Soundwise, I find them an improvement on my old Tara Air 1 cables. They have greater extension and air than the Taras. I felt I had removed something from my system, not added it--there was less "speaker cable" there. Of special interest is the more full and defined bass. I have had poor luck with silver cables in the bass and I felt I might need to go back to the Taras if the Testaments did not measure up in that area. Some discussion with other audiophiles leads me to believe that the less satisfying bass found in many silver cables is due to the makers using too thin a gauge of wire. This is often suggested as the reason for the perceived brighter highs, as well. Perhaps simply using a beefier gauge of silver wire is Brad's secret---I don't know! In any case, I'm pleased.
While the B&W802D is not considered a bright speaker, I did not hear any of the signs of "silver brightness" at all. (Frankly, I consider the whole "silver brightness" issue to be wildly overrated. Either that, or it's one of those things that some people are oversensitive to.)
I also note that while the Taras were very sensitive to outside interference (they really had to be up on cable elevators and dressed away from the steel stand) the Testaments seem, to my ears at least, to be pretty much immune. Again, this is impressive and speaks well to the effectiveness of his shielding technique.
Overall, I'm very happy with the biwire pair and consider them one of that rare species, the genuine audiophile bargain.
The Taras have since been sold via Audiogon. (^_^)
While the B&W802D is not considered a bright speaker, I did not hear any of the signs of "silver brightness" at all. (Frankly, I consider the whole "silver brightness" issue to be wildly overrated. Either that, or it's one of those things that some people are oversensitive to.)
I also note that while the Taras were very sensitive to outside interference (they really had to be up on cable elevators and dressed away from the steel stand) the Testaments seem, to my ears at least, to be pretty much immune. Again, this is impressive and speaks well to the effectiveness of his shielding technique.
Overall, I'm very happy with the biwire pair and consider them one of that rare species, the genuine audiophile bargain.
The Taras have since been sold via Audiogon. (^_^)