Audio envy - dang!

Nutty, do you happen to have a pic. Just wanted to see them. And the price?

@megabyte, I sent you a PM. 

N

Does anyone know if there is something going on at Audio Envy?  I placed on order over 2 weeks ago.  I have sent 3 emails and called a few times to check my order status..  They do not answer the phone and have yet to respond to my emails.  

Update, they responded and let me know my order will be shipping out. I bought the Studio Prestige RCA. I will be comparing it to the Beldon 8402 and the Duelund 16 GA ICs.  How long is burn in typically with these?

Glad you made contact!  Mine took about 200 hours. 

N

I put the Studio Prestige in the system about two hours ago. Sounds great out of the bag, very balanced, well extended and  plenty of detail. I was expecting them to sound hard and bright and then settle in over time. They are not bright in the least. Gosh, if there is truly improvement over the next couple of hundred hours it is just gravy.

Kclone, can you share how AE sounds different from 8402’s or Duelund? Thanks!

Yes, but keep in mind at the time of this posting I only have about 22 hours on them. The AEs have more coherence, detail, and extension. Instruments have more spacing and definition within the stage. Guitars specifically have more crunch. The Duelunds have a little more dryer sound, which I never noticed before until the AEs were in. Where the Duelunds are better is a more expansive stage. But it is early, maybe with more time the AEs will improve in this area? The 8402s are currently another system with the Wharedale Linton speakers. I probably won’t take the time to do a comparison.

I like the IC so much I ordered the SP-14 speaker cables.  I currently have the Canare 4s11, which I really really like.  I also ordered the USB cable to give it a try. 

@kclone 

After you have lived with them awhile I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on the SP-14 speaker cables.  I am using the same Canare cables and have been kicking around purchasing the SP-14s.

Will do Jetter. I know the Canare are cheap, but my goodness they seem pretty darn good to me. I haven’t found anything worth replacing them with yet. I haven’t tried extremely expensive stuff as cables go. The most expensive was some $2400 Audience Speaker cables. I have had several pairs below that price point. Clear Day, Supra Sword, Duelund, Western Electric, JSP Labs, Nordust, to name a few.

Jetter, I have the SP-14s.  I just hooked them up, not sure how to hook up the ground wire so I have to call Cap to figure that out.  But just the speaker cables alone, there was a noticeable difference between the SP-14s and the Canare.  The SP-14s sound thick, big, weighty, instruments have a lot of meat on the bones.   The Canare sound kind of thin in comparison.  I would have not thought of that of the Carare, but next to the SP-14s, that is indeed that case.  This is a right out of the bag comparison, so if the SP-14s improve over time, like I said of the Prestige IC, it's just gravy.  

@kclone, to hook up the ground simply plug it into an unused AC outlet opening made for the ground plug.

Lak, thanks, I get that part, but there are two other wires, one for each speaker cable side, that I assume go on the terminals of the amp. If so which output terminal? I already have Rel Subwoofer wire on some of the output terminals.

I took a listen after 14 hours. System is more relaxed overall and the bass is more extended, detailed, and cut out in it’s own space. Very nice!  I should also add I put the Audio Envy USB cable in between the Evo 432 Server and Laiv Harmony DAC.  

@kclone In my experience speaker grounds go on the (-) or black side of speakers.  I have ground boxes wired on the (-) on one pair and ground purifiers on the (-) on another pair.  

@kclone, when I received my SP-14s in April 2024 all wiring was connected and all I had to do was plug in the one ground connector. I would describe my listening experience as clean, extended, and the cables simply get out of the way of the music. 

Lak, that is not the case with my set.  There are two wires coming out of the speaker cable, one for each side.  There is a separate wire that is not attached to anything that goes to the outlet ground connector.  I will give Captain a call

Anyone have experience using AE ‘s USB cable?  Any comparisons to other brands?  Just trying to get an idea how it stacks up to other brands. Currently using Audioquest coffee and might be time to upgrade.