The HC connection looks more complicated, but I would not dare to try changing plug on Source either. I have all new version of Dragons, and most consider the latest version sounds superior to older ones.
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The front part of the AC outlet is identical. The screws must be used because of the correct length of the Audioquest connector. The Furutech FI-48 (NCF) is my choice because only the front connector part can be used and an expensive FI-50 carbon shell does not have to be used. Audioquest’s Schuko plug is slightly different. Internally the connectors look like cheap connectors.
With the Dragon Source I only swapped the IC connector to the component. I did this because my component has a Furutech Rhodium NCF inlet. I prefer the same materials for the contacts.
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Right now my two AQ Dragon Sources are serving LHY switches. I replaced one Chinese Oden2 with Furutech FI-50 plugs ($700 real😆) on SW-6, and it was replaced by a Dragon S a couple days ago. I have not heard a major change frankly. Either this secondary switch is less important in the chain, or the Furutech plugs elevated the performance of the cord, I’m not sure.
My new power cable still needs three weeks of break in, so it’s too early to conclude anything.
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I couldn’t say it better, something different. The new version is pure silver, like in the second photo. The old version is a mix of silver and copper conductors. Your new power cord also uses a mixture. The new Source plays more openly, but also less full in the midrange. The old version has a little more warmth in the midrange, but is not quite as open as the new version. They are both good cables, just with small differences in sound.
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I changed the plugs in the old version. In the new version, the conductors are also soldered into the plug, at least in the new version that I got from Luca. Since these are soldered, I didn’t change them. I could imagine that your connectors on the new source cable were also soldered. Since these have also been soldered, the contact and hold of the conductors is better. I think your Aliexpress cables have already been upgraded with the plugs. I can hear a difference with the switch directly in front of the streamer. With the switch after the modem the difference is also present, but to a lesser extent. I have an Audioquest Hurricane Source there. There may be a difference to a Dragon Source or the Furutech DPS-4.1, but I wouldn’t pass a blind test there. The changes, if any, will be forgotten by the next day at the latest. I feel the same way about the cable modem and the power supply. Even though I used a Hurricane Source there because I had it left over, I wouldn’t in good conscience recommend that anyone buy a new, expensive cable there.
Now you can perhaps say that many, many small differences add up to a noticeable difference.
In any case, that’s how I justify one or two upgrades. You know that. 
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Similar results in my system too. When I changed the Chinese cable (FI-50 plugs too) with AQ S. on SW-10 that’s close to MU2, I heard a noticeable improvement. AQ S. replaced the same at SW-6 made un-noticeable difference 
Maybe I will put the Dragon at the satellite to see if that will help more.
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Or get a Network Acoustics Tempus instead that will make a noticeable improvement.
I wonder how much better Tempus will sound compared to the Duo LHY SW10/FO/SW6 combo. Does it make meaningful improvement? LHY is working on a replacement of SW-10 so I will wait first for the review.
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The combo Muon Pro and Tempus should outperform any FO based solution. Both also got many excited reviews. And I went the FO route for some years too before switching to the Network Acoustics combo.
So will be exciting for you to see.
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The Muon Pro system has improved my system more for sure, and it makes sense Tempus will be a great match to it. When I get bored with my current setup I may give it a try. There was a discount offered, and I missed it, too bad.
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Great to hear! Just contact them when things are right for you, as an existing customer I am sure they find an attractive offer for you.
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Yes, Donald, our friend Luca went that route. If I hadn’t added the Farad Super 10 LPS to my Melco S100 switch, I probably would have followed suit. Donald, we can be happy and content with what we have now. 
Some people put the phone on the table and think it’s a good sound. 
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The Farad Super10 is absolutely outstanding. But it will also work with other components, when you are willing to upgrade Melco to Tempus 
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AQ Dragon PC (latest version) was a darlin to me a year ago as you can read from this thread. But lately it was beaten by so many others out there, and by my newer purchases too. I switched the PC at MU2 from SRA Takshaka to AQ Dragon HC a couple of nights ago. I left MU2 on during this time. Up to a couple of months ago, Dragon HC was at MU2 until Takshaka showed up. I was told Tak. needs more than a month to reach full potential. It is time to evaluate how much difference I would hear now that both cables are fully settled.
Finally last night I sit down to listen to my system more attentively (it has been a while since I do analytic listening). Hmm, the sound is exceedingly clean and clear, but what happened to the soul of my system?
The big change is that the sound became lean and too polite. Mind you I did not remove SRA Tak. but simply switched the Dragon HC with it between MU2 and LHY SW-10. So, SRA Tak. is still serving SW-10. But the SQ change is substantial. SRA Tak. at MU2 made the system sounding fuller, smoother, and more vivid. This is quite shocking since I have been using AQ Dragons (one HC and two Sources) for so long and I always liked the SQ. However, the system now sounded cold and dry! Dragons do provide a deep black background, but that is about it.
I promptly put back the SRA Tak. and it was like the magic of music has come back. It could be that three Dragons are doing too much cleaning in my system. I remember a couple of years ago when I added a ZenWave PSR-11 to power P15, I loved the more lifelike presentation back then, now I feel the same with Takshaka serving MU2. There is no question to me now that Dragon has a unique sound signature, and one needs to careful on how many to use.
Now let’s talk about Dragon HC to Dragon Source. I know Dragon S. is designed for sources, but I do not think there is much difference in terms of structural design between the two, HC has more silver conductors than Source simply, I believe. I continue to like HC more than Source for sources. The sound is more dynamic and full-bodied. In fact, if Dragon HC sounded dry, Source is even more so. Source could sound smoother and calmer than HC for sources, but the longer I listen to it in MU2 and DS MK2, the boring the SQ gets. Switching back to HC, the dynamic and fullness are back. Dragon HC is the better one in both sources and amps in my system, clearly!
SRA Takshaka is back into MU2, and Dragons are serving somewhere else, this has proved to be the best combination for me.
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I think it’s the other way around. The HC is both and silver/copper. I don’t think the source has any copper in it. But as far as better cables you are not wrong. AQ claims they want their cables to get out of the way of the music. When I heard the Stealth Cloude Grande on the Grimm MU1 that is a cable that gets out of the way. It made the Dragon sound like a $200 cable in comparison but CG is at least double the cost of dragon.
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Right, I should take out the word silver, and simply say HC has more conductors. Stealth should sound better for sure with its retail price. It should compare to cables such as Siltech Crown.
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You can find the Dragon Source’s design a little further up. The old Source will have a similar sound signature to the HC, as it has the same design but with slightly thinner silver and copper conductors. The new Source has only a single silver conductor. This one sounds more open, but is a bit thinner in the midrange than the old Dragon Source. The new one might work better with sources or a switch. I prefer the old Source with the preamp, as it has a slightly fuller midrange sound.
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You would think for a cord over $4k they can throw in two silver conductors, even a gold conductor. 
The ZenWave (11awg) and Takshaka (9 to 10 awg) are designed for any component, and of course it is overkill but overkill is better than thin on any component.
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I agree with you, Donald. The new source version looks like a slimmed-down version of the old one, missing an additional silver conductor and a copper conductor. The old version has copper conductors for grounding, while the new version only has a silver conductor. I’ve already posted photos above.
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