RCA interconnect recommendation

@stuartk ...This may make it more difficult to choose between the Silver and Copper cables.  We'll see. . . 

Good point and agree with your suggestion.  It can be system dependent, and results can vary.  While I have both in other brands I went from silver back to occ copper. Silver was great in my former system, not the case in a newer setup, fwiw. Just gotta try it and see. What works well in one persons setup might not in others.  

@stuartk fwiw I obsessively test both inter-mixed and identical cables end-to-end from sources, to preamps, to amps.  In different types and orders too. While each cable is "not supposed to have a signature" according to some folks self guided rules... imo they ALL leave a signature good, neutral, or bad. Each pair of cables, including the in/out on the Lokius itself, and downstream cables of different types, will all impact the results somehow. Try different combinations and orders of what you have for now. It can be fun.    

You can try putting your best pair first in order and down-order from there.  Or, can even reverse the order of quality for a different affect.  I'm doing this now in a fairly transparent all tube system (tube DAC, tube Preamp, tube Monos amps), with same brand OFC copper IC pairs first up front, OCC copper IC pairs downstream in reverse quality order.  Sometimes my full loom of all OCC or all silver end-to-end is not the best.   The "blend" of the two types and orders can also produce a rewarding result too. Try it with whatever you got.   Best of Luck.    

@gary_c "...you will probably also like the Cardas Golden Cross or Golden Reference, although someone else had a different opinion. I went from AZ Matrix Ref II to Golden Cross and found it to sound more spacious, fuller and more rounded, yet with a little more clarity than the Matrix. I wouldn’t rule them out.".

@gary_c having owned both Golden Cross (prior) and Golden Reference (current), by chance have you tried both and compared the two?

If you don’t like the slight rolloff and added plushness of the GCs, you might like the GRs a little more. I sold off all of my GCs to a Pass Labs owner who loves them for the older version amps that were brighter. I bought the GRs for another system I was gonna build. Decided to swap the GRs to my main system and using the GRs right now on my mono tube amps. Now comparing to my other Analysis Plus Crystals OCC interconnects. I'm not sure the GRs will displace the AP crystals.  

The GRs are very close to the same design as the Cardas Clear Reflections which have the newer connector ends. I think I like the Golden Refs better than the Clear Reflections I demo’d earlier this year The GRs have started opening up with some time on them. Nice tone, texture, depth without being overly plush. They also work nicely with newer design tube amps using new repro small signal and output tubes too.

@gary_c good to know, would be fun to try the az refs too. I truly enjoyed the GCs on my former two SS amps.  

@smaarch1 Not to sidetrack you too much on your interconnect thread but wanted to ask for ya., Have you already been down the small-tube rolling path with your Rogue integrated yet? (i.e replacing the stock original JJ 12aU7 12aX7 tubes). Can be a nice improvement and will benefit you on your interconnect realization too.

Back in 2017 I recall several groups of Rogue Cronos and Cronos Magnum II owners were haggling with swapping out trying various NOS, RCAs, new-repro Mullard’s, and landing on PSVANE and Gold Lyons replacing all (12au7, 12ax7) of the small stock low cost signal and driver tubes and very happy with the results. I have tried a decent NOS collection myself (25 different matched pairs of NOS, including the best of the very best early vintage Mullard Blackburns) and NOW just run the newer version small PSVANE (2021+), quite smooth. Allows one to save off the rare NOS stuff too. My new theory is good small signal/driver tubes first and good caps inside the amp(s) before more interconnect upgrades.  Makes a notable and engaging difference with the flow of the music, fwiw. If you have not tried it yet in your Rogue, it can be a fairly affordable upgrade and change for the better. Best of luck.

@smaarch1 "...Then I switched the Zen cable over to the DAC (successfully this time). All I can say is Wow!. A vast improvement."

There it is. For some, for better or worse, cables can/do make a difference :)