The Best kept Secret in Speaker Cables please?

Look into Jena Labs, I had the Valhalla's and went to Jena Labs, I don't think you will be disappointed :)

The Sonoran Plateau Desert cables are very good, and very reasonably priced. They are commonly compared with the more expensive Transparent cables in sound quality. I have them on my system, and I find them to be very detailed and neutral. I think this qualifies for your "best kept secret" category, because I think the word hasn't really gotten out on these cables. Build quality is first-rate also. I think they are a high-value product, with great sound for affordable dollars.

Another possibility is the Purist Audio Venustas cables. They are a new line for Purist, and I have heard alot of good things about them from users. They are somewhat higher priced than the Sonoran.

Check out the XLO Unlimited, or perhaps even the Limited. Prana Wire looks to be very interesting, but expensive. For much lower cost, people seem to really like Audience.

I think your best bet is to find out what people have found successful with your amp/speaker combination.

Try the Argent/Rosinante Jaden cable from Ric Cummins. I sold my Valhallas after doing a head-to-head demo with the Jaden Signatures. Ric makes all his silver cables by hand. His website is www.roomlens.com

Xindak FS-01 speaker cables

I just demoed a pair, and I am not giving them back.

The Xindak are not so much a secret as they are very new to the United states market.

An interesting review of the Xindak can be found at:
Stereotimes

DB

i second the xindak ( mine are on order ) i heard the FS1 & placed my order the same day. very smooth,yet lots of detail & not that bad on the pocketbook

Sonoran Plateau cables thruout. Dynamically coherent!

LOL! Good luck as everyone claims their cables are the best. I did have a chance to hear the OPUS and it is fantastic but even discounted to $20,000 it is not worth it. You might want to try Siltech G3 which is not bad. I think you will want to try many brands. Perhaps the Cable Company is the answer?

It is interesting that a person who asks about the "best kept secret in Speaker Cables" himself names (as a “reference” for his requests) Valhalas and Transparent, that probably are two the most barbaric and sonically-dangers (although the marketingly blown up) cables in the contemporary Audio. As many other question on audiogon your request shines with intelligence and provoke the adequate answer. I am sure that will have them.

Good luck,
Romy the Cat

The BEST kept secret is this: there IS no "best" cable for every system. The "best" cable for a given system depends totally on which amplifier is driving which speaker. You can put together a system in which Valhalla sounds like junk and old MH-750 Shotgun makes you weep with joy. The same is true in reverse.

Now if you mention your amp & speakers, then we might get somewhere :)

LAT International. See the archives and audioreview.com I rewired my whole system with their IC-200 XLR-interconnect, IC-20 digital, and SS-1000 speaker cables, and the effect for comparetively littler money was excellent

Yes, people here set themselves up asking questions without knowing what they want or in which direction their systems are headed...

Regarding speaker cables, I had the opportunity to audition ( in my own system ) Lak's Midnight Silver Edition by Ridge Street Audio Designs. They are truly phenomenal speaker cables and ICs, I would say.

It is intersting how a person asking about the "best kept secret in Speaker Cables" himself is asking for recommendations under $5k and yet are comparable or better than Valhalas and Transparent shouldn't solicit the type of information that he is looking for other than a person with verybigamp making a fallous straw-man argument out of it.

Dschltz
Thank you for your comments,
I have the Krell FPB-300 , and MTS Prelude with RABOS Subs
Infinity

XLO UNLIMITED clearly beat SPM REFERENCE Nordost in my system never heard Valhalla though the unlimited may better it also. See my reviews regarding XLO for more details.

Proy: Here is my system,

-Martin Logan ReQuests.
-Krell FPB 600.
-Krell KRC/Reference Phono.
-Sony SCD-1.
-Old VPI table, SME3009 arm, and various cartridges.
-All interconnects, Pure Note Epsilon Reference.

I also play with many cables. I still favor the Compass Lake for interconnects but only have this cable between my SCD-1 and preamp. I have tried Bogdan, Empirical, Ridge Street, and others but did not keep them. Perhaps you can borrow cables like I did to save hassle and expense.

For the Record, unless Sonic genious Identifies himself to me via personal email so I know who he is, he has never purchased from us and has never used any of our cabling. I have asked him previously to identify himself with no response. I've certainly not had any one return our cables so I'm not sure what's up here. If I am inccorect here, I will recant my statement here.

Robert C. Schult
Ridge Street Audio Designs

First of all, anything near $5K is likely no secret. Second, the need to spend anything near $5K for cables that will sound "best" in your system is, IMHO, totally fallacious. That said, Dschultz makes a good point about "no best".

As a side note, I'd wager the Ridge Street Midnight Silver Edition could be the best kept secret in terms of a quality to recognition ratio. Doubt it will stay that way for long, though. And, no, I am not affilated with Ridge Street.

BTW, who let the cat out of the bag?

David

For the record, I don't believe Sonic_Genius needs to identify himself nor should he receive unsolicited clutter in his email box from merchants.

You are out of line Mr. Schult. I did not buy these cables from you, I borrowed them from a friend as my post states.

Sonic Genius, I don't believe I'm out of line. None of your comments specifically state you borrowed a set of our cables from someone(?). Plus, you stated from another thread "I've got a pair on the way to see what all the fuss is about. I thought I was enthusiastic about pure note but I wonder about you guys. Did you guys get a deal on these or what?". With that, I contacted you out of concern that I had perhaps misplaced a work order which would mean somebody, you, wouldn't get their purchase. I never got a response from you. Had you responded back, that would have been courteous, would have alleviated my concern and would have avoided my assumed accusation here in this thread. If indeed you were able to borrow our cabling from someone, then please accept my sincere apologies.

As for me, this matter is closed and I will not post any more regarding this. If you, or anyone else need to continue this for whatever reason, contact me personally.

Regards,
Robert C. Schult
Ridge Street Audio Designs

Hmmm...in my system (and Lak's) the Pure Note speaker cable was closer to the cryo'ed 65 cents a foot military wire than to the Ridge Street Audio silver ribbon. Much closer...

I remember telling Lak a few weeks ago under which circumstances someone might prefer Pure Note IC's over the Midnight Silver Edition's. I will keep my explanation to myself--don't feel like kicking the anthill tonight. One of my neighbors from back home got electrocuted yesterday--he was 32.

military grade copper wire from your local hardware store. the same 99.9% pure stuff that many are happy to sell you for far more money.

Sonoran desert plateau are fantastic. I have both the ICs and speaker cables. I went from nordost to these. I think they are as good as it gets and the price is reasonable. If you need special runs they will deal with you individually and quote a reasonable price.

I completely agree with your statement. Case in point, my experience with Synergistic Research Designers Reference in my current set up of Kharma 3.2s and Tenor 75Wi.
What was a fine cable in my prior system, kills some of the best qualities of my current system. I just started the search for the "right match"
Any comments and sugestions on what to use with this set up will be greatly appreciated

There's a testimonial from a Kharma owner in the Ridge Street Audio website, if I recall...

Thank you for your input. I will look into it.

I must confess that I may be the one ( or one of the ones ) that let the cat out of the bag. I tried Ridge Street Audios' cables and loved them before most anyone new them. I mentioned them in the Audio Asylum and some people pretty much called me liar! If you look at the feedback they are now enjoying you'll see that I wasn't doing anything but telling it like I heard.I have since upgraded 2 times and plan on more in the future. I am treated like a customer and getting a bargain to boot. What else can an audiophile ask for? I am using Kharma 1.0,Thor monos and linestage and Meridian 508/24 player

Audio Asylum can be a VERY dangerous place to express ones' opinion. I personally don't dare to do so. I am afraid of finding my pet rabbit in a pot on my stove.

a great cable despite the manufacture is the monster 2.2s and 2.4s(biwire). it is highly underrated.

check out the reviews on audioreview, it was also a recently stereophile reccomended cable. it displaced $2200 worth of tara cable in my system.i have also tried xlo, kimber, and harmonic tech.

the cable can be characterized as full bass, neural mids, and revealing top but not bright.

i think you would be hard pressed to find a better cable for the used price of $200 to $250.

hope that helps !!!
mike