Cables Supratek Chardonnay

I use 47 Labs OTA Sakura with my Supratek Syrah. I find them very good, but I haven't compared them to much. Some users changed from Valhalla to the OTA, so I kind of use these based on faith that they're very good. Check out the long thread on the OTA. I'd be keen to hear what others are using though.

For the hum and hiss, I recommend keeping the Chardonnay as far away from the power amps, and the Chardonnay power supply. I noticed some hum too, but once I rearranged stuff, the hum disappeared. I also got hum from using certain tubes. Again, careful choice of tubes (particularly the 6sn7 ones in the Supratek) can reduce or eliminate any hum. I'm using Sylvania metal base, which are awesome but incredibly expensive. I guess you get what you pay for sometimes though.

I have Chadonnay and Berning ZH-270. No hum issues. Suggest you check out Mick's suggestions on gain switch settings on "Preamp of the Century" thread.

This year I have gone through three different cable set-ups. Started with 47Labs OTA as interconnect and speaker cable. The 47Labs was a solid improvement over previous MIT cables. Upgraded to Luminous Audio Reference interconnect and Synchestra speaker cable. And just last month settled on Audience AU-24 interconnects and speaker cable. I would agree with most of the professional reviews on strengths on AU-24.

- Ken

I have had the AU24s hooked up to my Gaincard and Abby speakers, and the bass is very full and deep. It is a little bit much for a small room.

I got my tek three weeks ago when first received had a terrible hiss cant move around because of space so made some calls about (1000) all around the globe I got the best advice ever on hiss and hum problems Go to your local gun dealer pick up four bags of shot (pure lead)place around the supratek preamp your hum and hiss will be gone. Dead quiet. Amen.

I use Virtual Dynamic Signature cables with my Chardonnay. The Signatures are no longer produced but you can get used Signatures or Nites at very good prices. Please note that they are heavy cables so you may need to provide cable supports to avoid pulling on your preamp too much. Anyway, these cables are very smooth with lots of detail. I also don't experience any hum problems. Check out their web site http://www.virtualdynamics.ca/ BTW their power cords are very good also.

I've been using the TMC cables for quite some time now on my Cortese and Grange pres with excellent results. There is nothing quieter, period and I have found the bass end to be tight and detailed. I have several extras laying around that I'd be happy to let you borrow if you are interested.

I've used lots of cables with the three Supratek preamps I've owned and I'll get into that below. The issues you mention - particularly the "boomy bass" can be resolved with better tubes. I suggest as a low budget solution, removing the Sovetek 5881's and replacing with Sylvania 6F6 - on the high end some Western Electric or National Union 350B's will help to tighten things up. The rectifier for these tubes which *I* have found to be superior is the Bendix 6106. They're about 30 bucks each. Buy a couple because results vary and they have a weird break in. I almost tossed mine out the window in the first week but after a few months, its #1 no matter what I compare to.

Next & unfortunately, given the high-gain nature of the Chardonnay, there is no cable that will remove the slight hiss/hum. You might try the $189 Ah! AC offset killer available from Upscale Audio. Information on the AC Offset Killer can be found here: http://www.upscaleaudio.com/AH!/acoffset.htm

For cables, I use Siltech Compass Lake going in and NBS Monitor 0 going out. I do not suggest you run out and buy these cables. They are just about the best cables available but at their combined retail price, one could buy 4 Supratek Cortese preamps. No joke.

Cables in most systems seem to be "evolutionary" whereas the best aren't just purchased outright, they are worked up to... The best solution is to keep cycling cables until you reach the point where your budget and tastes are either satisfied or exhausted... which-ever comes first.

I have used the OTA, the TMC (yellow / white) and the Audience AU24, and my personal feelings about these cables should not be discussed in public forums. That said, what these cables do provide is a good entry point to the adventure of finding the right cables for you.

I'd suggest a TMC (yellow or white doesn't matter) in and Audience AU24 out. The AU24's are quite rolled off on top and a bit wooly sounding everywhere else. The TMC's are detailed, savagely unrefined, slightly edgy, tarnish when you touch the connectors and a pain to use - because of their stiffness. Together (and with the Supratek in-between) they may be a match made in heaven - for the price.
That is if they do what I suspect they might by canceling out the others flaws.

The OTA was in my system for a few months when it was new to the market. I fell for the hype and purchased it. Let me tell you... I've never heard a cable that sucked the life out of music like the OTA.

There are so many great cables out there but I know quite a few supratek owners who've settled on:

Audio Note (AN-Vz or KSL-LP1) in
NBS (Professional and/or Statement) out

This is not exactly a cheap solution but it's a good one to work toward. Audio Note AN-Vx and NBS Master would be a good choice for less money. Dropping to models below these cables defeats the benefits of the brands altogether and there are better values at those prices.

I hope this helps.