Gabriel Gold IC's are they really this good?

Wow, John......what a heck of a report. Much value here. Thanks.

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.

Cheers,
John

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

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.

Cheers,
John

TVAD,

Try some Rapture cables and forget about the other upgrade/new version cables by GG.

If you want I may send you a pair to try out.

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

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.

I A/B'd the Extreme 2's against the Revelation 1's in my system - I think after doing so that I might like the Extreme's a smidgen more - to my ears the MK 2s seemed little more detailed with maybe slighly more separation - enjoy both though

facten you are correct some cable companies who have been around as long as 20 years are still coming out with different cables every year.I bought my first GG Extreme almost 3 years ago and the MK 2 is just coming out now.IMHO I'd say a little time and thought went into this new cable before it was released.Rushing NEW products to the marketplace on a yearly basis regardles of the quality is ACCEPTED in every other market even the music industry.When artist bang out albums year after year it is usually for the cash/contract agreement and their music most often suffers.When an artist comes out with something every 2,3 or 4 years there tends to be much more substance to their music and lyrics.At least that's how I remember music being and hope it will get there again.Hoping for a 2nd generation of Di meola's,Miles and Coltrane to arrive but still enjoying the "merry go round" they have me on.
Bobf

Guess I'd wonder what cable company doesn't produce various categories of ICs and invent new ones or improve upon older ones over time that you seem to be singling out GG for this. Yours to choose to try or not, suggest they'd be worth doing so.

My post was only meant to point out the fact that I think these cables are evolving in materials and design. No value judgment was intended, only that comparisons might be best weighted; i.e. an early Rapture may not be the same as a current one for instance.

Frankly, I have not heard a Gabriel cable that I would term "bad" or "mediocre". I fully intend to purchase a pair of balanced Raptures in the future if possible.

evolution of products and advancements in design technolgy are a positive thing in any industry.
the "merry go round" of cables IMO is usually due to the incorrect selection of electronics and the consumers need to mask,color,address flaws in the room,etc or just simply
desire change for the sake of change.
All the GG cables I have/had older or newer sound fantastic.Fantastic is fantastic!
If better becomes available I for one am interested in hearing it.

Yub12know, I do have a one of the last cables from the original version of the Rev in another system I have. Since I just received the Extreme MK2 I haven't pulled the Rev yet to a/b, but will comment after I do.

One problem in comparing these is that we should know the approximate date they were made. For instance, I'm not sure the earlier Raptures are or sound exactly the same as more current Raptures. Hate to throw cold water on this discussion but this was alluded to in a conversation with Steve.
My assumption (emphasize "assumption") is that an early Rapture may be closer to a recent Rev mk2 because the Rapture has changed over time.
If I'm incorrect in this assumption perhaps Steve could step in to illuminate us. If I'm correct then comparisons must be qualified.
I do agree that the Gabriels are outstanding cables at their respective price points although I must admit that I've not heard them all.
Disclosure: I've owned original Extreme and currently using Rev mk1 xlr and 2 runs of Rev mk1 speaker cables. I have used early Raptures in my system for several weeks.

facten =any experience with any other GG cables?.
I heard from another member that the new Extreme mk 2 is on par with the original Revelation and maybe better in some ways.
I had the original Rev myself and now have the rev mk2.
In my system the Rev mk 2 has better bass,depth and imaging than the original Rev.A very BIG improvement.
member (glory) claims the Rapture smokes the Rev mk 2. if that is indeed true I can't imagine there being a finer cable available than the rapture
One thing for sure it's cool that Steve at GG is somehow building even better cables than before while keeping prices the same or in the case of the Extreme mk 2 even lower.
I'll have to check these new extremes out

If you are looking for an excellent IC at a very reasonable price you need to check out Steve's new Extreme MK2 - clean, clear, well balanced, and natural sounding.

In my system the Rapture smoked the Rev. MK2.

Buy them as fast as you can.

member budburma's post may contain the answer to your qusstion and far better than I can express in words

views from Gabriel Gold Rapture owners wanted!
I've had the Revelation and they were a great sounding cable. I now have Revelation mk 2s which are a very nice improvement over the original especially when it comes to soundstage and depth.Thinking about upgrading to the Raptures???. Just seen them used on the GON for the first time.Opinions between the mk2 and Rapture are welcomed

Yes, I have all Rapture I/C's in my system and have no intention of ever changing. There are no more superlatives left in my lexicon to express how fantastic I think these I/C's are in every way. They have been in my system with both tube and ss gear and their performance has never waivered from the best I have heard. Period-o. End of story. Never looked back. Sold American. Buy 'em!

I have tried all the Stealth line of I/C's except the Indra. While they all had their individual virtues, in the end they didn't deliver the entire sonic and emotional package. Their virtues were many, but I eventually I had to move on.

The Hybrid MLT's are a different story. They are amazing speaker cables and a bargain at what you can get them for at used prices here on A-gon. BUT, the Raptures have me captured; and a happy prisoner I am! I am saving my pennies and measuring the length I need and making way for a trial of those bad boys. I think Steve's products are unmatched and far and away the best.

It's unusual for one designer to be able to make IC's. PC's and SC's that all sit on the same excelsior pedestal breathing such a rarified sonic atmosphere. I use a combination of BMI Hammerhead Gold and Rapture PC's. Both are amazing with the Rapture being a little more forward in my system. It has brought the most out of my Plinius P8 than any other cord (and I have tried close to 2 dozen). Detail, pace, balance, staging and emotional impact are all imbued with the same nuanced palate that makes Gabriel goodies the most delicious gourmet aural experience I have had the pleasure of having. Glorious Gluttony!

It may well be that when I can afford the SC's that all will fall into sync and the full Rapture will be upon me! Can't wait!

After listening for about a month to the GG Rev (I not II) IC I wanted to agree with previous posts that this cable is terrific. It does all the 'hi fi' things right like a huge and open soundstage, excellent extension at both extremes, beautiful tone and superb detail. The music comes flying out of the speakers now, my old wire the music was trapped in the boxes. But the most important thing to me is that it serves the music, I am not thinking 'stereo' thoughts but musical ones when I listen these days and that is the bottom line.

Thanks everyone for your testimonials and I, in turn, hope to help others find peace of mind the Gabriel way.

Budburma,I used both the Stealth MLT Jr and the MLT Hybrid
loudspeaker cable and enjoyed them a great deal.
I also was using 2 Stealth Indra interconnects.
IMHO the Martin Logan Prodigy's really let you hear what's going on.The Indras I HAD were used with the Levinson Ref. 32 and Levinson amp.
The Stealth cables were the best I had ever auditioned and it took some prodding by another member to get me to try some of the original Gabriel Gold Extremes.
In my system the sound of the Extreme interconnects slightly outperformed the Indra.With the cost of the GG's is was a no brainer to go with them.
It was a different case with the speaker wire as it took some time to really decide to part with the Stealth MLT cables,however,the GG's just had better extension,air and timbre.
As I've mentioned in other postings I have moved thru the Gabriel Gold line-up with each new offering.

I am presently using the Rapture interconnect as I believe you are,along with the Rapture speaker wire(bi-wire)and the Rapture PC cords.

Is this stuff "crazy good"?
I'd say whacky,stupid,lunatic like,incredible,lifelike and more.

What do you think about the PC Cords?

Bobf

It won't hurt to keep them in the same direction, but most directional cables are directional because of their extrusion during manufacture or the single crystal metals they use. I guess you could argure that the metal would align on a molecualr level according to electrical flow. Makes ome intuitive sense anyway.

Bobf-How about those speaker cables? Crazy good? how long of a run do you have? I am using the Stealth MLT's, how do they compare?

Thanks!

Jim, i agree, but once you put the other direction in awhile. it sound good again. hence needs time to burn in or something. i just want to add that i am a very satisfied customer of GG rev. superb cable with scary resolution. will reveal any imperfection from the source.

bob they are non directional but if they are run in one direction for an extended period I believe they essentially become directional.I use the Heatshrink labels as my direction and always run them the same way.
I found this to be true when I was also using Cardas Golden Reference.They eventually become directional.
It's not like they don't sound awesome if I were to spin them around.They most likely adapt which ever way you hook them up
Jim

they are non-directional
bobf

They don't have any markings, but I found them to be directional. Once they are broken in try changing their direction, whichever gives you a taller soundstage is the right way.

Is the Gabriel Gold Revelation directional? I don't see any "arrows" on the interconnects though.

I am getting a good result matching the GG Revelation with AQ Crystal bi-wire cable but they don't sound that great when mated with DH Labs Q10s and Cardas Quadlink 5Cs.

Look for the GG Revelation speaker wire USED to pop up on Agon.I was using the Revelation before I moved up to the Rapture speaker wire.Before the Revelation I also had good results using the Stealth MLT's.
I've got GG Revelation interconnects and speaker wire that I may post soon as I have no need for them now.
bobf

What is the best matching speaker cable for the Gold Revelation IC that sound just as good or better than the interconnect?

Thanks glory sounds like one hell of a woman-and cable

Donpark1439,

Installing three GG R's into my system has given me some added detail of the recordings on my LP'S. You can hear the soft background music of a pianio or cymbal with clarity.

I feel like I can now hear 100% of the recording without it being "oppressive".

Toneality it is as good as my AN Sogon and Kondo KSL LP but does not clump all the player together.

It's like finding a wife that can cook, make money, clean, is a 10 in looks and loves s.x.

Glory what is your take on the Gabriel Gold Raptures?
I just noticed there is a MK 2 Revelation that is based on the Rapture design at half the price
What does the Rapture sound like?
I've heard another gold based cable but it didn't do much for me.
Great things are being said regarding Gold cables from a number of members.

I have to agree with Bobf....and his assessments. I have heard all of the GG versions as well. The Raptures are sooooo good, that I just don't have the urge to keep going....But, as Oscar Wilde said "I can resist anything except temptation itself." Start with getting the Raptures cooked and save some pennies. If Steve says they are better, I would have ot take him at his word and give it a try. Gotta' love the apples!

Here's my 2 cents as I've owned every version from the original Extreme almost 3 years ago to the Revelation last year to the Rapture presently.
The Extreme was a giant killer with a nice warm and organic sound.The Revelation had more detail with just a bit smaller soundstage left to right and front to back.
But the Revelation extracted a lot more inner detail and had better harmonic and tonal stucture.I heared things with the Revelations that I never did before and that's tough to give up once heard.
The Raptures are about 30-40% better sounding than the Revelation and I know that's a huge percentage but a pretty accurate one.The Raptures are more dynamic with a huge stage with a musicians in the room type feel,big stage,warm,detailed and effortless.
If the Revelation MK 2 is 75 or 80% of the Rapture and comes in at or about the same price of the original Revelation it will be a great offering in my opinion and sure to make some noise out there.
The Revelation was or is still an awesome sounding cable.
Now if Steve comes out with something above the Rapture that's a different story as I am so locked in to my sound right now I don't need any temptation at this point.
Please don't make me take a bite out of that apple!
Bobf

I'm looking forward to auditioning the Gabriel Rev MK IIs.
Seems like everyday someone is trying to copy or compare there cables against the Gabriels.I guess imitation is the greatest form of flattery.I got a strong feeling that with a line-up of Rev.mk2 s,Rapture-that's what i use-and "more to come" will certainly widen the performance cap between the Gabriel's and others

I think the trial period will make even more people check the Gabriel's out and based on what I've heard from them.I don't think they'll be too many round trip shipments.

Steve,

Very nice offer on the 14 day trial period. Look forward to hearing more of your designs.

Luis

bravo!!!I applaud the designer that evolves and does not rest upon his previous accomplishments

I heard great things about these cables and if they are even better now with a trial period I for one will be very interested to audition them.