Power Chord Special Line – Ricable Invictus Power Reference RP15 Cable
Ricable Invictus Power Reference RP15 is a $1021 USD high-end power cable for stereo systems, which you can order in this size, or basically any other size you may need. Today we will review the new Invictus Power Reference and see what kind of change it brings to a DAC, AMP, where it has the highest impact and where it can actually improve your audio system.
Introduction
Ricable always makes interesting, high-end audio cables, so Invictus Power Reference became something I want to review and hear after having experienced the Audience F5 Forte Power cable, which is about half the price of the Invictus Power Reference RP15. Ricable has a high price / performance ratio compared to the market, but they make high-end cables, which users that have not tested high-end cables in audio are somewhat skeptical about, so it all boils down to whether you want to try and learn the path of the cables or if you want to stick to more basic connectors. Even if you don’t believe in the sonic qualities of cables, I highly encourage you to purchase something decent with shielding, at least what Ricable offers in the entry-level to make sure you’re getting the most you can out of your system and not have interference caused by using cheap and ineffective cables.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Ricable has provided the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Official Link – https://www.ricable.com/en/prodotto/invictus-power-reference-cavo-hi-end-di-alimentazione-per-alta-fedelta-hi-fi-tripla-schermatura/
Build Quality – Design
Starting with the idea, Ricable Invictus Power Reference is a High Fidelity Power Cable, ideal for powering High-End Electronics and audio systems. Ricable even recommends it for medical devices, where you need a better and more reliable cable, but let’s start with the beginning, the version we have has a price tag of 1021 Euro, which is roughly 1192 USD, for the 1.5 meters version, named RP15. You can order it as long as three and a half meters, a situation in which the price increases by 326 USD. I recommend not trying to buy a version that is shorter than 1 and a half meters, because RP15 is not very flexible and you may be unable to bend it sufficiently to adapt to your system if you had a version that is shorter than 1 and a half meters.
Ricable has been working on improving and designing the new RP15 Invictus Power Reference for more than a year, with the goal of improving the acoustic performance and control of electronics. I actually wrote the sound quality and impressions part before writing and reading the build quality and design part of the review, to keep my impressions honest for myself, and not biased by what Ricable promises. I can now confirm that this is mostly what it does for a system, and somehow Ricable describes perfectly what I hear, an improvement in control and a lower noise, with what they call a perfectly characterized soundstage, basically indicating that the soundstage is cleaner, and instrument separation improved without a clear increase in the soundstage size.
Invictus Power Reference incorporates R-Tec innovations, including the double dielectric made from a newly developed polymer, with a better dielectric constant and it uses the Germanium Noise Reduction system, placed on the entirety of the cable, which may be why it is so rigid and hard to being compared to most power cables on the market. Ricable also improved the conductors, now using 8.4 mm2 conductors made of 7N MARC Copper, which remain identical in cross-section but decrease by 30% the diameter of the individual strand, increasing the number of wires capillaries to 1140.
Specific Geometry is improved from the predecessor, using triple shielding, that bidirectionally protects the system, but now Ricable implements the more efficient RNR (Ricable Noise Reduction), and Ricable has further lowered the electrical capacitance of the the cable, better isolating the conductor from the shielding itself, for a lower interference. You can order the RP15 Power Reference in any length you may desire, and it comes with a lifetime warranty, Ricable offers Free Returns, and you have a full 60 days to figure out if you like the cable.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the Ricable Invictus Power Reference RP15, I have used it to power a series of DACs and AMPs including FiiO K17, Aune S17 Pro Evo, Sparkos Gemini Headphone Amplifier, Feliks Audio Euforia Evo, HIFIMAN Mini Shangri-La, HIFIMAN Prelude, HIFIMAN Serenade, and Keces S300+. Ricable RP15 has a higher effect on high-end systems where the maximum potential resolution and clarity of the system allows the whole system to scale more with the addition of a high-end cable. It is generally capable of improving any system, as I noticed rather drastic changes even with FiiO K17, but it really shines with HIFIMAN Shangri-La Mini, and Feliks Euforia Evo and Keces S300+. As the changes vary from system to system, this review reflects a sum of changes I noticed while testing the Ricable Invictus Reference Power RP15 cable with multiple systems.
Overall Signature – To be honest, I did not know exactly what kind of changes I should expect from a power cable when installing it in a new system, so I was surprised to hear that it brings about similar changes compared to an upgrade in the speaker cables. I actually wrote this sound impressions part before reading the marketing material and description of the cable, to keep my impressions as pure as possible.
Ricable Invictus Power reference renders a better instrument separation, lower background noise, and a more dynamic, more punchy sound. Separation and definition of each layer improves greatly, although the soundstage size does not change, textures seem to be a bit more organic, smoother, have less hard edges and sound cleaner overall. It feels like RP15 can give music a smoother, more nuanced presentation. This is achieved by allowing textures to be richer with less grain and less harshness.
I find RP 15 to be downright perfect for all music styles including rock, metal, but also classical and jazz. EDM in particular works great with the type of changes it brings, creating a smoother texture and more rounded impact. Bass is just as improved as is the midrange and the treble, we get a fuller, less textured, cleaner bass presentation from RP15. It is the kind of cable that really changes a system for the better. The changes it brings to a system are slightly different from system to system, as each system has the power delivery implemented differently, so for FiiO K17, all of the changes above are applied exactly as described, but for HIFIMAN Mini Shangri-La, the improvements are more noticeable in the midrange where RP15 makes the whole system sound more controlled, more dynamic and considerably less edgy and less aggressive. Also, bass is fuller, deeper and has a lower distortion when RP15 gets implemented in Shangri-La mini.
With Keces S300+, which drains power like it sips it from the tap, there’s a considerable improvement in control, punchiness and dynamics of the whole system, this time I’m listening with Elipson Heritage XLS 7 speakers, which become more organic, sound smoother, but also deeper and more controlled at all volumes. There is no bias towards the system improving more with a higher power draw, both DACs, DAC/AMPs and Full-Sized Speaker Amplifiers improve with RP15, but Aune S17 Pro Evo actually goes the other way around, it becomes more open, cleaner sounding, and gains a bit of sparkle / brilliance in the treble with RP15. I think that the changes you will perceive depend a lot on how the power block is connected to the rest of the circuit, and what the power block lacks, and what it can gain from a cleaner power delivery.
Biggest surprise I had was when implementing Ricable RP15 with Feliks Euforia Evo, as that’s where I heard a deeper bass, a more lush, more powerful sub-bass extension, better impact and a considerably smoother midrange and treble. As it has a different impact on each system, I recommend testing in your system if you can, but you can expect it to give most systems better control, higher dynamics, and improve the instrument separation.
Value and Conclusion
The price / performance of a cable increases with the cost of your system, and the whole point is for you to get upgraded cables as one of the later steps of your audio journey, as in the beginning increasing the quality of your speakers, AMP, DAC will matter more. This being said, if you reached the point where you have a high-end flagship system, implementing a high-quality cable will most certainly not hurt and as long as the cost of the cable is around 10% of the total cost of your system, you should be good to go.
At the end of the day, the Ricable Invictus Power Reference RP 15 is a unique cable that changed my mind from “I usually would not believe in power cables” to “you really should test this”. In fact, as Ricable has lifetime warranty, free shipping and 60-days return policy if you’re not fully satisfied, you literally can grab one to listen to and test yourself, and see how the synergy with your system feels like. While it is not a purchase I would universally recommend to everyone who owns a high-end system, it is a stealthy component of your system that can refine it, improve dynamics, impact and help your DAC AMP achieve better control and sonic quality.
PROs
- Thick gauge, superb design
- Works really well even for more affordable systems, like FiiO K17 DAC AMP
- Improves dynamics, punchiness and resolution of a system
- Very easy to replace in your system
- Excellent sonics in general
Cons
- Quite pricey
- Performance improvement that varies between systems
Technical Specifications
Capacity – 75 pF/m
Resistance – 1.62 Ω/km
Maximum Current Cable – 95 A
Outer Diameter – Ø 22 mm
Conductor Section – 8.4 mm² (2 x 4.2 mm²)
Conductor Structure – Twisted together and with insulation
Diameter strand – 0.07 mm
Material Conductors – MARC Pure Copper 7N 99.99999%.
Geometry – Twisted Conductors
Dielectric Insulator – Double Technopolymer R-TEC
Internal Shielding – Mylar and Aluminum
External Shielding – OFC Copper Braid with High Coverage
External Protection – High-density sheathing with Polyethylene/Nylon braid
Connector Material – Pure Copper OFC
Contact – 24 K Gold Plated
Features Connectors – Built-in Ferrite anti-jamming block, Copper Monoblock Body, Gold plated with specific Gold/Copper electrolysis technique, Amagnetic Shell, IEC 10A plug, Schuko 16A plug
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
- If you have a dime to spare, please donate, and help us! It would make the day brighter for me and my wife-
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
--- Contact Us ---
