I've been rebuilding and modifying my system since the summer of 2029. I have a pile of rejected cables and assorted gear to sell sometime soon. Several times I told myself that I was finally finished with upgrades, only to be tempted to try just one more thing. Happily, I stumbled upon an unexpected game changer in the past week. I purchased a used pair of Fusion Audio Romance 1 interconnects.
The reviews, some on this forum, suggested that this cable is “warm and romantic,” as the name implies. My biggest concern was that the top end might be somewhat muted. I have been using Shunyata Venom interconnects and speaker cables. They have plenty of top end sparkle that I didn’t want to lose. But I’m always in favor of curbing harshness.
Well, not to worry. The Fusion Audio interconnects did not just keep the high end sparkle, they extended it. And they did it in a very musically pleasing way. I played a native tropical bossa nova album, and the percussion instruments danced around in a stunning holographic fashion. On some other albums, I heard female vocals served with a sublime, expressive quality that surpasses anything that my system was capable of before.
I consider myself a “warm side of neutral” kind of listener. Fatiguing harshness has always been the obstacle to overcome. But I want the details at both ends of the spectrum. As for Fusion Audio cables, they are available at Audio Surroundings in Boca Raton, Florida. Here is the link: https://www.audiosurroundings.com/store.php?seller=Ericlove&navt1=263817&per=6&num=6&...
Does anyone know how to contact Eric Love, who was mentioned in numerous threads a few years ago as the maker of these cables? I would like to contact him.
Please share your favorite “game changer” moments with cables and other items. I'm still looking for the “magic” USB cable.
My system:
Exposure 3010S2D integrated amp DynAudio floor standing speakers Topping D70 DAC Auralic Aries Femto music streamer with SBooster power supply Kitsune modded Singxer SU-2 USB bridge Netgear S8000 Network switch with streaming music preset Cables and power cords by Shunyata, Lessloss, Wireworld, PS Audio, Chord Company, Fusion Audio
I posted above that hearing a $750 turntable sounding better in some ways than my 10K+ CD player was a real awakening. But also game changing was when I went to my dealer seeking to upgrade my amplifier and he demonstrated that upgrading the preamp gave me much more of what I was seeking sonically. He could have easily sold me the amp, but until then I was not fully aware of the musical contributions made by upgrading the preamp.
Biggest game changer… hands down no comparison, adding diffuser panels behind the speakers.. And one sound absorbing panel behind my head. Did more than any cable would think about doing. IMHO. Sound stage improvement. Brought the bass forward. Mellowed out any sharpness in the highs.
Power conditioner? Sound Application...hands down winner for me. I think my first one was an cf-x maybe, then xe12, then JC something. They just blew my little mind..
First? Cable? A Stealth Audio Cloude Nine full on an AES DJH AE1. Really made it plainly obvious. Never really found another piece of gear that liked that cord nearly as much. Sort of actually scared me that it's a needle in the haystack proposition, though.
Most recently? The return of Dynamic Design pc's to my system. Especially on my Leben CS600. Holy hell. Why they aren't more brought up, I'll never know....
Most consistently over the years? a. BMI power cords, especially Oceanic Statement Classic Gold. I just loaned one to a friend around the corner whose life as a skeptic was wrecked! Ruined! Ha! Looking forward to how he react to the Dynamic Design Heritage. b. Gabriel Gold Rapture r....just keep coming back...more of an ahhhhhh moment I guess. Like arriving home.
Another total game changer was in college when I realized Ukraine was the key to winning Risk. You think I am kidding? Never once lost a game once I figured this one out.
Running Springs Dmitri power conditioner about 15 years ago. I had never experienced what lowering noise floor was truly about until this purchase. The black space around each instrument was a game changer. If the music stopped for a split second I thought the amp blew it was so quiet. I've further reduced noise floor with system changes and tweaks but never to the magnitude of the Dmitri.
Right. Been a very long time saying power cords and wire in general is every bit as much a "main component" as the usual stuff people consider main components. Every bit as important. You are hearing that now. I know, because you have what I have, and Ozzy, and we hear it. Not all components perform at this level. If they did there would be no doubt. But they don't. An awful lot frankly are not all that great. They have so many flaws, and this is so common, a guy can compare a lot of stuff and come away thinking it is all just different flavors so mix em up how you like. That is where "system dependent" comes from. It is BS but hard to show because so much is like that. Until you get something like you have now, so much better with so few faults. So now you know. Looking forward to reading your review. Sounds like it will be enlightening.
3 days ago when I was proven that cables make a huuuuge difference. Ill be posting my review on Moneoone power cable and XLRs on here in a week or so. If looking at biggest surprise non expected game changer. This has got to be it for me. Has me re thinking everything in my system and future upgrades.
For recent experiences, installing an AudioQuest Pearl USB between my DLNA bridge and DAC opened up the soundstage to the whole wall in front of me, and added depth. But it lacked realistic sparkle.
Then moving to an inexpensive cable running two solid core silver wires for the digital data kept the soundstage width, added more depth and made every instrument fuller, rounder.
And there are some that keep saying "bits are bits." Sure!
Same with me, twice! First, Robert Harley convinced me to dig my old Technics SL1700 out of storage. Bent cantilever had to be straightened, okay. Bearing was dry, whatever. No way it is gonna sound that good anyway, right? This is just to humour old Bob. Only "phono stage" I had was the one built into my 30 year old Kenwood integrated amp. Put on a record, blew my mind! Wife came home, not knowing what was playing said Wow that sounds great what is it?!
Second game-changer, Definitive Audio had a LP12 in a Linn wall system on the side wall of their main listening room. Never heard a Linn so we dug around found a dirty old random record they had somewhere, total crap never heard of before. Put it on, walls melted away, huge sound stage, freaking unbelievable!
Sales rep says you like that listen to this. Pulls out a CD of Janis Ian Breaking Silence. One of the all-time best audiophile recordings guaranteed to make any system sound better all by itself. Puts it into this Mark Levinson transport that alone cost more than the whole Linn system. Plays it through monster ML mono-blocks into Wilson Watt-Puppy.
Cranks up Breaking Silence and within ten seconds I am like, "Crap. I have got to get a turntable." This system costs probably 5X the Linn. It is playing an absolutely superb recording that I love. And the little Linn is making it sound like crap.
When I heard in my own system that a $750 turntable in some ways sounded better than my 10K CD player. I knew then that I needed to reorient my thinking about my future upgrades.
I've experienced a number of pleasant surprises over the years. One of the early surprises, after hearing some Klipsch, Altec, JBL and Electro Voice horn systems, was hearing an Edgarhorn system that lacked the coloration that I thought was common to horn systems. After that, I've heard many other good horn systems. Likewise, I did not think that single driver speakers could do reasonable bass and have a reasonably smooth frequency response (i.e., absent a high frequency peak) until I heard Charney's quarter wave backloaded horn systems.
For amps, my early exposure to tube amps were primarily Audio Research amps and I did not particularly like them. I heard a number of other higher powered tube amps that also did not really excite me. It was later that I got introduced to lower-powered pushpull and single ended amps and I still like those kinds of amps. The most surprising single amp I heard was a custom-built output transformerless amp that is one of my all time favorites--very dynamic and exciting sounding without being artificially edgy or harsh sounding.
Power cables/filters and bass traps. I was very skeptical about tweaks but these turned out to be massive upgrades. They changed changed my from being a skeptic (read, narrow minded) to being open minded.
It also made me understand why we have so many man made disasters like the RMS Titanic, Gleno dam, Tacoma narrows bridge, Chernobyl, Fukushima etc.
I will say that my own take on the Op's inquiry, and the one that has the most profound effect is:
That as an outcome from multiple experiences and encounters with people who share an enthusiastic interest for HiFi similar to my own and to be at certain times introduced to their equipment, be it a item bought in for their use or as a device produced by themselves. The knowledge of being able to comprehend that their are exceptional systems to be heard and thoroughly enjoyed, that are at times quite different to ones own choices for their own systems, but able to leave a indelible and attractive impression, is quite satisfying.
When a experience is had that can impact on another, leaving them with the impression and motivation that they must have something from anothers collection in their own system, be it a Device, Cable or Music, serves as a stimulus that keeps the interest in the Hobby Alive.
It is these experinces being met that is the Game Changer for me. When there is a reality check and lesson learned that teaches that when like minded people work to maintain a connection and take the time to work as a interactive group of enthusiasts. Actively participating in and sharing in encouragement and creating extended enthusiasm. From this as a activity there are great lessons and methods to be taken in and ultimately integrated into ones own activities within their Hobby.
I had a similar problem, I solved the problem easier, I just bought a new PS from Studiologic and the problem was solved, and did not search for a cable.
This thread is listed under cables, so I will generalize.
I owned for a number of years a PS Direct Stream Dac. After having a unresolvable problem with PS Audio I decided to sell/trade the Dac. I purchased the Lumin X1 Dac.
Well the X1 is twice the performer in sound quality. I was/am really impressed with the X1. Songs that I have played for decades sound so much more involving. The music takes on such depth and realism it is quite impressive. The real kicker(s), came when I added Critical Mass footers and then the Shunyata Sigma V2 interconnects. These 2 products brought out even more of the X1 textures.
That fabulous moment when I said ’One MILLION dollars!! Sorry. that was in Austin Powers. What I mean, was that ...when I named our new cable (The) "Game Changer’ and found out just then, that it was an over abused term, already.
as for the internet bringing more fodder for the audio think grist mill. the problem is more one of extreme dilution, and no ability to really know how the grains of sand arrange back into the sand castle we might call audio. the internet allows for an individual to get involved in smaller and smaller groups. hence the personal blog space or sphere.
Farcebook is all about that problem or ego game/shield/bubble thing. A billion forces of one. Stuck in cities trying to feel like a functional individual and be integrated. what a mess. No million mile marches, only one million people individually taking one step.
The internet has turned out to not enable action and/or change, but to remove both. Stuck in the doorway.
In 1973, at the age of 19 and when I put together my first real high fidelity music system... A hit on my pipe, and then my first time to listen to Dark Side Of The Moon, on Koss Pro 4 AA headphones. From that moment on I knew that a hit from the pipe, or any other method, was a "game changer" and can take high fidelity to another level.
Actually now that I think about it this right here is my favorite game changer. The world wide web. Before this all we had was Stereophile on dead tree. Stereophile of course had massive publishing costs that had to be covered somehow. So they had to rely on advertisers which meant reaching a large audience, which in turn meant covering components and topics of interest to a large audience. All the market forces combined resulted in only being able to cover the larger manufacturers. Paper and printing costs money so editors had to, you know, edit and limit to only the most worthwhile content.
Nowadays with the internet we have access to just about everything made anywhere in any volume and for any amount. We just have to search it out. Its also made it a lot easier to gain access to people with specialized skills and experience, to learn about new products and system improvement ideas.
But its also made it so much more important to learn to be our own editor. To decide what is worth reading. And who to ignore.
My game changing moments always have come when I discovered fantastic synergy between components. Certain topologies just work so well together - sometimes intuitively and others not so much. Granted, fantastic component synergy can't compete with the genius of well-applied Rustoleum or a rubber band, yet surprisingly I still manage to derive a lot of joy from my system.
This is like asking what is my favorite Porsche. Two answers. The best one is, "The one I’m driving" but "the newest one" will do just fine too.
The newest one for me is TDF, aka Rustoleum, aka Tetrault’s Secret Sauce.
Second newest is Schumann resonators. Talk about a game changer! WTF is going on here, anyway? Gonna buy some more soon as I finish this post.
My first biggest game changer was hearing the difference a good interconnect can make. Was 1992 and I was still using patch cords, lamp cord, and freebie rubber power cords. The store let me compare my patch cord to their $75 interconnect and the difference was so great, my patch cord sounded so bad, I thought I broke their amp.
The next biggest game changer was Robert Harley’s The Complete Guide to High End Audio. I had by this time assembled what I thought was a complete and very fine system. With CD. Because, yeah, got sucked into that one. But in the book Harley says the turntable is the heart of a high end system. WTF??! Really?
So the vintage 1976 Technics SL1700 was dug out of its cardboard box in the garage, cleaned up, connected to the phono stage in the 1974 Kenwood and.... damn. Seriously? WTF?!?!?! Wife agrees, way better than CD. Went to Definitive, their one Linn is connected to a little wall system. Literally against the wall. Somehow throws a sound stage extending back beyond the wall. Unbelievable. Then the salesman tries to impress me playing Janis Ian Breaking Silence on their flagship Levinson/Wilson system. CD. Easily ten times as costly a system. Could not have asked for a clearer demo of the superiority of vinyl. Total game changer. Mega, as Chris Harris would say.
Since then? Synergistic Atmosphere Level III Euphoria have redefined what wire can do. Springs have redefined what vibration control can do, and Townshend Pods have redefined what springs can do. Rubber bands are another game changer. But the biggest and best is as I was reminded just this last weekend the TDF Secret Sauce. Better even than the filters.
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