Hi,
I'm sure I have read this somewhere here but this thread is so large.
Comparison of the interconnects:
Zero Gold with HFX v The Zero with HFX
Opinions will be greatly appreciated. I am looking at the performance differences. Thankyou. |
audiolabyrinth,
Thankyou.
My mistake it is actually the Zero Onyx model I'm looking at purchasing from Misternice here in Australia.
I have a Gold on the way also, it was quite expensive.
The Onyx is less so and maybe a good compromise(money wise) instead of another Gold.
How much difference is there, performance wise between the two in your opinion, ie., 40%, 20% etc
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Guys/Ladies,
Not sure what's going on but yes it is the first time I have written on a forum even though I have been on Audiogon buying and selling for a number of years.
I can assure you that my name is Bruce and I live in Sydney, Australia. Best to look up my feedback and you'll see where I reside from the comments made there.
If you google the time in Sydney for this post you will find it is just after 8.15am Sydney time. I just woke up. We have had extreme temps in Sydney at the moment. In western Sydney it reached 47C yesterday and 45C the day before. That's 116F and 113F in your money.
My main interconnects are 0.8 both with HFX and On Board. Very nice and looking at upgrade as money becomes available..
audiolabyrinth, thankyou for your advice, moist helpful. |
Will do. I spoke to him the other week. He is working in Western Australia and has a place in Bali. Half his luck.
I too have tried lots of cables but have settled mainly on Tara Labs and Audioquest speaker and interconnect cables.
Power cables from VooDoo, Crystal Cable, Cardas and Nordost.
Components from Audio Research, Allnic, Kuzma with local Whatmough speakers.
But there are many more cables to try and always new models to test.
That's half the fun.
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jmcgrogan2, thanks for posting the link.
Superlative build and top notch sound. They are highly regarded in Oz. Sadly their designer, Colin Whatmough, died suddenly a few years ago but his family have continued the business.
I have the Paragons, the latest iteration has twin downward firing 10" sub-woofers in each box.
I was fortunate picking these up as a demo special from my local retailer. I demo’d top line B+W and comparably priced Wilsons, both good, but Whatmough blew them away(for my taste).
I have found Audioquest/Tara Labs as being my choice of cabling for my many system iterations( using many different brands over the years).
I'm tend to lean to a warmer sound, hence my tube gear.
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I primarily use 0.8 interconnects both HFX and ISM On-Board and they perform admirably.
I have used the The One and The Two and these were so much better.
I find the HFX more open and use these from my sources to my pre. I prefer the ISM On-Board between my pre and power amp and between my pre and headphone amplifier.
I hope to receive my first Zero Gold interconnect in a week or so(just bought it on Audiogon).
If happy with the Zero Gold I may have some 0.8's for sale.
I will post my impressions over the 0.8 once it arrives. |
All Reference, 6 CD player, 6 Pre and 75 SE amp. |
cd9. Seems my fingers are a bit dyslexic. |
No bi-amping just using an Audio Research Reference 75SE for both runs.
In regard to the jumpers I used high grade Audioquest as well as some top line Kimber and Nordost jumpers. Costs, over $1,000AUD.
The maker of the speakers, Colin Whatmough, always believed his would perform better if you used tri or bi-wired cables.
He also recommended bi/tri amplification as a further improvement. |
My speakers have triple speaker binding posts.
I've tried jumpers and it is a viable alternative(cost wise) but in my experience separate or bi-wire cables have always provided a noticeable and worthwhile improvement over jumpers.
I can't quite stretch to run separate runs so I use bi-wire and a single run configuration.
Playing around I found the combo that sounded right for me was an Audioquest Wildwood bi-wire to mid-bass and treble and a Tara labs Onyx on the mids.
I sometimes mix those connections around(sometimes leaving one tara labs on the positive and an audioquest on the negative on the same posts)every so often and to achieve a different but equally alluring sound.
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andrew9405, LOL?
As a rather colourful Australian politician(shades of Donald Trump) said when she didn’t understand the meaning of a question she was being asked, "Please explain".
audiolabyrinth, in answer to your question.
They currently retail here for $50,000 AUD.
Too expensive for my taste but I had lusted after them after I heard a demo conducted by their creator Colin Whatmough some years earlier.
The local retailer had had some on demo for some time and I thought them sold. That apparently fell over.
Was I interested I was asked?
I still thought they were too expensive but they offered me a once in a lifetime deal which included a full trade in price on my 2 year old speakers, a 40% discount on RRP, plus a 1.5metre Nordost Tyr XLR interconnect cable and a DEQX pre-amp/room correction processor(value $5,500) they were using with the speakers. They would delivery and install and room calibrate using the DEQX.
So I took the plunge.
Since then I have embarked on upgrading my components to get the best out of these exceptional speakers.
I have no regrets but I have a much lighter bank balance.
Its been a great journey.
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Yes, they are beasts.
Each sub-woofer box have a massive screw type spike on each corner so as to elevate the speaker from the floor. So that's the whole 140kgs sitting on those four massive spikes.
Each to their own in what approach you take.
Its a bit like golf equipment. I have a mate who just loves buying new clubs, putters and drivers because he is, as we say, a "golf tragic". He just wants to believe that the new equipment will make him straighter, longer, better(no chance).
I do get "cable envy" and that's an itch I am presently about to scratch with the Tara Zero Gold interconnects that are currently in transit to me.
I will post my 0.8 v Zero Gold shootout when it arrives. |
I use a PS Audio P10 and an Isotek power board(for TV, player etc) both plugged into normal wall sockets.
The P10 certainly makes a difference along with good quality power cords.
The Isotek board is one of their base designs( approx. $599AUD) and is designed more as a filter. It certainly improves the TV.
Last year I went to an Isotek demo night at a local Audio Store. Isotek demo'd their range using the same music, cables, speakers and components. The units were just plugged into a normal wall socket.
As you went up the product scale the improvements were audible.
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Unfortunately none of the major brands manufacture a AU compliant wall socket. The US, UK and Europe sockets are not compliant for use in Australia.
Our voltage is offically 230v(was 240v) but of course that fluctuates up and down(more around 240v old level). The use of a device to filter/regulate/re-generate at a constant voltage is thus critical to protect expensive components.
In my case I have found that the P10 has had a positive performance effect for all my components compared to direct connection via the wall socket(my Ref75SE amp included).
I wish the manufacturers would make a AU compliant wall socket but I suspect the market is just too small for it to be viable. |
The Zero Gold interconnects have arrived.
Replaced 0.8 with HFX from CD to Preamp.
Preliminary listening results are very positive. An increase in definition, a fuller richer sound.
Then tried Gold from Speaker Crossover(my speakers have a powered external crossover) to amp(replacing 0.8 ISM onboard) and 0.8 with HFX on everything else.
Also an improvement but not as good as the first iteration above.
Now how do they compare to the 0.8 with HFX/ISM on Board?
I think the 0.8 is a great cable for the money. The Gold is superior but is it 2 to 3 x times superior(price on the used cable market)?
In my opinion it all depends on your system.
The 0.8 is very comparable to the Gold on a value basis when you are looking at the level of systems most people have.
Yes the Gold will yield better results but in my opinion not 2 to 3 x better over the 0.8 on a such systems.
The benefits of such high end cables really start to flow which using high end systems.
I have fairly high end equipment so this is a natural progression for me.
I think you would be better off investing in better components first and using the 0.8. You won't be disappointed.
To reap the benefits of the Gold I will need to replace all my interconnects in the chain with Gold but this first step has been a good one.
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Audiolabyrinth,
Thankyou for your advice but I’m not sure if I agree with your burn in statement.
These are well broken in used cables, a number of years old and heavy used.
In my experience, and I have had many used cables over the years, none have sounded any different from the day they were first in place.
New cables, yes, there is some improvement over time, the so called burn-in period.
That’s not to say you are wrong, it’s just not been my experience.
If it changes for the better after 300hrs then I will stand corrected and post my endorsement.
I also stand by my evaluation of the Gold v 0.8. Don’t get me wrong, the Gold is good, but not two to three times as good against the 0.8 Ex with HFX in most systems.
I have used both in my second system, retail approx. $18K. Gold is the better performer but the 0.8 Ex with HFX performs very well when comparing their cost. The real difference is heard in my main system which I have described before. Then the extra cost the Gold is well worth it.
If you have the money, great, the choice is the Gold but I would buy better components first using the cost differential.
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