Introduction

I’ve been in this hobby for some time, and I’m very familiar with lots of the marketing hoopla and ridiculous gadgets that various manufacturers use to try to reel in customers searching for the ultimate illusion of the live performance in the home; an MBA education and a critical mind makes me take everything I see in this hobby with a grain of salt, some grains being much bigger than others. But if you were to ask me for a recent product I’ve come across that would receive the largest grain of salt, the powered Acoustic Revive DSIX digital cables and optional DPS-1 power supply would certainly win the award for “You have got to be kidding me.”

But don’t run off with that grain of salt: I’m going to need it to season the crow I’ll eat by the end of this review.

Background

The DSIX cables are offered in two different versions: one with RCA connectors, the other with XLR connectors. That’s it. But what makes these cables different from others in the market is the use of an isolation transformer in the signal path.

Now, let’s reflect on that: some gear, ala SET amps, rely on transformers in the output stage, but I recall it was Lew Conrad (or Bill Johnson) from CJ fame who said, “there is no perfect part.” So, why on earth should a stinking isolation transformer in the signal path make things better? If anything, I’d expect reduced low-level detail and smoothed over dynamics. That’s bad juju, my friends. But according to Acoustic Revive’s literature, the DSIX cables will improve the “throw rate” (the start up speed of a digital shape wave, whatever that is) and reduce jitter. Quite a fantastic claim, but certainly not the first over-the-top claim in audio marketing hyperbole, I must say.

As outrageous as it sounds, you can also upgrade the power supply to the DSIX digital cables. What next?! The DPS-1 is an outboard dedicated power supply for use with the DSIX 1.0 and DSIX 1.0B, designed to replace the wall-wart type supply included standard with the cables. The marketing literature suggests the DPS-1 will result in a better signal-to-noise level with accompanying improvement in sound quality; but call me skeptical: any time I see a product offered with strongly suggested accessories, it just smells to me like they should’ve been packaged together in the first place. After all, if you’re willing to drop a grand on a digital cable, what’s another $1,500 if you’re after the state-of-the-art?

For additional background information, I’d direct you to Acoustic Revive’s website if you’d like to view some of the oscilloscope pictures of non-DSIX vs. DSIX cables, but specifications and computer plots don’t go too far with this reviewer. It’s all in the listening. Incidentally, these cables have won quite a few awards overseas, so evidently someone was listening too.

Listening Impressions

I ended up conducting a series of listening tests for these cables, broken down by source / DAC as listed below.

Slim devices Squeezebox + Modified Benchmark DAC

In this instance, I copied CDs to my PC and then played them through my system via the Squeezebox. Listening to Tom Waits’ Mule Variations, the track “Cold Water” has a barking, raw quality to it which was enhanced by the DSIX cable, thanks to a quieter noise floor and better attack on the leading edge of transients. Another favorite cut, El Perro Del Mar’s “Candy” of her self-titled record, had slightly better high frequency extension and decay. The soundstage had a more open quality and instruments took on a bit more body with the DSIX in place, as though a muddled mass of instruments were given a bit more room between them in the recording studio.

Now, having said all that, I can also say that I was listening carefully. These were not night-and-day differences; they were more like night-and-dusk. But they were there. Looking over my listening notes, I found something funny when listening to the Ditty Bops Moon Over the Freeway release: “the playback doesn’t have the organic life that it does with the CD playback.” Hello, I just said “organic life” as being a descriptor of CD playback! If nothing else, that should tell you that PC-based audio formats wirelessly streamed have some catching up to do (which I intend to explore in the months to come), rather than being any limitation of the DSIX cable.

Multiple Transports + Modified Benchmark DAC

All of the improvements I cited with the Squeezebox test were again applicable using the Modwright 9100, a Pioneer Elite DVD player, or an Exemplar CD player, only more substantially.

Again, staging was clearer and more open, with improved space around the musicians in the Ditty Bops track than with other cables. There was better separation of each note, such that it was easier to hear each string of Jack Johnson’s guitar ring rather than simply hear the strumming. One other area where I noticed a distinct improvement was in the midrange, where there was an improvement in clarity and openness, which reminded me of the effect of going from an older MOSFET amp to a newer one where the “MOSFET mist” which was so prominent on the former was successfully removed from the latter, allowing you to get a better representation of the performance devoid of unwanted electronic artifacts that end up homogenizing the sound.

However, even with the clearly improved performance of the dedicated transports over the Squeezebox, I must report that the changes were not earth-shattering or jaw dropping, but more of the “if I listen intently, I can clearly pick up XYZ” type. So often we reviewers are guilty of making any change sound like it’s the bee’s knees, so let’s keep things in perspective: a DSIX cable isn’t going to make you fall out of your chair when you listen to mid-fi digital playback, but it will make it clearly better. If it’s worth it to you, so be it, but from a system-building perspective, I’d have to question if spending big money on the DSIX and power supply would be worth it when cabling should always be an accessory to match higher quality gear. High dollar cables plus mid-fi components make little sense, which you probably already know.

Esoteric P03 Transport + Esoteric D03 DAC

Now, by the time I got to this last test, I was honestly anticipating writing the distributor to tell him that his product, despite all its marketing fluff, was not worth our readers’ time. But from the first few notes of the DSIX in the system between Esoteric’s P03 and D03, it became obvious that this digital cable was doing some incredible things to what I consider to be the standard in digital playback today. The Esoteric P03 / D03, while not a part of my reference system, were made available for audition via Epic Audio in Houston, TX. Impressions of the Acoustic Revive cable’s impact on the P03 / D03 was performed in traditional A/B testing methodology vs. the prior digital cable, the Cerious Technologies.

First off, while I never would have dreamed it possible to improve upon the heft and weight of the Esoteric playback, the DSIX provided more detailed and extended bass response. Additionally, even with the incredible build quality and resultant low-level detail retrieval of the Esoteric gear, the DSIX cable picked up more nuance and detail. Whether it be the movement of air around a singer’s mouth, the extended decay of a ringing bell, or the ambient venue information, the DSIX was able to present it in a manner that never seemed contrived or spotlit; at no point did I find my fears of reduced detail or smoothed over dynamics in the playback with the DSIX.

One other change that was clearly obvious was in midrange tone; if you read my reviews of the Esoteric XO1 D2 and the Modwright 9100, you’ll know that I felt the Modwright had better tonal expression in the midrange than the XO1 D2 (tubes be praised!). Now, while this isn’t the XO1 I’m using the DSIX with, I can say I’ve heard enough Esoteric digital gear to say that it very much has a house sound (which my review of the XO1 D2 covers). With the DSIX in place, the Esoteric gear exhibited a warmth and a naturalness in the midrange that had previously eluded it, changing what was a completely competent presentation that was more about respect than love to one where its just about the music. In the Esoteric combo, the DSIX provided a degree of change that I would consider being like one of changing from a barely listenable solid-state amp to an audiophile grade design.

(For fun, I did a few comparisons of Redbook with the DSIX versus the SACD using other cables. Guess what? The SACD won, quite clearly. So, while the DSIX cable makes clear and obvious improvements in the performance of the Esoteric digital separate, it cannot make an inferior format superior.)

As a final point, I must say that in all instances, the DPS-1 power supply made an improvement on the sound, but I would consider it indispensable with the Esoteric separates. Again, improved tonal expression in the midrange and bass extension were clearly present. Additionally, I found the DSP-1 very sensitive to power cords, clearly favoring shielded power cords which resulted in an audibly lower noise floor. My God, swapping power cords on the outboard power supply of a digital cable—can we go any further off the cliff? I wish these things didn’t matter dear reader, as our lives would be easier, but I’d be lying if I said they didn’t. Everything matters.

Conclusion

In a highly resolving system, cables will always make a difference. And what my repeated tests confirmed is that, with the Acoustic Revive DSIX cables and DPS-1 power supply, the more resolving the equipment, the bigger the difference these cables made. You cannot make a silk purse from a sow’s ear, so there should be no surprises that the DSIX cables couldn’t make the poorer streaming audio formats that much better. But as my tests progressively moved me from “low-fi” to “state-of-the-art” digital playback, the DSIX cables demonstrated a substantial effect on the playback which was clearly superior to anything I or a number of other audiophiles have ever heard coming from the Esoteric separates.

And that’s what gets me: what I find most ironic is that the digital equipment from Esoteric, which sets the standard in build quality, was so responsive to the DSIX cable and DPS-1 power supply. One would expect the better the build quality, the more agnostic the transport / DAC combo would be to digital cabling. However, despite the VRDS transport and bomb-proof build quality in the Esoteric P03 / D03, evidently jitter is still present and the DSIX clearly removes it, resulting in vastly improved performance for this already remarkable combination. I can make an unqualified recommendation: if you have invested big money in digital separates, you have got to hear what the DSIX & DPS-1 power supply can do! Call your dealer and get this stuff in for an audition, but have your checkbook ready; if you’re like the audiophiles who I let listen to these cables, you won’t be letting them out of your system again.

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Tara Labs makes some of the prettiest cables I’ve ever seen. They have an upscale appearance with a glittering gold sheen to them. They remind me of Tiger Eye, the semi-precious golden toned stone which shimmers as light strikes it at different angles. The RSC Air Series 1 cabling looks rich enough, but how rich would it sound?

Tara Labs has a rich tradition of developing the lowly wire into an audiophile product. They refer to themselves as, “The Cable Technology Leader.” Their company history states, “Every major innovation in cable technology, from the use of solid core inductors to air-tubes and vacuum dielectric, was done here first.” This is certainly a sweeping statement, which does not encompass the whole of cable development. I think of two cables that I have used, MIT with its passive networks, or Magnan Cable’s ultra thin and wide conductors, as exceptions to that claim. However, the developments achieved by Tara are extensive and noteworthy.

“They all seem to largely ignore each other’s standards, so the audiophile is left wondering which science supports the best sound.”

It seems as though every cable company develops their own testing to verify their cable designs. Taking the two above examples, MIT charts their multiple “poles of articulation,” while Magnan checks the “relative audio time resolution,” of conductors. They all seem to largely ignore each other’s standards, so the audiophile is left wondering which science supports the best sound. The one good thing is that there seems to be a serious effort to crunch the numbers in developing a cable. If I’m going to buy a higher price cable, I want some scientific justification for it, not just the pretty exterior!

Tara emphasizes that their developments are worthy of imitation. Australian Matthew Bond, the company founder, produced breakthroughs in solid core technology, floating unterminated conductors (called the “Temporal Continuum”, which almost sounds more metaphysical than physical!) with user adjustable high frequency, with materials and properties such as rectangular solid core conductors, air dielectrics and vacuum dielectrics.

Multiple rectangular solid core conductors housed in air dielectric are employed in the RSC Air 1 speaker cables.

Construction

Think of the Chunnel. (The “Chunnel” stands for the Channel Tunnel underground train system that was built in 1994, connecting the south of England beneath the English Channel to the northern France. –Ed) It has three interconnected tubes, one massive tunnel housing separate galleries for two trains. Similarly, the RSC Air series uses the larger outer housing as scaffolding into which are built the individual galleries for each rectangular solid core conductor. It is a nifty engineering feat, if on a more diminutive scale than the Chunnel.

The RSC Air 1 Series 2 interconnects similarly utilize “hollow channel” construction.

A proprietary “Air Suspension” filament system is used to displace the cable shield away from the conductors which yields “even less dielectric, even more air.” Tara Labs uses their own dielectric material called “Aerospace Polyethylene” or “Aero-PE”, which is claimed to have low dielectric absorption and a quicker return to its natural state, the goal being more sonically neutral than other dielectrics.

Larger, gold plated spades with beautiful, blue anodized aluminum cuffs make for a high-class presentation. I found the spades to be generously proportioned and sturdy. Thankfully, there are much more flexible leads approximately 8” long at the ends of the cables, making connections a breeze. While I had to pay attention not to push the angle of the cable’s dielectric too far, the leads worked perfectly to compensate for the cable’s stiffness.

The RSC Air Digital 75 interconnect is a 75-Ohm single-ended cable created on the same platform as the speaker cables. A 110-Ohm XLR version is also available.

The build quality on these wires was second to none, as fine as I’ve encountered. For reviews, some manufacturers send previously worked over (as in reviewed) cables which can be pretty scruffy; these were immaculate, hermetically sealed specimens – a true joy to behold. I appreciated the professional care with which they were designed and packaged.

Working with the Cables

While quite the cable eye candy, the Tara Labs offerings were somewhat stiff and not entirely easy to work with. There is a sweeping arc to the speaker cables, which if followed works acceptably. It’s when the direction of curvature goes against the dielectric that one has to be cautious. The instructions guard against too tight a turn in the cables, not so much to protect the solid core conductors, but to prevent kinking the dielectric. There is a fair bit of resistance if one moves the cables against the flow, but I found that if I worked cautiously, never pushing past the 5” limitation on the circumference of the bend, everything was fine.

Graciously, Tara Labs provided me a copy of their Cascade Noise Burn-In Disc, which sounded like an audio oscilloscope gone wild – a bunch of static with oscillating high and low notes. It is in reality, “a mix of white and pink noise with tone bursts, harmonic tone and multi-octave square wave sweeps,” according to their press release on the disc. It’s pretty tough to take, so I set it up to run it for days…and closed the door as I left the room.

About four days later I opened the door. The cable had not changed appearance (as if!), but the quality of the white and pink noise had improved substantially! I could hear the square wave sweeps much more distinctly. Ok, I’m B.S.’ing that… It still sounded awful. Infinitely better was the accompanying disc Into the Infinite with live performances of artists produced by Grammy Award winner Jeff Weber. I found it relaxing and incisive in determining the clarity and extent of frequencies this cable can achieve.

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Over time, it becomes clear to the ardent audiophile that there is a distinct sonic difference between brands of cables. I have never reviewed or conducted listening tests in my own system where a distinction between cables has been more pronounced than when I installed Wireworld’s products. Wireworld products are tested and constructed differently than most other cables, and their resultant sound is different, in a very good way.

I have read about and spoken with cable manufacturers who emphasize copper purity, stranding, dielectric, passive components, terminations and a host of other variables. David Salz, Wireworld’s president, has what I believe to be a simple and correct solution to assessment of cables: Get the geometry right.

If you are not a believer in the importance of the geometry of cables, Wireworld’s 5-Squared configuration will make you a believer. The designation “5-Squared”, as shown in scientific notation in the literature, is a bit of a misnomer. It is actually the fourth generation of cables, as David has avoided use of the number four, which in Asia is considered bad luck. It’s not good sales technique to label something with the number four in Asia, so it’s often avoided.

The “squared” portion of the name refers to the flat, rectangular shape. “Squared” sounds more substantial than “flat”. It also looks better physically in many respects. When I reviewed the Magnan Cables, I was always afraid that due to their incredible thinness I would damage them. While that didn’t happen, the Wireworld products are more robust looking.

Some may question the sense of manufacturers spending inordinate amounts of time testing and positioning conductors. I had previously felt conductor material and gauge trumped cable geometry or at least were as critical. I have been forced to reconsider that conclusion in a most dramatic fashion. Having listened to plenty of cables from larger to smaller conductors of various materials, both individually or collectively sheathed in dielectric, none have stood as tall in performance as Wireworld.

“Dave Salz insists that the configuration of the cable determines an incredible amount of its performance, in fact most of its performance!”

Dave Salz insists that the configuration of the cable determines an incredible amount of its performance, in fact most of its performance! He has arranged the leads in his cables to “work with magnetic fields and magnetic lines of influence”, which is the secret of success with these cables. There is something undeniably powerful happening with these cables. It’s not “hocus-pocus” happening here, but something more akin to a law of electromagnetism that Dave has implemented. I wanted to find out what that law of sonics was, so I asked him to clarify.

Wireworld cables have their electrical response tuned for neutrality by, as David says, “correctly proportioning the values of inductance and resistance across the audible spectrum.” What this means is that the exact spacing between conductors, “…produces an effect similar to focusing a lens.” The fine tuning of the cables takes place by comparison to a direct connection in both double blind and non-blind tests. When the minimum difference between the cable and the direct connection is observed, the cable is tuned.

Wireworld’s literature refers to the difficulty long distance phone companies had in the late 1800’s due to inductive loss, and how it was solved by the implementation of telephone loading coils to preserve the strength and integrity of the signal. This technology is still employed today. In a similar fashion, David is working with the geometry of the cables to ensure there is the least loss of strength and integrity of signal from source to destination.

As we discussed his methodology, David revealed a surprising fact: He does not use a full-range sound system to voice his cables!

“He believes that if the midrange portion of the frequency spectrum tests out fine, the entire spectrum will be tuned correctly.”

In his experience, if the midrange is correct, the highs and lows will also be correct. He believes that if the midrange portion of the frequency spectrum tests out fine, the entire spectrum will be tuned correctly. He typically uses a high-end set of monitors rather than a full-range floor-standing speaker in his subjective assessments of his cables. Although in some respects illogical, performance of the Wireworld products are such that I cannot argue with his method.

A description of the cables is in order, so that the reader may understand why spacing of the conductors is critical. Wireworld is big on small conductors, grouped and spaced critically. A cable company using small grouped conductors is nothing new – stranded and braided cables abound. Harmonic Technology uses 32 AWG individual strands in its design, which had the closest sound to Wireworld products of the cables I had for comparison. Years ago, in my own search for superior cables, I worked with Harmonic Technology and found their sound lively and clean. It is more than coincidental to me that Wireworld’s products also utilize multiple small-gauge conductors.

David was enthusiastic and generous in his allocation of cables for this review. I was sent a suite of Wire World products, for use from the outlet to the speakers. The least expensive piece in the group, the Matrix Rock Mount Power Strip is a very unassuming seven-outlet “shielded power cord extender.” In appearance, it is remarkably like a hardware store power strip, and it calls for a detachable power cord with IEC to connect it to the wall. I admit that when I saw it I was unimpressed. It looked like many other power bars that have yielded so-so results which are usually best left out of the system. My impression would change big time when I hooked it up.

I worked with two different power cords, the bottom-of-the-line Stratus 5 and the mid-line Electra 5. All Wireworld power cords sport the same flat, flexible sheath in rich colors differentiating each model. The Stratus was (of course) deep sky blue, and the Electra had an appropriate copper hue. These are among the most elegant appearing affordable power cord’s I’ve seen, with clean, bold plugs and IEC’s emblazoned with the Wireworld logo. They fit snugly and positioned easily, even when the cord had to be twisted. This was very welcome, considering that some manufacturers seem oblivious to real world application of their cables and make fire hoses which must be forced into position, IF they will stay there. There can be such pressure on the twisted cables that the IEC receptacle of the component or the wall outlet is stressed. That would not happen with Wireworld products. I’ll return to discussion of the power cord’s and Matrix Power Cord Extender shortly. For now, let’s turn to how the interconnects and speaker cables are designed.

“Even in high-end shops, there are not many conditions to accurately and efficiently compare two sets of cables.”

Audiophiles are quite familiar with switching units found in many box that retailers designed to toggle between components. In the majority of cases, such switching units are utilized not to assess cabling but rather speakers, amps or sources. Even in high-end shops, there are not many conditions to accurately and efficiently compare two sets of cables. I assert that, for the average audiophile, the superior way to conduct a comparison between cables is by focusing on the suite of cables from a manufacturer. If one mixes and matches it becomes nearly impossible to isolate the effects of the cabling.

To that end, David has created the “Cable Comparator”, not being reviewed, a passive switching device, first developed to compare two sets of interconnects, and later expanded to a system for comparing a set of cables (only interconnects and speaker cables, not power cords). This is an imminently sensible action to take, which in my thinking gives Wire World a leg up in terms of subjective assessment in cable manufacturing. The Comparator is a simple switching device which uses the A/B/C (hidden reference) protocol. David employed it in the development of his cables to determine his designs.

While few would debate the usefulness of objective assessment in cable manufacturing, there is no objective guarantee that a wire that looks so good on paper is actually much better sounding than the majority of cables which also look good on paper. It seems that for many a maker of cables, if the tests pan out, and there’s an improvement over time in the design, and if it sounds great compared to a few other makes or the old standard, then it’s a winner.

The post Wireworld Cable Technology Review appeared first on Dagogo.

A “Fixer” is a person who makes it right, who takes a seemingly impossible situation and corrects it, sometimes by not so universally adopted and sanctioned methods. Often, the problem is inconvenient or even dangerous, but the Fixer can be counted upon to shepherd his client safely through the chaos.

Over the years I have learned to rely upon a Fixer of a different sort for less than ideal audio systems, and most of the time Wireworld is my Fixer. In more rigs than I can recall, I have returned to Dave Salz’s designs to remedy problems. I have become so familiarized with the influence of Wireworld’s power cords, interconnects and speaker cables that I can usually predict the outcome of changing them. When I have a particular attribute I want emphasized or a nuisance eliminated I am able to grab the cable to get the job done. I cannot think of one rig I have assembled where I was not able to have the equipment perform to expectation through concerted employment of Wireworld products. I cannot say that for the majority of cables I review, and it is part of the reason I continue to use Wireworld cables in reviewing.

Past Wireworld Reviews:
August 2008: Wireworld Cable Technology

June 2009: Wireworld Cable Technology Silver Eclipse

Having already expressed my appreciation of Wireworld designs in previous reviews, it should come as no surprise, then, that I extend appreciation for the Platinum Eclipse interconnect and Gold Eclipse 6 Digital Cable. In assessing them I am reaching the peak in Wireworld’s interconnects and Digital cables, buoyed through experience with the more economical members of their respective lines.

As I covered the geometry of the Wireworld cables in previous articles, I will direct those seeking information concerning details to them, as well as to the Wireworld website. Suffice to say here that the Platinum eclipse shares the identical geometry as the Silver Eclipse, but is upgraded with the use of Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) solid silver. Similarly the Gold Starlight 6 remains true to the flat conductor “DNA Helix” geometry of the previous digital cables and uses OCC solid silver.

The Platinum Eclipse interconnects utilize the Composite Dielectric Technology (CDT) found in the previously reviewed Silver Eclipse model, but innovate a molded carbon fiber connector housing. In the press release of the new interconnect David Salz, designer and company owner, stated that he believes, “…there is no one perfect insulating material. Each has advantages and disadvantages.” As in speaker cabinets, so also it seems with interconnect connector housings; every material everywhere makes a difference. I’m not certain that I could conclude that the housing material is the largest contributor to the distinction between the Silver eclipse and the Platinum Eclipse; not having a comparative sample of the Silver Eclipse outfitted with the carbon fiber housing it becomes impossible to know. In my experience, aside from the geometry of the strands and total gauge, the conductor material has been the most influential variable in distinguishing between all types of cables. I would find it interesting to conduct a comparison between interconnects or digital cables outfitted variably with or without the molded carbon fiber housing.

Also at work in these products are the proprietary “Silver Tube” plugs, described on the website as, “…silver-clad OFC contacts and a silicone rubber tension band, which produce the lowest contact resistance available.” I found these plugs to grip well, not be easily dislodged and to offer no discernable degradation of sound. I have no qualms about the effort to put silver on such plugs, as experience has shown me that even the modest Wireworld power cables sporting silver clad prongs are most effective.

I’ve Got A Secret

Regarding appearance of the Platinum Eclipse interconnect, the dark mesh jacket of the Silver Eclipse has transitioned to a lighter gray with white and black stranding, and sports a laser-engraved aluminum sleeve on the cable. I like the design, it’s a nifty identifier for otherwise potentially confusing similarities between it and other Wireworld products. The Gold Starlight 6 sports a flecked gold field with black mesh and a single red thread twisting its way along the circumference of the cable.

Over the years, I am coming to categorize cables as either “Intensifiers” or “Pacifiers”. By that I mean the tendency of a certain brand of cable to emphasize detail, dynamics, and the boundaries of the sound space, or in the opposite not emphasize these in favor of what my ear hears as tonal coloration. Some cables I have reviewed which intensify are MIT Cable Technologies, Harmonic Technology, and Wireworld. Some which pacify are Jena Labs, Magnan Cables, and Tara Labs. There are trade offs with every cable; the audiophile needs to discover what they will trade off in the context of his own system. I have made the decision that I will trade off some warmth for detail. My method allows me to achieve warmth through the components, but I cannot capture enough detail to suit me using cables that too severely round down details. While I consider the “pacifier” cables above to have comparatively less intensity in general, I consider them very constructive toward building an otherwise highly pleasurable system. I did so, and I could do so again. However, my present preference is toward cables which reveal detail to a higher degree.

Delineating a bit more on the difference between two “intensifiers”, a distinction can be made between MIT and Wireworld, both of which I have used extensively. I have described MIT products as having an ability to magnify the signal, to make the music seem more powerful. This is not surprising, as the cables are designed with networked boxes to effectuate Power Factor Correction (PFC). So, let us liken MIT products to a copying machine which expands the image by 10%. To my ear, MIT trades a touch of purity for a lot of intensity in terms of the scale of the music.

Conversely, Wireworld tends to work the opposite, condensing the image by the hypothetical 10%, so that while it sounds perceptually “smaller” than MIT, it’s images and contrasts are more sharply defined. Wireworld is more absolutely clean than MIT and not as muscular sounding. Its soundstage is smaller and a bit more recessed. It makes voices and instruments sound proportionately correct to my ear almost always, whether listening to a studio solo or a band’s live concert.

So, which has the better sound? That depends on one’s perspective, whether you want a bigger, broader sonic panorama, or a tighter, sharper picture. When I want big and bodacious I go for MIT but when I want tight, ultra-clean and focused sound I reach for Wireworld.

Returning again to my analogy of “the fixer” I’ll share my secret for adjusting a system to achieve just the right mix of detail and warmth using Wireworld cables. I have at my disposal two pairs of Platinum Eclipse and Silver Eclipse interconnects, as well as a minimum of two each of the Silver Electra 52 power cable (silver over copper) and Electra 52 power cable (all copper). With these I can tune almost any combination of solid-state or tube equipment to my preference.

I’ll refer to one musical selection as I discuss how I utilize the method below in nearly all my system building with Wireworld cables. A good candidate for discussion in this process is The Best of Chuck Mangione, an older compilation featuring flugelhorn. While this instrument is inherently less harsh on the ear than the trumpet, in this older recording if one tries to make the instrument stand out, it tends to sound trite or brittle, spatially and dynamically deprived. Conversely, if one tries to mellow it, the presentation can fall flat – a flugelhorn is already mellow in comparison to a trumpet. I often will start with the Platinum Eclipse interconnect and Silver Electra 52 power cord option to see how much detail can be achieved. If this proves too bright for my ear I place a pair of the Silver Eclipse interconnects into the mix. For added mellowing I replace one Silver Electra 52 power cord on a key component such as the source or preamp with one of the Electra 52 all-copper power cords. Usually by the time I have made three to four changes I have approached the opposite effect, bordering on too “soft” and a touch diminished in detail. If necessary, I reverse my last change to recover the proper amount of detail.

The fine tuning takes another turn at this point in that if I have a mix of copper and silver cabling I will swap them on the components to hear the effect. For instance, with Mangione’s disc I first listened to the Platinum Eclipse interconnect running from source to preamp, and the Silver Eclipse interconnect going from preamp to the amps. Then I switched them around. Likewise, I began with the Silver Electra 52 power cables at the preamp and the Electra 52 power cables at the amps. Again, after listening they were switched.

The end result in this case was, with an entire solid-state system comprised of nearly all Cambridge Audio separates, with the addition of Monarchy Audio’s latest NM-24 pre/DAC on review, and the Kingsound “the King” speakers, I ended up with the Platinum Eclipse interconnect upstream of the Silver Eclipse, and all power cords the Electra 52 model. It took about six permutations of cables to settle on this combination. One can see how, with patience and a wide enough selection of cables, a system can be dialed in perfectly to one’s expectations. Those who have perennial problems with making systems should take note. It’s not always the components which need a change; sometimes one can spruce up a system by the proper proportion of cabling.

What did my work with the wires give me? Mangione’s horn was energetic but not shrill, upbeat but not tiresome. The recording was brought closer, more intimate and lost some of the older, AAD (Analogue-Analogue-Digital) recording haze and thinness that is in many older discs. “Children of Sanchez” was popping with energy as the drums and horn punctuated the refrain, yet the outbursts of the instruments were not indiscriminate blasts where more attention is drawn to the intensity than the note, but rather fitting expulsions of the horn and reverberation of the drum skin. Time spent on tuning the rig via cabling was well rewarded.

The post Wireworld Platinum Eclipse Interconnects And Gold Starlight 6 Digital Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Although I can’t say that I am very familiar with many digital cables, I’ve owned six different brands, which is a drop in the bucket of what’s available. I went on a search for digital cables when I acquired my Esoteric transport and DAC four years ago, looking at 1.5 meter cables in the $1,000 range, and I have been very happy with the cables I ended up with, the Transparent Reference. I’d occasionally tried some other digital cables on other digital components, but those cables were not the manufacturer’s top-of-the-line models. In March of this year I purchased a Qsonix Q-105 music server after reviewing it, which has two analog outputs, but which I operate through its digital output. It was time to do some research and become reacquainted with the options that are out there.

One of the first things I did when I began my research, was to check the Audiogon used listings to get a sense of price and value. I’ve found over the years that, unfortunately, the most expensive products do tend to be the best, and you can partially verify this assumption by checking the resale prices of those expensive products. This also provides an initial sense of overall long-term value. Among the cables then listed were some of the most expensive out there: Tara Labs The Zero, Stealth Varidig, Virtual Dynamics Genesis, Siltech G7 Golden Ridge, MIT MA-X and a few others. Even the resale price of some of these digital cables seemed unaffordable.

After visiting several dealers and getting a bead on what improvements I could expect by spending $2,500 for new product, I recalled reading comments about a digital cable that some felt was one of the best digital cables out there: Aural Symphonics Echelon Digital. When I checked the pricing I saw that it was priced at $1,200 new, which was much less expensive than the cables listed above. Since I’ve had the very good Aural Symphonics Chrono interconnects and Hybrid V3 speaker cables for review and extended follow-up, the Echelon Digital seemed like a good candidate. I contacted Aural Symphonics, and received the Echelon about a week later.

My main point of comparison was my Transparent Reference digital cables. I have three – two AES/EBU and one BNC. All three are used in Esoteric’s dual AES-3 connection system, the best-sounding way to connect Esoteric transport/DAC combos, with the BNC connection slaving the clocks. This posed a bit of a problem, since I did not have a Transparent Reference that had an SPDIF RCA termination. This limited my options for direct head-to-head comparisons. One was to compare the Aural Symphonics Echelon to the Transparent Reference BNC between the Qsonix Q-105 and a DAC. This required fitting the Transparent’s BNC connectors with RCA adaptors. After some searching, I was able to obtain a pair of Tributaries gold plated BNC-to-RCA adaptors. The second way I could go for comparison was to run my Esoteric transport/DAC combo in single AES/EBU mode and also in SPDIF RCA mode. Each comparison method had its advantages and drawbacks, but I eventually determined that the first would probably be a more valid comparison. Comparisons were done using my Esoteric D-70 DAC and the excellent LessLos DAC 2004 mkII (review to come).

When comparing top-of-the-line cables that do just about everything well, the major differences are often found in their voicing, which affects transparency and balance. This proved to be the case here. Both of these superb digital cables provide great top and bottom extension, as well as plentiful detail, and both also soften the hardness in the treble reproduction of digital components. However, to my ears it sounds as though they accomplish this in different ways. Transparent’s products have been described by some as being “dark”. My description would be different. I would say they tend toward a romantic or “husky” voicing, as opposed to clean and clinical. The lower and mid bass is full-bodied and powerful while the top-end, though highly detailed, feels slightly rolled off, thus eliminating or deemphasizing the hard edge of poorly recorded flutes and violins. The Aural Symphonics Echelon, on the other hand, is slightly lighter in the midbass, but more extended in the top-end. This creates a cleaner midrange and a greater sense of overall transparency. Moreover, the top-end doesn’t feel like it’s rolled off. Rather, it feels almost as though Aural Symphonics has somehow figured out how to filter the hash at the top-end of the audible spectrum.

I really like the Transparent Reference digital cables, but in the Echelon, Aural Symphonics managed to equal the Transparent Reference’s strengths while improving on top-end extension and midrange transparency.

For example, the Eagles’ track “Those Shoes” from The Long Run, has a pounding kick drum and growling bass, setting an underlying beat that can easily overcome the cymbals if they’re at all muddy, while those same cymbals can become indistinct if the top-end is too rolled off. A similar effect can occur in Ry Cooder’s “The Very Thing That Makes You Rich”, from Bop Till You Drop. You can sacrifice the powerful driving growl of the bass, or risk obscuring the transparency of the background vocals, or lose the nifty cymbals, if you don’t have full extension, transparency and full and powerful bass. Other examples, such as Elvis Costello’s Pump It Up, Chicago’s (then still the Chicago Transit Authority) I’m A Man and Buddy Guy’s Midnight Train illustrate the same need for a delicate balance between bass definition and power, midrange transparency and top-end extension. The Aural Symphonics Echelon was excellent at achieving this balance.

I recommend the Aural Symphonics Echelon digital cable without any reservations. At $1200, cheap it ain’t. But its combination of extension, balance and transparency is exceptional. I don’t know if one of the $2000 – $3500 digital cables mentioned above can do better, but for that money they should be a lot better, which is really hard for me to imagine. If you can afford it, go get one, If you can’t, scour the used listings. You won’t be disappointed.

The post Aural Symphonics Echelon Digital Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

I received a large number of MIT cables to evaluate, including power cables, power conditioners, speaker cables, RCA and XLR interconnects, and digital cable. There is no way to do justice to this wide range of cables in a single review, so I decided to break this up into two separate but related reviews: first, MIT’s top-of-the-line digital cable and interconnects; second, speaker cables and power products. This is the first article, describing the effect of substituting MIT’s top-of-the-line digital cable and interconnects from my front-end through my amps.

Taking It to the MA-X

There will be no suspense in this review. The MIT Oracle MA-X is an absolutely fabulous analog interconnect and the Oracle MA-X Digital is an absolutely fabulous digital interconnect. It’s not that there might not be other interconnects that may work better in some other systems. Rather, it’s hard to imagine any other elite digital cables or interconnects being as compatible with as many high-end systems as Oracle MA-X.

In case you have never encountered MIT, it stands for “Music Interface Technologies”. It has been one of the premier manufacturers of high-end cable during my lifetime. I don’t know whether anyone used them before MIT, but I have always thought of MIT as the originator of the use of a network box to maximize sound reproduction. The Oracle MA-X series now takes network box-based technology to a new level, and introduces a feature which made a big difference in my testing: according to MIT, the world’s first adjustable resolution interface.

The Setup

Among the cables I received were three Oracle MA-X Digital cables, two 1.5 meter pairs of the Oracle MA-X Proline balanced analog interconnect and two 1.5 meter pairs of the Oracle MA-X single-ended analog interconnect. Each analog interconnect sports a three-position impedance switch and a six-position rotary articulation knob. The proper impedance setting is determined by the input impedance of the component that is at the delivery end of the signal. The Oracle MA-X Digital cables each have a 6-position rotary articulation knob.

I first ran an Oracle MA-X Digital from my Empirical Audio Pacecar (review to come) to the Lessloss DAC 2004 (review to come). I listened and took notes for three days before making any further changes. I followed up on this by inserting a balanced set of Oracle MA-X Proline interconnects from the Lessloss DAC 2004 to one of three preamps (Electrocompaniet EC4.8, MBL 6010D and Pass Labs XP-20), and a second balanced set from the preamp to my modded Lyngdorf RP-1 RoomPerfect Room Correction Device.

MA-X Digital: Empirical Audio Pacecar reclocker → LessLoss DAC 2004

MA-X Proline analog XLR: LessLoss DAC 2004 → preamp

MA-X Proline analog XLR: preamp → Lyngdorf RP-1

After a week of listening in this mode, I substituted a pair of single-ended Oracle MA-X interconnects for the cables running between the DAC and preamp and used one set of the balanced Oracle MA-X Proline in a “creative” configuration with a Silent Source Music Reference running from the Lyngdorf to my amps (the 1.5 length of the Oracle MA-X Proline wasn’t long enough to reach my amps without “help”). I listened for two weeks in this configuration, after which I began removing the MIT cables one at a time, starting with the one between the Lyngdorf and the Electrocompaniet Nemo monoblock amplifiers and working my way back to the front-end so that the last cable removed was the Oracle MA-X digital.

MA-X RCA: DAC → preamp

MA-X Proline XLR: Lyngdorf RP-1 → monoblock amplifiers

During this process I periodically substituted the three different preamps mentioned above. During this time I also used three different sets of speakers: my own B&W Nautilus 800Ds, the excellent Dynaudio Confidence C4 and the Bamberger Audio 5 TMW (review to come). The amps in all setups were the Nemos.
As you can see, I tested these cables in a variety of setups, which enabled me to evaluate their flexibility – a key benefit of the articulation adjustment feature. I also used the two other Oracle MA-X Digital cables in my two secondary systems, which was in some ways as revealing a test as their use in my main system.

My points of comparison for the Oracle MA-X Digital cable were the Transparent Reference and the Aural Symphonics Echelon Digital. Not to assign too much reading, but my review of the excellent Aural Symphonics Echelon Digital in the June, 2010 edition of Dagogo will help you get a perspective when reading my comments about the Oracle MA-X.

My points of comparison for the Oracle MA-X interconnects were the Silent Source Silver Signature interconnects, Silent Source Music Reference interconnects and the Aural Symphonics Chrono interconnects. Again, for a reference point I suggest you read my review of the Chrono in the August, 2009 edition of Dagogo.

Extension, Balance, Dynamics and Soundstage

(NOTE: The commentary in this section ignores for the moment the advantages provided by the Oracle MA-X articulation control.) I can spend a lot of time praising the virtues of the Oracle MA-X Digital cables and interconnects, but in this section I’m going to only touch on the four things in the caption of this section. I will discuss what really sets these top-end cables apart from the other über-cables I’ve heard in later sections. Rest assured that insofar as neutrality, extension, balance, dynamics and soundstage, these cables are among the best you can buy.

MIT Oracle MA-X Digital

Comparing first the Transparent Reference Digital and the Aural Symphonics Echelon Digital to the Oracle MA-X, all three cables were supremely balanced, but the Oracle MA-X Digital went just a bit deeper and had a more extended top-end. This characteristic was clearest when playing 24/96 tracks. For example, the track #15 on 2L the Nordic Sound, featured a Haydn string quartet that has extremely fast and details violin passages which sound their best when the nuances or the upper extremes are properly articulated. The detail is phenomenal in the 24/96 version of this piece, and the extremes become more discernible. Discernible extremes test the quality of a system’s extension at those extremes.

With respect to soundstaging, all three cables were pretty equal, with very good width and depth. The Oracle MA-X seemed to provide a bit more depth and a tad less width. However, the performer placement of the Oracle MA-X was superior to both the Transparent and the Aural Symphonics. I assume this was in part due to the huge amount of detail imparted by the Oracle MA-X (see next section).

The dynamics of all three digital cables were roughly equal both on a macro and micro level. This applied to every genre of music, whether it be Holst’s The Planets or Steve Vai’s Where the Wild Things Are. Quiet reticent passages were well articulated and loud explosive passages never lost their focus.

MIT Oracle MA-X Proline and Single-ended Interconnects

These MIT interconnects are definitely superior to both the Silent Source Silver Signatures and the Aural Symphonics Chrono. Both the Signatures and the Chronos are exceptional cables which I selected because they were excellent matches in my regular system and how useful their differences are when reviewing components. However, the MIT Oracle MA-Xs were just a tad more extended at each end and cleaner in presentation. These characteristics created a more lifelike presentation.

Comparing the Oracle MA-X Proline and single-ended interconnects to the Silent Source Music Reference was less dramatic. The Oracle MA-X’s soundstage was slightly different than that of the Music Reference: just a bit narrower, but also a bit deeper. This was evident on the 24/88.1 version of Who Do You Love? by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. With the Oracle MA-X the soundstage was deeper by what seemed like two feet, while also narrower by one foot. The Oracle’s performer placement was better, but not by much, while the Music Reference’s characteristic musical wholeness seemed stronger, but not by much. Extension and dynamics seemed to me to be a virtual tie on each piece I played.

All of this should tell you that the Oracle MA-Xs are wonderful performers from the standpoint of extension, balance, dynamics and soundstaging. They are obviously top end cables without taking into account the impedance switch or articulation control. What do these features add?

The Unsurpassed Flexibility of the Articulation Control

Substituting components proved to be a revelation. First, I used both the Pass Labs XP-20 preamp and the MBL 6010D preamp. The Electrocompaniet EC4.8 is closer to the MBL in its presentation, but between the MBL and Pass, so I’ve chosen the MBL and Pass as the companion preamps. Those of you who have heard these two components or read my reviews of them know that they are both detailed and dynamic, but that the XP-20 is neutral-to-lean, while the 6010D is weighty and bold. Later on, I substituted Dynaudio C4 for my own B&W 800D. The C4 was a bit “leaner and cleaner” in the bass, especially upper bass, than the 800D.

By using the articulation controls of the Oracle MA-X Digital and Oracle MA-X Proline single-ended interconnects, I could significantly adjust the presentation so that these components could be made to sound much closer to each other in presentation, but without any apparent loss of fidelity. I have no desire to make components sound alike. The point is that the ability to control the articulation level allows you to make fine adjustments that allow you to “dial in” your system in a way that I have never experienced. The synergy between system components, including cables, always determines the ultimate sound of a system. A hyper-detailed front-end with hyper-detailed amps and hyper-detailed speakers will tend to produce unnatural sound. We all mix and match components to achieve the musical presentation that sounds best to us in our own listening rooms.

However, except for speakers with treble adjustments, we are normally forced to achieve that synergy by substituting components on an educated trial-and-error basis. This is not true when using the MIT Oracle MA-X cables. Having four simple dial-operated locations, on the cables between the transport and DAC, the DAC and preamp, the preamp and room correction and between room correction and amps, permitted me to adjust for the voicing of each component. This ability to make adjustments to the system’s articulation level allowed me to fine-tune the system sound by making small adjustment to different cables. If I had also received a set of the Oracle MA-X speaker cables I would have had a fifth point for making fine-tuning adjustments. In short, I’ve never had such flexibility from a set of cables. It was as though I had several different-sounding cables to choose from, but could test them against each other without disconnecting and reconnecting. Comparisons were effectively instantaneous, and tweaking to maximize system synergy was a snap.

Don’t Forget the Impedance Switch

I should note that though the articulation adjustment switch was clearly the newest and most imaginative new feature of the cables, the impedance-setting switch was also quite instructive. MIT’s manual makes it clear that you need to first set the appropriate impedance level and only afterwards beginning the process of adjusting the articulation settings. However, I had originally set the impedance settings from memory, and it later turned out that I had gotten it wrong on two components and had to reset the two cables connected to those components. I expected to hear subtle improvements when I made the corrections, but was surprised by a much greater sense of clarity and presence. It is clearly essential to follow the installation instructions on these cables to get the best sound. When you pay this kind of money for this type of quality you should take the time to do it right – you will be rewarded.

Detail, Detail, Detail

I like detail, but I’m not as enamored with it as some. I’ve rejected several products that produced too many details. How can a system present “too many” details? I admit it’s my prejudice, but if it doesn’t sound natural – e.g., you hear details that can rarely be discerned even in a quiet studio setting – then that’s too many for me. However, once properly installed and dialed-in, the Oracle MA-X were the most detailed digital cables and interconnects I’ve ever heard, and I absolutely loved them. Why? I concluded that most of it has to do with the ability to adjust articulation to get the maximum amount of detail possible while still keeping the appropriate level of body and weight. However, some of it also has to do with the absolute elimination of any glare and any other artifacts that arise from the cables themselves. I previously thought that my system had long ago eliminated these things, but the Oracle MA-X showed me that more is possible. Even when set to the highest articulation setting, the cables consistently presented a very clean top-end without any “electronic” feel. In my book, this is quite an accomplishment. The only other analog cables that sounded close were the Silent Source Music Reference, but they don’t quite have the level of detail imparted by the Oracle MA-X once they are set up.

Opinions of Other Ears

After I had determined my favorite settings I concluded that I needed to test them with other listeners’ ears. Several listening sessions with guests seemed to confirm my opinion, but I had a golden opportunity to get an opinion from an acquaintance who works for Shure (microphones) and has extensive experience in setting up live concert systems. One Friday evening he was one of several guests that listened to familiar music while I made changes to the settings on the MA-X Digital cable and the three analog interconnects in my system. I started by setting the articulation settings one notch higher than what I had concluded to be ideal. I then adjusted the setting one cable at a time, starting from the amps and working back to the source one set of cables at a time. The effect of each individual adjustment was modest, and in each case we were able to perform a “better one/better two” evaluation, just like getting new glasses at the optometrist, until we actually reach a complete group consensus of the “best” sound. The whole process took approximately 50 minutes working with four sets of cables. It would have taken hours to accomplish the same thing with other cables, and the time between cable changes would have left doubt in our minds about whether we had actually achieved the best balance.

Conclusion

To be sure, the network boxes on MIT’s cables can pose some challenges where the height of your speaker’s connections exceeds the length of the cable after the network box. You need to properly secure the network boxes so as not to damage the cable. I was able to address this issue without much problem, but then I have various supports from my past experience with using Z-Sleeves on speaker cables. MIT provides velcro straps to help you deal with this if it applies to your setup.

These are absolutely fantastic cables for the serious audiophile. They would be phenomenal cables without them, but I cannot overemphasize the contribution played by the impedance-matching and articulation adjustment controls. The ability to rapidly get to your preferred musical presentation without trying dozens of cable combinations is a major advantage of Oracle MA-X cables. If you have the money and want a straight beeline to the best sound from your combination of components, these cables will get you there fast. Moreover, you’ll also be able to change out and audition other components without wondering whether they might have sounded better with other cables. The price of such convenience is obviously high, but it’s hard to imagine that you would ever have a need to replace your cable again.

So, you can say all you want about insane audio pricing and the high-end market, as well as continue your search for the $1,000 pair of cables that sound as good as an $8,500 pair of cables, but the truth is that the MIT Oracle MA-X series of digital cables and interconnects is phenomenal. Very expensive, but very highly recommended.

The post MIT Oracle MA-X Digital and Oracle MA-X Proline Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

It happens in the blink of an eye, in a flash, at the speed of light – the signal is sent, the music plays, and the ears are awash in waves of sound. The soul is stirred, and the mind feels… Free? Empowered? Thrilled?

What is it like to hear sound conveyed at the speed of light? While that may be difficult to report in terms of natural phenomena, I can report what signals sped through optic channels sound like. In this article we will trip the light fantastic, by investigating light-linked, nimble-toed components by INEX Innovation.

Shedding Some Light On The Subject

INEX stands for Into the NEXt generation, the company being composed principally of Jimmy and Mitch Ko, Sean Tan and Kevin Tseng, all with engineering backgrounds and strong ties in the development of fiber optic technologies. The vision held by these men is for fiber optic cables to replace wires in all signal transmission, including high-end audio applications. The advantages of fiber are in its nature of rejecting EMI and RFI, unidirectional transmission breaking ground connection which yielding a perfect, dark sonic background, and light-speed transmission for all signals to arrive at the receiver simultaneously.

Consequently, INEX Innovation products treat all audio signals fully in the analogue domain, then convert electrical signals to light, then back once again. A swap is being conducted, photons for electrons, which INEX believes yields a truer musical result. At one point in my interview with INEX I was told, “All INEX Photon products have never transferred the audio signals to digital formats after the signals [sic] out of the audio sources. We keep all sound paths in the truest analogue domain. This is true even for the Photon Digital Cable.” According to INEX, all A/D and D/A conversions cut off some of the original sample and the details are lost after the transfer. INEX felt theirs was a more elegant way to handle the signal. There has been some confusion on this point. Audiogon’s 2011 CES show report claimed (it may be corrected at some point) that INEX indicated their system uses no digital conversion in their CD player. This player does have a DAC as the nature of the beast. However, once that conversion has been attained the signal remains analogue either optically or electrically from source to speaker.

According to INEX their Photon products, “change the signals between electrical and optical formats to fit in different transmission media… we take the electrons coming in, analogue or digital domain being irrelevant, and map it directly to the same ration of photon and send it down the path and convert it back.” If I understand correctly, then INEX is linking the frequency of the sampling to the frequency of the light. As the digits of a Redbook player are quantified, so also the frequency of light would capture the precise value of the bits read from the player. The rapid reading of the light stream would produce the map of the sonic equivalent of a digital stream.

If this is so, then the quality of the sound would be related to the quality of the fiber optic gear – INEX uses glass fiber, not a form of plastic – reading the bits at the disc, transmitting the light frequencies via the cables, and reassembling the signal at the amp. In theory it seems to me that it would work, considering the amazing rates at which discs are sampled and converted digitally. Why not sample light frequencies in a similar fashion to avoid the quantization errors?

The concept does seem to have merit logically, and there does seem to be an inky black background when using INEX products. What’s strange is that the intensity of the light in the fiber optic channel of the interconnects and digital cable, as well as the quality of DC power sent to them, seems to influence the result audibly! We will hear more about that later.

The Measure of A Photon

The four sizable boxes of INEX gear arrived well packed with minimal instructions. I was instructed to refer to the website, where busy illustrations of systems utilizing multiple powered components and cables were portrayed. There was no manual online for the monoblock amplifier. It took a few emails to INEX to get the system layout ready, as it is not entirely intuitive to me. INEX needs to fix this problem immediately, as people with less technical savvy than me will throw up their hands in despair at seeing such an array of devices. If INEX wants these cables to become the standard, they need to standardize installation, making it much clearer to the user. Perhaps a color coded termination system would be helpful, the way computers use different colored jacks to assist with assembly of the computer. We audiophiles typically use red and black; INEX could do with a couple more colors for all the extra wiring and power supplies involved.

First, let’s admire the smooth, polished aluminum casework of the Photon series components, starting with the Photon A200 preamp. On the left side of the brushed face of the preamp resides the rather simple digital display, with industrial appearing LED characters. One can see that the perfect melding of art and industry is not yet in place at INEX; there is a bit of a feel that the components would be at home in a lab rather than an audiophile’s room. Especially since the blue LEDs on the amplifier are eye-scorchers. Even in a well lit room at eye level they are piercingly bright. Fortunately, the brightness level can be adjusted via remote.

The display is split with the left channel pushed to the outer left edge and the right channel at the opposite extreme, both having their own digital indicator of level from 0-100. Centered in the display is the variable volume control indicator, allowing for stepped increments of 1, 5 or 10 units. The corresponding controls for this are found on the opposite side of the front panel in a cross shaped formation, the VOLUME buttons top and bottom, the BALANCE buttons left and right of the centered unit control button. The full control set is also found on the remote with similar arrangement physically. The remote is minimalist, with enough buttons to control all functions and is hewn in rugged aluminum, but is not backlit. There is a very narrow window of operation with the remote. If the components are at floor level you will find yourself reaching down to issue commands; keep the components up high on a rack directly ahead and you should be fine. One should be able to memorize the functions and use them in dim light by feel. One can adjust the balance and level of each channel independently. It took a while for me to get used to the ability to vary the volume units used to change output level; many times I found myself cycling the units indicator instead of actually varying the level. However, once I got the hang of it, jumping by a multiple of five or ten was nifty, as it saved effort. The accompanying electronic ‘beep’ at every push of the volume control was similarly annoying at first, but became part of the rig after several days. Similar to the gatling gun sound of the Cambridge Audio Azur 840E preamplifier’s stepped attenuator, the noise associated with the component became less critical as time went on, and by the time I had lived with the unit a while it was a non-issue. The beep ramps up in level to pace the system’s output, so that it never is overwhelmed by the music.

If INEX really wanted to make this feature more useful they might perhaps correlate the pitch of the beeping to the multiple of the volume increase/decrease. That way the audiophile could tell instantly by listening what the settings were on the volume control. The display is too small to see easily with my nearly 50-year-old eyes unaided by glasses, so the variable pitch of the volume control would come in handy. If a component is going to beep when the volume changes, it may as well convey as much information as possible.

Also seen on the front to the right of the display is the IR sensor, four INPUT Indicators (two for single-ended and two for balanced) and the indicator for the MUTE function. The preamp starts on MUTE with the left and right channels zeroed out. Oddly, at one point I tried muting the Photon and swapping a Photon Interconnect for a Photon Digital Cable, as I do on some more traditional systems to hear if there would be a change to the sound. When I conducted the switch of the cables, even though the unit was on zero volume there was slight sound emanating from the speakers. After cycling the unit on and off a couple times the seepage from the volume control ceased. Perhaps this had something to do with the fact that the volume control is managed in the optic realm as well.

On the rear of the Preamplifier are the anticipated POWER switch and 15A IEC receptacle to the left, a pair of single-ended inputs (marked S1 and S2), pair of balanced Inputs (B1 and B2), and the complementary pairs of single ended and balanced outputs. I ran into another mystery when attempting to connect the Monoblock amplifiers as there was no indication on the rear of the preamp as to which inputs would coordinate with the outputs. I was told that either would do; the amp is balanced and one can use either set with whichever input is selected. This also needs to be highlighted in the Manual/Directions.

Starting up the Photon Preamp was surprising as I heard what sounded like a small motor making adjustments. Upon inquiry I learned that this was the optic volume control setting itself. Now it had become clear why the volume control was messed up when I muted the system and swapped cables. Resetting the system solved that problem.

The Photon Monoblock Power Amp is a straightforward deal. It has complementary chassis design to the Photon preamp, and they look like a space age class act together. Only the blue LED interrupts the smoothness of the façade, and the back is uncluttered, having besides the power cord receptacle the single ended and balanced inputs, as well as the power ports for the amp end terminations of the Photon Amp Cables (no i-Pure DC unit is required at the amp end).

The post INEX Innovation Photon A200 Preamplifier, Photon Monoblock Amplifier and Photon Cables Review appeared first on Dagogo.

This review started with an assault upon me by Chris Owen. Well, that might be a bit of an overstatement; I should say that Chris has been a persistent man, catching me at every show I have attended and asking that I stop by to hear the systems he has displayed.

I thought I might not hear much from Chris after CES 2009, where I told him politely but directly something he did not want to hear. He had me listening to his tweak, “Audio Pillows”, to see what my initial reaction was. As the system played, he deftly positioned the Pillows, then moments later removed them from the components. At the conclusion of the demo (my music) he asked my impression. I was fairly blunt, “…they do not pass my Law of Efficacy.” In other words, I could not hear a significant, clear distinction between their use and non-use. I could tell that he was not expecting that answer, especially in light of the previous listener who thought they were great. I pointed out that I would have to conduct a much more thorough test in my room to conclude definitively – but that I had no desire to do so. Chris seemed hurt by my words, which is why I thought he might not want to have much to do with me from that point on.

How wrong I was, as Chris cheerfully corralled me at this past CES and urged me to hear a system with Clarity Cables and the Raven Studio Bard speaker. Rather than turn me away for a negative assessment of a tweak, Chris ultimately accepted my directness without offence. I was impressed by that and was happy out of courtesy to comply. I will share more about that momentarily.

Manufacturers are a bit taken aback when I pronounce directly my being unimpressed by tweaks like the A.R.T. system which I demoed at RMAF 2009. The vivid Giya speaker system I was mightily impressed by; the wooden blocks and cups not so. Why not? I have reached the point in dealing with so many rigs, so many products that I have concluded I’m tired of wasting time with fairly ineffective things. I want serious, major changes, not nearly inaudible audio incrementalism! If I have to strain to hear the supposed change, it fails. If it has to be repeated over and over to demonstrate the effect, it fails. If it does a little good but costs too much, it fails. Seeking such minor adjustments to a rig only enmeshes the audiophile in that level of sound, forsaking changes which could bring monumental improvement at a much higher level of performance. When such tweaks are tried and fail to elicit the desired amazement the audiophile is often fooled into thinking, “Perhaps my rig is at the end, the top level of performance.” Hardly; dozens upon dozens of levels of improvement, very meaningful changes, await the audiophile who doesn’t settle for less.

In a dramatic contrast the Opamp rolling of the Eastern Electric Minimax DAC (see review) was another idea brought to me by Chris. He caught on quickly that I tolerate no subtle tweaks and brought me a clear winner. Rolling Opamps was akin to adding turbo to a small engine, an extremely efficacious improvement. I share this with you as I demand big improvements from cables as well. If I put a wire into a rig and it does little to improve things in one or two configurations, then there’s not much point in spending inordinate amounts of time with it. Perhaps you think I’m too impatient about system building. Maybe, but I am no longer inclined to spend years futzing with miniscule changes. I’m going to get my brand of “serious sound” and get it sooner rather than later; I prefer to spend the majority of my time as a fulfilled audiophile!

Chris and Melissa Owen Background

Chris and Melissa Owen have been judging sound at car audio contests for the last 20 years. Chris regularly tells me that Melissa’s ears are better than his, but then five minutes later he’s discussing very nuanced distinctions in sound that only someone with acute perception would consider. I would suggest that if someone is looking for an industry mentor to educate on how to listen well, the Owens would be a good selection.

Returning to the Clarity Cable room at CES 2010 proved to be a very good decision resulting in being moved by a system with monitor speakers, something which does not often happen. I tend to be a big speaker guy and I like a truly full range experience. I was taken aback by the scaled up, crystalline beauty of the rig. One thing I have come to learn hearing hundreds of systems at shows is this: You can wreck a good rig by using poor cables, but almost always if the system has fantastic sound, the cables are worth attention.

Has that perception been verified in this review, in my room, with my gear? Absolutely; the great sounding cables I have found at showrooms and demos have sounded nothing short of stupendous with the systems I assemble. That may sound like boasting, but as we continue I think you will see that it is not. The excellent performance has to do directly with the nature of the cables. Harmonic Technology was a favorite of mine years ago, and it sounded good to my ear with a variety of gear. Wireworld has been a very fine product and I can nearly hear in my mind the influence it will have prior to assembling a system in a review. Clarity Cable can now be added to that list, and in its own particular ways it excels beyond the other two. I plan on discussing the aspects of Clarity Cable which make it a valuable element of an audio system.

It is a bit ironic that products in audio are named with terms taken from nature, such as the Clarity Cable “Organic” line. There’s not much natural about ore being mined, refined, annealed, drawn and worked into various configurations along with dielectric and sheathing, not to mention the terminations. In one sense it’s anything but natural, as an electronic signature is impressed upon electronic processes which pertain to some music which is acoustic or natural. We wouldn’t have stereos if humans didn’t impose inorganic blueprints upon the natural world.

Then again, audio is hardly the only sector of manufacturing where nature’s terminology has been pressed into service to human creativity. Witness the Saturn Sky vehicle, White Cloud toilet paper, Dawn dish soap, Summer’s Eve… well, never mind – a myriad of inventions and institutions named after plants and animals. It is a bit tougher to conceptualize the term “organic” when applied to sound. For instance, can a stereo playing electronic music sound organic? Can any stereo be organic sounding? Without pressing the philosophy of the matter too far, I believe some stereos sound far more organic than others. What are the qualities inherent in an “organic” sounding rig? It is worth pursuing that question in this article.

What’s in a name?

We begin with my assertion that Clarity Cable’s Organic series has been named appropriately. Clarity has its own reasons for its nomenclature, reasons I’ve been asked not to divulge. I believe that the company has pursued one of the most important facets of organic sound by putting an extremely high emphasis on clarity in audio reproduction. I am always on a mission to find a higher degree of clarity in high fidelity music. In fact, I like clarity in my listening so much that I take a contrary position to most audiophiles; I insist that a system cannot have too much clarity.

Before you choke on your highly organic saliva from guffawing, pause a moment and consider that one of the most universally applauded aspects of live acoustic music is its ineffably clean, clear sound which even top end audio systems struggle to imitate. Would it not stand to reason that if an audio system is capable of prodigious amounts of clarity, then it will more approach the sound of live music? I think so. All one has to do is hear a not-so-clear system to know immediately how critical clarity is! Unheard of is an audiophile waxing poetic about a diminishment of resolution, or uttering in adulation, “… it was as if a veil had been placed in front of the speaker!”

Of course, other variables complicate cabling in audio systems including impedance, capacitance and inductance, which in turn influence timbre and dynamics. On the whole, I find that over the past 25 years or so that I have been in the hobby of music listening I have always pushed for more precision and purity in the sound, never less. It took a great many years of experimentation and system building to conclude firmly that clarity is not the issue when a system sounds too harsh – something else is wrong, typically the tonality or timbre. Detail and precision in a system are often blamed as the problem, when in reality these are never the problem. How they are influenced by other parameters of playback is the problem.

A good example has been the progression of dozens of CD players I have owned over the years. As they have climbed the ladder of cost and capability, they have increasingly yielded higher precision and cleanness in sound. One of my favorite reference quality players, the Ayon CD-5, has beautiful detail and cleanness, such that it is very hard to go back and listen to any mid-level player at all, for they sound muddled. The finest players, unlike mid-level offerings, do not sound harsh because of detail. The sound harsh because they may have a lack of warmth, and/or because of poor speaker selection, and/or a white or clinical sounding amplifier, and/or an unrefined preamplifier, and/or cables with serious design flaws. However, this article is not about CD players, but cables, in particular the Clarity Cable brand. Clarity Cable is designed around the concept that bringing a higher amount of detail to a system is a very good thing.

The post Clarity Cable Organic Interconnect, Speaker, Digital Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

I’ve been holding this review now for several months, not because it was hard to write – in fact, it’s a short review – but because I’ve been unclear about what exactly to say. And I’m not unclear what to say because I didn’t like the X-Link – I liked it right off the bat – but because this is the second product that I’ve reviewed and have no real idea how it works. As a non-engineer, I can repeat the explanation given by the designer, but despite researching the topic of “ground planes,” my brain isn’t understanding the technical concept behind the product or why it makes the difference that it makes. Writing about anything other than my purely subjective impressions will probably subject me to criticism and/or ridicule, but what the heck…

Vogel Cable

Vogel makes a line of interconnects and speaker cables that have been positively received. However, in addition to interconnects and speaker cables, Vogel Cable makes several products which are designed to improve sound by addressing ground plane and magnetic field stability. These products are said to have a cumulative effect, but I only tested the X-Link which improves ground plane stability by addressing minute eddy currents that are ever-present in the ground plane.

Eddy currents in the ground plane? What’s that? I racked my brain attempting to recall all my prior experience with grounding of audio systems, but nothing helped with the concept of “eddy currents in the ground plane”.

What problem we talking about?

Most audiophiles have dealt with the dreaded ground loop, which creates a very audible hum in your audio system. How does that happen? Let’s talk about grounding.

I’m definitely not an engineer, but I can fake my way through a few electrical/electronic explanations. Chassis ground is any conductor which is connected to a unit’s metal chassis. Three-conductor line cords connect the chassis to earth ground when plugged in to a properly wired AC outlet. In units with a two-conductor line cord, the chassis does not connect to earth ground. However, the chassis is normally connected to the internal ground of the component enclosure in both unbalanced/consumer and in balanced/pro equipment. This internal ground is called the audio signal ground. It is the internal conductor used as the ground reference for the internal electronics. In high-end electronics, it’s often further split into digital and analog ground sections, but it is important to remember that all divisions of signal ground connect together in one place. Connecting these divisions is usually called a star grounding scheme. Star grounding is also a term used to describe the more macro process of connecting a series of components and electrical circuits. The point is to connect everything to a single ground, as opposed to multiple grounds with different potentials.

Connecting multiple devices together with interconnects ties the signal grounds of the multiple devices together in one place through the conductors. Ground loops occur when the grounds of the devices are also tied together in another place. This creates a circuit through which current may flow in a closed “loop” from one unit’s ground out to a second unit and back to the first. When this current flows through a unit’s audio signal ground it creates the hum. Balanced interconnects were developed to be immune to these noise currents, which can never be entirely eliminated.

Hopefully, as a non-technical person I’ve described that correctly. However, assuming I described that correctly, it’s my understanding that this is not what Vogel Cable is trying to address with its ground plane stability products. So what else can it be?

Even without a ground loop, a little noise current always flows through every interconnecting cable. It is impossible to eliminate these currents entirely. Moreover, the internal PCBs of today’s electronics have their own grounding and noise issues. According to the ubiquitous Wikipedia:

A ground plane in PCB assembly is a layer of copper that appears to most signals as an infinite ground potential. This helps reduce noise and helps ensure that all integrated circuits within a system compare different signals’ voltages to the same reference potential. It also serves to make the circuit design easier, allowing the designer to ground anything without having to run multiple tracks; the component needing grounding is routed directly to the ground plane on another layer. Ground planes can also be placed on adjacent layers to power planes creating a large parallel plate capacitor that helps filter the power supply. Ground planes are sometimes split and then connected by a thin trace. This allows the separation of analog and digital sections of a board or the inputs and outputs of amplifiers. The thin trace has low enough impedance to keep the two sides very close to the same potential while keeping the ground currents of one side from impacting the other.

OK – so I don’t really understand this, or why there’s always some noise current flowing through the interconnects. However, all of this suggests that ground planes not only exist in each component, but that signal ground planes can exist between components. Assuming that I’ve got this right, my next question is whether this small amount of noise current audibly affects the performance of the audio system. Chris Vogel says it does and that he’s come up with some products that improve performance by addressing these minute currents. He’s not the only one. BAlabo (Bridge Audio Laboratory) also provides a signal ground plane connection lug on its DAC, preamp and amp.

The Vogel Cable Solution

Most connections between components simply provide a simple conductive path between the ground planes of components, like the connection of a simple copper or silver wire. In an effort to improve the ground plane between components, some manufacturers provide parallel wire connections between each chassis. Many of us have had components which incorporate this feature, but in my case I was never able to detect any clearly audible improvement.

The X-Link is different. It is a single cable that connects between any two components by utilizing any free (unused) RCA jacks. It connects only to the groundside of the RCA jacks. This means the X-Link only provides an inductive coupling – not a conductive coupling – between components. As a result, the plugs on the ends of the X-Link do not require a center pin. Center pins are incorporated into the plugs only for ease of use and to add stability – the X-Link does not require them to perform its function.

Chris Vogel says that the X-Link uniquely addresses dynamic artifacts and eddy currents that diminish the musicality of virtually any music system. He says that it does this by improving the ground plane that the components share. Further, he indicates it’s not merely the connection itself, but the addition of certain proprietary treatments that enhance the X-Link’s ability to work with minute currents. As I understand it, many of these improvements were made in early 2010, and that X-Links manufactured after that time provide much improved performance (older users can get upgrades).

Vogel Cable gives a 45-day satisfaction guarantee. Chris was very pleasant to work with and was very helpful in explaining the general concept without specific design secrets relating to the X-Link.

Listening Tests

All of this is nifty in theory, but how does it sound? As I mentioned above, other than proper grounding of my electrical circuits, I’ve never been able to discern any audible improvement from connecting components via their chassis grounding lugs. Well…read on.

Though the instructions encourage you to experiment, they also state that the X-Link is directional, so I put it in as indicated by the directional arrow between my Lessloss DAC and my Lyngdorf RP-1. The effect was immediately noticeable. The soundstage became significantly deeper and more layered and enveloping. The 3-dimensional improvements were unmistakable. The soundstage also seemed a bit narrower, but mostly because it now felt like a horseshoe rather than a flat soundstage. Over the course of the next three days the effect was replicated on every piece of music I played, but by the third day the “horseshoe” became wider and was now the width of the entire room. During this time I took the X-Link in and out of the system several times, and in each case the effect was the same.

Sometimes I review an audio component which sounds interesting at first, but over time becomes fatiguing, or artificial, or some other undesirable characteristic. None of these issues manifested themselves with the X-Link, so I thought it was time to get some other opinions. I’ve got a group of friends who are not audiophiles, though they swear they’d like to be, who come over for some fun listening every 8th or 9th Thursday. They were due in a few weeks, so they became my guinea pigs. They have provided a reality check for my impressions of new audio toys, and when both of them are in agreement, then I have reliable confirmation that the ordinary music-lover hears a clear improvement in the music.

When they arrived that evening I made no mention of anything different in my system. In fact, they asked and I denied the presence of anything new. They commented that the new music I was playing sounded very good, and I left it to that – new music. After about an hour of listening, I told them that I wanted to put something new in the system and get their opinion. I did not let them see what I was doing, and removed the X-Link. Within 5 minutes each of them firmly stated that the “new thing” I added actually made things sound less live and less natural. I then reinserted the X-Link, again without letting them see what I was “removing.” They both confirmed that everything sounded better without that “new thing.” I asked them to describe what was better about it, and they each indicated that the “new thing” had flattened the soundstage and reduced the dimensionality of the presentation. Less firmly, they also opined that there was a loss of detail. Only then did I reveal to them that I had not added, but had in fact removed, a single cable that was not even in the signal path. After some extended discussion, we concluded that the wrap-around effect of the X-Link created in my system the impression of at least five feet of additional soundstage depth. We also concluded that the presentation had more clarity, much like the use of improved power conditioning.

Over the course of the next several weeks I substituted several different interconnects for the Silent Source Music Reference XLRs that were connected between my DAC and room correction device to determine whether and to what extent the X-Link’s effect was affected by the other interconnects used between the components. In all cases the X-Link rendered its improvements, even when I used the mighty Tara Labs Zero Gold interconnects (review to come).

The X-Link between other components and in a mid-fi system

Chris Vogel told me that the the X-Link was designed to work between the source and a preamplifier, but since I don’t use a preamp I connected it to my room correction device, and as you know, that worked quite nicely. I did, however, have the Pass Labs XP-20 available and confirmed that using the X-Link in a source-to-preamp connection produced the same beneficial results. I did not get any material improvements when I used it between my reclocker and DAC or between my music server and reclocker, and Chris confirmed that those were not good uses of the X-Link. Consequently, you can experiment with other uses, but source-to-preamp is the best place to start, with other connections downstream of the source also possible. Vogel’s website states that typical positions where an X-Link may be placed are: phono preamp to linestage, CD player to preamp, CD player to integrated amp, DAC to preamp, preamp to amplifier.

Interestingly enough, the X-Link consistently improved high-end systems when used downstream of the source, but was less consistent in mid-fi systems, improving most, but making very little difference in some. There was an excellent improvement when it was used between a Pioneer Elite DV-38 DVD-A player and a Sony SPD-EP9es digital preamp, but not much when used between a Direct TV satellite receiver and a Denon receiver. Your mileage may vary, but it’s worth experimenting.

Conclusion

I really had not doubted my own impressions of the X-Link, but the confirmation from my buddies make it clear that the effect wasn’t too subtle for non-audiophile ears, and that’s really the main message of this review. Significant improvements occurred whenever the X-Link was added between components that were located downstream of the source, and it often seemed that the improvements were most noticeable when it was added to a high-end system. Highly recommended, given that Vogel has a 45-day return option and you have nothing to lose if you don’t get the improvements I experienced.

The post Vogel Cable X-Link Digital Cable Review appeared first on Dagogo.

For some, high-end after market interconnects and speaker cables seem to be no more than a simple math equation or nothing more than snake oil. And though cables are built around a scientific foundation, the hours of tweaking, listening, more tweaking, is where the cable goes from being mathematical to musical. But even after all the tweaking is done, and the cable is ready to market, the consumer, only has a cursory idea of how a cable will change the sound their own system. The point of this review is to not only give you a better understand of real world conditions, of how the WyWires cables sound, but I hope, since I think they are very good cables, you’ll take the time to audition a pair for yourself.

Alex Sventitsky, the man behind WyWires, designs his cable to help bring forth the natural sound of music in your system. Alex has spent years in the audio world, both as a listener to live and high-end system, and as a music enthusiast. Alex builds just about any kind of analog or digital audio cable you might need, including power cables. (Not covered in this review.) All the cables are built around the same principles, copper strands that are individually insulated with a special enamel, wrapped in cotton sleeves and twisted into a Litz geometrical pattern with PTFE Teflon tubes to protect and separate the conductor assemblies. Since cotton is mostly air, air is the primary dielectric. All cables are hermetically sealed to prevent corrosion to the copper and contamination of the cotton. All cables use Xhadow connectors, which are more conductive than the typical gold connector.

For the past six months I’ve had two very different systems in my home, and I’ve run the WyWire cables in both. The Zu Omen Def speakers combined with the Melody AN211 integrated amplifier system, created a big, brash, ridiculously liquid, American sound that won the heart of both my wife and I. It seemed that no matter what was playing, Tom Waits to Ratatat, this combination of equipment never lost our interest and left me constantly wanting more. More music, more volume, more fun and more bragging! The second system, Brodmann Festival Series speakers combined with the Mystere ia11 integrated amplifier system, created a sensual European finesse and a level of detail that tilted far too close to the realistic for the price of the speakers. A system that really shined with acoustic, blues, classical, opera recordings. I ran WyWires speaker and interconnect cables in both systems and I used the WyWires digital cable between the Electrocompaniet PC1 CD player and Audio Note DAC One Sig.

Interconnect

To better understand the change in sound the WyWires cables created, I’ll offer a little background on the cables I was using previous to the WyWires, and their sound. I had been using the Granite Audio #470 silver interconnects, or the Supra Sword interconnects, and the Supra Sword speaker cables. All very good cables at about the same price point as the WyWires, but with very different sonic attributes. Before I had the WyWires digital cable I tended to leave digital music on the shelf, or in the computer. I much preferred my flawed but wonderful sounding P3/24 with Cardas tone arm cable rewire, Sumiko Evo III Blue Point Special cartridge and Moon LP3 phono amplifier.

The Granite Audio #470 interconnects I’ve had now for a couple years, and they have been used in many systems. I feel I have a good fundamental understanding of how they will change the sound in any system. Typically I can count on them to widen the soundstage, increase the depth and add punch to the bass. They allow a lot of detail to make it from the source to the amplifier, and are generally a benefit to any system I’ve put them in. But occasionally the mid-range and bass can sound a little confused, or the bass can sound bigger than life. For instance, with the Brodmann FS speakers and Mystere ia11 integrated amplifier system, the Granite Audio #470 interconnects helped to intensify and deepen the bass, but unfortunately they added a bit of confusion to the mid-range. This made the already difficult-to-position Brodmann FS speakers more frustrating to listen to. The sounds stage never seems accurate, which lead hours of positioning and repositioning. When the Granite Audio #470 were used in the Zu Omen Def speakers and Melody AN211 integrated amplifier, bass deepened and the sound stage widened, but the image also suffered and drum reverberations seemed overly intense. For instance, the drum rolls at the end of track 2 on Sufjan Steven’s Illinois album, were exaggerated and fun, but not as they have sounded on many other systems.

The Supra Sword interconnects and speaker cables presented a radically different sound from that of the Granite Audio cables. First off, the top-end had much more sparkle and a slight metallic ring which made brass quite exciting. Secondly, instruments and singing formed with clearer individual distinction. In the Zu/Melody system, the extra sparkle and slight metallic tilt added to the already somewhat hot tweeters of the Omen Defs, had me looking for ways to dampen the tweeter. In both systems the mid-range and low end was too lean for my taste. For me. The gut feeling of the music was missing. So even though some issues were resolved, imaging, separation, even dynamics were better because the confusion was gone, but other issues came up. Unfortunately the Supra cables were returned before a good match was found. I have a feeling they would have been a better combination with the Trinity speakers I had in recently.

At this point I was looking for a set of cables that would retain the benefits of a clear, detailed, and article sound without compromising in other aspects. The WyWires arrived and I first installed them into the Brodmann/Mystere system. Alex pre-burns the cables for 50-hours so they are good to go right out of the box. Quickly I realized, that the WyWires in the Brodmann/Mystere system allowed instruments and vocals to be more independent of each other and all had better articulation. 3 dimensional imaging was better now that sounds could be more easily pinpointed. To tell you the truth, the WyWires helped the Brodmann FS speakers go from overpriced Euro speakers to something I no longer wanted to part with. I finally knew why Constantine had high praise for Brodmann speakers. Compared to the Supra Sword cables, in the same system, the WyWires provided much better bass and the sound held together as the volume was turned up.

In the Melody/Zu system the WyWires interconnects helped tamp down a bit of the aggressiveness coming from the super tweeter, but just slightly. They also increased the individual instruments and vocal articulation. The overall affect of the WyWires was to bring a more natural and effortless sound, rather than help rectify issues.

Speaker cables

A two-meter pair of WyWires speaker cables arrived with the interconnects and after the positive performance from those, my hand was hardly forced to try the speaker cables. The speaker cables are as meticulously and well built as the interconnects and their shinning black cover looked great going from amplifier to speakers. The speaker cables also use the same technology as the interconnects, copper wire in cotton in a Litz geometry. They have what appears to be magnets at each end, but those bulges are purely for aesthetics.

When the WyWires speaker cables arrived I also had in the Supra Sword speaker cables and the Zu Mission speaker cables. The Supra Sword cables are about the same price as the WyWires, and the Zu Mission cables came in just under half the price.

Between the three cables, the WyWires and Supra offer a very exacting soundstage, both allowed more detail to make it from the amplifier to the speaker, and both cables offered very good articulation and dynamics. While the Zu Mission cables are fair step above speaker cables from Monoprice, when compared to the WyWires and Supra cables, they just didn’t seem to keep up.

Between the WyWires and Supra Sword cables there was less a difference in sonic attributes and more a difference in sonic character. The WyWires cables offered a more natural sound and three-dimensional imaging. The Supra Sword speaker cables had a more astringent, cleaner, and aggressive flavoring. Similar to the difference in a Belgian ale versus a California hopped IPA. While both are very good, and no matter how many Belgium ales I drink, a standard IPA will always be more of a comfort, more natural, beer. And that is how the WyWires sound to my ears. They just offer a whole hearted more natural sound that allows for all the frequencies to come through without over emphasizing or distorting.

Digital cable

Usually I see 16-bit digital audio as a necessary evil. For better or worse I tend to prefer vinyl. Even at the sub-$5,000 price point, I’d rather have a $5,000 analog turnable (AN-T2 anybody?), cartridge, phono amp combo, than a $20,000 CD Player. No I’m not insane, nor do I need my ears examined. It is just what I prefer to listen to. But I’ve not been spinning that much vinyl since Alex was nice enough to let me use his new digital cable. I’ll be honest. At first I was hesitant. But the WyWires digital cable, for me, has actually been the best thing I’ve heard (at a reasonable price point) in digital audio, in a long time. Sure the DaVinciAudio DAC, at standard 16-bit, is outstanding. But it is also thirty-two thousand dollars, or something outrageous like that. The PS Audio Transport and DAC, at 24-bit, sounds great, but at $10k, I’d rather spend that on a full blown analog only system. So with sever reservation and not much expectation, I put in the Audio Note DAC One Sig, connected in the Granite Audio interconnects, the last interconnects I used the DAC with, queued up a track, and was floored. Now I can’t let go. The harsh in-your-face sound, the flat Hollywood character sound, is gone. Replaced by formed three-dimensional, distinctly articulated, and granular level detail, music. Now please don’t get me wrong, the cable can’t possibly turn swine into pearls. But if you are looking to add liveliness and the ever ethereal “musicality” to your digital system, the WyWires digital cable comes highly recommended.

Conclusion

The WyWires cables I’ve had in for review have done everything I’d want cables to do. They helped maintain the focus and detail of the system, they helped pass the detail and articulation of the equipment they are connecting, and the digital cable above the rest, has really made helped me to see past the medium divide.

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iFi-audio Micro Series – iDAC

iDAC – $299 + Mercury USB cable – $99 for 0.5 meter, $129 for 1 meter

I recently became somewhat serious about computer audio.  Last month I bought an Asus laptop and two external hard drives to be used in combination as a dedicated music server.  Previously my Sony laptop served as an uber everything computer.   I felt I wasn’t getting the maximum benefit from playing digital music files through the USB as there were way too many programs and other peripheral crap loaded on the Sony.  I have stripped down the Asus by deleting non essential programs, with almost all music files stored on the external hard drives.  I also bought JRiver because this music software is capable of playing both high resolution PCM and DSD files.  The iDAC is the first digital audio device auditioned with my new music computer setup.  Congratulations iFi for deflowering my new laptop, musically speaking of course.

The iDAC is a USB only Asynchronous DAC with sampling capability of up to 24 Bit/192 kHz.  According to information on the company website, the iDAC utilizes an ESS Sabre chip – without specifying the model.  I will assume that in all probability, it is the lower price Sabre ES9023 chip that is employed, given the low $299 retail of the iDAC.  I’m quite familiar with this particular DAC chip, having auditioned several other brands’ using the same, most notably the DAC section of the Peachtree iNova.  Achieving excellent sound quality though, is not only a matter of selecting a particular DAC chip, but also involves proper circuitry, parts selection, implementation, topography and a host of other factors and considerations.  Oh, and of course, countless listening hours after every change.

An information/warranty card, a short USB cable, and a pair of generic RCA cables are also included with the unit.  The company probably clones these cables by the tens of thousands!  Connections are kept simple on the iDAC with one USB input and one pair of RCA output, but frankly, there’s no more room on the small chassis for anything else.  I should warn readers not to use RCA cables with wide diameter connectors because they will not fit into the iDAC’s output jacks.  My Audio Sensibility RCA cables with twist connectors, which are only a little wider than standard size ones, barely made connection with each connector touching the other.  There is a headphone mini-jack and volume knob on the same end as the RCA jacks.

Quality on the Mercury USB A/B cable is evident by iFi’s choice of materials and construction.  Included is an adaptor which allows connection to devices with only mini USB inputs, rather than the full size B input.  There are also three adjustable ferrite type beads attached to the Mercury, what iFi calls “RF silencers.”  I was curious why three ferrites were used instead of the usual one or two, so I asked.  Both Vincent Luke of iFi-audio and Darren Censullo responded with essentially the same answer.  Apparently, much research was done in the area of RF interference on digital frequencies.  The fruits of this research allowed iFi to “tune” each ferrite bead to a specific set of frequencies.  By doing so, all possible RF interference is effectively filtered from entering into the components.  I was told to move the two outer silencers to each end of the cable and initially situate the middle silencer about one-third the way down; creating the “Golden Ratio” rule.  I then experimented by moving the middle silencer further along the cable to determine if there were any changes in the sound; I could not hear any differences so I went back to the GR rule for the rest of the review.  Perhaps those listeners living in “dirtier” areas will benefit from the experimentation.

Because I live in a heavily congested urban area I firmly believe in RF filtering, which is why I have attached ferrite beads to all of my audio components.  For those of you living in less congested or rural areas, RF interference may not be a concern.  I think it’s wonderful though that iFi has the forethought to include the silencers just in case some of you decide to move to more urban areas.

When I opened the box, I found the Mercury cable sleeping in a nice felt string bag, the kind provided when one buys a piece of fine jewelry, or a nice watch.  To waken it, I connected the Mercury to the iDAC and my laptop, from whence I started playing music.  This is what I found:

Mercury USB cable

iFi-audio Micro Series – iDAC – digital input side

The Sound of iDAC and Mercury (not a Greek myth)

After experimenting between WASAPI and ASIO interfaces on the JRiver player, I ended up preferring the WASAPI output because music sounded more natural and thus used that format for all further listening.

For comparison, I borrowed from a friend an original Schiit Bifrost, with optional USB board.  I connected identical Audio Sensibility Impact RCA cables to both DACs.  The iDAC produces a more relaxed and slightly darker musical presentation.  The original Bifrost appears to emphasize the leading edge of vocals and instrumental notes, while the iDAC seems to soften each slightly.  Imaging wise, the iDAC seems to throw out a more believable sound stage (for me) than the Bifrost, with the latter presenting slightly more definitive forms and the former slightly more amorphous outlines.  Different strokes for different folks: original Bifrost better for those who prefer cutout images and iDAC better for those who prefer imaging more like at a concert.

Bass output and articulation are very good with both DACs.  For example, the fingering and plucking of the upright bass on Holly Cole’s “I Can See Clearly Now” have the appropriate flex, rebound, texture and punch that I have heard from expensive DACs, with perhaps the Bifrost slightly edging out the iDAC in detail, though both falling short in terms of definition to the highest achievers (read very expensive) in this regard.

Dynamics is also very good on both DACs, as evidenced on Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony, with the softest pianissimo to the loudest crescendo reproduced admirably.  What is significant in this regard is the dynamic flow: continuous throughout the range without any indication that the music is noticeably jumping from a softer sound to a louder sound level.

On “Set Things Aright,” Daniel Martin Moore’s pronunciation of “s” words is emphasized more and instrumental notes sounded sharper on the Bifrost than with the iDAC.  The differences heard were noticeable on several other albums as well.  In this regard, the presentation of the iDAC is more natural sounding to my ears.

Overall, I feel the iDAC is slightly more organic sounding than the original Bifrost with the former retrieving as much detail (for the most part) as the latter, but sounding less sharp and “hifi.”  Of course, some listeners may prefer a “hifi” sound.

The post iFi-audio Micro Series – iDAC, iUSBPower Peripherals – iPurifier, Mercury USB cable, and Gemini USB cable Review: Part II appeared first on Dagogo.

The longer I am in the Audiophile game, the more I appreciate the particular capacity of cables to finish a fine rig. Having explored many and finding some exceptional ones, including Clarity Cable and Silent Source, I have made room in systems for a lovely “sleeper” cable named Silnote. As with so many of the fine products I have had the delight to review and own, this one began with a show demo.

I was at AXPONA, Chicago 2014 when I stumbled upon an improbable rig, the kind that ostentatious hobbyists might glance at through the doorway and bypass. However, some rewarding discoveries come when time is taken to dissect seemingly uneventful show rooms. In this particular case, Mark Williams of Silnote Audio was hosting the room with his fiancé Michele, presenting a system of rather conservative components, an Oppo 105 player, NAD M51 DAC, Balanced Audio Technology VK-32 Preamp, and driven by a pair of McCormack DNA-750 Monos running the B&W Nautilus 802 speakers, which date back to 1999.

This was Mark’s own system, an example of the fact that small manufacturers have to stretch resources, and more than a few have at some point used personal gear to make a show rig happen. Yet, despite the equipment having a vintage leaning, there was a distinct pedigree of sonic greatness happening. My ear told me the sound was far better than the system had a right to produce. Frankly, I was stunned that Bowers & Wilkins speakers could sound that good. Having heard them many times over the decades I had come to consider them, with equal parts, disdain and disinterest.

What was it that made them so engaging that day? It could only be one thing, I surmised, the cables. There was no way the speakers could sound that good unless the cables were sensational. Silnote Audio had flown under my radar, but a quieter moment in the room allowed me to probe for more information. Time was short that day, so I arranged to meet Mark and Michele for breakfast the next morning at the hotel lobby’s coffee shop prior to show’s open.

 

Meet my friends

Silnote Audio cables

I arrived early and sat down next to some men whom I would describe as elder rockers with poor attitudes. Knowing the variety of attire and backgrounds of audiophiles, I dismissed the biker look and attempted to strike up conversation about the show, which rooms they liked. I was met with silence and mean stares. It was macabre in that I had never met them, yet they acted as though my enemies. To his credit, one of the three nervously attempted to string along a reply or two, but the others continued to hone their death stares. I can only surmise they knew me from an audio-related website, as my moniker is my name, a downside to being a gregarious reviewer. A fellow local audiophile who was at the show arrived moments later, greeting them warmly, but they arose silently with stony faces and departed. The affront was so obvious that my friend called after them, “Was it something I said?”

Turning from the Audio cranks, I was happy to see Mark and Michele approaching, with kind, wide smiles. Mark strikes me as being of the Southern American tradition, soft spoken and polite, unassuming, and yet confident. It was at this point I learned that the system shown was his personal rig. The cost of a show is burdensome for a small manufacturer and they are up against a great deal of name recognition with manufacturers pooling their products for maximum effect to create big-gun systems. It was a risk for Mark to use his system, but it showed that he was confident of his product’s ability to impress.

Though the system was unassuming, Mark knows what he is doing, as he studied electrical engineering in college, then worked for GM troubleshooting electrical circuits and specializing in electronics. Silnote Audio, a contraction of the words silver and note, was born out of Mark’s desire to make his own cables. He sent them off to a few audiophile friends for assessment, and their response was that he should go into business. He took the encouragement and Silnote Audio was started in 2010.

I typically review one line of cables from a manufacturer, but Mark gently pushed for a blend of products similar to those used in the show system. Not being familiar with the Silnote philosophy of cables, I tried again to get consistency across the board. Mark was politely insistent that I use a selection of cables, and I deferred. I was sent a suite of products including the bi-wire spade and single wire banana sets of the Anniversary Edition Master Speaker Cables. Interconnects were represented by the following; Anniversary Edition Master Balanced, Orion Master Balanced, Poseidon Signature Balanced Interconnects, and Morpheus Reference Series II single ended. Power cables included the Orion Master, Poseidon ES, and Poseidon GL models. The power cables have cryo-treated Wattgate plugs.

Suffice to say there was enough variety to capture the feel of the Silnote experience! Later, as I began to unpack Silnote’s methodology, I began to understand the rationale for the mix of products. I had assumed that as is the case with a great many cable manufacturers, Silnote would draw hard design boundaries between its lines of cables. I was to learn that Mark intentionally varies all his cables’ terms of geometry and conductors, even across product lines. I don’t think I could have procured a set of power cords, interconnects and speaker cables all made with identical methods; no wonder the ever-polite Mr. Williams kept steering me in a different direction!

Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature XLR

Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature II XLR

Silnote Audio Poseidon ES Reference power cable

The post Silnote Audio cables Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Verastarr Grand Illusion 2

Who could have guessed that some 20 years after my first experiment with upgrading my radio shack wire with some entry level MIT Cables (Music Interface Technologies Cables) that I would still be investigating the effect of different wire on my ever evolving system. Even on my modest system of the time, the positive effects were clear to me.  Based on my experience I was rather surprised to learn of all the continuing dissention regarding wire and it’s effects or lack thereof. I will not get into convincing the uninitiated- those who choose to stick with lamp chord go ahead. But man, will you be missing out. And those who are believers and do not give Verastarr Grand Illusion 2 series cables a serious shot are really missing out.

As time marched on and my interest in cable grew, the addition of power chords to the world of high-end wire took hold. For the first time, we could hear from the AC outlet down through the system what a wire designer has in mind when making his or her formulation.  All told, I have counted no less than ten manufacturers that have strapped my components together. Of those, MIT Cables, Transparent, and Skogrand have represented the lunatic fringe of price and performance. Well into the five figures for the top-of-the-line from those manufacturers, only those of the most well heeled consumers could make it happen. It wasn’t until I got my hands on the subject of this review, the Verastarr Grand Illusion 2 power cords, interconnects and speaker wire that I got a clearer picture of where the current state-of-the-art is at prices that do not require the Craig’s listing of one’s vital organs. The pricing of the Verastarr lineup while not inexpensive ends where many other manufacturers prices just begin, alhough Verastarr does feature some products that reach the mid four-figure price range. While I admire Mike Powerll of Verastarr’s attempt at injecting a hypodermic full of sanity into wire pricing, it would all add up to a bad trip if the performance did not follow suit.

Per the company’s website, “As you might have noticed, it seems many established audio companies are using “Crystal” or “Hyper” or some other mysterious name for either Piezoelectric or Ferroelectric mineral treatment to their products. Some companies dope this material up into rolls with a wire through it for soldering inside components, others pour it inside power strips, or into little boxes with inputs and outputs.. Some will put it into cylinders that plug inline on speaker binding posts or at your IEC inlet for your components. These are all our own iterations of a similar treatment, which is to run the signal through a “field filter” that filters out EMI or RFI from the electromagnetic field around the cables, or does this filtering at the end of untreated cables, or inside the component. Other materials cause the electrons to “line up” making them flow much better through wire or any other circuit board level component.

We choose to put these treatments inside our cables to negate the need for treatment anywhere else in your audio system. No opening up your expensive components and “modding” them, or putting heavy adapter type “add-ons” to your cables stressing or possibly damaging the connector interface. Who wants heavy, clumsy improvements hanging off the back of your components ? We know we do not.

With Verastarr Audiofoil technology, we are able to treat these electrons over a vast surface area unlike any round cable designs. For instance we can use sensitive “field activated” wafers, which round wire can not. By doing so we treat a broad area of electrons rather than just the outer surface.

Verastarr has spent much time perfecting our treatments, which include ceramic nanospheres, single crystal resonating wafers, carbon nanofibers, Superconducting materials, Spin-inducing materials, Ferromagnetic minerals, and Piezoelectric minerals. We have tried dozens of combinations of minerals as well as combinations of granule or sphere sizes and or wafer thicknesses all so that you.. the seeker of Truth in Music, will enjoy the most accurate, smooth, noise free delivery of signal currently possible using cutting edge advances in material science.

So anything “CFT”, which includes all Grand Illusion 2 designs incorporate these technologies into the build of the cables.

Keep in mind ALL of this technology is passive and works OUTSIDE the actual signal path. Therefore this is an added advantage over our already phenominal sounding Grand Illusion series of cables…”

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There are certain things that are so easily explored by simple trial that I feel no pity for a person who dismisses them without so much as a finger being lifted or a dime being spent to investigate. Had I been such a person I would still be putting together mediocre audio systems, and would still be more than a bit disappointed in their performance. Those who think digital cables all sound similar because they convey digital information, yet find their file playback less than satisfying should take note. One of the mistakes made by people who think they are really sharp is to conclude that “bits are bits” and digital data is not influenced by the conduit. Hang up your pride, simply try some aftermarket USB cables, and you will hear that you have been shorting yourself in terms of the listening experience.

Having traveled the path from cable skinflint to an enthusiast who generously appoints his system, I have an appreciation for economical audio, but I sure don’t wish that to be my experience! The sound is uniformly poor and the experience impoverished. A good test on where an audiophile is on the topic is their perspective on USB cables for file playback. The USB cable is the “final frontier” of cabling. Many hobbyists who have accepted aftermarket power cords, interconnects and speaker cables resist the idea of putting more than a few dollars into a USB link. Big mistake!

Having learned from experience that you never discount the potential of any part of a system to influence the signal, I have on a weekly basis been blessed by willingness to swap cables of all sorts to contour systems. It is such a natural part of the experience for me that I can hardly relate to those who eschew cables as proper components of a system. I applied the same attitude of discovery to USB cables when a few years ago I shifted to file playback. Having seen that every wire associated with an audio system has an influence on the sound, I presumed the USB cable would also. Comparison of USB cables has been a treasure trove of improvement in sound quality.

By this time I have had the pleasure of trying approximately 15 different USB cables from manufacturers such as Furutech, Wyred 4 Sound, Einklein, Pangea, Clarity Cable, Verastarr, and the cables which are the topic of this article, those from Silnote Audio. I assert that the Silnote Audio USB offerings are the best I have heard in use with multiple systems.

Silnote Audio Cables Epirus USB cable

The identification and construction of the Silnote Audio USB cables is as follows: the Epirus Master Reference USB is designed with Ultra pure solid core silver conductors in a natural unbleached cotton dielectric; the Orion-M1 Master Reference USB is built similarly, but with a combination of ultra pure solid copper and solid silver conductors (not silver OFC). Both are built to USB data specs with 90 Ohm impedance. The data lines and power lines are completely isolated from each other using a special shielding system. This unique shielding design allows for zero interference and a very open, detailed, and musical sound quality. Standard USB type A to USB type B connectors are used, and WBT Silver solder is used at all solder points.

Everyone has their “secret sauce” when it comes to cables, and Silnote is no different.  Mark Williams, owner and designer of Silnote Audio Cables, has sworn me to secrecy regarding the magic in the USB cables. Of course, it’s not magic, it is design, and it’s an excellent one for conveyance of a digital music signal. Of all the cable designers’ USB products used previously, I would rank Silnote, Verastarr and Clarity Cable as the top three. I typically use a meter length USB for all applications.

 

Some systems and results

The Silnote Audio Cables Orion yields a warmer, less defined sound than does the Epirus. As copper tends to have a more lush, but slightly less distinct sound in comparison to silver’s tighter but brighter character, so also these USB cables follow this pattern. However, I have found that some cables with silver are harsh, while others are gentle on the ears. The Epirus, the one with silver conductors, manages a tricky feat of being supremely refined without excess brightness. I have come across very few cables of any sort that manage this as well. Other USB cables I have tested have the characteristic of a more “edgy” sound, but not the Epirus.

Silnote Audio Cables Orion M-1 USB cable

My initial rig was comprised as follows:

Mac Mini running iTunes with HQPlayer software and PS Audio power cord

Silnote Orion USB

Exogal Comet DAC

TEO Audio Reference Liquid Interconnect MkII (RCA)

Red Dragon S500 Stereo Amplifier in Mono mode

Clarity Cable Vortex Power Cord on the Red Dragon S500

Silnote Anniversary Master Reference Series Speaker Cables

Kingsound King III electrostatic speaker with VAC Royal Power Supply and Silnote Poseidon GS Reference Power Cable

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