Without knowing anything about your system, taste and kind of music you listen to, I'll just list the brands I myself am interested in: Purist Audio, Echole, Stage III, maybe Kubala Sosna and HB cables as well. Some Furutech perhaps too, not sure.
Interconnect Cables
My components are set. Now I'm tinkering with cables. I tried a couple different power cords and although I heard differences I decided to keep what I have. Now I'm looking for suggestions to compare to my Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 7 interconnect cables. I'm looking for cables below $2K per meter.
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My 2-channel system: Monitor Audio PL 500 speakers, Jeff Rowland 625 S2 amplifier, Jeff Rowland Corus preamp, Antipodes DS GT music server, Chord Dave DAC , JL Audio F112 V2. All inter-connect cables are Wireworld Platinum. Speaker cable is Wireworld Silver Electra. With the exception of my sub, I have everything plugged into the Torus RM20 power conditioner. I use Shunyata wall outlets and my room is treated with GIK products. Everything sits on Stillpoints. |
Purist Neptune single crystal fluid cable would be the first one for me to try. Street price should be about $1500 for 1 meter pair. I believe, comparable Echole or Stage III models are more expensive and more difficult to sell back if you have to. But also, I think Jeff always recommends Cardas for his amps, so perhaps they too in this case. I use Neptune between solid state phono stage and integrated. |
@ricred1 - you appear to have Wire World's "best-of-the-best". I also see that you like silver. I'm wondering if the silver elements are working well in your system because the silver is compensating for the laid back ribbon tweeter. Maybe that's why you feel great about your speakers. Silver does not work in my system at all as it tends to push the upper mids and highs (I have a strong tweeter). The Purist Neptune is copper with gold-plated connectors and is going to sound much warmer/slower than your Platinum Eclipse. Same with any other cable that uses copper only and/or gold-plated connectors (such as Clarity Cable). You might like this or you might not, just warning ya. There are many very esoteric cable design. I cannot comment on them, but keep in mind that the type of connector also has a contributing factor to the sound. Have you tried any of the Audioquest upper level solid-core silver interconnects, such as the Wind series? That one is exactly $2k retail for one meter XLR pair. Solid core silver conductors with silver-plated connectors (most likely 21awg as this is what they have historically/typically used). The Cable Company might have this one in their "lending library". Another cable you could look at is the Audio Sensibility Silver Signature XLR: I had these in my system originally (before I determined that I did not like silver). It uses 3 different gauges of cryo treated solid-core silver for each for the XLR conductors. They are the OCC solid-core silver teflon coated 20 / 22 / 24 awg.Neotech conductors (making a 17awg cable). The cable is extremely clean sounding due to the solid-core silver. I think it would be a tiny bit warm in comparison to your Wire World because the Audio Sensibility uses Furutech gold-plated XLR connectors. It's about $1052 USD plus shipping for a 1 meter pair. I believe he has a 30 day return policy. |
Purist Neptune is on a warmer side but it is not excessively warm at all. And it is not slow, it is just right. It is also neither forward nor laidback. Connectors are berrilium copper gold plated. Sound stage has an incredible depth and layering. Very balanced and harmonically correct. Sophisticated sound. It does not have the ultimate resolution and high frequency extension, but we are not talking about top of the line cables. It should be perfect for jazz and any kind of acoustic music. Even more so with a digital source. |
If you really want to make a difference, forget about snake oil cables and use XLR instead of RCA. That is what the professionals do, and for a reason. See here for measurements: http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2017/06/measurements-oppo-sonica-dac-ess-sabre.html Will it make a sonic difference in a domestic context with relatively short cable runs? I doubt it, but if you want the best, even if only observable on a scope, this is the way to go. |
auxinput, Thanks for your thoughtful response. Your comments are really spot on: "I'm wondering if the silver elements are working well in your system because the silver is compensating for the laid back ribbon tweeter. Maybe that's why you feel great about your speakers. Silver does not work in my system at all as it tends to push the upper mids and highs (I have a strong tweeter)." My speakers and Rowland amplifier are considered laid back. My DAC and music server are considered to be very detailed. I'm not saying my WW cables are bad, I just want to try a few cables to see if they take my system to the next level. Funny you mentioned Audioquest, because a friend is sending me an Audioquest Niagara to try. He has Audioquest Fire and in general loves Audioquest cables. I'll post my thoughts after I receive them. |
willemj, All of my interconnect cables are XLR. As far as snake oil, if you believe cables are snake oil, I support your opinion. My experience through listening in my own system, often using my wife or 12 year old son to discern any differences tells me that cables aren't snake oil. Sometimes there are differences and sometimes there isn't. None have been night and day, but when there are differences, they are usually easily heard. |
OK, if nobody else is going to acknowledge the great big elephant in the room I guess I'll have to do it. Directionality. No, I'm not talking about which way the shield is connected or balanced vs unbalanced. I'm talking about unshielded cables with good old RCA connectors. And dielectric and jacket. Like fuses, all wire is directional. So, if you haven't done so already or if you don't believe me, reverse your interconnects right now. Surely somebody out there must have his interconnects in the WRONG direction. Let us know your results. |
@ricred1 - Don't know what you're looking for, as far as the, "next level", but: my personal experience with the Platinum Eclipse follows. In my room, with my system, and with(between my main amps and pre) Silver Audio Hyacinths(unbalanced), I had a sound stage that extended from wall to wall. Wanted to upgrade and tried the Platinum Eclipse, in that position. Increase in detail was beautiful, depth of stage the same as before, but- stage width reduced to between my speakers. Tried a pair of Synergistic Research Tesla Apex and found their presentation identical to the Platinum's, but my stage width was back. I suppose this is actually my point: I've found the Cable Company's lending library an indispensable asset, when shopping for interconnects/speaker cabling. Whatever was accrued in, "rental fees", they've taken off the price of my purchases. Great guys and great deals: https://www.thecableco.com/content.aspx?iid=5777 |
rodman99999, My components are where I want them to be. That being said, I don't know, what I don't know! Meaning I don't know if my cables are limiting the performance of my system. I thought my power cords were the weak link. So, I tried Shunyata Sigma power cords. There were differences, the Sigma's has better defined bass, but overall I preferred the mids, highs, and soundstaging of the Wireworld. I could try several other power cords, but I'm on to interconnect cables. What you described with the Synergistic cables is exactly what I'm looking for! Something that will take my system to the next level...better bass, detail, separation, realism. Not that I feel anything is "bad", but I want to find what's possible with different cables. If in the end the Wireworld is the best fit, so be it! If not, I'll move on! Again, it's about what works well in my system. |
In my experience, anything silver will reduce the amount of bass and also the amount of realism. Though, if you are trying to get more detail and attack, silver is the only way to do this when you have a laid back system. It’s too bad you can’t try some of my cables. I could hand make some for you, but it’s money that you won’t be able to get back, lol. I don’t know if you can find any cables out there witch use Furutech Rhodium connectors? |
Heh, my cables are all hand built using two braids of 20awg OCC solid core copper with rhodium XLR connectors. The copper wire provides natural organic sound while the rhodium XLR gives the attack and high frequency detail and transparency. Going with copper wire and gold plated XLR may be too warm/slow/laid back, but you can try it of course. Copper wire with silver-plated XLR may be something you could try. Or the Audio Sensibility silver wire with gold plated XLR. |
stringreen, "Why would you not continue with Wireworld?" I may continue to use Wireworld. I'll repeat, I'm confident that my components are set and I'm trying to figure out if I need to change my cables. I was told my weakest link were my Wireworld power cords and Shunyata powers cords were significantly better. I tried Shunyata and Audioquest power cords. I concluded the Wireworld was the best fit to my ears. Now I'm going to try interconnect cables. |
You guys don't seem to know what is possible with silver and silver alloy wires. Listen to Purist Audio Dominus, Echole and Stage III cables. Yes, silver is difficult to make sound right in certain aspects, but so is copper in other aspects. Word, mostly European word, has it that the current very best copper cables are Tchernov Cable Ultimate. |
My experience with Audioquest Truth interconnects and digital cable was that the choice between silver and copper was dependent on where the cable was used. I chose the silver Truth interconnects and the copper Truth digital cable even though I kept hoping the silver would be better. Oh, and Cryo helps silver quite a bit, maybe should be a requirement. Then again most high end cable manufacture employ Cryo routinely, have been for years. |
I don't find silver to sound thin or lack bass. Almost every time I've put a silver cable/connector into my system, I've heard what I consider to be an improvement in clarity AND smoothness, as well as improvement in bass. The only place I like all copper is for the power cables for my class D monoblocks. I build my own cords, though, and can use whatever gauge of wire i choose. My ICs are built with 24 gauge solid silver.. my guess is that those who find bass to be weak with silver may just be using cables that have smaller diameter conductors. This can be the case since silver is more expensive and has slightly better conductive properties, so cable companies could be using thinner wires to make the cables, reasoning that the better conductivity of silver will make up for a higher gauge relative to copper. But it doesn't. |
Amadi cables. Pure magic. The Phil Reference spanked my WireWorld Eclipse 7 interconnects as well all of my Nordost Heimdall. Write to Philip and he will help you plus if you don't like his cables he will refund your money. After 20+ years of trying everything out there short of the most expensive (Valhalla for instance) I have found the end of my searching with Philip's cables. Just a suggestion as cables are so very system dependent... |