best try nordost. very transparent and exciting to listen to.
The most transparent speaker cable
Gentlemen, I've been trying already for three cables in my system and none has all of the qualities I'm looking for in one. Can anyone recommend me the speaker cable which will be the most transparent with best detailing, not harsh and not muddy with the deepest bass and beautiful transients?
I've tried Revelation Audio Labs, Oyaide FF-20 V2 and Russian noname solid core AC in-wall cable. Today I'm gonna test the AR solid core but I doubt it will win. What I like in solid core cables is that they giving me the best and coherent bass I heard but at a price of the transparency. Of all three, the most transparent however was the Russian noname solid core AC in-wall cable but it lacks the bass slam and finesse.
Some recommend me to try as a speaker cable the Mundorf MConnect Metallfolie...
I've tried Revelation Audio Labs, Oyaide FF-20 V2 and Russian noname solid core AC in-wall cable. Today I'm gonna test the AR solid core but I doubt it will win. What I like in solid core cables is that they giving me the best and coherent bass I heard but at a price of the transparency. Of all three, the most transparent however was the Russian noname solid core AC in-wall cable but it lacks the bass slam and finesse.
Some recommend me to try as a speaker cable the Mundorf MConnect Metallfolie...
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Most transparent, most energy in the music, natural conveyance of the total frequency range, rock solid bass up through beautiful mids and highs, imaging, etc...to die for? Beyond a shadow of any doubt David Elrod's Statement Gold and Diamond Speaker cables. The Signature Golds are amazing in their own rite as well. I've owned and heard a LOT of mid to high-end cables and the Statement Golds are the best I've heard and a great match for any speaker. |
jmcgrogan25,503 posts11-03-2016 11:37amGood catch Inspector Abberline! Keep the bastards honest good sir.Purist Audio Design. 30+ years of the greatest cables on earth.Brian of Herndon Audio, while manufacturers and dealers are welcome on these forums, they are obliged to reveal their true identity, so as not to appear as wolves in sheep's clothing. |
I’m surprised there has been no discussion in this thread of bi-wiring. If the OP has speakers that can be bi-wired, then that opens up a lot of possibilities. If it is true that heavier gauge tends to lose transparency, then perhaps a different, smaller gauge cable would be in order on the top end. This is my current setup(bi-wireable speakers), and I’m looking to improve my speaker cabling. |
My favorites are Transparent Reference Speaker cable (calibrated to your amp & speakers) and Shunyata Anaconda. Both of these are very revealing of anything upstream. Of the two, the Transparent sounds the most musical to my ear: tight defined bass with clean attack and natural decays & tone, great highs without harshness, spacious natural soundstage, and the best midrange I have heard in my system. They are also a lot more expensive than the Anacondas, which I think are one of the great bargains in speaker cables. The Anaconda has sharper transients (not harsh, just have a faster attack and shorter decay than the Transparents) and more "slam." Midrange is very close to Transparent's but not quite as revealing to my ear. Very fluid pacing and tight bass definition. Having said all that, both are excellent SC's in my experience. YMMV. |
These are the best I've found in 40 years in the hobby. http://vongaylordaudio.com/beta/cabling/ Return of the Legend Speaker Cables • $4,995.00 / 10ft pair: 7000s-HF • $4,995.00 / 10ft pair bi-wire options: 7000s-LF, 7000s-SLF • Choice of gold plated banana plugs or spade lugs |
I have spent some time on this roller coaster. I have tried Audioquest, Clearday, Triode Wire Labs, Synergistic Research Element Tungstun and most recently Morrow Grand Reference Elite at $4K. I have finally been stopped in my tracks by Bob Grost's Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme speaker cables. I did not realize that much quality bass was still hiding in there. These cables, to my ears not only sound the best but represent an incredible bargain. Check out the thread here on Agon. |
Not quite a newbie...but not technically inclined and definitely has tinned ears. After years in this hobby and am now wondering.... Is there such a thing as cables being "transparent" sounding? How does one really know if the cables are transparent (sounding)? I really think that ALL cables have a sonic character. In fact...everything in the audio chain is colored. After hours and hours of reading articles, reviews and hanging out in hifi forums....most often mentioned is....System Synergy is KEY. If one needs more bass, more treble extension etc etc...forget about "transparent"....you are looking for something "colored" ....no? Forget transparent...no such thing. |
Hold the phone! Everyone posting here is wrong :) The answer to the most transparent cable is the shortest cable that you can find (ideally 2ft or less per run) that is somewhere between 9-12awg and made of multi nines OFC Copper and has an outer jacket of reasonably low dielectric constant. Mogami comes to mind. I'd be willing to bet a whole penny such a wire would easily outclass most of those other esoteric brands already posted here. The only time to start considering more fancy wire is once length starts to increase beyond a few feet Give it a try ;) |
This really clears things up. Enjoy. We're both fairly new on this forum, but the first thing I noticed was that the objective view is not too prevalent here, so I don't participate in any of the cable, amp sound, power cord, blind test, vibration platform, etc. threads. If I were you I wouldn't bother. The subjective view is very well established here. |
I recently became a dealer for Audioquest here in NYC to handle their power conditioners. I was offered to audition their speaker cables and thought why not. I got to extensively listen in my system to their 2 top of the line speaker cables, the Wildwood and Well signature. While the price is shocking, the transparency was as well. Details emerged, distortions disappeared. Luckily we're running the new BHK 300's mono blocks, so the expense of upgrading to the cables is not as bad as for those that. Need long pairs. Highly suggested to audition them, but I also suspect lower down the product line would work well. |
I used my 12 gauge stranded oxygen free copper lamp cord, for several years. Then, after I got into 2 channel again and upgraded everything else, I was still unhappy with the sound. Oppo, Parasound Halo, Paradigm Signature in my system then, and the imaging from these was rather 2 dimensional and plain. I didn't know that then, only that something seemed to be wrong for a system costing several thousand. So finally after racking my brain and reading everywhere I thought, how much worse could it get, and tried new speaker cables, Audioquest Type 4, at the suggestion of someone on another forum. He suggested those because they could be quite cheap, and would be a noticeable improvement over stranded copper. I had come to the conclusion that all cables sound the same, but more recently had tried mid level Morrow IC's and though they made some difference, it wasn't much. That turned out to be because the old speaker cables were holding back the sound. The Morrows with the Audioquest was quite a step up. Placement of instruments, depth of sound stage, and a focus and clarity. It's not that I had noticed I was lacking any of this, I didn't know what was missing. Now, the Audioquest Type 4 go for $5/ft in bulk cable, which is what I had. When I decided to upgrade the speaker cables again I found the limits of the Type 4. It's a warm cable with somewhat recessed highs, and less bass. No surprise since the Type 4 is about a 17 gauge cable. Wow, that was quite a mouthful! Point is, Russel is a quack who has misled many people and given false hope for others. Either way, I suggest Wireworld or Morrow speaker cables, either of their top of the line stuff will not disappoint. |
The roger russel table is right, but you have to pick the gauge based on length and the lowest impedance your speakers dropped to and some. Then after that, the benefits of larger gauges become lesser. You get 10-12 gauge with conectors that do not screw things up and you can rest relaxed... you'll have sound good as good as your system can produce.... guaranteed or your money, back! |
This really clears things up. Enjoy.Roger Russel's writing is entertaining at times but very dangerous! He mixes good and true data with his own biased (and often times wrong) opinion. For example: " What if you use wire heavier than the minimum size recommended in the table? There is no audible improvement but there can be a considerable increase in cost." This is plain nonsense! I compared silver wire from 16 AWG up to 6 AWG - the differences were everything but small. I just stopped at 6 AWG because the difference between 6 and 8 AWG was rather small compared to the improvement changing from 10 to 8 AWG. BTW - my speaker wires are 7 feet long - Roger Russel's table states 22 AWG is sufficient for an 8 Ohm load! I can only recommend you try it for yourself and get 8 or even 6 AWG silver wire from riogrande, stick it in cotton rope and listen for yourself. You will be amazed - no matter what speaker cable you're currently using! |
jafant3,833 posts08-25-2016 9:54ambugman03-Interesting feedback Jafant. I know Fred Crowder who loves the Jorma Prime xlr's & sc's swapped out the Jorma Prime pc's on his power amps for Stage III Concepts Minotaurs, noting the Minotaurs work well on power amps, whilst Fred preferred a Jorma Prime pc on his phono stage. Though of course, it is all system-dependent. |
I am a big fan of Jena Labs cables. These are the most transparent I have ever heard. Ultra pure copper in a strand-woven format with clear insulation... you will know exactly what you are getting because you can see it all. The more expensive versions have more copper, which further reduces the coloration and electromagnetic field interactions with the floor and nearby components. |
I experimented with several DIY recipes - starting out with Temp Electric's recommendation and ended up with a single conductor per pole in untreated cotton sleeve. If you can handle the stiffness try dead soft fine silver round wire from riogrande (less expensive). I am now using AWG 6 gauge (SIX - no typo!) bare wire (no termination) in heavy untreated cotton rope. This is by far the most transparent and best speaker wire I ever had. Downside is that you may hear things from your system that you don't care too much for. But it will allow you to determine shortcommings of your components. |
Where do you buy these? No such thing as final anything in high end audio. I have got rid of all my expensive speaker cable ( MIT, High Diamond 8, Auditorium 23 and Nordost) and replaced them with cheap Western Electric 16 gauge speaker cable. $160 for 3 meter pair. Best I have ever heard. Really stunning cable. Also Belden 1804 interconects. $60 for 1 meter pair. Has all the qualities you want. |
I am very surprised that no one has mentioned Audience AU 24 SE cables. I have found them to be a very transparent with strong bass clarity and no harshness. But, as so many have mentioned cables will be system dependent. I do agree with NORDOST high end cables being the fastest most transparent cables I have experienced. |
