Cable observations ....Cardas NBS

The primary reason that I use the NBS Signature II IC is for the midrange resolution. The King Serpent II could not separate instruments in the 200Hz-500Hz region as well as the Signature II. This is strange since the construction of the two cables seems similar with the Signature II measuring only .5 cm more in circumference. (HAS ANYONE OUT THERE DISSECTED THESE TWO CABLES TO DETERMINE HOW THEY ARE CONSTRUCTED DIFFERENTLY?) As far as warmth, I think the NBS Signature II has more than sufficient warmth, but then again I cannot really tell since I use tube amps. I have not done any comparison testing between NBS and Cardas, but I have done testing between NBS and Coincident, Ortofon, and AudioTruth. The NBS was overall superior than all of them, and also more expensive. My impression is that the Signature II is the lowest TRUE HIGH END cable in the NBS series and has the best price/performance ratio of the NBS cables (if that is a valid criteria in this price range). Some people I know prefer the Signature II to the Master II in their system; but this really depends on the system.

Slawny is correct about KSII vs. Sig (both Sig I & II, for that matter). Although KS II red jacket is superior to KS II Grey jacket (earlier iteration), it still loses out to Sig in upper mid/ upper treble/ upper bass resolution (natural resolution, not spotlighting). With that said, I still consider KSII red to be a great cable ( particularly at the going rate of $425-490/4ft pr used). Again, as Slawney states, in a very good, harmonically correct system the KS line is shown to be a little thick at frequency extremes (but less so as you move into the mids). BUT, harmonically correct systems that can increase resolution are very rare and take very good ears to construct, so KSII is a great place to start - just as Slawney did. Which brings me to this: you can only have a harmonically and spatially correct system with tubes.Its a fact and if you dont know it then, well, you dont know it and theres no use talking in circles about it, ie I can't describe the color purple to a blind man. What NBS does, and increasingly as you head up the Classic line, is increase resolution without decreasing harmonic complexity, voice musicality, and spatial envelopment & dimension. Once you achieve these traits in a system that amplifies "musicality", it becomes very difficult to also increase resolution without losing something precious. The NBS's let you do that - which is why the Japanese SE market went ga-ga over NBS and escalated the prices. As for Master series, its always been the poor sister between Sig & Pro lines. Master speaker cables are better than IC's, but I'd go Pro line. As for Cardas, it is a musical cable as far as it goes, but not in the same league as NBS. If you have SS gear and you need warmth, by all means go Cardas, you'll never notice the difference (or if you are at CES and need to tone down a room...), but to maintain that there is a comparison, even for diplomatic sake, reveals a problem further upstream in the system.

I forgot, its not fair to pontificate w/o disclosure, my main system: NBS Pro I spkr & IC; NBS Statement (blue jacket)IC; Hovland phono cable. I still use the KSII red between line & digital (because digital can use all the help it can get at the extremes). I could easily live with all Sig II system. As for other good cables, Omega Micro spkr cables are nice but delicate (no cats or kids); Purist nice but more distant perspective, little "silver" lispy on initial voice transients on older stuff; Maganan makes musical cables, but your system better be open to begin with and your pre have some drive or you can flirt with apparent compression. Any of these is preferable to Cardas in every instance except $2500-7500+ SS digitally biased systems (where warmth balancing becomes a matter of survival).Even then Id go KSII grey.

Asa, you have my deep respect. That has to be one of the best posts about NBS cables that I have ever seen on audiogon. You go much further than I did, and are much more precise. A few questions: What Hovland phono cable do you use? Did you hear the NBS phono cable ("for vinyl lovers")? Have you any suggestions about the NBS digital cables? (I used a Pro II AES/EBU between transport and DAC for months without noticeable difference from a Mine Serpent II AES/EBU until one day the Pro II seemed clearly superior. After months of service, the Pro II digital cable all of a sudden seemed to have completed a path into the inner confines of my digital components finding the best, most direct route for their connection: greatly expanded dynamics, much improved immediacy and better low-level information retrieval was the result. But it took months of use. I believe Albert Potter has described a similar effect with regard to his Purist Dominus.) Last two questions for asa: what PuristAudio cable did you listen to? What do you think of the Monitor series?

I find Asa right on the money about the way that NBS cables work with tubed equipment. I bought a pair of NBS Monitor 0 running between my Jadis preamp and amplifiers and was extremely happy with how they let through much more detail without losing the harmonic rightness that you expect from tubes. And they do improve as they break in. Awfully expensive, though....