I borrowed Stealth Dream and Elation from local dealers and auditioned in my system (Berkeley Alpha DAC, Mc C 2300, MC 2301 and B&W 802D). Elation is a much better match with my system with excellent transparency in all frequency range.Stealth Dream is pretty dull at top frequency.
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I got Elations. Speaker and interconnects.
They are really the best I have ever heard.
Very neutral, transparent and resolving!
Giant step forward in compare with Emotions! |
Hey I just have spent the past 3 days with Elation interconnects and speaker cables. I'm very picky or critical and I just can't seem to find flaw in these cables. I will be moving on to audioquest sky next and the galbaltar speaker cables. Then I will go to all emotion cables, interconnects and speaker cables. I will listen there and then I have all elation power cords except for one 20 amp which is emotion and will most likely either not use it or use it on the Dmitri conditioner. My current power cords are all Running Springs Audio HZ Crown Jewel. Here's the thing, I hope these power cords are nearly a wash because I just bought the HZ cords. Those cords blew me away right off and I didn't realize that I was getting power cords to with this demo.
So fare the Elation is the top dog over a already tested audioquest Colorado/Meteor... The Elation seems near perfect on delivery and quick and able to keep up where the AQ wasn't able to keep up with my system. The Elation is I would say the most transparent cable I've ever heard. They not only provide that transparency in the middle of the stage but also right and left where things tend to come more from speaker position of the stage but now they clearly come from further back and maybe just right or left of speaker. The bass is also ultra detailed and spot on as well as a very transparent presentation of bass even if I play a song where the bass guitar is setup near the right speaker, he is now clearly back behind the speaker which has proved difficult in my room to get that transparency throughout the audible frequency. |
I heard the Emotions PC against the Nordost Vahlhalla.
Both are great powercords and I can live with either one.
It was a close fight but i slightly preferred the warmer presentation of the Emotion.
the Nordost was more detailed and upfront but it was a bit too much for me.
The price diff between the two is also quite big.
I also noticed the smoother sound of the Emotion. |
I have Emotions and just ordered Elations.
Emotions are good cables, very musical and natural, but not very resolving. Resolution is not the best. Especially in bass.
I hope Elations will be much better!
Has anyone heard power cables?
How they are in compare with Odin? |
wow, that is huge difference from emotion to elation.
is there powercord of the same difference from the emotion to the elation ? |
You will be very impressed with both. Are you aware of K/S's upgrade policy? |
I'm glad to find some stuff on this cable. It was just recommended to me and I suppose I've been in the dark as to not have really looked at the Kubala Sosna line. I will soon be testing the Emotion and Elation in my system start to finish. The emotion is more my price range but I fear that the elation will be the answer now reading this. Why do I have expensive taste, why??? |
In the Spring, I upgraded my interconnects and speaker cables from the Emotion series to the Elation series and I've been very happy. The sonic advantages of the Elation over the Emotion: Greater resolution, more nuance and delicacy in the harmonic texture, cleaner/purer and more extended highs with more sparkle, clearer, more transparent, more defined transients, better defined and more impactful bass, more dynamic and life-like, more focused imaging, cleaner space between instruments, better coherence.
John |
I upgraded from the Emotion line to the Elation line when it was introduced(speaker cables,interconnects,power cords) and was amazed at the improvement over the Emotion. By no means am I critcizing the Emotion line which I still feel is a the best cable there is in it's price class but the Elation is on a different level. |
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Been too long (5 years) to give a meaningful comparison. I had the top of the line Omegas (some call it Omega Zero), and I do recall that it was a close call between it and the K-S Emotion. I ultimately felt the midrange and the overall tonal balance of the Emotion was a little more to my taste, more natural sounding, than the Omega. All IMHO, of course; some of my friends who heard the system liked the Omega better. And there was no question that the K-S was a lot easier to deal with, physically, than the NBS. I think the new Elation tends toward the Omega's transparency, but still retains the midrange and tonal balance of the Emotion. |
quote: Certainly not as inflexible as my old NBS Omegas
which Omegas ?
could you tell how the K.S. compare to the NBS ?
thanks |
I am currently auditioning a set of Elations in my system - speaker cables & 1 set of interconnects. I was figuring that I would say, "Very nice, but no match for the Nordost Valhallas that I have been running for about 3 years," and be done with it.
But it's not going as expected. I am hearing deeper into my music and a cleaner soundstage. The sound is more (and I hate to use the over-worked and relative term) musical. I am still testing, but I expect to be listing my Valhalla stuff soon... |
I imagine that I could have listened to a whole set, except that Joe tells me he's so busy filling orders for the cables, he doesn't have a full set to take with him (plus, in my system, there is an exceedingly long run from my preamp to the crossovers for my speakers-I'd need to borrow a 35 foot pair just for that run). My dealer doesn't have a full set either. The pair I listened to was basically made up at the factory for me to listen to--I told Joe and my dealer that if I liked it, I had just enough saved up in my audio slush fund to buy it, and they both felt confident enough in the product that they figured they had a sale. Given the high price for the cable, it will be years before I can replace the whole system--fortunately the Emotions are good enough to make the wait easy.
By the way, one thing worth mentioning--although the cables are about the same diameter as the Emotions, they are substantially heavier, and are also far less flexible. Certainly not as inflexible as my old NBS Omegas, but definitely not as easy to work with as the Emotions. |
No, not at all... I figured it was a compliment too, especially since you were willing to buy yesterdays news for yourself.
Hey, Reprince thank you so much for giving us your first impressions. So far it sounds pretty good, I can't wait to hear more.
So this is all with demoing one cable. I'm surprised that they didn't give you an already broken in one to demo.
Will they let you demo more than one cable at a time?
I love the Emotions too, I was listening to them tonight and they still astonish me how good they perform in my system. I rarely feel like I'm wanting more, but I also say bring it on. But, if I had one wish to improve on the Emotions, it would be to improve on their transparency; lets say from an 8 to a 9, with 10 being a live performance in my living room.
Rich |
Rcprince... My post saying "the Emotions are yesterday's news" was intended to be a compliment to the KS people for developing a new cable that bests the Emotions (though poorly worded). I sincerely hope my post didn't offend anyone. I've been slowly working my way up the KS line, and I agree with you 100% that with each step up the line there is as you said a noticeable improvement. My next step is to get the bi-wired Emotion speaker cables. |
I would not say that the Emotion is yesterday's news, it's still a superb cable. However, after listening to just one set of the Elation interconnects (from my EMM Labs DAC to my preamp) in my otherwise all-Emotion system, I would have to say that the Elation is to the Emotion what the Emotion is to the Expression, etc., in my view. As all of the K-S cables seem to do as you go up the line, reproduction of the frequency extremes gets better; that's also the case here. I'd say the Elation is a little more extended in the high frequencies, with better definition, and especially in the bass, where not only is the bass just a little deeper (I tested it on my system with the Philadelphia Orchestra's disc of their concert with Olivier Latry premiering their new organ at the Kimmel Center, that disc has more sub 20Hz energy than almost anything I've ever heard on a recording), but more noticeably it is better defined--bass drums and plucked basses have a bit more definition and focus. The Elation also is more transparent and resolving than the Emotion, with much better focus of images in the soundstage and better retrieval of ambient information, in all of the frequency ranges, not just the high frequencies. Individual performers and instruments seem a little more focused, distinct, real. Dynamics are better, both large-scale, where the music holds together better on large orchestral climaxes and the cable reproduces the leading edge of a transient a little better, and particularly small-scale, where the plucking of string instruments is much more distinct and startlingly realistic sounding. All of this while maintaining as neutral a tonal balance in my system as the Emotions, though they are clearly not quite as warm-sounding as the Emotions. Right out of the box you could get an idea of the differences (though there was a little harshness as well at first), but running signal through it all night and listening to it this afternoon made the differences more apparent. Right now it is not quite as smooth as the Emotions, but the initial harshness has vanished and it is getting there, it seems to "relax" over time, just like the Emotions did. I think Azjake did a good description, in my system it is just better, the music sounds just a little more real and involving. Very impressive. |
Well... according to the Positive-Feedback review... the Emotions are yesterday's news. In an effort to help Emotion owners make the transition from the Emotion to the Elation cables, let me be the first to offer to buy your unwanted pair of 2 meter Emotion bi-wired speaker cables. |
Thanks Reprince!
Oh, one more thing Wadav, even though the Emotion Cables are on the warm side of neutral, they do not sacrifice anything in the detail or resolution department.
Rich
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Will do, assuming words don't fail me! |
Hi Wadav,
They Emotion Cables sound on the warm side of neutral, but not overly lush. They are very well balanced from top to bottom, there is not one area; such as bass, midrange, or treble, that stands out from the rest. They are totally dialed in.
Hi Reprince,
I'm also considering upgrading to the Elation's. Can you kindly post your findings of the new Elation Cables when you get a chance?
Rich |
I have a full set of Emotions in my system, from sources to speakers. I'm trying a set of the interconnects tomorrow night in my system, which Joe Kubala says will give me a good idea of the difference. If I can describe any differences, I'll report. My fear is that I'll wind up like Azjake, but I'll have to do it over time, as even with the trade-up policy it is expensive. |
What is the acoustic signature of KS cables? Warm, bright, or fast? |
Azjake,
How are the the new Kubala Elation Cables doing? Did you get their new power cables too?
I'm currently using Emotion Speaker Cables and Interconnects. I'm thinking about a future upgrade.
Any info would be greatly appreciatted.
I read a nice review on positive-feedback this week.
Thanks,
Rich |
I have heard the Elation IC and the speakers cables, they were compared to the Emotion line, stealth INDRA IC, Pranawire IC and speakers, Jade hybrid gold and Gabriel Rapture, Speakers Avalon Eidolon and Hansen Prince, spectral and Air tight, Emm labs CDSA and dCS Puccini.
Elation vs Emotion, Elation is better, more transparent as natural timbre as the Emotion, Elation vs Pranawire, I prefer the Elation with the Eidolon and Spectral, perhaps Pranawire better almost with Air tight on the system, Etalon vs Indra Stealth, I think that Etalon is a little more warm, very similar in quality, Etalon vs Jade and Gabriel, I think that Elation is a little better almost with the hansen, and Air tight, the others two more warm(little difference) for me make the Eidolon and the Spectral to sound a little less cool or a little more warm.
What I think? That the Emotion is very very good for their price, I will use Pranawire more a clinic and analitical systems and components, and INDRA and ELATION as the more universal cables, ready to be used with more analytical and a little cool systems, as can be some SS components and also with a warm components, as can be some tubes, but not the ARC ones. |
You may have to wait a while on that question Emigene as they are just now shipping...I had all Emotions, did the comparison and am now waiting on all Elations!!
Enough said! Could bore you with all the mumbo jumbo but it's the old "there's just more there, there"
Cables are not bandaids, but hopefully neutral "do no harm" transfer items that are system dependent.
Good luck, |
