Walker Audio- High Definition Links- anyone

I like them a lot. The improvements they bring are subtle but well worth the expence. They seem to clean up treble, reducing any "hash" and harshness but without softening the presentation.

TAS likes them

I use them on my Soundlab U1. My findings are much like Markxii, but feel the bass is enhanced and overall distortion reduced as well.

We also tested Walker HDL on ProAc Future Ones, Vandersteen 5 and Dynaudio Evidence Temptations with nearly identical performance gains in each case.

This is positive (and unusual) in that they appear to be neither system nor equipment dependant.

There is part of the instruction sheet describing how to use one set of HDL's when a bi-wire speaker is used with a jumper, instead of true bi-wiring. Has anyone used this method and does it affect both woofer and tweeter, or just the tweeter where it is physically closest?

I've had them for the past three years on my Dunlavy IVa's. I love them, they do take layers! of hash away and allow better vision into the soundstage. I use two pairs, one on the bass and the other pair on the mid/treble. I have taken them off in the past year just to hear if they really mattered, they went right back on. A must have cheap (relitively) tweek!

Yes I would give a thumbs up as well. After a while you wont believe they are doing anything. Then you will take them off , listen to a few tunes , and put them right back on.

Just bought a pair of HDL Mk 111.
There is an immediate positive thing going on that will only get better as time passes they say.
I use them on Meadowlark Heron i,Cary 300B SEI, cabled with Shunyata Helix speaker wire, Shunyata Aries IC, Shunyata Hydra 2, Annaconda Helix power cord,Furman IT1220 balanced power and a dedicated 30 amp line.
Even with all the upfront conditioning these things work at the speaker wire /speaker connection like nobody's business.
Anyone thinking about changing their speakers ought to try these first.
They just might change your mind.

So, does anyone know how or why they work? Based on how they are connected it seems that this is some kind of passive filter.

I have 5 pair of these in my HT setup. I have two (pair) on my center and voices cleared up a lot. These are very good everywhere in the room. Some setups my need more then one pair. THats happened in my room.

I've been using them for years, As above, put them on, you'll like the improvement , take them off for a listen and it'll be brief, they go back on. More natural, less extraneous "stuff". Well worth it.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that it could be a Zobel network.

http://www.trueaudio.com/st_zobel.htm

I would think a Zobel would imply some type of impedance correction and I can't see how that could be universally applied. Walker's site mentions "very high frequency electronic noises" and RFI. I'm still guessing that it is a low pass filter up around the neighborhood of 20kHz.

Here is a link to a very thorough DIY project where you can build them for yourself. The guy really took time w/photos and sources for parts. It's a 36 page .pdf so it takes a while to load. It's on Alan Mahers site. Check it out!

ET

http://alanmaherdesigns.com/Documents/HRSCF_Project_rev-1.pdf

I bought a set of the series 2 links and tried them on avalon arcus speakers. Did not work well. Sounded as if someone threw a blanket over them. Still have them if anyone wants to buy them.

Thanks for the link, ET!

Well, I was way off. I don't really know how close Alan's recipe is to the Wlaker's. Anyway, with the cap values in Alan's circuit the filtering is way up in the RF range.

Clarification: Alan just posted it or donated the webspace if you will. The authors name is somewhere on the .pdf

ET

I recently put Ultimate HDLs on the tweeters and MK III on the woofers of my Audio Note kit 3 (E silver) speakers which are bi wired with Lexus and hooked up to Audio Note Soro SE amp.

The improvement is obvious and I agree with others. Layers of hash are removed throughout the audio spectrum, I am more able to hear more 'into' the music, deep into the smallest corners - information is more obvious, spatial cues are more apparent, bass is less tubby and everything is more defined.

I do sometimes wonder if the sound is less open than before but I suspect my ears are just missing all the extra grain in the high end. I have no desire to switch back just yet but will eventually and will report back if I find any fault with the HDLs. I do not expect to.

At this point they are among the most significant tweaks I have done. Almost to the point of not being a tweak but instead a component upgrade.

FWIW, if I could remove the HDLs and instead upgrade my AN-VX ICs to the superb AN-VZ ICs I do not think I would do so even though the AN-VZ is the best IC I have ever heard, the HDLs are a bigger step up allowing more information thru (come to think of it I would like to hear the AN-VZ WITH the HDLs hooked up!)

That is all. I am so happy with the HDLs I wanted to share with others. Several years ago I read a rave review of them in TAS and have wanted to try them ever since and am very glad I did and encourage others to do the same.

Listener57- I don't believe anyone replied to your question. A system with bi-wire provision(4 terminals) and jumpers installed, is connected the same as a system without bi-wire capability(two terminals). One HDL will connect to, and affect all drivers in that configuration.

Rodman99999,
Thanks for letting me know the answer.

Enjoy your music!!

I've used them with my Klipsch LaScalas for the last five years and find they work as advertised. Additionally, I've found all the Walker products I've used worked as advertised. Great company...