This review started with an assault upon me by Chris Owen. Well, that might be a bit of an overstatement; I should say that Chris has been a persistent man, catching me at every show I have attended and asking that I stop by to hear the systems he has displayed.

I thought I might not hear much from Chris after CES 2009, where I told him politely but directly something he did not want to hear. He had me listening to his tweak, “Audio Pillows”, to see what my initial reaction was. As the system played, he deftly positioned the Pillows, then moments later removed them from the components. At the conclusion of the demo (my music) he asked my impression. I was fairly blunt, “…they do not pass my Law of Efficacy.” In other words, I could not hear a significant, clear distinction between their use and non-use. I could tell that he was not expecting that answer, especially in light of the previous listener who thought they were great. I pointed out that I would have to conduct a much more thorough test in my room to conclude definitively – but that I had no desire to do so. Chris seemed hurt by my words, which is why I thought he might not want to have much to do with me from that point on.

How wrong I was, as Chris cheerfully corralled me at this past CES and urged me to hear a system with Clarity Cables and the Raven Studio Bard speaker. Rather than turn me away for a negative assessment of a tweak, Chris ultimately accepted my directness without offence. I was impressed by that and was happy out of courtesy to comply. I will share more about that momentarily.

Manufacturers are a bit taken aback when I pronounce directly my being unimpressed by tweaks like the A.R.T. system which I demoed at RMAF 2009. The vivid Giya speaker system I was mightily impressed by; the wooden blocks and cups not so. Why not? I have reached the point in dealing with so many rigs, so many products that I have concluded I’m tired of wasting time with fairly ineffective things. I want serious, major changes, not nearly inaudible audio incrementalism! If I have to strain to hear the supposed change, it fails. If it has to be repeated over and over to demonstrate the effect, it fails. If it does a little good but costs too much, it fails. Seeking such minor adjustments to a rig only enmeshes the audiophile in that level of sound, forsaking changes which could bring monumental improvement at a much higher level of performance. When such tweaks are tried and fail to elicit the desired amazement the audiophile is often fooled into thinking, “Perhaps my rig is at the end, the top level of performance.” Hardly; dozens upon dozens of levels of improvement, very meaningful changes, await the audiophile who doesn’t settle for less.

In a dramatic contrast the Opamp rolling of the Eastern Electric Minimax DAC (see review) was another idea brought to me by Chris. He caught on quickly that I tolerate no subtle tweaks and brought me a clear winner. Rolling Opamps was akin to adding turbo to a small engine, an extremely efficacious improvement. I share this with you as I demand big improvements from cables as well. If I put a wire into a rig and it does little to improve things in one or two configurations, then there’s not much point in spending inordinate amounts of time with it. Perhaps you think I’m too impatient about system building. Maybe, but I am no longer inclined to spend years futzing with miniscule changes. I’m going to get my brand of “serious sound” and get it sooner rather than later; I prefer to spend the majority of my time as a fulfilled audiophile!

Chris and Melissa Owen Background

Chris and Melissa Owen have been judging sound at car audio contests for the last 20 years. Chris regularly tells me that Melissa’s ears are better than his, but then five minutes later he’s discussing very nuanced distinctions in sound that only someone with acute perception would consider. I would suggest that if someone is looking for an industry mentor to educate on how to listen well, the Owens would be a good selection.

Returning to the Clarity Cable room at CES 2010 proved to be a very good decision resulting in being moved by a system with monitor speakers, something which does not often happen. I tend to be a big speaker guy and I like a truly full range experience. I was taken aback by the scaled up, crystalline beauty of the rig. One thing I have come to learn hearing hundreds of systems at shows is this: You can wreck a good rig by using poor cables, but almost always if the system has fantastic sound, the cables are worth attention.

Has that perception been verified in this review, in my room, with my gear? Absolutely; the great sounding cables I have found at showrooms and demos have sounded nothing short of stupendous with the systems I assemble. That may sound like boasting, but as we continue I think you will see that it is not. The excellent performance has to do directly with the nature of the cables. Harmonic Technology was a favorite of mine years ago, and it sounded good to my ear with a variety of gear. Wireworld has been a very fine product and I can nearly hear in my mind the influence it will have prior to assembling a system in a review. Clarity Cable can now be added to that list, and in its own particular ways it excels beyond the other two. I plan on discussing the aspects of Clarity Cable which make it a valuable element of an audio system.

It is a bit ironic that products in audio are named with terms taken from nature, such as the Clarity Cable “Organic” line. There’s not much natural about ore being mined, refined, annealed, drawn and worked into various configurations along with dielectric and sheathing, not to mention the terminations. In one sense it’s anything but natural, as an electronic signature is impressed upon electronic processes which pertain to some music which is acoustic or natural. We wouldn’t have stereos if humans didn’t impose inorganic blueprints upon the natural world.

Then again, audio is hardly the only sector of manufacturing where nature’s terminology has been pressed into service to human creativity. Witness the Saturn Sky vehicle, White Cloud toilet paper, Dawn dish soap, Summer’s Eve… well, never mind – a myriad of inventions and institutions named after plants and animals. It is a bit tougher to conceptualize the term “organic” when applied to sound. For instance, can a stereo playing electronic music sound organic? Can any stereo be organic sounding? Without pressing the philosophy of the matter too far, I believe some stereos sound far more organic than others. What are the qualities inherent in an “organic” sounding rig? It is worth pursuing that question in this article.

What’s in a name?

We begin with my assertion that Clarity Cable’s Organic series has been named appropriately. Clarity has its own reasons for its nomenclature, reasons I’ve been asked not to divulge. I believe that the company has pursued one of the most important facets of organic sound by putting an extremely high emphasis on clarity in audio reproduction. I am always on a mission to find a higher degree of clarity in high fidelity music. In fact, I like clarity in my listening so much that I take a contrary position to most audiophiles; I insist that a system cannot have too much clarity.

Before you choke on your highly organic saliva from guffawing, pause a moment and consider that one of the most universally applauded aspects of live acoustic music is its ineffably clean, clear sound which even top end audio systems struggle to imitate. Would it not stand to reason that if an audio system is capable of prodigious amounts of clarity, then it will more approach the sound of live music? I think so. All one has to do is hear a not-so-clear system to know immediately how critical clarity is! Unheard of is an audiophile waxing poetic about a diminishment of resolution, or uttering in adulation, “… it was as if a veil had been placed in front of the speaker!”

Of course, other variables complicate cabling in audio systems including impedance, capacitance and inductance, which in turn influence timbre and dynamics. On the whole, I find that over the past 25 years or so that I have been in the hobby of music listening I have always pushed for more precision and purity in the sound, never less. It took a great many years of experimentation and system building to conclude firmly that clarity is not the issue when a system sounds too harsh – something else is wrong, typically the tonality or timbre. Detail and precision in a system are often blamed as the problem, when in reality these are never the problem. How they are influenced by other parameters of playback is the problem.

A good example has been the progression of dozens of CD players I have owned over the years. As they have climbed the ladder of cost and capability, they have increasingly yielded higher precision and cleanness in sound. One of my favorite reference quality players, the Ayon CD-5, has beautiful detail and cleanness, such that it is very hard to go back and listen to any mid-level player at all, for they sound muddled. The finest players, unlike mid-level offerings, do not sound harsh because of detail. The sound harsh because they may have a lack of warmth, and/or because of poor speaker selection, and/or a white or clinical sounding amplifier, and/or an unrefined preamplifier, and/or cables with serious design flaws. However, this article is not about CD players, but cables, in particular the Clarity Cable brand. Clarity Cable is designed around the concept that bringing a higher amount of detail to a system is a very good thing.

The post Clarity Cable Organic Interconnect, Speaker, Digital Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Introduction

Pure Note was one of those extremely quiet, unassuming, cottage industry, niche manufacturers that have a passion for audio. They have been in business for years and years as strictly an American web-based company. In fact, their roots actually reach back to pre-Y2k. I have actually known them since those earliest of days; even before they organized under the name of Pure Note. Back then they were staunchly web based and in fact, their website may have been the very first time I encountered an online “shopping cart”.

Pure Note of Las Vegas, Nevada was founded in 2000 by Tom Swenson. Tom was owner and Chief Designer. The “Signature”, “Epsilon”, “Epsilon Reference”, and “Cerulean” cables were his creations. In 2005, Tom formed a partnership with Paul Stevens of Boise, Idaho. Paul was the designer of the “Paragon”, “Vanguard”, and “Titanium” cable lines. Pure Note later joined DEMCO, a commercial home theater cabling company in Las Vegas. In June 2010, Tom and Paul sold their ownership interest to the current owner, Jim Campbell who formed TRS Audio of Boise, Idaho. TRS Audio continues the DEMCO relationship and the cables are still manufactured out of the old Pure Note, Las Vegas facilities. Tom Swensen continues his role as chief designer of TRS Audio, hence the name “TRS” (his initials).

Due to my deep history as a faithful Pure Note user, I feel the need to disclose the fact that with precious few short disruptions, nearly all generations of Pure Note cables have managed to become the cable reference of choice for my main system since their inception. In those earliest of days, they seemed to be the only company that truly understood how to design and construct a pure silver cable that did not have all of the nasty attributes associated with silver, such as undue brightness, glare, and etched highs and yet managed to capture the alluring sonic qualities that pure silver has to offer.

The birth of TRS Audio coincided with the introduction of two fundamentally new products, the “Alluvion” cable which is constructed of solid silver-Palladium alloyed ribbon wire and the “Designer’s Edition” which is constructed of cryogenically treated alloyed silver-gold solid wire.

As luck would have it, the TRS Audio acquisition, the introduction of the Pure Note Designer’s Edition cables, and my need for balanced interconnects in order to complete an evaluation I was engaged in at the time (see Pass Labs XP-10 line stage review), gave me the perfect reason to reach out to Jim Campbell and suggest a review. The Pure Note Designer’s Edition line of interconnects and speaker wires are TRS Audio’s statement line and are the subject of this review.

Installation and Break-In

To start with, I must point out that Pure Note cables were always extremely well-constructed and finished. The typical terminations of choice were Cardas Silver RCA’s or custom XLR’s with silver contacts. As a statement piece, The Designer’s Edition sport the very pricey cryogenically treated Furutech carbon-fiber XLR and RCA plugs. These are manufactured with stainless steel bodies, Teflon blocks, and rhodium-copper contacts (they are very cool to look at). The wire is cryogenically-treated solid alloyed silver-gold.

Breaking in the Pure Note Designer’s Edition was a very very long process. Indeed, at this point in time as I write this portion of the review, I am very confident that the interconnects are broken in and stable, but the speaker cables still have a way to go. Expect a 200+ hour journey with these cables. With respect to the speaker cables, that may be a conservative estimate. That said, I should point out that since TRS Audio’s products are sold solely through their web presence, all of their cables have a buy it and try it for 45 days policy. If the cables do not work out in your particular system configuration, you have 45 days to get the cables back to them for a full refund. In my opinion, this is a very generous arrangement.

A quick listen fresh from the factory confirmed that Pure Note Designer’s Edition interconnects did indeed need run in time. The sound was forward with a somewhat narrowed and shallow stage and the upper midrange had a slight edginess to them that was not at all pleasant. That said, these actually sounded quite good compared to the fresh-out-of-the-box sound of previous Pure Note designs; most notably the Signature, Epsilon, Paragon, and Vanguard models of years past. Fortunately I was able to accomplish break-in in a secondary system where it was later joined by a Pass Labs balanced line stage amplifier that came in for evaluation. I was eventually able to kill two birds with one stone.

The Sound – Interconnects

Firstly I would like to state that when it comes to describing the sound of cables, you need to remain conscious of the fact that what I describe in my particular system configuration may not exactly relate to how these cables will sound in your system environment. There are many variables that come into play when changing out or selecting cables. Really they should be the very last component you select when configuring a system, because a cable that causes a piece of equipment to react or sound in a particular way or even misbehave will not necessarily have the same effect in another system.

I had the opportunity to evaluate these balanced interconnects using the superb Pass Labs X350.5 power amplifier, a Sunfire Signature Series II (small chassis) power amplifier, and Pass Labs XP-10 preamplifier. To round out the system, the speakers used throughout this process were the full range electrostatic Martin Logan CLS 2z’s, Martin Logan Depth subwoofer, McCormack/Conrad Johnson UDP-1 deluxe, ASR Mini Basis Exclusive phonostage, and a proprietary turntable still in developmental stage but provided to me for auditioning purposes.

Inserting the TRS Audio Pure Note Designer’s Edition balanced XLR between the Pass Preamplifier and amplifier unearthed a synergy in these two components that seemed missing when run in single ended mode. The Pass Labs combination’s inherent sonic neutrality allowed me to really hear what the Designer’s Edition Balanced XLR and single ended RCA interconnects bring to the table. These cables exhibit one of the sexiest liquid midranges I have had the pleasure of hearing. These are decidedly different cables and much improved from previous generations of the pure silver ribbons that were the keystone of Pure Note’s cable designs. From upper bass to the fullest extension in the highs, the sound was remarkably smooth, highly focused, detailed, and was extraordinarily rich in tone. In fact, you would swear that the system was equipped from end-to-end with vacuum tubes.

With just one set of single-ended Designer’s Edition interconnects available for the front-end, I first listened to them exclusively on the digital player. In this context, the sound proved to once again bring this rather modest player to a level of fidelity and harmonic development that simply went beyond what you would expect from a circa $4,000 player.

The simple inclusion of the TRS Audio Designer’s Edition interconnect into this front-end circuit actually allowed the CD player’s Conrad Johnson roots to emerge even further. Overall presentation was wide, deep, and highly focused; more so than with any previous iteration of Pure Note cables. Bass is extremely well-controlled, defined, taut, and clean. Most importantly these improvements remained true with or without the TRS Audio Designer’s Edition XLR cables in the circuit between preamplifier and amplifier. Indeed, the TRS Audio Designer’s Edition balanced interconnects proved to add another dimension of detail, and a sense of ease and shoulders-down, toe-tapping, goodness that simply worked really well with both power amplifiers at my disposal. Putting this in a Pure Note perspective, this newest generation of cables, certainly seem to address and cure the weaknesses of previous generations of Pure Note cables without any deleterious effect to the rest of the overall balance and presentation of their house sound.

The TRS Audio Pure Note Designer’s Edition speaker cables started out to be quite difficult to figure out. Fresh out of their packaging, they did not exactly have the same sonic signature of the Designer’s Edition interconnects. In fact, they sounded more like the Epsilon or original Paragon Series’ of cables from Pure Note’s past prior to having been broken in. In short, they demonstrated a marked hardness in the midrange that yielded a somewhat “shouty” presentation on the electrostatics. The bass was also weighty and rich but ill-defined. These preliminary results set the stage for what would be a very long break-in process for these cables. In fact, it took so long, that I almost gave up on them when it became clear that their interconnect counterparts had completely come into their own and were indeed sounding spectacular.

Enter the TRS Audio Pure Note Designer’s Series Speaker Cables….

This is where past experience really pays off. In true Pure Note fashion, the speaker cable break-in was very lengthy 3 full weeks on a secondary system. During that process, I would insert them into my main system for a brief listen each Sunday afternoon, and as long as my notes indicated a change, then I would continue the break-in process.

Once fully broken in, they did not disappoint. Their overall sound completely mimicked that of the interconnect. In my system, that translated to a deep, expansive and highly detailed soundfield. The Designer’s Series speaker cables maintained the sweet, detailed, and silken smooth midrange already contributed by its Interconnect counterparts. The bass detail, weight, and pitch definition was also superb. Indeed, they brought out the best from my full range electrostatic speakers and handily transferred the prodigious power from both the Sunfire Signature Series II and superb Pass Labs X350.5.

Summary

I must say that I came into this review process with the expectation that the TRS Audio Pure Note Designer’s Edition cables would be at least very good in my system. However, I was not prepared for the substantial leap in sonic splendor that the Designer’s Edition demonstrated over the previous generations of Pure Note cables. Cable selection is so system-dependent that I would not presume that the results I get from these or any other cables will be exactly the same as those obtained in any other system. There are just too many variables at play. I am very happy to report that indeed these cables have taken my reference system to a new level of transparency and top to bottom consistency. Congratulations to Tom Swensen and Jim Campbell. It is a bold move to launch TRS Audio with the introduction of an all out statement line such as the Designer’s Edition. With Tom now completely focused on R&D, there is much to look forward to. The Designer’s Edition Cables are highly recommended.

The post TRS Audio Pure Note Designer’s Edition Interconnect and Speaker Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

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.

One of the first things that really intrigued me as a budding audiophile was the notion that wire made a sonic difference in an audio system. I was just getting used to the idea that separate components, each individually made a difference, never mind the wire that lashed them all together. After some experimentation, it did not take long before I determined that cables make not just a difference, but a major difference in a high-end system.

To this day, even after formally reviewing six pretty high profile wire manufacturers’ offerings, not to mention the other three or four I lived with though never formally reviewed, I still get a kick out of trying something new. For the past four years, my references have been the Sunny 1000 and more recently the Transparent Reference MMSS. The Sunny cable comes closer to having no sound of its own, though the Transparent offers a weight and solidity to the presentation that is intriguing.

Enter Skogrand SC Air Markarian 421

First, a few words from Skograndcables.com……

“The SC Air Markarian 421 offers solid core copper leads suspended in air within a framework of pure silk and PFA tubing. With this complex cable build we have achieved an effective dielectric constant of 1.0018 with a signal transfer speed of 299253,8 km/h or 99.82 % of the speed of light making this one of the fastest speaker cables in the world – only rivaled by the Centaurus A. With its brushed gold z-plug connectors (spades optional), pure silk brocade cable sleeves, 12 AWG UP-OCC 7N solid core copper leads and one week build time this makes out to be a marvel of sight and sound.”

The Skogrand SC Air Markarian 421 as configured as a 10-foot pair costs a mind numbing $9,350. Once I regained my marbles after hearing the price, I realized that was about the same price as the Sunny 1000, and less expensive than the Transparent. Backing up the price with performance, the inclusion of the Skogrand SC Air Markarian 421 speaker wire was a revelation. After a pretty short burn-in time, gone was the upper mid range/lower treble brightness of the Sunny, gone was the artificial upper bass/lower mid band weight of the Transparent, both replaced by what can only be described as a ”lack” of attribute.

The Skogrand 421 cables appear to have no additive sound qualities that I can pin on them. This is a real first in my experience, at least to this degree. Textures from top to bottom are both ripe and exceedingly well defined. Instruments sound at once more organic and far less electronic, even on electric instruments! Listening to electric guitars for instance through the Skogrand, I get a more complex, less congealed and processed sound. Individual notes within a strummed chord come into view, each string with it’s own signature decay.

Like the Skogrand 421’s ability to unravel inner detail, the level of focus and ability to unravel complex passages are just outstanding – from the front of the stage all the way back -left to right, top to bottom. Space and its occupying instruments are simply “open” with a kind of limitless sense, un-constrained if you will. Reverb and hall air just bloom for decades. A lack of smearing is another way to look at it. I like the glasses analogy. Imagine you have glasses on. There could be a small smudge on them obscuring detail while the majority of the lense is clear, you may not notice it until you remove the smudge and presto-clearo! Well, the Skogrand 421’s are as close to perfect in this regard as I have heard. They simply have less residue, or distortion obscuring information. Transient response is soooo quick without any zippy- ness. Notes just fly off the instrument. Listening to the background singers on Deacon Blues from Steely Dan Aja, the vocalists pour out the lyrics with just the right amount of dynamic restraint. Here, the intent of the artist comes into greater view and again, helps communicate musically.

Dynamically, there appears to be no sense of limit to what the Skogrand 421’s are capable of passing along to the speakers. Here, the Sunny and Transparent sound appreciably less dynamic. The Skogrand 421 allows music to move at a great pace and when need be, can get very bombastic. Even at modest levels of volume the Skogrand 421 remains alive sounding. Micro-expressions from all types of instruments make for very entertaining listening. The third movement from Holsts’ The Planets (Decca) is fertile ground for all sorts of subtly. Of course, these results speak as much about my contentment with my components as with the cables. I’m guessing your results will have a great deal to do with the surrounding gear. If you hear something distasteful with the Skogrand 421 in place, I can pretty much guarantee it is not the Skogrand 421 cables. Another way to look at it is this may be the speaker wire that your system could grow around for many years to come.

Mid way through the review process my Lansche 4.1 developed a short in the internal wiring. Until I could arrange to have them fixed, the big, and I mean big Sunny HSW15 speakers were pressed into action. At 550 pounds per side and set in four pieces, it took four pretty hearty fellows to set them up. Once the sweat had dried, I lashed up the tri-wired Sunny’s utilizing the Skogrand 421 in the mid range and the Sunny’s own 1000 for the bass and top end. I would have loved to hear all Skogrand 421 but that would be asking a great deal from a manufacturer the size of Skogrand.

To my surprise, the sound was simply outrageous. I forgot just how dynamic the Sunny speakers could be. The big horn mid range driver simply breaths fire. Huge dynamic shifts coupled to micro dynamic shading, this is sound of the highest order. Smooth as can be yet loaded with the finest microscopic detail the extent one can realize musical discovery is infinite. This experience leads me to believe that whatever speaker is presented to the Skogrand 421, it will be met with outstanding, honest performance.

Conclusion

I realize this was a fairly brief review. It is just that the Skogrands are so good at what they do, leaving so little to criticize, I feel going on much further would become redundant.

Possessing an undetectable level of the colorations we have grown far too accustomed to in our cables, the addition of the Skogrand 421 will either allow the listener to fall hard for the system they may presently really like, or provide a conduit to future up-grades, knowing that what they are hearing is not being distorted by speaker wire. For the audiophile who has been through the wringer jumping from one brand name wire to the next, the Skogrand 421 cables offer a respite, a soft landing to the crash-and-burn upgrade insanity we all can too well relate.

It’s not often a product stumps my ability to call out its imperfections (save the price). As it stands for now, the Skogrand 421 have done just that. As beautiful as speaker wire can be and built to a very high level of finish just bolsters the cables sonic superiority. The Skogrand AC Air Markarian 421 are a new reference that will hopefully be staying in place for years too come.

The post Skogrand SC Air Markarian 421 Speaker Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Introduction to Radio Shack Megacable Speaker Wire review: It is immediately obvious that this is an old review. I wrote it a few years ago out of curiosity but ended up not submitting it, likely due to being distracted by other review obligations. Like urban myths which circulate eternally on the Net, I occasionally see comments resurfacing regarding the supposed wonders of the Radio Shack Megacable or similar products.

My conclusions in the article may seem harsh, but as a reviewer of top end gear I have worked with extreme products, and the Megacable is anything but extreme. In fact, my prediction has stood; the Megacables while not sold still sit untouched after two years – once was enough using them.

I have used similar cables having individually braided small conductors, some in individual dielectric coverings and others bunched as are those in the Megacable. As well, I have used a myriad of other designs in cables and assure the reader there is nothing inherently superior sonically about the finely braided, grouped strands of the Megacable. I’m sure that somewhere there reside systems where the use of the Megacable will bring an opening of the heavens and the long sought after sound, but that “somewhere” was nowhere near my room.

Enjoy the write up,
Douglas Schroeder 7/2012

I paid my $26 or so including tax, so I can play the, “Let’s see if the cheapo wire beats the expensive stuff,” game. It is entertaining for me to test econo-products against the best. By the way, this is an unsolicited review. Neither Constantine, who’s likely having a heart attack when he sees this, or Radio Shack has requested it. I just felt like writing it!

I had used this system lately with Wireworld Silver Eclipse speaker cables as well a different brand on review which I like the sound of quite a bit. I wrote up a similar system in an Audio Blast, commenting on the terrific sound. I made a brief but adequate comparison between the Magnacable and these two extremely good speaker cables. If the results were positive for it the Magnacable would see further use and comparisons. If not, it would be tossed aside.

Methodology and results

I used four equivalent lengths, at 12.5 ft. each, of the unterminated Radio Shack flat speaker wire. The other speaker cables were ten feet long, however they were terminated. I will let others argue over whether these were significant enough variables to be audible, or whether they cancel each other in terms of audibility. I did a simple comparison of several songs played through it, then switched out the speaker cables on review (MSRP of thousands of dollars) and replayed the music.

I described the Radio Shack cable thus in my notes:

• Harsher than both WireWorld and the cables now on review.
• No finesse in the treble, more blurred; nuances of cymbals etc. are glossed over. Bass is poor, loss of definition and at times an indistinguishable mess, blurry.
• Not much heft or weight to the bass.
• Sounds monophonic compared to Wireworld and current review cables; sounds “dead,” lacking fullness in the bottom.
• Piano is gross, not natural at all. Lacks a sense of the piano case; sounds like there’s no body to the instrument.
• Midrange is overwhelmed by the treble and bass.
• Soundstage is diminished, fairly poor; venue is much less distinguishable from instruments.

Essentially, this wiring killed the high in High End. One of the worst aspects was that the treble and bass occluded the midrange. The cable lacked finesse from top to bottom. It failed the Law of Efficacy, which means it did not immediately and consistently impress. It certainly did not prompt me to try it on other systems considering that this has been one of the most enjoyable rigs I’ve been listening to in the past several months. What should one expect from a cheapo wire? This cable is 14 Ga. and that is a huge part of the problem. In my experience more total gauge typically means more to love about the sound. I don’t think the miniscule multiple braided conductors did much for the result, woven, flat or not!

I might have been impressed with this cable about 20 years ago when I was first experimenting with cables. At that time I probably would have thought it sounded good. I am not impressed with it at all now. It sounds about the same as other low gauge wiring I have tried on extremely good rig s- fairly poor and lacking in body and vitality. I would only recommend these as a stopgap measure for someone pursuing a serious rig but without the means for good cabling right away. I do not foresee ever using them again.

Putting these wires into a high end rig will restrict the performance. If I had to listen to the system with the Radio Shack cables knowing how it could sound otherwise I would lose interest very quickly. It simply did not sound natural or captivating enough. I’ll admit I have become spoiled in this respect; I can’t easily accept sound which seems unrefined compared to what I normally experience. If you wish to believe that I’m simply trying to protect my interests as a reviewer of cables, so be it. If these were fairly good I would give them their due. They are very cheap, but certainly not high end cables compared with what I have reviewed.

I have the most revealing, pristine source I’ve ever used in the Ayon CD-5, and still these cables sounded convoluted. That’s not good performance; with a lesser player they would have sounded a lot worse. My guess is that if someone is trying to get by on the cheap with speaker cables, they’ll likely try to do so with all the cabling in their rig. It’s not likely they would lay out big bucks for power cords and interconnects but skimp on the speaker cables. I would never recommend this. Put less than wonderful wires throughout your rig and you will surely choke the whole system.

I have conducted enough of these “cheapo beats chic” tests over the years to firmly settle for me that cheap doesn’t beat much of anything quality-wise. This was another example of it. I was fairly certain the results would be as they were. However, I tried to keep an open mind and laid my money down to test it. (Don’t laugh; I laid down thousands of my own dollars in years past to test cables before I started reviewing). I was bored, and saw the topic on a discussion forum. I tend to do these things when I’m bored. One thing these tests do is demonstrate for me that quality is worth the price. I do wish I had my $26 back. I ‘ll sell them to someone for half price, “lightly used” and the test will have cost me net $13. Not bad for a bit of fun.

In the end, though I have been critical of the Radio Shack product, my reaction is similar to when I threw a quick review together for the economical Insignia Two-way 6.5” speakers from Best Buy. They also were very good for the pittance. In the end, however, even though much more prodigious sums must be spent to upgrade the sound to a higher level, the expense is worth it. The “magic”, the grace and vitality of the music simply is not in abundance with econo-gear. We do get spoiled when we ramp up our gear.

Mark my words, you who think, “Aha! I’ll buy this cheap wire, sell my expensive stuff, and laugh all the way to the bank.” I’ve tried it, and over time I have regretted it. As the saying goes, “Buy the best and cry only once!” Eventually discontent settles in because the sound isn’t quite good enough – the very conditions I criticize about the Radio Shack speaker cable. At that point a person has a couple options; one can try to mentally beat down the discontent and listen to it despite the perceived lack of quality. One might also find themselves back in the search for cabling. I have an aesthetic sense of what beautiful music sounds like which is difficult to ignore. If what I’m hearing doesn’t match what I think it should sound like then every session is slightly irritating. Being frustrated over the sound doesn’t make audiophilia much fun either. However, when the music matches very well what my mental musical filter conceives as beautiful music then there is contentment and joy in listening. That is an experience which is worth quite a bit to me, far more than having more discretionary dollars in my pocket and being a frustrated audiophile. Of course, the tipping point between those two desires must be discovered by each individual.

Would I recommend audiophiles try the Megacables? Based on my testing if the highest sound quality is your goal, my answer is “no.” Only if you are putting together an extremely economical rig, or are completely tapped out financially after purchasing your ultimate X component and awaiting a higher end cable, would I give a nod to them. If you are profoundly unhappy with your current cables you might spend the $26 and try them, but I believe the odds are fairly good the lowbrow sound will not captivate over the long term.

I will share one last illustration which may shed light on the audacity of a reviewer to recommend vastly more expensive cabling. For a moment, let us consider all cables to be virtually the same, as they do, in fact, physically facilitate the enjoyment of audio through the system. Let’s also consider all snow shovels to be the same, as they do facilitate the task of snow removal. However, if one has a toy shovel with a 12” blade it will be far less comfortable and efficient to shovel a large driveway with it. Far better would be a larger, higher efficiency shovel which would result in quite a different experience. One could also use the analogy with a heavy metal shovel versus a lighter weight one; the experience of usage would vary considerably. So, in the end the fact that “a shovel is a shovel” does not alter the fact that the experience of usage may vary widely.

Just as one would be mistaken to consider all snow shovels experientially similar, it is also a mistake to consider all cables equal in audio. One can get the job done with the Magnacables, but the experience was quite different from that with the higher end cables I have used, particularly in direct comparison to Wireworld and the other review cables. In audio efficient removal of snow is not the critical goal but rather musical enjoyment. If enjoyment and the sense of rapture in listening are not there when using an inexpensive product, then the target experience has not been reached and it doesn’t matter how cheap a product is because it does not satisfy. I have found that trying to convince myself that it does sound good because I really want it to sound good because it is low cost is self-delusion. The delusion doesn’t last and meanwhile there is frustration at not having what I really want.

I am not inherently against lower priced products; you will recall that I have a fairly economical integrated amp which I used for this review and have lauded in a separate article. However, as one moves up the ladder of quality toward the lofty tower of Captivating Sound, sometimes a higher price is paid to reach it. But unless constrained by personal budget the economy of a product should not absolutely dictate whether it’s used in the system. This is a case where the cable does not deliver truly High End results – nor should it be expected to at the price.

The post Radio Shack 14 Ga. Flat Megacable Speaker Wire 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.

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.

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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, 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!

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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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