Did anyone except Dan really compare Kimbers, Mapleshades, Nordosts, or what-have-yous with decent plain speaker wire a la Belden 10gauge? As in: within the same hour using the same components playing the same music and taking notes of listening impressions, swapping cables several times?
Edit: same question re. ICs and RCA vs XLR
Yes, I have. Compared Monster M-1's, standard 12ga RadioShack zip cable, some big fat Monster zip cable, some home-made braided Kimber-style cables, Transparent cables and MITs (all speaker cables) on my system, about 10 years ago, using the same gear, same music, and notebook in my lap.
Did the same with ICs--Monster 400, Tranparent, MIT, Radio Shack, Monster 200, and some obscenely priced Siltecs. I LOVED the Siltecs, did not like the Transparents and MITs, and thought the Monsters were pretty damn good at the time. Were the Siltecs 50 TIMES better than the Monster 400s? No way, but their price was 50 times as high. That's why I went with Monster 400's for almost a decade.
More recently, I've compared the Monster M-1s, another home-brew cable, 12ga Monster, and Nordost Solar Winds in my current system. Also done the same with Monster 400, Nordost Blue Heaven, and White Zombie Audio Silver ICs. Again, I LOVED the Nordost ICs, and the WZA sound pretty much identical--clean, clear, VERY FAST, and they are about 1/4 the price. White Zombie Audio doesn't make speaker cables, but I just fell in love with the way Nordosts sound with ML speakers. And since I got a VERY SWEET deal on some used Solar Winds from a local Forum member, you all know which speaker cables I am currently running. So you know which IC cables I went for. And I imagine I'll look long and hard before I find another manufacturer that I like better in my system than Nordost. I may replace the Solar Winds, but it will be with up-line Nordosts...
I have not been impressed with the uber-expensive MITs or Transparent cables--I think they sound funny--can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something being ADDED by those cables that I just don't dig. The Siltec ICs were VERY sweet-sounding, but at the same cost of a pair of Sequels when they were new, I just don't see that they are worth it, especially when there are cables like the White Zombies that are just light-years ahead of 99% of the cables out there in transparency and resolution, at literally a tiny fraction of the price of these crazy-expensive cables like Nordost Valhallas...
I'm a HUGE fan of WZA cables. Sure there are better-sounding cables. Sure there are cables that might look better. But for the price/performance they offer, I think they simply cannot be touched by any other cable. And they don't have that "overly bright/thin bass" quality that other pure silver ICs suffer from (Kimber, AQ, etc). Of course, maybe that's my system covering it up, because I DO have Carver amps which tend to "warm things up" a bit...
Anyway, I take my cabling VERY seriously, as anyone who's been to my pad and submitted to a Listening Session can tell you. And I'm more than happy to demonstrate A/B cabling on my system to anyone who stops by. Ask some of the local Baltimore area guys--they'll tell you...
--Richard
