The Dragon clones are really good and Odin is also said to be worth a try. The Dragon power cables have silver-plated copper conductors. There is no such cable in the Audioquest series. It plays surprisingly well. I would perhaps rank it above the Hurricane as it offers more detail. It has more body than a tornado but less warm than hurricane with better details. The DBS works and the plugs are in no way inferior to the originals. I replaced this with Furutech rhodium-plated ncf and the sound became quieter, more dynamic and smoother with better control and focus. Plugs make up a lot of the sound result. . So it’s close on the heels of the original at a reasonable price. I use it as a supply line for my power plant. I like it better there than a Furutech dps-4.1 because it offers a better controlled bass and a tidier stage. I also have the Dragon XLR. It replaced an original audio quest earth. It plays smoother. The dealer said they were the original PSS conductors. I swapped these for MCS conductors from German highend. MCS is a hand-drawn, high-purity silver conductor that is almost similar to a single crystal. This makes it sound incredibly detailed, soft, spatial. I think it will be difficult for the original to maintain its top spot. I only heard the original at my dealer when it came out. I found the price outrageous and jokingly bet him that the cable from Aliexpress was the same. Because it says “made in China” on the packaging. The plugs appear to be the same. The DBS housing has a slightly different plastic mix. Only noticeable when you have both in your hand. The function is given. The plugs seem the same. In both cases the wires are not soldered but are pressed. The Teflon tube is a little stiffer on the Clone. The MCS conductors I use are 0.75mm and double the price. The result is a bargain because at least the conductor material is now superior to the original. If there’s nothing wrong with buying something like this in your own country and you want a cable that’s excellent in terms of price, there’s no reason not to. By the way, according to my research online, the Dragon speaker cable is said to be a real high-flyer. The construction is the same, maybe not pure silver but as I understand it Inconoclast came to the conclusion that the geometry is more important than the conductor material.
Tomorrow I expect a real Dragon source. I hope he’s real. To be on the safe side, disassemble and check the ladder. Also retighten the small screws. Umd maybe upgrade to Furutech ncf (r) in the future.
Do you have a AliExpress Dragon Source to compare? You maybe the first one to evaluate their difference.
One of these days I may just get a “High Current” Dragon to compare to my “Variable Current” Dragon (real😁). I can always replace the plugs with Furutech plugs and use it for LHY switch, assuming it’s better than what I have now.
That’s a deep dive, sort of. If I understand the definition of a clone, it is similar in appearance but not in performance. It’s what’s under the hood, so to speak. Close, but not quite, still a copy, etc., etc.
I would bet that the silver alone in a AQ Dragon exceeds the price of the other “Dragon”. But I digress. I’m just not interested in reiterations that dance around someone else’s good name for their own recognition and gain.
At that time I briefly thought about a Dragon source clone. But in the pictures it looks like the cables are of the same diameter as the HC version. The purchase was made out of curiosity and for fun with my dealer. The XLR cable even has pure silver conductors. When I ordered the cable, I also ordered the MCS silver conductors to be on the safe side. And because I enjoy crafting. The bet and comparison Clone vs Dragon xlr did not materialize. Should I say he chickened out? However, I was asked not to speak about it to any customers in the store. Later I will know more when I get the source. Every now and then you can find used Dragon at, let’s say, a more stable price than used cable thanks to Audioquest’s routine price increases. I’m toying with the idea of swapping the original plugs for ncf ones. The front part fits on the Audioquest rear part. Only the screws have to be replaced with those from the Audioquest. Since the Furutech are a little longer, they don’t fit, wouldn’t be tight or would damage the Audioquest plastic. With the source it could also work without cable lugs. On the HC I used Furutech fork shoes 209 R.
I sold my Dragon Source to Paul. Could not wait to see when you would figure out whether a Dragon HC would work in a “source” situation. Still here if you want to sell.
The power cable has silver-plated copper. I’ll compare it to the original in the next few weeks. The Dragon XLR also has silver conductors. According to the seller the same as the original. There are just different qualities. And I wanted something high quality and chose a conductor material that was superior to the original. Whether it is okay for the Chinese to copy everything remains to be seen. The question is, isn’t it our own fault since almost every company there has cheap production?
In my system I didn’t like a Dragon or Firebird HC on the preamplifier. It played too full, even then a hurricane source was more balanced in my ears. The Dragon was the most impressive cable I had tried on an amplifier or power station. Dynamics and more dynamic remain in the memory.
If I have to point out one extraordinary characteristic of AQ Dragon PC, then it would be its relaxed and silky treble that is quite different than other power cords that I have tried. If clone uses silver plated copper, then it would not be possible to produce Dragon’s signature sound. I am quite familiar with how silver-plated copper cable sound based on my experience with other clone PCs from China. They are good, but still sound inferior to the top dogs from the real things.
It may be the last AQ Dragon I buy. I know where Greg got his so I can trust it TMR or drop shipped from Audioquest. The clones out there are disturbing. I wouldn’t want to take the chance. If not Stealth I’d buy the Gryphon Vanta’s.
Cost of production is only one component. Said good copy company does not have to amortize research, development, distribution, marketing, and a host of other costs born by the original. An easier and less costly path.
If, in the end, the copy is close enough and deemed a value, then that’s a win I guess.
Done with rant.
Yes Donald, the highs of pure high quality silver are detailed but silky. Silver-plated copper doesn’t sound as silky, rather it sounds a bit pointed. The original clone has somewhat cheeky highs. With the NCF plugs it sounds balanced. I’ll look at the source to see if I can screw on the ncf connectors without cable lugs. Whether it sounds better with these or whether it might be too rounded in the highs.
I bought my Dragon from someone who made a good impression. I hope it’s real. I’ll probably get it in the mail soon. The seller said that he exchanged his 5 Dragon for Odin 2. He said the price was crazy. But it would be the only cable that could beat Dragon in his system.
Yes you can call your MU2 guy. Greg originally ordered Dragon XLR’s but was told they didn’t have the connectors to make the cables and they weren’t sure how long it would take to get them so he ordered Sakra V17’s. A inconvenience that worked in his favor performance wise not so much for his pocket book. Lol
Then why are you throwing shade on the Hurricane? All equal to the Dragon, less silver.
I own and love them. A very close second, especially the HC version on amps. The AQ designer himself recommended this direction.
That is value to me.
I tried all Storm cables except Dragon and Fierbird in the Source version because my dealer didn’t have them. The Hurricane plays very pleasantly creamy in the mids. However, it shows few details and information about the recording location. The voices are beautifully and intimately drawn. I use Hurricane source for my power supplies for the switch and CD drive. On the streamer/preamp, the Furutech dps-4.1 showed a lot more information, especially when it comes to the room and reverberation. In the low frequencies, the Hurricane is a little more precise than the Furutech. I hope and assume that if I get the Dragon source straight away it will work more balanced than the Dps-4.1 on the streamer/preamplifier because the Furutech has slightly too strong bass. Another reason that I’ve been here in the forum too often in the last few days and the desire for change arose.
The Fierbird also has a pleasant sound with a little more resolution than the Hurricane. The Fierbird really makes wood sound. It shapes the instruments and voices best from the series. Solidifies things to touch. Compared to the Dragon, it has a denser timbre. It’s less dynamic. The stage is more deep than wide. A nice cable. New price below the Dragon, used but not much cheaper than Dragon. If I can get one cheap it’s worth considering.
I’m toying with the idea of swapping the original plugs for ncf ones. The front part fits on the Audioquest rear part. Only the screws have to be replaced with those from the Audioquest. Since the Furutech are a little longer, they don’t fit, wouldn’t be tight or would damage the Audioquest plastic. With the source it could also work without cable lugs. On the HC I used Furutech fork shoes 209 R.
