I am writing a review on the cables for The Sound Advocate as I type.
Audio envy - dang!
I usually post on AG when I have an issue or concern, so I’m happy for once it’s to praise a new product, in this case Audio Envy’s IC.
I use an ARC Classic 60 amp with a Herron 1A preamp. The AE cable went between these two.
I run an ARC Phono pre PH3se from my VPI prime as source.
My speakers are Thiel CS2.4’s
Out of the box a bit bright, But after a few hours that just went to strait up transparent - I mean freaking crystal clear. No tonal aberrations. Smooth, with no etched highs. Voices sound right, Natural. Soundstage opened up, as you might expect when things get clearer.
The best part was how inexpensive they were. They made my Cardas Clear Light interconnects I was using sound clouded by contrast. The Cardas was about x3 the cost of the AE’s.
BTW, this wasn’t “I think I hear differences”, this was “I’ll never use those Cardas in this system again, and where is my IPad, I need to order my next set!”
And that’s just what I did.
I use an ARC Classic 60 amp with a Herron 1A preamp. The AE cable went between these two.
I run an ARC Phono pre PH3se from my VPI prime as source.
My speakers are Thiel CS2.4’s
Out of the box a bit bright, But after a few hours that just went to strait up transparent - I mean freaking crystal clear. No tonal aberrations. Smooth, with no etched highs. Voices sound right, Natural. Soundstage opened up, as you might expect when things get clearer.
The best part was how inexpensive they were. They made my Cardas Clear Light interconnects I was using sound clouded by contrast. The Cardas was about x3 the cost of the AE’s.
BTW, this wasn’t “I think I hear differences”, this was “I’ll never use those Cardas in this system again, and where is my IPad, I need to order my next set!”
And that’s just what I did.
335 responses Add your response
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Absolutely love mine. I took a chance on the power cable since it was so cheap. On first listening, it was obvious that the cable was a step up from anything I had tried before. I then ordered the Studio Prestige RCA ICs and a pair of NV-SP9 speaker cables. They just make everything sound natural, clear, and they don't do anything wrong. They call no attention to themselves. I have stopped even considering other cables. |
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dmk_hifi25 posts11-01-2020 8:32pm"....AE speaker spades look...interesting." Looks to be a piece of solid core wire that's bent in the shape of a 'U' with the cable conductor soldered on the end. Minimal contact area and NOT something I would consider. |
@twoleftears, The description on two types of XLR’s is posted on AE website, hope this helps! 4:3 is recommended when interconnecting non-grounded gear. (Such as, 2P Ocean cord.) Use the 4:3 model for Phono stages. 4:3 is compatible with microphone phantom power. Excellent for longer length cables adjacent to EMI/RF. G:L’s noise block; allows your system to work with multiple 3P Ocean power chords, and be void of ground noise signal loops. For Phono stages please use our O’nestian 4:3 model. |
@arafiq, Congratulations on your purchase, gorgeous speakers. If you’re trying to tame high’s, I would recommend trying AE NV-SP9 speaker cables. They use OCC copper, their cables are very transparent, fast and detailed. Truly an ‘end game’ component in my system. I have had Purist, Audience, Signal and Verastarr (silver foils) cables in the past. While they all are great cables albeit at a much higher cost, AE in contrast offers very high performance at a unbelievable cost. They offer 45 days in-home trial so you got nothing to loose (except shipping cost). Also sent you a PM! |
@lalitk I recently purchased a used pair of Sonus Faber Olympica II and have looking for new speaker cables. I was considering AE speaker cables but wasn’t sure how they compare to more expensive ones. I looked at your system (wow!!!) and it’s quite reassuring to see AE being used in such an expensive and well-thought out system. I’m currently using Clear Day cables which use silver. I’m trying to tame the highs and wondering if copper might be a better route. Just wondering if you have compared AE to other bang-for-the-buck type of cables like Acoustic Zen Satori, Cerious, etc. Thanks. |
@dmk_hifi, In case you didn’t know, you can use cable separators between your PC and IC’s. I use Cardas Multi-Blocks on floor and Shunyata’s Minis off ground to separate the PC and IC’s. You can stack Cardas vertically and horizontally, very versatile. You can see them in my system page. https://www.musicdirect.com/vibration-control/cardas-multi-blocks-set-of-6 https://www.musicdirect.com/vibration-control/shunyata-dark-field-minis-12pk |
@dmk_hifi I asked Cap and this was what he replied: "The G:L is a very excellent choice and most likely you will have no problems. However if you have any concerns with RF and Wi-Fi noise. The 4:3 has greater shielding." Not sure if that was the answer you were looking for. Anyways, I placed an order for his coaxial cable, speaker cables and xlr interconnects. Looking forward to seeing how they fare against Cerious Tech and TWL offerings. |
AE cables and reviews sound intriguing. What is also intriguing is that after 2 pages of positive feedback here no one has been able to answer a simple question posted back in August: what are the differences between the O'nestian 4:3 and the O'nestian G:L XLR? On a separate note, AE speaker spades look...interesting. |
@jayctoy, Like yourself, I did my due diligence in checking out the competition. Tellurium Q Ultra Black, Chord Sig. Tuned Array and Furutech. They all are quite pricey compare to our reference Audio Envy cables. So I called Captain to make me a DIN > RCA with exact same spec as stock van den Hul phono supplied with SME tonearm. You can also look into replacement cable from van den Hul (D 501 Hybrid) for a very reasonable price of $278. But my money is on AE phono cable. Once I get my AE phono cable, I will compare it with stock van den Hul phono cable and Furutech Silver Arrows II. I hear it’s a very natural sounding cable. |
Lalitk before I discover AE , my plan is to get the Tellurium q, phono Cable, it’s $700 price is stiff for my wallet , second is audiosensibilty phono Cable , since I like the sonic signature of AE, and I have no problem on matching, I will stick on AE, please let me know how it sounds on your system. Captain is very cool to deal with... |
I received my phono Cable today, Iam using it with my vpi scout Jr Denon cart mc, to Sutherland LPS 2020, Iam using Audioquest diamond ic from Sutherland to my integrated VIva 300B , Iam using Nordost heimdall 2, Speaker Cable, Speaker tekton perfect set 12, this is my second system, this phono Cable is very natural clean sounding, fast, with slam, micro and macro is very good, layering , transient and black background is one of the strength of this phono Cable, it’s a keeper will order more ic.very quiet Cable as well. |
I haven’t checked in here at Audiogon for a few months and what a pleasant surprise to find a thread on one of my favorite products. Like others here I went from well known cables costing much more than the AE’s and I couldn’t be happier. I started out with a full loom of their previous line and moved up to their latest offerings in the spring. AE cables just get out of the way allowing more music to come forth, which is the highest compliment one can give to cables IMO. Great product, great service, great price, great sound......what more can one ask for? I’m sure there are even more transparent cables out there but not at prices I can afford! |
My system is solid state and on the analytical side, no tubes. Overall same tonal structure after another 50 hours. I prefer the Cerious Matrix, same level of detail, but more warmth in the mids providing a nice balance. Nevertheless for the cost of the AE compared to 6x as expensive Matrix the performance is certainly a good value and not a apples to apples comparison. |
My p3 powercords I have 20hrs on them, the improvement is they are more quieter, and cleaner, a bit more open, I will admit they did match well on my system too.Will see after 50 hrs...I have a borrowed cable cooker, but decided to find out their sound transformation every 20hrs, I can honestly say this are excellent cables. |
@tom2015, Appreciate your feedback. In regards to sound being leaner and center image is less pronounced....IME, the AE cords don’t exaggerate any frequencies in the signal. The AE cable sound is relaxed, transparent and very faithful to the original recordings. I would give about 30-50 hours before you make any decisions. If you don’t like what you hear after 30 hours, send them back 😊 Enjoy! |
I added a xlr and a power cord P3 to my system after reading through all the praise. Interconnect between Esoteric CD player and preamp. P3 added after 3 hours to preamp. Compared to the Cerious Matrix the interconnects with <5 hours on them sound leaner, center image is less pronounced and feels more stretched out with less mids and a bit more bass. The center image with the Matrix in comparison is full/balanced and floats in a dark background. I can understand why people say AE sound clean/ transparent. Lets see if the cable changes with 10 more hours on it. Power cable replaced a SR master coupler. Not much difference to hear, will swap back and forth again after the P3 has more hours on it. |
I received the AE phono cable and it's really excellent, very open and transparent with a lot of detail and clean background. I have it placed between my Technics 1200GR table and ModWright PH 9.0 phono preamp. I have used some other well known brand cables but I am in the process replacing those with AE cables for system synergies. |
jayctoy2,182 posts10-11-2020 8:35pm"Turnbowm this is not a hype AE pc that I bought are very good, for real." Which AE power cord did you buy?. |
jetter You are likely correct. Some manufactures hold certain things close to the vest; others not so much. There is a picture on the AE site with a good bit of information about the cable, other than gauge, solid or stranded, etc. He is not using "off the shelf" wires. In my few communications (email) with him, I thought Captain was straightforward and a decent guy. |
lalitk2,081 posts10-11-2020 2:37pm @turnbowm, "Generalizations are often indicative of ignorance. If you’re serious about ascertaining if AE speaker cable would be a good match for your speakers then why not pick up the phone and speak to the designer?" I’m taken back by your "ignorance" remark. For the record, I’m a degreed engineer (EE) with 30+ years of experience in the electronics industry and have been involved in audio equipment for even longer. As for picking up the phone and talking to the designer, why bother when he wouldn’t even answer jayctoy’s question re. stranded or solid core cable construction. Finally, the ferocity with which you defend AE and attack others who simply have a question about AE products makes me wonder about your relationship with the company. |
“A lot of speakers have low impedance in the bass region and it’s been my experience that small gauge speaker wire has a detrimental effect on bass performance.” @turnbowm, Generalizations are often indicative of ignorance. If you’re serious about ascertaining if AE speaker cable would be a good match for your speakers then why not pick up the phone and speak to the designer? I’ve had several conversations with the designer (Captain) and he has been spot on with his advise :-) |