Audience AU24 vs Acoustic Zen Matrix Reference

Hey thanks Marco. When I listen to music I always hope to be moved emotionally, so when writing about my impressions they tend to be expressed in the same way, and not very analytical. If you got my e-mail you know what I mean, heheh.

I'm glad I was able to help Phil. Yes, I believe the AZ will bring you closer to that magical cymbal shimmer. If you currently have what you feel is a balanced cable scheme and insert the Silver Ref II anywhere, I think you'll be shocked by the extra clarity with cymbals.

For a few months I was using Silver Ref II from my DAC to preamp with full-sounding Mullard tubes in the DAC. During the course of my preamp testing I changed the tubes in the DAC to more revealing Siemens CCas and the DAC to preamp interconnect with Matrix Ref II. I was surprised that the balance was almost the same, but with just a slightly fuller sound.

However, if you swap out the Matrix Ref II for a Silver Ref II without any other changes you'll find that a massive amount of sonic information will suddenly become available, especially in the high frequency percussion you like. This is quite amazing and seductive initally, but I found that over time I had difficulty staying in the music because the overall balance became much thinner and areas I felt that should have a fuller, earthier presentation like acoustic guitars and pianos became too lean for me. They lost all their weight.

So I disagree that one is better than the other. They're just very different in this respect, and how they perform will depend on the rest of your system and what you value in playback.

But for you my friend, I'd like to say that when substituting the Silver Ref II for the Matrix Ref II in my system, the details revealed with cymbals and top hats become so abundant it's almost as if I have quantum/nano view into each vibrating superstring of each musical nuance.

Hey Phil,

Along with the amp and preamp comparos I've been doing since spring, a set of biwired Acoustic Zen Hologram II and a single run of Audience AU24 speaker cables w/ jumpers has been dueling it out in my system.

I'm not sure if you can make any direct correlation between the Matrix Ref II and Hologram II, and the AU24 speaker cables and interconnects, but I'll share my perceptions.

First, I think all AZ cables are very smooth. I'm using the MC2, Silver Ref II, Matrix Ref II in addition to the speaker cables I mentioned. So, I'm definitely a fan of the AZ line. However, when it comes to speaker cables I find the Hologram II and AU24 to be quite close in many ways, yet very different in nature.

They are both very smooth, but the Hologram II has more top and bottom frequency extension. The AU24 favors the midrange and places singers and acoustic soloists up front and center. The Hologram II may have a slight edge in refinement, meaning you can hear more of the detail and nuances of a performance while maintaining its smooth character. The AU24 on the other hand adds extra life and body to voices, acoustic guitars and pianos, and has a livelier presentation.

I feel singers like Diana Krall and Jacintha sound further back in my system with the Hologram II, almost on a stage with me in the middle of the audience. While the AU24 makes me feel that I'm in the front row and I can hear more of the their unmiked voice.

Cymbals and top hats shimmer better with the Hologram II. The AU24 makes me more aware of the stick hitting the brass as opposed to the shimmer. Kick drums also have a bit more snap with the AU24 because of the lower midrange/upper bass emphasis. The Hologram II has better extended, more controlled mid and lower bass.

Both cables soundstage very well. And I don't know how biwired versus single run plays in to this, because my single run AU24 sound very holographic. Again, the Hologram II creates a bigger gap between the performer and the listener, and give an excellent picture of placement. The AU24 recreates the same performance in an intimate nightclub, but that doesn't mean a smaller soundfield. I have the illusion of being closer to the performers. Both have good center focus and throw wide soundstages.

While I have definite favorites among the amps and preamps I've compared, choosing between the Acoustic Zen and Audience speaker cables is much tougher. What cable makes it into my system depends largely on my mood at the time. It's expensive keeping both around, but I'm finding it difficult to part with either.

I've read that people perceive bigger differences with the AU24 speaker cables as opposed to their interconnects, so I'm not sure how relevant my experience is. While sounding very different because of their silver versus copper design, the AZ Silver Ref II and Matrix Ref II still share an Acoustic Zen family sound. I'm not sure if the AU24 interconnects and speaker cables do.

I hope this has helped. Good luck.

Dean