Upgrading Interconnect and Speaker cable

[abhijit]

Can anyone suggest me of my interconnects and speaker cable upgrades for my current system? I have been recommended to go for Acoustic Zen's Satori Shotgun Speaker Cable and Silver Reference Interconnect (XLR). Is it worth spending so much? How do one rate Cardas Neutral Reference or Golden Cross Speaker Cables and Nutral Reference or Golden Cross Balanced Interconnect Cables. Has anyone heard cables from Synergisticresearch?

Currently I am using MIT T2 Bi-wire for my speaker system, MIT Proline for my Pre-amp to Amp and MIT 330 Proline for CD player to Pre-amp.

 

[DTB300]

Many threads here on Interconnects and cables. Do a SEARCH from the top menu and you will find plenty to read...here is one:

http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=1021&highlight=interconnect

Remember, IC's and Speaker Cables are a personal preference and system dependant thing. What sounds GREAT in my system may sound like crap in your system, and vice versa. Cables are really system dependant along with the type of sound you are looking for.

The bottom line to all of the above is the bottom line - Budget.

Dan

 

[Robin]

Interconnects and cables...

Many threads here on Interconnects and cables. Do a SEARCH from the top menu and you will find plenty to read...here is one:

http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=1021&highlight=interconnect

Remember, IC's and Speaker Cables are a personal preference and system dependant thing. What sounds GREAT in my system may sound like crap in your system, and vice versa. Cables are really system dependant along with the type of sound you are looking for.

The bottom line to all of the above is the bottom line - Budget.

Dan

abhijit,

I totally agree with Dan...

Interconnects and speaker cables impart subtle (sometimes not so subtle) changes to the sound, finessing the sound if you will, which based what pleases your ears, would make the music sound good to your ears or not. Roberto is quite eliquent, when he speaks about how copper provides more bass, where as silver brighter highs, with regards to cables/connectors. As I'm sure you know, thier are cables out there, which offer copper, silver, gold and every combination of one or all of these in cables, visa vee, the cable and / or the RCA (or Balanced) connectors i. e., Copper cables with silver connectors etc.

Dan did exhaustive testing on his own and kindly shared the results with us on the following thread:

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=796

This thread, as I am sure you would agree, is a fantastic discussion of this entire issue and will give you some excellent food-for-thought, before you begin your auditioning process. IMHO, I think you should try to take any prospective IC or speaker cable home, for and audition in your system, so you can best determine what will be best for your system and your ears. The electronics stores will let you do this, as Dan did in the above thread, I recommended...

Good Luck in your Aduio quest (Pun intended)...

Cheers

-Robin

 

[DTB300]

Dan did exhaustive testing on his own and kindly shared the results with us on the following thread:

And more testing is currently in the works with some different stuff this week and weekend. It is the only way to find an IC or Speaker Cable that you really like.

Dan

 

[Robin]

Cable testing...

And more testing is currently in the works with some different stuff this week and weekend. It is the only way to find an IC or Speaker Cable that you really like.

Dan

Dan,

Hip hip hooray...
I think, I can speak for all of us here at the ML Club, when I say, 'Thank you', for all of your hard work and persistance in the quest for great sounding cables at reasonable costs and sharing all of your results with us. We appreciate it... And we look forward to the next results and your findings...

Thanks again,

Cheers

-Robin

 

[DTB300]

We appreciate it... And we look forward to the next results and your findings...

One has to remember that these reviews I have done are my results for my room and my system. IC's that I test or have tested can sound totally different in another system/room. That is what makes cables such a hard thing to recommend to people.

Generally we probably feel there are better solutions out there than the IC's we get with equipment - you know those small thin Red-White cables... But then there are people who like or use Rad Shack stuff, or Monster stuff and are pleased with what they have. Then we have people who are spending $1k and up on cables and loving them. Who is right? All of us...remember it is PERSONAL PREFERENCE for the room and system.

People need to try out cables to see what they like for their budget. Good local stores (many stores as a store typically only carries 1-3 brands) can help you with demo models to try, or you can go to a place like The Cable Company to "try before you buy" - and this type of process is the best way to go.

With cables we can only share our experiences with what we heard. People have to remember it is another review/opinion just like in the rags. Except we do not tilt our reviews based on advertising funding

Dan

 

[Audio Pharaoh]

May I also add....

Can anyone suggest me of my interconnects and speaker cable upgrades for my current system? I have been recommended to go for Acoustic Zen's Satori Shotgun Speaker Cable and Silver Reference Interconnect (XLR). Is it worth spending so much? How do one rate Cardas Neutral Reference or Golden Cross Speaker Cables and Nutral Reference or Golden Cross Balanced Interconnect Cables. Has anyone heard cables from Synergisticresearch?

Currently I am using MIT T2 Bi-wire for my speaker system, MIT Proline for my Pre-amp to Amp and MIT 330 Proline for CD player to Pre-amp.

Try to go for cables with very simple designs..they usually impart less sonic signature or let's say less 'harm' to your overall sound. What you need to do is look for cables that will not change the over sonic balance of your set-up, and here I'm also targeting power cords. Be VERY careful with power cords as I found they do the most harm to the sound if not correctly chosen. Don't be tricked by bigger bass, bigger soundstage etc....A lot of cables 'beef' up the sound in an artificial way to give you a 'bigger' sound effect in general. While this can be good in some systems, it is usually not good in the long run. Case in point, if you want a beefier sound then get a more powerfull amp or a more high-end digital source etc..Dont let the cable do that for you because in the end the whole tonal balance will change, mostly negatively.

Martin Logans do not need this type of 'tone controlling' as well. If your gear is up to snuff you may also NOT need aftermarket power cords.

A very good way to try before you buy is through The Cable Company (www.fatwyre.com)....

I would recommend to try Audience Au24 IC's and Speaker cables, Siltech Generation 3 IC's & Speaker Cables...as being of the simple design group...

Good luck !

AP

 

[ml360]

Tara Labs

Try Tara Labs!!!!!Look into the new Vector series.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

I use Tara Labs and I am very pleased with the results. For my system it has proven to be neutral. Or to put it another way I find no colorization in sound.

Jeff

 

[timinwi]

Acoustic Zen

I use EAD preamp and titan simaudion amp. THere was a very definite difference with the interconnects and the speaker cables when I compared MIT to AZ.
AZ performance was far superior. I used fatwire.com as was suggested by another member to rent and try out the balanced interconnects. I di try tara labs product because a neighbor used their product in his system. I actually liked Tara over MIT. If money is an important consideration when going to that next level of discriminating sound, then spend the time and rent from fatwire. Good Luck

 

[Robin]

I use EAD preamp and titan simaudion amp. THere was a very definite difference with the interconnects and the speaker cables when I compared MIT to AZ.
AZ performance was far superior. I used fatwire.com as was suggested by another member to rent and try out the balanced interconnects. I di try tara labs product because a neighbor used their product in his system. I actually liked Tara over MIT. If money is an important consideration when going to that next level of discriminating sound, then spend the time and rent from fatwire. Good Luck

timinwi,

Welcome to the ML Club...

I have hear good things about about Acoustic Zen cables. Your system, as listed in your signature looks to be totally awesome... I had fantiscies about owning a 'Sim Audio - Titan' amplifier. How does Titan make your Ascent i's, Cinema, Fresco's sound?
I for one, would love to see your system... IMHO, I think you should consider posting your system in the 'Member System' section of th ML Club...

Cheers

-Robin

 

[timinwi]

Simaudio Titan

Robin,
Thank you for the complement.
I tried the titan against many amplifiers before purchasing it.
The titan provides all the power that each component needs.
In August, we had party outside and I moved everything outside.
each neighbor lives on 5 acres and some called with their request. while blasting into nature is not the best for acoustic listing, the partygoers liked the sound.
I am constructing a home theater which will be 30 x 40 ft. I am sound proofing the room and using several acoustic absorption materials on the walls and ceilings. This should further optimize the lows to high sound which the titan delivers without altering. It is like going to the Phatom of the Opera and hearing her sing - it is clear as a the striking of a bell.
Once I finish with the construction, I will upload some photos.
Tim

 

[Robin]

Sim Audio - Moon Titan amplifier....

Robin,
Thank you for the complement.
I tried the titan against many amplifiers before purchasing it.
The titan provides all the power that each component needs.
In August, we had party outside and I moved everything outside.
each neighbor lives on 5 acres and some called with their request. while blasting into nature is not the best for acoustic listing, the partygoers liked the sound.
I am constructing a home theater which will be 30 x 40 ft. I am sound proofing the room and using several acoustic absorption materials on the walls and ceilings. This should further optimize the lows to high sound which the titan delivers without altering. It is like going to the Phatom of the Opera and hearing her sing - it is clear as a the striking of a bell.
Once I finish with the construction, I will upload some photos.
Tim

Tim,

That was a marvelous discription of the sound of a Titan. If I had the money, I would have seriously considered Titan.

I look forward to seeing your finished HT photo's. Are you adding on to your home or will your HT be in your basment? Several of our members have sucessfully constructed HT's. I'll bet they could give you some good recommendations too. If your are pre-wiring, have you desided, about what kind of speaker wire you will use for long runs, to your surround speakers? What speaker wire looks good to you for your future HT?

Cheers

-Robin

 

[abhijit]

Dear everyone,

Thanx for all the important info. Unfortunately in Kuwait, there is no way of trying different cables. There are not too many delears here and even the dealers only supply cables or any equipment when you pay upfront. So I am very much dependent on audiophiles views!! I was going thru audiogon and found a site http://www.signalcable.com . Has anyone used their Signalcable Silver Resolution SERIES? I must say that they are very competitive in price!!

 

[audioraptured]

upgrading interconnects

abhijit: Salam-ali-y-kum. I hope you are taking your time and trying to digest all the information about these different brands of interconnects. I started with something called Apature went to Audioquest and now on to a custom pair from a guy out of N.Y. and I know there will be something else after the New Year. For me the trouble is I am like a little kid who will not go to bed because I think I am going to miss something. If I could aford Transparent I would and just get it over with. Don't be discouraged though, and let me know what you finally decide because I may still be looking for that extra little tweek and edge...........

 

[Jeff Zaret]

For my 2 cents I still like Tara Labs. For my system they are very neutral but again this is me and it is only one opinion.

I thought I was the only one here who "Chanuka Charlie" came to vist this weekend and all next week. LOL

Jeff

 

[babydoc]

Can anyone suggest me of my interconnects and speaker cable upgrades for my current system? I have been recommended to go for Acoustic Zen's Satori Shotgun Speaker Cable and Silver Reference Interconnect (XLR). Is it worth spending so much? How do one rate Cardas Neutral Reference or Golden Cross Speaker Cables and Nutral Reference or Golden Cross Balanced Interconnect Cables. Has anyone heard cables from Synergisticresearch?

Currently I am using MIT T2 Bi-wire for my speaker system, MIT Proline for my Pre-amp to Amp and MIT 330 Proline for CD player to Pre-amp.

Abhijit: You will find that cable mating to components is largely trial-and-error. I would strongly suggest that you get in touch with a company that allows home trials so you can compare several different brands with your system. One such company is The Cable Company (www.fatwyre.com). They will let you use demos for a period of time and then decide. The advantage is that there is no risk and only cost is shipping. Their cables are all in good shape and, best of all, have been broken in so you don't have to imagine what they might sound like with time. Hope this helps

 

[cyclone]

I have found that Audio metallurgy ga-0 balanced interconnects to be very good it's a strange design but they are very nuetral and deliver the tightest bass I've heard.

 

[audioraptured]

upgrading interconnects

abhijit: good morning. Here is just a follow up to my last post and more info. I purchased a 1 meter set of those silver resolutions and took delivery since my email to you. It IS a very good deal for the price. I added the silver bullet ends and I am very satisfied with the detail and sound that has already come through. I spoke at length to "Frank" and he explained what was going on with the comparative sound of other interconnects; and the sound and price for what I was looking for. Of course they are not "Transparent", I can't afford those real high end types. And I think the ratio of the price of the equipment to the type or brand of interconnect should be reasonable. Keep me informed about what you finally buy and how it worked out for you. Good Luck and a safe New Year to you and yours.

 

[abhijit]

abhijit: good morning. Here is just a follow up to my last post and more info. I purchased a 1 meter set of those silver resolutions and took delivery since my email to you. It IS a very good deal for the price. I added the silver bullet ends and I am very satisfied with the detail and sound that has already come through. I spoke at length to "Frank" and he explained what was going on with the comparative sound of other interconnects; and the sound and price for what I was looking for. Of course they are not "Transparent", I can't afford those real high end types. And I think the ratio of the price of the equipment to the type or brand of interconnect should be reasonable. Keep me informed about what you finally buy and how it worked out for you. Good Luck and a safe New Year to you and yours.

Thank you very much for the info. I am going to try the Silver Reference Balanced and XLR cables shortly replacing my MIT Terminator2 speaker cable and MIT Proline MH330 XLR cables. Do you think, it's worth giving a try?