Neutral-ish Speaker Cable
I have the best system I’ve ever had due to recent major component upgrades. So now I’m thinking speaker (and other?) cable upgrades. Maybe. I like the tonality of the system overall so don’t want to veer too far away from that. If anything, maybe just a hair more dynamics might be nice. Current speaker cables are Audience AU24 SE bought about 10 years ago. Interconnects are a mix of mid-range from major manufacturers, and power is TWL and Audioquest.
Wondering if there is a good replacement for speaker cables first (although no doubt others will say start elsewhere). Again, something that is fairly neutral so as not to affect tonality too much. TIA.
@fastfreight I’ve read a lot about KS but had the impression the lower-mid and bottom end presence might be a bit more than I want, it reminded me of the term "thick", not in a bad way like congested, but just the extra presence. I might be wrong on this so feel free to add more, thanks. These might be a bit out my price range too, but like I said I’m willing to go where the sound quality is, within limits. |
Here are some that are well worth looking into given what you’re looking for. https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650194385-acoustic-zen-absolute-shotgun-bi-wire-speaker-cable/ https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisbdd33-acoustic-zen-absolute-zero-crystal-silver-interconnects Best of luck. |
I agree the lower lines of K-S are a bit dark and less resolving on the high end. I initially tried a full loom of Emotion power cables and did not like them as much as the Au24SX. But not true at all of the Elation and Realization lines. These are very resolving and balanced, full spectrum and natural. No bloat on the lows and now glare on the highs. And I agree the Acoustic Zen cables are nice and a value. I recently purchased a used pair of Hologram 2 speaker cables for my vacation home. They are really nice, and a really good deal used. but they are not K-S Realization or Elation, to me. Same with their interconnects. My system is very resolving. I have so far not liked cables with silver, as they can be a bit tilted towards the top. But, I have not tried high end cables with silver. |
Hi, Jaybe. My first thought for any type of cable purchase is to always buy used: let someone else burn them in for you (my MIT cables all took 250-300 hours to fully burn in). Also, replace your current wall outlet feeding your equipment with a CuzeFirst Maestro - simple, easy, and under $100 - I was honestly shocked by the amount of detail it opened up for so little money. I got hooked on MIT cable and interconnect looms years ago, beginning with used Terminator 2s, then Terminator 1s, and now the Magnum M line. Great bass, midrange, and treble. They don’t emphasize any part of the audible range, great control and separation with everything, which is great for me because I’ve never liked bright speakers or cables. MITs deliver definition and detail without pain. Their current higher-end product lines are apparently made from pure unobtainium (hugely expensive and well out of my price range), but you’ll never regret spending the money on MIT products. They’re actually as good as their product literature says they are. PS, no matter where you end up with the cables, buy and install the Maestro outlets :) |
