Hand-built in France — usually ships in about 2 weeks.
Richard Cesari compares building a power cord to following a recipe. You can choose the finest ingredients for a power cord and still get it wrong, he says, while the right combination gives excellent results.
The Esprit Alpha Audiophile Power Cord is a mains cable from Esprit's Alpha range. Esprit hand-builds the Alpha power cord in Confolens, Charente, with a US plug and an IEC connector, in 1.5, 2 and 4 m.
“Across all three cables, what little sins they commit are those of omission rather than commission, and this is how it should be.”
— Alan Sircom, Hi-Fi+, reviewing the previous-generation Alpha power cord and Beta cables (2020)
An entry point to the range
Alpha is the entry point to the Esprit range, and the Alpha power cord carries the same DNA as the cables above it. Esprit sums up that DNA as the quality of its materials, its design and its finish, all present in the Alpha power cord. The company conceived Alpha as a gateway, and the Alpha power cord is a first step toward its higher ranges. It is a quiet way to begin with Esprit, and the Alpha power cord leaves plenty of room for the conversation to continue.
Made in Confolens
Esprit's team designs and assembles the Alpha power cord by hand in its workshop in Confolens, Charente. Richard Cesari insists that assembly counts as much as materials, so each Alpha power cord is checked at every stage of the work. The first complete check of the Alpha power cord is made by the person who built it, and nothing moves on until it has been validated.
The sound, in Esprit's words
Esprit does not give the Alpha power cord an imposed signature of its own. The company's view is that a cable should neither color the sound nor compensate for anything, so the Alpha power cord is meant simply to stay out of the way.
Esprit shields its mains cables in full so they do not radiate into nearby interconnects and speaker cables, and the Alpha power cord is built that way. The conductors of the Alpha power cord are specified as 13-14 AWG, with a strand size of 0.37mm. Esprit fits the Alpha power cord with its own US plug and IEC connector, in polymer shells as on its Alpha, Beta and Celesta cords.
Where it fits
The Alpha power cord is the first of Esprit's nine levels, the entry point below Beta. The Alpha power cord comes in 1.5, 2 and 4 m with a US plug and an IEC connector. Tell us about your components and we'll gladly help you settle on the right Alpha power cord. To compare the Alpha power cord with its neighbors, browse our Esprit collection.
Specifications
| Range |
Alpha, Generation 10 (GenX), level 1 of 9 |
| Type |
AC Power Cord (US Plug) |
| Sold as |
Single cable |
| Lengths |
1.5 m (4.9 ft), 2 m (6.6 ft), 4 m (13.1 ft) |
| Connection |
US plug to IEC |
| Connectors |
Esprit US plug and IEC connectors, polymer shells |
| Conductors |
13-14 AWG; strand size 0.37mm |
| Dielectric |
Asymmetrical dielectric |
| Plug |
US plug to IEC |
| Made in |
Confolens, France, assembled entirely by hand |
Questions
Which plug does the Alpha power cord come with, and why do the photos look different?
The Alpha power cord we sell is supplied with a US plug and an IEC connector. Esprit's product photos show the European version of the Alpha power cord, so the plug on your cord will differ from the pictures.
Will the Alpha power cord disturb my other cables?
Esprit shields all of its mains cables in full so they do not radiate into nearby interconnects and speaker cables, and the Alpha power cord is built that way. Ask us if you would like more detail on how the Alpha power cord is made.
What does the Alpha power cord cost?
The Alpha power cord is $349 for 1.5 m, $399 for 2 m and $599 for 4 m. Sales tax is included in the price of the Alpha power cord, and we deliver it free anywhere in the USA.
Where is the Alpha power cord made, and when will it ship?
Esprit builds every Alpha power cord by hand in its workshop in Confolens, France. The Alpha power cord usually ships in about 2 weeks, with free delivery anywhere in the USA and sales tax included in the price.
From our boutique to your listening room
HiFi Boutique is an authorized Esprit dealer. Delivery is free anywhere in the USA, and sales tax is included in the price. Hand-built in France — usually ships in about 2 weeks.
