Gabriel Gold IC's are they really this good?


Hi-
Any one else out there using these Gabriel Gold IC's?
I need to know if it is me or if anyone else finds them as good as me.
I bought a pair on auction a while back and compared them to my Stealth cables.
After about a week of going back and forth I found the Gabriel Golds to have bettered my Stealths and bought more.
Is it me?
Just wondering what some other folks who bought them think of them.
Thanks for the input.
bobf
My point was, how do you know it was the AM cables acting bright, or instead, that they were revealing some aspect of your system that is bright?

This part of the thread discussion has come about from questioning how one OBJECTIVELY evaluates a cable. If we were talking SUBJECTIVELY, i.e., how a cable interacts with one's own system, then I'd have nothing to say. But an objective evaluation of Gabriel's or AM cables isn't so straightforward as putting cables in a system and seeing how things sound.

For example, in my case, I chose every single component of my system for neutrality or warmth, and my interconnects were the last things I chose. I know my DAC, my speakers, my CD player, my amps, and my speaker cables are all neutral or warm . . . and that makes the effects of my ICs quite noticible.

A system whose DAC converts the signal bright, for instance, may not be obvious if someone has ICs that mask that. So if they try a cable that is actually neurtral (and therefore revealing), compared to a less revealing cable they may think the revealing cable is "bright."

As I said earlier, I don't think there is anything wrong with chosing a cable that helps one's system. The issue (for me at least) is all the opinions floating around about some cable that are based solely on how it sounds in one's system. Few people have the same systems, so it isn't all that valuable to hear a cable is bright because "they are bright in my system."

I say, the GA-0s are revealing. Can your system handle it?? :)
Les,

I opted for the upgraded NextGen connectors so I can't speak to GA-0's otherwise, but the GA-0's with NextGens are very revealing with incredible tonality and without a hint of brightness in my system.
Getting back to the Gabriel Gold thread-
Just got a Revelation II AC and a Rapture AC into the system.Was using the original Revelation AC and didn't think my system could extract anymore music out of it.
I was wrong!Still not sure how changing an AC Cord can make a system image better and bring you closer to the sound of listening to instruments and voices and not electronics.The Running Springs Haley certainly does not hold anything back from the dedicated line coming in.Anyway
just wanted to pass on more info to my fellow Gabriel Gold friends out there.I think there are some more special things coming from GG soon.From looking at the ad it looks like the Extreme is going to replaced by a cable called the Eden and there a lot of members using the Extreme who say it was the best cable they ever used.Hopefully the Revelation will not go anywhere and if it does I got hear what replaces it ,as it will be a tough task.
happy tunes
Bob
Here we are. What a lot of passionate whorls of information. Thanks a gabillion! I may be a Marx Brother when i say 'Hooray for Captain Spalding, Horray Horray Hooray!'

I had an all too brief time listening to the Rapture PC's in my system before sparks were litterally flying. My fault. Forgot to turn off my amp while exchanging cords. That was the point though....exchanging cords.... Too bad it fried my amps toroid. But in the end I have a modded preamp, amp, and power condiitioner! So, audiophile life is good. But, I've been away and the thread is thriving!

The Rapture PC unseated many cords for my Plinius P8. Audience, Airsine, BMI's (although the hammerhead is the hands down best for my cary 306/200 and tied for the modded aes ae3 djh sig), ESP Essence, Virtual Dynamics, Stealth Cloude 99 and Dream, etc. It's a long list, but it's a long hobby.

The Rapture's sound aptly follows it name; fully rendered stage and detail, effortless nuance, soft authoratative control, perfect pace, wide extension (my wife says a perfect kick drum and bass), and a kind of release of tremendous energy that you can catch without burning your hand like Ben Franklin did on his key. That said, the Revelation II has a little more energy, and, well, it's a bit more dough, but I miss it....and I wish my wallet had absolutely no sway over my decisions, but...They are both great cords. I like the Rev II in my system a bit better than the Rapture, but the Rapture on source components.

Anyway, your ears are your judge, but I'd give these cords a listen..... if you're listening. It's hard to find the time, but the time is hard to give up aid't it!

Enjoy the tunes!

BUD
OOOPS! I meant I liked the Rev II a bit better on my AMP and the Rapture on my source components. But, the Rapture is still fantastic on my amp as well....sorry for the poor editing.
budburma-I'm using the Revelation II AC cord on the amp and the Rapture on the CD player.I've not had quite the experience with other cords as you,but,I could not ,and still can't believe what these AC cords can do.I have had about
50 different interconnects and speaker wire in systems over the years and have been using the Gabriel Gold stuff for a few years now and love it.I noticed from previous postings that you also are a fan. Check out the new ad, I have a feeling that there may be some new cables coming soon? Eden interconnects coming and who knows maybe some Rapture interconnects and speaker wire - those should be mighty impressive and hopefully not too costly.
Thanks for adding your postings and humour to this great thread.
bob
Yep, bobf, eden's look like their coming up, eh? pant pant woof. i have a strange aural pavlovian response to new iterations of the gabriel stuff....and drooling from my ears is unbecoming, but done in the privacy of my own home. steve was kind enough to let me demo the rev II pc a while back and i have been wiping my cheeks continuously since that time.

i have finally been doing some goofy grinned listening to my system since my amp got back late yesterday. yummy, the rapture is pretty damn delicious on it. it's sound is really captivating....i can't stand to keep typing while the tunes are playing.....later!
after hearing all the good things about the G.Gs I can not find a website for their products. I am looking for a nice P.C for my McIntosh amp and this might be the ticket as the McIntosh needs speed.
Jimman,
I'm not sure they have a website although I certainly could be wrong. Most sales are handled through Audiogon from user name: sts. I think you'll find some information there and of course you can e-mail Steve for more info.
Fiddler. Sorry IÂ’ve been away from this post for some time. My GA-0Â’s had the upgraded top of the line Nex Gen RCAs that AM offered. I believed they almost doubled the cost of the cable when I won the auction.

Jim
So, I thought I would post my impressions of the Rapture I/C's, but Steve beat me to it and posted them on his new ad. Pretty much all the comments on his ad are mine and they pretty much sum it up. They are the best cables I have heard. I have not heard the indra or high end transparent, but I have heard stealth metacarbon and GS50/50, high end gen3 siltech, analysis plus golden oval, etc. (a more extensive list of my cable exposure is posted earlier in this thread). And, the rapture is really, really good....heads and shoulders better than anything I have heard. Dead neutral. Super revealing yet silk on bare skin. Goosebump stuff. See my comments on the ad....

As a matter of course; I am not associated with marketing Gabriel Gold cables beyond being a bigbigbig fan....I have never even met Steve, but we have exchanged a lot of emails...I am not a shill for him, but do consider him a friend.

I also use the rapture pc's on my pre and amp. I'll try to post more thorough comments about them later. And, I am, for the first time in a decade, really feeling finished with cabling.....except, i am upgrading my sound app xe-12 to a reference level and will try the stealth m-5000, elrod eps3s, and dream state lucid on it....then finito, bandito.....again....

My system is posted and up to date here on audiogon if you care...

Enjoy the tunes!
Budburma
budburma-read your comments and couldn't agree with you more, only wish I could have said it.
bobf
How would you Rapture owners characterize the difference between them and the Revelations? If there is a sonic difference is it a significant difference and is it worth the additional cost? I know this is all subjective but I'd like to hear your opinions. I'm currently using the Revelation balanced ICs and bi-wire speaker cables.
Bobf- I'm kinda sorta thinkin' you sorta kinda just did!

And, while I'm at the thinkin' thing, I thought would reprint and edit my yammering a bit, so my thoughts on the Rapture I/C's would be more easily accessed right here on this thread. No need to use that channel changer, surf about...front row, ba-baby.

The soundstage is mesmerizing; it has released the grandeur of my bmi pc's whose stage is up to this point unbeatable in my experience. The black silence between well defined placement of 3d images is bible black and starless....with the deep stage set behind my speakers and extending well beyond my speakers side to side. Great fun.

Exciting, transporting, and relaxing, it actually feels like an environment is created rather than a room recreated. No grain, flawless pace and wide extension with shimmering highs and deep natural taut bass. The midrange is natural and inviting, liquid and rich without being syrupy. Singer's breaths are promises whispered in your ear.

The micro dynamics and revealing of inner detail is astonishing. And, with the detail revealed so astutely and naturally combined with the head bobbing and toe-tapping macrodynamics, they seem to make bare the composer's intent.
Since you mentioned jazz, I use Coltrane's Ballads as one of my test cd's....you can hear the spittle on the reed...and there is a tremolo at the very end of each note on the first cut i have never heard before. Breathtaking. The piano is across half the stage and the whisper and control of the brushes gets my goofy grin cemented in place.

The attack/decay and sustain is perfect on emphasis and without exaggeration. Really, I was perfectly satisfied with the Extremes and Revelations, but now they're a bit spoiled for me as the rapture is upon us! Make me a mormon and save my ancestors, they are without compare in my experience.

They are the BEST, period. I have no idea how to put a price on them....they're priceless.

Thththththat's All Folks!

Enjoy the tunes!
Art,

I'm glad that you have found audio nirvana....it is a wonderful place to be. I knew right off the bat that those were your comments on Steve's latest Rapture ad, they must be some great i/c's. It would be fun to compare them head on with JD's Hybrid i/c's, but I would bet that they would sound very close. I do respect your opinions, especially because I know that you are using fabulous speaker cables. ;^)

I myself am very happy now with all of my cables and power cords........ahhh contentment....it's a wonderful place to be.

Cheers,
John
Hey John!
It is a comfy zone. I think we are on the same slow and majestic train....pulling out of the same station to never return. WooooooooooooWhew.
Best,
Art
Jazzmeup is fraud. DON'T buy items from him he is a cheater!!! He sold me a broken cd player. 2100$ is gone!!!!!! This man is a total f..k up. If you send a money he does not answer. I left a negative feedback but the system is useless. It just does not guarantee you any defense for fraud. I am not just anonymous poster I stand up for every word I say. If you have more questions please e-mail me.
Uh, Pluto. Sorry about your loss, but what does this have to do with this thread?
It would appear that Plutos is jumping into any thread that Jazzmeup has replied to. Sorry for your loss Plutos, may I suggest that next time you use a credit card through Paypal. If I am buying a big ticket item, and can't pick it up in person, or know the seller well, I use a credit card. It has saved me twice on AudiogoN. Paypal and AudiogoN can't really help you, but your bank will.

Best wishes,
John
Sherod and Jmcgrogan2 thanks about Your sympathy. But I think that You know about this fee-dbac-k sys-tem.
I used paypal but I live in another continent and in my country I can`t accept paypal refundment. The claiming process needs to prove and it is not so easy and cost-effective. I have made a lot of deals here and in E-bay but I have not seen a person like this. Sherod, I just want to warn others who is dealing with JAZZMEUP.
Hey Bob
Way to blow that whistle and call that foul.
The Raptures do what Mr Budburma says and then some.
I know you Revelation owners might be thinking "How could this be"
It is so and it is an astounding accomplishment on the designers part.
Steve sent out some balanced Raptures to try on Friday so I will soon know what you guys are talking about. If they are as good as you say, they might not be going back!
Sorry, I know this is off the topic, but I have to clarify this: The Marantz SA1 Player was sold to Plutos Feb 2007 in perfect working condition. After the player was shipped, I have never received any emails from him. If there was anything wrong with the unit, he should have contacted me or filed a complaint with Agon right the way. Why he had to wait for more than half a year to respond and leave me a negative feedback? Obviously something must have happened to this player during his possession. My unblemished Agon record can prove that I always stand behind every sold item 100%. I filed a complaint with Agon immediately. After their investigations, Agon removed the abused feedback from my account and vindicated me. Thank you Brian.
Rja,
I am truly looking forward to your feedback. I have just bought two Gabriel Gold Revelation unbalanced interconnect. If it is as good as u guys say, maybe i will think about saving now for the upgrade....provided Steve is kind to allow the existing upgrade in the future.

Most interested to know whether the improvement justifies the price difference

Regards
Lim
I found the Jade Hybrid and the Antipodes Gold better than the Gabriel Revelation in my very revealing system, more resolution and richer textures - best was the Antipodes, all the richness of gold but lightning fast. YMMV of course and they were teamed with Antipodes SC so it may not have been a fair comparison. I am still waiting to hear some of the KCI interconnects before I decide which to buy. Are there any other pure gold interconnects worth a listen?
Jazzmeup, I emailed you many times immediately when I received it and offered several solutions. There were no answers from you. You also didn`t list that the unit was modified. So please do not lie.
Plutos, I bought it from original owner. This is a stock unit and has never been modified. Do you know what you were talking about? First you said it was a faulty unit, now you said it was modified. Again, I have never received any emails from you after the transaction. I even emailed you few weeks ago about your feedback and got no responses neither. Please email me direct.
I found quite the opposite.I had a chance to listen to the Jade Hybrid and the KCI and prefer the Gabriel Gold interconnects.Although the Jade and the KCI are great sounding cables they have their own distinct colorations.
Granted some systems need cables that color or tone things in one way or another.I myself believe a cable should maintain the sonic purity of the signal with minimal degradation.And we all know that the degradation of the signal is what creates the coloration.I have only tried the Revelation and Extreme and prefer the Revelation.If what they say about Rapture interconnects
is accurate it will make all comparisons a non-issue .
Jazzmeup and plutos please communicate directly with each other or contact audiogon and start a dispute process where all members can view and comment on your transaction.
This thread has been very positive for all parties that have posted here and has no bearing on your situation and should not be tainted with your battle.
I say please refrain from further comments here.
Just my opinion.
I think all of us are on this thread because we have found that we like the 'sound' of gold and gold alloys better than copper or silver cables. I cannot say that I have tried them all, I've never even heard of the KCI or Antipodes, there are just too many choices out there to hear them all. I have heard Jade Audio, Gabriel Gold and Audio Metallurgy cables, and IMS, IMHO I prefer the Jade. At this level though I'm sure system synergy and personal tastes have much to do with it.
I do agree with Hiernote that the Jade's are not as transparent as the Gabriel Gold's, but IMS they more than make up for that with increased dimensionality. The larger soundstage is layed out better front to back. I also will say that what Hiernote may call 'colorations', another, such as myself may refer to as timbral shadings. Yes, brass does sound more like brass to me with the Jade's. So while I would agree that the Gabriel Gold's sound is clearer and more transparent, I prefer the richer timbral 'colorations' combined with the larger and better defined soundstage of the Jade.

Again, they are all good cables, and will fit better or worse in certain systems depending on tastes and equipment. I could easily see how some who own warmer equipment or have tastes that lean towards transparency over warmth could prefer the Gabriel Gold's. And no, I have not heard the Rapture either, only the Revelation and Extreme.
But my point is, whether Gabriel Gold, Jade Audio, Audio Metallurgy, KCI, Antipodes, or whatever, everyone here seems to agree that we do like the 'flavor' that gold, gold plating, and/or gold alloys bring to the table more than silver, copper, etc. So we have more in common than it may appear to some. There is no one right answer for all systems and/or all listeners, only what is best for each of us.

As my friend Art (Budburma) would say....enjoy the tunes!

Cheers,
John
solid points made by jmcgrogan.
I should have mentioned in my thread that although the Gabriels are my preference both sonically and asthetically,all the cables mentioned by jmcgrogan outperformed the multi-dollar Siltech,Nordost,Transparent,etc at more realistic pricing designed by people with passion and knowledge.

BTW-I recently sold a pair of Gabriel Revelations that I bought used and am putting my pennies together towards a pair of Raptures.

Will report back at appropriate time.
Audioforever,
Received Raptures today and they are in my system. I don't know if they are brand new or not so will let them burn-in a while. I'll try to post my impressions in a day or two. Real nice of Steve to let me check them out.
BTW: I've owned the original Gabriel Gold and currently using the GG Revelation XLR ICs. Also using bi-wire GG Revelation speaker cables.
Audioforever,
Just received an e-mail from Steve. He says break-in time on the Raptures is 250-300 hours.
This may sound a bit weird but I had eye surgery last Thursday. I think they are very, very dark blue or black. They look better than the Revelations to me.
Hi rja you can still see okay! the Raptures are a Navy blue with Black internal markings.Sort of like blue/black snake skin in appearance.
They sound great fresh,but wait till they get some hours on them and you'll really be groovin'
bobf
Well they've been playing for a couple of days now. So far they are sounding quite fine. I was afraid this would happen, now I've got to figure a way to scrape together the scratch so I don't have to send these back!
I have to agree with Hiernote and John Mcgrogan in that gold is great, especially in an amalagam. Too bad the price of it is soaring! I think that the Raptures' addition of platinum (not too cheap either) to the gold/silver/copper amalgam adds some dimensionality to the stage and separation to the instruments that is very striking. And , the effortless detail is flabbergasting. I found the same to be true with the platinum containing BMI power cables.

I am very much looking forward to hearing from rja about his experience with balanced Raptures. I am using two Rapture pc's (pre and amp) and two Rapture ic's (cdp-->pre-->amp) and am still blown away everyday with every recording i have listened to since i've had them. such extreme detail without any glare at all and the natural timbre and accurate, but soulful presentation is as exciting and heart stopping as it is sexy and alluring.

my system is a sultry shedevil minx! maybe a little strong on the athropomorphising, but as much as i love my wife and 5 year old el boyo fantastico, i find myself hoping they're not home so i get some quiet listening time in. so, now it's almost sinful how much pleasure i get from my stereo AND my family. how good can life get!

over and out (for now).

lest i repeat ad infinitum: enjoy the tunes!
Sexy and alluring??!! Art......your system is a sultry shedevil minx???!!!

Hmmmmmm......maybe I am missing something.....I mean I love the way my system sounds now, but it doesn't get me sexually aroused, so maybe I am missing out on something here.

Cheers,
John 8-)
ok, so that was a little over the top. i was trying to think of what, if anything, might make me wish my family was not home for a few hours and that's where my mind went. off the cuff and right out of hand. made me laugh though. on the other hand, there made be an entrepeneurial opportunity for audio accessories.....naaaaah, that's getting too sordid.

hey john, you think you might want to exchange ic's and compare hybrids to raptures? i may be heading down your way in a couple of weeks....shoot me an email if that sounds good.

best,
art
You know, I also have a pair of the new Edens and they are a hard to beat bargain at their price. They share the emotional involvement of listening to music through the Extremes, but have less midrange bloom. They don't carry the detail of the Raptures (what cable does?!), but they are delicate and tonally accurate. Their sound is very close to neutral if a tiny bit warm....which i like... with great extension and bass control, no glare in the highs and a toe-tapping evolved and involving midrange. And, they offer a nice sized soundstage with excellent instrument imaging/placement and good air.

They have that gabriel thang of perfect pacing, great dynamics and are a very impressive entry level cable for steve's line. if i had never heard the raptures, i would have replaced my extremes with these in a skinny new york minute...actually, i did just that! they go from pre to headphone amp and will to the phono amp as well....unless i can get up the scratch for some more raptures....reachin' for my wallet already...
I don't feel equipped to describe sound (mostly from lack of experience) but short of clapping two stones together and just declaring "me like!!!", I'll try. The impression I get listening to the Raptures is "solidity with finesse" meaning there is very solid and impactful bass foundation married to delicate defined treble information. Because I am very sensitive to a bright, harsh, edgy, irritating high end I will reject any cable or component that exhibits it. A system that possesses this quality, as mine does to a slight degree, demands an IC that does not accentuate it. However, this quality seems to be more software dependent in my system and while many excellent CDs are problem free in this regard, many more are IMO problematic. It would be great if a cable would attenuate this quality but then I suspect it would not be accurate in the treble.

I'm always hesitant to declare anything the "best" but I do believe the Rapture is the "best" IC I have had in my system. I don't feel that the Rapture is a "huge" improvement over the Revelation but I believe it possesses significant sonic benefits. Whether the benefits are worth the price difference between the Revelation and Rapture will vary with each system and owners priorities but for me, I believe the Raptures are priced fairly for the high level of performance they are capable of delivering, especially considering the prices of cables that would compete at this level. I would encourage anyone who is considering ICs in this price range or even significantly higher, to audition the GG Rapture. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

My most recent ICs were the Gabriel Gold, the GG Revelation and the Virtual Dynamics Revelation v.1, all balanced. Before those listed I used several highly regarded balanced silver cables which led me to the conclusion that I do not care for the sonic "signature" of silver.

Because I alternate between two CDPs that connect direct to my amp (EAR ACUTE and Wadia 270SE & 27i) I use only one set of ICs. The Wadias are connected with a VD Revelation Signature balanced digital cable and Aural Symphonics Optimism v.2 AT&T.
My speaker cables are bi-wire GG Revelations which replaced VD Revelation v.1 b-w which is a fine cable but extremely stiff and heavy. I was initially concerned about the gauge of the GG Revelation speaker cables being adequate but that concern has proven to be meaningless. All my PCs are VD Master v.3.
rja-
i have the exact same sensitivities and system issues and run screaming from silveras anathema in my system, and, i think your analysis is apt for the rapture with the exception that, for me (of course), the differences between the rapture and the revelation are pretty out there in the open in my system particularly regarding soundstage, air and, mostly, that ineffable thing of involvement...and, you're right, it's hard to describe, so i am going to sit and listen and think and nap and do it all over again until it becomes clear and i'll get back to you with my thoughts......i can say that i intellectually appreciated the revelation, but my heart never sang out with or for them while my heart is an open chakra for musical experience with the rapture.....
Budburma *** I take it you have a mix of Rapture and Eden interconnects.I saw in previous threads that you were a big fan of the Extremes.

Did you replace your Extreme with the Eden?

I have not heard much on this thread about the Eden.

I'm guessing if the designer replaced the Extreme with the Eden that it's got to be better or at least pretty different.

Your view on this is appreciated and sure to be engaging
I just participated in my first Audiogon auction and won!!!! a pair of Eden.I do not have the vast experience as some of the members on this thread as I have been using Harmonic Technology Magic and ProSilway for years.Before the Harmonic Tech stuff I was using midline Audioquest for nearly a decade just buying the latest stuff my Audioquest dealer was suggesting.When the Edens arrived they were enclosed in a nice Black case with a bed of foam on the top and bottom protecting them.This was a very good first impression and far from the plastic wrapping my other cables have come in.The looks of the Eden were also very nice and made my HT's look bland.I placed the Eden
interconnects between my Plinius SA 100mk 3 and my Joule preamp.I should not be too quick to judge but I immediately felt that the recordings sounded more organic and a lot less electronic sounding if that makes sense.Piano,horns and acoustic guitars seemed lifelike and easy to listen to and I still had all the detail.I have the system on repeat eating up my tube time on the Joule and if the sound improves I'll even be more pleased .I m very happy with my first Audiogon purchase
Well Budburma, I don't think the Raptures and Revelations exhibited the differences in my system that they did in yours. To me they were different but not dramatically so. This is probably due to differences in our systems. Frankly, I could live with either one with no problem.
rja care to elaborate on the differences that you heard between the two cables in your set-up.I found the Raptures to have a bit more more detail with greater depth and staging.I also thought that the music took on much greater realism.I didn't think this possible after owning the Revelation,but it is so.They are definately in the same family which is great so they didn't lose any of the characteristics I love.I would compare the two in car terms as the Revelations being a BMW 328 and the Raptures being a BMW M3.You got a lot more under the hood and the suspension to do something with it.
I like you also use the Revelation speaker too so I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
bob
Hey Rja-

Good for you and your wallet! For me the differences were not subtle...and mostly in the vein that Bobf mentions.... but that what makes a horse race.

As a matter of fact, I preferred a mixture of the Extreme and the Revelation to all Revelations. In a nutshell, I love the delicacy and detail of the Rev's, but missed the soul of the Extremes. It was like the difference between listening with your heart versus your mind. I also think the sounstage is bigger with the Extremes and that's something I really enjoy. The Raptures brought it all home in spades (like the familiarity of the musty smell of your granddad's sweater in the fall...comfy and rich with closed-eyed memory and emotion...but I digress) along with the sonic improvements I mention above.

Same family, as Bobf says, but a different animal...and evolutionary leap...a genetic shift instead of the normal drift...don't get me started on intelligent design; after all, i am inertia man!....but i digress (again!).

Bobf-

I have the Raptures in my main chain and a pair of Edens to my headphone amp and a pair of Extremes to my Squezebox. I would love to have all Raptures, but just can't swing it right now. I do prefer the Edens a bit over the Extremes as they offer the same soulful and natural presentation without the bloom....All the attributes are still there; detail, extension, control, pace, clarity and spatial presentation, but with enough less bloom that it seems to be a quieter background. Definitely a killer bargain and great cable. If you like a bit of midrange bloom or your system veers to the clinical, the Extreme may be your best choice.

No telling really, as rja's experience reveals. Listen and learn and let your your ears be your guide. (might just save you some money!) some ears, like spock's, really point the way (might just save you some time!) and other's just keep hungering....especially as they fall into the aging category....wearing slippers and a bathrobe....and an old sweater....

BMW 3 series? Zippy! Maybe the 5 series?....no m's in the 7 series, although i saw an m6 on the highway that had me drooling on my tie. Audio is definitely a less expensive hobby; at least that's what I keep telling my wife!

Gotta run, enjoy the tunes!
Bobf & Budburma,
I think the Raptures are exceptional ICs. Hopefully I didn't imply that they were anything but. However, the differences they exhibited in my system just didn't seem to be as dramatic as you two experienced. In my system the differences were more subtle.
The Revelation ICs have been in my system for about a year while the Raptures (which I think were brand new) were in for 2 weeks. Could there be a break-in issue? Steve did say 250-300 hours so I was just on the edge of that.
I've never been a sound-staging fanatic. The accuracy of the voices and instruments has always interested me more. And the never ending quest to attenuate or eliminate that nasty digital edge that too many CDs possess.