Zu Gede: Opinion, Impressions, Comparisons??

I am a big fan of Zu Cables Gede IC too. Shop for them on ebay (under Zu Cable) and you should be able to pick up a pair for around $110/1M if you are patient. That's what I paid about six months ago for my third pair.

From someone I know who has both (as well as around 20 other cables):

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The IC-3 is an all rounder and really great value at its price. It is not the most detailed, most open, or most fluid, but the overall performance is pleasing to the ear. You just can't single out one particular aspects which is too good, or too bad. I haven't tried in on my tube amps, but with SS headamps it works great, with a touch of warmth just enough to give a little more body to the typical SS sound.

The Gede II is a sleeper. At around US$200 it outperforms many more expensive and personally I always prefer the Gede II to the the IC-3. It gives a better sound stage in my opinion, and is more "transparent" than the IC-3. I remember some one comments (through "letter to the editor") in a local audiophile magazine saying that the Gede II is about 95% of Cardas Neutral Reference (which is almost 2.5 times that of Gede II). It is also very close to the Varial (the flag ship interconnect of Zu Cable). If I have a choice, I would go for Gede II any time, compared to IC-3.
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Zu Oxyfule in my system, sounds more revealing than the Kimber hero. The Gede adds even more openness and detail to the presentation, and lowers the noise floor.

Hi there,

Thanks for the info. Two quick things:
1. something I need to point out. If I go for the Gede they will be used, as I cannot get them new within my budget. Even if they were new, I cannot trial them as I am outside the US so shipping costs and transit times makes it non-viable.
2. have you heard any of these and can you perhaps make any comparisons (these are the other 2 on my shortlist): Kimber Hero and Audio Art IC-3.

Cheers,
X

PS. Is there any difference between the Gede and the Gede II other than the latter using solderless termination and locking RCA's??

I have it on all my analog sections... I is a top notch quality built cable.

It sounds Very smooth, very spacious, and no compression, their Varial interconnect is a bit more stingy sounding I believe.. It will be possibly a tad more revealing which is not necessarily better or worse, but I have a feeling it is more upfront sounding..
So if you like to keep it more to the warm slightly lush side the Gede gets down deep. It is not Bass heavy, but it is powerfull sounding cause the balance is very neutral, if you want truth the gede is gonna show nothing more. For example cardas top interconnects add a bit of bottom end bloom, but they cost 6 times as much and are not Better just a bit more heavy sound..

the gede stays Slightly laid back after a good 50 hours of burn in.. It never gets distorted or confused at high volumes, it keeps its composure.

Dry sounding cables I could give you many examples of these, and they are Thin, and They start to really lose the clarity and smoothness, and seperation at higher volume levels.. so for the price of the Gede it is as good as any get in my opinion.. by the way its pretty cool but the gede is Light as Air accept for the connectors, it is not a dense felling cable, its almost like an Air tube feel too it, or like its made out of Foam.. very cool, and its STrong, with Excellent terminations. very solid locking connectors.. again for the money unless you go up to the cables Like cardas golden reference or something that is Purposely a specialty sound added to the cable this is the most you will get for the money.
But if they were to sound off then it would be due to your systems dependence on a cable, and not every flavor will work, so give it a shot, Zu has a 90 day trial on them I believe...