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HiDiamond Digital IC

Seems to be a popular theme these days.

I received the aes/ebu version of the HD Digital Carbon cable today in the mail. I was enticed by the glowing remarks posted elsewhere and have been bored while awaiting a Varidig Sextet to show up. With a few hundred bucks burning a hole in my pocket I figured I'd take the plunge.

First let me dispell concerns posted elsewhere regarding dealing with the north American distributor, Robert of worldwide wholesales. From my first communication with him he's been responsive, pleasant, professional. My standards for these qualities is unusually exacting and my tolerance for any bs below nil. Our interaction resulted in an order, which he made easy, and the cables were shipped virtually instantaneously and arrived quickly.

On to the soundy bits....

Straight from my mailbox cold into my system went the cable. Fit and finish, fine, no issues.

Some comparisons to my Marigo Apparition 5.8, a cable that has bested all comers to date and served me well for years.....

Realism and presence. Edge to the HD. Small margin.
Air around instruments. Edge to HD. Medium margin.
Instrument placement. Edge to HD. Small margin.
Resolution. Edge to HD. Medium margin.
Soundstage depth. Edge to HD. Small margin.
Soundstage width. Even.
PRAT. Edge to HD. Small margin.
Frequency extension - highs. Even.
Frequency extension - lows. Even.
Bass control. Edge to HD. Very small margin.
Black background. Even.

Overall these cables are more similar than different. But there are noticeable improvements with the HD. This is cold, no break-in, both on the cables and on the aes/ebu connections on transport and dac.

Also, keep in mind the Marigo is an $1100 cable, the HD is half that.

The $100,000 question: which is more musical, which will I keep?

I'm going to reserve judgement and see how this breaks in a bit, get more listening time under its belt. Go back and forth some.

Initial impression though is extremely favorable. If they keep trending in the direction shown, I'll try the interconnects sooner than later.

(for the cynics: I am in now way related in business or otherwise to HD or Worldwide wholesales. I live in Florida and work as a technology executive.)
joncourage
sabai
2,027 posts
 
Knghifi,
LOL. Until you have actual experience with this TLIOY.
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,239 posts
 
The distributor (Worldwide wholesales)again contacted me via email and then we talked on the telephone. Robert seems genuinely concerned and wants me to contact him after I return the HiDiamond cable back into my main system this Sunday.

He has assured me that he will do everything to make me satisfied, even if that means a refund.

So that sounds comforting. What more could I expect?
joncourage OP
185 posts
 
I continue to enjoy the digital cable in my system, the music has never
been so satisfying to me.

I'll be bringing my cable and DAC to my local (Tampa Bay) audio club's
upcoming DAC shootout. I hope to introduce this respect-worthy brand to a
larger audience. I anticipate a very positive reception.

I think it's worth mentioning that my experience has been nothing like
Ozzy's. I had the Illuminati in my system several cables ago, at least 3
cables have replaced it -- including the likes of Marigo and Kubala Sosna --
and have proven progressively better to me, in my system, and the HD is
the best yet. So to me the HD is head and shoulders above the Illuminati,
which I considered only a so-so cable.
knghifi
1,668 posts
 
Sabai, there are infinite combinations so experiments are based on my experience and common sense. Yes I could and probably have missed out on many I dismissed that yield positive results but that's life ... can't win them all.

Bottom line is one must do and use what sounds best to them without apologies.

Have you tried running one speaker upside down the other side ways? Unbelievable! LOL!!!
musicallyinclined
62 posts
 
Good on the distributor to try and make you happy Ozzy even if it means refunding you which may suck for him but is ultimately the right thing to do. We have no way of checking these out unless we take a leap of faith or trust what others have been posting. In the end, if there are no stores one can deal with, we must get some sort of agreement with the distributor. Glad to see you won't get stuck with a cable that doesn't do it for you.
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