in response to my inference that the audioquests are low performance, i only meant to infer that the type II wires were a lower end cable in the audioquest line. i bought them years ago b/c they were what i could afford at the time. certainly an improvement over the tributaries that i had been using. kimbers have always gotten such high praise that i incorrectly assumed that switching from the low end audioquests to the low end kimbers would yield some improvement. i was wrong. however, some things have changed since my original posting. i attended emotiva's emofest this past weekend since they are only a hour or so away. i was able to pick up an xpa2 gen2 for about 300.00 off of retail and couldn't pass it up. putting it into my system has brought all of the bass back and brought me 15 rows closer to the sound stage. there is still some loss of detail vs my old b&k/audioquest set-up, but every other facet of listening is improved. i have a feeling that using the audioquests would yield a very bright listening experience. going to have to search for a cable that is warm, but less truncated than the 4vs. any advice. fwiw i know that emotiva is looked upon questionably by audiophiles, but it's really a chunk of equipment that has really awakened my system. the price point is also impossible to ignore. i am certain that butler, rogue and others are better, but to what degree and at what cost? i will mess with cables for a while to see if i can wring out the last bit of detail. otherwise even with the kimbers i am about 80-85% happy. again any advice on a warm sounding cable that doesn't quite kill all of the magic?
crap luck w/ kimber 4vs
it's been a long time since i have messed w/ cables. i guess i forgot what a difference cabling makes. i am putting together a system for my daughter using my old vandersteens that need biwiring, so i had to sacrifice my trusty old audioquest type 2 livewires. they had replaced some tributaries silver that i initially had when i fell into audiophilia 15 yrs ago. the tributaries were too bright, but the audioquest seemed to tame it with my aforementioned vandersteens. i was happy for 13+years until this week.
i just installed a set of used kimber 4vs that i picked up as a trial. i figured they are the bottom of the line for kimber, but they got good reviews and it gave me a chance to try something for 100.00. even bottom of the line kimbers should outperform low end audioquests right?
not necessarily. the kimbers tamed the last hint of brightness that existed in my system. they also dropped off any bass weight and marched me probably 20 rows back into the listening auditorium. i find i am having to either turn up the volume or lean forward in my listening chair. it's like a proverbial veil. whereas with the audioquests i enjoyed congestion free imaging no matter how complicated the music got, there are now lots of missing details as the music layers.
i am now in the same boat with cabling that i'm in with my aging b&k amp that i am wanting to upgrade. i want detail and engagement with the music, just not the ear piercing brightness that seems to accompany analytical gear. i'm sure that stepping up to the tc line would improve the shortcomings of the 4vs, but at what other expense? about the only thing i like about the 4vs right now is the smoothness. it's also making them very boring.
oh well, so much for that...anyone want a set of 8' kimber 4vs for 100.00?
i just installed a set of used kimber 4vs that i picked up as a trial. i figured they are the bottom of the line for kimber, but they got good reviews and it gave me a chance to try something for 100.00. even bottom of the line kimbers should outperform low end audioquests right?
not necessarily. the kimbers tamed the last hint of brightness that existed in my system. they also dropped off any bass weight and marched me probably 20 rows back into the listening auditorium. i find i am having to either turn up the volume or lean forward in my listening chair. it's like a proverbial veil. whereas with the audioquests i enjoyed congestion free imaging no matter how complicated the music got, there are now lots of missing details as the music layers.
i am now in the same boat with cabling that i'm in with my aging b&k amp that i am wanting to upgrade. i want detail and engagement with the music, just not the ear piercing brightness that seems to accompany analytical gear. i'm sure that stepping up to the tc line would improve the shortcomings of the 4vs, but at what other expense? about the only thing i like about the 4vs right now is the smoothness. it's also making them very boring.
oh well, so much for that...anyone want a set of 8' kimber 4vs for 100.00?
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