There is surely a diversity of opinions when it comes to the design of audio cables. There is even more diversity of beliefs about how they work, if they work, how they should be used, and maybe most of all, how much they should cost. In the last 10 years I have owned several great brands of wire. I think I owned them in this order: Virtual Dynamics “Nite Series”, Audio Tekne, Nordost Valhalla, Audience Au24, Auditorium 23 speaker wire, Teresonic Clarison, and Shindo Silver. I have also listened to several other great cables from Audio Note UK, MIT, Furutech, Synergistic Research, and Tara Labs.

Cables seem to generally fall into two camps with a multitude of sub-camps. There are the technically very advanced cables from people like Furutech, MIT, Nordost, and Tara Labs. Then there is the other camp that designs cables that are unbelievably simple, but made of incredibly expensive metals; examples include Teresonic Clarison Gold cables, Audio Note UK and Shindo silver cables, those from Audience, Audio Tekne, Auditorium 23, and the Teresonic Clarison pure copper cables. The copper cables are the least expensive yet are the best sounding on some systems. Truth is, any of these copper cables are incredible sounding and a bargain to boot.

I guess as a guy who listens to an SPU phono cartridge with a step-up transformer, a single-ended directly-heated 8-watt amp, and single-driver speakers with Lowther drivers, it should come as no surprise that I prefer the second camp of audio cables.

Let me take a few minutes to carry you through my thought process as I changed cables over the last 10 years. The now-defunct VD’s “Nite Series” sounded just fine, but they were so thick, heavy, and inflexible that they literally pulled a pair of monitors off their stand and broke the binding post. For me that was it – they had to go, and I replaced them with the incredibly light, flexible, and thin Audio Tekne cables. Then I had a chance to get some Nordost Valhalla cables, and I fell in love with their detail and bass slam. A few months later I heard the Audience Au24 cables. Every time I did quick AB comparisons the Valhallas won hands down. Bob Neil encouraged me to listen to the Au24s for a week or two and then put the Valhallas back in. I did and I bought the Au24 cables and used them for over five years.

As I begin to move up the Shindo preamp line and the Wavac amp line I tried the Auditorium 23 speaker cables. Then when I got the Teresonic Ingenium Silver speakers and I changed to their speaker wire and their incredible gold interconnects. When I changed my system to the Shindo 301 turntable and the Shindo Giscours preamp I changed to Shindo’s silver interconnects, and then when I thought my system was just about at the point of no return I wanted to try Shindo’s silver speaker cables, which brings us this review. What does Shindo Silver wire sound like?

Picture courtesy of Pitch Perfect Audio, San Francisco (dealer)

The Cables

The Shindo cables aren’t anything special to look at. They are thin, light, very flexible, and use light weight connectors. By the way, the use of very light weight connectors is something that the Au24, Auditorium 23, Audio Note, and Shindo cables all have in common. Shindo’s cables don’t come in fancy wooden boxes or anything like that. They are in a word the most simple looking cables I have seen, with the Audio Notes coming in a close second. The interconnects are directional and a green Shindo sticker indicates the preamp connection.

You can read reviews I have written of most of the cables I have owned, some before I became a reviewer by the way. In those reviews I give you a lot of information about how they sound in audiophile terms. If you want to know these things go back and read the review of the Teresonic Clarison speaker cables and their gold interconnects, because in this review I’m just going to tell you how the Shindo silver cables sound compared to those cables.

The Sound of Music (not the movie)

I tried the interconnects first, and they were rather a no-brainer. First, they cost less than half what you have to pay for the Teresonic Gold cables. Then there’s the obvious, Shindo interconnects are designed to be used with the ground design of the Shindo preamps. So it came as no surprise that the system became much quieter when I switched to the Shindo cables. It was much more than just the quietness though, and I’ll get to that when I talk about the sound of both the interconnects and the speaker cables. For now, just let me say the Teresonic Gold cables are simply incredible, if you don’t own Shindo gear you should give the Shindo interconnects a try, but if you own Shindo electronics then you more than owe it to yourself to try the Shindo silver cables.

The speaker cables were a bigger question and in the end a bigger difference. First, I would be using them between my Wavac EC-300B amp and my Teresonic Magus Silver XR bookshelf speakers. So, the speaker cables are not the ones that the amp or the speakers were voiced with. Second, they cost six times what the copper Teresonic Clarison speaker cables cost. Third, they take a lot longer time to break in than the interconnects.

Yet, to my surprise after about three weeks the Shindo silver speaker cable begin to sound both warmer and at the same time more detailed than any of the three cooper cables. They seem to remove a haze in the midrange that sometimes could have a tendency to glare. Now I have to admit I had never heard the haze until it was gone and had assumed the glare was just there on bad recordings. This combined with the ability to hear both the leading edge and decay of bass instruments creates a very lifelike sound. They also have made a significant difference in the soundstage.

When reviewing the Wavac EC-300B amp I wrote: “This amp, like the Shindo preamps, possess another kind of depth. The EC-300B lets you hear deep into the emotion of the music. This is something that is so important in live music, but rarely heard in recorded music. … you are brought deep into the emotions of the music through small nuances that they let you hear, but nothing is ever razor sharp, in fact, it’s instead a beautiful blend of delicacy and dynamics.”

The Shindo silver cables allowed my system to sound even more this way. With the Shindo cables you can more easily hear the difference in textures and harmonics of voices and instruments. They also let you hear more information, including the air and space around and within the instruments and performers while having even more natural warmth and real weight to the sound. They allowed me to hear even deeper into the emotions of the music through small nuances that they let through, but the music never sounded overly sharp. Most performance had a beautiful blend of delicacy and dynamics. Like all Shindo gear I have heard, these cables allow recorded music draw you deeper into the musical event, and thus give you more of a sense that you are enjoying a live event.

Even though I would have never dreamed it possible, the speakers in my system disappear even more with the Shindo silver speaker wire. This results in an even more believable soundstage with significantly more width and depth. In fact, as I sit here and listen to Janis Ian it is very obvious that these cables allow my system to sound less forward and more relaxed. The remarkable thing is it does this without any loss of transparency or aliveness. The top-end of the Shindo silver cables are a little more extended than the copper cables which comes as no surprise. What does come as a surprise is that they do this without a hint of brightness or edginess. The treble simply sounds prettier with the Shindo silver cables in my system.

Conclusion

If you have Shindo electronics, the Shindo silver interconnects are a must-have and a great value for the quality cable they are. On the other hand the speaker cables, because of their price and the value of the copper cables mentioned above, fall under the category of things you purchase only if you already have your system where you want it. What I’m saying is that if spending $6,000 on amplification, source, or speakers will make a significant difference than I suggest you go with the Audience AU24, Auditorium 23, or Teresonic Clarison. These cables should be your choice. If you are at the point that you would have to spend a lot more than $6,000 on amplification, source, or speakers to get a significant improvement than I highly recommend the Shindo silver speaker cables. That’s what I did.

The post Shindo Silver Interconnect & Speaker Cables Review appeared first on Dagogo.

For some, high-end after market interconnects and speaker cables seem to be no more than a simple math equation or nothing more than snake oil. And though cables are built around a scientific foundation, the hours of tweaking, listening, more tweaking, is where the cable goes from being mathematical to musical. But even after all the tweaking is done, and the cable is ready to market, the consumer, only has a cursory idea of how a cable will change the sound their own system. The point of this review is to not only give you a better understand of real world conditions, of how the WyWires cables sound, but I hope, since I think they are very good cables, you’ll take the time to audition a pair for yourself.

Alex Sventitsky, the man behind WyWires, designs his cable to help bring forth the natural sound of music in your system. Alex has spent years in the audio world, both as a listener to live and high-end system, and as a music enthusiast. Alex builds just about any kind of analog or digital audio cable you might need, including power cables. (Not covered in this review.) All the cables are built around the same principles, copper strands that are individually insulated with a special enamel, wrapped in cotton sleeves and twisted into a Litz geometrical pattern with PTFE Teflon tubes to protect and separate the conductor assemblies. Since cotton is mostly air, air is the primary dielectric. All cables are hermetically sealed to prevent corrosion to the copper and contamination of the cotton. All cables use Xhadow connectors, which are more conductive than the typical gold connector.

For the past six months I’ve had two very different systems in my home, and I’ve run the WyWire cables in both. The Zu Omen Def speakers combined with the Melody AN211 integrated amplifier system, created a big, brash, ridiculously liquid, American sound that won the heart of both my wife and I. It seemed that no matter what was playing, Tom Waits to Ratatat, this combination of equipment never lost our interest and left me constantly wanting more. More music, more volume, more fun and more bragging! The second system, Brodmann Festival Series speakers combined with the Mystere ia11 integrated amplifier system, created a sensual European finesse and a level of detail that tilted far too close to the realistic for the price of the speakers. A system that really shined with acoustic, blues, classical, opera recordings. I ran WyWires speaker and interconnect cables in both systems and I used the WyWires digital cable between the Electrocompaniet PC1 CD player and Audio Note DAC One Sig.

Interconnect

To better understand the change in sound the WyWires cables created, I’ll offer a little background on the cables I was using previous to the WyWires, and their sound. I had been using the Granite Audio #470 silver interconnects, or the Supra Sword interconnects, and the Supra Sword speaker cables. All very good cables at about the same price point as the WyWires, but with very different sonic attributes. Before I had the WyWires digital cable I tended to leave digital music on the shelf, or in the computer. I much preferred my flawed but wonderful sounding P3/24 with Cardas tone arm cable rewire, Sumiko Evo III Blue Point Special cartridge and Moon LP3 phono amplifier.

The Granite Audio #470 interconnects I’ve had now for a couple years, and they have been used in many systems. I feel I have a good fundamental understanding of how they will change the sound in any system. Typically I can count on them to widen the soundstage, increase the depth and add punch to the bass. They allow a lot of detail to make it from the source to the amplifier, and are generally a benefit to any system I’ve put them in. But occasionally the mid-range and bass can sound a little confused, or the bass can sound bigger than life. For instance, with the Brodmann FS speakers and Mystere ia11 integrated amplifier system, the Granite Audio #470 interconnects helped to intensify and deepen the bass, but unfortunately they added a bit of confusion to the mid-range. This made the already difficult-to-position Brodmann FS speakers more frustrating to listen to. The sounds stage never seems accurate, which lead hours of positioning and repositioning. When the Granite Audio #470 were used in the Zu Omen Def speakers and Melody AN211 integrated amplifier, bass deepened and the sound stage widened, but the image also suffered and drum reverberations seemed overly intense. For instance, the drum rolls at the end of track 2 on Sufjan Steven’s Illinois album, were exaggerated and fun, but not as they have sounded on many other systems.

The Supra Sword interconnects and speaker cables presented a radically different sound from that of the Granite Audio cables. First off, the top-end had much more sparkle and a slight metallic ring which made brass quite exciting. Secondly, instruments and singing formed with clearer individual distinction. In the Zu/Melody system, the extra sparkle and slight metallic tilt added to the already somewhat hot tweeters of the Omen Defs, had me looking for ways to dampen the tweeter. In both systems the mid-range and low end was too lean for my taste. For me. The gut feeling of the music was missing. So even though some issues were resolved, imaging, separation, even dynamics were better because the confusion was gone, but other issues came up. Unfortunately the Supra cables were returned before a good match was found. I have a feeling they would have been a better combination with the Trinity speakers I had in recently.

At this point I was looking for a set of cables that would retain the benefits of a clear, detailed, and article sound without compromising in other aspects. The WyWires arrived and I first installed them into the Brodmann/Mystere system. Alex pre-burns the cables for 50-hours so they are good to go right out of the box. Quickly I realized, that the WyWires in the Brodmann/Mystere system allowed instruments and vocals to be more independent of each other and all had better articulation. 3 dimensional imaging was better now that sounds could be more easily pinpointed. To tell you the truth, the WyWires helped the Brodmann FS speakers go from overpriced Euro speakers to something I no longer wanted to part with. I finally knew why Constantine had high praise for Brodmann speakers. Compared to the Supra Sword cables, in the same system, the WyWires provided much better bass and the sound held together as the volume was turned up.

In the Melody/Zu system the WyWires interconnects helped tamp down a bit of the aggressiveness coming from the super tweeter, but just slightly. They also increased the individual instruments and vocal articulation. The overall affect of the WyWires was to bring a more natural and effortless sound, rather than help rectify issues.

Speaker cables

A two-meter pair of WyWires speaker cables arrived with the interconnects and after the positive performance from those, my hand was hardly forced to try the speaker cables. The speaker cables are as meticulously and well built as the interconnects and their shinning black cover looked great going from amplifier to speakers. The speaker cables also use the same technology as the interconnects, copper wire in cotton in a Litz geometry. They have what appears to be magnets at each end, but those bulges are purely for aesthetics.

When the WyWires speaker cables arrived I also had in the Supra Sword speaker cables and the Zu Mission speaker cables. The Supra Sword cables are about the same price as the WyWires, and the Zu Mission cables came in just under half the price.

Between the three cables, the WyWires and Supra offer a very exacting soundstage, both allowed more detail to make it from the amplifier to the speaker, and both cables offered very good articulation and dynamics. While the Zu Mission cables are fair step above speaker cables from Monoprice, when compared to the WyWires and Supra cables, they just didn’t seem to keep up.

Between the WyWires and Supra Sword cables there was less a difference in sonic attributes and more a difference in sonic character. The WyWires cables offered a more natural sound and three-dimensional imaging. The Supra Sword speaker cables had a more astringent, cleaner, and aggressive flavoring. Similar to the difference in a Belgian ale versus a California hopped IPA. While both are very good, and no matter how many Belgium ales I drink, a standard IPA will always be more of a comfort, more natural, beer. And that is how the WyWires sound to my ears. They just offer a whole hearted more natural sound that allows for all the frequencies to come through without over emphasizing or distorting.

Digital cable

Usually I see 16-bit digital audio as a necessary evil. For better or worse I tend to prefer vinyl. Even at the sub-$5,000 price point, I’d rather have a $5,000 analog turnable (AN-T2 anybody?), cartridge, phono amp combo, than a $20,000 CD Player. No I’m not insane, nor do I need my ears examined. It is just what I prefer to listen to. But I’ve not been spinning that much vinyl since Alex was nice enough to let me use his new digital cable. I’ll be honest. At first I was hesitant. But the WyWires digital cable, for me, has actually been the best thing I’ve heard (at a reasonable price point) in digital audio, in a long time. Sure the DaVinciAudio DAC, at standard 16-bit, is outstanding. But it is also thirty-two thousand dollars, or something outrageous like that. The PS Audio Transport and DAC, at 24-bit, sounds great, but at $10k, I’d rather spend that on a full blown analog only system. So with sever reservation and not much expectation, I put in the Audio Note DAC One Sig, connected in the Granite Audio interconnects, the last interconnects I used the DAC with, queued up a track, and was floored. Now I can’t let go. The harsh in-your-face sound, the flat Hollywood character sound, is gone. Replaced by formed three-dimensional, distinctly articulated, and granular level detail, music. Now please don’t get me wrong, the cable can’t possibly turn swine into pearls. But if you are looking to add liveliness and the ever ethereal “musicality” to your digital system, the WyWires digital cable comes highly recommended.

Conclusion

The WyWires cables I’ve had in for review have done everything I’d want cables to do. They helped maintain the focus and detail of the system, they helped pass the detail and articulation of the equipment they are connecting, and the digital cable above the rest, has really made helped me to see past the medium divide.

The post WyWires Interconnect, Digital, & Speaker Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Prologue

For the record, I believe that an average of only 60% of our audio system’s potential is being tapped consistently with the way we use them, and most of the deterrents to full utilization of our system’s potential are present in the form of suboptimal power, suboptimal listening environments, inadequate vibration control and most of all, suboptimal cables. Of course, there is always the problem of variance in air density between where the equipment was measured and developed and where it will actually be used. Even if one spends whatever is necessary to correct all the variables mentioned hereof so as to attain as close to 100% utilization of his system’s full potential, it is still by no means an accurate reproduction of the musical event, for the recording process itself is but an inadequate attempt in capturing the event using limited technologies. Nonetheless, our quest for perfection as one world is made the more interesting in a philosophically, technologically and theologically immature civilization.

We are all given certain gifts when born, and it’s largely only the question of whether we get to nurture, develop and utilize our talents. I say it is largely so because regardless of detours and hurdles in life, there comes occasionally individuals with gifts so unique, focused and urgent that they must do what they can, and in that, we are all blessed and eclipsed by them.

These gifted geniuses will make us see things in ways that we never thought possible. While the lot of us are traversing on a path more or less identical in extent of advancements and are able to produce breakthroughs once in a while, the truly gifted ones will conceptualize new approaches and technologies that will take the rest of us decades to catch up. I reckon that Bruce Brisson of Music Interface Technologies is such an individual. We all understand the concept of “The Perfect Conductor”, which dictates that it will not add to, nor subtract from, the signal and thus is the most desirable connection. On this, we all know that only The Perfect Conductor can achieve this perfection theoretically and no such superconductor exists in the audio industry, so we are left to comfort ourselves on the necessity of accepting reality.

Simple bunched conductor is what the rest of the audio industry is continuing to work on; networked cable is what Bruce and his team have been using to push the edges of the envelope since the eighties.

MIT

The northern California-based MIT (Music Interface Technologies) produces two separate lines of networked interfaces; “2C3D” for “Two Channel Three Dimensional” for online distribution, and “MA-X HD” which are “Maximum Articulation High Definition” for brick-and-mortar dealers. 2C3D products hail from a time before the first Oracle, continuing through to today with the introduction of the new “HR” high resolution series. Conversely “Maximum Articulation” products are reserved for retail outlets who tend to carry the most modern audiophile appliances. Per MIT, the “2C3D” products work to spotlight dimensionality and image specificity, while “Maximum Articulation” products work to preserve the delicate timbre and textures of the recorded event. MIT speaker interfaces range from $499.00 to $40,000.00 for a matched 8-foot pair. There are five authorized online dealers, based in the UK, US, Thailand, Singapore and Scandinavia, and one hundred and thirty-three brick-and-mortar dealers worldwide, with ninety-seven of them in the U.S. alone. Models being reviewed today are available online only, including the ten-foot pair of the top-of-the-line, $37,999 Oracle V1.3HR with “F.A.T.” technology used in both product lines. Additionally, we will report on two pairs of 2-meter, $6,249-per-pair Oracle Matrix 50 Proline balanced interfaces.

Music Interface Technologies came into being in the late eighties, and it through its products the audio industry witnessed the introduction of the first networked interface of increasing technological sophistication. MIT’s founder, Bruce Brisson, began his foray into the audio industry by developing cables for Monster Cable in the early 80s. To illustrate, a unique concept that has become the industry standard based on a twisted pair of conductors, and a “drain wire” terminated on the output end to drain off RF and EMI, was first introduced as the Monster Interlink Reference. It was the world’s first purpose built interface. This, and VariLay winding technology are just a few of a series of designs that were among Bruce’s many creations. Many of us still remember how dumbfounded we were back in the 80′s at the improvement those first offerings made over generic wires. Thus launched the cable industry as we know it today.A fact that not everyone knows is that Monster Cable is not the only company that continues to use Bruce’s original technologies of less-evolved form in its modern day products; but that is another story for another article.

According to Vice President of MIT, Kent Loughlin, since forming the company, ” Bruce has designed or manufactured cables and internal components for several well know audio manufacturers. These brands include Spectral Audio, Inc., Jeff Rowland Design Group, Wilson Audio Specialties, Martin Logan Electrostatic Loudspeakers and Goldmund Audio. We have technology in use by recording artists, engineers and studios around the globe. Over the years, MIT interfaces have earned the status of a crucial component used in several Hollywood post-production facilities (see MIT “At the Movies” about our association with Skywalker Sound). Simply put; if you have listened to a hit record or attended a blockbuster movie during the last decade, you have heard what MIT technology provides; believability”.

He continued, “Brisson’s contribution to high end audio isn’t limited to cables and passive noise filters you know, he also invented the MIT Multicap capacitor. Most notably, he was awarded number seven of sixteen US technology patents for this effort. Currently licensed and manufactured by RelCap, the Multicap can be found in several leading components and loudspeakers, including those from Wilson Audio, Audio Research Corporation, Cary Audio, Manley Labs, VTL, Focus Audio, and Sonic Craft to name a few”

Multi-talented doesn’t begin to describe this man’s brain power and keen sense of business. How come there’s so much hair on the head of that overworked brain of his? Today, MIT is a growing concern with a substantial in-house manufacturing footprint. Among others, Spectral and Magico utilize Bruce’s best, custom cable systems for their in-house reference.

Besides his love of performance autos, and he was away driving a new Callaway Corvette the last time I visited MIT HQ, the company operates an in-house audio system consisting a full dCS Paganini system, Pass amplification system, Spectral system, Cary system and a complete ARC system. For speakers, two models of the Magicos, some Wilsons, some Martin Logans….well you get the message, they are well equipped to test their cables.

The post MIT Oracle V1.3 HR Speaker Interface And Oracle Matrix 50 Proline XLR Review appeared first on Dagogo.

For years I kept trying silver audio cables, including those from Acoustic Zen, AudioQuest, D.H. Labs, Mark Levinson, Nordost, van den Hul, and some that I have surely forgotten. I’m not saying that none of these weren’t really good cables, but they all in the end sounded like silver cables, hard to put into words, but not quite as organic, a little too much shimmer on top, and a little overly tight in the bass. Though better than most cables, they were not as musically satisfying to me as the very best OHNO continuous cast single crystal copper cables.

Then I heard the Audio Note Sogon silver cables and I knew it could be done; a cable that had all the detail and air of silver cables, but could still let me hear all the music without sounding like silver or copper cables. The only problem with Sogon is that even most of the one percenters, the top 1% of the riches people in America, couldn’t afford them. Moreover, as good as the two more affordable Audio Note SP cables sound, I prefer the even more affordable Audio Note XL copper cables, and surely the Audience and Teresonic copper cables over the Audio Note SP silver cables.

Then, as I started to use Shindo preamps I discovered Ken Shindo had also captured silver cable magic, but in a much more reasonable price bottle. Since the first of the year I’ve heard two more silver cables that sound like music: the Teresonic Clarison Silver EXP cables, and now these wonderful Panatela Interconnects from Sablon Audio at an even more reasonable price.

Mark Coles of Sablon Audio says that after over a decade as an audiophile experiencing numerous high-end power cords from leading manufacturers, constructed from a plethora of materials / conductors / geometries, he decided to make some himself. He says his goal is to provide audiophiles with a world-class performing cable at a real world price. To date, he has produced two power cords and an interconnect.

The interconnect is called the Panatela, and unlike the other silver cables mentioned above it uses cryogenically treated, stranded silver conductors. It’s insulated with a natural fiber dielectric, no shielding is used, and Mark designs it with a extremely low capacitance of 5.7pF per foot. They are terminated with Xhadow RCA connectors, which allow the silver conductors to be connected to the contacts with a set-screw, avoiding the sound degradation he says comes with solder joints. All of the signal-carrying components of the Panatela interconnects have undergone cryogenic treatment. The Panatela is finished in a white cotton covering that gives it a rather unique appearance and allows it to be very flexible and easy to use. One other nice thing is that they are pre-broken in with an Audiodharma Anniversary cable break-in device.

The Panatela interconnects that I have in for review are the latest versions that Mark released in 2012. I used them between the DAC and the preamp, and also between my Shindo Giscours preamp and Wavac EC-300B SET amplifier. I had them at the same time I had the Teresonic and the Shindo silver cables in, so I had very good cables to compare them with.

So How Do They Sound?

Let’s start with how they affect the tonal balance of the equipment they are used with. The good news is that in neither setups of DAC/preamp or Giscours/EC-300B did they have any negative effect on the sound. If anything, they might lean ever so slightly towards less brightness or edge than most silver cables. In fact, the Panatela was one of the smoothest sounds I have heard from my system, without any of the false sheen that some silver cables give to the sound. The presentation was very organic with nice texture. With the Panatela in my system, timbre was excellent and the colors of music came alive beautifully. This was the one area in which I feel the Panatela cables match or exceed any cable I have had in my system. This strength alone was enough to make me want to hear their speaker cable, since this is the same area my Shindo speaker cables also excel in. Instruments such as strings and cymbals were nicely detailed, yet very smooth and refined. Female vocals sounded wonderfully seductive.

Again with the Panatelas, my system was free of grain or sense of electronic edge or glare. My system was very quiet with these cables, but this is one area in which they did not quite match my Shindo cables. I still believe this has something to do with how Shindo grounds their preamps, even though Mark says the Panatelas should work just as well with the Shindo grounding. Backgrounds were still nice and quiet with very nice low-level detail in evidence; I think this difference would only be noticeable on Shindo equipment. I say this because I did not hear this difference when I used them between the Auditorium 23 Homage T1 SUT and the ASR Emitter 1 Exclusive integrated amp. The Panatelas’ midrange was full bodied and at the same time very detailed. I found them to be almost the perfect cable to use between the DAC and the preamp.

The soundstage of my system was very satisfying with these cables. I find soundstages that wow me quickly begin to distract me from the music. However, the layering, width, and depth with Panatelas were superb. Images appeared vividly yet very naturally on the stage with a good sense of space and air around them. With the Panatelas in my system, I could hear deep into the layers of the soundstage.

The bass, especially the upper bass, and lower midrange of the Panatelas is another area where these cables are just sublime. They let you hear the air around and within cellos and standup basses. They also let you hear the wonderful textures of music in this frequency range.

Comparisons

I hate to try to do this, but I know if I was reading this review I would want to know how well do they compare? The Teresonic Clarison Silver EXP cables are probably the most neutral of all three cable I had on hand. They are very fast, very quick, with great bass impact. The Shindo cables fall in between the two in regard to tonality. The Shindo are definitely the most organic of the three, with the Panatela coming in a very close second. As the Panatela is the warmest of the three, I would certainly pick it for digital playback. Now, don’t get me wrong in this comparison – these three cable sound much more like each other than they do different.

The Sablon Audio Panatela is easily one of the four best interconnects I have used in my system. This is not even considering price. When you take into account their price, then, I am just blown away. They allow my system to do one of the most fundamentally important things it can do: They allow the system to be fun to listen to music on. Add to this that the Panatela has a warm and natural sound, while still having remarkable detail and you simply have one of the best interconnects I have ever heard.

The post Sablon Audio Panatela Interconnect Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Writing about cables is a risky undertaking for an audio reviewer. I am not sure if I’ll be able to explain all the reasons, but I’ll at least identify a couple of them to show my reluctance for writing cable reviews. There is a large number of individuals who will scoff at the notion of discernible audible differences between cables, so as soon as one recommend something which cost more than Home Depot wires, one runs the risk of being categorized as a member of Dr. Evil’s snake oil marketing scheme. Then there are those who will label us as victims of bias-induced placebo-effect, audible differences if any are nothing but a self- induced imaginary response to justify our lavish spending. And then there are witty comments from my non-audiophile friends which usually bring silence to the dinner table: “You mean you actually write articles telling people how you spent hours going back and forth between two wires?”

Then there is the real reason for my reluctance to do cable reviews, the fear of damages to my piggy bank. What if it does sound better than what I have now? My main system uses six pairs of interconnects, fourteen power cables and one pair of speaker cables. When I priced out a complete set of Siltech cables for my entire system, it came to just about the same price as a souped-up 911 Turbo. The suffering I endured when I had to return the Siltech cables to Edward Ku of Element-Acoustics was too painful to bear. The Siltechs sounded absolutely fantastic, but my kids do have to go to college. In the past two months, I have already succumbed to two temptations by buying two excellent sounding phono stages so my piggy bank surely is not ready for another blow.

Robert Neill of Worldwide Distributions, North American distributor of HiDiamond cables, is a very persistent, and kind, man. He kept bringing to me these beautiful-looking Hi Diamond cables from Italy, telling me they are “the best” cables he has ever heard. For a couple of weeks, I tried very hard to ignore the two cables which he had left with me, the Diamond D7 RCA interconnects, and the Diamond D2 XLR Balanced cables. They sat in my living room for weeks, and I resisted the temptations to try them out. I do not believe in the concept of “the best” of anything so I was hoping to just return them to Rob without trying them.

Leaving fancy audio components in the hands of an audiophile is like leaving drugs in the hands of an addict; just give them enough time and eventually they will yield to the temptation. Resistance is futile. Fortunately, these cables are not as expensive as the Siltechs, though they are not chump change either. The Diamond D2 XLR retails for $1,000 for a meter-pair, and the Diamond D7 RCAs for $900 for a meter-pair.

On a late Friday night in early February, I could resist the temptations no longer and the time was ripe to pamper my five senses to the fullest. Over a glass of 1988 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino, I plugged the D7 RCAs in between my phono stage and the preamp, and the D2 XLRs in between my preamp and the power amp. Fine Italian cables and fine Italian wine, what a combination! The nose of the Argiano was packed with dark fruit, cherry, and spice. Despite being twenty-four years old, the wine had body to it, yet the age has done away with all the tannins, so that it had no hard edges to speak of. The impact of the HiDiamond cables on my system was as intensive as the jolt from the first sip of the wine. It was as if someone had taken the frequency curve and lifted both ends of the spectrum. The cables added ambience and top end extension, but not at the expense of sounding analytical or edgy. Usually when the bottle is half emptied, everything will sound better so I knew better than to tell Rob that I was keeping the cables until they could be evaluated without the influence of properly aged Brunello di Montalcino.

What happened in between the time from that evening onwards, to the time of my eventual phone call to Robert Neill telling him that I was buying the review samples, is what I am going to tell you for the rest of this article. So let’s not call it a review but a snap shot of my personal encounter with the HiDiamond cables as an audiophile. It is not my intention to proclaim that I have discovered yet another “best sounding cable I have ever heard”. I just want to tell readers about the sonic characteristics of these two cables with reference to the cables I have on hand, so that it may help them to determine for themselves whether it may be suitable for their own system.

HiDiamond cables

HiDiamond is an Italian high end cable manufacturer started by Filippelli Salvatore in 2000. It is one of only a handful of cable companies which uses alloy as conductor material, rather than just copper, silver, or gold conductors, or plated combinations of such sourced from OEM manufacturers. Other manufacturers which employ alloys include Siltech, Purist and Stealth. According to Filippelli, the conductor materials employed in HiDiamond cables are custom made to their exact specification in Italy. Depending on the model, they may consist of a combination of copper, graphite, and in some models, gold and silver. Detailed technical information as well as the construction process of the cables can be found on HiDiamond’s website.

When Robert Neill contacted me about the possibility of a review, I did not have a particular model in mind so he offered me cables which sit at the upper range of the model lineup (Diamond 9 RCAs, $2,300/m). He also offered to fit my system completely with HiDiamond cables from interconnects to power cords. I had to decline both offers for several reasons. First, I did not want to review cables which I cannot afford in case I liked them. Robert probably wasn’t aware of the number of cables my system required; just for power cords alone, I would need fourteen of them. Last but not least, I am more interested in knowing about the incremental sonic changes by changing just one cable. This way I can identify the sonic characteristics of this cable relative to what I have on hand. A complete system of Hi Diamond cable would not allow me to determine where the changes, if any, were coming from. At the end, we settled on a 2.5 meter pair of HiDiamond D2 XLRs and D7 RCA interconnects.

The D7 RCA is in the middle of the HiDiamond’s RCA lineup, which ranges from the entry level Diamond 1 ($80/m) to the Diamond 9 ($2,300/m). The D2 XLR sits in the middle of three XLR cables which HiDiamond makes, the Diamond 1, 2 and 3.

It is interesting to note that the model numbers for HiDiamond’s RCA cables do not correspond to the model numbers of the XLR cable. In fact, there is no XLR version of any of the RCA cables. The D2 XLR is a different cable from the HiDiamond 2 RCA, despite having the same model number. They also differ in price substantially. Although the D7 RCA is closer in price to the Diamond D2 XLR, they are two different models as well.

HiDiamond publishes the technical information for each cable on their website. As you go up in the model line, you will see that the higher models offer lower capacitance and resistance.

The two cables looked almost exactly the same as both are housed in a reflective tech flex jacket. Both cables are 8mm in diameter, and are reasonably flexible but are incapable of flexing 90 degree turns. The Diamond D2 XLR has Neutrik silver connectors, and the Diamond D7 RCA has locking RCA connectors which look very similar to Furutech’s Carbon locking RCA connector with carbon lined housing. The solder used for the joints is 4.2% silver solder. Upon verification with Filippelli Salvatore, I was told these are not Furutech connectors, but rather custom made Rhodium plated locking RCAs housed in a carbon graphite jacket. They are exquisite to feel and touch. Each of the RCAs and the XLRs has a black colored directional indicator with the HiDiamond logo printed on them. They slide back and forth and probably serve no purpose other than aesthetics.

The first cables which went into my system were the Diamond D2 XLR interconnects. They went in between the McIntosh C1000 preamp and the MC2KW power amplifier. This exercise was repeated for the Diamond D7 RCA cable in the exact same location, followed by using both cables together from the phono stage to the preamp, and from the preamp to the power amp.

The cables which the HiDiamond cables replaced are all Purist Aqueous Aureus XLR interconnect of the same length, which by the way have been the cable of choice for my system in the past few years. Amongst the 25+ pair of interconnects I have tried, I will not go so far as to say that they are “the best” cable for the money, because I do not believe in such a concept. The Aqueous Aureus delivers a tonality and sonic characteristics which achieve a high level of synergy with my system at a price point which I can afford. They are my favourite cables for the money because they suit my personal preference. Therefore, the Purist Aqueous Aureus is my point of reference for this exercise.

The post HiDiamond D2 and D7 Interconnect Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

When our publisher asked if I would like to review Rick Schultz’s new CT-1 interconnects, my initial response was no. I have already reviewed more cables in the last year than in all the time as a reviewer prior to this one. Still, when he said they were thin and not very stiff, I gave in and said yes. I’ll tell you right now, I am so very glad that I reviewed it.

The CT-1 interconnects are from Rick’s new company, High Fidelity Cables. The CT-1 interconnects are the first of a new range of audio cables. Rick Schultz is best known for his work on the Virtual Dynamics cables. If like me, you owned Virtual Dynamics cables, you need to know the new High Fidelity Cables are totally different in one way and the same in another. The Virtual Dynamics cables were some of the thickest, stiffest, and heaviest cables I have ever seen. The new High Fidelity cables are ultra-slim, elegant in appearance, but still stiffer than they look. They are easy to use. The workmanship of these cables is the best I’ve seen. The special RCA connectors are the best RCA connectors I have used. There’s none of the trying to turn them to tighten the cable. They RCAs just fit, I mean really fit, better than any other I have used. Installation does require a firm push to ensure what feels like a compression fit. The one thing they have in common with the Virtual Dynamics cables is they both sound great, these much better, though.

Speaking of the connectors, the CT-1s use what they call PinLoK RCA connectors. According to their website, “The traditional RCA connector can cause the signal to micro arc across the resistive pathway of the connection. Our patent pending PinLoK RCA connector has an oversized pin that will compress to enter a normal RCA socket. Spring tension then continues to push and expand the inserted pin for maximum contact pressure. This increase in surface contact lowers the amount of micro arcing and reduces distortion.” I have to agree that these are the best fitting connector I have used.

The CT-1 cables use a dual shielded coaxial design that they say has an extremely high rejection capability. This coaxial design, combined with patent pending Magnetic Conduction (see below), gives their cables a class leading ability to filter out unwanted radio waves (RFI) and stray magnetic fields (EMI). I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have found that I can’t have too many unshielded cable in my system, so this shielding comes as a relief to me.

I think the shipping cartons could be improved upon; may I suggest the pizza-like boxes that Audience uses. The CT-1s were shipped in lightweight wooden boxes with each cable fixed to the bottom of the case via plastic strip holder and the terminations housed in holes bored in the front panel. It looks like a waste of money and one box still came broken, and most of the RCAs had come loose. (Rick just advised me that a new box that is stronger, better made with a better fit has replaced the fragile, wooden box. -Pub.) The pins are coated via a special treatment to enhance the connection and we are told not to touch or wipe the pins before inserting them.

Looking on the internet, there is definitely some buzz on the audio forums about these cables. Some are claiming the CT-1s outperform cables that cost two to four times the cost of these cables. After listening to some fully broken in CT-1s for a while, I understand the buzz.

For the CT-1 interconnects, Rick uses technology that he developed in the name of a Magnetic Innovations LLC, called “Magnetic Conduction.” I’m not going to try to explain what I don’t understand, but you can go to High Fidelity Cable’s website and read about it. What I do understand is what they do for the sound of my system.

Break In and listening

I’m lucky that my system is simple and I only need three sets of interconnects: (1) a tonearm cable, (2) a cable from my Auditorium 23 Homage T1 step up transformer to my Shindo Giscours preamp, and (3) a cable from the Giscours to my Wavac EC300B amp.

Rick Schultz’s Virtual Dynamics cables were notorious for needing 400-plus hours to break in. This is pain enough in a digital system, but in an all vinyl system it would be more than just a pain. In contrast, the High Fidelity Cable CT-1 sounded shockingly good when I first installed them in my system. Don’t get me wrong — they do continue to improve, specifically open up and sound airier for what I would guess would be about a couple of hundred hours. Truth is, they sound about 90% of their best after about 10 hours of play.

I was expecting to hear some small differences like I usually do from one really good cable to another. What I wasn’t expecting was to hear a such a significant, immediate difference. They create a solidity and musically satisfying sound I had not heard before. They seem to get rid of noises or sounds that I thought were just part of reproduced music, regardless of how good the system was.

The insertion of the AMG Viella V12 turntable sitting on its specially designed HRS isolation platform had already brought a degree of quietness to my system I had never dreamed was possible. The addition of the CT-1 interconnects brought about an even quieter, maybe I should say a new kind of quietness, and a more controlled sound. With them in my system, I heard a huge, holographic soundstage, but with an incredible solidity of the images in the soundstage. I experienced a room filling, emotional involving experience that’s really something special. The overall sound is more like what I hear from the “Tape Project” reel-to-reel recordings than from even a superb vinyl system.

Maybe part of this is a result of the way High Fidelity Cables handle vibrations. They say, “micro vibrations are introduced into an audio system by a multitude of sources . . . Each of our cables feature extensive mechanical vibration decoupling. Multiple conductive plates made with a specialized powdered material are used to dampen the vibration transfer within the connector itself.”

Dynamics
This great sense of solidity and control might lead one to question the cable’s dynamics; such fears would be groundless as these cables allow my system to have honest real to life, live-performance dynamics.

Not only do they allow such macro-dynamics in my system, they also improve my system’s micro-dynamics. As the CT-1 break-in, their total lack of splashy-sounding transients is so much more like what a live musical performance really sounds like. The transient responses are lightening quick, but not bright. Drums, tympani instruments, plucked strings, and pianos are the best I’ve heard in my system.

Both micro and macro dynamics explode out of a solid soundstage. This creates a sense of naturalness and speed that I have not experienced before. I have to admit I am struggling to explain this sound, because as I said before these cables remove noise, sibilants, and splashy sounding strings and female vocals that I just thought was part of listening to recorded music. Don’t get me wrong — I thought my system sounded as good as any I had heard, before I put the CT-1s in.

Treble
The CT-1′s pass my top end test with flying colors. That test is that I don’t notice the treble when listening to music. I don’t want a sound that keeps reminding me of how fast and detailed the top end is. I also don’t want a sound such that I’m always thinking the top end is not quiet. With the CT-1s in my system the sound is fast, natural, alive, and simply beautiful. Cymbals have realistic sheen and decay without sounding splashy, such as I have never experienced before. This cable has a neutrality that is to die for. It gave me a cleanliness in the upper midrange and treble I had never dreamed possible.

Midrange
These cables improve all aspects of the frequency spectrum but it is in the midrange that they really sound different from any cables I have heard. Midrange is full with great bloom, but it doesn’t overpower the fine details of the music. Voices are simply wonderful, full of body, and with really natural air.

The midrange is the most transparent I have ever heard in my system without giving up any of the body and soul music must have. I have heard great transparency before, but usually it reaches a point where the most transparent systems don’t let you hear all of the beautiful colors of music. That is one of the things I find unique about the sound of my system with the CT-1s; it is the most transparent I have ever heard it sound, allowing me to hear more of the beautiful colors and tones of music than ever before.

It’s not just transparency though; it’s the way the cables increase the system’s ability to let you hear more of the layers of a musical performance. On Satchmo’s famous recording of “St. Jame’s Infirmary,” for the first time I noticed how beautiful the layering was on the woodwinds. Truth is, I don’t think I’d ever noticed them before. The brass and drums also had beautiful layering of the sounds. I’ve never heard the midrange of my system to sound better.

Bass
The bass is tight and really fast; but, and this is key, with great air and decay. It is also very powerful with very natural slam. It’s the kind of bass that can make you sit up in the chair and listen whether it’s a big drum, an organ, or a bowed standup bass. Speaking of standup basses, weather plucked or bowed, I never hear them sound so real. That is rich, full of color, and really fast.

Soundstage, Imaging, and Scale
I really enjoy the way my system produced a soundstage with the CT-1 cables. None of that phasey, floating in space that is often mistaken for a lifelike soundstage. No, while the soundstage is wider now and especially deeper, more important to me is that the images were solid, stable, and occupied space. You could more easily hear the space around them and the space they occupied. To me, this is what real soundstaging and imaging are all about. This solidity in the soundstage contributes to the lifelike scale my system had with these cables. I should mention though, over time I have really come to appreciate how much wider and deeper my soundstage is with these cables.

Conclusion

It has been years since I thought interconnects made a really big improvement in my system. Yes, many have made changes that I would say refined the sound of my system; I thought the cables I had were so good that only small improvements would come from a change. I was wrong. I want to say it again, these cables eliminate noise that I had previously assumed was part of recorded music. Thanks Rick, for a great product and I can’t wait for the phono cable and hopefully, some speaker cables.

The post High Fidelity Cables CT-1 Interconnects Review appeared first on Dagogo.

The Review System

I recently reviewed Sablon’s remarkable Panatela interconnects. When possible, I most often use the same cables throughout my system, so for this review I hooked up my whole system with Sablon cables: The phono cable from my AMG V12 turntable to my Auditorium 23 homage T1 SUT, a pair of the Panatela interconnects from the SUT to the Shindo Giscours, and another pair from the Giscours to the Wavac EC-300B.  The Wavac was connected to the Teresonic Ingenium XR Silvers speakers via the Sablon Panatela speaker cables.  I used a Gran Corona power cord for the amp, and the Shindo power cords on the Giscours because of Ken Shindo’s grounding scheme .

Description and listening impressions

Every set of Panatela cables are hand built and cryogenic treated starting with the bare wire. They don’t use solder joints because Sablon claims feels they degrade the sound. Both the interconnects and speaker cables use cryogenically treated silver-plated copper Xhadow connectors for terminations, which Sablon considers to be the best sounding terminations available. If you want more technical info go to website and read away.

With the Sablon cable throughout my system, I was quite pleased with the sound. It had a very transparent and clear sound without any of what I think of as a silver sound. In fact, on many albums I would describe the sound as full bodied, silky smooth, and with great musical flow. With other recordings it was quick and tight with great snap. The Sablon cables will not cover up bad sounding recordings, but neither will they shout out at you, “this sounds really bad.”

The sound of my system with the Sablon cables was very alive. When I say alive, I’m trying to convey a sound that is natural and very realistic, in opposition to a system that sounds like a great high end system, especially not what is often referred to as a musical sounding system.

The system reproduced layers, textures, colors, and the tonality of music in an exemplary manner. Vocals both male, female and rather quirky voices all sounded very natural. Occasionally, I thought the cables might tame the edginess of some voices ever so slightly. Truth is, this is a rather glorious thing on digital recordings and many would think a pretty good thing overall. The cables did nothing to hinder the coherent soundstage that I so enjoy about my system.

Conclusion and Comparisons

The Sablon cables replaced a full set of Shindo Silver cables and their power cords in my system. I also had on hand Teresonic gold and silver cables. In my review of the Panatela interconnects I compared these cables and said, “The Teresonic Clarison Silver EXP cables are probably the most neutral of all three cable I had on hand. They are very fast, very quick, with great bass impact. The Shindo cables fall in between the two in regard to tonality. The Shindo are definitely the most organic of the three, with the Panatela coming in a very close second. As the Panatela is the warmest of the three, I would certainly pick it for digital playback. Now, don’t get me wrong in this comparison – these three cables sound much more like each other than they do different.”

Nothing has changed my mind about this assertion. The big difference here is that you get equally good sound for significantly less money with the Sablon. If I had an all-Shindo system, I would use Shindo Interconnects, power cords, and the Sablon Panatela speaker cables. For any other system it would be hard to justify spending more for either of the other two cables. I’m not saying the Sablons are the best cables in the world. They are not, but they are the best I have heard for the money. I know these are not entry level cable prices, but they are near state-of-the-art cables for a reasonable cost. I honestly feel they are quite a bargain and cables that more people need to hear.

The post Sablon Panatela Speaker Cables, Interconnects, Phono Cable and Gran Corona Power Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

My favorite TV shows of all time are Doctor Who? and Northern Exposure. Why? They are both nearly as weird and likable as me; ha, ha. Honestly though, I used to wish I could move to Cicely, Alaska; the fictional town where the people of Northern Exposure lived –not because I had any desire to live in Alaska — but because I wanted to live with all those weird and likable people.

In one episode of Northern Exposure, Marilyn Whirlwind is looking for a new dance partner for the contest coming up at the next big Pow Wow. She keeps looking for someone who has good stillness; you know, what you don’t see in a dance. I’ve always known how important quietness was in a stereo system, but until the addition of the AMG “V12” turntable and the High Fidelity CT-1 cables into my system I never realized that there was so much noise in my system, or any other system for that matter.

This is a review of Rich Schultz’s CT-1E Enhanced Phono and Interconnect cables, but it would probably be a good idea to read my October review of his ground breaking “High Fidelity CT-1” interconnects as well as this review.

According to the High Fidelity Cable website the technical difference in the cables are as follows.

• The CT-1E has all the features of the normal CT-1 along with the following:
• A new conductor alloy is used in the enhanced version which has a greatly increased ferromagnetic permeability for increased levels of Magnetic Conduction and performance.
• The conductor is treated with a proprietary material that lowers dielectric absorption so signals are not held back by the changes in electrical charges in the teflon dielectric.
• The PinLok connector has been redesigned for increased ferromagnetic permeability in the pin itself. This allows low level signals to move more easily into the conductor.
• Precision 24K gold plate is applied at 300 microns which is double the industries thickest plating recommendations. The ground ring is also plated to help ensure a optimal low level signal performance.

The Enhanced version of the CT-1 began as a design for a phono cable. I was lucky enough to receive the first CT-1E phono cable. At that time I had two great phono cables: the top of the line  from Cardas and Sablon. Both of these cables were very good and the Sablon was incredible for the money, but the CT-1E was a whole different ball game. So how did these cable come to be?

Rick said that low level signals created by phono cartridges are very fragile, or put another way, are very easily distorted. If not very careful, information is even lost. These signals have almost no current and are driven by voltages that may have maximum output of as little as 0.2 volts, or lower. He says, “a testing facility in Canada contracted by Magnetic Innovations LLC tried testing these signals as low as -59 dB. They discovered that long after conventional audio cables significantly obscured test signals, our CT-1E phono cable using Magnetic Conduction technology were still at work clearly transferring this low level information.”

I know the technical info is a little vague. Let me tell you though, that when added to my AMG V12 turntable using the Benz Ebony TR S Class cartridge with Micro-Ridge stylus, my source became capable of sonic recovering more low-level detail than I ever dreamed was on LPs.

After making the phono cable, Rick decided to make interconnects from the same cable and found them to be a major step up from the CT-1. Let me remind you, the CT-1s were by a wide margin the best interconnects I had ever used. So let’s talk about how my system sounds with CT-1E running from the AMG V12 to the Auditorium 23 Homage T1 SUT, to the Shindo Giscours, and then to the Wavac EC-300B.

Overall Sound

It’s one thing to talk about the way components or cables affect the sound of the top end, midrange, bass, etcetera, but what really matter is the overall sound. To put it in another, and sadly, a less talked about way, how does the music sound?

I promise this will be the only quote from the other review, but it is so important that I must remind you what I said about the overall sound of the CT-1s. “What I wasn’t expecting was to hear such a significant, immediate difference. They create a solidity and musically satisfying sound I had not heard before. They seem to get rid of noises or sounds that I thought were just part of reproduced music, regardless of how good the system was.”

The enhanced version has the same overall sound, but reveal even more information. The system sounded more alive than ever before. Instruments and vocals just seemed to be there in the room with me.

Dynamics

This great sense of solidity and control might lead one to question the cable’s dynamics; such fears would be groundless as these cables allow my system to have honest real to life, live-performance dynamics.

Not only do they allow such macro-dynamics in my system, they also improve my system’s micro-dynamics. As the CT-1 breaks-in, their total lack of splashy-sounding transients is so much more like what a live musical performance really sounds like. The transient responses are lightening quick, but not bright. Drums, tympani instruments, plucked strings, and pianos are the best I’ve heard in my system.

Both micro and macro dynamics explode out of a solid soundstage. This creates a sense of naturalness and speed that I have not experienced before. I have to admit I am struggling to explain this sound, because as I said before these cables remove noise, sibilants, and splashy sounding strings and female vocals that I just thought were part of listening to recorded music.

I’m not going to go through the same things I said about the CT-1 again, just read it and know the E does all this just way better. I do need to comment on one more aspect, though.

Soundstage, Imaging, and Scale

It’s always been my opinion that a system’s ability to produce a soundstage is directly related to its ability to let you hear fine detail, especially in the midrange and top end. The CT-1Es produce the most believable soundstage, or maybe it would be better to call it a sound space. There is a solidity in the soundstage that is just so realistic. They allow my system to produce a scale that can be big to huge, and at other times tight and small. To talk about width and depth would not come close to letting you know how solid this soundstage is.

In closing, let’s talk about some specific example of what these cables do with music. Let’s start with Rickie Lee Jone’s album Pop, Pop.  This album rates 10 on music and 10 on sound, but the CT-1Es let her voice get loud and more dynamic without ever sounding stressed or sibilant.

Next, there is the Harry Belafonte Live at Carnegie Hall of HP fame. It really is a great LP but on some songs, his voice is sometimes a little shrill. I always thought this was just his voice, but with the CT-1Es I could hear his breath and vocal inclinations without ever hearing his voice without any shrillness.

Let’s end by talking about one of my very favorite LPs, Ray Brown and L’ Almeida playing the most amazing bass and guitar you would ever want to hear. With the CT-1Es, Ray’s bass simply growled at times and was fast and nimble at other times. L’ Almeida’s guitar was fast, tuneful, and the decay inside the instrument was simply lifelike.

Conclusion

I guess the only area I can imagine anyone faulting these cable would be the cost: $2,800 per meter. Still, when you consider the cost of some other cables such as Audio Note Sogon, or Crystal Cable’s CrystalConnect Absolute Dream at $13,500 per meter, or Jean Labs Awakening at $11,000, or MIT’s Oracle MA-X Proline at $8495, or even Siltech Signature Empress Crown RCA at $21,000, $2,800 seems like a bargain for the best interconnects I have ever heard, by a large margin. One last thing I have to admit, it was easier to hear the difference in this wire from conventional wire in my reference system than it was in my upstairs digital/video system. Still, in either system it was apparent what a big step forward the CT-1Es are.

Addendum

I need to let you know that after listening to the High Fidelity Cables for over three months, I need to revise what I said about break in. In my review of the CT-1, I said, “the High Fidelity Cable CT-1 sounded shockingly good when I first installed them in my system. Don’t get me wrong — they do continue to improve, specifically open up and sound airier for what I would guess would be about a couple of hundred hours. Truth they sound about 90% of their best after about 10 hours of play.”

I didn’t even mention break-in in the second review. Truth is, with just a few hours on them they sound so much better than any cables I have used that I may have over looked how important break-in is. Both the CT-1 and the CT-1E need a lot of break-in to sound their very best. They begin to sound smoother, bigger, and more transparent with time. So, while you will enjoy them from the very beginning, you will enjoy them much more when they have a few hundred hours on them. By the way, Rick has also made this discovery and is working on a way of breaking them in significantly more before shipping them.

The post High Fidelity Cables CT-1E Phono & Interconnect Cables Review appeared first on Dagogo.

In the beginning of the year at the 2012 CES, I observed that the room hosted by Sutherland, Merrill-Williams, and Vandersteen sounded particularly good. The cabling in that room was by a company that was previously unknown to me, Enklein Cables. During this visit I was introduced to company president Dave Kleinbeck and it didn’t take much time at all to get to a heady conversation regarding the role of cables in a neutral system, and in particular how his designs were contributing to the overall listenability, detail, image specificity,  and neutrality of the system in that room.

The Enklein story is certainly an interesting one. The company was formed out of the need for improved performance from high quality studio recording gear. Their analysis concluded that external noise and interference were compromising their ability to capture the emotional content of the performances they were recording, and they endeavored to correct the problem through design of proper cables that provided an extreme level of noise reduction without damaging or altering the sound and timing of the music and recorded space.

Fast forward to this past May and after a few brief email exchanges regarding silver cables and past experiences, Mr. Kleinbeck offered for review his Enklein Zephyr Interconnects and Enklein Taurus power cords. I, of course, jumped at the chance since they had already proven at CES that they were definitely of high performance. In the course of this review, you will see that a couple of months into the process, I added a set of Enklein “Titan” speaker cables to the mix, thus creating a full end-to-end Enklein-connected system. You will read much more as to why and how this further development was necessary in order to fully realize a faithful evaluation of the Enklein family of cables.

As a matter of reference, for the major portion of the review period  my system was configured with a Pass Labs X350.5 power amplifier, the superb Pass Labs XP-20 line stage, Zesto Audio Andros PS-1 phono stage, and Eficion F300 speakers. Cables used were TRS Audio Pure Note Designer’s Edition interconnects and speaker cables, Aural Symphonics Magic Gem v2t power cords and Telwire “Cord” power cord on the Conrad Johnson/McCormack Universal Digital player UDP-1 Deluxe. The analog source is the excellent Merrill-Williams R.E.A.L. 101 / Ortofon TA-110 Rubber Injected tonearm and Accuphase AC3 phono cartridge combination. Viewed holistically, this system provides a neutral and highly detailed workspace that would be required for evaluation of the Enklein cables.

The Method

Reviewing a cable or set of cables is decidedly a tricky endeavor. After all, there is a certain amount of trial and error that goes into changing cables and evaluating the resulting changes in sound in the overall system. That is, if indeed the system even changes enough to be perceived; typically, that’s not at all an issue. Cables generally, in fact, make a world of difference in a system and can either improve its overall performance or can also cause it to tank. In the world of high-performance audio, the latter is not generally the case but there is always that distinct possibility.

My preference is to evaluate each cable independently beginning with the power cord, then interconnects, and finally speaker cables. In order to fully capture the changes wrought by each cable, I do each swap independently by re-inserting the reference cable back into the system prior to moving on to the following cable being evaluated. This method, though time-consuming, has proved to be worthwhile in the past in exposing overall differences and sonic signatures in each individual cable. I followed this methodology when reviewing other cable systems such as the Aural Symphonics cables, Telwire cables, and of course the TRS Pure Note Designer’s Edition cables.

Enklein “Taurus” Power cord

The Enklein “Taurus’ reference power cord is Enklein’s best from a lineup which includes the entry level ”Jake” and the mid-level “Big Tom.”  The Taurus is constructed using 37 strands of silver plated copper in a 10 gauge bundle for the current-carrying conductors.  These are coated with a thick layer of a Teflon dielectric. Terminations are also of very high quality materials sporting platinum-coated beryllium copper base metal connectors.  The outer wrap is made of a solvent-resistant plastic shell and exudes both quality of construction as well as durability and purpose.  Visually, the Enklein Taurus is flat and stiff without being rigid. It can be flexed and molded to whatever shape is necessary to accomplish wire routing. This is quite a contrast to the Aural Symphonics Magic Gem v2t whose girth is more akin to a pool vacuum hose than power cord. However, as I pointed out in my review, the Magic Gem v2t remained remarkably flexible for its size.

I decided to start off with inserting the Enklein Taurus reference power cord to my system, specifically to the Pass Labs X350.5 power amplifier. Of course, none of the Enklein cables had been used nor broken in, so I therefore set my expectations accordingly.  At first blush, when directly compared to my long time reference Aural Symphonics MagicGem v2t, I found the Enklein Taurus Reference to hold its own in the key areas where my reference cable excels, low background noise and top-to-bottom integrity; an interesting start. To hasten the pace of progress, I utilized a second system to run continuously for purposes of breaking-in two Enklein Taurus reference power cord and the balanced pair of Enklein Zephyr silver wire interconnects.

I evaluated the sound of the Enklein Taurus reference power cord a week later to see how things were progressing and indeed, the sound had changed mainly in the area of bass response. While it had already seemed quite good in this area, having approximately 100 or so hours of run time proved beneficial in dramatically improving both impact and focus. This came through as improved imaging and coherence which were areas where they demonstrated a weakness right out of the box.

Once assured that break-in was complete, I conducted a series of listening tests with an Enklein Taurus reference power cord at the Pass Labs X350.5 power amplifier and another at the one front-end component that is most affected by power cords, the Conrad Johnson-McCormack UDP1 Deluxe universal player.

The results as they relate to the Pass Labs X350.5 followed my initial impressions closely. The Enklein Taurus reference power cord provided a clean and quiet background and did not hinder image depth, width, or height. Overall, the Taurus distinguished itself from my reference MagicGem v2t in two key areas. The Taurus provided excellent quieting without the slight darkness that seemed ever-present on the Aural Symphonics. The second notable change, though slight, was an impression that the Enklein Taurus appeared to alter front-to-back image perspective. Voices, both male and female, seemed slightly forward in presentation, but without any tonal inconsistencies or added colorations.

Inserting the second Enklein Taurus to my universal player yielded a clearer view of the sonic influences the power cord change imparted in my system. In the case of the McCormack/ Conrad Johnson UDP1 Deluxe, most recently I had been utilizing the superbly neutral and transparent Telwire “Cord” power cord. With respect to the Telwire Cord , it’s selection had really amounted to a compromise between the imaging prowess of the Zu Audio “Mother” MK II which it replaced and the slightly dark yet tonally rich Aural Symphonics Magic Gem v2t. Once inserted, the Enklein Taurus proved to yield significant sonic benefit to the performance of my digital player.  Specifically, images seemed to become more resolute and clearer. Bass clarity and impact also improved without altering the overall sonic balance and neutrality of this unit; certainly another very positive outcome.  If my review were to conclude here, I would say that in the case of either inserting one or even two Enklein Taurus reference power cords to my system, the overall effects were certainly positive and I would have concluded that the change was most impactful at the system’s front-end. However, the review and story do not end here. In fact, they have barely begun.

Enklein Zephyr Balanced and Single-Ended Interconnects

Once comfortable with the sonic signature my system had with the addition of the two Enklein Taurus reference power cords, I proceeded with inserting a 5-meter run of Enklein Zephyr Balanced interconnects.

The Enklein Zephyr is the second highest model of interconnect in Enklein’s line-up of four distinct models. The Enklein line of interconnects consists of (from the bottom up), the entry level copper-based Aura, the continuous cast copper-based Prairie Fire, the solid silver conductor-based Zephyr, and the top-of-the-line Aeros which utilizes both silver and copper in its construct.

The Enklein Zephyr interconnect is a flat and stiff-yet-bendable cable that is constructed with 20 gauge silver solid conductors placed parallel in an air dielectric. Zephyr has a shield network that is specifically designed to preserve the signal and protect against any AC line 60 Hz noise and any digital noise conductance. The XLR terminations utilize a unique billet brass with gold and rhodium over silver plating. These have a particularly solid feel when inserted into position.

The Enklein Zephyr in particular interested me very much. As a user of silver cables from a single source for over 10 years, this is where my preferences have generally gravitated towards. Over those years, though not at all perfect, the TRS Audio Pure Note models are the sole silver cables that consistently delivered wide response and neutrality in my system that was previously anchored by full range electrostatic speakers, without the brightness and edginess that others in this category often exhibit.

After roughly a 120-hour break-in period, I had my first listening session with the Zephyr balanced cables in place. I first started with some new vinyl that I had just purchased and wasn’t at all happy with what I was hearing. So I moved on to more familiar recordings, which proved useful but also raised additional questions.  My initial impression of the Zephyr interconnect was indeed a mixed one.  Low frequency weight was excellent, though not quite as impactful as my standard-bearer TRS cable. On acoustic works, I found that the forward quality that I had noted with the Enklein Taurus power cord had increased in severity and gave the impression of loss in image depth and movement of the overall image forward of the speakers.  Since this can easily be due to insufficient break-in, I decided to continue the break-in process of these cables and double down on the 120 hours. This is not at all atypical for silver cables. In fact, as I noted previously in my review of the Pure Note cables, their cables have always required substantially long run in times into the hundreds of hours. Anecdotally, I have heard the same of a few other well-regarded cables, so I had no reason to question the results at this point in the process.

The post Enklein Zephyr Interconnect, Taurus Speaker Cables, and Titan Power Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

For the last eight months I have listened to my system transform before my ears, as I have used progressively higher levels of High Fidelity Cables as Rick Schultz, proprietor, made them available to me. (CT-1 interconnects, October 2012; CT-1E phono and interconnects, February, 2013; CT-1 and CT-1E speaker cables, May, 2013.)  During this time I have learned more about how these cables work and sound.  There are a couple of things I want to say before the review of the Ultimate version of the CT-1 interconnects and speaker cables.

First, I expect this to be the last cable review I write for some time.  I have spent far more time reviewing cables in the last year than I would ever want to do again.  The only reason I have been willing to do this leads to the second thing I want to say.  That is, I believe that Rick Schultz’s Magnetic Conduction Technology is truly a game changer for what audio reproduction systems can sound like.  Likewise, I think Mark Coles’ Sablon cables redefine what a non-Magnetic Conduction cable can do at a reasonable price.

Rick holds the pending patent (U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,876) on “Magnetically Enhanced Electrical Signal Conduction Apparatus and Methods,” or “magnetic conduction” as Rick puts it simply.  You can read his simplified explanation at http://www.highfidelitycables.com/technology.html. He says the magnetic system allows the signal to flow more easily through the system resulting in much less distortion, a significant increase in information, and with proper breaking-in, a much fuller sound.

Rick says to appreciate the impact of Magnetic Conduction technology, it is important to understand that an electrical signal is always accompanied by a magnetic field.  It is the use of this magnetic element of signal transfer that makes the CT-1 fundamentally different from other cables.  In the case of High Fidelity Cables, the electrical signal is strongly induced to follow a magnetic field by use of High Fidelity Cable’s “Magnetic Mapping” process, which does “align’ magnetic poles at each end of the cable in a proprietary and directed way so as to “draw” the electrical signal through the conductor.  In effect, he uses the magnetism to keep the electrical signal flow aligned with each other and to minimize the random pathways for electrons within and along the conductor.  With this technology, the entire cable is directionally magnetized to promote signal transfer.

I have described the unusually long RCA plugs in my review of the CT-1s.  I called them the best RCAs ever and over the last six months using Rick’s cables, I still feel that way. What I did not know at the time is that each of these long RCA jack have 52 individual parts, all of Rick’s custom design, on the inside. The center pin of the RCA has a bulge at the end called a “PinLok,” that assures a very tight fit into the RCA jack.

Each end of the company’s cable has different pole magnets to increase the flow of the signal down the signal path.  The Ultimate also has large tubes of magnets in the signal path, but you will not find traditional copper, silver, or even gold wire in the High Fidelity Cables.  Instead, you will find a highly permeable alloy called “Mu metal” and this is also part of Rick’s patent.

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It has been many, many years, (perhaps 25 or even 30?) since I have had my system decked out in MIT cables. Back when I discovered the joy of electrostatic speakers I splurged and invested in some MIT CVT interconnects and speaker cables. Those were in my system for a number of years until I discovered silver wire, and then rarely went back to copper. As I wrote that previous sentence, I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh because, of course, we all know better. It’s not really about just the metal, or is it? Of course the person laughing the hardest is MIT founder, Bruce Brisson. Mr. Brisson has been evangelizing the real and correct role of interconnects and wires for more than thirty years. Back in the 80’s (or was it the late 70’s?), when  Mr. Brisson founded MIT, he founded the company on the basis that linking electronics and speakers requires more than just strands of conductive metal. They were required to be component interfaces. This was a term that was rarely used in those pre-computer software days. Through MIT, Mr. Brisson introduced the concept of engineering cables through use of individualized “poles” of differing measured characteristics that together provide a reliable, musical, and harmonious connection between two components.

Many of us may not understand the science or math behind component interface matching or worse yet, deny the fact that cables affect the sound of a system, but we have all fallen victim to improper or incompatible cables and/or components. Still, we roll the dice and perform a series of crapshoots when making key decisions in our component systems in the hopes that these will miraculously function harmoniously. I certainly have written enough cable reviews and you, the reader, have read many more of these to know that seeking out compatibility in cable and component is sometimes an expensive, time-consuming, and frustrating endeavor. This is especially true if you are shopping for cables that are affordable for us mere mortals. MIT is looking to change all of that. It is therefore with keen interest and measured excitement that I accepted the offer to review MIT’s latest offering in the world of Music Interfaces, the MIT StyleLine Series.

The StyleLine Series is the latest line of cables being offered by MIT. In fact, they are an entry level line of cables that include products for audio and video systems. This means that in addition to the usual audio-based offerings of speaker cables and interconnects, this new AV line includes such offerings as USB cables and HDMI cables. Most importantly, the MIT StyleLine represents the latest in a simplified and trickled-down “Multipole” technology that is employed in MIT’s more costly offerings, such as the Matrix and Oracle series of cables. In today’s world of high performance audio, the StyleLine Series cables are indeed attractively priced should they achieve their lofty sonic goals.

The MIT StyleLine speaker cables are available in configurations of 5 (SL-5), 9 (SL-9), and 12 (SL-12) poles of articulation with pricing of $500, $800, and $1,200 respectively per 8 foot pair. In similar fashion, the MIT StyleLine interconnects come in three configurations 3 (SL-3), 6 (SL-6), and 8 (SL-8) poles of articulation with pricing of $200, $300, and $500 respectively, for a 1-meter single-ended RCA pair. They are also available in balanced XLR configuration in 3 (SLXLR-3) and 6 (SLXLR-6) poles of articulation with pricing of $300 and $600 respectively, for a 1-meter pair. In this review, I will be exploring the sound and impact imparted on my reference system when configured with MIT StyleLine SL-8, SLXLR-6, and SL-12. Rounding out the full MIT set-up for purposes of this review, I am also employing the use of MIT Shotgun jumpers on my Eficion F300 speakers, and a full complement of MIT Magnum ZIII power cords for the power amps and MIT Shotgun ZIII power cords for source components. The MIT StyleLine Series includes power cords and jumpers in the future.

Installation and Break-in – Power Cords

For the purposes of this review, I decided to deviate from my normal method and first replace all power cords with the MIT cords since the actual subject of this review is the MIT StyleLine Series. I did so not just because of the opportunity to have an all-MIT system approach, but also because my reference power cords have proven to sometimes be a difficult match to cables of other designs. The MIT Magnum ZIII was installed on the Pass Labs X350.5 power amplifier and MIT Shotgun ZIII power cords on the Pass Labs XP-20 line stage, Zesto Audio Andros PS-1 phono stage, and Conrad Johnson UDP1 Delux universal disc player. I had already been advised by MIT that the cables were burned in. However, after quickly listening to the system’s signature, I decided to give the cables an additional burn-in of one week while away on business. Upon my return I confirmed that the additional time proved to be beneficial. This set the stage for establishing a baseline sound before introduction of the MIT StyleLine Series. To that end, I also installed the MIT Shotgun jumpers on the Eficion F300’s and noted a slight, audible change in high frequency extension and detail from the excellent EnKlein Titan jumpers.

My reference system’s signature did change in several aspects due to the change in power cords. First, the overall signature had an overall slight, added warmth in the upper bass. In addition and more importantly, bass response clearly improved in force and clarity at the lowest registers. Overall, it was a pleasant surprise to find these improvements in place moving into the main focus of the review, the MIT StyleLine Series!

The post MIT StyleLine Series SL-8, SLXLR-6, and SL-12 Interconnects and Speaker Cables Review appeared first on Dagogo.

The audiophile mind treats cables differently than components.  Be it a turntable, digital player, preamplifier, power amplifier or speakers, we are comfortable in putting our finger on what has changed and what improvement has been wrought, because it is easy to describe fundamentally different designs in the product category.  This is precisely one reason cable reviews can be hard to write, not because one cable is necessarily inferior to the other, but because the true innovators are imitated and copied ferociously.  The resultant products can be so much alike in constructions, materials used and performance.

Hence my relegating of my longstanding preference of reference products in this group to the top offerings from three companies: MIT Cables for its superior system-adaptive nature via Bruce Brisson’s groundbreaking networks, Wireworld for David Salz’s incomparably exclusive flat conductor technology and Audio Note UK for its high-purity, high-strand silver in the darnedest, most technology-less, straightforward construction of its cables.  People laugh at the Audio Note UK’s lack of technology in the construction, and their jaws drop when I play it.  Those expensive strands of silver are not for nothing.

The priority and mentality of the reviewer, which is not the same as our readers, also comes into play.  When an audiophile auditions a product, he wants to know if the sound of that product is compatible with his tastes and goal, because he is spending his hard-earned cash to get what he wants, and he walks into a store with his glass more than half full.  This is as it should be.  For a reviewer, his job is to zero-in on the true nature of the product auditioned as closely as possible, and then describe it.  Except  in the case when the sound of the product is a far cry from what he is accustomed to, like having a reviewer known for his penchant for multi-driver, extended-range speakers write about a pair of single-driver, limited-range design, the reviewer will usually have no problem appreciating the strengths and weaknesses of the product and reporting them as such in a balanced approach.

Cable reviews, however, are very different.  In addition to the reason stated in the first paragraph, the current, prevalent mentality continues to be one in which many readers hope to elevate the performance of his system by replacing one set of interconnects or speaker cables; but the reality is the introduction of any given cable changes the chemistry of the system, which is then perceived as better or worse.  A superior cable, such as the MIT Oracle V1.3 HR speaker interface, can make the system sound just the same if used in conjunction with a whole system of inferior cables and electronics.  In addition, if all a cable does is passing signals along without active processing, then its presence will make a system behave differently because of its interaction of differing impedance and capacitance with other cables, among other factors, whether it’s replacing one set of interconnect or speaker cables versus a complete system rewiring.

I have had the privilege of using complete cable systems, and this have allowed me to delve into the core of the cable systems’ intrinsic character.  Robin Loggie, owner of Loggie Audio of Redwood City has been using MIT Oracle Series of cables costing in the $50k range for a long time in a $189,000 system of Esoteric P-02/D-02 ($47k), Ypsilon PST-100 tube preamplifier ($37k), Ypsilon Aelius hybrid monoblocks ($36k) and YG Acoustics Anat III Studio Signature loudspeaker system ($68.8k) to magnificent effects.  When Robin demonstrated the sound of his system as wired by the less expensive, $26k A.R.T. Super SE interconnects and speaker cables to me, I found it surprising that the musical enticement of his system was not impeded by a non-network cable.  Rather than fleshing out details in manners consistent with other high-end, non-network cables, the Super SE portrayed sound in a very exotic manner via its comparably conventional and costly but nonetheless effective method.  Uniquely, the Super SE imparted considerable complexity in recreating tonal palettes, an ability not observed even from the Audio Note UK high-strand SOGON silvers, although concession must be made here that the SOGONs are designed specifically for use with the company’s SET amplifications.  I would return for a few more times to Robin’s listening room and eventually commandeer his complete A.R.T. Super SE cable system for review.

Audio Reference Technology was founded by Luigi Basagni in 1983, who is also the chief engineer.  Luigi was somewhat of a secluded personality with heavy involvement in the world of formula-one racing.  That is all I am privy to disclosing, per James Liu, the company’s U.S. representative here in the Bay Area.  Nowadays, the company is being run by David Huang, who used to be Luigi’s dealer for over twenty years.  In Laurence Borden’s Interview article of A.R.T. Cables, Luigi mentioned about his strive for creating a speed of sound by the use of select conductor/terminal combination.  After spending considerable time with the cables, I could see how those two formed a symbiotic block that deliver wholly formed transients.

Five levels of cable systems form the core of the A.R.T. SE product line.  The “SE” designation points to the incorporation of anti-electromagnetic plating in the metallic shielding of plugs and filter structure.  In addition, a “Q-Damper” technology of magnetized CNC aluminum alloy rings are positioned throughout the entire length of the cables of this series to further enhance isolation properties.

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