Speakers cables that are warm yet detailed........

Tara Labs, to my ears, offer a nice balance of warmth and detail with excellent instrument separation and bloom. They have that certain percussive poof quality that is tight and tuneful.

I have little experience with their latest generation of cables, but use the Tara Decade and I doubt that Bond has taken a different path with his house sound. The current Air cables are the only ones I've heard and they certainly have similar sonic characteristics.

you can't have both. if you want warmth achieve the desired warmth and settle for the detail that comes with it.

if you want resolution, determine the level of resolution that you want and accept whatever warmth occurs. it is easier to approach your goal that way, than to try to be an alchemist.

given my suggestion, which is more important and what do you mean by warmth ? i may be able to make a suggestion, as i have auditioned many cables.

I would have to side with Montytx. I'm using 6ft. biwired Tara The One ISM Onboards with matching IC's in an all MBL Reference setup. The sound is neutral to slightly warm, but incredibly deep and detailed with excellent stage placement. Obviously the MBL omni's are perfect for just what I described, but with that front end you have going my guess is that you would see much of the same.

I second the Tara Labs reco, they balance very well between detail and musicality. I might recommend you try The One's.

Happy Hunting Gary,

John

You might really like Acousic Zen - Satori Shotgun or Double Barrel. Just my 2¢..
http://www.acousticzen.com/speaker_cable.html

Tvad..thank you for your response, I was hoping that instead of listeining to a ton of cables that someone could shed some experience on certain cables that may work and you may want to note that some individuals already have. FYI, with the Cable Company you have to put down a deposit, and that is usually 10% of the cost of the cables your renting, and you can only listen to the ''ones they have in the library'' and usually are not the ones I want and then the deposit is then held by them for store credit only. It could be an expensive propositon. By the way, I appreciate your comments but I do not see where you offered any suggestions on any cables which is actually your criticizism of the thread itself and the people who are answering it. So, you could be either the problem or the solution to this thread. Give me some ideas !!!! Thanks....

Cardas cables are generally regarded as warm but have the right amount of details. Their Golden Cross Series are warmer than their Golden Reference series. Check out their FAQ site for more sonic description & application of their cables.
http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=faqs&content_id=3&pagestring=Cable+Use
I using their Golden Reference ICs & Golden Cross speaker cables & they synergies very well in my set-up ie: detail, analog sounding (warm) & with an articulate LF.

While Grant does have a point, there is still a piece missing, the listener's personal preferences. I've known people who have owned the same equipment as myself, yet we disagree on cables because our musical choices and tastes are different. So contacting folks with Rowland amplification and/or Avalon speakers does not hold much weight either, IMHO.

Another suggestion, which I find works better for me than The Cable Company (I have a 6% sales tax as well, since I live in PA), is to buy and sell used on AudiogoN. The money lost is very minimal, if any at all, with some wise buys.

I've demo'd many cables, power cords, speakers and equipment that way. It's the only way to try things in your own system, IMHO.

That said, certain cables do have certain common traits. Nordost Valhalla will be stunningly fast and transparent, but may sound lean and thin in a analytical system. Cardas Golden Reference will sound full-bodied and warm, but may sound lifeless in a warm system. These are not just experiences of mine, but have been replicated with experiences of many other audiophiles.

So I think Gary is looking for a couple good suggestions of starting places. Cables with known traits as neither too warm or too detailed. I don't think he's looking for someone to tell him what cable he WILL like, just a couple of ideas of where to start trying in the AudiogoN marketplace. It is easier if you do a little 'homework' with fellow enthusiasts first, so you don't have to try EVERYTHING.

Maybe with some help, and some searches, both here and at AA, he can come up with a list of 3-5 cables he'd like to try. Many Audiophiles I've talked to have similar impressions on cables 'qualities', we just disagree due to systems and tastes. So you can gain some insight as to where to start. If he could find a thread like you started Grant, about power cord flavors, for cables, that would be helpful.

Earlier I echoed a Tara Labs recommedation, as I've always found them to be well balanced. Gary mentions that he does like the PAD Venustas, so maybe looking to move up the PAD line is another option.

That's enough for tonight.

Cheers,

John

My system consists of speakers (2), amplifier, linestage, turntable, cd player, and tuner. I listen mostly to compact discs and records with rock, pop, classical, jazz, blues, folk, country, new age, and metal as my favorites.

What cables are best for me?

Thanks. I checked out scottishcableknit.com and ewecables.com but the sites do not provide much information

I'd like something warm yet detailed, articulate not mushy, transparent not edgy, but most of all neutral. To be more precise I'd like them to be natural not artificial sounding. They must be fully compatible with all solid state, tubed, and digital electronics. Also must be flexible enough for electrostat, planar, 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, 5-way, and single driver speakers.

Am I expecting too much for let's say $75-$100?

My experience with cables, or equipment cahnges for that matter, is that my conscience must be clear with my choice. I have made changes in the past because of rave reviews or posts on this site regarding the certain component's "terrific-ness". In 100% of the times, I ended up moving away from it down the road. The equipment that has stayed in my sytstem are those who I have A/B compared with the mating components in my rig and in my room. Sure, I come here to ask questions and get a certain direction, but in the end, my conscience needs to be clear with the choice.

One other thing I believe is invaluable is to create a relationship with experienced members here or better yet, establish a relationship with someone in the business. I have found direction from several trusted friends to really cut through the jungle of decisions and choices out there.

My philosophy for equipment/cable changes is something like this:
1. Search the archives here for past discussions on the topic for experience.
2. E-mail members here about specifics of the direction you are considering and request feedback (I have been fortunate to find many helpful members willing to answer my questions).
3. Seek help from a trusted contact familiar with your equipment. It could be a manufacturer or retailer familiar with your amps or speakers or front end.
4. If still unsure, post a question here that is articulate and informative and succinct.
5. Choose a direction to take by narrowing down your choices from those gained.
6. As other's have advised, use either the Cable Co. or buy used here and try out in your rig in your room and determine what works for you. Those choices that did not work re-sell for a minor loss. I recently changed my amps from tube to SS because I thought it sounded better. I ended up selling the SS amps after several months because I found out I really missed tubes in my system. It cost me a little over $100, but I'm OK with that because there would be no other way to really be sure.
7. Once a decision is made you will know it was the right one based on your investigation and listening trials.

I have found this to be what works best for me. I have actually done A/B comparisons and decided to make a change, only to sell that piece and go back to what I had prior because it took me 3-4 months before I realized I missed that component.

Give this a try and see if it helps you out.

With respect, John, the man has specifically said he's looking for warm yet detailed cabling. Given this preference and his gear, I don't think musical choice has much to do with it. Are you suggesting that his taste in music will have a significant bearing on his choice of cabling beyond the sound produced by his speaker/electronics combination? If so, this is where I get off the train, 'cause it isn't going anywhere I want to visit.

Actually Grant, I was not refferring to the kind of music he listens to, but it his personal listening preferences. What I meant by musical taste wasn't what kind of music he listens to, but how he personally receives the music. What I mean by this is that it is common for two people to hear the same track through the same system and have two different perceptions. One may think the system lacks warmth, while the other listener believes the same system has too much warmth. Phrases like warmth, details, transparency, mean different things to different people.

That's what I meant by musical tastes, not the type of music.

Anyway, you are correct, this subject has been beaten to death and I am done. That said, I do believe that cables have certain basic flavors, just like power cords.

Cheers,
John

As some have suggested, it's impossible for anyone else to know your equipment, acoustics and taste. So, any answers will be best guesses based on experience and biases -- but that's the human condition and anyone who asks for advice will surely receive it ;-) So, here goes. There are many good cables out there and a good thing to do is go with a 30 day trial before you make a decision. Based on my experience, MIT cables are very detailed and bring out warmth in systems that need a bit of toning down (in my case a Bryston and Thiel combo) but add no warmth to systems that don't need to be toned down (in my case, a Sierra and Montana combo). That is sufficiently odd enough for me to recommend you give them a go if you can -- I owned the older version Oracle V2's. I currently use Straight Wire Black Silc wires since they are less bulky than the MIT's and sound at least as good. The Straight Wires were recommended by the speaker manufacturer and I would suggest you contact yours since I'm sure they have spent a great deal of time testing different cables in different set ups. No harm in asking! Good luck.

How's this guys.....Cardas Golden Reference...from what I am reading, detailed yet warm....but not the last word on transparency...Synergistic Designer's Reference....very fast detailed and with the rest of my system could be bright....Synergistic Resolution Reference....not as detailed as the others, but has a nice warm sound ( from what I am reading ) Tara Labs ( thank you John )...need to get more information on these cables. Shunyata Andromeda or Orion...organic sound but very thin on the base...nice mid's and high's....lacks on the bottom end punch. There...how's that !!!!! Any other comments would be appreciated....

Cardas Golden Reference is definitely warmer than Tara Labs Decade. I know, I've owned them both. Yes, the CGR has more detail than other Cardas cables, but I still would say it's on the warm side. The Cardas Neutral Reference is the most, well, neutral cable in the Cardas line. I don't think any Cardas offering will be a step up from your PAD Venustas though. I actually preffered the Jena Lab cables, Symphony and Valkyre, over the Cardas Golden Reference, though the JL's are also on the warm side of neutral.

I would say the TL Decade has more detail than any Cardas cables I've heard, yet never sounded harsh or bright. I actually prefferred the Decade over the Air 1 series. The One is much better though.

I haven't heard the Synergestic Desiner's or Shunyata cables yet, so I can not comment.