Shunyata Venom RCA vs Bluesound Node 2i stock rca


Has anyone noticed a worthwhile improvement in sound quality by upgrading the rca cables with a Bluesound Node 2i? I compared Shunyata Venom rca with the rca cable that came with the Node 2i and to my ears the stock rca cable sounded better with my stereo. I have the Node 2i connected to a 1986 Denon DRA-25 with Blue Jeans speaker cables through 1986 Klipsch kg2 bookshelf speakers. The only other component I’m using is a Monster Cable HTS 1600 Home Theater Reference Power Center. It sounds good. But I’m curious to know what would be the next step towards a worthwhile investment in sound quality. I’m streaming TIDAL through ROON from a 2013 iMac over Wifi.  Thanks.

btlancaster24

Showing 1 response by markusthenaimnut

I think you gotta live with it in the system for a while. You might hear a difference with a quick A - B comparison but it would be very logical for that to be affected by your expectation that you will hear a difference, just like @jasonbourne71 mentioned, and seeking/paying attention for what stands out. That can be very subjective and in my experience results might switch on you.

In my experience there’s little doubt that the interconnects can make a big difference, but whether it is an improvement or just a change in the frequency response in some part of the range can be a challenge to determine.

@jasonbourne71 I have a question for you - not trying to start an argument - have you ever tried swapping any wires in your system? I’m curious what you’re using and how you arrived at your setup. I was a cable agnostic until an unexpected encounter plainly demonstrated a difference between my standard interconnects and another pair. I was irritated to find that power cords made a difference, a power conditioner made a difference, interconnects and speaker wires. I am glad I had this experience, as my system sounds much better than it ever did before. I kind of kick myself that I spent so many years listening to wires that were negatively impacting the sound of my system.