Looking for recommendations

@mbarrett635

+1 , i can confirm your observations.

I really appreciate the Positive feedback, after their review i have bought the Circlelabs A200 amplifier and everything they wrote was true.

After bad experiences with expensive PCs, I bought 2 PC OFC Frankencable. Excellent, Stewart from PF knows what he is talking about. It is no wonder that no one dares to compare them with expensive cables because of possible resentment. Rick Parker is one of the few manufacturers that offers top quality at a very reasonable price and does NOT budge despite pressure from some people.

Don't let the price fool you - this is a gem among power cables.

Congrats!  These cables look very interesting.  Like the reviewer I use Acoustic Zen cables (all but PCs), and especially the OFC products sound like they do a lot of what I love about my AZ wires for a lot less.  Their OFC power cord is now high on my radar as a future upgrade..  Thanks for the great info, and enjoy!

Circling back to let everyone know what I’ve done. First, thanks for the suggestions. After doing a lot of internet research, I hit upon this review: https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/ice-age-audio/

I emailed Rick Parker at Ice Age Audio, and after some discussion I ordered the Frankencable power cord and the OFC speaker cable, jumpers and interconnects. (I also ordered two more power cables and an HDMI cable).  Altogether I spent less than the suggested speaker cables and interconnects would have cost.

I had also corresponded with Christopher Jendralski at The Cable Company. They have a lending library of cables, but his suggested speaker cables and interconnects would have cost 3-4x what I ultimately spent.

Today I connected all the new cords and cables (along with an upgraded electrical outlet), and all I can say is

Oh. My. God.  

I’m hearing things I’ve never heard before. The sound stage is both broad and deep, and the detail and clarity is mind blowing. I’m hearing things in familiar music that I’ve never heard before. Favorite songs that I’ve listened to for years are like they’re being heard for the first time. I intended to just listen to a few songs to see if I heard any difference, and wound up listening to song after song for hours.  The sound is just a little on the bright side, but I was told to expect that until everything is broken in. 

Are there better cables and cords available? Probably, but at this price I can’t imagine a better value. Having upgraded the entire loom at the same time, I can’t say which component makes the biggest improvement, overall, the difference is, to my ears, simply outstanding. 
 

I tend to like the sound of multiple, individually insulated solid core wires for SCs.  Harmonic Technology cables can sound great (IMO) and can be purchased used at a reasonable cost for what they are - multiple strands of small gauge solid core OCC copper in foamed PE insulation.  You might also look at Morrow Audio that sells cables that seem to be made from many strands of very fine gauge magnet wire, in which each wire is isolated from the other by a coating (enamel typ).  Cardas cables are similar, but they also use golden ratio type geometry.  I had a pair of Cardas Golden Cross that I thought sounded great in my system and were my favorite out of several types of Cardas SCs I owned.

The Cable Company could be a good place to start if they still do the lending library thing.  At least you could try several cables and decide if you even hear a difference and, how big a difference and, if so, which you like best.

+1 @soix I took his advice after trying many speaker cables, including BJC, Satori’s checked all the boxes, I love them. 

Talk to Bob Howard. He handles blue jeans and iconoclast. Great guy. Iconoclast might be the upgrade you’re looking for. Free home trial. 

If you can do 8’ cables I’d consider these used Acoustic Zen Satori cables with their jumpers (from The Cable Company) along with this Silver Ref II XLR interconnect that’d be about the same price as the Straightwire cables. I’ve had both the Satori shotgun biwire and single versions and the difference is slight hence my recommendation for single wire with jumpers, and I also have the Silver Ref II and these should do just what you’re looking for and all should be a substantial upgrade to your current cables. AZ cables have a fluid used market so if I’m a liar you can easily sell them for little/no loss.  Best of luck.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650101365-acoustic-zen-satori-8-speaker-cables-spades/

https://www.thecableco.com/cables/satori-jumper-cables-set.html

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650086300-acoustic-zen-silver-reference-ii-xlr-1m/