September 24, 2009

  • MIT Z-Cord II, Part 3

    Some time in the Fall 1984 semester, my classmate Irish enthusiastically came up to me, and suggested I listen to this band called Queensryche.  We thought that was a funny name.  Irish said the music wasn't quite like anything else he had heard.  He told me what it wasn't, such as the Scorpions, Def Leppard, or Iron Maiden.  The closest he could come up with was Judas Priest (primarily because Geoff Tate's voice can soar like the Priest's Rob Halford). 

    I borrowed Queensryche's The Warning, and listened to it in the comfort of my room.  Regardless of what we called this kind of music, one song, "Take Hold Of The Flame" really stood out.  Its bluesy feel really went hand-in-hand with the fog which would roll in through the Golden Gate.  I fondly recall taking the cassette with me, as I once went to China Beach, and saw that fog roll in.  At night, while lying in bed, I'd keep the curtain open, and peer out into the foggy sky, and hear the fog horns.  Ever since then, it has been a requirement of any audio component to recreate that mood, whenever I play "Take Hold Of The Flame." 

    The dock on Angel Island is actually on the north side.  When you are here, the island itself blocks your view of San Francisco.  So you see Marin County and, on a clear day, past the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to Solano County.  But anyway, it is unusual that in the pic above, there is no fog.  Without the fog, I didn't feel like listening to "Take Hold Of The Flame," LOL!

    Anyway, during those times I hung out at Ultimate Sound during the mid-90s, many customers tried and bought the MIT Z-Cord II.  It was common to see this powercord on California Audio Labs gear.  And like I mentioned yesterday, if you like the sound of your equipment with stock cords, a Z-Cord II will not alter the tonal balance, but at the same time, will remove some grain.

    I also mentioned yesterday that the Z-Cord II only comes in two lengths: 2-meters and 3-meters.  For many users, that 2-meter length is too long.  However, the Z-Cord II is just a slightly thicker-than-usual cord, so it will bend and coil.

    In 2003, Queensryche's The Warning was re-issued, this time with three bonus tracks.  One of which is an interesting 10/24/94 live performance of "The Lady Wore Black."  Be sure to check it out.