Thank you Melbguy1...though I must admit I am still undecided! Maybe I will just get both! |
Here I am! Waiting for my The 2 + HFX IC to arrive next week. I will write a review once I get them. |
Hey kiddies, got my new The 2 + HFX ground station yesterday. Right now it is burning in. I know the cable is not broken in yet but I will say that the 2EX I demo'd earlier sounds better than the 2 + HFX. The 2EX sounded more organic and liquid to me. But of course this is just an initial observation. I will report back later.
Question for Tara users:
My 2 = HFX comes with some long leads to connect the source end of the interconnect to the ground station. I assume these were included for people who need extra length. Because I am able to put the ground station close to my source I can connect the pig tails that come out from the interconnect directly into the ground station. So my question is do I need to use the longer leads? Is there any performance improvement by doing so? And Keith, I know your opinion on this! :) |
Update: I've had the 2 + HFX running for 48 ours. I must admit at first the sound was compressed and nasally. Lots of nuance and detail was missing. The music does not sound organic at all. After 48 hours it got a little better but there is still a long way to go for these to match what I heard with the 2EX. Keeping my fingers crossed things improve. |
@audiolab, got your messages too. Sorry for not calling back. I just got back and have been buried at work. Yes, I am using the jumper cables as you recommended and the ground lead is connected to a chassis screw on my cdp/dac. Another thing I failed to mention about this cables is that they are very dynamic with very good bass. The music notes are punchier and more crisp. I am interesting in trying a Tara Labs digital cable next.
I have not been a tube guy though many of my friends recommend that I consider a tube integrated for my Sonus Faber Guarneri Evolution speakers. Two brands I am looking at are Line Magnetic and EAR. I want to audition these in the near future. |
Hi guys sorry for not responding sooner. I was on vacation. My The 2 + HFX has about 150 hours on them and is sounding much better. The thing that really strikes me is how organic the music sounds! The soundstage is also clearly defined horizontally with instruments precisely placed. Finally, I am also hearing more fine nuance to the music, adding the sense of realism. Overall, I am very happy with these interconnects. |
@calvinj, do you have experience with EAR products? Which models have you heard? I am interested in the integrated models. Any feedback would be great!
@audiolab, yes I will be around this week. I look forward to speaking! |
@auiolab, PC audio is yet another rabbit hole! There are a lot of things you can do with a purpose build audio pc that will improve the sound over a standard pc. Things like power supply, USB implementation, OS (Server), and optimization software is essential. Right now, I am very happy with my PC set up though (as with all things in this whacky hobby) I think I can improve the sound by building another audio PC with some upgraded hardware. I plan to do this new build at the end of this year. |
@audiolab, I have 1 interconnect between Dac and int amp. I also have a USB cable and digital interconnect. I like to keep things simple (and less expensive). |
Hi gang...its been a while but I wanted to report back on my recently acquired The 2 Extended with HFX Grounding Station. By now I have at least 300 hours on them. To my tastes, these are the best ICs I have ever tried (and I have tried a lot including Nordost, Acoustic Zen, Purist, Synergistic Research, etc). I can characterize the sound of The 2 as organic and very natural sounding. They make vocals and instrument sound so real to me, especially acoustic instruments which is perfect for my listening preferences. Dont get me wrong, these cables also sound extended and crisp without sounding too sterile or overly aggressive. They are the perfect balanced for my tastes. Next up is to audition Tara digital cable then perhaps upgrade my The One speaker cables. Thoughts? |
Hi folks. Anyone here use Tara Labs digital cables? I am looking to upgrade but the Cable Co does not demo Tara cables. Any insights would be greatly appreciated. |
Melbguy1, I am very interested to hear your thoughts on the GTX-R. I have used cryo'd R1 outlets for about 6 years and love them. It would be hard for me to imagine anything better. Please update us on your impressions compared to the R1. |
Melbguy1, thank you for the reply. I think I'm going to try the outlet. I only need one in my system so I won't be too expensive. I will go for the -R version as well and report back my impressions as compared to the R1. |
One of these days I am going to open up my gear and change the IEC connectors. Its been something on my list for a while but like an true audiophile I never keep any component long enough to get around to making the change! :) |
Melbguy1, you beat me to it! Please report back with your findings!!! |
Audiolab, still do not have digital cable yet. I need to try audition some from The Cable Co. |
Thanks Melbguy1, your logic is precisely why I am leaning towards Rhodium. My Sonus Faber Evolution monitors are on the warm side of neutral so I dont want to go further with the Gold. |
Audiolab, I will be getting rhodium. Given my speakers are a little soft on the top end I think this is the right choice for me. I plan to purchase in a few weeks. |
Melbguy1, curious why you think gold is a better choice? I definitely don't want to soften up the top end or warm up the sound. |
Btw melbguy1 I am VERY jealous of your Vitus gear! I would love to own one of their integrateds but alas I have to feed my kids. :) |
Sabai, can you please describe how the rhodium sounded in your system? |
Audiolab, I didnt buy the HF. Its on loan from The Cable Co along with the Purist Audio Design Aqueous Aureus Luminist. These two cables are definitely different! I will post my thoughts after I listen for a bit. |
Audiolab, here are my thoughts:
I spent some time tonight comparing the High Fidelity to the Purist and my old cheapo Acoustic Zen MC2 digital cables. The Purist had the widest soundstage and a weighty sound but ultimately it sounded too rolled off for my taste. Don't get me wrong the Purist had a nice, easy sound to it but it was not a good match for my speakers and already slightly warm system. Compared to the Purist the HF sounded very clean and airy with very good retrieval of detail and nuance. Bass was also very good. I did miss the weight of the Purist though. Vocals had more of a 3d feel to them with the Purist. I then plugged back in my old Acoustic Zen cable. I was amazed that it sounded like it was a mix of the Purist and HF. The AZ didn't do anything as well as either cable but it had characteristics of both. It had weight to vocals, good retrieval of detail and a wide soundstage. At this point I am not inclined to upgrade my digital cable. But if I had to pick between the Purist and HF I would choose the latter. I wonder what the Ultimate version sounds like or how much more money I need to spend to get enough of an improvement for me to upgrade? |
Audiolab, I would love to but the Cable Co does not offer a demo for Tara Labs at all. And I dont want to use a local dealer because most likely I will buy used so I dont want to waste their time. Can you hook me up?? :) |
Thank you for the tip of Jorma Melbguy1. I will see if I can get a demo from The Cable Co.
Oh and I will getting the Gold outlets shortly. |
Audiolab, thanks for the tip. I downloaded the Cascade file and will let my system play it this afternoon. I will report back. |
Ok I played the Tara Labs Cascade file for 9 hours straight. It's hard to describe what I hear other than to say there is an ease to the music. I can turn the volume up higher than I what I normally listen at without fatigue.
Thanks for the tip Audiolab! |
Alright guys I played the Cascade file another 11 hours and continue to hear improvements especially in extension of highs and overall decay of notes. I will play the file for a few more days. |
Good call Melbguy1...I've been running the TL burn in for about 40 hours now. I've been listening to my system every 10 hours or so and as expected the most dramatic improvement occurred initially (10 hours) though I continue to hear little improvements. I imagine after 50-60 hours I think I should be done, though I will admit I do not have golden ears so I cant hear every little nuance or change. |
Alright I played the Tara burn in track for over 75 hours. And yes they made an improvement to my system. Improvements were mainly in decay of notes and more detail in the midrange.
Can someone pls explain to me why a burn in track can make changes to a system? |
I totally agree with Melbguy1 regarding power and its importance to music. I am not sure I agree its higher than room treatments but certainly it is important. Right now the foundation of my electrical system is the PS Audio P3 AC Regenerator. Added that to my system improved the sound dramatically in every regard. Next I would love to run some dedicated lines and optimize my grounding.
And Audiolab I have not purchased the outlets yet. Just too busy right now but I will get around to it. |
I totally agree with Melbguy1 regarding power and its importance to music. I am not sure I agree its higher than room treatments but certainly it is important. Right now the foundation of my electrical system is the PS Audio P3 AC Regenerator. Added that to my system improved the sound dramatically in every regard. Next I would love to run some dedicated lines and optimize my grounding.
And Audiolab I have not purchased the outlets yet. Just too busy right now but I will get around to it. |
+1..Misternice I would love to hear your opinions between the Gold and Rhodium. |
Thank you Misternice! I was leaning towards getting Rhodium anyway and your findings helps to push me over the edge! I will placing my order soon. |
