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Teo XLR

I notice liquid cables are being talked about a bit at the moment so thought I'd share my experience.

I come from a somewhat cable sceptic background. After playing with modest cables I felt there were differences but it was all pretty subtle. The best I came across were Anti-cables which with everything I've seen seemed to offer slightly greater clarity. They've stayed in my system for the past 3 years as it's evolved.

I run an Emm Labs, Muse amp (very underrated)and Kharma speakers with just an XLR between the electronics. I was offered the opportunity to try a Teo XLR in an unfamiliar system a little while ago and was surprised at the difference it made so at the earliest opportunity I tried them in mine.

I've had them for over a week now and have been surprised at just how big a difference they've made. In a system that I've been very happy with the greater decay and body to notes is a revelation. They've added a more natural perspective that I didn't know I was missing. Very impressive.
defride

Showing 2 responses by defride

defride OP
89 posts
 
Good to see this tread revived, I'll be interested to hear HiDiamond properly.

Funnily enough someone I know through a UK forum lives close and worked for as far as I'm aware the last UK distributor for HiDiamond. I heard two of his systems which were in all likelyhood hooked up with their stuff. He's an arch cable sceptic and when I asked about the cables he basically shrugged his shoulders - good if you're interested in that sort of thing...

My system has evolved, the Muse has been replaced with Kharma MP150 mono's and an Aesthetix Calypso. I'm thrilled with what I hear here now.

Further back in the thread someone suggested comparing Teo with Anticable is a nonsense. I don't agree, from what I've seen price is not always a great indicator of quality. I tried a fair few midrange cables, Supra, Siltech etc next to the Anticables and Teo. In my system the Anticables were more transparent and got me closer to the music than all but Teo. I tried them next to a couple of highend cables, Siltech Forbes Lake and top end Acrolink. In my system there was little in it next to the Anticable, the other two seemed to offer very slightly greater transparency and a more forward presentation. I suspect I'd find it difficult to chose between those three blind.

I suppose you could call me a shill now, the distributor here has been very kind in letting me try some pieces that I'd not otherwise have had the opportunity to hear since I bought the XLR.

Teo is an awful lot of money, I find it hard to justify the sums involved when looking at it from a material content standpoint, however I am contemplating another purchase. I notice and miss it when I take it out of my system...
defride OP
89 posts
 
Wow, this thread took on a life!

I had a chance to run a full Teo loom 2 x interconnect and speaker cable a little while back. I own an interconnect and borrowed the other 2 pieces.

The full loom did have a positive impact. Theres a lovely sense of flow and natural tone that these cables impart in my system.

I do struggle when it comes to material value. I can't see where all that money has gone when holding the cables in my hands (in particular the speaker cable).

Having said that one of these days when I can divert some funds from other projects I'll look to buy another interconnect but for me the speaker cable is a step to far.

While the Teo are better I love the way my system sounds without the extra cables, I can live without them and relatively the impact they make seems to me to be modest in the context of some other changes. For instance changing the original tubes for NOS Mullard in my Pre had a greater impact on the way my system conveys music than the cables.

When other avenues for upgraging at the price have been exhausted they're worth a look in my opinion. For me they're an icing on the cake product. Expensive icing to be sure so the cake best be good and the wallet deep.
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