Best rca digital cable for Audio Logic 24MXL dac?


Considering Bitmeister (Empirical); Cryo'd Pulsar (VH); Poiema or the older MSE (Ridge Street); Dominus $$$ (Purist); and anything else you think might be synergistic with this very enjoyable dac. In the past, have owned Kharma Grand Ref (huge!); Illum. D-60; currently Stereovox HDVX (it's just ok...). Only request is no strident-sounding cables that are tipped to the highs, as my ribbon tweeters and higher-efficiency speakers appreciated more 'full-bodied' cables. OK- bring it on!
sutts

Showing 4 responses by rcprince

I've found both the Siltech Golden Ridge and the Purist Proteus work nicely with my AL, as well as the limited edition K-Works digital cable (he's not making many of them). However, you might want to wait for the Kubala-Sosna digital cable to come out, they've been picking Jerry Ozment's brain in developing it and both of the gentlemen whose names are on the cable use Audio Logic DACs in their systems and for beta testing the cables. Given the full-bodied sound of their other cables in my system, that cable may be the one you're looking for.
Sutts: Kubala-Sosna is the name of the company, they're building a pretty good dealer network, and make a very good line of cables--I've ordered the speaker cables and will likely get the interconnects for some of my components. Link is www.kubala-sosna.com. There's a few threads on the cable here; my ultimate compliment for them is that they're a music-lover's cable. I'm pretty sure they haven't finished the development of the digital cable yet, as I visited Joe Kubala's home a month or so ago and he was comparing his prototype to some Purist, Kimber, Cardas, Transparent, and other digital cables. The prototype was quite good (he used a CEC TL-1 into his AL).

I use a Forsell transport with my Audio Logic, it and the CECs are the two best transports I've heard with it. I sometimes use my Sony SCD 777ES as a transport with it, it's pretty good, especially after I had the Superclock 2 mod and transport mods done to it by Richard Kern, but it lacks the analog-like bloom and huge soundstage of the Forsell. I have used a Levinson No. 37, a Wadia 830, a Radio Shack Optimus portable (remember that one??) and my Marantz DV-18 as transports with it as well when the Forsell was being updated or repaired, they all work pretty well with it, but you lose a little of the analog-like sound that the Forsell and CEC transports seem to have. Not a huge difference in absolute objective terms, but enough that it makes a subjective difference on my involvement when I'm listening.
I'm going to probably try the ERS sheet trick. My bet is if you use it to wall off the digital from the analog side it could make a significant difference. Powder, any guidance?
Sutts: There is a bnc output on my unit, so it's possible to re-wire it to become an input, I'd guess. I'm sort of holding mine available to become a DSD interface if and when a standard is agreed on and I get an SACD transport with that digital interface. Not holding my breath.

As far as upgrading the MIT caps, given the ridiculously long time it takes for them to break in, I'll probably stick with what is in there, Jerry used them because he thought they sounded the best to him. I'm happy with Seimens in my DAC, though I'm about to try some Tele Ccas I have lying around for the fun of it.

The ERS tweak that Powder mentions makes a lot of sense to me, I've already had K-Works do the treatment to my Sonogy amps, and use their ICs and PCs that use ERS shielding, even use their ERS record mat, all making noticeable improvements. It seems to me that digital equipment (and the equipment around the digital equpment) should benefit greatly from this stuff.