I've tried Analysis Plus Oval 9 for a while now, and think it's the worst sounding cable I've ever heard. I don't care what the reviews say, they're dead wrong about this one. Kthomas, try the closeout MIT Terminator 2 from Audio Advisor, for only $130 for a 10 foot pair. You'll thank me later. It's beating a $4000 silver cable in my system. I have the KAV-250a, and Paragon Radiant speakers (use Dynaudio drivers), and also Maggie MMG's. |
Sol, thanks for the support! I've found that either ic's or speaker cables can make a lot of difference, as well as AC cords. Those aren't in series with the audio signal, but thay are in series with the current supplied to the component, so their effect is total. I'm getting closer to the sound I want (and can afford)... |
Sol, I use MIT 330 Shotgun, both RCA and Proline (my linestage is rca only right now, when I use it). The Proline is the best bang for the buck, I got this 2 meter pair for $550 used. There might be something out there better for the price, but I've heard many of them, and I doubt there is...I really do...at least with similar systems to mine. MIT has had a few duds, but when they get one right, they're better than all the competition! Guys that don't like MIT, have not heard these latest "High End" series. I also found a terrific deal on a 4 year old 350 Shotgun EVO RCA a couple of months ago, and will try to compare it to every RCA interconnect around that I can, to see how the rest measure up. You wouldn't believe how "not there" THIS cable sounds. Anyway, the 330 Shotgun Proline connects the balanced output of my CD50 to the balanced input of my Krell, and the improvement was astounding (in every way) over even the 330 Shotgun RCA (connecting unbalanced). I don't know if equal credit should go for both the cable and the balanced connection, or if one should get more credit than the other. The Proline does add a "CVT coupler"...but, the CD50 does sum the output of the differential DACs (many balanced players or DACs do NOT do this), so that the advantage of differential operation can be realized from the RCA outputs. As for Krell, I've never met anyone that thought a "Krell-anything" worked as well unbalanced, as balanced, so perhaps that aspect alone accounts for the higher percentage of improvement.....................In any case, the XLR version of an interconnect practically always seems to have slightly different charactersistics from the corresponding RCA version, and usually the XLR version is better...but not always. Just like balanced operation is perhaps usually better, but certainly the circuit topology is a huge factor there (depending on what the designers prioritized). |
I have Dragon Plus non-biwire, and if/when I ever do sell them, the guy won't be a getting a "deal", since Everest is $8500! I'll get whatever the "market demands"..........................I love the way AudioQuest has gone the way of Wireworld, and gone up 150% on the price of all their cables. But at least AQ changed the names and outward appearance! (And they're cool "earth-friendly" environmentalist-wacko names, too!) WW has the gall to just hike prices 25%, with NO changes to appearance or nomenclature! I've noticed a few dealers have had to have "50% off" sales just to move WW product. And make no mistake, they're still making 50 points on the sale! I picked up some cheap Atlantis 2 ic, and will report a comparison with it, to others soon, after it gets burned in some. This test will be with Sennheiser 600 headphones and tube headphone preamp ONLY...be several weeks before I post, though... |
Either seek out what I've posted in other threads, or better yet, just try it yourself. Your own thoughts on it are all that matter anyway. It might work in your system, but I didn't like its murky distorted-ness and laid back-ness, when compared to many, many other cables in my system. I don't care if everyone else on the planet literally gets a buzz on, just from listening to this cable!........I still heard what I heard. I will also say that the Powersankes Black Mamba cord on my Krell amp brought out the WORST in this Oval 9, and the Synergistic Reference cord brought out the best, but not nearly enough to make the Oval 9 the equal or the better of all the other cables. (So far I do like the Synergisitic over the BM). The thing to note here is that several of the very ones that beat the Oval 9, costed less than it, like the Kimber 8TC, and the MIT Terminator 2. And I'm not talking "added euphony", either, I'm talking accuracy and musicality......................My philosophy is, I want to hear what's on the recording, and that is the highest someone can aspire to with a music system. The others got me much closer, than did the Oval nine. If you think you might need a laid back, soothing and fuzzy speaker cable with pretty adequate dyanmics and bass, then you should definitely try it. It likely would be the perfect match for an overly aggressive system. |
I haven't tried the Midnight, but own Dragon Plus. My guess is that Midinight may be similar with regard to transparency, and perhaps more aggressive with attack transients, than was the Oval 9. It's only a guess............A run that long will always be a compromise in my 'pinion, and it will be difficult to try different cables of that length, as you say. I would try doing it a different way, in another room, if possible. I believe that there can be advantages to biwiring, and that it's necessary if your speakers have bi-wire connection. If you don't believe in biwiring, you need to get speakers with single-wire connection. |
I don't need to try it, because my speakers are single-wire anyway. Also, adding jumpers is one of the worst things you can do, believe me. I'm sorry to hear that you've had to compromise and do all of that work, under your floor, etc. I'm a firm believer in NOT having the living room as the listening room. It's too easy for anyone in the house to pop in and disturb you, and your system must be hidden in order for your wife to accept it (usually). Highend audio isn't about compromise, especially for decor, or anything else! The components cost too much, to even consider making compromises like that, IMO. I tried my system in the living room for a while a couple of years ago, and it was an impossible situation, and that was even without any acoustic treatments. The living room is your "receiving room" for your guests, and thus it will always be extremely compromised as a listening room, and perhaps necessarily so. Get yours out of the living room. |
I did burn mine in, and I did return them, because the more affordable MIT Terminator 2 was worlds better in every way. |
