2. cables
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New cables...

Greetings,

I'm new to the forum, at least in so far as posting goes, but I have used it for reviews in the past.  I recently made an equipment upgrade, and hence decided to do the same to the cables.  I'm not sure if I notice a difference, other than the money that is no longer in my bank account.  First, the back ground.

My last speakers were a pair of Sonos Faber Venere 2.5, which were hooked up to a NAD M3 amp.  When I first paired these pieces of equipment, I was using 3 meter length, High Diamond 2 cables, bi-wired (2 pairs of cables, hooked up to the four pairs of terminals on the amp).  The rest of the pieces in the system were the NAD M5 SACD player, the NAD M4 tuner and the Gold Note PH10 phono preamp.  My turn table remains the impressive Acoustic Solid 111 Metal placed on top of their dedicated isolation platform, and paired with their WTB213 tone arm and fitted with the Benz Micro Wood L cartridge.  The interconnects that I was using were High Diamond 2 RCA on the SACD player and the Tuner and Cardas Iridium RCA on the phono stage.  Initially, I was using the stock power cables for everything, plugged into a run of the mill, $20 hardware store power bar.  At some point in that systems' history, I upgraded the speaker cables to the Cardas Parsec bi-wired (also 3 meter), and bought a Cardas Iridium power cord for the M3 amp.  To be sure, I noticed an improved difference in the sound, which I attributed to the Cardas speaker cables, more than anything, though it may have also had something to do with the Iridium phono interconnect as well..

Fast forward to this past fall, and I came into some money so I decided to upgrade the speakers to the Sonus Faber Olympica III speakers, the Simaudio Moon 700i V2 amp, and the Simaudio Moon 650D CD transport and DAC.  Initially, I kept all of the cables and power bar the same. They remained in place from October 2019, until yesterday.  I think that time frame gave me plenty of time to get to know the sound of the system, and for everything to get broken in.  

Yesterday, I decided that with the obvious jump in improvement with the three pieces, I should take the plunge and upgrade the cables and power bar as well.  I purchased Cardas' Clear Cygnus 3 meter, bi-wired speaker cables, two 1 meter Clear Cygnus interconnects, one RCA for the phono stage and one XLR for the CD transport, two Clear Cygnus 1 metre power cables, one for the amp, and one to connect the impressive Cardas Nautilus power strip to the wall.  The Cardas Iridium power cable that I previously had was moved to the 650D CD Transport, and I used the stock power cable that came with the 700i V2 amp for the NAD M4 tuner.  

What has surprised me most, is that lack of difference in overall sound that I have noticed.  To be clear, those cables and power strip cost $8000CDN, plus tax!!! (inset appropriate emoji here).  Is it my ears?

Regards, Jared Purdy
128x128jaredpurdy
markusthenaimnut's avatar
markusthenaimnut
371 posts
 

@jaredpurdy  - A couple of thoughts. I think there are several reasons why might not be sure you’re hearing a difference with the new cables.

1. Stress. Anxiety. Misgivings about having spent all that money. Stress WILL have an effect on your hearing. It will cause the smallest muscle in the human body - The Stapedius muscle - to tighten up. THIS WILL AFFECT YOUR HEARING.

2. Cardas cables take a long time to break in. They will continue to improve for up to 200 hours. Leave them where they are for a couple of months.

3. Expectations - no one can say what your expectations were/are with these new cables. If you do a google search on the Kano Model you’ll see how expctation & performance & satisfaction are related.

You didn’t ask for advice, but I’ll share my .02. Relax. Have no doubt. You bought a loom of killer cables for your system. They will soon sound amazing. Yes, this is my opinion and others have a right to disagree. But I am very confident that you’ll come to love the improvement in your system and that eventually you will recognize that is not subtle.

Quick A/B comparisons are very unreliable for detecting differences in sound. And even less effective at clearly identifying differences that are improvements and that contribute to the listeners ability to "hear into" the recording to understand the musical intentions of the performers. In my experience your Cardas cables will eventually help you do this. You’ll find that they are different, and that they are an improvement, and that they allow you to enjoy your system much more.

markusthenaimnut's avatar
markusthenaimnut
371 posts
 

@jaredpurdy 

I, for one, am very interested to hear your update on installing the new cable loom in your system. Last time you posted here your seemed somewhat lukewarm. I predicted that all would be well, once the cables have had a chance to break in. 

Pray tell, what's your latest assessment of the change?

chrisr's avatar
chrisr
543 posts
 

@megabyte I am very much on board with all of that.  To hear a difference with cables, you really have to take extremes.  Cables are jewelry for hifi systems, unless you have to resolve real issues like rf, long distances, etc..

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