new product: Audience AU24 SE XLR ICcable

This is a copy of an email I sent today to John McDonald, President of Audience Audio. I wanted to share it w/ Audiogone:

As an early adopter of Audience cables and as a big fan of the products I wanted to report to you my initial reactions to the Audience AU24 SE XLR IC I received last week. The very beautiful (and rare) eight meter AU24 SE XLR IC with its subtle silver blue skin and polished XLR connectors was a visual delight to behold and hinted at something special. Since my system is now a complete wiring harness of top of the line Audience power cords and IC’s my eagerness and curiosity to play with the SE line was considerable to say the least. I started by testing it between my Berkeley Audio Alpha 2 DAC and the Jeff Rowland Corus preamp. Replacing the AU24 E IC with the new SE revealed a clear increase in detail, musicality and seemed to lock the system into a more tangible sonic soundfield allowing a greater degree of overall naturalism without the slightest hint of analytical emphasis. The difference between the two cables was of a magnitude of 30-40% in the direction of a more engaging listening experience.
My real point of acquiring the AU24 SE XLR was focused at the preamp to power amp link. I had long suspected this was the most critical leg in my system since the cable length is quite long at 22 feet. Over the years I have had some very expensive IC’s in this position with varying results.

I connected the AU24 SE balanced to the Jeff Rowland 625 powering the Revel Salon 2 speakers and what came out was a complete surprise: The sound was simply ravishing. It was lush, holographic, fluid and very, very organic. Instantly and immediately the various components in the system seemed connected on a higher plane in a true synergy that left a strong and even profound first impression. The whole was truly greater than the sum of its parts (and nice parts at that.) I am not prone to having elevated expectations of cabling in high-end audio since everything seems to come at the price of some compromise, be it cost or sonic strength. What I heard with the AU24 SE was an apparent ideal balance of sonic abilities that really lets the music shine through without impeding or imposing any penalty in the audible range of my listening space, equipment or hearing. At this early point with the cable, only 100 hours or so, I can say: Run don’t walk to get your hands on this product to try out. It is seductively musical, tonally neutral but never analytical, and ever so engaging. The sound stage opens up in all dimensions and the separation of instruments and voices is very special with distinctive aura of spatial fullness and roundness. Sexy may be the best word to describe how attractive this cable is. It’s not cheap but in today’s audiophile world it may be a real bargain.