Review: Stealth Audio Cables Varidig Sextet Reference Interconnect
Category: Cables
For the last two years my reference digital cable has been the very fine Artistic Audio Vacuum reference. Before, I made this cable my reference in my system I had audtioned the following digital cables: 1)Nordost Valhalla 2)Acoustic Zen MC2=Zen 3)Transparent Audio Labs Reference 4)Goldmund Lineal digital reference. They all were quite good, but I thought the Artistic Audio Vacuum reference was superior in the following area's: 1)More transparent with more details offered in a very natural way. 2) More extension both on the top and bottom. 3)A bigger soundstage with more air around the individual players. 4) Lastly, timbres were very natural sounding. All cables in my system sound the best when ended with BNC connectors. One of my "Golden Eared" audiophile friends informed that he thought that the new Stealth Varidig Sextet was a great step up sonicly from the Artistic Arts Vacuum cable. My digital front end pieces are the same as his, so this lead to audtioning the Stealth cable. Thanks Brian! Stealth Audio Cables is famous/infamous for there highly aclaimed Indra IC's. They are hideously expensive at $5750.00 for a one meter pair! The Varidig Sextet is Stealth's attempt to build a digital reference that would match the sonic level of the Indra IC's. Well, I have never audtioned a pair of Indra's in my system, so I don't know if they succeeded in that area, but this new cable is great on its own merit. The only technical note I want to share is that Stealth believes that this cable is built on a similar concept compared with DACS that "stack" several DAC chips for upsampling the bit stream. If you have questions regarding technical information like what type of metal is used, shielding materials, Cryogenic treatment, Etc., please go to their website: www. stealthaudiocables.com for a full explanation. ON TO THE SONICS. Everything I described regarding the Artistic Arts Vacuum cable was improved across the board. A bigger and more refined soundstage with more precise laying/more air around the different players. More air on top with a great improvement in the dynamics/realism of the bottom end. However the last three sonic virtues were not just an improvement, but a qualitive shift: 1) There doesnot seem to be a noisefloor, black got "blacker", it seems that the music just floats out of the background. 2) All timbres, to my ears sound more real and refined in an "organic/natural" way. 3) The last qualitive difference might be a composite of the first two, that my system has even a higher degree of what I describe as "liquidity/easyness" without losing dynamics or details along the way. Well, I hope that this somewhat convey's the beauty of this cable. However, I want to be very clear that I'm not claiming or stating that this cable is the "BEST" in the world, but ranks with some of the finest reference digital cables today, based on my personnal taste and synergy with my system. If you own reference digital pieces I would recommend you audtion this cable and see if it brings your system to another level like it did mine. Finally, it's not cheap at $2400.00, but I believe it is worth the money based on its performance.
