Townshend Audio F1 Fractal Interconnects - Less is More!
This is turning out to be my hardest review to date. I held off a long time waiting to be sure. Good move. Paid off. After last night this will be a lot better than anything I could have done earlier.
The Townshend F1 Fractal interconnect is based on the same Fractal copper ribbon technology used in their speaker cables. Main differences are the conductors in the interconnect are suspended in air inside a light weight flexible translucent tube.
The Fractal Wire is terminated in Neutrik Profi RCA phono plugs. These plugs feature a spring loaded ground collar. The outer collar on RCA is ground, the pin is positive or signal. With a regular RCA plug the pin sticks out making positive contact first, which can cause some pretty awful noises if the power is on and the source input is selected. Experienced audiophiles know to never do this, but apparently there are enough of the other kind to merit Neutrik designing a whole spring loaded RCA plug. Oh well. This RCA is also really beefy, exceptionally beefy, and has two segments angled in for extra contact pressure and an extra angled sharp line contact area, just to get the point across these things are designed for killer contact.
Plugging them in for the first time the extra pressure was obvious. The spring loaded part feels a little funny for an old-school guy like me but they work just fine. The F1 interconnects themselves are very light and flexible. Routing them was a breeze.
My reference interconnect was the Synergistic Research Atmosphere Level III Euphoria with ground plane technology. It was, like my speaker cables, wrapped in tubes of Perfect Path Solutions Omega E-Mats and treated with Total Contact. Having learned my lesson with the speaker cables I put a microscopically thin coating of TC on the F1 before connecting them.
The sound I heard even right out of the box was clean and clear and open but not as big and full as the Synergistic. This filled out within a few hours to where the F1 seemed well above the Synergistic in every way but one.
We all have certain parts of certain music where there is an instrument that we look forward to hearing. It could be the lead guitar solo in Money for Nothing, or the drums on Famous Blue Raincoat. Time and again I would be ready for one of these only to hear something a bit… different. I’ll be honest, it was kind of a let down at first. But the more I listened the more it started to dawn on me: this is right. All the extra sounds I was expecting to hear, it was all added.
The more and the longer I listened the more certain I was. This is to take nothing away from the Synergistic. I have used Synergistic since the 1990’s, compared it to a lot of others, always loved it. Especially the Atmosphere, which was so good I was really doubtful F1 would be able to match it, nevermind sound better. I would have been surprised even to hear it come close.
That is what took me so long to put this review out there. The F1 is not just close, it is not just a little better. The F1 is a whole hell of a lot better! By the time it had 20 hours it was so liquid smooth and detailed it is hard to believe.
I mean really, literally, hard to believe. So just to be sure, last night I put the Synergistic back in.
Tracy Chapman Talkin’ Bout a Revolution starts with strumming guitar. The sound was flat, grainy, out of focus, and there was a harsh metallic edge to the guitar. Chapman’s voice had an edge to it as well. The bass line when it came in was really big and full, but loose and bloated.
Regular readers will recall I was about ready to break down and buy tube traps to eliminate some boomy resonance in my room, but changed my mind when putting the Moabs on Townshend Podiums eliminated a lot of the problem. Well, turns out a good share of the resonance was in the wire. Who’d a thunk? It makes sense though. Townshend seems to have found a way of eliminating a lot of artificial resonances most other wires add to the signal. How he does it I don’t know. But the effect is substantial.
Chapman uses a lot of really deep, interesting and well defined bass. It was wonderful with the Atmosphere but way warm and bloated. I just never realized how bloated until compared with the Fractal Wire.
The edge and distortion, and flat stage, were an even bigger shock. Palpable 3D imaging and presence are supposed to be the forte or hallmark of the Synergistic sound. Hate to say it, waited and waited trying not to say it, but I am one of the rare guys left these days who lives by "let the chips fall where they may." Townshend F1 Fractal Interconnect makes Atmosphere sound flat and grainy like a freebie patch cord. I just had to wait and give myself time to really get used to the F1, then put it back in again, to be sure. I am sure. Un freaking believable.
On Side 2, and now with the F1 back in, Mountains of Things starts off with a lot of great percussion instruments, way too many to count, plus triangle and a cymbal, and each of these is so much its own thing in its own space with its own texture its a real treat. This isn’t some special pressing either, not a White Hot Stamper or anything, just one I picked deliberately because it is so very average and yet also something a lot of guys have heard and can relate to. I have never, ever heard this music sound anywhere near so true and right. Can’t even pick out any one thing to say wow great bongo’s or whatever, because I would be saying that about everything!
I have always loved the big full bass and the big full sound of Synergistic overall, a lot. This is not a case of my taste changing to something lean or a whole lot different. I still love me some good bass! It is just that with F1 (and Townshend in general) the bass is so much more pleasingly clean and full. It is at times even more deep and impactful than anything I ever heard from Synergistic. With the speaker cables in particular it was the bass that struck me first. With the interconnect the bass is still there just even more articulate and well defined. There is more character and control to the bass now than ever. It is simply that a lot of “extra” bass has been removed.
The top end is so free of ringing, edge and glare it can at times seem almost soft. Until something happens and it is clear the top end is definitely there, just no longer exaggerated. Sibilance is still there, just now those "s" sounds are much more natural. The records that have problems with this still have problems, they just aren’t anywhere near as hard on the ears now. Yet cymbals still shimmer, Sinatra still swings, the sax has real bite. Everything that should be there is there. Just nothing extra added.
Now with more time to listen and think, it is apparent this is a common theme running through all the Townshend components- a lack of additive resonance. All kinds of things vibrate, apparently, even electrical signals do it in the form of ringing. Max has shown this on some videos where the oscilloscope shows clearly the signal reflecting and traveling back and forth, in effect ringing. It happens with speakers. It happens with components. It happens with speaker cable. Now also it seems to happen with interconnects. Why am I not surprised?
Sometimes the ringing or resonance is high frequency, and this brings a hard edge and exaggerated top end. Sometimes the resonance is lower, and the midrange is full and warm, or the bass is big and round. Sometimes when the designer does a really good job of shaping the contour of this it can sound pretty good. That is what I heard with Synergistic. Probably a lot of what is going on with other wire is different guys find they like different things exaggerated to a different extent and so they pick the ones they like. But they are still exaggerations. They are still additive. They are still distortion.
With the F1 back in this becomes really clear. Exactly the right word: clear. The F1 is as clear and as open as I could ever want. Nothing missing, nothing added.
John Hannant at Townshend was telling me from the beginning that to get the full benefit it is best to run a full loom. I thought this was nothing more than good salesmanship. Now though I can see the reasoning behind it. F1 speaker cables removed the colorations and resonances, all the ringing going on with the speaker cables. But the Atmosphere interconnect was still there coloring the sound. I just didn’t know it. Quite honestly had no idea. Frankly surprised to hear how much.
This review has been hard to write in another way. I’ve been a huge fan of Ted’s for a good three decades now. Still regard him as one of the greatest creative geniuses around. Even now I have not one negative thing to say about any of his many terrific designs. For sure Synergistic has the biggest widest range of consistently high performing products, and from entry level to fairly high tier is still a top recommendation. At the very top end of the range though I have to now give the nod to Townshend F1 Fractal.
I have been a lifelong proponent of integrated amps, and tube integrated in particular for a good 30 years now. But that was always with the understanding separates are ultimately better, it is just that you have to get up into a very high range of performance before this becomes the case. Well now here I am at long last bumping into that range. Even so it still seemed a good tube integrated like Raven Reflection was the way to go. Now though comments like yours has me re-evaluating.
The Allegri being transformers and therefore totally passive devices do not require a power cord. Every component deserves a power cord of equal stature and so this is no small amount of money saved. The transformer is clearly the best method of volume control, that is why SUT transformers are used with MC, they simply are superior. But with a transformer the wire and construction are everything. Townshend has Fractal wire, and clearly knows how to work with it to produce incredible results.
Just what I need, one more project. 😉 Dang. Sometimes I wish everything wouldn't matter. 😂 But it does. Thanks!
My Townshend Allegri Reference sounded great from the off (compared with the original Allegri) but really needed a two month burn in period, before really coming on song, possibly because it makes use of copious amounts of Fractal wiring internally. I use a Chord Electronics power amp, but it should work equally well with valves. The Reference was reviewed by Martin Colloms (Hi-fi Critic) who uses an Allegri Plus for reviewing purposes and Rafael Todes (of Allegri String Quartet fame) for StereoNET UK, both agreed that it was of "reference" quality !! First thing to do is to level it up using the adjustable cushioned feet, I used a two way turntable spirit level to ensure that it was absolutely true. For the record, I am not sending mine back !!!
Good to hear. Appreciate it. The truth is I have a very long history of looking out for people's money by searching out and reviewing only the highest value components- regardless of who makes it or what it costs! Anyone seriously interested can easily find and read all my reviews, and see this is the case. Over and over again I strive to put things in perspective, whether it be by comparing a fuse to a power cord or the way these different Townshend products work. This sometimes results in some seemingly strange statements, like Nobsound springs at $35 are tremendous value, but so are Townshend Podiums - because even though many times the price they are many times the performance as well.
The Allegri I am a bit jealous, because from everything I know it should be another killer component. I have known for years transformers are the best solution for volume, but not easily implemented. This makes all the glowing reviews easy to believe. Especially after hearing for myself just how good all the other Townshend stuff works.
Because I am such a value-oriented audiophile I have pretty much my whole life been an integrated amp kind of guy. What I have said, to be fair, is separates do not make sense until you get up into a very high level of price and performance. All arbitrary of course, but for me that would be a Raven Reflection, probably the pinnacle of integrated amp performance. I don't know what level of amp it would take to match that, but the Allegri sure sounds like it could be part of that package.
However that goes, bottom line, you are able to sell what you have, upgrade to Townshend, and have money left over. Wow.
MC mentions that adding pods or Platforms under electronics adds the same type of improvements as the Podiums under speakers. I found this to be true. In my system the speaker Podiums (I'm going to simplify here for sake of brevity) made my speakers "better" in numerous ways and was a cost effective upgrade. The Platforms (pods) I put under my preamp cases and my streamer/DAC FIXED a significant ringing/sibilance issue I had. So in my system I can't do without the pods under my electronics anymore, but the Podiums are dessert. Samandlej21, was teasing MC about buying the Townsend Allegri Reference passive preamp since he was high on the Townsend Kool Aid. Well, I'll admit to being high on the Townsend Kool Aid as the isolation products and F1 wire loom are both so effective in my system. I ordered the Allegri passive preamp today. Just waiting for the almost 5K I got out of selling two "big name" interconnects to clear Paypal, to make my balance payment to Townsend. I bring up the money issue simply to point out that there are products out there that are a tremendous value, and this forum helps us find them. In fact the Allegri is going up against my ARC REF10, and if it wins I'll look to free up more cash to upgrade my dCS. If it doesn't beat the ARC it's flying back to London. I am very happy about trying equipment in my home that I can return if I don't like it. It's fantastic! Free Kool Aid samples for all!!
Mine are Mission Cyrus 781.... They are supposed to be the best of Mission.... It is the reason why i bought them and they were a bargain at 50 bucks....I never look back....My Tannoy dual gold were better tough BUT too big to be put on a desk, i sold them ( 2 pairs) 1000 bucks each pair...I dont regret anyway i never listen to the Tannoy at their real S.Q. peak because at this time i was not concerned by any embeddings controls....Then i owned the Tannoy for 40 years without have been ever able to listen to them in the right acoustical controlled room, unbeknownst to me ... A pity.... But most people are like i was all my life , acoustic is not the most important matter in audio.... All people vouch for their gear instead.... Anyway i speak too much....
MC you are so great. No need to discount others. Your greatness will speak for itself.
BTW you are incorrect to suggest that not having ones system posted here means they do not have one. We will give you a pass on that incorrect assertion for now however. Just try to get it right moving forward and we will not have to correct you.
Here’s a link to the discussions I have started. https://forum.audiogon.com/users/millercarbon/discussions?page=3 Click on any name, takes you right to a page where you can see all the discussions that person has started. The MDS people attacking me, might be interesting to compare their discussions started list with mine.
A lot of them you will notice do not even have systems. I would say by and large we pay them more attention than they deserve.
PS- I like the way you say you do not have Tekton speakers, "just" Wilson Sasha 2’s. Good one. 👍 (And Euphoria is crazy good.)
I have grown to respect what millercarbon says, because I have arrived at an audio system something like his is configured. I do not have Tekton speakers, just Wilson Sasha 2's. I do have SR Euphoria and Shunyata cables, but I only listen to CDs on an Esoteric K-01XD player.
Given his (MC's) longevity on this forum, I doubt he is marketing a product.
An array of 4 subs well controlled will give 20 Hz of clear bass...
Nothing will rival with that ever...
But for average buddy who dont need 20 Hz like me...And could live around 40 Hz...
The resonators relatively to their numbers, locations, fine tuning, can take care of ALL resonance at ALL frequencies...But it is not all people who can use 32 pipes and tubes in a room... But Helmholtz resonators numbered 3 or 6 could take care of bass resonance... The only difficult part is listening to determine the ratio neck lenght and diameter/ relatively to the tube volume....But it is just FUN to do...
It is the more powerful acoustical control device at no cost if you do like i did... I pick discarded pipes and plumber tubes...Straws of different length and diameters.... It takes time tough to listen to them and fine tune them.... It takes me the whole month ... I just finisked it and the results are nothing short of extraordinary in my 2 listening positions...
For the podium : this is vibrations/resonance controls...
My springs methods with 2 sets over and under the speaker with (dissymetric compression of each sets of springs) fine tuned load damping will do the job at 100 bucks.... It is probably not so good than the podium but very near them probably.... Anyway cost me almost peanuts... These methods, the podium or my own springs method, anyway give something that will work giving much better clarity on all frequencies bass included... Millercarbon is right about that...
The only difference between him and me is the fact that i created my own controls mechanical, electrical or acoustical devices, i dont have 6000 US bucks (8000 canadian) and if there is a big difference between our S.Q. it is because for sure his gear is more higher engineering, perhaps not the amplifier but the speakers for sure...
Even if all his gear is better than mine the difference will be the room, mine is now under complete controls...
I know by experience, believe me or not , that cutting few inches of a straw affect all aspect of sounds in my system /room...Then timbre perception, imaging, soundstage, listener envelopment, source relative width, all acoustical factors are LINKED together....It is normal if we think what we perceived is not the sound coming from the speakers, but from the timing incoming wavefronts in milliseconds AFTER they have already crossed our room perhaps 10 times before our brain finish his wave analysis/ integration...
A single straw.... Astounding power of acoustic unbeknownst to most...
"Helmholtz resonators can take care of them at no cost"
is "them" midrange, treble, and bass? If a DBA is $3k and podiums or pods come to, say, $3k -- well that's $6k of savings for the same result MC is describing.
Please clarify -- what do you replace with the resonators?
Maybe you were explaining when you said:
For sure we do not replace an array of 4 subs with resonators but some who dont need the subs but a clear and present bass it may be a no cost solution...
I knew all my life, literally one of the first things I learned, you can get pretty darn good midrange and treble on a budget, but really good bass costs big money. For a good many years I even thought really excellent bass might actually be impossible, due to the inevitable bass modes caused by small rooms.
Helmholtz resonators can take care of them at no cost...
It is all the gist of my mechanical equalizer...
And more than that a grid of resonators oriented differently from each speaker and located at the right spot can take care of ALL resonances...
But someone can experiment with only a few especially fine tuned tube for the bass nodes.... Anyway it cost me nothing at all....Just fun to experiment...
Oldhyvimec astutely observed that some silent tube with the organ are there to tune the church acoustic ...It is using Helmholtz acoustic tuning of the room...
My 7 inches drivers give me the tuba notes....And i listen the bass with my chest...like with this cello....
For sure we do not replace an array of 4 subs with resonators but some who dont need the subs but a clear and present bass it may be a no cost solution...
I am in the no cost solution side for sure....
By the way i discovered that a small room can be an advantage acoustically, an enormous one, if someone know how to use timing between direct, early and late reflected waves and reverberation time to recreate acoustic listener envelopment factor...
For me there is no more bad room only difficult one to cure...
But all small room are bad if not controlled.... 😊😊
Wouldn’t talk a guy out of either one. My thing was, I knew all my life, literally one of the first things I learned, you can get pretty darn good midrange and treble on a budget, but really good bass costs big money. For a good many years I even thought really excellent bass might actually be impossible, due to the inevitable bass modes caused by small rooms. DBA is a total game changer. Makes true SOTA bass attainable for as little as $3k, which is extraordinary!
DBA is also so flexible, you can start with one sub and just add more as funds allow. There’s no need to match anything. In fact differences actually help as the whole goal is to have lots of different modes, and different subs do this automatically. The biggest challenge actually turns out to be mental, or psychological, the difficulty many have with understanding the concepts and that it does in fact work. Once you get that, you are practically home free!
At the same time though if you have less room, or pretty good bass, or are more into sound stage and imaging, well then the Podiums are a slam dunk. Eventually of course we "want it all" and it takes a while. I went 30 freaking years with crap bass before I got my DBA! Then a couple more years before discovering springs. Between Duke and Max, (and Timmy, RIP, and Krissy ;), they have really brought me at last into the top levels.
One more thing, just as DBA can be added one sub at a time, Townshend can be added with Pods one component at a time. That is what I did. Podiums are such a big step, I like to DYODD which includes testing stuff a little at a time wherever possible. Plus of course did not hurt having Rick help me with springs! So there was actually several steps leading up to Podiums- springs, Nobsound, Pods, finally Podiums. Just thought worth mentioning because Podiums get all the glory and deservedly so but the Pods give a lot of the same benefits. If you look at total cost since you can get several sets of Pods for the same as one Podium, the combined improvement of the Pods is by the time you do that about equal. Kind of like you add one sub at a time, eventually you get there that way too.
I used to think there was always one right way to go about it, one best thing to add next, one that will make the most improvement. Now after a long time and a lot of trial and error I think there are many ways, you can’t really say it has to be one or the other, it is more like no one can ever have it all, everything is a trade off anyway, so which one do you prefer?
@millercarbon Yes, that makes excellent sense. Really appreciate how you detailed what each element does for the bass, so that individuals can prioritize based on their needs and preferences.
You and @brownsfan have more or less convinced me of a DBA and I’m keen to talk to Duke one day. I just wasn’t sure if the podiums would be good in the meantime.
Apologies if this question is already implied in your posts, is it ever helpful to put podiums under just their one sub? (Let's say to save $$ in the short run.)
As you've said before, "everything matters." One thing that you have that others of us don't have is a distributed bass array. The question is how much of your results related to bass in this review do you think would be happening without a bass array?
Why, all of it, of course. The bass resonance Townshend cleaned up was always there. The DBA didn't make it worse, rather it actually alleviated it somewhat. I would say this was one of those deals where, you know there are always all kinds of problems only you have to pick your battles. Sometimes one that was pretty far down your list, after fixing enough stuff it works its way to the top.
Your answer to that question will help me (and perhaps others) know the degree to which the effect you describe might occur in our systems, which is the main takeaway from a review. Because in a limited budget, why drop $$ on podiums if one would be better off devoting that money toward a DBA?
Okay, I get it now.
They both go together. That is not to say you have to do both together. I will try and explain so you can figure out for yourself what will be best in your situation.
The great thing about a DBA is it allows you to get more and better bass, but by putting less bass energy into the room. Duke explains this much better than I ever can. Basically, lots of small subs in multiple locations produces lots of small peaks and dips. One big powerful sub can do this, but only with lots of EQ, and that means turning up the sub output in order to overcome cancellation in some areas. But that energy is still going into the room as a whole.
This is one of the main reasons a DBA has faster more articulate bass. The more bass energy you put into a room the more it causes walls and floor and ceiling to vibrate with energy, and the longer it takes for this energy to dissipate. This is why so many guys run to tube traps. They suck up the excess energy. Also one reason why you have less need of tube traps with a DBA. Since less energy is wasted exciting the room less needs to be done to suck it up.
Hopefully you are already seeing why the Townshend stuff works so well. Not all of the bass energy comes from the air. It also propagates directly through the speaker into the floor and the room. Less room excitation equals less resonance equals clearer sound.
That's with Podiums or Pods. With the cables themselves, they made me aware the same sort of sound as this is coming from resonance modes in our cables. It has to be treated differently. In this case you treat cable resonance with less resonant cables. But the final result or character of the sound is the same: tighter, cleaner, more articulate.
They both cost about the same. Depending on what exactly we are talking about, in broad terms it is around $3k for either a good DBA or Podiums. The DBA can be built for less, or you can spend a lot more. Likewise the Podiums could be less or more depending on the speakers. All in the 3k ballpark, give or take.
Which is better is hard to say. If you want to play louder with nice clean deep powerful bass, Podiums will not do this for you. They will clean up the bass you do have, a lot. You will probably sense a little more extension, like the same speakers play deeper now. But they will not create more. Not like a DBA. What they will do is make the speakers disappear, greatly improve detail and hugely improve the natural timbre or sonic signature of instruments and voices.
With the DBA this is all sort of flipped around. They will give you much more deep, powerful and articulate bass, and once set up right there is a sense of greater envelopment and ease, but these areas are not improved nearly as much as with the Podiums.
I don't like to simplify, but if what you want most is more and deeper then DBA. If what you want most is clearer more real then start with Podiums. Make sense?
I suspect a properly phased bass array should tame/eliminate the boomy resonance effect, although I would also suspect room dimensions and damping/treatment would influence that situation too. I would not have expected cables to influence that condition if they were in the ballpark for the required parameters so I will be curious to hear MC's response to your question. In my case, all else being the same, trading larger floor-standing bass reflex speakers for slightly smaller, stand-mounted acoustic suspension speakers and adding two high quality subs for the very low frequencies made a huge improvement in the quality of bass from my system - much better and no boominess whatsoever.
Regular readers will recall I was about ready to break down and buy tube traps to eliminate some boomy resonance in my room, but changed my mind when putting the Moabs on Townshend Podiums eliminated a lot of the problem. Well, turns out a good share of the resonance was in the wire. Who’d a thunk?
As you've said before, "everything matters." One thing that you have that others of us don't have is a distributed bass array. The question is how much of your results related to bass in this review do you think would be happening without a bass array?
Your answer to that question will help me (and perhaps others) know the degree to which the effect you describe might occur in our systems, which is the main takeaway from a review. Because in a limited budget, why drop $$ on podiums if one would be better off devoting that money toward a DBA?
The time on all my new wire is into around 100 hours now, and wow does it sound great! The combination of the exceedingly fast and liquid M101 Mr White power cord with the revealingly neutral fast and liquid F1 is now with more hours just a really wonderful experience.
It used to be I would play a side, and then want to go looking for something else to play next. Now with the F1 I find myself getting so into each record it is kind of a surprise to hear the ffffft, fffffft, ffffffft of the lead-out groove and realize it is the end of the side. Then instead of looking for something else I flip it over to hear the other side. Last night it was Fleetwood Mac, after which I was so into it I put on Rumours. Never did that before.
Even before changing any of these wires it was already perfectly clear no two recordings are alike, that each one has its own individual sound. Now though it is not just that each record sounds different, it is more like each one is its own unique and individual little world.
@edgewound My comment about brass connectors sounding good does not mean good wire is meaningless. My dealer also uses Audio Note wiring inside the amps, he's not skimping with brass he just thinks it sounds better in that application.
Thanks for bringing Tracy's first up. It's a great album, but each track sounds very different (makes it a fine test record) and as a whole its a bit edgy with sometimes loose bass, sometimes tight. If you want her to sound sweeter or "better", maybe more natural (what do I know), then try other recordings like Give me one reason or Change and many more.
There are a lot of very high end cables I have not heard. It is always possible there are some good ones out there. From what I am hearing however, comparing to some really, really good cables that I like a lot, makes me wonder if maybe F1 are the best available, regardless of cost.
I just had a couple over who are looking at getting Moabs. They would ask to hear something and we played everything from Sinatra to Sabbath. Pretty much every track whoever was sitting there, man or woman, within a few seconds would go, "Wow!" and shake their head in disbelief. They were gaga over the imaging and sense of envelopment.
It is nice to hear people confirm what I have been saying. Which is also by the way what others have been saying. How Townshend has been able to fly under the radar making so much outstanding gear is something I will never understand.
I too have F1 interconnects in my pro-listening studio (I have to sign off on studio masters as part of my job), I tried many interconnects and was hardly hearing any difference between high price £1500+ cables from HFC, Shunyata and Transparent compared to £15 Maplin audio cables (Maplin was a UK high street electric store).
I was all set to stay with the cheap cable. But then I borrowed some F1 and just when I thought all the interconnects sound broadly the same in my system this was different and it really stood out. It had a sense of natural ease the others didn’t, it made music sound just ’right’. Interestingly I found the rca F1 cable better than the xlr (into a fully balanced amp).
A year or so later the F1 speaker cable came out and this was another fabulous cable where the delta was even greater than the others I heard.
I really would advise at least trying these cables instead of hurling abuse at MC. F1 is not cheap but it is different from other cables and worth a listen.
Newer to the forum and not possessing the obvious common knowledge that MC is a shill and just makes stuff up, I listened to him about isolation springs and subsequently bought Townsend Podiums for my Wilsons, and Platforms for my dCS, and my ARC preamp. (I mention the equipment only to lend to the reader some indication that I have equipment with good resolution) These seismic isolation products made the biggest improvement of anything I've ever added to my system outside of a new component. As a result of the success of the Townsend products I installed, I ordered (unaware that MC was doing the same) F1 speaker wires and 2 pairs of F1 interconnects. I received them today. They are burning in now. I pretty much agree with MCs comments about the sound of the loom. They are in place of two pairs of Cardas Clear Beyond ICs and a set of Shunyata Alpha SCs. The F1 loom in the first 2 hours don't bury my current cables, but they are slightly more detailed, have better imaging and produce a very pure sound. They are already calming down, which they will need to continue to do for me to keep them, but I'm impressed so far. There is a great deal of pontification on this thread about the technology used with these wires. I would like to read less of that, but more about members trying these products in their systems and giving actual listening impressions. After all, Townsend provides a money back program if you don't want to keep any of their products. I paid whatever Townsend asked for their products(in other words no one is giving me free anything!) and will send these back if I don't prefer them, that said, they will never get the isolation products back from me! As always, I learn a lot from all of your contributions! Thanks
@mitch2 Actually brass connectors can sound quite good, my dealer, who built my amp and also builds custom speakers likes to use brass binding posts. He says they just sound better and I can't disagree.
Anybody else see the problem with this statement with regards to excessively expensive, esoteric cables?
The terminations cancel out any fancy design of the cable and conductors. All that voodoo applied to the cable only to have it go through two sets of solid connections at EACH END.
Spend your money on audio jewelry, if you will...I won't. Many marriages based on the size and expense of the ring end in divorce...because it was fake to begin with.
@mitch2 Actually brass connectors can sound quite good, my dealer, who built my amp and also builds custom speakers likes to use brass binding posts. He says they just sound better and I can't disagree.
A more apt analog would be to have two 911's, one blue and one green, and to be claiming the green one is better. The 911 of today is nothing like one from the 60's other than roughly looking the same, and is it the greatest performance car ever? No, not really, it is just one that no one ever changed the name on, where other companies give their cars new names.
You probably would not expect much difference between a Corvair and a 911 either then. After all, both are rear engine air cooled cars. So how can one possibly be better than another? Yet the Corvair went down in flames while the 911 has been and remains to this day the greatest performance car ever.
Your unbelievably simplistic world view is childlike in the extreme. You have no system page, and yet your one discussion started was to tell everyone including manufacturers how to audition components "in the age of covid."
Loosen the mask, you are suffocating on your own CO2. The higher brain functions are the first to go. How about you take a step back, take a break from telling everyone else how it's done, and try and put one together yourself?
I have some of the Bridgeport ones that I linked and have DIYed some over the years. I was doing some scrounging and found a partially unwound Alpha Core yesterday. I would not expect much difference between the F1 and the Bridgeport (price aside). They don't offer any of the theoretical cancellation of EMI that comes with a woven construction like Kimber and others.
I used Goertz speaker cables for many years between an ARC D115mkII and Martin-Logan CLSs. I modified the ends of the copper to BE the spades and amp connectors, so they were essentially busbars between my amp and speakers. I though they were great. I told HP about them and he wrote some favorable comments in TAS.
Okay guys/gals... Though I don't always agree with @millercarbon, he is allowed to have his say on what he thinks. Dismissing out-of-hand that his opinions are false/guided by financial benefit is not fair. bob
This is what the Fractal is essentially a variant/copy of. I think the spacing may even be the same. Certainly the same wrong claim of impedance is for audio. That would make the Fractal almost like an off-shore clone. They often copy the mistakes too!
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