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.
Anyone heard Extreme ACs? I ordered 2 Extreme-II ICs and think about getting 3 ACs next if I like the sound since power cords make incredible difference in my system.
antonkk-i have not heard the new GG entry level cable,but I can say that I've read that the Extreme MK 2 interconnects are as good or a bit better than the original Revelation,so you may be quite happy once you get them.I had the original Rev and they were killer.
I also had the original Revelation AC cords a couple of years ago and they worked great in my system.
Prior to the GG's my AC Cords were a mix of some very good cords (Stealth,HT Magic,Siltech and Essence).Some of the cords worked very good in some spots and not so good in other spots.Had to play around a lot to get best results as my system changed.The GG's worked wherever I put them with almost the exact same sonic benefit.(Tone,Texture,Harmonics,vocals,etc)
If the new AC Cord is as good as the original Revelation it may work out great for you.
btw- I heard the new Revelation MK 2 interconnects and I found them to sound much better than the original version and that says a lot,but,still not like the Rapture which I use throughout my system now. bobf
Grant (Tvad), I would suggest that you take Gary (Glory) up on his offer. Gary is one of AudiogoN's best, with no doubt. He let me demo one of his GG Rapture cables....and in a word they are absolutely stunning. They are by far the best cables I have ever heard if you enjoy a more forward presentation. The GG Rapture smoke the Virtual Dynamics Revelation cables, IMHO.
I do feel that the Rapture is one of the top 10 interconnects in the world, and I have heard many, many interconnects. I do thank Gary for the opportunity to listen to the Rapture, and I do recommend that you (Grant) take Gary up on his generous offer.
jmcgrogan,cool to hear that you had the opportunity to hear and enjoy the Raptures.I wouldn't use the word forward, but instruments and vocals certainly do emerge from a dead silent blackness and then retreat only to emerge over and over. again .The Raptures certainly keep you involved like music should without ever having an edge to them. tvad,the Revelation MK 2 might be something you may wish to try if you ever decide to part with the Purist.I used Purist Audio Colossus about 8 years ago and thought they were great.I'm sure the line has developed since and can only sound better today
Bobf, I did not mean to use forward in a negative way. The Rapture's are very lively and highly engaging. In some ways, as I've described before, the even surpass my reference Jade Hybrid Gold. I did bring up the forward presentation though, because this is very important for someone to understand the poster's preferences. Yes, the Rapture's do have more depth than Steve's earlier efforts that I have heard (Extreme I and Revelation I). Also, many audiophiles prefer a more forward presentation, they enjoy sitting closer to the stage....I can certainly understand that.
I did bring it up though because Grant (Tvad) said he was currently using PAD Venustas interconnects. I have heard several PAD cables, including Colossus, Aqueous, Dominus Rev. C and 20th Anniversary, though not the Venustas. The PAD cables I have heard offer a much deeper soundstage, similar to Jade Audio cables. Now obviously this depth is not for everyone, and yes, the Rapture's offer a stage that is slightly wider and higher than the PAD/Jade stage. I would assume since Grant listens to PAD cables, that a deeper stage is his preference. Hence my mention that the Rapture is a bit more forward. Certainly not as forward as some other cables I've heard but won't mention as to not incite a cable war. IMHO the PAD cables sound closer to the Jade camp, while the Stealth cables are closer to the Rapture camp. No one cable is all things to all people on all equipment in all rooms.
Could I live happily with the Rapture? Yes, and I thank Gary (Glory) for the opportunity to hear it. As I mentioned earlier, and in other posts, it did beat my Jade Hybrid Gold in a few categories, like clarity and stage height/width. The Jade Hybrid did sound a tad more colored than the Rapture, which may or may not be what you seek. I would not say the Rapture was absolutely neutral, which again may or may not be what you seek. The Rapture does have a tad of sweetness compared to 'neutral' cables like the Nordost Valhalla or the Stealth Indra. The Jade Hybrid is even warmer yet.
In my system, with these criteria, I felt the Rapture bested my Hybrid on percussion, with it's tight, articulate, yet powerful bass. On brass, I preferred the Hybrid over the Rapture, as it gave brass more of a burnish hue that I hear with live brass. Sure, some will say this is a coloration, but IMHO it sounded more like 'live' horns. Strings, piano and other instruments were a push. The Rapture did a better job on the leading edge of the note, which is what gave it's apparent clarity. The Hybrid did a better job on the note's slow decay into oblivion, giving a better sense of space in the recording venue. Both cables are exceptional, and will have a loyal following depending on what the listener regards as his/her priorities.
Agree or disagree, I always enjoy reading Johns take on things audio. He does have a way of expressing exactly what his thoughts are and I find that refreshing.
Folks, what would be the break-in (or burn-in or whatever it's called) time fro Extreme II ICs? I received 2 pairs to run between my CD player and my pre and between my pre and power amp and right out of the box they are not so good sounding I'm afraid. What should I expect and when?
Just got my Extreme MK 2 interconnects a week ago and they sound awesome in my set-up.Let them play a while and see what happens.I agree with member facten though my Extreme MK 2 cables sound even better in my system than the original Revelations did for less money.Nothing I heard at their price sounds like them
When I get my cables they are pre-cooked.The cables usually need some play time to settle down from the cooking process.I would think that 8-24 hours should do it.That's what I heard from Audiodharma also.You could also be hearing things that you never heard before.Try putting on a good recording that you are use to.Good systems and good cables can reveal crappy recordings. good luck bobf
When I got my Extreme 2s they had been burned in and I was told by Steve to give them 8 hours or so to settle down. Thought they sound pretty good right out of the box. Anyway, Antonkk just in case - do you have them directionally hooked up correctly - the cable plug that says Extreme 2 should be hooked to the amp , again per Steve
facten- you are right on the money my Extreme mk2 cables were also cooked and they do take a little while to settle down.I had no problem just playing them overnight and waking up to a cable that was fully broken in . All of Steve's cables are cooked with a directional flow . from(gabriel gold label) > Extreme mk2 label for example.
Very well written testimony concerning the R/H cables.
I heard everything you did and I am in full agreement of your assessment of the two cables. I just wish I could write like you. I am more of a puplic speaker than a writer.
I think you and Tvad are two of the better contributors of audio info on the 'Gon.
Emigene, I don't believe Gabriel Cables has a web site. All business is done direct through Audiogon. Either purchase by auction or contact Steve direct through one of his ads here.
Folks, I'm glad to report that after a few days of burn-in (I was ill so I didn't even listen to music and just left the system playing on a minimal level) my pair of Extreme II's fulfilled all my expectations and then some. Of course I didn't expect it to blow away my XLR pair of Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II/Matrix Reference II which are great cables and it didn't but in all cases I prefered the warmer and more analogue like sound with Extreme's. The difference was in many ways like switching from CD to LP with more musical highs and mids. Even some very harsh CDs sound absolutely comfortable now. Guess now my next purchase would be 3 power cords and if they perform as well then speaker cable!
Though I could not list them in any particular order, I have heard many fine interconnects. IMHO, it is obvious that all of these interconnects, though great, will depend ultimately on the users components, room and personal tastes. So in no particular order (let's face it, they're just different folks, their is no best):
PAD 20th Anniversary Stealth Indra Gabriel Gold Rapture MIT Oracle V 1.2 Tara Labs 0.5 Jade Hybrid Gold Nordost Odin/Valhalla (somewhat similar) Siltech Forbes Lake Kubala Sosna Emotion
That's all I can recall among the big hitters, and as Gary (Glory) has pointed out, most of these cables are much more expensive than the GG Rapture or Jade Hybrid. Granted, $2K for one interconnect is not chump change, but the GG Rapture and Jade Hybrid, IMHO best these other cables for a fraction of the price.
As always, your room, speakers, ancillary equipment and tastes will have you agree or disagree with my opinion. I can only speak for my tastes, my room, my gear, and my speakers.
Gary,I never listened to the Jade Hybrid,however,i failed to mention that I did own the Siltech Forbes Lake for sometime and they would have made my top five. bobf
Well, I'm really, really impressed by Extreme II's by now! I'm thinking about getting Extreme power cords now or (if the budget allows) going straight to Rapture power cords. Did anyone compare GG power cords to the other serious contenders? I mean I have McIntosh 402 and it's 400 Watts demand really good AC!
Glory, I don't have Rapture ICs. I got myself a couple of Extreme II ICs which I sure will trade up for the Rapture one day, when the budget allows. My current dilemma is what power cords should I get and how do GG power cords generaly compare to others. We here have plenty of comparisons with other ICs but not so much discussion regarding power cords and even one makes all the difference in my system. I need THREE so that's really really important.
I haven't heard the Gabriel PC's, but if you are going to spend that kind of money, you owe it to yourself to consider the Stealth Dream pc's. Read the reviews here. They have replaced many other $$$$ pc's. They aren't cheap, but neither are the Gabriels.
I will second Fiddler's response, although I have not heard the GG Rapture power cords. I have heard many very pricey cords, from Nordost Valhalla, to Shunyata Aplha Helix to Purist 20th Anniversary, Elrod Statement, Stealth Dream, Dream State Lucid Dream, Virtual Dynamics Revelation 2.0, and many, many more. IMHO, I actually think the power cord has more to do with the sonics of the system than interconnects and speaker cables.
Anyway, the Stealth Dream is the best power cord I have ever heard and/or owned. At one point I owned 5 of them. Unfortunately due to the economy and family obligations, I have now sold all of my Dreams.... It would have been nice to compare a Rapture power cord to the Dream, but I never had the opportunity. I still own what some would call decent cords, like the Kubala Sosna Emotion, Shunyata Anaconda Vx, DCCA Reference Master, Verastarr Grand Illusion, Ridge Street Audio Poiema!!! Signature...etc. None of these can compete with the Stealth Dream however. Yes, the Dreams are not cheap.....but they are the best that I've heard.
john,i think member budburma has owned the Stealth,BMI and Gabriels maybe he'll jump in the thread.Like yourself it sounds like he's had a lot of ac cords grace his system.I used Stealth M-7 plus cords sometime back and they were pretty good but i'm sure NOTHING/NOTHING !!! like the Dreams bobf
Bobf, I know Art (Budburma) fairly well. We have even made a few deals. I believe he owned the Stealth M-5000, but not the Dream. Though I may have sent him a Dream for audition, I cannot recall. I did loan them to a couple of friends. Sadly, now all of my Dreams are gone......sniff. I believe Budburma loves his Rapture interconnects, but has still found the Stealth Hybrid MLT to be his speaker cables of choice, and the BMI Hammerhead III to be his favorite power cord.
Glory, I have to admit that the VD line is not my cup o' tea. I have not heard their interconnects, but I have heard several of the power cords and their speaker cables. They all have the similar sound. Powerful, full, good extension in both frequency extremes. Soundstage is huge in 2 dimensions, but very, very flat. IMHO, it's like sitting in the front row. I've talked with those that enjoy these cables, and they agree, though that is what they seek, a front row seat. I prefer a more laid back location, some would call it 'mid-hall'. I don't enjoy music being thrust in my face. To each their own. FWIW, Rick Schultz of VD is a great guy though. Lots of passion for this hobby.
The Stealth Dreams, IMHO were a combination of the Nordost Valhalla's speed and resolution, w/o the thinness up top, and the 3-D staging abilities and ease of the PAD 20th Anniversary Contego with better articulation, all rolled up into one cord.
Antonkk,I have the Rapture AC Cords. Members budburma and sergs also have the Rapture power cords.I've posted my findings and I believe budburma posted his.Not everyone likes to post bobf
Glory,that sounds interesting!!! A $15,000 interconnect against a $2k interconnect. If the Gabriel wins out you will probably never hear back from the guy as he'll most likely end it right there and then. If I spent $15k it would be pretty hard not to go with the Tara.When I first heard the Gabriel cable I had the Stealth Indra and I did not want to admit what I heard. Needless to say "Hello Gabriels" bobf
I think if you own $15k ICs, there has to be a predetermined level of bias that would affect the objectivity of this comparison. Here's a real case for a blind test.
Who would want to admit that their $15k ICs sound the same as a pair of $2K ICs or worse, not as good? And, even if the $15k ICs sounded marginally better how could you rationalize a $13k price difference? I don't usually make value judgements or criticize others choices but isn't $15K for a pair of ICs bordering on obscene? How good can they be?
No ones claiming the Gabriels are the absolutely "best" ICs out there but they are damn good for the money!
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