I don't know about synergy with your components, but I just sold some Straightwire Crescendo's to upgrade to Virtual Image Pile Driver IC's. It was a huge upgrade in sound and a downgrade in price. The V.I.'s cost about 1/3 of the Crescendo's and sound alot nicer. The V.I.'s deliver a wider and more precise soundstage. It's funny that you should mention tonal quality of a piano, one of my favorite tracks is Sarah McLachlan's "Angel", from the soundtrack "City of Angels". The V.I. interconnects added a whole new dimension to the piano in this recording, more air around every key stroke and more decay to the notes and to the vocals. I also noticed that these cables let through alot of the background details that the Crescendo's just seemed to miss. I just can't recommend these cables enough. If you are interested in trying these cables, contact Al at Virtual Image, virtualimage@juno.com. He does offer a 30-day trial period. IMO, you give these cables about 7 days of burn-in, you'll love'em.
