Gabriel Gold IC's are they really this good?

Soundstage,depth of field,height of stage,detail,bass and even greater tonality and textures which these cables are becoming famous for occur after the 300 hour mark.

Wow! That pretty much covers it for a perfect cable.

I went into the GG Revelations with huge expectations because of this thread. And right out of the box, they were severely flat compared to the Jade Hybrid. The Indra that I had been using (but loaned out to a friend during this audition) was never dimensionally flat. The Jade conveys depth greater than the Indra, but the Indra beautifully preserves the decays and harmonics of the piano ...... something completely lacking with the out-of-the-box GG Rev. How anyone can describe soundstage, height, depth, textures, etc., with the GG cables with zero hours is beyond me. I guess it comes down to the system for which the cables are evaluated.

I described my findings with Steve who was baffled as nobody had ever before described these cables this way right out of the box. Hmmmm. He suggested I wait for 150 hours which I did, and again, the presentation was flat as can be. Thinking it was all in my head, I took the pair to a friend's home, and the first word out of his mouth? .... you guessed it: "FLAT"! I never told him anything about my findings ..... we simply dropped these in his system which was connected with Jade Hybrids at that time.

So we can talk about all the improvements in bass and reduced treble brightness, but none of these issues did I experience with my previously mentioned components. There are always some balancing acts that we have to do with aligning tonalities, what is often refered to as "synergy", but there was nothing I could do to bring back the decays and harmonic overtones of piano and voice with the GG Rev's. Playing one set of strengths over another with various tube changes in the CAT and Aesthetix gear could not bring back the 3D that instantly returned upon going back to the Jade Hybrid.

So even though I prefer the Jade Hybrid, the Indra is just a hair behind.....the GG Rev did not work out here at all. In all fairness, the Jade and Indra are $1000 more on the A'gon market. So as Bob writes about how far beyond the GG Extremes were over the Indra, and the Rev's at yet another level of performance, this was simply not the case in my system.

Clio - it's interesting that you tried the Jade Vermeil and prefered the GG Rev. The Vermeil in my system has some issues with the reduction of portrayal of space, but not as severe as the GGs. For lower cost systems, a direct shootout between the Vermeil and Extreme would be of value.

As for how a cable is changing overtime, it is hard for me to imagine how accurate such memories can be. I have heard my system sound significantly different from one night to another where no system changes occured. Without the ability to quickly swap in a reference (for me, the well burned-in Jade Hybrid), going by memories of how something sounded 2-3 days ago is a little too much of a leap in faith.

I wish I had been told of the 300 hour mark instead of the 150. I likely would have held onto the GG Rev for one more week of burn-in to find out how they might fare. But in all honesty, with virtually no improvments at the 150 hour mark, it is highly unlikely a miracle was to occur after 150 more hours. Had I experienced some improvements along the way, I may have had a different view on the situation.

For all the high praise that this is THE cable to beat all else, my experiences with the APL-Denon/Callisto/CAT/SoundLab setup resulted in a far different outcome. Thank goodness there are many products to choose from for our music system.

John

jafox perhaps all of your visits to the Jade household (see Jade thread)has you a little bias.Could your listening test possibly be done at the Jade household too?
With nothing but positive findings on these cables by others I do find your listening impression and that at your friends home far more than just puzzling.

"Perfect Cable" may be just be the best description
I've heard

as mom would say "Play nice or go in the house"

Audiobuzz: Your concerns are fair and yet any conclusions you make are wrong. You can insinuate all that you wish. If you pay attention to some of my comments early on with the Jade Vermeil and Gold cables, you will see that I had some concerns with these. I, along with many other potential Jade customers, talked to JD (at Jade) about these, and this had much to do with the later Hybrid model.

The point of my post was that for quite some time, the claim was that 150 hours was the magic burn-in time for GG cables. And my experience indicated that there was no benefit here at all. NONE! I did not rely on any memories from days before; I simply returned to my reference cable at each point of the listening audition. What might happen at 300 hours, I have no experience. But to claim that any magic occurs from 0 to 150, at least in my system, well, it never occured. And in all honesty, Audiobuzz, I was quite disappointed.

To get a product for less $$ with greater performance is one thing I am constantly on the lookout for. One recent such experience was how significantly the Running Springs Haley PLC outperformed the Sound App Line Stage at 1/3 the cost.

Another point to my post was that in my system, the Indra was also far far ahead of the GG Rev. This was quite the opposite to Bob's experience. We clearly listen for very different attributes or the strengths/weakeness of our systems are very different.

After hearing the ARC SP-8 almost 25 years ago, I have chased decays and portrayal of space as my priorities in sonic attributes. I am very critical about any component's performance in these areas. And once I hear how a given product excels in these areas, giving up any of this is mighty tough.....essentially impossible. In my setup, the Jade Hybrid is the top performer, followed by the Indra and Purist Dominus. Perhaps one of these days I will drop in a Purist Anniv and do another shootout, but for now, the Jade Hybrid is my favorite....but it is not perfect.

I have no loyalties to any company, electronics, cable, speakers, etc. Anyone who has followed my ARC->BAT->Aesthetix, Magnepan->SoundLab, NBS->Purist->Jade/Stealth, etc., paths, can easily see that I continue on the road for music system refinement.

As for anyone trying to push any business to Jade, all you have to do is read the many posts by JD on his cables. He hides none of his design. They are yours for the making if you're a DIY kinda guy. Tell me any other cable manufacturer of this performance level where this exists.

So Audiobuzz, rather than use your imagination as to any of my motives to put JD up on a cliff-side mansion overlooking Monterey, I suggest you give the Hybrid a try and determine for yourself how it might perform in your system.

John

John

Jafox, glad you like the Haley. I've had mine for about 2 years now. One of the better audio buys I have made.

The Jade Vermeil to me is a fine cable. It just lacked something at the top end that didn't make me want to replace my Oritek X-2 cables. I had always intended to try the gold version but never got around to it. Maybe sometime I will try the hybrid. JD is a great guy and I'm happy for his success with these cables. I think at times we all have to remember we hear differently, and our systems and listening environments are not identical. So it does not surprise me to hear your opinion which I can respect.

However, in my system the Revelation is a cable that does not present a flat sound stage. Could it be more 3-D? Maybe, then again my listening room could be better and that in and of itself could make for a more 3-D sound stage. I posted previously that a recessed sound stage could easily be the result of room acoustics or speaker positioning, just as easily as it could be from the cable. I'm not suggesting this is the case with Jafox, but it is certainly possible.

Clio09 - Yes, I was kinda late with trying out the RS products. The Haley was a nice step forward in adding more clarity to the system. It impressed me so much I suggested to a couple friends to try it out. And they too were equally impressed.

Keep in mind that my comments on cables are relative to others that I have owned that excelled in the key areas important to me. One thing I find is that to get the top-most cables in these areas, I often have to sacrifice that last bit of detail and extension on the top. And this is one of the Hybrid vs. Indra issues for me. Both of these cables and the GG Rev. have very similar tonality, with the edge in my system going to the Indra for that last bit of coverage on the top. None of these cables ever exhibited a brightness or listener fatigue.

Concerning a recessed soundstage, I have the SoundLab A1's so that they are nearly 7 feet into the room. They are near the side walls but almost 10 feet apart center to center. I now have a lot more clarity going on behind the speakers vs. when the speakers were only 5 feet into the room. The row of 5 ASC tube traps placed behind the speakers last year was a major step forward in bringing on clarity to the mids and trebles as well. Next thing to try is some treatments on the ceiling.

Speaker positioning I find to be critical for image placement, but generally not in how decays are portrayed .... and this latter attribute was what I had issues with the GGs. I'm not much of an imaging fanatic but with the latest round of improvements, I have gained much here for free.

Jafox, thanks for the additional comments. I only hope to one day have a listening room where I can spread my speakers a couple feet more apart. Perhaps when I move in a few months.

Are you using the Mongoose PC with the Haley? I purchased mine before this option was available. I use a Oyaide Tunami GPX and have no issues with it.

Its interesting to hear an opinion which does not comply in general with the group. Its a positive point of view which clarifies the point that cables are system dependent and that there is no one holy grail. Remember how the Indra was held as the top cable on the hill at one time.

I have listened to another Hybrid gold/silver design and it was superb in my system. But the right attributes that the GG has won. The experience demonstrated that the current designs today are far ahead of the crop of designs from a few years ago and the cable of choice has more to do with our own bias set up at home. The cable and its designers are a secondary thought to the process.

Audiobuzz, once again I have to ask if you have any affiliation with GG. You seem to jump on Jafox pretty quickly, just like you jumped on me in the Jade thread. 4 of your 7 thread responses on record indicate promoting GG cables. So, is there financial gain here for you, or does someone else not liking your favorite cable bother you for some reason? You do understand that another's findings in no way invalidates a purchase you have made, don't you? It's not an insult if someone likes a different flavor of ice cream than you, is it? Would you get all testy like that at an ice cream parlor if someone said he liked a flavor better than your chosen flavor?

Relax, you are allowed to like the GG cables if you choose. However, don't try to waltz in the door and tarnish reputations of long standing members. I have always found Jafox's descriptions and recommendations to be spot on. My tastes run very similar to his. I also felt the GG Extreme interconnects to have a shallow soundstage. The GG Revelation speaker cables I tried had better depth, but had other soundstage anomilies. Yes, they were a 1 meter run, which I know burns your shorts, but Steve was more than willing to make them and sell them as his GG Revelation cables. So there has to be some accountability.

You really come off as having a serious ax to grind. I just can't figure out if it's for profit or just immaturity.

John

I know Jafox and have done business with him. His honesty and ethics are beyond reproach.

Audiobuzz, you need to pick on somebody more like yourself.

jmcgrogan-first of all there is no reason to insult me by questioning my maturity.
That is certainly not appropriate in an Audiogon thread.

If we are to review threads one may find something closer to an affiliation or obligation with a manufacturer in this excerpt
quoting member jafox to whom defense your response is partially based.

"I am quite surprised that JD has invited me to return to his manufacturing facility. Last time I destroyed an antique table lamp and a few months before I wiped out a mobile hanging down from the ceiling in the back of his room. I suppose he will require me to stand out on the front porch to evaluate his speaker cables so as nothing else ends up in the landfill."

and to respectfully quote Mr jmcgrogan

"Hey JD, any chance of you moving to Pennsylvania so that I can be you guinea pig instead of John Fox (the other John)? 8-)
I do find that my tastes run very similar to both of yours, so I'm waiting to 'hear'. I did not realize that John was such a 'clutz' though. Honest JD, if you move to PA I won't break anything."

Some may find cause for bias
based on this.

It very well could be that both you and member jafox hear similarly and have the same taste.
With the rest of the members hearing pretty much the opposite.

Or it may be something different.

btw-Chocolate is my favorite ice cream and I have no problem if someone prefers another flavor.

Audioeil-I need not comment on such remarks.
As a retailer/distriburor like yourself such a reply surely does reflect well upon your professionalism.

To all-----If you want to argue please do it outside of this thread.This thread has served as a positive interaction posting for many audiophiles.C'mom let's keep post relevant
or at least nice
thanks,
bobf

Audiobuzzard,
I don't care what you think.
How's that?
Bill Feil

I'm with Bob, there's much to share without us getting upset with each other.

After I had the GG Rev's for a week, and reported my initial and final findings to Steve at GG, I figured that I would only share this information with a few close friends who were also on the hunt for the next level of refined ICs. But, reading the continued "greatest on earth" comments here was driving me nuts as my experience indicated otherwise. It was time to share an opposing view - 5000 happy customers vs. Jafox.

I was well aware of the backlash to come, especially since my current reference cables were made by a man here in Mpls whom I befriended 2 years ago. The concern for bias is fair, but it does not at all change the sonic results of the cable shootout. The only reason the Jade Hybrid came into the discussion was because this was the cable that I directly compared to the Rev. at 0 hours, approx. 70 hours and then at 155 hours. But the results would have been the same had I used the Indra or Dominus. And I have no friends at Stealth nor Purist.

What's the value of these forums if everyone reports the same thing? Let's just praise the next product as Class A and grab our folding chairs and head to the beach. And how can one component outperform everything else in every sonic attribute? I like a lot of products out there but I am well aware that each one has a weakness that another product conveys in a much more natural manner.

My 7/9/07 "hint" to get further detail on the 3D attributes of the GG cables only resulted in more of "the best cables on the planet" comments. With the repeated comments that the GG Extremes were so far ahead of the Indra, and the Rev's were yet another level of improvement, I simply had to share here that things were quiet different for me.

So why are my results so very different than the rest of the GG users? It has nothing to do with flavors of ice cream, nor synergy. We are not talking about tonality changes here where one person likes a peak in the mids or a valley in the trebles, etc., to compensate for tonal linearity flaws elsewhere.

As for my own taste - I like a chocolate mint; the flavor lingers on for another 2-3 seconds or so rather than immediately being lost.

I have heard many "high end" systems that have incredible resolution but are very flat in presentation. For such systems, nobody will ever hear my reported differences between these cables. For such a system, one can throw in a Cardas Golden Cross IC to bring on a little more mids emphasis but that's about it; no cable here is going to suddenly turn a Yamaha upright into a Steinway Concert Grand and push it 8 feet behind the speakers.

I had taken note of the system components used by some of the GG praisers here. Some of these components I have compared to my own, in my system and at the homes of others. Posting such information is of value as it gives us context for the component under evaluation. The trick is to get an idea as to how that reviewed component might perform in our own system.

If a product gets a high rating in a system that most likely outperforms our own system, will we be able to reap the benefits of the more refined product? ....or will this refined product only show up the flaws in our system that was pieced together to compensate for flaws elsewhere? - what is often referred to as synergy. A visit by Joe Kubala (Kubala-Sosna) to my home nearly 2 years ago made it very clear that I was guilty of this with a "balancing act" between a pair of ICs and speaker cables. Ultimately both of these cables had to be replaced at once or any cable replacing either of these would be blamed for being a flawed cable. I learned a lot that day.

And what if a product gets a high rating in a system that most likely is outperformed by our own system...will that highly praised product take our system to even higher levels of performance? .... or will our system only show the flaws of that product? .... or does the other system simply not allow for differences to be heard that are clearly conveyed in our own system? There's a lot more going on here than simply praising a product as the new King.

Clio - If you're interested in some information on PCs I have used with the Haley, I can email you some pros and cons on some Stealth and Dream State PCs I have been playing with. The sad thing is that these PCs cost more than the Haley itself but what they do is quite impressive.

John

As a retailer/distriburor like yourself such a reply surely does reflect well upon your professionalism.
Audiobuzz

Ahhhh, so it is money! His secret identity revealed. I knew you had to be in the business or emotionally insecure. For the record, Audiofeil was pretty accurate with his 'Audiobuzzard' handle, in this case it fits. Fot you have no opinions/experiences to share, you simply peruse the threads looking for something to pounce on. You have kept your bias' very well hidden, until now. It really is quite comical reading about you questioning anyone's professionalism. LOL!

My apologies to Bob, who seems like a regular audiophile. This thread isn't the only one in which the Audiobuzzard has tried to feast on. He obviously is not a reputable dealer, or he would not bounce around the forums in a cloak of secrecy. Manufacturers and dealers are supposed to identify themselves when responding in these forums. It is now obvious that HE is the one with the agenda. I have nothing left to say to him, now that his identity has been revealed. Thank you Bill, for helping to 'pull back the curtain' on this fraud.

John

Jafox - feel free to email me offline. I'm interested in your findings.

Okay guys are we done now? Back to the thread.

""""A visit by Joe Kubala (Kubala-Sosna) to my home nearly 2 years ago made it very clear that I was guilty of this with a "balancing act" between a pair of ICs and speaker cables. Ultimately both of these cables had to be replaced at once or any cable replacing either of these would be blamed for being a flawed cable. I learned a lot that day.""""

This is so true.I found myself in these thoughts while GG was bright (while burning-in).My speakers have a metal dome tweeter,which are known to be bright.But it is OK now.

I don´t think there is a perfect cable.Nothing is perfect.My system is not high-end,it´s value is around 5 000 - 7 000 $ alltogether.This is a mid-price system,so my results are limited.But i really reported what i heard.

In my system,GG Rev are not "flat".They throw a huge soundstage,they fill the whole office with sound.I checked with Therion´s track "Lemuria",which was recorded with Prague filharmonic orchestra.At 1min 05 sec it gets HUGE.

BUT - speakers are not placed perfectly,because it is an office.This takes its toll on soundstage.
My GG Rev perform excellent.I´m happy to have them,they made the whole system better.But this doesn´t have to be true for everyone.

Eat any ice-cream you want.It´s ok as long as i can choose mine :)
The point is to enjoy ice-cream, and i wish you all a lot of it.

Wow, a lot of vociferous exchanges. Too bad, but, on the other hand, that's what makes a horse race.

It's true that we all depend on honesty and divulging of associations, etc. and Audiobuzz is way out of line there, Probably something a monitor/moderator should be employed to deal with that issue. John (mcgrogan2) is right....and his word is gold as he is what I would call an ambassador of sound. He shares his experience, knowledge and even equipment so that we all can become richer in knowledge through experience of our own. And, only experience can help us help each other.

Ah, but I wax (or wane).

Clio9/Jafox-I have an older Sound Applications XE-12S and am also interested in cords and the Haley....If you could pass on any info, great!

FWIW-I have no monetary or other connection with any audio manufacturer/dealer or whatever. I really do love music...live and reproduced.

The Gabriels, in my opinion, offer a lot of excellent qualities. Their timber, pace, extension, tonality and detail are exceptional. I find a lot of air in them and no congestion in busy passages with dynamics (micro and micro) that have no flaw....actually damn exciting to me as it is without glare or overemphasis in any portion of range. But, I don't think they are the last word in soundstage. They offer good width, but not great depth to the stage. "Flat" is overstated IMHO and not my experience at all, but interesting that two independent audiobuds would call the same insound (a little coinage on my part from insight). In the end, their strengths are numerous and fantastic while their weaknesses are sparse and negligible (I have never seriously addressed equipment isolation and roon treatments.....another bailiwick).

The best use of this and any forum is difference of opinion. Lambasting each other is useless.

Jafox: Good on ya' (as we say in the south) and thanks! Your opinion is valued and valid. No cable is perfect and, as Joe K. (aren't you the lucky dude to have lumanaries all around!) pointed out (I think), making up for other cables' faults is often perceived as synergy. I have described it as "catching lightning in a bottle": The concept of balancing colorations is an old one and really well described at Bear Labs website as 'complimentay colorations':
http://www.bearlabs.com/NEXT/COLORATIONS.html

In the end, I always wonder if a single insightful designer for electonics should also design speakers all augmented by a single cable designer whose goods are used internally for the electronics would be perfect. I used Siltech with older Plinius gear and th esynergy was astounding.

That being said, the Gabriels have really worked well for me relieving those 'complimentary colorations' and are on the rarified permanent list for my gear....Well, changes come much more slowly these days anyway. But, I have no plans for changing or even interviewing for that position at this point in time.

I have never heard and Jade IC's or the Indra (although I have beta tested Stealth Metacarbon and GS 50/50's), but the fact taht they are all mentioned in the same breathe makes them all worth considering if you can afford them........

Enjoy the tunes!

Budburma,

I have been working with Jim Ricketts at tmh Audio (I have no affiliation, just friends) to do exactly what you are suggesting. Neeper speakers (Just introduced to the US market through Jim) will have a signature model using the Jade Audio gold plated silver wire for it's internal wiring. We are also discussing re-wiring a very high end amp with the same wire from the pc board to the speaker terminals.

We hope to have it all available for RMAF in October.

As for the rest of you boys, settle down. It just is not that important , but if anyone has a problem with me having vocal friends and/or clients, I am sorry. Is it wrong for someone who likes something to report on it? No. Is it wrong for someone to be a friend with a manufacturer who works out of a bedroom? I think not. Most of my customers have become good friends over this past eight months, so I guess they all have some type of conflict if that is the measuring stick.

Finally, I heard the GG Rev. on my system and was very impressed. These are great cables, I was not surprised with the tonality, in that this is proving to be a common denominator with gold wire. I was most excited to find that we both make very good cables that I feel have raised the bar for interconnects. I think it is important that the early gold cable manufacturers are beyond peoples expectation if the industry is going to join the few pioneers who are trying gold. If we succeed, then the entire industry succeeds because others with much larger R&D budgets can expand on what we are learning.

For me this is not a competition, it is a hobby that many of us are very passionate about. If GG can raise the level of performance, and if I can follow with another excellent product, then I see us all winning. Two great cables are being made for a fraction of the cost that we will see once the big boys jump in. It will be then that this is less about sharing our passions for music and more about winning.

Please, enjoy what we are all finding. Gold is a great material if used properly. I can also say from my design R&D, gold can be very thick, slow, fat and much too lush. GG and I have cables that have brought to Audiogon the tonality of gold without these long known weaknesses. Enjoy it, this is supposed to be fun.

jd
Jade Audio, LLC

I wanted to post something to this thread, but I own both the Jade Vermeil cable and the GG Revelation so I'm having an argument with myself over which is better....once I defeat myself I'll get back to this thread with more info....

Smile people, it's only audio.... :-)

cool, jd. i hope to hear those goodies along with your cables one day! i checked out your system and i think our sound preference is pretty similar. of course, i have a somewhat pared down version, but it's working well for me now...i just wish i hadn't sold my sa-201....oh well, no problems, no worries. this is a great hobby (like i keep telling my wife when more boxes arrive: 'it's a "hobby" and hobbies don't end until they're no fun anymore.') or as yodi berra sez, it ain't over 'til its ended! enjoy the tunes! best, art

"""""""""Finally, I heard the GG Rev. on my system and was very impressed. These are great cables, I was not surprised with the tonality, in that this is proving to be a common denominator with gold wire. I was most excited to find that we both make very good cables that I feel have raised the bar for interconnects. I think it is important that the early gold cable manufacturers are beyond peoples expectation if the industry is going to join the few pioneers who are trying gold. If we succeed, then the entire industry succeeds because others with much larger R&D budgets can expand on what we are learning.

For me this is not a competition, it is a hobby that many of us are very passionate about. If GG can raise the level of performance, and if I can follow with another excellent product, then I see us all winning."""""""

Jadem6,i must say these words say a lot positive things about you.

I wish i could A/B test your best product against GG rev. in my home system which is still being built.
Silverline Sinfonia speakers,Vallhalla speaker cables,6 monoblocks - all custom made etc.

Unfortunatelly,this is impossible as i live in Croatia.Very far away.

I hope both you and Steve will have a lot of success with your products.And your bears are a great touch :)

Fiddler:

You ever get around to an audition?

Fla - not yet.

I am busy upgrading my power cords from EG Epiphanys to Stealth Dreams. And I just installed V-Caps in my DAC and preamp so I have been busy with other things. But I still want to audition the GG Revelations at some point, including the speaker cables.

I am currently using a Stealth Varidig Sextet BNC/BNC digital cable, 2 Audio Metallurgy IC's and Stealth Hybrid MLT speaker cables and my system sounds the best it has ever sounded by a looooong shot.

The Audio Metallurgys were purchased on a lark and I was shocked at the result. I never thought a $200 IC would reside in my system, but I am mightily impressed. That's why I am interested in the GGs. If they significantly improve upon what the AMs do, then I am in. I guess the question will be to what degree, if any, the GGs will better the AMs. Time will tell.

But one thing is for certain. There is magic in that gold alloy wire!

Funny you should say that. I have just replaced Zu Varial, preceded by Stealth Indra and Cardas GR with AM Zeros and GG Revelations and I am thrilled, despite the fact that they are both brand-new with less than 50 hours on them. I have just won a second AM Zero on auction. There is, indeed, magic in them gold.............

So far the difference between AM Zeros and GG Revelations is the width of the soundstage with the GG Revelations. But they're not nearly broken in yet.

Got a brand new bi-wire set of Revelation speaker cables burning-in as I type this.
After just a few hours they sound very good but the suggested burn-in time is 250-300 hours (note from Steve) so we shall see what extended use brings to the sonic table.

rja-my bi-wire pair sounded great as soon as I plugged them in and kept getting better and better.
I'd say they really stabilized at about 250 hours.
These things sound so good though that I swear they continue to get better every time I listen to them.

After reading this thread, I can't find anything said about the GGs that I haven't found to be true for Audio Metallurgy GA-0s, except that I've never heard anyone ever question AM's soundstage, which is truly amazing. I've actually had to check to see if my wife had surrepticiously switched on surround sound because the some instruments seemed so far past my speakers.

Just before I bought the Audio Metallurgy GA-0s I had a chance to try out used Audioquest Cheetah ICs and balanced Audioquest Hawk digital ICs someone was selling locally here. Even used the owner wanted a bit of cash, cash which I hoped to invest in a balanced power conditioner. Yet I really liked the idea of the battery in the Cheetahs to help overcome the effects of insulation. And then I read of Audio Metallurgy's design with magnets . . . I could see right away it was a better idea (in concept at least if not in reality).

The Audioquest Cheetah/Hawk ICs were hands down the best I'd ever heard in my system, though just a tad forward for my tastes. Yet, because I could try out the Audio Metallurgy GA-0s for about $300 (acquired at Audoigon auctions), if they worked I would still have enough for that BPT conditioner I wanted. So I bought the GA-0s.

It took about 10 hours for me to decide I liked the Audio Metallurgy GA-0s at least as much as the Audioquest ICs, and another three days of break in to like them better. The highs were almost equal in detail but without the edge of the Cheetahs, and the midrange was far better. As a whole, the sound seemed more integrated, very natural and at ease, with the sound stage seeming to leap out effortlessly. Bass extension was excellent, with punch and musicality. Maybe Audio Metallurgy should consider patenting their design because I suspect that that huge sound stage is a direct result of the magnetic technology.

I believe the Audio Metallurgy GA-0s must be the best bargain going for ICs (and no, I have absolutely no interest in AM other than what they can do for my system -- McCormack, Proceed, Genesis, Legacy components -- but I admit I am writing this out of gratitude to AM for providing such an awesome product at such a great price). In fact, I have wondered if the bargain aspect is keeping people from trying them.

Are they better than Gabrial Gold ICs? I can't afford to find out (I am ordering the BP-2 conditioner today!! . . . another audiophile bargain?), but I'd love to hear from someone who has tried both comment because it would be good to know if one can cable one's system for hundreds of dollars just as well or better than one might spend thousands to do.

Ditto, Les3547.

Les3547. I’m one of the few that were not impressed with the Audio Metallurgy GA-Os. They sounded hard in the midrange. I used them between an APL modded 3910 and an Accustic Arts Amp II HC. My speakers are Zu Definitions. I’m now using the Gabriel Revelations and they sound much more natural to my ears. I’m not knocking the GA-Os. In the right system they may be fine. In my system they were unlistenable.

I got a chance to listen to the NEW Rapture AC cord and the NEW Revelation II AC cord and gotta tell you "he did it again"
Designs keep improving on what I thought was un-improvable.
The Revelation II cord made my room sound twice it's size with staging,body,warmth and detail.
Man, it's hard to put what I heard into words .How can a single AC Cord do this.

I then tried the Rapture AC cord and heard pace,authority,textures and detail I did not think were possible just by switching out a single AC cord.

I was told that the Revelation II cord uses a blend of Gold,Silver and Copper in the conductors.
The cord is fatter than the original Revelation AC Cords that have a yellow jacket and it was designed to go with the Revelation line-up
Although the cord is thicker than the original
it is just as flexible.
The appearance is nicer too with it's Black and Gold jacket.

The Rapture I was told is sort of a Hybrid design using conductors that are silver plated gold and copper along with conductors that are made with a combination of Platinum,Gold,Silver and copper.

The Rapture AC cord has the same thickness and flexibility as the Revelation II with a very cool looking Black/blue jacket.

I need 1 of both!!!!!

Gotta go now and "rob a bank" to pay for some new cords

I've borrowed a pair of the interconnects from a friend and have been trying to win a pair on auction.The interconnect did the same thing in my system.I was told to be surprised when I dropped in the pair but I did not expect to hear what I did.Hopefully I can start putting a few of these cables into my system slowly but surely.
Bob,what do you think I should go with first?
Interconnects?speaker wire? or an AC cord?
I'd like to do them all but looking at the auctions only to save some dough.

hi donpark1439 I started with an interconnect first between my source and pre and got incredible results ,and this was with the Extreme interconnect"I now use the Revelations'".I'd say start with the interconnects and go to the speaker wire next.The icing on the cake and the rest of the desert comes at the end of the meal with the AC Cords.BTW-I don't think you will see any auctions for Extreme's ,looking at the ad it looks like they're being replaced soon,regardless go with the Revelation interconnect if budget allows.Hope this helps

Bob thanks for the advice I'll keep an eye for auctions or maybe I'll just buy a Revelation interconnect outright to get started

Priz, I just received the Audio Metallurgy GA Os and on first listen I was un-impressed, however, I turned the direction of the cables around and there was a big difference - much more clarity and presence. I would not have thought much about trying that except I re-called a reviewer mentioning the difference. Not sure if this is a factor with your experience or not; just a thought.

TVAD - not that I can tell - just changed them both once in the opposite direction - the review on these also indicated that you might need to turn the direction. I've listened for several hours since I got then , both with SS and tube integrateds, and in either case the cables offer a big soundstage and are very musical - clarity and depth.

Facten

Facten and Tvad. I sent mine back after the trial period and I don’t recall whether they were directionally marked. If they were not, there is a good chance I used them in different directions as I removed them a few times during evaluation.

Many people seem to enjoy them. I just found them too hard, bright and forward in my system. They may be right in other systems.

Priz sent Audio Mellurgy not Gabriel Golds
back right?
I got confused reading that last post
I just broke down an ordered a new pair of Gabriel Gold Revelation interconnects and after hearing them at a friends I don't think you're talking about the Gabriels.,they are the most natuaral and musical cables I ever heard.I just wish there were more auctions cause I'm a frugle buyer ,but if i'm going to pay full pop for something these are worth it and more

Donpark1439,
Here is Priz's post:

"Les3547. I’m one of the few that were not impressed with the Audio Metallurgy GA-Os. They sounded hard in the midrange. I used them between an APL modded 3910 and an Accustic Arts Amp II HC. My speakers are Zu Definitions. I’m now using the Gabriel Revelations and they sound much more natural to my ears. I’m not knocking the GA-Os. In the right system they may be fine. In my system they were unlistenable."

Thanks Sherod I got to agree with Priz the Gabriels are the most natural and best sounding cables I've ever owned.
I've picked up some of the mega dollars cables uses thru the cable company in the past and the Gabriel Gold's have put them to shame.

"Many people seem to enjoy them. I just found them too hard, bright and forward in my system. They may be right in other systems."

I am going to be politically incorrect and question that statement. Personally I think it is impossible for ANY of the gold-silver-copper alloy cables to be terribly harsh or bright. Adding gold seems to impart a "butter" effect to the signal, so I say if anyone is hearing harshness or brightness, it's that the cables are too revealing for some other part of the system. It might be the CD player, the DAC, the amps, the power . . . it might be the CDs themselves. Rock and roll, for example, tends to be two-realmed (high and low) so even one's musical tastes affect things.

That's not to suggest there's anything wrong about ameliorating some system excess by the choice of wires, amp, etc. My point is that as an objective evaluation of a cable, it isn't a sound principle to judge it by one's system unless one understands all the limitations at work in other areas.

I suspect gold alloy cable technology is going to be the hottest thing going in a few years, and I think the magnetic shielding idea will prove to be a brilliant concept that was first attempted by Audio Metallurgy. If it is "too" revealing, well that's not the cables' problem.

Ditto, Les

Les 3457,

it is possible to get gold to sound "bright".It happened in my system during burning-in period.More than 150 hours.I explained it in my previous posts.

I don't suggest that's what happened to the other guy, but it is possible.

P.S.
I also thought gold will get big soon, when Nordost, Cardas etc. get into it.But i don't anymore.
I don't expect gold to get big in the audio industry, as it not as cost-effective as other cables.Gold = too expensive = highest prices = small quantity sales.
Not that there's anything wrong with gold, GG Rev are the best ICs i've ever heard.But after 300 hours.

Priz,

Just a quick question. When you auditioned the Audio Metallurgy GA-0's, did they have the upgraded Next-Gen RCA's or the standard RCA's?