Anti-cables are excellent.I also like the Audio Arts.I have both now in my system.Can't go wrong with either,good luck,Bob |
Be advised (in case you don't know) that Anti-Cables are basically just coated copper wire. They are extremely thin and stiff and should not be scratched at all or the coating will come off. They are not practical for everyone. |
Anti-Cables have significantly higher inductance per unit length than most audiophile-oriented cables, especially if the two conductors are not twisted together. That may result in a slight softening (rolloff) of the upper treble, which may or may not be preferable to you. The degree to which that softening occurs will increase if your speakers have a low impedance at high frequencies, and if the cable length is long. Electrostatic speakers, in particular, commonly reach very low impedances at high frequencies.
I suggest that you indicate the kind of speakers you are using, and the length of the cables that will be required, and give greatest weight to comments that are based on similar speakers and similar cable lengths.
Regards,
-- Al |
I have lots of Anti-Cables balanced interconnects and speaker cable I needed longer or shorter lengths in my new home. |
Thank you to all who have responded so far.
Almarg, You are right, I am not into rolling off the top frequencies. Though they are a tad prominent in my current set-up. I have Acoustic Zen Adagios which are 6 ohms and 89db efficieny. I have informed Paul Speltz of the components in the system, especially a pair of Red Dragon digital mono block amps
Matored, Yes, the fact they are just cooper wire coated with red magic sauce does not make me confident of their quality. The area behind the speakers is not high trafficed, but behind my audio rack is a diffrent story. For, the record so far, the Audio Arts are not equal to the AZ's Hologram 2 speaker cable. They were preburned-in at the factory for 72 hours and I cooking them somemore. I was "very close" to buying Morrow Audio. SP-4 or SP5 speaker cable, but I decided to save some bucks with AA cable. That may have been a bad move because AA has N0 return policy.
I have also considered the new Nordost Leif series....in particular the "Purple Flair" which is in the middle of the pack, and I have heard, but only in passing. Though, Nordost claims that when you move their speaker cable around, they need to be given a short recovering period. This makes no sense to me, and makes me question their practicality. The issue again is whether they will provide better performance than Acoustic Zen's Hologram 2....which is a tall order ****(Tighter bass and greater musicality is my final goal)**** Nevertheless, the other cables, possibly other than the Anti-Cables can be run under a rug (I think) Otherwise I have some cheap cable risers I can use, but look like crap between the speakers. Thanks, Jim |
I tried anti-cables, while I thought they were fairly good value, I found they could be beaten without spending too much more money. I sent mine back, but never received a refund. |
I have had very good results with anticables although I use a very short length between my monoblocks and Von Schweikert VR4jrs. I have the biwires and they came pretwisted. They outperformed several other much higher priced cables in my system. |
My results are the same as Dpatterson. Short anti-cables ranging from 2 to 3 feet, biwired, from monoblocks next to the speakers. Maybe it wouldn't matter what the speaker cables were like for such a short distance, but the anti cables work fine for me. No complaints. |
UPDATE: I bought the Audio Art SC-5 SPEAKER cables which sound nice, and I am impressed so far; however, I can tell they are not in same league as AZ's Hologram 2. They soundstage better, and have somewhat tigther bass, but about a half to a full octave of resolution is missing through out the entire midrange....that is, you don't see as deep into the recording.
AA's SC-5SE (special edition) may fill that in, but for now I will stick with this lesser model, and maybe try Paul Speltz "Anti-Cable" speaker cable. Problem is: I am on somewhat of crazed summer upgrade jag, and must severely limit the upgrades to one or two items to appreciate their individual improvements to the sound of the system |
The coating on the Anti-Cables is not "magic sauce." There's no secret to these cables, they just work very well for some people in some systems. But talk about awkward! |
Paul Speltz also has silver cables...more expensive but brings out that last little bit that makes the difference. |
You want to replace AZ Hologram II with Anti-cables?. I used all AZ cables and tried Anti-cables. AZ cables are in different league, no comparison. Even Analysis Plus 9 were way better then Anti-cables.
Anti-cables are great in their price range but can't compete with Holograms. Different world. |
To Jkuc.I decided against the Anti-Cables in favor of Audio Art SC-5 speaker cable (SEE MY UPDATE before Drubin's response) Also see "Almarg" first response in the list; he cautioned me about the higher inductance of the ANTI-CABLE, and some highend roll off.
As good as the Audio Art budget cable is, it not in the same league as AZ Hologram 2 AA's soundstage is bigger, and I get somewhat tighter bass than H-2's, however. they need more break-in. The larger question is whether SC-5SE(Special edition) for 3x the money offers a greater audible improvement.
I almost went with Morrow Audio SP Reference 4 which has received excellent customer reviews, but the price is in about $800 for 12 ft pair which I need in my room set-up. BTW, Morrow's SP-6 Reference is supposed to be the killer speaker cable in the line, but they are about $1200(I think) for a 12 ft pair Thanks for your response.
I would like to hear from members who might currently use or used any of Morrow Audio Reference line speaker cable and with what speaker |
I am using Mike Morrow's SP4's, 6' lengths, between a PrimaLuna Prologue II integrated and a set of Totem Arro's @ 4ohms. These cables take a long, long time to settle in, a process I am still enduring. Read testimonials on his site and other places on the Web, and the word "rollercoaster" will come up, a one-word assessment that is fairly accurate. At times, the soundstage has either fallen, dynamics are thin, bass is muddy, mids shrink, highs splay out, or even volume drops--I have experienced different combinations of the above kill-list sometimes within the course of a song. But these negative issues are lessening. Rather, the enjoyable aspects of what I was expecting are coming to fruition: soundstage that plays out into the room, clarity and richness, silence and attack, definition and air. The musicality that you have mentioned is all there, or becoming moreso, and has been increasing enough to make me keep them. Burn-in has become a reality for me (perhaps its to do with the dialectric?), as I'm listening to it right now, and there have been days when the only sound I hear from my speakers is buyer's remorse. But patience is rewarding me, the good days are becoming more frequent, and even the bad days are turning into fewer bad minutes. We'll see how it goes...
I understand that moving up Mike's line of cables is worth it, but for now, the SP4's is what I could afford, with no regrets. Have him put the cables on the cooker--a good investment. And you'll still have plenty of burn-in on your rig. He also has a healthy return policy, so if they just won't pony to your system, no worries.
Not as smart as Al and the others, but that's all I got for now. Happy hunting. |
I use something like Anti Cables: Mapleshade Helix speaker cables. Same recipe but different cook and I believe, the first to use this recipe. Throws the window wide open (no roll off, better extension) but lower mids and bass are reticent, not MIA, just not as fully represented as the upper mids and highs.
I bi wired, on the same posts, some Clear Day cables and now it's all I could ask for. Incredible detail and resolution but full bodied with excellent pitch, tone and definition. Great separation, location accuracy (pin point, never wavers) and a noise floor that compliments my amp, for once.
Great cables can be had for not too dear a price. You just have to be willing to experiment, and these were some old cables I had lying around.
All the best,
Nonoise |
Ravensbark. You have great patience, however, I don't believe you should have been put through that experience, or anyone for that matter. I think Morrow Audio has to come to terms with this ridiculously long, anxiety riven, and spasmodic break-in period. They should cook the cables 90-95% to peak performance, and just charge twice as much as they charge now for "burn-in service". It would be worth it and then some.
Just imagine someone who is an average or less than average listener, it could take an interminable amount of time to reach sonic nirvana; possibly, even years before the listener GETS WHAT HE/SHE PAID for, THAT IS.....UPGRADED PERFORMANCE. If cable manufacturers can't accomodate the customer on this problem, maybe it is time for them to pursue a new profession
Thank you for helping me eliminate another brand of speaker cable to consider....Morrow Audio Cable |
Sunnyjim-My dour language, stemming from a serious personal family situation, I'm sure, has left an obviously negative impression of Morrow Cables. (Perhaps I shouldn't even be out on the forums, but this hobby is a great release, anyway, so I'm using it to it's potential.) My explanation is lacking, however; my apologies. So...
Mike offers either a two-day or a week-long break-in service for his cables, for a fee. He is up-front about the long settling the cables require and provides ample consumer evidence supporting this fact. I opted for the shorter break-in service, and while the wires sounded good right out of the box, there were a few troubling moments as the cables continued their break-in and integration into my system. As it stands now, however, the cables have mostly opened up, and the sound coming through them is terrific, some days quite dizzying, and seem to only be getting better...
I agree with you on the fickle nature of upgraded sonic performance: up the ladder we go, hoping to eek out a little more quality in sound, only to be met with high maintenance components, ever more difficult esoteria, and, of course, larger sums of money spent with increasing amounts of self-delusion. But we endure a certain amount of nonsense, because at the beginning, only wanting for decent sound, most of us came to the realisation that one didn't just head to the corner appliance store to pick up a rig--bang, instant good sound.
I was using a set of DIY cables that ran about $40 before my recent upgrades, and the sound was nothing to scoff at. However, I knew that the right upgrades would only help my system. Swapped out a few different sets of cable, including AudioArts, although not the 5's (like most of these companies, I understand that moving up the product line is worthwhile). I wanted to like the AA's, especially as Rob is a wonderful individual with whom I enjoyed a great conversation, but they refused to integrate into my rig. I therefore figured that I was either stuck with the DIY cables or had to save my pennies for esoteric and expensive audio jewelry.
Then Mike helped me out with the SP4's during one of his sales. I had read much about his wire and, upon the recommendations of many Audiogon members, skipped right to the 4's. Indeed, there has been a little suffering (should have got the full break-in, though I'm a cheapskate), but the result is wonderful. The music shines, as it should. Even after some difficulty (which is small, in the scheme of things), I highly recommend them.
Twisting your own cables might be something to also consider (as I see that you are, like the rest of us, searching, searching). I just got two rolls of differently-gauged magnet wire, 19 and 21, for speaker cables for my wife's MiniWatt. I don't really need another project, but I'm still a bit excited about it. I'll let you know if I blow anything up...
(Nonoise--Are you jacking the Mapleshade's into the HF and the ClearDay's into the LF for your bi-wire set-up, or are you using the ClearDay's for the returns? Interested...)
Hope this clarifies things a bit. Thanks for the listen. Best, |
I recently moved from the anti-cables to Morrow SP-1, two pairs to bi-wire my VR4JRs. I also tried the Kimber Kable 8PR in bulk and bare wire terminations. Funny thing is that the 8PR required no break-in of any kind. They were good at the moment I installed them. I must say however that the SP-1s were even better on the mid-range/tweeter module, so I kept that pair and returned the other. The 8PRs were better on the bass module- more full bass but still tight and responsive. The 8PR is $6/foot. You have to strip a lot of wire, but it doesn't take long. It is now my preferred speaker wire over the anti-cable for a great value. Kimber is certainly on to something with this speaker wire. In fairness, the cost of termination should be considered in comparison to anti-cables and Morrow. The 8PR can be bought terminated for $122 for a 5 foot pair terminated with standard spades (CableCo). |
Remember that all cables sound different depending on to what they are attached. I maintain there is no BEST cable...just the one that sounds best to the listener in his/her own system. |
I just found out today that Kimber Cable has a less advertized line. For example, their new top of the line (before the expensive Monocle wire), the 12tc, know as 12tcVS is almost half as expensive as the regular 12tc, it is supposed to be warmer, less analytical, and more musical than standard 12tc. I believe I was given a price of $388.00 for a 12ft pair, which includes any combo of spades and bananas. So, a standard 8ft pair is approx $250-279. Check with a Kimber Kable dealer, and try to get 10% discount....lots of luck. I am unfamiliar with KK's 8PR |
I have Anti Cables and IC's throughout my system. The speaker cables blew the AQ Rockefeller that I had out of the water. And last night I added the Anti IC's and my system has never sounded better... There may be better cable out there, but for this price? No way in hell that anything beats this even at 4x the cost... |
I find, having both, that anti's shine on rock.SC 5 on acoustic-YMMV |
