It's been a while since I have had other digital cables but I spent a great deal of time auditioning prior to selecting the MA-X. For me, it was simply better at everything and the gap was not a small one. Both the Sextet and Emotion are very nice cables as is the Valhalla but none of them produced the level of detail and even more so, image placement, that the MA-X did. Some of the comments above describing the Sextet as musical, rich and full sounding is very much what I heard as well. It produced a massive stage in my system and is overall quite pleasant. The Emotion is very similar, slightly less detailed and less articulate in the lower registrars.
At this level it is important to spend time with these cables in your own system. I think you will find that they all have different character's so it becomes a subjective choice. I'm a detail freak....Spectral/MIT/Wilson/Berkeley so the MA-X fits my taste well. Others prefer some bloom and more warmth and could care less about getting exactly what was done on the recording. Many many flavors for many many tastes....
At this level it is important to spend time with these cables in your own system. I think you will find that they all have different character's so it becomes a subjective choice. I'm a detail freak....Spectral/MIT/Wilson/Berkeley so the MA-X fits my taste well. Others prefer some bloom and more warmth and could care less about getting exactly what was done on the recording. Many many flavors for many many tastes....