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Review: Pure Note Epsilon Reference Speaker cable

Category: Cables

I have had many A-goners email me about these cables so I will write a brief review. Please refer to my review about the Pure Note interconnects here.

The Epsilon Reference is a unique speaker cable, supplied as individual runs and metal braiding over Teflon. Quality WBT connectors are used. The cables are held together by plastic blocks that also keep them off the floor. You can step on these and your dog or cat cannot eat through them. The idea behind the braid is not for shielding but to eliminate the dielectric absorption found in plastic cables.

I have owned the Epsilon Reference speaker cables for about a year. I have compared them to Silver Audio Symphony-48, Siltech G3, and Transparent Opus. First off I must say that the Opus is wonderful and perfect but at $30,000 (borrowed) I would hope so. I feel this is the ultimate reference cable. The Epsilon Reference at a mere $1300 (8ft) was very close to the soundstaging of the Opus but failed in ultimate musicality and purity. The Pure Note's however bested the Silver Audio's and Siltech's overall. The Pure Note's have superb wall-to-wall imaging and natural musical perspective. They are not hard, bright, or thin as one would suspect in silver cables. A review is scheduled on these cables in Positive Feedback, next issue, according to them.

[url]http://www.purenote.com[/url]

Associated gear
Martin Logan Requests.
Krell Electronics.
Sony SCD-1
VPI tt.
Various cartridges.

Similar products
Silver Audio Symphony-48
Siltech G3
Transparent Opus
sonic_genius
8 responses Add your response
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Correction. Six months ago I switched over to a less expensive cable that is far quieter, more pristine, more natural, and easily more musical than the PN Epsilon Refs. It was only then that discovered how much grain and hash the PNER's actually induced.

-IMO
eddykale-da13
1 posts
 
I recently bought a pair of used Epsilon References version 4. I have never seen a woven metal jacketed cable before, they are very cool. Also nice WBT spades.

Pure Note has opted to go to a different design called Cerulean. The Epsilon Refs. are far more musical than any cable I have yet to audition (I have not tried the Ceruleans, hear they are even better). These cables are very life-like and open. Perhaps a tad thin but not hard or bright. Excellent focus and wide/deep stage. At used prices there is no equal, IMHO.
jose21
93 posts
 
I had one eye on the PN speaker cables to go with all my other PN's, especially when they were on sale, but now I think I'd have to try them after the review.
sonic_genius OP
528 posts
 
I have learned there is a great review on the Epsilon Reference cables from Stereo Times. Seems to be a very honest and fair review as I have found Pure Note cables to be the best. Congratulations to Pure Note!

http://www.stereotimes.com/cables091403.shtm
sonic_genius OP
528 posts
 
I am learning that you should NOT cook these cables or you will end up with a thin sounding cable.
See my post: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?fcabl&1051933644&read&3&4&
sonic_genius OP
528 posts
 
There is a new review on Positive Feedback http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue6/purenote.htm for the Pure Note speaker cables and interconnects (FWIW). They say the cables are ultra-transparent yet silvery. I can say that the Pure Notes require at least 200 hours break-in to mellow. After that they are very revealing allowing you to hear the good and the bad of your system artifacts. The cables will not mask detail or add color, and on a good system will capture a live musical experience.

My benchmark is my VPI/Grado/Krell vinyl front-end. The Pure Notes are magical in rendering fine musical detail and are not silvery IMO. When I switch to my digital front-end I do hear the digital edge on some older recordings. I prefer the accuracy of these fine cables. When I compare the Pure Notes to Acoustic Zen or even the Valhalla I find these cables to sound thin and dry. Again this shows that cables are system dependent and one must take the time to evaluate several brands with the appropriate break-in hours.
lak's avatar
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lak
4,626 posts
 
I have also been using the Pure Note Epsilon Reference interconnects and speaker cables for a year. I really like them and refer to them as my reference. In my opinion they have out performed many of the competitors and the big boys. They are very hard to beat for the price!
I highly recommend them.

(FYI)
I have found a relatively unknown brand of interconnects and speaker cables that have appeared on Audiogon as an auction and reviewed once. I’m in the process of listening to them and I will post a review. These are a real ear opener, and should not be over looked or taken lightly. Keep an eye out for Ridge Street Audio “Midnight Silveredition”.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Sonic_genius, nice review. I've had the PN Epsilon Ref's XLR ic's in my system for about 6 months now and like them quite a bit. Perhaps unbeatable for the price.

-IMO
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