Category: Cables
My sytem has been very stable for quite a while now. The components have great synergy but I wondered if I was really getting all that they had to offer out of them.
I decided to start trying different interconnects. Over the last 18 months I have tried many different cables. I don't have a lot of disposable income so most of the cables were $100-800 a meter rca pair.
I tried copper,silver,palladium,and cables with some combination of those metals. Most excelled in atleast one area of the audiophile spectrum but not all. I thought that maybe I was asking for too much or perhaps I had reached the capabilities of my system and that was it.
I happened upon an auction for KCI Silkworms pure gold interconnects. The auction was ending too soon for me to just blindly bid. So, I started doing some research and found lots of good comments about the cables.
I emailed KCI and got a reply from John Prator 30 minutes later. He offered a lot of information and practical advice. He explained how he hand builds the cables one at a time and how he came to settle on the 24k pure gold.I decided to go ahead and order some custom length cables. John kept me updated on the progress of the construction and offered a 24 hour conditioning.
The communication with John was excellent. It took just 5 days to receive the cables, even with the 24 hour conditioning. I have to say that I got some of the best and most personalized customer service from KCI than any other manufacturer I have ever dealt with.
I listen to a wide range of music including Diana Krall,Dead Can Dance,Massive Attack,Strunz and Farah,K.D. Lang,Pink Floyd,Bob Marley,Santana,Peter Gabriel,the various Buddha Bar volumes,etc. etc.. I think you get the idea, varied music. I used all of this music in evaluating cables.
The sound that I expected from gold cables was not what I heard at all. I expected some kind of warm lush sound with a laid back nature. What I got was a very fast clear sound. I immediately heard highs that were much more extended than with previous cables and nice solid mids with strong bass.
My system was immediately more live sounding with a 3D soundstage in front of, beside of, and even behind me. I also realized immediately how slow and veiled other cables sounded. The bass wasn't as tight as I would have liked but the cables had great promise.
I allowed the cables to burn-in for 150 hours before doing any other critical listening. Of course I had listened a little along the way and noticed the bass firming up and the cables becoming clearer and more exteneded still.
Afetr 150 hours I was blown away. Vocals are so real they can catch you off guard. The highs were extended and airy, the mid-range is liquid and smooth yet very revealing, and the bass is, wow! The bass has more energy than with any other cable yet it also reveals definition and nuance in the lowest notes that I have never heard before. I now realize I was missing a lot of the foundation and drive of the music that I love so much.
The KCI Silkworms have truely completed the synergy of my system.
This review is based solely on my system and my opinion. I have no affiliation with KCI or John Prator. I paid full market price for the cables. I am just a very satisfied customer. Thanks for checking out my first product review. Happy listening, Duane
Associated gear Click to view my Virtual System
