That’s great to hear considering the Nordost cost almost twice the Air Matrix Cryo. The AM Cryo are very, very good for their price point. For me, it took a MSRP $2K+ Synergistic Research Atmosphere UEF Level 3 to beat them, and I’ve since upgraded to the Galileo SX line which are even more $$$. But if one’s budget is under $2-3K for interconnects, DH Labs is an absolute giant killer, especially considering that the AM Cryo are less than $500.
Steve, if you have not tried their Corona AC power cables, you’d be in for a treat. I prefer them over cables 3X their price. PM me should you want details. The Reunion Ethernet is another one of my faves from them. I think I recommended them to you in the past.
|
Hi Juan
They really are great cables, I couldn’t pass on them being almost the same price as the regular ones with November’s sale.
I will order more cables once my preamp is built. Not quite sure on component placement, once I get that I can move things around and re-evaluate the cable situation
I have the DH Labs between DAC and pre and a pair of AQ Water between preamp and amp. The AQ are ok, overpriced at MSRP of $600 in my opinion. I paid $200 for a meter pair used. The quality of the DH Labs cable is much better. Materials, construction, especially connectors. They are a solid value without doubt as is the D-750 I bought last month.
|
+1 for DH Labs. The Corona and Red Wave are great power cables, the Revelation IC's are superb.
|
Great to hear! As a teaser, I’m well aware that DH Labs has a site-wide Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale every year. You might want to visit their site during that time.
|
@builder3 If you haven’t tried the Air Matrix Cryo, they may be worth trying. As good as the original AM cables are, the Revelation have more inner detail and refinement, but at the expense of some tonal density and bass strength. The AM Cryo improve upon the original AM and deliver about the same level of detail and refinement as the Revelation, but with added tonal density and slam. I know a few people that have preferred the AM Cryo over the Revelation, but your tastes may vary.
I’m with you on the power cables. I use Corona in some aspects of my system, and I used the Red Wave bulk wire for the dedicated line to my breaker. :)
|
I appreciate your thoughts on this. I'm very pleased with my integrated amp, it was a big step up in bass control. Still would be interesting to hear the difference, I also am running their Q10 speaker cables, kind of a no-brainer at the price. Full disclosure, I'm not a guy that has tried endless components and accessories, but I've been very happy with DH Labs.
|
How are the DH Labs Dimension tonearm/phono cables? My table, MoFi UltraDeck has rca out. I’m currently using the stock RCA tonearm cables which I think are Cardas. Any benefit in upgrading those?
|
@audphile1 They are quite good and will bring a faster, more open/transparent sound and dynamics compared to any stock copper cable. The cabling design (conductors, dielectric, etc) itself is similar to that of the Air Matrix, but with even lower capacitance designed for delicate phono signals.
If you want, look for reviews on the Air Matrix to understand how this cable will sound, as I believe reviews on Dimension are low.
|
@audphile1 I have the UltraDeck as well, and went with DH Labs Dimension cable. I didn’t see much of a difference, I was surprised. I think that Cardas TT set is already pretty good cabling.
|
@blisshifi 👍…I’ll read up on those. Build quality looks great with nice connectors.
@builder3 thanks! I believe the stock ICs are Cardas. No major complaints on their sound but it’s tough to say what I’m missing without comparing to anything else.
|
I understand completely. I wanted to see a big improvement, but did not. I'll also mention that I do not have perfect hearing, by any means, too many years of hammering, sawing, and shooting. But nearly all of my other cable upgrades have been easy to hear an improvement. My amp is a Luxman L-590 AX, speakers are Paradigm S6's. All listening is near-field at low to moderate volume.
|
@builder3 understood. It’s totally possible the “stock” Cardas cables are good though so I don’t doubt your ability to hear changes.
My experience with interconnects upgrades is limited to line level components only.
I’d have to figure out a way to try these DH Labs cables.
|
@builder3 If you had bought the Dimension brand new, I suggest you swap the stock cables back in. It takes quite a while, at least a few hundred hours of play, for the Dimension to break in since phono signals are very delicate, and they are a bit more closed in at first. As they open up, it is easier to discern the differences against copper conductor cables.
|
@audphile1
I would add Zavfino Majestic MKII tonearm cable to your consideration as well. When I went through upgrade cycle over my stock tonearm cable (Van den Hul) to Audio Envy to Majestic, each upgrade was a solid improvement over stock cable.
I have long admired DH Labs cables but IMHO, Zavfino cables build and performance punches way above its price of admission.
|
@blisshifi , that's a good point, I might try the original phono cables again, see what I hear. The Dimension cables I bought weren't brand new, they were sold to me at a discount by DH Labs as demos, they'd been used at a show. Still probably didn't have more than a dozen hours on them.
@audphile1, you might look at usedcable.com. Hard to say what might pop up. Or ask DH Labs if they ever have other used demo stuff.
|
@lalitk I’ll look into it. I don’t know how Majestic compares to Arcadia sonically. I kind of grew out of the Arcadia between my phono stage and preamp.
|
@audphile1
IME, Majestic holds a sweet spot in Zavfino line. If you recall one of my earlier posts, I recommended Fusion IC over Arcadia, your system is far more superior for entry level cables.
|
|
@lalitk thank you for the compliment! I replaced the Arcadia with AZ Silver Ref MkII for the phono to preamp connection. It’s also a better match with my AZ Absolute Copper IC everywhere else. Too bad AZ don’t make phono cables.
|
My experience is different with DH Labs. I had their Silversonic USB cable between my streamer and dac. Their lower priced one, not the mirage. The Silversonic was ok at first but for some reason it got so bright that it actually hurt my ears and I had to cut off my listening sessions short wondering if my hearing was failing me. Then I bought the Curious USB cable and everything about my hearing went back to normal, no more pain, so much more musicality and none of the harshness of the Silversonic. My ears love the Curious.
|
I have a long rca on my home theater setup to the sub it is the dhlabs subsonic. That made the sub both tuneful and go way deeper I had gold furutech ends put on it I was shocked how good it was for how little I paid. I also have a 6 foot pair of redwave powercord with the top of the line furutech rhodium plugs on them. They are really good I like the furutech powercord that is about the same money on many things just a bit better but not on everything better. I also have dhlabs speaker wire a short pair on a set of monoblocks in my bedroom they are real competitive with transparent ultras. They seem to make some good wire a value pricing
|
I made some studio pros with furutech 126 gold...put them in last week and they still sound great to my ears.Have had all but the new cryo/and bl 2...bl aug/prts connex is great little wire.
|
@audphile1 AZ Silver Refs are keepers in my system and have stayed for almost 20 years along with my double-barrel shotgun biwire Satori speaker cables. Great value/$ IMHO and so naturally detailed and musical with great tone and bass — such a tough combo to achieve IME. I just added an MC2 digital cable that has thrilled me just as much as the rest of their line. Although I will say I recently discovered LavriCable silver cables in my HeadFi rig that I’ll be exploring for my big rig as they may offer even more performance per $ although that’s a work in progress. To be continued…
|
Thanks to Juan @blisshifi , I’m the happy owner of a DH Lab’s, Silver Sonic USB cable.
|
I recently replaced a Cable Solutions Canare LV-77S digital S/PIDF cable with a DH Labs D-750, and I think I heard an improvement right off the bat, even though the LV-77S had the benefit of several days of break-in. The DH Labs was recommended by The Cable Co.
On the other hand, I wasn't impressed with the DH Labs Silver Sonic BL-1 iCable, with a 1/8" stereo plug on one end and RCAs on the other. It had the channels reversed, and it didn't sound any better than a basic cable of a similar length and type when used between my Dragonfly Red USB DAC and my stereo system. I haven't done the comparison yet with the Dragonfly Cobalt--maybe a higher-quality DAC will reveal some difference.
A Cable Company representative said that the room for the 1/8" plug is so limited that there's not much that can be done to improve it.
Has anyone else found a superior 1/8"-to-RCAs cable?
|
|
@drmuso and @baylinor … I personally find the BL-1 (aka the Silversonic cable) to be quite revealing but lean and can be seen as bright if your equipment is already transparent. I’m surprised you couldn’t tell a difference with the BL-1 iCable compared to other Y-cables. I was able to hear the difference immediately, but overall I moved on from BL-1. @drmuso perhaps you should try comparing the BL-1 iCable again now that it’s broken in.
The BL-1 is an excellent cable for those that feel their systems are not closed in. Perfect for mid-fi in particular since it will balance out overly warm and forgiving systems like Marantz/Wharfedale combos.
The Air Matrix is a significant step up from the BL-1 in terms of bass and midrange body. I don’t find it to be nearly as fatiguing, and it is quite balanced. Regarding Y-cables, I ended up having the DH Labs team build me a custom one out of the Air Matrix cable and it is very, very good for a Y-cable. I’m not using it anymore, though I still have it in a drawer should I ever need a Y-cable again.
|
@blisshifi
Thanks for your comment which aligns perfectly with my experience. My system is very revealing to the point that when I make any kind of adjustment or swap anything I immediately notice the difference. The room construction and the acoustic treatments probably have more to do with that than the equipment itself. Hence the Silversonic shone way too brightly for my ears. I experienced the same results with the Wireworld starlight 7 hdmi cable for the I2s connection between my Jay's cdt2-mk3 and the Gustard X26 PRO, also too bright. I now use it between my Sony blu ray and TV and it sounds excellent there since that sound is not as revealing and can use the extra brightness. I am waiting for a Tuesday delivery of the Tubulus concentus I2s cable to reconnect the Jay to the Gustard. I have high hopes it will please me like the Curious. All this stuff is so system dependent that you have to try multiple products to find what your ears really need.
|
@ericsch
The DH replaced a no name USB between my streamer and DAC.
|
I’ve used their interconnect and power cord cable for diy projects with amazing results for the price. Good products!
|
Another plus one for DH Labs. They were my first foray into upgrading interconnects, and opened my eyes to the improvements cabling can provide. They replaced basic AQ cabling.
Customer service and speed of delivery was also top notch and they offer strong value to boot particularly as cabling can obviously reach into the stratosphere.
|
Just upgraded from Audio Envy’s phono cable to the DH Labs Dimension phono cable and OH MY G*D. Absolutely fantastic. And with only 10 mins on them.
I have a Revelation coming to connect the phono to the Linestage and now expectations are even higher.
|
The revelation is a great ic...big,fast.open.Its somewhat of a bargain imho.
|
Anyone have/heard the Corona power cable?
|
I recently bought the DH Labs Mirage USB to replace by AQ Carbon between streamer and DAC.
To my taste, an improvement over the AQ: more body with the Mirage.
I live in the UK, and after trying to order direct from DH Labs website, it became apparent they don't naturally ship to the UK. I emailed to make sure I hadn't missed anything, and received a really quick response from Greg at DH Labs
Greg confirmed they don't normally ship to the UK, but he could give me a quote for FedEx and ship me the Mirage.
7 days later, I had the Mirage in my system. Really impressed with their customer service. I've emailed a few online retailers in North America regarding UK shipping and not git a reply even. So, yep very happy with DH Labs
|
@gochurchgo I am a DH Labs reseller and currently personally own a number of Corona and Corona Cryo power cables. While my reference cables are the much more expensive Synergistic Research Galileo SX, I am incredibly impressed with the Corona and Cryo, especially at its price point. I have compared the base Corona to the Shunyata Sigma NR which retails 3x more and preferred the Corona due to it being similarly dynamic, but with an even lower noise floor. I found the upper end Synergistic Research to deliver a warmer and more effortless tone, which I prefer in some applications, but it is hard to justify the significant price increases. The Corona Cryo adds another level of refinement and effortlessness again. I would not hesitate to consider it against any other cable on the market $3aK and under. You can purchase direct from DH Labs with a 60-day trial period. I have zero hesitation putting it on my most amplification and source components. Happy to go into more detail if you have questions.
|
|
Anyone have/heard the Deity speaker cables?
seems odd they have 2 sets of speaker cable under $500 and nothing until $3k
|
I have some Diety speaker cables, and am satisfied to the point where I'm not looking to make any changes unless I mover away from mono blocks.
I have used many of their cables over the years from their digital, to interconnect, to speaker. No complaints
|
@ddzstereo thanks. How do they compare with other SC in the same price range?
|
Difficult to beat from a price/performance perspective.
If you are looking to impress others with high end (read price) cables these won't have the brand recognition (read ego boost) that some seek.
Are their better cables out there? Likely there are, but I'm happy and won't be spending a lot of time and money on the never ending search for flavour of the month.
|
Hey @gochurchgo I sent you a message earlier regarding the Deity, not sure if you got it. Happy to chat about them in more detail.
|
I have the deity for 6 years on my Merlin VSM and revelation throughout all 4 audio rooms and that’s where I want to be only cardas clear beyond speaker cables on my CHARNEY COMPANION EXCALIBUR AND MERLIN TSM otherwise my 4 rooms are all REVELATION IC’s and the DEITY ON MY MERLIN VSM are not going anywhere powerful…. clean…..slam…. perfect……all equipment is with duelund caps or v-caps
ATMA-SPHERE….HATTOR….DA SPECIAL BUILD….RESOLUTION AUDIO…..AUDIO NOTE….AND THE WORLDS MOST PERFECT AMPS THE QUICKSILVER AUDIO TRIODE 6c33c monoblocks …AUDIO RESEARCH…
|
Just another shout out for DH Labs. I recently purchased the Air Matrix Cryo RCA ICs, and Reunion Ethernet cable.
The Cryo’s replaced my Lavri Grand silver ICs, which great cables, I’ve had them for around 2 years I think, but with a new DAC and amp in that time, I didn’t feel they suited my current setup.
Having already bought the Mirage USB (Streamer to DAC) from DH Labs, and reading good things about the AM Cryos I fired off an email to Greg between Christmas and New Year; both cables were with me in the UK on the 3rd Jan. Great turnaround, very happy with the customer service from Greg and DH Labs.
The Cryos are very good indeed; to my ears they are a tad "sweeter" sounding than the Lavri, which is to my taste.
The Reunion was intended to feed a regular consumer Netgear switch, from a pair of media converters. The Netgear fed my Network Acoustics ENO (with optional NA’s streaming cable). However, after following some good advice on another thread, which to my mind/ears was demonstrably spot on, I removed the converters and went ethernet from router, straight to the Netgear, making the Reunion redundant.
I wanted to see what the Reunion was all about, so replaced the ENO with the Reunion from Netgear switch to my streamer. Now I’m not sure what’s going on here as I’ve had the ENO for a while, and just set and forget. I’ve never experimented with it at all; I don’t know what to say, I find I prefer the Reunion in its place.
I’m going to give it more time and do some more swapping in and out, but at the moment I’m preferring the Reunion over the ENO.
Whatever the outcome, I’m really impressed with DH Labs and the 3 products I’ve purchased so far 👍
|
Bought my first DH Labs air Matrix when they first came out they had a deal on a pair just to try them out $49 I should have ordered some to every one of my friends houses and collected them up $49 wow
|
Just wanted to say that I'm a big fan of DH Labs, especially DIY cabling. I love the pure silver interconnects available from Parts Connexion.
Also use their shielded power cable.
Otherwise, Worlds Best, which uses Mogami is my default interconnect for everything I don't want to think about:
https://amzn.to/49IiBYA
|
Good to see DH Labs getting some well deserved love.
|
I found the DH Labs glass Toslink to be head and shoulders above my Supra ZAC Toslink, my Lifatec Toslink and an Amazon brand that was well received. I also got a great deal on some DH Labs HDMI 2.0 when on closeout of that line which was a nice step up on some WireWorld cables I was using. I could easily see the improvement on my TV. Not to be overlooked.
If I ever get the itch to try out that Shanling ET3 CDT, I'll try one of their USB cables.
All the best,
Nonoise
|
