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Stunned by a cable upgrade

Yesterday I received a 12ft. pair of Analysis Plus Oval Nine speaker cable and I am absolutely stunned by the positive difference they have made in my setup. They replaced a 14 ft. biwired pair of DH Labs Silversonic T-14s. I ordered these on the advice and glowing reviews of fellow members of this forum in an attempt to tame my bright system. I am currently using a Sim Audio Moon I-5 integrated, Sonus Faber Concertinos, Musical Fidelity E60 CD player and NHT SW3P subwoofer.

I must say I've never had the experience of one component making such an audible difference. The DH Labs have a very in-your-face presentation, and the soundstage is flat by comparison. Changing to the Oval Nines I was shocked how much width and especially depth were added to the soundstage. It had the effect of opening backwards like an accordian. Amazing! All the glare was gone and the music became bigger, fuller and just seemed to roll out effortlessly. So full in fact, I had to adjust my subwoofer to compensate for the increased bass and corresponding mudiness.

I spent the entire evening marveling at how the music of Robby Longley, Sunny Sumter, Diana Krall, Jesse Cook, Inscendio, Yo Yo Ma, and Oscar Lopez came to life. My gold Dave Brubeck Time Out CD had always sounded so thin, but now flowed with an ease and roundness I had never enjoyed before. Paul Desmond's sax was so real. The instruments and voices on every CD I tried seemed more lifelike and natural.

Previously, I had tried various affordable interconnects from Cardas, Kimber, Tara, Monster and DH Labs thinking this might help. While the different interconnects did change the character of the sound, the shifts were pretty subtle. A pair of Cardas Golden Cross proved to be the most effective and expensive, but the problem still persisted. It's almost as if everything was bottlenecked at the speaker cables, and now the music seems to flow unrestrained.

The DH Labs are in biwire configuration. The Oval Nines are a single run. I would have thought the biwired cables would have an edge in spaciousness, but this is not the case in my system. I had considered changing out the Moon I-5 for a tube preamp/SS amp combo hoping to cure the leaness. With the Analysis Plus now in my system, I no longer have the urge to change my amp. I'm starting to see how good the Sim Audio really is. I also have on order a Bel Canto DAC 1.1 and I hope this will reap even greater rewards.

I know this must sound like a cheap plug for a product by a manufacturer, but it's not. I'm still amazed by the transformation my system made last night, especially since both cables have been so well reviewed and are fairly close in price. Has anyone else experienced such an improvement in their setup by changing cables? And if so, what were the components involved?
gunbei

Showing 7 responses by gunbei

gunbei OP
2,327 posts
 
Thanks for the great feedback everyone. If it wasn't for my fellow members, I wouldn't have discovered the Oval 9s in the first place.

Sean, I completely agree with you about system matching and personal taste. Just curious to hear what floats your boat. You might have a product or a combination I'd like to try myself. Thanks.

Would a double run consisting of Oval 9s and Silver Ovals benefit my modest setup? Interesting idea. I'll make a decision about going back to biwiring after I've had the Bel Canto in my setup for awhile. For now, I'm quit happy.

Thanks again!
gunbei OP
2,327 posts
 
Megasam, YOU were the main person to point me in the direction of the Oval 9s and Bel Canto. Remember my e-mail? :) Absolute Power cords? OK, I'll try those too. Will they work with my Monster HTS2000 Power Strip? On which component will they have the most benefit? CD? DAC? Amp? Heck, for $49, I should do them all!

Creeper, your experience sounds very much like mine, only you have better equipment! I'm now enjoying 3-D sound for the first time too. This is great!
gunbei OP
2,327 posts
 
Megasam, I have already contacted GTT Audio through Audiogon. If all the cord does is clean up the sound a bit, I'll be very happy. Can't beat the price either. Thanks!
gunbei OP
2,327 posts
 
Bluenose, I know just how you feel. I was having so much fun re-listening to my CD collection I didn't want to go to sleep last night! What speakers are you running with your 4070SE and Satoris?

Thanks for the kind words Jadem6. I'd been reading about other people making great audio discoveries and always wondered if they were exagerating. Well, add me to the list of audio yarn-spinners!

Now I can't wait for the Bel Canto to arrive. It's so fun being an audio newbie!
gunbei OP
2,327 posts
 
One of the great things about this forum is that so many members have alike ideas and are trying similar tweaks. I hope my comparison of the DH Labs and Analysis Plus speaker cables can help people with similar components to mine to get a better feel for the sonic differences of the two cables.

In no way did I mean this to be a slam on DH Labs. They are great cables for the price and they've served me well.

Bluenose, I've been very curious about the Newform Research ribbons. They're very cool looking too.

Sdzink, hopefully the Oval 9s work for you. Please beware that the overall sound of my system experienced a rounding out of the bottom end. If you're running full range speakers and are currently happy with the bass, you may lose some detail as I did. Luckily, I have a separate sub so adjustments are easy.

Jay, I haven't had a chance to listen to the Harmonic Techs. The two cables I mentioned are the only ones that have been in my system. Are you familiar with the sonic signature of those wires?

I hope this isn't inappropriate Audiogon etiquette for me to mention this. But for those of you interested, I purchased mine through Audiogon member Disco. His name is Scott and he offers the Oval 9s at a 20% discount for those of you interested in buying new. I also got a Kimber Illuminations D60 from him. He can also "cook" the wires for you if you wish. If you're a bit wary, check his feedback.
gunbei OP
2,327 posts
 
Very interesting Chstob. You noticed the same thing too? My interconnects are Cardas Golden Cross from CD to amp, and DH Labs Silver Pulse from amp to sub. I've been considering an interconnect change of Golden Cross to Golden Reference.

Did you see the posts on here about biwiring or a double-run with a combo of Silver Oval and Oval 9? Interesting idea, I think.
gunbei OP
2,327 posts
 
Great article Sean! I have only had two cables in my system. The AP 9s and the DH Labs Silversonic T-14s they replaced. I must admit when I had a chance to sit down and listen to my setup again on saturday, it didn't have the same magic as thursday night. Could it be the amount of people watching basketball and hockey on a saturday afternoon mucking up my apartment's electrical circuits? That being said, I still preferred the Oval 9s to the T-14s in almost all areas.

I appreciate your consideration for my positive experience in warning me not to read your review. But hey, we "philes" are always looking for that next step up aren't we? For now, I'll just enjoy what I have. I'll be getting the BC DAC 1.1 soon and that should change the character of the sound. I'm also considering other speakers just so I'll have a second flavor and can jump back and forth according to my tastes at that moment.

Goertz MI-2's, huh? :)
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