Nglazer, they do not and I think it improbable that they ever will. I can just imagine what one of the XLRs would look like with 150 plus magnets within it. I will also say that I have never heard a balanced cable that rivals the best HFCables. |
Audiolabyrinth, I now have all rhodium GTX-Dr outlets in my HFC Waveguide p c and on four of my HFC Ultimate Reference power cords. But I have not had any gold counterparts with which to compare them, with the exception of the HFC Ultimate power cord, which frankly is not in the same league as the Ultimate Reference Rhodium internally, price, or sound.
I have compared silver versus gold ics long ago and some comparison of gold plated RCA jacks with solid copper jacks and always disliked the gold. So you can see that I have done some comparisons, but having done a good deal of scientific research over my career, I don't see any of this as well founded.
In short if you do all of these comparisons, please tell us what you think. |
Audiolabyrinth, I have an original post on the H-Cat preamp that had 6,985,105 views and 1087 posts, not that it was a fun thread, but it must be a high.
I original poster here had largely the same first experiences as I did. The Cable Company had sent me two HFC ics. One was the original CT-1 and the other the CT-1Enhanced. I got them three days before I left for CES. I put the original in and just gasped at what I was hearing. I've probably had forty different ics over 45 years and never heard anything like this. The top end was just amazing. I put the Enhanced in and was less impressed. I then realized that I had been told that the originals had been well broken in. When I returned from CES it was definitely superior. |
Siddh, in my experience everything goes through breakin. Very often the HFCables are very good for an hour or hour and a half and then deteriorates for an increasingly long time that increases with the most recent and better series. So I thought my Ultimate References took over a month before they were at their best.
Also, these cables hate to be moved. When comparing interconnects, moving them out and later back in may set them back for several hours. But they are worth the delays. |
Siddh, as I have said before I have found the HFCs take increasingly longer to breakin with each new series. I find they always sound fast, but that the soundstage gets increasingly detailed and encompassing as they mature. Sometimes these improvements are big jumps often in the middle of a cut. I do think they breakin starting with the highs and ending with the bass.
I also think there is a symbiotic relationship among HFC cables where an all HFC loom sounds better than the sum of its parts.
I think what is going on with a full loom is that the entire connection from the source to the speakers is being magnetically conditioned.
Finally, I agree with Acman3, that you need more hours of breakin. I have often found that several weeks are needed, and as I said, my HFC URs really didn't settle down for over a month. I also should note that other than with my first hearing of them did I have but one HFC cable.
If you take them off of connecting one component and put them connecting another, you will probably have to wait overnight to hear them sound right.
Oh, and don't let any of the cables touch the carpet or wood floors. |
Lak, I can understand why people are impatient, but one had better be patient, especially with the HFCs. |
Audiolabyrinth, buy or find a power strip with duplex outlets that can be removed. Then mount all the outlets you want to test in it. Then do your comparison. I did this once and it is better but still a pain in the ___. |
Audiolabyrinth, well that is the most unusual measurement in audio I have ever heard of. |
Jmcgrogan2, and why should we believe you? And even if true, does that make the cables worthless and why does the manufacturer tolerate it? And finally why is this posted on a thread dealing with personal experiences with these cables? |
All the electrical connections on my HFC Waveguide power center are Furutech GTX-Drs and the IEC is also. I really don't know what percentage of improvement in this version is attributable to this versus the helix use of magnets, but the new unit is far superior.
I have a friend who hates the rhodium plating and prefers the gold and usually I agree with him, but not this time. |
Mapman, luckily nobody cares what you think and only views you as a fly in the ointment. |
Sabai, what you say is true only because the science involved is so little developed. The military and NASA could probably tell us more about cabling. |
Audiolabyrinth, he is. Why do you doubt it? |
Sabai, I know of several very good sounding speaker wires that cost $25,045. $22,000 dollars and $35,000. Two of the three have substantial shielding, much vibration control, and sophisticated metallurgy. One is a minimalist approach. This is basically an artistic approach to cabling, much like Gallup and other noted pollsters use. In contrast, academic survey researchers use careful random samples where we can be pretty confident that the sample is close to what the population is. High Fidelity, by contrast, is more scientific in maximizing the influence of magnets.
I seriously doubt that a DIY guy can challenge these efforts. Most of the manufacturers have evolved from DIYers. I have been through perhaps as many as fifty different cables, including some that I made myself out of speaker wires made into power cords and welding cables that I made into speaker wires that looked and sounded the same as a Minnesota manufacturer's early speaker wires.
Maybe mankind cannot make the "perfect" interconnect, power cord, or speaker wire, and maybe we never will be able to do so, but trial and error are what we now must rely on. |
Swampwalker, there is no question that top-of-the-line audio components have grown quite expensive, but it is also true that many of these sound outstanding but their sound is different.
I have three very expensive sets of cables right now. One is exceptionally very fast with leading edge on brass, percussion, drums, etc. that makes dynamic drivers sound like horns with compression drivers. One is very detailed and has great detail at all frequencies. And one presents a very satisfying soundstage before you and is very musical sounding. All optimize different technologies.
The DIYer cannot match any of them.
Thanks for alerting us that edge of the art is expensive and that one can DIY can be done, cheaper gear can be bought, and that we can lower our goals. One can do this for food, wine, cars, and televisions also. |
Sabai, Of course, I have made interconnects, power cords, and speaker wire. I have rewired preamps with litz wire. I have made dynamic driver as well as horn speaker systems. I know that I have had a hard time finding quality wire and regretting that solder is such sound ruining crap. I have made kit amps and modified much audio gear.
Mapman, I know that DD has no investment in HFC and that he is a rapid audiophile keenly interested in modifing gear and dampening resonances.
Finally, I take offense with those who are self-appointed members of the scam police. I know what I like and I am somewhat restricted in what I can afford and at one time thought I was in trouble when I bought the Infinity ServoStatics, two ARC Dual 75s, and the ARC SP-3 preamp. I survived and enjoyed them for five years. |
Mapman, why does it matter to you if someone has paid full price? Most cars have a price listed on the invoice but few pay that price. Does it make their opinion on the car worthless?
Perhaps you are resentful because you cannot get a discount?
I don't value most people's opinions regardless of whether they pay full-hit or not. |
Ddraudt, actually I didn't notice much breakin. It was better the first day. It is pretty obvious. Actually, I think I emailed you the first day. |
Jmcgrogan2, you say, "You are correct Sabai, he does have an agenda, a hidden, financially motivated agenda." If he is he has only modified gear to sell and must be in disfavor as he got his Waveguide power center long after I got mine. I do think he is friends with Rick. Anyone who touts a product could be a dealer, but Audiogon doesn't care.
Obviously, few who read this thread care much about what you or Sabai post, especially Sabai. I doubt if his cables can beat those from Radio Shack. |
Ddraudt, I think the trolls bother you too much. Were you to respect them then they might matter. |
Jmcgrogan2, you say, "You are correct Sabai, he does have an agenda, a hidden, financially motivated agenda." If he is he has only modified gear to sell and must be in disfavor as he got his Waveguide power center long after I got mine. I do think he is friends with Rick. Anyone who touts a product could be a dealer, but Audiogon doesn't care.
Obviously, few who read this thread care much about what you or Sabai post, especially Sabai. I doubt if his cables can beat those from Radio Shack. |
Sabai, why do you care? Do you have a badge to prove you are among the scam police? |
Rlawry, interesting comments, thanks.
You say you have an entry-level CT-1 phono cable, but I think the Enhanced version grew out of the development of the phono cable, so you may have the Enhanced version there. I think you can tell by whether there is a waveguide in the middle of the cables. If there is it is at least Enhanced.
Anyway enjoy your listening. |
I use a BMC MCCI phono stage and agree with Fremer that it is the best or second only to the Ypsilon phono stage. But this piece requires XLR inputs. Of course there are not HFC cables with XLRs. For this reason, I had special adapters for conversion from SE to XLRs and finally did get HFC UR phono cables that displaced my Ikeda specially wired XLR cables.
Since the HFC cables, no doubt, will further breakin, all I can say at this time is that the Ikeda cables will not go back in. I had thought that my music server playing double DSD had closed the gap, but now that is absurd. It is not even close! I have long used Sinatra at the Sands with Count Basie as a test. I always thought it was an unusually good recording. It is indeed! Now I hear the reverb in the room and the Basie band even when they are not playing.
Of course other things in my system contribute to this, but these cables on phono are revolutionary in my experience. |
Why do we even bother to read and respond to Sabai? |
Calvinj, I am off to CES next week, but then things will slow up. Come on down! I'll try to get David to come over also. |
David and Calvinj, I would be interested in coming over also. Perhaps we could make one long day out of both. Perhaps also we should go off this thread for this. David, do you have both of our emails? |
Were it not for Mapman, I would tell you guys about what an improvement HFC UR phono cable gave me. It was a little awkward getting them to work as my BMC MCCI phono stage require balanced inputs. But a friend made me RCA to XLR adapters that work great. |
Mapman, I was driving along and saw it on the side of the road. I was scared that I might be hit from behind, but everyone avoided me while I got out and threw it into the car. Perhaps it fell out of a delivery truck but I saw no packaging around it other than the green bubble wrap around one end.
It is still warming up, but already I hear the famous greater detail and ambience. Obviously, beggars cannot be choosers, but this was great fortune for me. I had long thought about trying HFC on phono and had the adapter at hand. |
I have just returned from the Consumers Electronics Show. I heard little realism there. I heard good sound reproduction with some of it not sounding as directly out of the speakers and with some presenting a big sound stage. But not one gave the realism that I heard last night listening to my system!
I cannot say that the HFC cables or my Ultimate Reference level of those cables is totally responsible for what I hear, but certainly can say that they are an essential part. I have recently removed all of them and lost the realism. I have also removed the Tripoint Troy Signature and the new Thor SE grounding cable and lost the realism. But removing all the isolation or removing all the components and substituting others was more than I was will to do.
There were no HFCables at CES, that I saw. |
Lak, I certainly agree that each of the four levels of HFC is better than the previous level, but I do vividly recall putting the original CT-1s in and being shocked by the speed and high end of these cables. They were a totally new sounding cable. |
Tobes, I am of two minds with regard to HFCables. I have little or no training in understand the influence of magnets on ac currents in wires. I have had many conversations with Rick Schultz and have seen his efforts to explain how they work, but I still really don't understand much more than the fact that magnets encourage current flow. But why does the polarity of the magnets go north pole from the wall or source for the hot and north pole for the return at the wall with ac current in the wires?
On the other hand they work! And I know the various innovations as one goes from the original CT-1s to the Ultimate References are clear improvements. I think this is a work in progress in a world where we really don't have the science we need to explain what is going on. We need to realize that we are dealing with both particle and wave behavior mixed.
Jmcgrogan2, I am unaware that anyone here is really a shill or that HFC cables are overpriced especially given the continuing investment in experimenting with maximizing magnetic conduction and failed efforts. I have compared these cables with more expensive and less expensive cables and continually found the HFCs superior, especially the Ultimate References.
What I really don't understand why anyone thinks they have value as scam police. People will spend their money on what they like. That is their right and not someone else's right to criticize them and their exchange with others with such enthusiasm. You are no one to be saying others here are disrespectful and unethical. |
Mapman, nobody ever appointed you as the ethic police. Kiss off. |
Mapman, I totally disagree with your statement, "The ultimate sound is not the only thing that matters in the world, even in these parts."
I know that David is not a dealer unless it is for heavily modified gear. |
Mapman and Jmcgrogan2, it seems quite clear that no one here other than you guys has such an "inquiring mind that wants to know." We all want to know of others experiences with HFCables.
Personally I doubt if either of you are qualified to judge ethics of others. |
Calvinj, next weekend several of us are meeting at David's home. Email me or David. |
Sammons, does this mean that Rick has said you can use any cable from the wall to the Waveguide? If so, I humbly disagree. I have tried three different cables, some of which were quite expennsive, to the HFC Waveguide and the HFC URR is quite superior. Since I have never opened the wall plug on my HFC cords, I really don't know whether the NZ plug can be easily substituted.
If not, I would think a US blades to NZ blades would be better than a total power cord. |
Ddraudt, I will bring another URR over today. |
Sammons, so you can or cannot use the HFC Waveguide power center with US outlets for ac out? Today I heard the Waveguide used with another brand of pc into it and HFC pcs out. And it worked quite well. |
Kzhtoo, I think it is very difficult as for the ics, only the cable was changed. For the speaker wires, however, the Enhanced have wave guide near the center of the cables.
I would suggest calling HFC. |
Audiolabyrinth, yes, I would love to hear Audiocrack's response were he to hear his system with HighFidelity cables. |
Mapman, does Audiogon pay you to be a shill policeman? If not, I guess you are self-appointed. |
Ddraudt, given what you've said, you might want to worry about this Saturday. |
Mapman, why would you think it is HFC gear that makes the difference? |
Mapman, I often asked last Saturday whether Calvin was there. I cannot say for sure that one of those there plays Calvin, but I sincerely doubt that Calvin and Dave are the same. I hope you didn't place a bet that they were the same person. |
Calvin, are you coming down on Saturday? If so, you will need my address. |
Lak, I use the Stillpoints rack which has no shelves, so for my two pairs that go to my phono stage and my dac, the 1 m. HFCs hang but they touch nothing. My 1.5 m pair to the amps have their waveguides on special foam that is used in shipping chips. Finally, my phono cables that have a DIN connector into the bottom of my Ikeda tone arm had to sit on an Accapella platform that is on my SP rack under the Koda preamp. This platform is isolated from the SP rack.
I have thought of tying cotton cable around the ends of the waveguides. I could then tie another cable to the SP rack to support the cables from the sources to the preamp. However, I have had no problems with these ics. |
Swampwalker, I have heard it, but I was totally unaccustomed to the system. I really had the feeling that it was at best a prototype. |
Deweyiii, where are you using the CT-1 pc? I have a CT-1 and a few other manufactures' pcs, but in a system that has all HFC URR pcs. I might have to remove all of the HFCs. |
Lak, I use the Stillpoints rack which has no shelves, so for my two pairs that go to my phono stage and my dac, the 1 m. HFCs hang but they touch nothing. My 1.5 m pair to the amps have their waveguides on special foam that is used in shipping chips. Finally, my phono cables that have a DIN connector into the bottom of my Ikeda tone arm had to sit on an Accapella platform that is on my SP rack under the Koda preamp. This platform is isolated from the SP rack.
I have thought of tying cotton cable around the ends of the waveguides. I could then tie another cable to the SP rack to support the cables from the sources to the preamp. However, I have had no problems with these ics. |
