2. cables
  3. 119205-355

Remind me again why...

Some time ago I spoke of for how I piggy-backed two different speaker cables for really good sound and the response, though positive, advised me not to do it due to, whatever (I forget). On another recent thread someone spoke of how he runs his speaker cables in series, using different brands and gets great results.
All this led me to try using my Mapleshade Clearviews in addition to my Mapleshade Double Helix speaker cables resulting in 3 runs per post. The results were rather nice as it added body, weight and across the frequency range fullness without losing any of the qualities I like in the Mapldeshades: agility, litheness, detail, air, etc.

Not content with that, I removed them and put in an old pair of Zu Mission SCs and my newish Supra Ply 3.4W SCs and it almost floored me. The combination of the two had none of the drawbacks of either singly and more than all the strengths of either alone. I'm talking an almost regal (kingly, presidential, stately) sound, rich and broad and yet detailed and toned, with air, decay, ambience. etc. Nothing really amiss that I can tell.

The sound I'm getting from my Clearview Duet 6 monitors reminds me of the sound  I got from my Legacy Classic floor standers (more than 70# heavier) which had 2 10" bass drivers among it's 7 speaker array due to the way it pressurized my room. I'm now listening some 3-5db lower and getting the same sensations of being alive and present. 

The biggest improvement seems to be in the upper mids to the highs which seem to have grown some, having the same presence as the lower mids and bass. Most welcome indeed. Brass, cymbals, high hats and leading edges of percussion have more weight and impact, even at lower volumes.

It's kind of odd looking, having two mid sized cables running behind everything but I could care less right now. One has spades and the other bananas so the connections are tight and snug. I'm beginning to wonder if all one needs is some high quality copper of a large enough gauge to call it a day. Or it could be some serendipitous system synergy I stumbled onto. This setup really exploits the speakers ability that lay hidden from me, allowing me to really appreciate them all the more. Nice way to end the year.

I know this won't stop here as I'll look into some larger gauge speaker cables, maybe some Anaylsis Plus Oval 9s or something that won't break the bank but now I at least know the answer and way to go. For now, I'm content with the looks only because of the sound. I even tried some old ECM jazz CDs and they came to life like never before. Not an easy thing to do.

Happy New Year everyone!


All the best,
Nonoise


128x128nonoise
10 responses Add your response
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,733 posts
 
Happy New Year!

while it is wise to have (1) brand of cabling across one's system, every now and again, mixing/matching also yields outstanding results!

Keep me posted & Happy Listening!
ivan_nosnibor's avatar
ivan_nosnibor
1,048 posts
 

Hasn’t entirely gone unnoticed by me, Nonoise. If I recall rightly, I believe it was Sabai who had posted a while back about his discovery of series wiring virtues and seems like it had been at least echoed by one or two others. I’ve always had it in the back of my mind somewhere to follow up on that idea myself at some point down the road, even if it’s nothing more than unique interactions, per whatever synergy happens to be going on, that may be accounting for the changes in what is heard. It may not be strictly accurate, at least if we’re trying to go by the book, but, the last time I looked anyway, neither is tube rolling, per se. But, for the foreseeable future my audio budget is still tight and I myself will necessarily be confined to some bigger fish to fry in the meantime. But, do keep us updated from time to time with your experiences, I for one would be intrigued to see what may come of it.

Regards

John


Happy New Year to all!

nonoise's avatar
nonoise OP
10,883 posts
 
Well, it didn't take long to for something to pop my bubble. Every CD I tried prior to penning this benefited from the double run of cables, be it  with the Mapleshades or with the Zu/Supra combo. Both had more presence than previously experienced with that fuller presentation from the upper mids to the highs. The Mapleshades had it for that clearly defined, almost holographic feel while the Zu/Supra had that immense presence.

Then came Johnny Cash with 'American IV' and it all went two dimensional: flat and rather boring, loss of detail, lack of air and space. Same with Black Keys 'Brother'. I had to remove the Supras for the recordings to come alive again. Head scratching time.

It might be the recordings as it's the only two CDs so far that point to something amiss but I've miles to go and a whole new year to slog through. Tell the guys with the white coats there's no need to pay me a visit.

All the best,
Nonoise

douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Nonoise, yes, obviously it is the recordings, as systems do not "shift" in character. Never dumb down a system for the occasional poor recording. 
jl35
4,011 posts
 
I spoke to Pierre at Mapleshade a few years ago about double runs of his cables that I already had, and he was very positive about doing that...I used them that way for a few years with great results...
nonoise's avatar
nonoise OP
10,883 posts
 
douglas_schroeder, thanks for reminding me of something so basic that it's often overlooked: the weak link can be the recording.

jl35, thanks for letting me know what Pierre feels about his cables as the Mapleshade combo gave me the greatest insight into a recording without the analytical etch while remaining quite robust down low without a hint of bloat or smear.

The funny thing about all of this is as the Zu Mission SCs ran solo for awhile, they started to come alive again. I've been too quick to assess all of these cables natures, alone, and in combo, to let them speak for themselves. I've forgotten that even old cables that haven't been used for years don't sound their best until they've spoken for awhile. 

It's not a matter of my ears getting used to them but they acclimating to my system. It's a really short break in, comparatively speaking, but it took a couple of days. As they near their stride, they sound really nice.

Time to get back on the merry-go-round. My retirement is 3 months away so I'll have plenty of time to drive myself crazy. :-)

All the best,
Nonoise
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
"Systems don't shift in character."  Really?  Then why is it that so many audiophiles remark, my system sounds really good one day then suddenly for no apparent reason sounds like garbage the next day? Then, great again two days later.  What's up with that?
nonoise's avatar
nonoise OP
10,883 posts
 
I think systems, once settled in, remain the constant in the equation with the power delivery side (peak hours, late night, amount imbibed, etc) being one of the biggest factors in how it will sound along with mental attitude and quality of pressings.

It's that or we're all quite insane.

All the best,
Nonoise
schubert
7,386 posts
 
+ 1 with nonoise, esp. if you live in a big city, +2 if near (3/4 mile)  major transmission lines !
markus1299
252 posts
 
I also had this come and go quality with my systems sound until I realized that the power coming out of my wall socket was  varying from 116V to 124V quite frequently. In came the PS audio power regenerator which keeps the power at a constant 120V and protects against lightening surges here in Florida. Sound is now stellar all the time. 
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