sivler interconnect

I have recently started playing around with 2 pairs of Audioquest Cheetah I/C's. One thing I know for sure is that cables do not make the same sonic signature in any two systems. They do not even deliver the same sound when moved around in the same system, as Audphile1 seems to have found out. Cables are a way to EQ the sound coming out of your speakers. Silver may or may not work for you. I am still moving them around to see what I like best.

Tim

i have not ever tried this cable , but i wonder about this cable , these cable are expensive ,but they do not come with the box , only the plastic bag,i think the people make this cable right ? so how do you known which one from dealer or from custom cable

gentlemen:

i have tried the audioquest jaguar and i have owned the cardas golden cross, the cardas golden hex 5 c, the quadlink and the twin link.

those cables are unbalanced. in the case of audioquest, too much upper midrange and treble energy.

in the case of the cardas, a bit forward in the upper midrange.

the audioquest sounded like there was some silver in the cable, perhaps all silver or silver coated copper.

the cardas is a copper cable.

right now the dcca interconnect and sunny cable technology interconnect seem to work for me.

thanks for the suggestions.

my system is , scd1 sony , trisita 21 dac , A3.2 amp and preamp musical fidelity, 927 be jm lab , all interconnect straigh wire serenade and one pair kimber kcag , i do not like kimber kcag , i found they are so bright cable in my system , now im looking crescendo interconnect to use them between amp and preamp , or i can look for another brand , my buget is 300 - 500 for 0.5 metter , please give advice, thanks

i like this dialogue. thank you gentlemen for your insight.

i will describe my components shortly.

if i listen to 5 pair of silver cables and describe the resulting sound as i have alluded to, and then change to a particular cable and the sound changes, what does one make of that.

if i can identify silver cables whenever i hear them in my system or that of other systems, i allege they have a character and are not neutral. i believe silver cables are not neutral.

they portray the sound of instruments in a way which is less credible than when using a variety of copper or copper/gold cables. this is my perception of silver cables.

i have auditioned hundreds of stereo systems, many of which used silver cables and the result was not pleasnt. with such a track record of evidence, i stake my claim.

now to my system and preferences.

i have quad63 speakers, a houston 50 watt tube amp aand vtl deluxe 120 amp, a maple tree pr3eamp (6sn7 from Canada), i have an audionote cd2 tube output stage cd player, a cal labs alpha and delta, legenburg line cords, dcca interconnect, speaker cable and line cord, soundstring interconnect and line cord, sunny cable technology interconnect and line cord, solitone speaker cable sound fusion sound boosters anti resonant devices under components, ps audio ultimate outlets and juice bar.

yes it's a hodge podge with more than one set of cable.

i like a vintage tube sound, specifically, attenuation in the treble, past 3khz, a very distant perspective and a slightly ripe uuper bass, lower mids (a slight boost between 100 to 200 hz).

I use AZ Silver Ref MkII from source to pre and Matrix Ref MkII from pre to amp. This achieves a nice balance of resolution and warmth. However, using 2 Silver Ref cables, I personally would not recommend. But if you want warm, yet detailed, consider AZ Matrix Ref MkII. Hybrid copper/silver interconnect. If you find that to be splashy, which I doubt, try some Audioquest cables, like Jaguar or Panther. Little darker sounding, but if you like that, these'll do. Good luck.

I and lots of others disagree heartily with Mrtennis's characterisation of silver-conductor cable (SCC). While the sound of SCC is as variable as many cables made of copper conductors, in fact, other factors being equal, silver is a slightly superior conductor and cable made from it will sound cleaner and less characterful* than copper-made cable. In the 2 careful (and exhausting for me, as I'm no GEA and I have to WORK to hear subtle differences) comparisons of IC I've done, SCC has sounded cleaner, more transparent, than copper-conductor cable. I have solid-SCC throughout my system; my system does NOT sound timbrally inaccurate, instruments do NOT sound unreal, bad recordings do NOT sound worse (they simply sound the way they sound), and the sound of my system is not at all annoying. In fact the sound of my all-silver-cabled system continues to improve, and it's the best-sounding system I've ever had. (I'll not comment on Mrtennis's use of the term 'analytical', as I have no idea what that means.)

PS Audio is now selling its new Xtreme Resolution ICs. The 2 cables are apparently identical except that Reference is made with VERY-high-quality copper and Transcendant with silver conductors; see http://www.psaudio.com/products/xstream_resolution_audio_overview.asp . Read what JerryS of 10Audio.com has to say about them here http://www.10audio.com/psaud_ref_trans.htm .

Personally, I don't choose IC or speaker cable on how it 'sounds', so I don't look for a 'warm' or any-other-sounding cable. My goal is cable that has no sound...no character...of its own. If your system sounds a little thin, I suggest you replace or retune whatever components are creating that lack of richness. In my experience, it's almost always the speakers and/or room.

* and, after all, most of us want our cable to have NO character whatever.

There are too many variables in cable design and your system, that will affect the sound notcieably, so any general statements about silver or copper would be deemed worthless...
Please describe your components (including current cabling) and what your thoughts are on their sound. Perhaps you tried some other cables and have some impressions how they worked in your system. It would be useful to tell a little bit about your taste in sound attributes that you value the most. Some people are bass freaks, some want extreme reproduction of ultrasound to drive their dog away... Some just like it "hot"... All this information would give other readers a lot more clues as to what actual commercial or DIY cables might "fix" your problem, assuming it is a cable issue in the first place. Sometimes it's just a wrong component...

the character of silver cable i detect is an analytic quality. it creates timbral inaccuracy where instruments do not sound real. also, bad recordings sound very bad.

its like listening to music under a magnifying glass.

the overall effect is to make listening to music annoying except for the very best recordings.

Mrtennis, you state:

i believe there is a character to silver cables which is identifiable...

How would you describe those characteristics? Are they consistent when using either tube or SS amplification??

i have yet to hear a silver cable which doesn't sound like silver. i believe there is a character to silver cables which is identifiable after listening for several hours.

there are price range considerations. i can suggest some cables over $500 per meter but you may be looking for less expensive products.

o.k, here are some suggestions: legenburg apollo and dcca interconnect.

if you want more infor on these cables, please let me know.

also, please define warm. i may have other suggestions

What is your budget? Silver ICs can have a number of different sonic signatures depending on the design. Same with copper and gold, or even those designs that are hybrid.

If you truly are looking for a warm IC try VH Audio Pulsar cables, they are very reasonably priced and have a 60 day trial period. If your budget allows you to go higher, perhaps Xtreme Cables or Oritek might be your ticket. You should also keep in mind that cables are also system dependent. A pair that sounds warm in one may not sound warm in another.

In general, Silver cables are fast, transparent,revealing, accurate, and engaging. Depending on the set up, results may vary. Silver is usually not the best match for some solid state components.

If you are looking for a "Warm" interconnect cable, I would suggest a copper cable. Anything from Cardas, Analysis Plus, or Acoustic Zen might do the trick for starters.

Good Luck!

Chris