I got a set of Coincident new and I hesitate to comment as they only have about 100 hours on them, but I found that right out of the box they bettered AQ Lapis, TARA master gen 2, Harmonic Tech Pro Silway 2. The depth of soundstage with the Coincident in my system (Dunlavy 4, Wadia 860, BAT VK150se) is over the top compared to any of the other interconnects mentioned. It seems just a bit laid back though in the treble. I have kept all of these on hand so the comparison is not from memory. I am amazed at how absolutely diffrent each brand sounds, it really makes me think that to get the best out of your system, you need to try as many brands as you can. I have yet to try the over 1k stuff, though I think I might go for a brand that offers a $ back guarantee, and see if it can better the Coincident. I think that you are right on about the Audioquest, the Lapis in my system was the closest to right, before I got the Coincident. I have heard that the Coincident speaker cable is a great buy as well.
Coincident interconnect opninions
I have been using Coincident's interconnect between my CD player and integrated amp. I am quite happy with the sound. To sum it up, it is the best copper interconnect I have had in my system to date. I feel the strong suit of the cable is its evenhandedness. Not pushing any part of the musical spectrum in my face, yet not veiling any part of it either. All the music is there; from its low, taut bass through the clean midrange to the extended, detailed, but not crisp treble. Soundstaging is excellent, among the best. I cannot fault the cable in any area. Usually, I can say I liked the cable, but... I cannot do this at all with the Coincident interconnect. The fact that this cable costs $299 leads me to question the need to spend more. Sure, there will be other cables better suited to other systems. But does one need to buy megabuck cable when we have incredible products from Coincident, HomeGrown Audio, and Silver Audio at our fingertips? Maybe it is best to seek out reasonable cable first, and then ascertain whether wire that costs more than $1000 for a meter is needed. As my opinion is based on what I hear in my system, it is not absolute by any means. With my tube amplification and silk dome tweeters, it is difficult for a cable to come across as bright in my system. There are other idiosyncracies of my system, just as there are in all of ours. I am wondering what the reactions of everyone else who has tried this cable are. How you compare this to other cables? Has anyone found better? And has anyone found better for less than $1000? Thank you to everyone for your consideration.