I positively reviewed the High Fidelity Cables MC-0.5 and had a chance to hear a few other plug conditioners. At first blush, the upcoming MC-1 Pro ($1,599) looks like three MC-0.5s joined together.
Turns out, there’s more than meets the eye.
What’s the difference between the MC-1 Pro and the MC-0.5?
Here’s what Rick Schultz, High Fidelity Cables’ lead designer, had to say:
All of our technologies, including the MC-0.5, indeed works off magnetic conduction but in regards to the MC-1 Pro, the similarities end there. The MC-1 Pro has a new active circuit that helps strengthen the magnetic system. This “active” magnetic system exists only in our Pro Elite power conditioners but operates a bit differently. This system helps to better center electrons and functions as if it were wired in series. A simple series of capacitors are used to help the magnets center the electrons. They are used for the magnetic waveguide not as a filter themselves.
Without its active portion, the MC-1 Pro already offers up magnetic power up to Ultimate Reference levels. Due to its active portion, what we essentially have is a brand new product development with a different way of doing things.
How many MC-0.5 does it take to equal a MC-1 Pro?
That would be akin to asking: How many cars does it take to equal a plane? They weren’t meant to be compared. No amount of MC-0.5 will ever add up to a MC-1. They both filter and have different sonic characteristics. For one, the MC-1 Pro has much better filtering technologies for AC in ways a million MC-0.5s can’t achieve. Instead, it is meant to be used in conjunction with the MC-0.5 and other power conditioning products.
So is MC-1 Pro simply a better device all around?
Yes, but the MC-0.5 is an incredible value proposition. It’s a cheap tweak that will substantially elevate your system. The Pro is for very high-end systems that provides a refinement in sound. Its filtering approach is also closer to that of a traditional power conditioner. In short, the active MC-1 Pro has more magnetic power and does a much better job at cleaning the signal as well and the spinning electron wave we call power.
More to come…
Wow, I can’t wait to try this out. HFC cables do things no others can.
I can’t wait to see how each compares either. Yet I’d like to know at a bare minimum just how many MC-0.5s should I be looking to use in my listening area?, as I’ve been told 3 should be where one starts and ends. I ask as I’d like to invest in them, but can’t remotely think of buying upwards of 30!.
We use one in our reference traditional two-channel setup, in the same circuit that the power conditioner is plugged into. Occasionally we may pop a second one in based on tweaking variables and maybe the type of music we’re listening to.
Hope that helps,
Siao
I will be adding one with the 48 MC O5s i already have in my system
My two High Fidelity MC-0.5 are truly special at their price-range: separation、clarity、black background、a liquid and dense presentation, the lowest octave becomes more apparent. It is as if the magnetic-field is driving the speakers along with the power-amp. The High-Fidelity-Cable sound signature is simply different from any other things I’ve heard.
On critical listening I also take the MC-0.5 out for a change. Because the High-Fidelity-Cable sound is so different from any other components, without them I feel I am more listening to my other components (especially my power-amp), there is a more “original” speed contrast (the quick v.s. the slow) and much blander sound that I can sometimes also appreciate.