Krell man, I found the Sextet to sound quite good from the beginning and that it totally blossomed around 30 to 50 hours of playing time. It's the best digital cable I have ever heard, I wrote a review here on the Gon, and will be interested what your final opinion will be. |
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Teajay, thanks! I will. I'm trying it out against my Virtual Dynamics Revelation Signature.
GetTheLeadOut, I did. I emailed them and posted the question at the same time to get everyone's thoughts on theirs. |
Krell man, I just received a AES and RCA digital Sextet, the AES (XLR) from my Audio Research 3 MK2 and RCA (coaxal) from my McIntosh 300 Music Server both going into a Dac. Once they are broken-in I am actually doing a simalar demo as you but with VD's latest Revelation digital cable. I look forward to reading your results. I only have aprox. 20 hours on my Sextet (ARC) and 15 hours on (MAC) so a ways to go. |
Agree with TJ. Mine sounded great immediately with minor improvements wrought over time. It is the most neutral and "not there" digital IC in my experience. |
Krellman,
Please post your impressions of the Stealth sextet compared to the VD Rev.Sig. digital cable. It will be very interesting to see how these two stack up against each other.
The VD Rev.Sig. vs new VD Rev2 would be another interesting match up.
As far as the new Genesis digital cable, at its price you'd be better off buying a new CDP or DAC 8<). |
Krellman,
How long did it take to break in your VD Rev.Sig. digital cable? I'm currently using a balanced Varidig Sextet which I like very much but have just won a balanced VD Rev.Sig. on Audiogon auction. After I compare them one of them is going up for sale. What equipment are you connecting with your cables?
The stealth didn't need much break-in as already reported. I know the VD stuff needs a long time to break loose. |
Rja I have to disagree with what has been said about break-in of the Sextet. I do agree that the Sextet does sound good new but to say that there only minor inprovements afterwards hum!
Regarding the VD digital 2.0 I have one being burnt in and will try it once my Sextet has platoed and the changes have stopped.
VD cable is brutal for break-in and stiffness of the cable unbelievable, I should know I have their 2.0 balanced interconects, speaker cables etc.
The Genisis line up is just crazy priced but I will have to try in the new future.
Regarding this Sextet cable I am very happy with what it is or not doing in my system if you understand what I'm saying. |
Dev,
Yes there was a certain sharpness when my Sextet was new that seemed to lessen with time. However, there was never what I would call a dramatic change (in my system). This was a new cable purchased direct from Stealth with the proprietary graphite, silver and teflon XLR terminations. Are these the same terminations as your cable? If not, that could explain some differences we heard during break-in. I know they used several different terminations on these. If yours has the same terminations I can't explain the differences we heard but I'm sure there are more than enough variables to cause such differences. I'm certainly not contesting what you heard.
I'm currently using balanced VD Revelation 1 between DAC and amp and I can honestly say they took 3-4 months to really bloom.
I just called VD this morning and asked them to put the digital Rev.Sig. I'm buying on their cooker for as long as possible. Hopefully this will help some. Also, the cable was slightly used.
BTW: I see Krellman has his VD Rev.Sig. digital cable for sale on the 'Gon so I think it's safe to assume he liked the Sextet better? Maybe he will post. |
Dev,
I mis-spoke. I just looked and my Stealth XLR terminations are titanium, teflon and silver not graphite. Sorry. |
Rja, my post wasn't directed at you personally so please don't take it that way, I'm just like you trying to get the best out of our systems. My XLR conectors are the same as yours, what is your other associated gear, speakers etc.
Refering to the break-in time of Sextet and only minor changes from brand new makes me think that the system isn't very revelling or maybe somthing else is going on.
Teajay was the most accurate saying 30 to 50 hours of playing and blossomed, "blossomed" being a key word. I'm sure he noticed differences even from the 30 to 50 hours.
I have noticed a difference even at 60 hours, now we are talking about mind boggeling differences, minor but still changes. My system is very reveiling and I constaintly familarize my self with specific songs in which I listen to to evaluate.
For example; if you are familar with a piece of music that has a piano that is set-up two feet behind one of your speakers and on a angle, you know it's on a angle because of the sound being produced. (I have heard many times a piano being performed and the different sounds heard from different angles) Now you have heard this and then you make a change in your system and it either dissapears or really isn't just there clearly any more.
Something is going on, when I put the Sextet cable in this piano I refer to was there but not really convincing, foggy and the piano notes not sounding proper. It got much better as time went on and I noticed up to 60 hours it is now there, very holographic, three dimentional. The feeling is that the piano is set up right in your room on a angle now. I have noticed changes still on piano notes, hammers hitting, ringing afterwards as it would happen in real life. Not so much on image, the immage now seems to be consistent.
Hey when is Krell-man going to come back with his thoughts, I agree putting the VD up for sale says something. |
Dev,
Thanks for your response. No, I wasn't taking anything personally. Obviously, we have had differences with our Sextet break-in experience. I can't offer any explanation for this but I truly believe that both our opinions are valid. As I said, we are probably experiencing uncountable variables.
Regardless of our break-in experience though I think we can agree that the Sextet is an excellent digital cable. So far, the best I've had in my system.
Hopefully I'll receive the VD Revelation Signature some time next week from Virtual Dynamics. Comparing the two will be interesting if nothing else. I requested that they cook the cable for as long as possible and Rick e-mailed me to say that the cable was indeed on the cooker. From my experience the VD cables take a long, long time to do their thing so any help they can give in this regard is appreciated.
I'm using the cable as the data link between a Wadia 27i and 270SE both with GNSC Reference mods. The clock link is through an Aural Symphonics AT&T Optimism V2. I've experimented with quite a few connections with these units; RCA, BNC, XLR and AT&T and found I prefer the XLR balanced connection for the data link. At one time I had 2 AT&T glass cables which is Wadias recommendation but I just couldn't handle the sound. |
Any update on this thread?
I am considering a Stealth Varidig Sextet. Anyone have final notes on the comparison with the VD cable. |
Fiddler,
I sold the balanced Sextet and went with the balanced Virtual Dynamics Revelaion signature (1.5m). Depending on ones system I could see choosing either one of these cables. In my system the VD won out. I have never heard the VD Genesis, which I assume would beat the VD Rev. Sig. but I couldn't afford it anyway. I don't think you could go wrong with the Stealth. |
