Upgraded my cables and they transformed my system!!!
My old cables were, and my new cables are a mix of three or four different brands of cables that synergized beautifully together to produce an outstanding sound in my system. Recently, I felt that there was room for improvement in my audio system’s cabling, so I decided it was time to upgrade. I’m still in love with my old superb speaker cables (Revel Salon 2 speakers), (JPS Labs Superconductor 3 speaker cables), and my incredible ethernet cables (Shunyata Sigma), so I felt no need to replace them. Here’s a list of the upgrades that I made:
Ayre Acoustc QX-5 Twenty DAC: Old cable= ATC, 2M, power cable (excellent for digital exclusively). Replaced with= JPS Labs Aluminata 1.5M power cable (transformational).
Hegel H590 Integrated Amp: Old cable= Audioquest Tornado power cable, High Current, 15A, 1 meter. Replaced with= Audioquest Hurricane, High Current, 1M, 15A
Audioquest Niagara 3000 Power Conditioner: Old cable= Audioquest Thunder power cable, High Current, 15A, 2M. Replaced with= Audioquest Hurricane, High Current, 15A, 2M.
Interconnects: Old cable= Audioquest Earth, 1M, XLR. Replaced with= Audioquest Pegasus, 1M, XLR (transformational).
Note: My budget limit was $1500 or less for each cable (new or used), which I achieved.
I'm not one of our more well-heeled audiophiles, and the $1500 or below (new or used) for each cable was the absolute limit to my financial capabilities for my new cables. However, at the $1500 or below price point for a new or used power cord or pair of interconnects, you can purchase a level of quality which, IMHO, is so incredibly high with such a high level of proficiency, one would have to question the necessity to spend more.
With the new cables in place, the sound quality of my system, which sounded simply outstanding before the upgrades, has been improved dramatically by leaps and bounds, and my new interconnects are not even close to being fully broken-in yet!!! Of course, I expected this kind of improvement in sound quality once the new cables were installed, and the improvement will continue to get better and better over time as the interconnects continue to further burn-in. Now, I should be good to go for the foreseeable future.
For those of you who still persist in believing that non-stock, upgraded, aftermarket cabling is "Snake-oil"...............you have no idea.
Happy listening
@audioman58 , Well... you could help with his loudspeaker cable upgrade by sending him a cashiers check, y'know? |
@chocaholic nice system! Bet it sounds wonderful! The only thing is when I saw “BS node” I read it as Bull 💩 mode. It must be my confirmation bias kicking in. Just kidding… |
@chocaholic: "I’m smart" is not a rebuttal. I do appreciate your thoughtful postscript, but keep in mind that your comments, despite your intent, sure do come across as condescending with a heaping helping of hubris. I mean, "inexperienced"?? Holy crap, I go back to the ESL-57 & SP3. I realize that you’ve clarified that that wasn’t your intent, & we both know how easy it is to misread tone. But jeez, even given the context, rereading your comment, I dunno -- you’ll have to excuse me if that’s how I interpret the wording. Again, no offense meant, but I stick to my gut reaction. At the risk of repeating myself one last time, your remarks still sound like unsupported confirmation bias to me. But whatever. As always, YMMV & I certainly don't want to get into a time-wasting "thing" here..
Little-known fact: "Snake Oil" originally meant "effective". When sold as a prescriptive a century ago, it produced real, if small, health benefits in part because of its high concentration of what we now know as omega-3 fats. The term became pejorative only when the market was flooded with ineffective knock-offs that did not contain real snake oil. The moral is, one should always verify that what you buy is true snake oil, not some phoney imitation that contains no snake.
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@ghdprentice Have been at it for 5 decades my friend. Have learned much along the way. Including the disconnect between cost and perceptable performance (different doesn’t always = better) and that price tag is meaningless. Have had mega-buck gear ultimately finding that musicality is a very personal endeavor. My current, system is Mc MA-352, Denefrips P2, VPI Super Scout, Hana ML, Sutherland Insight, BS node with Pardo LPS, Morrow IC’s, AQ R88 speaker cables, Revel F208 spkrs. Way too much snake oil in this hobby. Have BTDT and settled here for now. @cundare2 Your dismissal of confirmation bias demonstrates your inexperience…or honesty. It’s demonstrated in posts here routinely and I’ve fallen prey also. How many have stepped up and bought a stretch piece of equipment and were “blown away”…only to flip it months later? My comment was not derogatory, unlike your criticism of that comment. Many here with experience know it can take months or more before you begin to know what you’ve accomplished. I’m sure you’ll learn in time. |
>Respectfully….confirmation bias is a powerful aphrodisiac. Enjoy your improved system. What matters is how you feel about what you’re hearing. Nothing more. I always chuckle at comments like this, whether they’re made about about the audibility of differences betwen sample rates, interconnects, power cables, DACs, vinyl v. digital content, or even tube v. SS amps. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The comment quoted above is itself an example of confirmation bias -- in fact, a more egregious example than anything the OP posted. At least the OP listened to the system and concluded that he heard a clearly distinguishable difference. Is that the result of confirmation bias? Nobody else who has not heard the OP’s system can reasonably conclude one way or the other. But at least the OP has described how a rational thought process and results analysis has led to a potentially logical conclusion. You can’t dismiss all of that out of hand. The commenter OTOH does not have even that much evidence to support a conclusion of confirmation bias (even if that conclusion is couched in insultingly condescending language). The commenter apparently has his or her own bias re: cables and that bias is strong enough to justify pouncing on the OP. The crucial difference is that the OP has at least some evidence to support a conclusion; while the commenter bases a patronizing conclusion on, well, hardly anything at all. So the next time you see a trolling message dismissing out of hand, without any evidence whatsoever, what a person hears, ask: Who is more likely to be suffering from confirmation bias? I don’t mean to be contentious, but I would like to at least try to open some people’s minds a bit. Just sayin’.
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Congradulations. It is truly amazing what cables and interconnects can do. While much of the time the change is important and substantial, there are times when it is simply transformational. I think most audiophiles have that experience more than once over time. I can think of it happening to me three times maybe four over my fifty years. I remember staring at my system, scratching my head and wondering… how, is that possible? The Audio Quest Hurricane on my amp ended a year long… “no, that is not quite right” search. It improved all aspects of the sound with no drawbacks. Keep at it. Continue to I mprove your listening skills and the quality of your system and one day you will have an epiphany. Just curious, what is your system now? There is a place to put photos under your UserID. It is really helpful to understand where you are coming from. |
I found real benefits shopping for interconnect and speaker cables many years ago, Last year, I finally explored power cords and they were transformational as you suggested. My own experience suggests that we tend to overbuy electronics if we don’t pay attention to how they are connected. Congratulations on making these improvements. You’ll likely be receiving feedback that is not as supportive. What matters most is if you are happy with the sound of your system and how you have invested in it.. |
@kennymacc awesome to hear that your cable upgrades have yielded sonic bliss for you. |
