I was looking around for new gear to talk about and ran across this video at Guitar World:
All I can say is… interesting. As said in the video, the power wire has a tiny amplifier built into the jack that connects to your guitar powered by two long-life batteries.
Not sure how I feel about it, which is why my reaction was a lot more mild. It’s certainly cool, adding more gain to your input signal. According to the R&M Tone Technology web site, the cable comes in 0-6dB gain options. I guess the thinking is that more gain gives you more dynamics, but it also changes the overdrive point of whatever drive pedals you’re using, or if you’re going straight into the amp, where your amp breaks up.
I would actually see this as a benefit for single-coil, or low-output humbucker-equipped guitars, where that extra gain will get you overdrive earlier on. Not sure how I’d like it with hotter pickups such as the ones that are in my Gibson Nighthawk Reissue.
But at $39.00 for a 20 footer and $43 and $47 for 30- and 40- foot cables, it might be worth it to try out. For more information, visit the R&M Tone Technology site.
Guitar Gear 
If you think about it as a clean boost pedal embedded in your cord, the price point is pretty good. That being said, it looks like a simple dual (or even mono) op-amp circuit, which probably isn’t going to give you boutique-quality sound, either (the sample sure doesn’t sound like it). The other issue is that the larger jack might not fit into some guitars (Strats, I’m looking at you). But at the price point it’s definitely worth a try.
Frank, I get the boost part… but what the heck is “boutique-quality” sound? 🙂 That I don’t get.