Once in a while, bargains will appear in the "High End" land of audio and the Fantasy AC-10 Power Cord is surely one of them. I am temped mightily at declaring them the best all copper AC cable under $1000, if only I'd heard all the candidates. Let's say instead they are the best High End power cord under $1000 I know of in the here and now! Recently upgraded with the newest Furutech plugs, at $420 for 2 meters, these are killer cords!

How do you know when your after market power cord is right? Ever owned a coloring book? The goal was to color perfectly within the lines, not less, not more. You must also use the most correct colors [and not too bright or dull] and be careful not to smear the images. This is how your power cord should perform. Musical images should be solid, well defined, and timbres spot on. If you are lacking these attributes and have invested in top electronic components, it could very well be your power cords are letting you down.

There are basically 2 types of power cords on the market. Those made of copper and those made of rare and precious metals. The all copper variety is often somewhat warmer and richer sounding. Those containing silver, aluminum, etc., are often faster and leaner sounding. The biggest, thickest of either type are for heavy loads like power conditioners and amplifiers …say 10 gauge or more. At less than 10 gauge, these cords will serve well in front end gear and low power use. Solid state amplifiers thrive on all copper cords as a rule, while tube gear seems a good fit with cords containing silver and other metals.

Now we look at Harmonic Technology Fantasy AC-10 cord. It's 10 gauge of ultra pure copper [the purest available 99.9997%] produced with their patented "Single Crystal" copper formulation. It also utilizes the more advanced "Balanced Field Geometry" as in its Magic AC Cable that sells for triple the price. It is terminated in very beefy, newly designed Furutech plugs that grab like crazy when attached. It is moderately flexible and fits just about everywhere you need it to go. It requires 72 hours of use to reach its sonic peak.

Within the HT line up, the Fantasy is a musical leap over the low priced Pro AC-12 cable, also all copper. It's unfair to compare the Fantasy to the Magic Cable, which is 2/3s silver, as they sound quite different. I'll address that comparison in a moment. The Fantasy, as a great all copper formulation, joins the all copper Kimber Palladium as the two most consistently musical power cords available and an amazing compliment to solid state gear. At less than half the cost of the Palladium, the Fantasy is a remarkable bargain.

The Fantasy is the image king. With full, powerful, richly colored, natural images, you are involved in the performances. I loved it on big solid state gear and on front end SACD players and the like. With tons of definition, quiet backgrounds due to lots of shielding, and super smooth highs, this is THE power cord to buy in its price range. Even plugged into my SET amplifier, it behaved intensely musically. It was a superb match for my tube gear, but you should try it first to see how it works with your valve setup. I unconditionally recommend it for all solid state uses. It may be the best you'll ever need in this application regardless of price.

I did compare the Fantasy to the $2000 Magic AC Cables and found that the Magic was faster and brighter than the Fantasy …and more detailed, too, in many applications. I hedged because I actually preferred the Fantasy with my new solid state NuForce 9.02 Amplifiers over the Magic. The NuForce sounded more "musically right." This result was reversed with my E.A.R. 890 tube amplifier, where I preferred the super detailed Magic sound. I also preferred the Magic with my World Power Wing Power Conditioner attached to my entire system. I preferred the Fantasy with my tubed ModWright Sony SACD player. The Fantasy was fabulous with my Pass X1 preamp though the Magic was also superb and a bit snappier. You get the picture. One size does not fit all!

In the cost is no object price range, I still prefer and recommend the Magic AC power cords in most applications with tubes and other high power AC requirements.

But for the price, the Fantasy is a fantasy come true for all audiophiles! You'll love the sweet, extended highs. The midrange definition and drive are superb. The bass is deep, gorgeous, and textured. And those images …all colored naturally within the lines and alive with drama. I love this AC cable. It has such an even response at all frequencies and is neutral in the best sense. It is really well shielded and this is important when used with super high quality components with ultra low noise floors.

The Fantasy AC-10 Power Cord is Harmonic Technology's best 100% copper AC power cord to date. With new Furutech plugs and priced right, this is the best under $1000 power cord I've heard so far. With extended and even frequency response, lots of shielding, and imaging to die for, this is one great power cord to own. May be all you'll ever need with solid state amps and components, regardless of pedigree, the Fantasy gives you a very goodly percentage of the top end HT Magic silver power cord at a third of the cost. I preferred the Fantasy in some applications over any other AC cable at any price!  You have no excuse to not maximizing your expensive high end audio components now that the Fantasy is available. My recommendation is to buy it before the price goes up! Robert H. Levi

Fantasy AC-10 AC cord
Retail: $320 (1-meter)

Harmonic Technology
web address: www.harmonictech.com