Pure Note Paragon users, comments apprecaited...

I am very thankful for the kind responses posted in reply to my initial thread.

An audiogon member (& also a very fine gentleman), who purchased my old amplifiers 2 months ago (Manley 350s), was kind enough to mail me a couple of his own DIY interconnects to try out.

I also borrowed a few pairs of brand name interconnects which I am "A/B testing" at the moment. They include Pure Note Paragons, Cardas Hexlink 5-C, Cardas Crosslink, Thermax, Belden 89207, Audioquest Jaguar, and DH-labs.

Given I have also acquired new speakers recently, I will be a while before I can draw any real conclusions.

I will report my findings here down the road, but it will for sure take me a bit of time.

Rickmak: What did you finally decide on for cables??? Like to know a good match for MAC gear.

Well, read the comment for purenote for many times before I decided to order Paragons during this special discount period. I have been a purenote user for awhile for their signature and reference series (and still using the old models as well). Yet the old model compare with the other famous brand of cables, I would say Purenote stand a very good value among others (vdh, siltech, homegrown, mapleshade, zu).

And I think I could use this chance to try their new flagship - I have ordered their PC first, and I am actually quite surprise the changes it bring, good resolution, image, smooth and quiet and yet not bright (after some run-in). Then I decided to order the RCA IC as well, and its turn out brought greater changes, and its seems like that I actually switched a major system component (like an DAC). Its very smooth and I would say, its really bring out the 'appearance' of music.

My RCA pair is still breaking in, I can't wait to hear what it sound after 200 hrs recommended break-in time. To summarize, I think paragon is exceptional good values during sales, and its certainly the best cable I have used.

Golden Ref. is warmer and flatter imo compared to Pure Note or Harmonic Tech. Just depends on your components and prefs. Overall the Paragon is a good cable and is about in the middle but silver is more revealing. This means you will hear more flaws especially in the majority of poorly mastered recordings.

sorry about the typos...'and they are probably one of the best cables'

i have just got a pair of paragon RCAs are they are probably the one best cables i have ever tried (along with the nordost spm). transparent and very natural sounding, not bright and thin at all!

Hi,

I've been auditioning the Paragons for a few weeks now- given my particular system and tastes, I haven't found anything better, at any price. (I've tried...)

To my ears, the Paragons aren't thin-sounding, bright, or bass-deficient. For now, they're the new 'reference' interconnect in my system.

Hopefully, I'll find the time to write up a comparison review soon. For what it is worth, I think Jose21's review here pretty much nails it.

To my ear, the particularly impressive observation about the Paragons is how they distinguish themselves more as other system components improve. I've been auditioning CD players as well- used with the 'best' player, the Paragons are so good it scares me occasionally. With the 'runner up' player, they are exceptionally good, but not as obviously superior to other cables.

I've tried numerous silver, silver-copper hybrids, gold, gold-silver hybrids, etc. in the past- frankly, my sense is that conductor geometry and termination may be just as, if not more, important than the actual metal composition. System synergy is crucial as well...

Good Luck,

On a quality-for-the-buck basis in today's high-end audio market, I don't believe you can beat Purist Audio Musaeus. My second choice would be Harmonic Technology Pro-Silway MkIII. Both of these contain some silver, but are not thin or bright.

Paragons sound fine in my system but Valhallas are thin and bright. I don't think you will find a better cable for the money.

Not sure why you have limited yourself to any one specific cable,but I can vouch for silver cable from Ridge Street Audio ( check reviews ).This cable is definately not bright or thin. To me it has all the poisitive effects of copper but just has more information availabe...