cords in my system along with the AC Distribution Center just put me further down the same road. I was especially surprised at how much more airy and open my system sounded--and these were not subtle differences. The American/Infinite Zero remastered CD version of Devo's New Traditionalists keeps the too-warm sound of the original vinyl that I used to have intact. With the full Marigo setup in place, however, the CD opened up in ways the vinyl never could, ultimately revealing that the recording itself is too dense and murky to begin with. I do think the remastered CD, with bonus tracks, is certainly more worthy of your money than the original Warner Brothers CD or vinyl.

So some things in the never-never land of high-end audio do make sense. Two Marigo Ultra cords are good, and five with the AC Distribution Center are even better. I wrote it before and I'll write it again: the Ultras aren't cheap, but they're worth their lofty price given the improvements they bring to the music. If you can find a dealer who can outfit your entire system with them, you just might find that you're a whole lot poorer--but rich in musical bliss.

...Marc Mickelson
marc@soundstage.com

Click Here for Marc's March 1997 Review of the Marigo RMX Reference Ultra