This cable cost 2 times the amount i paid for my system.... š
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Regardless of cost, I havenāt heard a commercially built cable that sounds better to my ears against the Kirmuss Speaker Cables! Transparency, clarity, low level detail, tight image focus, excellent bass impact and sound stage depth is phenomenal. Quite amazing you get this level of sound at the asking price... Wig š |
Ok, Kirmuss cables are the real deal. I've listened to a lot of cables in the sub 2k range and I will do more in the future, but these are punching way above their weight. I'm actually surprised that these haven't received more attention. @teajayĀ you were not kidding on these. They are a screaming steal. Mike was great on getting them shipped out immediately. Honestly, these are phenomenal. There's just more information getting through, better dynamics. Maybe they'll improve even more after a couple hundred hours, but they're very impressive right from the start. I shudder to think what could be done if Kirmuss went with a cost no object design... |
For those looking for a source for the Origin Live Gravity One in the US, I can recommend Analog Matters -Ā https://www.analogmatters.com/purchase-ikigai-digital-cables/origin-live-gravity-one-record-weight |
The CODA CSiB is very quiet almost as quiet as the Benchmark AHB2. The warmish CODA sounds so good I am going to get the Krell K-300i integrated for the family room. I wanted something as warm or warmer than the CODA so that I can use my RAAL headphones with that too. My CODA CSiB is only used as a headphone amp. I would have never considered the Krell or warm gear if not for my positive experience with the CODA (in my office). I was expecting to get the Hegel 390 for the family room but now changing that to the Krell. It seems I am making all these gear choices based on how the RAAL SR1a headphones would work with them. The Hegel would not work well with them like my AHB2 did not. |
@teajayĀ I have no doubt the Coda is likely beating the Hegel in some areas. The Hegel has surprised me though with how satisfying it has been compared to other integrated amps, but I get the feeling that Coda is just in another league of performance altogether. If I audition the Kirmuss, Iāll definitely provide feedback to this thread. Also, this Pagoda DAC is just begging to be auditioned, too. :) Honestly, stereo times has pointed me in the right direction on so much stuff.Ā |
Hey cd45123, Yes, get back and share your experience if you end up auditioning the Kirmuss speaker wire. Shared with respect to you, your Hegel integrated is a good piece. However, it is not across the board (performance and build quality) in the same league as the Coda gear. Hope, you a chance to try their new integrated amplifier. A fellow Stereo Times reviewer just went "over the top" with praise on its performance. |
@teajayĀ ok thanks! I emailed the owner at Kirmuss directly. He did mention, as you say, that 12ā is optimal, although he was willing to go down to 8ā.Ā I saw Mike Wright has a Silversmith Fidelium review coming soon. Those are my current reference, but like most of us, Iām always interested in trying whatās new. Currently in the process of auditioning Bionic Cables AT1, but Kirmuss is next up. Btw, you really have me thinking of trying out Coda although I love my current Hegel integrated. |
Hey cd45123, Don't know who you contacted regarding purchasing price. However, contact Mike Kay (Audio Archon) who carries these cables and will sell them at the price I mentioned in my short statement about them. By the way, I now know over 10 individuals with very different systems who raved and bought the Kirmuss speakers cables because of how wonderful they made there system's sound. Some had cables over 15K and many owned some of the highest regarded wires on the market. |
Infection wrote: "@akg_ca thatās the point, itās their most wanted & itās not all "uber expensive ". What are you bitter about? Itās just an article on some of the gear that theyāve enjoyed...so what? Do you just want to have a dig at people who can afford ultra high end equipment? Or do you just like moaning? The people in the article love music & hi fi just like you. Weāre not all the same but isnāt it nice to be amongst others who have the same passions...?" +1 at least. I canāt afford the vast majority of the stuff on the list(s). But so what? I do have one of the not "uber expensive" pieces of equipment on the list and have heard a number of the others (some I liked, some I didnāt). Nevertheless, I do like reading what other people who have used/heard the equipment have to say, whether I agree with them or not or whether I can afford it or not. Itās pretty much why read these forums and some audio magazines. Like Infection, I donāt get why some will waste their effort in criticizing an article like the one published by Stereo Times. |
As a new and happy owner of the Coda Continuum No. 8.. I just have to say.. its plain awesome!!! It took a little time to settle in.. but man oh man.. this amp is the real deal!!! It squarely sits between the sound of a great tube amp mixed with the virtues of a great sounding solid state amp. Terry London was and is spot on with his assessment of this amp...Best sounding amp I have owned...period! Bravo CODA!!! |
Wish I could get someone to send me a couple of those $2844 each (Almas Beluga) fuses, that so captivated Stereotimes' three reviewers, to try for free in my Cary Monos. Ā Ā Ā Then again: perhaps not. Ā Ā I might need to keep them and buy another seven, for the rest of my fuse positions. Ā HI-FI Tuning Supremes much better fit my (Ikura) budget. Ā I WILL be trying some of QSA'a other fuses and solder, however!
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After a few more tracks of music, mostly the Waterboys. I have to say this CSiB is great. Is is different from the sound I normally like but it is so damn quiet that I love what I am hearing. It is now on my 2021 Recommended List. Cannot get a more prestigious accolade than that. I have some Audience FrontRow speaker cables coming in soon. That should be pretty interesting with the CODA. |
Just got the 2018 version of the CODA CSib setup and running. I am assuming the amp is burned in though it was not used for 7 months by the previous owner. The spec are 150 @ 8 | 300 @ 4 and first 18 watt in Class A (so Version 1 of the CSiB). The instruction manual does not match the model I have. Mine has sub woofer outputs while the manual only has 1 speaker output. So my unit is a newer version than in the manual. It is not the same level as the current 2021 versions that have the #8 circuitry (I spoke with Doug Dale). How does it sound. My reference is an all-Benchmark stack connected to my Thiel CS 3.7 (very power hungry). I only have 1 AHB2 amp (another one arrives tomorrow). I need to turn to about 80% of my volume with my ROON Convolution files enabled with the AHB2 for about 65dB of sound. So my amp is stressed. The sound of the Benchmark stack is super clear, quiet, and you have a in the studio experience with this gear. The CODA is at 58% for about 65dB with the Convolution enabled. So the amp is exerting less effort for the same volume level. The sound is not as clear as my Benchmark stack (nothing is). However, it is not syrupy or warmish like my old Parasound or BAT gear. It is also not hard on top like my old Bryston ST and SST variants. It seems like a great blend of the warm gear I had with the power of the Brystons. I think I will like this integrated a lot. The CSiB is destined for my KEF LS50ās and also the RAAL SR1a headphone (no kidding). I actually bought this for the RAAL only but managed to figure out a space to get the LS50s setup again. I have not heard the RAAL with the amp, later tonight. I am going to get the Yamaha NS5000 (replace the KEF LS50) in the future and this amp seems like a perfect match. Very happy with this sound. That CODA #8 and #16 must be special if it is much better than what I am hearing now. This may not make sense to most of you but I have 2 DSP convolution files for ROON. The one I am currently using has a slight bass bump at 100 Hz for my AHB2 amp. The second convolution is ruler flat in that region. When I tested the AHB2 in mono (with much more power) I had to switch to the ruler flat convolution because the bass bump was too much and giving me fatigue. With the CODA I am using the convolution with the bass bump and it is more bass than the single AHB2 but no so much that is is fatiguing. The bass bump version on the CODA is slightly less bass than the AHB2 in mono. The CODA is not giving me fatigue with the bass bump. I am not saying that is a good thing. I need to check this out further when the second AHB2 arrives. I tested the AHB2 in mono with a single speaker so that is my frame of reference for more bass. |
It's a.Ā welcome sight to see that ADD-Powr got a recommendation. To my ears, it is indeed setting a new reference in accessories of all stripes - not just tweaks. This technology is serious business - a well needed disruption to high-end audio as well as pro audio as well as consumer audio as well as... Congratulations Bill ! |
It appears to me the reviewers had to choose a single product they reviewed that most impressed them.Ā I know Greg and I were in serious discussions of him purchasing the review pair of Rosso Fiorentino Elba 2, so at least in that case it was not just trying to catch eyeballs.Ā If it were not for the uncertainty COVID brought to the world, he likely would have purchased them. I imagine the same can be said of many of the products listed. |
I appreciate seeing reviews and recommendations from stereotimes that would just not get a look from stereophile. My only concern about stereotimes is that their grading system seems to go from A- to A+. Canāt recall too many non-flattering reviews on that site and a plethora of āgreatest this and that Iāve ever heard.ā Ā They can all be good, but they canāt all be above average! Ā I own the holo audio may DAC and love it. Wish I could afford to play around with all their recs. |
For those who claim the list contains "Nothing of interest" does this mean you have listened to them already or just despise the name, appearance or country of origin enough to know they are out? I had the Ares2 DAC last month and after 3 weeks had to sell it. Too harsh. It was a big improvement over the Oppo 205 though. A friend and longtime audiophile bought the PS Audio direct stream Phonostage recently and loves it. It did catch on fire initially but I understand that subsequent deliveries include an extinguisher.Ā Lejonklou is a small Swedish company with some amazing stuff. So all ye nay sayers can all KGFY in my book! |
@bobheinatz I will. It looks like delivery is now Tuesday. I bought a 2018 model which does not have the CODA #8 amp circuitry. That is not ideal but I paid half price so I cannot complain. The new CODA CSiB is supposed to be better than what I am getting. I imagine it is an evolutionary improvement. I will try the CODA with the Thiel CS3.7 tomorrow and then compare with Benchmark AHB2 monos on Friday. I have a second AHB2 coming then. My single AHB2, while great it is not as powerful as needed for these speakers. I should have a more satisfying setup later this week. |
I found this list to be more useful than I thought it would be, given some of the comments. As someone recently shopping for a lot of gear, there were more than a few things there which would have been within reach and good to know about. I look at such lists with my own budget in mind -- which is framed roughly around a $15k system cost. (It keeps going up, but Iāve not shifted that much!) So, looking at this list with an audiophile-but-not-extravagant mindset, a number of things would have turned my head, back when I was shopping. The Denafrips and Pagoda DACās for one. I donāt have a turntable, but someone on a modest budget who sees a phono stage at $349 would probably be glad to know about the Vincent. Iāve been reading about Aric a lot on these forums, and while this one is pricey, itās not astronomical. I liked seeing the Coda on the list (so many people just go straight to Pass Labs, it sometimes seems) but wondered where the Belles was. The SPL was a real head-turner; very good looking and, again, not out of reach for anyone willing to spend $6k for preamp *and* amp. Speakers can be so extravagant and so many of the usual names dominate the reviews and forums. So, here, I was interested to see the potential value in speakers from Kings Audio, Spatial, and LSA. The Kirmuss speaker cable also seemed reasonable. My two cents as a relative newbie. FWIW. |
