COAX Cable Recommendations.... need some glitter


Hello Dear Audiophile maniacs....

This past year I have upgraded my main system and I have been taken aback with the influence that cables and interconnects have had!

My new setup seems to be very resolving. I recently tried a Cardast Clear USB cable between my Mac Mini (which will soon be replaced with the Nagra Streamer) and my DAC, and the difference was (to me) huge ...soundstage, glitter, separation, black silence, etc... My system has been rich in the midrange. When I recently added the cardast clear USB cable the shrill on the highs with some vocals has disappeared which was a relief.  all desirable influences. so... 

This level of audiophilia is like alchemy with electrons! 

I am curious what your recommendations are for a new/used cable for when my Nagra Streamer arrives. I would like a cable for my Nagra Streamer that will have the following qualities:

  • Works directly (with no adapters) between the port on the Nagra Streamer and the port on my Holo Audio Spring 2 DAC (Why are there 2 Coax Inputs on the DAC? I am unfamiliar in the requirements of COAX.)
  • I would like to have this new cable bring out the glitter, the forward clarity, crisp forward wet upper mids and highs. 

I listen to mostly acoustic instruments, vocals, horns, but also strings.. jazz and some classical. The occasional electronic and rock. 

Thank you all for your suggestions. 

R. 

whyrichard

Showing 1 response by ghdprentice

High end audio sound quality is a balance. There are a number of overall characteristics. To me one of the most important it detail / musicality. You have already noticed this. The Cardas cable calmed your overly high frequencies. High frequency dominance gives you sparkle or as you called it glitter. 

The glitter. Caution. With the ultra detailed presentation you typically get high frequency hash and overly forward (highlighted) treble and relative attenuation of the midrange.  The benefit is that you hear things you have never heard before. The down side is the music tends to become dryer, fatiguing (from the hash that you don’t hear... but just puts pressure on your ear drums), and less musical. I attended the symphony for a decade and would go in and listen as if it was my system. Wow, you want to figure out what is wrong with your system... do that. 

All of these system issues are intolerable to me now. I learned slowly about them by relentless pursuit of detail and imaging, without understanding of the down side. So, I’m just recommending to be aware of the down side. I’d recommend listing to some real acoustic instrumental music and noting how forward the treble actually is... how so much is powerful midrange, if you reproduce this ... you’ll get the music... what you want to move your foot, sway, and get lost in. 

Coax = RCA... RCA refers to the plug ends and coax is the wire configuration... as opposed to XLR with three conductors.