Review: Ridge Street Audio Poiema Speaker cable

Category: Cables

I first heard and wrote a review about the Ridge Street Audio Midnight Silver Edition (MSE) Interconnects and Speaker Cables in May of 2003. This was followed up by a review of the MSE Gen. II Interconnects in August 2003, the MSE Gen. II Speaker Cables in October 2003, and the MSE Gen. II Digital Link. Since that time, Robert C. Schult, proprietor/designer, has developed what he considers his most revealing interconnect and speaker cable named Poiema. While I’m still waiting to audition the Poiema interconnects; I have in my possession a pair of the Poiema speaker cables.

I thought the MSE Gen. II sounded fantastic and I tried to imagine how Robert could improve the sound of the MSE Gen. II speaker cables. Technically speaking, I have no idea what Robert did. However, I can definitely hear what I would call a 10% to 15% improvement in my tube and SS systems when using the Poiema speaker cables.

Here is how I described the MSE Gen. II speaker cables in my review of October 2003:

“As soon as I installed the Gen. II speaker cables and heard the first minute of the opening track of Hugh Masekela’s “Abangoma,” I knew I was in for a treat! Although the Midnight Silver Edition Gen. II speaker cables improved over the next week of break-in, they sounded more articulate than the original speaker cable--with better detail, greater microdynamics and a powerful and tightly dynamic bass--as soon as they were installed”.

“After carefully listening to my dozen or so audition CDs and a few LPs, I was amazed at the improvement within my system. I noted more bass definition (which was crisper with more focus), additional 3-D imaging left to right as well as front to back, and additional extension and detail as if I were at a live performance”.

The 10% to 15% improvement I heard while using the Poiema speaker cables was in the following areas:

1) Quieter background, which allows one to hear deeper into the recording. This allows greater details to become more obvious. I noticed richer-sounding and more articulate treble, mids, and astounding bass that I never heard that clearly before.
2) The music sounds even more lifelike, as if I was sitting in the same room with a live presentation. Just as the MSE Gen. II interconnects and speaker cables are extremely smooth, fast, neutral, transparent, and allow one to hear deep within the music and convey the force, speed and robustness of a live performance, the Poiema speaker cables do so to a greater extent.

The Poiema speaker cables are very well engineered and constructed. They are attractive to look at and are very flexible, and lightweight. In addition, they have very easy-to-read, yet non-intrusive, directional arrows and are clearly marked “Poiema.”

In conclusion, I realize that audiophile componenty is system dependent, and what sounds good in one system doesn't always work well in another. In this case, the Poiema speaker cable sounds excellent in my tube and solid-state systems, and I highly recommend you give it a try if you're in the market for a new speaker cable. I don't think one could lose with a 30-day money-back return policy.

Associated gear
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