So how does the V10 speaker cable compare to what you have used the in the past? |
No surprise here: Stealth product mostly sound thin and lean if not bright or mechanical, i already switch to PAD cables with success |
Wonderful, cable great bass,dynamics,Deep soundstage great highs and midrange.Using V10 on preamp and amp with V10 speaker cable. |
Roccl007, interesting. What does the rest of your system consist of because your comments totaly differ from my experience.
My system
MBL 101E's
Vac 450 Statement mono blocks
Vac Sig MK2a pre
K-01
MS turntable and on |
Rocc1007 and Dev, no sense starting anything here, it is ALL system dependent. I have owned both PAD and Stealth, and they are both very fine, yet very different sounding cables/cords, that can each shine with the appropriate gear.
Just as ARC and CJ are very different sounding, yet each has their own loyal following. One is yin and the other is yang. There is no right or wrong choice, only what works best for you. |
First, it's great to see you back on audiogon, Jmcgrogan! I've generally stayed away the last couple years myself, but saw your farewell message some time ago.
The Stealth Dream (original) are the only Stealth products I've ever heard that sound bright. I've owned the Cloude 9 speaker cable, the MLT Hybrid speaker cable, the Dream speaker cable, and now the Dream V10 in addition to the next-to-last generation Dream power cords. I seem to recall briefly owning a Cloude 99 power cord, which I enjoyed so much that I quickly upgraded to the Dream. Frankly, I'd put both the Cloude 9 and MLT Hybrid over the non-V10 Dream, but the Dream V10 is clearly the cream of the crop. The reason the original Dream sound bright is the lack of bass response...
...Which explains why I'm asking about whether Sergei achieved tonal balance with the V10 power cords as he did with the V10 speaker cables. If he did, I might look at upgrading the original Dream to V10. If he didn't, I may go down to the Cloude 99 and mix in some number of a modified version of the excellent Sablon Gran Corona cord. |
Rsf, I apologize for not fully answering your question. Over the last 20 years I've had more cables than I can remember. Going back as far as ten years I can remember using Gregg Straley's Reality Cables, which I highly recommend in the budget category. I've used Kimber Kable 4VS and 8TC (both versions) in my stereo system, and the original 4TC and 12TC in my home theater. Blue Jeans Cables are my current cables for my surround speakers in the theater, and I put them in my stereo briefly just to hear what they could do when paired "out of their league". Let's see...I home auditioned Ridge Street Audio Alethias biwire cables four or five years ago, and I'm currently listening to a set of Sablon Audio speaker cables, which Mark at Sablon offered as part of the demo with the Corona power cords. I tried a set of anti-cables about eight or nine years ago, too. Those are all I remember specifically having in my system apart from the various Stealth models I mentioned previously, though I know there were others.
My first experience with "audiophile" speaker cables were the original Monster cables. They looked like thick zip cord. They sounded worse than the zip cord that came with my Polk Audio bookshelves. I almost gave up on cables right then and there! It was an important experience, though, as a very, very trusted member on the old, now all but defunct audio review boards used to argue that "cables don't matter" in terms of affecting sound. I beleived they did to some degree, and that that wasn't necessarily a good thing!
All of the speaker cables I mentioned had stengths and weaknesses, of course, but I am a fan of faithful reproduction of music, so I prefer fast, clean/detailed, tonally balanced cables. The Stealth Dream V10 is the best I've heard so far in my system. In addition to the above attributes they provide an astonishing soundstage in all dimenstions if the speakers are optimally placed and the rest of the system allows them to perform to their potential. I do have to say I loved the Reality Cables back in the day, and the Sablon Audio speaker cables are fantastic - and even better when I had a Sablon power cord or two in the system. Mark at Sablon says there's a whopping 40% improvement to be had by birwiring. Maybe I'll have to hit him up for a second set of demo speaker cables. ;)
How good are the Sablon speaker cables? Well, they compete with the Dream V10. They compete with the Nordost Valhalla that I've heard many times, though never in my own system. I've never heard a speaker cable that is clearly an entire tier above them. I don't know what Mark charges for them, but I'd bet it's much less than the Stealth or Nordost. The Sablon speaker cables won't be for everyone; unlike Sablon power cords, which have enormous bass response and slam, the power cords are ever so slightly on the lean side of neutral. I suspect if one had a system decked out with Gran Corona power cords, tonally balanced interconnects, and the Sablon speaker cables that leanness would be completely gone. Mark has an exceptional ear and his understanding of cable components and geometry are second to none.
Okay, I did not intend to turn this in to a Sablon fan club post - and I do prefer my Dream V10 to the Sablon cables - but since you asked about performance relative to other cables I thought it relevant to mention. Apologies for being rambling on! :| |
LOL! Hello Howard, yes, some folks just don't know how to say goodbye. I'm old enough that I should have known better than to think I could cure this disease. I was 'on the wagon', but just like an addict, I'm back at the bar again.
Now my system is much more humble, the glory days are gone, but the rig still sounds pretty good. I'll never be able to hear the V10's, but it's fun to read about them.
I don't recall the Dream power cords sounding as light in the bass as you describe. Certainly they were lighter in the bass than the Purist Audio or Elrod cords I've used, but they had better bass than the Valhalla cords, in my system anyway. |
Hello i will qualify my system to be on the warm side of being neutral: Drive CEC TL0 X, Dac JADIS JS1 MK3, Preamp LAMM L2 REFERENCE, Amps are the LAMM M 2.2, Tuner MD102T by Magnum Dynalab. My system rest on a solid maple rack and my wall outlets are GTX by FURUTECH. My cables are mostly PAD: 2 ac power aqueous aureus, 2 ac power Tara labs the ONE, one DOMINUS FEROX (rca) 1.5M., one CANORUS contego (rca) 1.5 M., 2 pairs of PROTEUS PROVECTUS cables speakers for my ANDRA 111 speakers and KIMBER cable for the tuner. Before i owned one SAKRA, one digital STEALTH VARIDIG SEXTET and also a pair of STEALTH DREAM cables speakers. It happens with the PAD products that the sound to be more natural sounding, less mechanical,more organic and the speakers disappears. Stealth reproduce music, PAD recreate music.... |
Stealth cables are one of the most neutral and natural cables on the market. PAD cables give warmth and coloration in lower midrange so it can fix problems in the system chain - nothing wrong with it though. They act like tone controls. If your system sounds mechanical and dry with Stealth cables you should take a look at your components - garbage in garbage out. |
Rocci007, interesting set-up you have some nice pces. We have one thing in comin, "Magnum Dynalab" I have a MD109T. I must say your last comments really made me laugh :-) Just shows different strokes for different folks.
Laza you wrote exactly what I was thinking and I do agree.
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LAZA are you a STEALTH reseller per any hazard ????
Never heard that LAMM product, CEC, JADIS or even ANDRA 111 and MAGNUM DYNALAB (tube tuner) to be sounding dry or mechanical...... |
Hello Laza , are you a Stealth reseller per any hazard ???
I nerver heard that CEC TL0X, JADIS JS1, LAMM gears, Egglestonwork ANDRA 111 or even a Magnum Dynalab MD 102T could sound dry or mechanical, funny.....
Sound like no cables at all did not really exist for me, but i agree that PAD cables ad some "romanticism" and why not ? |
Some folks want warmth and musicality, others want resolution and transparency. That's why they make so many different flavors. :) |
Just to finish i must admit that the digital VARIDIG SEXTET (1.5 M. rca) cable from STEALTH goes very deep and tight in bass department unbeatable !!!
Hope this will please the numerous Stealth cable fan's |
For Stealth fan's: i have to admit that the digital cable VARIDIG SEXTET ( 1.5 M. rca) goes very deep in the bass department and it is also very tight |
For Stealth fan's: i have to admit that the digital cable VARIDIG SEXTET ( 1.5 M. rca) goes very deep in the bass department and it is also very tight |
Thanks for your thoughts, guys. If/when V10 models show up used for an acceptable price I'll give them a spin. It seems like with each passing day, though, more companies are building exceptional cables at lower prices, so while I don't want to get on the merry-go-round, I may try a couple out. |
Hi, I'm using DreamV10 speakercable, Varidig Sextet and Metacarbon. Due to a mistake by the seller I just received the 'poweramp' version (and not 'preamp' version) of the DreamV10 powercord as I really needed it for my preamp. What can I expect when putting the 'poweramp' powercord on my preamp? Rgds |
Not only is the Stealth Sextet digicable exceptional, but the Stealth Indra IC's are among the best on the market. Very expensuive, even used, but worth every penny. Plus, among the most beautiful cables you will ever set eyes on.
Neal |
I had almost all Stealth cables in my system, Sakra IC, Dream/Dream V10 AC, phono and was using Sextet digital cable for awhile. The only Stealth cable I tried that I do not like enough was the speaker cables both Dream and Dream V10.
Dream V10 improved upon the bass of the original Dream quite a bit but I find it still relatively light weight. You get very fast, detail, tight bass but it does not seem get the weight at the bottom end. I used to use Synergistic Research Apex IC/SC, Halogram D AC and had been slowly replacing everything with Stealth except for Apex speaker cables that I kept after comparing it to Dream/Dream V10. I just felt that it was more of a lateral change rather than full upgrade. For what its worth, I finally upgrade to MIT Matrix SHD 120 SC |
