I just bought some Audio Note AN-Vz interconnects, and they are easily the best I've ever heard. Maybe the best I'll ever hear. Indescribably live-sounding. The music jumps out the speakers. The music has all kinds of texture, dimension, air. . . Bass is way, way down. Trebles, sweet. Mids, right there. These guys are expensive, but worth every penny. They retail for about $3000 a meter, but you can get them for closer to $1000 a meter, here. I understand that if you have connections in Japan, you can get them at a real good price. If you do, please notify me-- I'd like to pick up their SPz speaker cable made of the same stuff. Feel free to write to discuss any of this further. Jeff jdeitch11@aol.com |
The Audio Notes have the respect of the designer of Stealth cables. I have 10 Stealth cables in my Stereophile Class A system, including power cords and digital, and I've have "name brands" before (though not Audio Note). I suggest you try them on their 30 money-back guarantee. Don't be put off by the relatively low prices. These are wonderful cables! |
MIT 350 Shotgun EVO interconnects, because they've beaten all the others I've compared in every performance aspect. The balanced 330 Shotgun ones are about 95% as good, and the 330 Shotgun RCA are about 75% as good. Harmonic Technology Pro Silway 2 RCA was about 45% as good. Cardas Netral Reference RCA was about 40% as good. AudioTruth Diamond X3 was about 65% as good...............I've not yet heard speaker cables that are the equal of these 350 EVO interconnects yet, and couldn't afford them if I did. My AudioTruth Dragon Plus speaker cable is definitely not as good as these MIT interconnects, at least with my Krell amp. I had Kimber Select 3033, and didn't like it near as much as Dragon. The little MIT Terminator 3 speaker cable is better than most affordable speaker cables, and even beats the Dragon in several ways (for only $65, plus termination!). I'm still trying to decide if I like the T3 better in every way than Kimber 8TC; it's very possible..........I'd like to try the new MIT Oracle speaker interfaces, but can't afford them yet. If price is no object for you, all you'll need is the time it'll take to make your own comparisons in your own system, so you're way ahead of me (having the $$). Keep in mind that you'll never be satisfied until you DO compare for yourself, and good luck. |
Hi Carl, I was considering the H.Tech. Pro Silway because I have the H.Tech. Pro-9 bi-wire spkr. cable and the Cyberlink Platinum coax and thought it might blend well. Thanks for alerting me to the MIT Shotgun EVO interconnects. Do you think they will give me a better analogue out from my Pioneer DVD-05 to my Denon AVR-5700 or am I wasting my time thinking of using the analogue out on the DV-05 to the direct analogue input of my AVR-5700? What is a good price for the MITs'? *still haven't seen Gladiator", but will soon. Happy Mothers Day to all your Moms. |
Happy Mother's Day to you and yours as well! The 350 EVO would be overkill for a DVD player, you should try the 330 Shotgun RCA. (The 350 EVO is $3,100 new, and I got kind of a once in a lifetime "steal" on a used 1.5 meter, though I wish it were 2 meter). Anyway, the typical used price is well over $1000. I've also tried the 350 "Reference", which is one step below the EVO, and it's not as good overall as the 330 Shotgun RCA (the 330 can be had used for like $300 for one meter pair; I bought mine new for $650 from Overture in Delaware, and still use them for the output of my single ended linestage preamp, when listening to sources other than CD). I use the 350 EVO to run from my phono stage to my linestage, or to my headphone amp. The balanced 330 Shotgun XLR is the TRUE value here, though. Several interconnects that I'd like to try sometime are: Straightwire Crescendo, Cardas Golden Reference, Tara Labs Air and Decade, Synergistic Phase 2, and Stealth. I don't expect any of these to surpass the 330 Shotgun balanced overall, or the 350 EVO, however. |
If you don't mind the inconvenience of these cables, omega mikro interconnects are incredible,very open airy with excellent soundstage.They do tell it like it is,weak links will be exploited.The problem is that they cannot touch each other or anything else.If you want to check these out, contact Lloyd Walker at Walker Audio.They also make great speaker cables and power cords. |
I would have to suggest a new comer as well. I have my system all wired with ZCable's LIVE interconnects and they are just unbelievable. They are very detail but very natural. I also have their prototype BLACK MAGIC speaker cable and its very musical as well. |
I am using Jenalabs Symphony interconnects with a Krell300i and Aerial Acoustic 6Bs. I had tried Cardas Golden Cross and Golden Reference, Harmonic Tech Pro Silway 11, XLO, Taralabs, Siltech and a few others at various price points(I don't remember all the models). I can't believe the difference in my system after a few weeks with the Jenalabs. My system is smooth, open and natural. Before I got the Jenalabs, I would constantly be changing cds and stop listening after awhile. I read a review in the spring issue of Positve Feedback and gave them a try. They retail for $1150, and I bought them directly from the manufacturer. |
Without question Kimber Black Pearl $15,000 cables. Nothing even comes close. |
If you're a "cable guru", why aren't you designing your own cables, instead of just going out and buying somebody else's statement cables. "Money guru" would be more apt...And I don't mean to offend, I'd love to hear the 88 myself; used to own one of its cheaper offspring, but I've since heard better in my system. |
What about NBS cables? I have tried the Signature II. While not perfect (heavy mid-bass, a bright high end), this cable has an excellent midrange, great soundstage and a very high level of detail in the mids and highs. Although a little on the agressive side, this cable is the best I have heard for what it does right. Any thoughts about any of the other NBS cables, like the Professional, the Statement or any of the Monitor series? |
Has anyone heard these cables? If so, what did you compare them to? Thanks |
this is more of a question than a response After browseing around audiogon What I want to know is what on earth makes a used pair of 12 foot speaker cables worth $3000.00? were they flown into outer space for oxygen free soldering? really people is stereo going the way of the Harley Davidson over priced and often imitated? I was thinking of buying some new equipment but after seeing that high end audio is worth more than My 248 acre farm I think ILL stick to My 25 year old stuff that by the way works as good now as the day I bought it and I paid a lot less for it than I did for My Corvette |
Phew! Didn't I just read that NBS cables are rebundled Belden industrial wires? Let's face it: most cables are tone controls, and as such may affect your system in ways you find pleasing or displeasing; correlation between price and performance satisfaction is weak. Small gauge leans up bass, high capacitance rolls off treble, etc. But I wonder if Nordosts "speed" claims are hype or not? |
If you are not into completely throwing money away, check out the Tara Labs RSC series or the "one", "two", and newly introduced "three" series. Good value for the money. Yes, Nordost are very fast cables, but sometimes in their lesser cables this leads to leading and following edge hardness in the midrange with solid state gear. Their higher priced cables are very neutral and are considered by many to be a good match for all electronics. As always, system synergy is what you are after, cables should bring all the components together and allow them to operate as one..... producing an overall sound that is pleasing, but yet still allowing all the individual components to do what they were designed to excel at. Experience from listening is the only way to find the right combination, and it can take forever to find the "right" combination. |
My cable experience in my system has been MIT musiclink (pre network boxes), Kimber PBJ and 8TC, and Tara Ref. Gen. 2. I recently cabled up with MIT Shotgun interconnects RCA and MH 750 series 3. It made my system, Meridian, CJ, Classe, and old Polk 2.3's extremely involving and as natural sounding as my son jamming on his Martin acoustic in the room. |
ANALYSIS PLUS,they are fairly priced and very neutral. no need to mention brands that i have tried costing in the thousands of dollars,NONE have match the performance i get from the ANALYSIS PLUS. |
