October 2007 Reviewed by Roger Kanno	Essential Sound Products AVP-16 Power Cord and AV Power-Flow Pro Power Distributor

Description Model: AVP-16 Price: $199 USD per 2m cord Model: A/V Power-Flow Pro Price: $599 USD Warranty: Five years parts and labor	Features UL and hospital-grade certification Complex multiple-conductor array (power cords) Compacted-strand, oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper wire (power cords) Optional 90-degree angled IEC plugs (power cords) Internally damped, ribbed, extruded-aluminum chassis (power distributor) Custom Leviton hospital-grade outlets (power distributor) Hardwired AVP-14 inlet cord (power distributor)

Essential Sound Products (ESP) has quietly manufactured high-quality power products for over ten years. These have included The Essence and, more recently, The Essence Reference power cords. Marc Mickelson reviewed both versions of this highly regarded product and found them comparable to statement-level AC cords from other manufacturers, but at prices decidedly lower. In 1999, I reviewed ESP’s moderately priced A/V Power-Flow Pro AC cord and power distributor. Though now discontinued, they have been my reference power products ever since.

ESP recently redesigned their line of entry-level products, which includes the 14-gauge AVP-14 and 16-gauge AVP-16 cords and the all-new A/V Power-Flow Pro power distributor. ESP claims that these products improve the performance of both audio and video systems, and are robust enough for professional use. For this review, they provided me with the AVP-16 ($199 per 2m cord) and the A/V Power-Flow Pro ($599).

Professional quality

ESP’s new AVP cords may look similar to their predecessors, but perhaps the biggest difference is that they’re now mass-produced. This might not seem a good thing, but it does permit strict quality standards to be met, and the AVPs to thus receive UL certification. While handmade audiophile cords can be manufactured with great care and to very high safety standards, without mass production, UL certification is simply not possible. According to Michael Griffin, president of ESP, the AVPs are the only AC cords with a complex multiple-conductor array to meet UL safety standards. Most UL-approved cords typically use a single line, neutral, and ground conductor. The AVPs also have hospital-grade certified plugs and connectors. Their IEC connectors are available as standard straight connectors, or angled 90 degrees to the left or right at no additional cost.

The AVP-16’s cord geometry is similar to that used in ESP’s top-of-the-line Essence Reference, but with three line and neutral conductors instead of four. Oxygen-free high-conductivity (OFHC), compacted-strand copper wire is used because it’s said to perform like a solid conductor while retaining strength and flexibility. The AVP-16 also features a braided copper shield and a single "oversized" 14-gauge ground conductor. The hospital-grade molded connectors and plugs have crimped and soldered connections.

The A/V Power-Flow Pro power distributor has three custom hospital-grade duplex outlets from Leviton that are individually wired back to the inlet cord, effectively isolating them from each other. The ribbed chassis of extruded aluminum is filled with a proprietary damping material that coats the chassis and internal wiring for added safety and to reduce resonance. The Power-Flow Pro has mode 1 surge suppression (ground wire protection mode) between its hot and neutral legs, and a fast-blow ceramic fuse to protect connected equipment. An AVP-14 power cord (a heavier-gauge version of the AVP-16 with an additional line and neutral conductor) is hardwired to the Power-Flow Pro.

The AVP-16 and A/V Power-Flow Pro are not cryogenically treated, and they use compacted-strand instead of solid-core conductors, but are otherwise similar to ESP’s far more expensive Essence Reference products. Their high-performance design features, sturdy construction, and UL and hospital-grade certifications make the AVP-16 and A/V Power-Flow Pro seem a lot of product for the prices.

Setup

I replaced the original ESP cords in my system with the new AVP-16 cords, which I alternately plugged into either the new A/V Power-Flow Pro or a ZeroSurge 1MOD15WI surge suppressor. Components included an Anthem D2 audio/video processor, Oppo DV-970HD universal player, and Bel Canto eVo6 multichannel and e.One REF1000 monoblock amplifiers. My 34" JVC HDTV CRT monitor has a hardwired AC cord, so I wasn’t able to use it with the ESP, though I did plug it into the new Power-Flow Pro.

Sight and sound

When I first listened to my system with the new ESP products, I immediately noticed how much quieter it had become. Very-low-level details were now more perceptible. I was able to hear deeper into music and further into complex movie soundtracks; my system’s background noise now seemed almost nonexistent.

Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible [CD, Warner Bros. 9362499987] isn’t a classic, but it’s a well-produced contemporary jazz album that sounded wonderful through the ESPs. The ultra-catchy vocals on "Everything" aren’t especially dynamic, but they were expressive. The acoustic guitar was rich, with a lot of twang. Things got even better on "The Best Is Yet to Come," with crystal-clear vocals and finger snaps and a robust horn section. The harmonies of Boyz II Men on "Comin’ Home Baby" were silky smooth, and the percussion, especially the kick drum, was punchy and visceral.

Listening to Elvis Presley’s Elvis: 30 #1 Hits [DVD-Audio, RCA 0786365053] gave me a new appreciation of the King. The 5.1-channel remix of "In the Ghetto" had some really nice ambience to it, but it was Elvis’s hauntingly clear voice that grabbed my attention. "Suspicious Minds" is a more straightforward mix with a superb combination of clear, fast guitar picking, tight percussion, and vocals that imaged precisely between the front speakers.

Film soundtracks also benefited from the ESPs. The opening scene of Elektra has the usual over-the-top sound effects, such as gunfire from automatic weapons, but it’s the music and the surround ambience that distinguish this soundtrack from those of so many other action movies. With the new ESP products there was plenty of punch and dynamics, but the swirling sound of the wind and the enveloping music score were exhilarating. Even sounds buried deep in the mix, such as the rustling of leaves or the delicate movement of clothing in The House of Flying Daggers, were easily perceptible. Additionally, there was a clarity and naturalness to even these subtle sound effects that enhanced the realism of the auditory experience.

ESP claims that their power products improve video as well as audio performance. They did indeed produce deeper, blacker blacks, more vibrant colors, and seemed to reduce video noise. The film adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel Sin City doesn’t have a lot of color, but its finely crafted, dreamlike CGI landscapes and stark lighting will test a video display’s ability to reproduce detail. From the stubble and glistening tar on Clive Owen’s face to Rosario Dawson’s fishnet bodysuit, the high-contrast black-and-white images were always sharply defined, heightening the impact of the surreal cinematography.

Comparison

The Essential Sound Products AVP-16 power cords and A/V Power-Flow Pro power distributor offered definite improvements over the stock power cords provided with most components. While the differences weren’t on the same scale as swapping out a component, using all AVP-16 power cords and the A/V Power-Flow Pro made noticeable improvements in my system’s audio and video performance.

Compared to my longtime reference, ESP’s now-discontinued power cords ($299) and their original power distributor ($499), everything was just a little bit better with the new ESP products. The bass of the DTS CD of Boyz II Men’s II [DTS 1021510012] was especially well defined. With the original ESPs, the sound had seemed slightly muted. The baritone voice on "Yesterday" now sounded clearer and less boomy, and the catchy drum beat of "Thank You" was faster and tighter. There was now less smearing of the sound, and images were more focused.

With the new ESPs, the video noise generated by the upscaling circuitry of the Oppo DV-970HD universal player was slightly decreased, and the night-sky scenes on the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD exhibited subjectively less noise. The video deinterlacing and scaling circuits of the Anthem D2 audio/video processor didn’t seem nearly as affected, if at all, when I switched back and forth between the old and new ESP cords and distributors.

The new A/V Power-Flow Pro compared favorably with the ZeroSurge 1MOD15WI surge suppressor ($420) in making similar improvements in my system’s audio and video performance. The Power-Flow Pro’s mode 1 surge suppression isn’t as technically advanced as the ZeroSurge’s series-mode suppression, but it counters with better parts quality and more solid construction. The original A/V Power-Flow Pro also offered improved audio and video performance, but not to the same degree as the new version, or the ZeroSurge.

Conclusion

The new Essential Sound Products AVP-16 power cord and A/V Power-Flow Pro power distributor are marked improvements over their predecessors. The A/V Power-Flow Pro costs only $100 more than the old version, but adds many improvements, including a hardwired AVP-14 power cord, hospital-grade outlets, surge suppression, and internal damping. And the AVP-16 power cord actually costs $100 less than the now-discontinued ESP cords I was using. In fact, a full complement of five AVP-16 power cords and the A/V Power-Flow Pro power distributor costs $400 less than their older ESP counterparts, which had for so long served my system.

I highly recommend these moderately priced, high-performance power products.

Manufacturer contact information:

Essential Sound Products
PO Box 81998
Rochester, MI 48308-1998
Phone: (248) 375-2655
Fax: (248) 375-2701

E-mail: info@essentialsound.com
Website: www.essentialsound.com

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