Anticables Review


Category: Cables

I need to preface this by saying I don't have what y'all would probably consider an "Audiophile" amp: An Onkyo 805 receiver. But it drives my Vandersteen 2ce sigs wonderfully (and in Pure Audio mode has no video circuitry on. I use Pure Audio (no time processing, no sub) for this comparison.

Ok so I got two pairs of Anticables from Paul. He shotgunned them to bananas on the amp end and put vintage spades on the other (biwired to the Vandys). My other cable is a set of Canare 4S11 star quad: hard-wired on the amp end with BJC spades on the speaker. My conclusion: I can only hope that others in this forum are correct in saying that AntiCables need 400 hours to break in. Right now, they sound thin, tinny, and very lacking in bass and overall stage depth. Putting the Canare back on, Jacqueline Dupre's cello once again sounds like a Strad (instead of a high school instrument), and the bass section sounds full and present (instead of weak and distant).

This comparison duplicates results across genres. For example Alison Kraus' Live SACD, the guitar strum sounds precise with the anticables, but very thin. With the Canare you can hear the string depth through the pick.

My next step is to clip off the spades and hard wire the AntiCables, as some have suggested. Will post an update if anyone's interested :) But for now I just wanted to voice my dissatisfaction thus far, and hope that this magnet wire I paid $200 for might somehow 'burn in' to match my $30 Canare 4S11.
kontrabass

Showing 2 responses by vernneal

I use the ANTICABLE speaker cables(wires) in my system with spades. And can only say that there was an increase in detail and depth for my Thiel CS 2.3 speakers. My amp is a McIntosh 206. If the sound immediately sounds offensive or worse to you with a particular brand -CHANGE EM. Different cables gel different with different systems. I use a JL sub and bass is not an issue for me , $80 spent for a 8'pair is the HI FI bargain of the century to me. And these displaced cables that were expensive
I suggest not to twist the ANTICABLES. This keeps both +/- appart and I feel sounds better. Also it is easier to keep ANTICABLES from power cords etc,,,,,,,,,,,,,