NBS or Transparent interconnects balance

I haven't tried Transparent but have tried two NBS single-ended cables: King Serpent II and Signature II. Both have a big mid-bass amd a top end which may be a little too bright on some recordings. The Signature in particular has a beautiful midrange. Vocals are to die for. The Signature ever so slightly bright in the upper mids but if this is there, I would say it adds an "aliveness" to the music rather than calling it a fault. The Signature also conveys better than any other cable I've tried, the transparency, detail, soundstage and ambient information in which the recording was made. The King Serpent II, while quite similar to the Signature II in frequency balance, does not do as good a job with soundstage or ambient information and I would rate it well below the Signature II. Overall, I would say that the Signature II is the best interconnect that I have ever heard, although I haven't auditioned that many "expensive" cables. I haven't heard any of the Monitor series. My experience with these two cables makes me feel cautious about extrapolating these experiences to the sound of the Monitor series.

Carl Thanks for the reply. Have you compared the MITs with the Transparent. Looking at Harmonic Tech to lower the price. What do you think?

Ray Interesting comments. I have also heard from others about the extreme retreival of information from the NBS. Would like to know who has heard the new Monitor range especially the 4 which is cost effective for a NBS cable. Have also been told the cable is extremely fast. A friend is using the professional speaker cable and Magnan signature interconnects to balance the system. Have you any thoughts on Harmonic Tech as a low cost option?

I had, heard or compared NBS, MIT, and Transparent. After some experience with the latter two, I would not recommend either (no networked cable, please). The NBS professional and statement are really fine cables. Professional has a bit more midrange bloom and the statement is flatter, more neutral. I have had no experience with the monitor. The only cable that I have heard that beats the NBS is the Kondo Audio Note (Japan) Silver interconnects and speaker cables. At the price range you are considering, give the Kondo Audio Note cables a try (see Sounds of Silence webpage).

I have used the NBS for many years and have gone through most of the different renditions. I currently use the Monitor O throughout my system. I have heard no other cable that even comes close. Most other cables sound like listening with ear muffs on in comparison. Each rendition has been a definite audible improvement. I have not had the chance to do a direct A/B with the Nordost Quatrafil throughout my system which a number of reviewers seem to like (HP for instance). I find, however, he oftentimes prefers a rather lean (i.e. anemic) sound. I guess my ears just are not as golden as his. I did have the Transparent XL Reference and found it to be considerably slower than the NBS. I was like some of the tube sounds of yore. I believe it is quite important is to "voice" your system throughout. Each piece of associated gear has its own characteristics and will have an effect on the overall end sound. They culminate in room interaction for the resultant sound you hear. Therefore what is the ideal in a single piece for Joe might not be the key for Fred in his system. All pieces of gear have their own sound (flaws). There is, therefore, no ultimate piece for everyone and the perfect match for every system. You must voice each piece to the combination of all the rest of your total system. Each time you change a piece you wind up readjusting the rest to reach your endpoint of satisfaction. Ain't it fun! Boato2