Opus 21 cable questions

as a previous (and hope to be soon, again) owner of an opus 21, i have a few suggestions:

1. DNM single solid core cabling with eichmann bullet plugs. inexpensive and amazingly musical. jeff kalt of RA recently designed his newest amp with dennis morecroft of dnm, using his 3d design principles and dnm single solid-core cabling throughout, and the products mate really, really well. i think it's the bargain of the century in cabling and i liked it so much, my whole system is wired with it now. i'm even going to be re-wiring my ATC scm50-A's internally with the stuff.

2. the internal volume control circuit can be bypassed entirely by using the DIN output. i strongly recommend (if using a preamp) that you have a DIN to RCA cable made up, as this improves the sound because you cut out an unnecessary circuit. if you're connecting directly to an amp, then it's obviously necessary though.

3. i don't remember what it's called, but there's also a single solid-core power cable that i used to use with the opus 21 (and that i'm currently using on my dv-50) that is simply wonderful for digital devices and, again, very reasonably priced.

this stuff isn't easy to find, mind you - if you would like, i can put you in contact with the dnm importer.

btw - i was trying to buy that opus 21, but it looks like you beat me to it. :-)

i'm really wanting mine back.

I know you want a balanced cable suggestion, but I don't have one as the amps I owned at the time I had my Opus 21 did not have balanced inputs. However, as Lazarus stated, the DNM is the way to go if you want to bypass the internal volume control of the O21. There is a DNM DIN-RCA cable for sale here on AudiogoN (I have no affiliation with the seller) that will allow you to use the DIN output (not volume controlled) and connect the other end to a unbalanced RCA connector on your pre-amp.

Since you mentioned that you use a pre-amp, I'm suggesting the above. I think the DIN output of the O21 is the only output that bypasses the internal volume control built into the O21.

BTW, the internal volume control is very good IMHO, but why have it in the circuit if you don't need it?

Like Lazarus28, I miss my Opus 21 and may end up buying one again in the future. It is a great bargain IMHO....

Enjoy,

TIC

Buy the Shunyata Black Mamba power cord, it really refines the sound of the 21.

Happy Listening.

I heard this player at home expo and thought it was nothing special. It was connected using the Din and the top end sounded a bit veiled and unrefined. Be prepared to tune away when you get it home.

Thanks for the initial responses.

Additional questions then:

Has anyone compared the sound using XLR connections vs the DIN-RCA cable? (I realize that it compares running the signal through the volume control via the XLR cables against the DIN-RCA cables without it. I wonder if the difference is significant. I definitely want to use the preamp, so bypassing it is not an option.)

Do you think it would make sense to have a pair of DIN-XLR cables made up? (I ask, because the Ayre K-1X strength is to run it in balanced mode.)

Again, thanks for the responses! Keep 'em coming!

I recommend the Audience Au24 interconnect. You can usually find a pair on Audiogon. The Opus 21 is not truly balanced, but you may get additional gain through the balanced outs. However, the RCA cable may work fine for you too for less money. There is a new review of the Au24 on 6moons.com right now. The Au24 is my favorite overall cable.

But, if you really want to get the most out of the Opus 21 use an Audience Au24 DIN-RCA cable to bypass the volume control. You won't be able to find these used since they are essentially custom cables but it sounds great! It's about $600 for a meter, more than I prefer to spend but I did anyway because I like the Opus 21 so much and love the Au24. I tried the DNM DIN-RCA cable but was underwhelmed by it.

I've found that power cords do make a big difference with the Opus 21. I'd recommend an Audience PowerChord (yes, Audience again; they are just a good value) or even better a TG Audio power cord. You can probably find both on Audiogon.

Finally, i recommend using a Neuance platform which makes another big difference. You can get a single platform and place both components of the Opus 21 on it, which is how I use it, or get two separate platforms for the ultimate isolation. The single platform would be cheaper.

Enjoy the Opus 21. It's great!