Saddle1: The Indra is intriguing and the only cable I haven't been able to demo in my system. I do have the Prana Cosmos and Siltech Snow Lake IC as well as the Siltech Eskay Creek Speaker cables on loaner. I'm impressed with all of it but will reserve detailed commentary until I have more time with them. Unfortunately, due to CES and having to get them back to their respective manufacturers for the show I only have around 5 more days with them.
Oneobgyn: I'm very curious how the Indra Cosmos compared to the Valhalla when you had them. It seems like they have a lot of similarities but also, a lot of differences. I haven't compared them head to head however, and as my aural memory and mormal memory are short and it's been a while since I've had the Valhalla in system I'd appreciate any input you might offer in that regard. While I did not particularly like the Valhalla much myself, the Prana seems to offer an extraordinarily pristine view into not only the soundstage, but the complexity of harmonics as well. This lends strings and piano an ultra lush and lifelike pocket of air and harmonic envelope that is incredibly realistic. The coherence, clarity and liquidity are perhaps among the best I've heard without the hash, noise, excess leaness and thinness that other ribbon cables produced in my system previously. Simply an incredibly smooth, ultra extended top end with no etch, no white coloration, and an enormously wide, if not ultra deep soundstage. If matched with a proper interconnect, they have dynamics and body as well, albeit presenting with a touch of wispiness, or perhaps softness, that is not altogether unpleasant if perhaps not totally lifelike. Dave Matthews' guitar at Live at Luther College has an incredibly extended pocket of air and lushness surrounding it that is truly delectable. I've never listened to the first cut much as there are better tracks, but couldn't get myself to advance on this track at all and listened all the way through. Shpongle's synthesizer notes and water effects, from Are You Shpongled sounds drippingly liquid and had me looking for a towel at times with images not only wrapping around, but behind me and coming out into the room in very well defined 3D space, if not extending too far behind the speakers. A lot like being in the middle (inside) of a gigantic aquarium with sounds all around you. Patricia Barber's live version of Norwegian Wood, which starts out intimate, sweet and quiet just about blew me off my listening chair as I kept turning this cut up more and more as it went on. Usually I am turning it down as this track advances. Try that at home - highly recommended. Great dynamics as well as spatial deliniation of a live presentation and venue. Just make sure you listen through to the end for full effect.
Tvad: Have you heard the anniversary? It seems somewhat extravagant but if Jim Aud's claims are accurate then it will be an extraordinary performer. I do miss the Dominus interconnects in my system, but as I still have one pair of them, as well as the overperforming Venustas, I can still get an overall gestalt at a minimum and have deep respect for the overall balance and capabilities of Dominus period.
The Siltech is, as always, spectacular in the way it presents body and image solidity and is a particulary synergistic match with the VTL 750s which are also remarkable in this respect.
