I'm a bit confused by which way you want to go. Clarity will go well with bass definition. However, bass slam and bass definition are opposite extremes from all the cords I've heard. I've heard the PAD Dominus cord that Lloydelee21 recommends and I agree it will give great bass slam. However, I would not recommend it as far as clarity and definition go. Clarity and definition you could get from Nordost Valhalla/Brahma or Stealth Dream. These cords will not have as powerful bass slam as the PAD Dominus, Elrod Statement, DCCA Passion Master, etc. Bass slam tends to come from bass being a bit bloated, or slower. Faster, tighter bass, that is better defined bass, many will say sounds lean, not boomy enough for some.
In other words, you cannot have it all. You can look for more clarity and definition OR you can look for more bass slam and musicality. The further you go in one direction the futher you get from the other. |
Opus88, funny you should mention the Verastarr Grand Illusion copper cord. I have one for sale on another site. I would have mentioned it with the PAD and Elrod, but I didn't think many had heard of it.
Sorry Dayglow, it doesn't matter how much money you spend, whether it's on cables, cords, speakers, amps, whatever, you cannot have it all. When you improve bass definition, it comes at the expense of bass weight, and vice versa. What sounds like bass weight comes from an under-damped woofer, or one that is allowed to ring or vibrate a bit more. Those who love fast, articulate bass, or tight bass, call this bass weight, slow or boomy. If you go in the other direction and want fast, articulate bass, bass with high definition, those that like having bass weight would complain that the sound is too lean sounding. You just can't go north and south at the same time, no matter how much money you spend. Sorry.
Now it sounds to me that you wish the bass to be more prominent, which sounds like you want more bass weight to me. So I would recommend the aforementioned PAD Dominus, Elrod Signature or Statement, DCCA Passion Master or Verastarr.
I'm actually selling a Verastarr and a DCCA cord now because I went with cords that offered more speed and resolution. A Nordost Brahma and a Ridge Street Poiema!!! Signature. Happy hunting. |
Yes, the K-S Emotion will also provide more bass weight, as will Virtual Dynamics power cords, if you can find them used, as Virtual Dynamics is out of business. One word of warning on the Virtual Dynamics cords, they present a very large soundstage (height and width), but rather flat and two dimensional. Some folks love that front row excitement, others, like me, prefer a smaller, but more 3-D stage. The K-S and PAD do this very well. |
I've owned the Haley, Duke and Jaco from RSA. RSA makes great PLC's, very powerful and dynamic. Enjoy your Elgar. |
db, I agree that transduction process is critical, but I would say that the speaker/room interaction is even higher paramount than amp/speaker....IMHO.
Jtimothya, I agree with much of what you say, I would only add that I think we all use cables/cords as band aids to some extent. Yes, obviously having great equipment comes before cables, but sometimes, even equipment from the same manufacturer doesn't hit the sweet spot for us. Sure, we could try 20-40-60-100 different preamps (speakers, amps, etc) in our system to find the one that is just right, but most of us only get to try a dozen or so at best. We then use cables that help to make our system sound it's best. Are we looking for a bit more speed and resolution? Are we looking for more dynamics and power? There are many different flavors to try, but from my experiences, two general directions.
I have played around with a lot of gear and cables over the years, and generally, as far as tonality is concerned, you have the warmer, richer, powerful end of the spectrum and then, on the opposite end you have the speed, resolution and articulation end of the spectrum. I have heard very powerful bass slam, but it tends to come from equipment/cables that are on the warmer, powerful end of the spectrum. What most feel of as bass slam (weight) tends to actually be an emphasized bass and lower midrange. Emphasized by the fact that the note hangs longer or is slower in speed.
I don't wish to get too long winded, but yes, I find that bass 'slam' and bass 'definition' are mutually exclusive. Just as one cannot get hotter and colder at the same time, one cannot get faster and slower at the same time. I've heard a lot of gear and cords, but I have not heard anything that I would say has great bass weight and bass resolution, you sacrifice one to get the other. Of course this is just in my own personal experiences. YMMV.
Cheers,
John |
Scott, I think you should change your last name to Whineberg. If you don't care for the thread, simply leave.....and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. |
Well, the only one of those that I've owned was the Tel Wire, and it was pretty good, but nothing special, IMHO. My favorite power cord that I've ever used was a Stealth Dream, however, for some reason I never had much success with the Dream on a power conditioner. Assuming that the Stealth Cloud 99 has a family resemblence to the Dream, I would say that the Tel Wire and the Cloud 99 would be very different sonically. The Stealth would have the advantage when it comes to clarity, while the Tel Wire will probably give you more bass slam.
I don't know what your price range is, but I've always found that Elrod EPS-3 Signature's work very well with power conditioners. I used one with my RSA Jaco with great results. I liked the Elrod on a Shunyata Hydra too. |
Do the CH Acoustic cords and cables actually sell for their list prices, or is CHA like most other cable companies that offer steep discounts on their list prices? I've never seen a used one for sale, so it's hard to tell.
The reason I ask is because at their list price, there isn't even a conversation as far as I'm concerned. I do own a RSA Dmitri, and would like to try one of these cords, but at anywhere near the list price, I wouldn't bother to waste anyone's time. |
02-28-14: Bo1972
Silver works better than copper in the world of highend. Define what you mean by "works". I know that silver has better electrical conductive properties than copper, and I have heard pure silver "work" well in a few systems sonically. Overall though, I prefer copper over silver as far as sonics go. So I would say that copper "works" better than silver for me, though a mix of the two works well too. |
02-26-14: Audiolabyrinth
@ Bo1972, whatever!, I know your last post is YOUR opinion, I know for fact Taralabs has a better performing mid-band than any P.A.D. cable. Hahahahaha....how did I know this was coming Audiolabyrinth?! This post also is YOUR opinion. Face it, there are no FACTS when it comes to the best performing cable. It's ALL subjective opinions. Oh the irony is delicious. LOL! |
^^^^^ Let's hear it for Audiolabyrinth everybody!! LOL!
He'll be here all week! Good night, and don't forget to tip your waitress..... ;^) |
@Bo1972, I will no disagree that silver presents more clarity and focus, for me though, this comes at the expense of musical weight and bass fundamentals. For every strength there is a weakness. Which is why in most systems I have found silver, in general, to sound clear, and lean. That being said, I have found that pure silver can work very well with speakers or gear that is overly warm sounding. Now I do understand that some place values on musical attributes differently than others, and I have no issues with that. It just helps me when judging the value of others assessments, as obviously no one can try everything that is out there. So I will note that sharpness and clarity is your primary focus, and leave it at that.
In my experiences, it's all a matter of balancing the yin and the yang to one's individual tastes. There is no absolute blueprint to audio nirvana. I currently have some silver in my system as my current cables and cords are varied and involve silver, copper, gold, and even carbon. |
