most of you haven't heard of audio tekne cables but you will. ask lars fredell of ultimate audio and he will tell you they are as close to his favorites,silversmith audio cables,as can be but not as expensive. i replaced cardas golden cross biwires with the audio tekne cables,using 2 pairs,and the difference was nothing short of amazing.i have tubed equiptment,arcvt100 and arc ls-15,as well as a scd-1.i have also heard their interconnects and powercords and they are the best i have ever heard. they are not cheap...$1300 for a 1m pair of rca's and aprox. $500 for the powercords but they are better then the black mamba at that price.the speaker cables just went up in price at hififarm.com, the only us distributor at this point, so i am not sure of the cost. email lars at ultimate audio and ask him about them. |
...i would compare "Dragon" with SR Designer's Reference, they are little cheaper(new) than "dragon" around $4000/10 ft.pair. |
AQ clear is very good. It was my cable of choice until I auditioned the Goertz AG 2. Which is the one I upgaded to. I promise you will happily surprised with this cable! |
I used AQ Dragon in my system several years ago. I thought it was a real nice cable quite smooth and detailed. I also used AQ Sterling for a brief period and didn't feel I lost much dropping down to Sterling. Since then I've used Transparent Reference (in a Watt Puppy system I no longer have) and Nordost SPM (in my current system). The Transparent is a real nice speaker cable. I believe it is warmer than the SPM. The SPM is a bit brighter but definitely faster and adds more rhythm to the music which I think my current system needs because I'm using tube amps which can be a bit slow. But - if I were in the market for a speaker cable right now I would be inclined to seriously consider one of the new kids on the block - either Harmonic or Analysis Plus. I bought the Harmonic digital cable to replace my Illuminati D-60 and I'm quite pleased. |
I have Dragon now, and it's awesome! My philosophy has to do with the damping factor of your amp. If you have a beefy solid state (Krell FPB, Levinson), you need the biggest gauge silver cables (like Harmonic Technology PRO-8 Signature, or AQ Everest, or Kimber KS-3038...new for $8000). If you have a not so beefy solid state amp, YOU NEED DRAGON. If you have ANY tube amp, I suppose Nordost SPM might get more pitch definition out of it than Dragon would, but Dragon is WAY THE HELL MORE DYNAMIC THAN NORDOST SPM. If you want SPM, FIRST YOU SHOULD look for the Music Metre "Silver" speaker cable from a few years ago. I bet it's very close to SPM with a tube amp (I OWN THE MUSIC METRE, I'm gonna use it inside a couple of my speaker projects.) |
It depends on what the rest of your system is and what you want to accomplish. If your interconnects are all Audioquest, then stick to Audioquest speaker cables. It is vital that you do not mix manufacturers - unless of course you like playing around with tone controls. Cable manufacturers play with a whole variety of factors to voice their cables as a total cable system. If you mix and match then the chances of success are very low. Secondly you should make sure the interconnects and speaker cables are from roughly the same level - ie. mix Dragons with Diamonds or Lapis. Personally, although Audioquest obviously makes good cables, I believe better bargains can be found elsewhere - no doubt a function of Audioquest having to cover its high promotion and advertising cost. For my money - I want cables that do not impose any sound on the equipment. That may sound like an unattainable ideal, but after trying and living with many different cables I came across the Wireworld range and.. I use the Wireworld Eclipse cables and find them utterly neutral, natural and even-handed. The whole philosophy of Wireworld is to make cables that are soundless - illustrated by their marketing of an interconnect comparator which allows you to hear the difference between any interconnect and "no interconnect". So my first instinct is to recommend Wireworld to you. One final note - I have never regretted over-spending on speaker cable - it just seems to be a link that does not suffer from diminishing returns until your cables cost nearly half the price of your speakers (not that I recommend this)! |
When REDKIWI says "it's vital to not mix manufacturers, or you'll just be playing with tone controls", THAT'S HOGWASH. That's just common dealer propoganda to try to keep you from buying a brand they don't carry. I have AT Diamond, and using it with Dragon only exagerrates the weaknesses AND strengths of both. WITH CABLE, YOU'RE ALWAYS PLAYING WITH TONE CONTROLS. IT'S NEVER GOING TO SOUND LIKE "NO CABLE". When it does sound like that, you've found good synergy, but there's no way cables ACTUALLY sound like "no cables at all". Just a silly idea that wrongminded (and technically ignorant) guys fool themselves into thinking. WHY? Because you can NEVER KNOW what "no cable" sounds like, YOU CAN ONLY GUESS. I CAN HEAR GREAT, SO I KNOW THIS IS WHAT ME, AND EVERYBODY ELSE, IS DOING (even though they fool themselves into thinking that there suddenly "isn't a cable in the signal's path"). First, try the MIT 330 Shotgun interconnect, and tell me what you think. Also, Wireworld cables depend on an enamel coating on each strand to "prevent interactions". The enamel itself has negative dielectric effects, and smear the signal in time. Non-stranded designs don't have to deal with this. Cardas does the same thing, but at least they use different sizes, spread according to the "golden section". |
My vote is for the Alpha-core AG-3. I am using that for puppy tails and my speaker wires. The AG-3 replaced some Audio Note SPz. The SPz replaced the internal wiring in the watts/puppys. So I actually improved both aspects, and the sound is now magical. I think the AG-3 is a best buy! |
Alpha Core's "low impedance" designs are flawed. I've tried them, and they are very smeared and distorted. And the Focal tweeter Wilson uses is no good at all, however much they "rebuild" it. |
Not knowing how much you want to spend I would recommend the MIT 770's that are on sale at Audio Advisor. (I don't work for them)A friend just bought them(upgraded from the 750's ) and he thought that they made such an improvement on his Thiel CS 6's that he is now looking to sell his Genesis 900 subwoofer. Even a used set of 750's Series ll would make a nice improvement.If you can afford $1200 you can't go wrong with the 770's. Good Luck! |
Interesting opinions Carl - I guess you must have needed the wash. Your assumption that I get my opinions from dealers is unwarranted - I cannot think of a less likely source of useful information, but just because even dealers say it does not make it hogwash. I do not think I would be the first person to suggest that mixing and matching manufacturers just increases the number of variables, and reduces the chance of a synergistic result. But despite being the sort that loves to challenge conventional wisdom, I still came to the conclusion that fewer variables were better. Did I get there listening to dealers? No. Just 20 odd years of experience - starting out by mixing everything up - finding that a significant downside of this was that every upgrade resulted in having to shuffle the variables (expensively) all over again - and slowly but surely finding a state of grace was to be had by keeping it simple. You are right that I should not have said "vital". I just find it better to see the cables as a single item and use one manufacturer; I find it better to not mix manufacturer when mating a transport to a dac etc. This is because I have found that to get a synergistic result does not require the use of say 13 variables (count them - transport, dac, pre, power, speaker, digital link, 2 interconnect links, speaker cable, and 4 power cords). Instead, 5 or 6 variables will do just fine. If there is any hogwash here it is the use of pseudo-science to dismiss a product (as you did with Wireworld cables) by pointing out a design issue you happen to disagree with (in this case the coating of strands) and concluding the cable must therefore smear detail and be inferior to anything that does not coat strands. If you hear the Wireworld cables smearing details then say so. What more proof do you need? Similarly with your comparison with Cardas - they must be better because the strand thickness is varied? Truly hogwash Carl. Personally I found when placing Cardas Golden Cross throughout my system, in place of Wireworld Gold Eclipse, I did not like the result. It warmed things up a lot, but the effect was unnecessary and detracted from the music by introducing a pervasive coloration. There were other differences, but the simple fact was that with the Wireworld in place I enjoyed the music better. I do not have to justify or explain this with pseudo-science. Of course valuable knowledge can be gained from understanding cause and effect - but I cannot believe your explanations of the Wireworld or Cardas cables are sufficient to either dismiss the Wireworld cables (as you do) or prove the Cardas cables are better (as you claim). |
You know , I have never understood the notion of spending $100's of dollars on interconnects and speaker cable. I have 10 gauge Monster Cable going to my speakers and Lightning Audio interconnects. All I wanted to achieve is to have the cables that make me happy with the sound quality, and have accurate signal coming from my components. I am no cable expert and I don't want to be. I love music, not wire. All of you people posting must have perfect systems that put out prefect signal,because if they didn't you wouldn't be so concerned about wire. I haven't seen a perfect system around here yet, have you ? In conclusion,all systems are basically built around one common theme, the owners own musical taste. Even the Audio giants build components and speakers that deliver a distinctive sound, a sound which they think closely imitates the true musical experience. Sorry no system is perfect, even if they have the "perfect cables". |
Redkiwi, this is just to say that I enjoyed reading what you had to say, both the substance and the cool with which you handled Carl's chaotic attack. Cjcarver, a lot of people who 'waste' their money on interconnects and speaker wire are into music, like yourself. I'm one of them. It's just that you DO enjoy music more when you 'improve', or rather adjust the sound to your liking. You really do. Play with some cables, try MIT Terminator 2 to begin with which you can get used for 50 bucks per pair of interconnects, and you'll see how much better your rig will sound. Or at the very least it'll sound very different which means that by playing with cables you can get your rig to sound better to your liking than it does now. And it won't take away from the music... |
Redkiwi, this is just to say that I enjoyed reading what you had to say, both the substance and the cool with which you handled Carl's chaotic attack. Cjcarver, a lot of people who 'waste' their money on interconnects and speaker wire are into music, like yourself. I'm one of them. It's just that you DO enjoy music more when you 'improve', or rather adjust the sound to your liking. You really do. Play with some cables, try MIT Terminator 2 to begin with which you can get used for 50 bucks per pair of interconnects, and you'll see how much better your rig will sound. Or at the very least it'll sound very different which means that by playing with cables you can get your rig to sound better to your liking than it does now. And it won't take away from the music... |
Redkiwi, this is just to say that I enjoyed reading what you had to say, both the substance and the cool with which you handled Carl's chaotic attack. Cjcarver, a lot of people who 'waste' their money on interconnects and speaker wire are into music, like yourself. I'm one of them. It's just that you DO enjoy music more when you 'improve', or rather adjust the sound to your liking. You really do. Play with some cables, try MIT Terminator 2 to begin with which you can get used for 50 bucks per pair of interconnects, and you'll see how much better your rig will sound. Or at the very least it'll sound very different which means that by playing with cables you can get your rig to sound better to your liking than it does now. And it won't take away from the music... |
Redkiwi, this is just to say that I enjoyed reading what you had to say, both the substance and the cool with which you handled Carl's chaotic attack. Cjcarver, a lot of people who 'waste' their money on interconnects and speaker wire are into music, like yourself. I'm one of them. It's just that you DO enjoy music more when you 'improve', or rather adjust the sound to your liking. You really do. Play with some cables, try MIT Terminator 2 to begin with which you can get used for 50 bucks per pair of interconnects, and you'll see how much better your rig will sound. Or at the very least it'll sound very different which means that by playing with cables you can get your rig to sound better to your liking than it does now. And it won't take away from the music... |
Redkiwi: Gee, I'm sorry I offended you so much. I can see that you're closed minded on mixing different manufacturers' cables. Twenty years experience or not, I can hear better than you, and am also more open minded about cabling than you. When I try a new cable, it is just ONE VARIABLE I'M INTRODCUING, NOT 13!!! We have different philosophies, and I can respect that, but calling verifiable science "pseudo science" is the ignoramous's way out of a hole he has dug. YES, INDEED I HAVE HEARD THE WIREWORLD CABLES TO BE SMEARED. So what? If you don't hear that, that's your problem! |
Dito on the MIT wire. amazing stuff. each series offers great leaps in sound over the last. best improvement for the money. MIT interconnects will make the best improvement at first. then when you get their speaker wire. WOW! Since the day I heard MIT products I could never change to anything else. They have patents that nobody can touch. and this keeps them on top and very affordable. |
Thanks Yuri. But I was really just feeling mischievous that day and was trying to wind Carl up. I was somewhat disappointed when he did not reply, but sure enough he came through in the end. As usual he substituted invective (now I am an ignoramus) for any semblance of reasoned argument, and continued to make assumptions about me (he can hear better than me and is more open-minded on cable mixing than me). And all this angst is meant to prove his opinions are truth, and others' (in this case mine) are not. Actually Carl I was not offended. I enjoyed every word. I am in two minds whether your latest arguments (accusations) require rebuttal, but don't want this little spat of ours to become tedious for others - so I will withdraw now and let others decide for themselves. My apologies to Kentt for having fun and messing around with your serious question. |
The best thing to do about carl_eber postings is to ignore them and don't reply. |
Thanks Gerrym5. I am a slow learner, but recognise good advice when I see it. |
Fellas, you make just as many blind assumptions about me as you think I make about you. All I am doing is defending my point of view, and it's not angst in the least. Ignore me if you like, but I'm full of insights that you can't possibly imagine... |
