Zavfino

@juanmanuelfangioii ok awesome. Details please…sound signature…warm, neutral, bright? How’s the imaging and clarity? How do these compare to the cables they replaced and what were those cables? 

Cool…thanks! Will definitely let the Mogami break in for 200hrs or so. I re-arranged my system and my 1m Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper are out of business because of it. 

Is anyone running a 5m (>15ft) or longer pair of balanced Zavfino interconnects? 
Anything to worry about? Looking for a pair of neutral interconnects that won’t break the bank and won’t sacrifice the sonics to run between Pass preamp and amp. 

@lalitk yup I’m aware they will work. I’m running 15ft of Mogami XLRs now but not to thrilled. They’re still new and I’m giving them a shot but exploring what’s out there that’s better.

@gladmo renewed our PM chat

Looking to finally check out Zavfino Arcadia RCA interconnects. The site lists 1.5m as standard. That’s a bit too long between my Sutherland KC Vibe MkII phono stage and the Pass preamp. I emailed Zavfino USA about a week ago asking for the price and availability of a 1m version and haven’t heard back yet.
 

I’m torn between the Arcadia and Audioquest Columbia that I can get for approximately the same price. 
Any thoughts on what’s a better choice for the phono amp? Currently using BlueJeans cables there….thanks!
 

@juanmanuelfangioii please share your thoughts once you get it. 
@thyname 1.5m is a bit too long - have a cable mess already just like most of us. But yes something to consider for sure  

@juanmanuelfangioii thanks for posting your initial thoughts. Looking forward to your opinion on these cables after about 100hrs or so…that is usually a good milestone in determining whether or not the cables meet your expectations. 

@juanmanuelfangioii keep the thoughts coming. 

@juanmanuelfangioii 👍

@juanmanuelfangioii nice system and a good write up! Thanks for this!

Funny…I was looking at the Arcadia for the analog portion of my system as well, a link between my Sutherland KC Vibe MkII phono stage and the Pass XP-12 where BlueJeans RCAs are currently handling that signal chain. 
I’m looking for a neutral interconnects and was worried the Arcadia may be a bit forward sounding. I might have to give ‘em a shot now. 
Was also considering giving Transparent cables a try but they aren’t cheap(Transparent Super are nearly 4 times the cost), a bit more than what I wanted to spend. 

@gladmo hopefully I won’t need to go thru the entire break in as I picked up a used pair. Just some time to settle. 
What power cord are you running on your DAC….just curious. 
 

@senza I’m waiting on my Arcadia RCAs as well and they’re also for the link between phono stage and preamp. They have an uphill battle against a well broken in pair of BlueJeans RCAs which are surprisingly awesome in that spot. But for the price I couldn’t resist trying the Zavfinos.

The Arcadia RCAs are in! Letting them settle between the phono stage and the preamp. Initial impressions…improvement over the BlueJeans in the bass extension and quantity, fuller sound overall. I was afraid they’d be too zippy up top but it’s not the case. They’re also light and very flexible which is always nice. Have too many cables I wrestle with already.
These were used so I’m just letting them cook for few hours.

Here’s what I’ve got…

I’d say the Arcadia are worth a shot for sure in this price range. I’ve been throwing record after record on (using them between my Sutherland phono stage and Pass preamp) and I’m really digging the Arcadia. On the phono stage I’ve compared them to BlueJeans which are decent and also (don’t laugh) to the old pair of Monster M950i that I keep on hand and use in “emergencies “ while in between cables.
I prefer the Zavfino by a lot.

When compared to Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper on my Bricasti M3 DAC they’re not reaching the same level of performance achieved by the AZ and not to anyone’s surprise. 
Arcadia’s major strength in my opinion is in not attempting to be what they’re not. They don’t pretend to be uber high end. 

Pros:
1. natural sound (zero harshness, transparent, sweet sound), they never cross the line

2. no glare in the mids

3. plenty detailed but relaxed and laid back, they won’t tire you out. 

4. deep bass

5. excellent soundstage width and depth

6. light and very flexible, build quality is top notch

Cons (based on comparison to AZ Absolute Copper):

1. Not the last word in absolute resolution and air

2. somewhat loose, but deep and big, bass that’s missing a bit of texture, speed and springiness 

3. Not the best instrument separation

I’d be unfair if I said that they’re not worth consideration especially in the price range up to $500 for comparable length.
They won’t be killing most of the giants costing 4-5 times. But they’re a solid choice at this price and represent excellent value.
So set your expectations accordingly. As always, take this with a grain of salt as I’m describing what I’m hearing in my system (view my system under my ID). I wouldn’t hesitate recommending these cables. They’re staying where they are for now.