NEW Cerious Technologies Upgrade - Graphene Matrix Cables


CT Graphene Matrix Cables:

I have been using the CT GE cables for almost two years.
I recently traded up for a full loom of CT Graphene Matrix cables, including speaker, interconnect and PCs, and I wanted to share my experience. I started by replacing only the ICs to try and hear the differences.

The new Matrix interconnects sounded better than the GE immediately after install. I found the original Graphene Extreme ICs to be good but not on the same level as the outstanding GE speaker cables. As break-in started to clear things up, I can hear more clarity and detail not heard before. The ICs are incredible on their own and at the 30 hour mark, I can hear a clear superiority over the GE ICs. I recently started using the Teo Game Changer ICs and preferred them over GE but the Teo has now fallen to the new Graphene Matrix ICs. My Teo’s were and are great, and it is stunning to experience Cerious Technologies commitment to making great technology better.

On the third day of listening to the GM ICs. I couldn’t wait anymore, Having too much fun. I then installed the speaker cables and power cords once I had a pretty good feel for the sound of the GM ICs.

With the full loom of GM cables running in they are going through some strange changes and definitely need time to settle down before realizing what they can really do and very important Bob says to not move them. Since I have a home office I can let them run in all day. I’m at around 120 hours now and they are still improving. Here’s what I’m hearing:

Extended highs and tighter lows.
More detail and better low level listening
Drums are tighter, more clearly defined. So real is the snap of the snare drum. The bass has more depth, seemingly goes deeper, lower. This aspect stands out the most.

I am not in the industry, I’m not an engineer, I don’t work for Cerious Technologies, but I am a fan of the cables and am enjoying what my system is capable of.

I’m closer to my own pinnacle of sound reproduction than ever before.

Lance

lancelock
Ozzy, thanks. 
That aspect is important to me. 
How would describe the difference between the detail retrieval of the two? 
One of the aspects that I like of the HFC is that they are great at micro detail and transparency. But I always felt that they could be a little light on the “weight” of the instruments. 
It seemed that in order to get the best of both one needed to go higher up in the HFC line. Which as you know can get very expensive. 
Hifial try both CT ic and Teo GC ic, high fidelity cables like the CT and Teo....in my system they are match you will get more weight good transient and good tonal balance....
I want to publicly say that I like the new, improved Cerious Technologies website. Much easier to understand and use.
Bob, good job!
Thanks Calloway and Ozzy,

Looks like I need to order some Matrix cables. Just when I thought I was done making improvements to my system. I know, wishful thinking on my part! 
LOL Mac

If any manufacturer is smart and they know you own the product, they will release upgrades more often  :)
Ain't that the truth, aniwolfe! 

I'm resigned to just trying the Matrix IC's for now, but I know better, I'll be ordering the speaker cables, power cords and a digital cable before long. THEN I'll be done........with cables.......maybe :)
Hi  Ozzy: Are you using any of the Cerious Matrix AC cords in your system? If so, did you apply any Sonic Tonic to them? Thanks for all of the listening tests and experimentation you've done over the years. You have a good ear, and have saved me a lot of time and money.  Jeff
yoby,

Thank you for comments, I do appreciate it.

No, at this point I am not using the Matrix power cords. My DIY power cords were quite labor intensive to build and I used some very premium wire (Furutech DPS-4) and Furutech’s $$$ Nano connectors.

Funny, you should ask that question about the Sonic Tonic. I haven’t liked the Tonics with interconnects.
With the Graphene Extreme interconnects the Sonic Tonic was too much. That is, the music sounded "aggressive". But now with the Matrix the Sonic Tonic seems (thus far) to add dynamics to the sound quality.
I think its because the Matrix XLR’s are using the Shadow connectors and this may tame the aggressiveness out of the Sonic Tonic. But, I have changed my mind several times on the Sonic Tonic placement, so time will tell whether I keep them on the interconnects.

One place they work great for sure is on the incoming main AC lines and on the audio dedicated breakers inside the circuit breaker box. And I also like them on HDMI connectors.

ozzy

yoby,

Well I just changed my mind again and took the Sonic Tonic off the Matrix interconnects. It sounds purer without them.

ozzy
ozzy:  Thanks for the  response. I have 4 on order, and I think I'll try them between the binding posts of my biwired speakers as you suggested in another thread. This is fun stuff.
I've had my Matrix pc for about two weeks now with maybe around 100 hrs on it. It's powering my integrated amp that's all tube with big 845's so I don't like to leave it on all day but so far it's definitely a big improvement over the blue GE cable that I had before. There's a whole level of realism that is reached while still remaining natural that just makes for an awesome experience. I plan on adding two more pc's next month for my dac and coming form the wall to my power conditioner. 

I always like to try these new pc's on my tv to see if they improve picture quality like they do audio and the Matrix is the best I've seen yet. Before I placed it on my integrated I tried it on my Panasonic tv and noticed a more detailed but yet more natural picture that was really addicting and hated that I was going to unplug it to use on my amp. My previous tv cable champ was a Furutech DPS-4 that outperformed a blue GE but the Matrix is quite a bit better than both of those. I'm amazed that these improvements in picture quality correlate with what I hear on my amp- more detail and more natural. 

Anyway, looking forward to hearing how the Matrix ic's and speaker cables are doing for you guys.
@t_ramey ,

”There's a whole level of realism that is reached while still remaining natural that just makes for an awesome experience”

well said. I have about 200 hours on the full loom. The difference between the GE and this new Matrix line of cables is not small. Usually the rule of diminishing returns sets in eventually but Bobs breaking all of the rules here.

Lance
@t_ramey thanks for the feedback on the Matrix power cord. So you are using your Matrix power cord to power your Integrated tube amp? Did you have your Furutech DPS-4 on your Integrated tube amp also and the Matrix power cord is an improvement, just double checking?

USPS will be delivering my Matrix RCA Interconnects today ;-) it's been a long week and a half wait, Bob must be busy filling orders! When they arrive I'll be putting them on my Audiodharama cable cooker for three days and then I'll report back.
@lak 

Yes, I did try the DPS-4 on the tube integrated and while it is good the Matrix had much better definition and detail without losing any musicality. I can see though where some would be content with the DPS-4 as it doesn't do anything wrong really but when compared side by side with the Matrix it sounds a little smeared with some sibilance. I'd like to revisit it on the amp for another comparison though just to confirm. 

What ic's are you currently using?
@t_ramey I'm not experimenting with my main system which has a full loom of U or UR HFC except for a few other Furutech power cords. In my secondary system, I have a Reval 1.5/M interconnect from my CJ Classic SE preamp to my CJ Classic Sixty SE amp, that's where I'm going to use the Matrix interconnect. Ozzy reported very good results replacing hir XLR Reveal interconnect with the Matrix.
The Matrix cables for my second system will arrive next week. I will try to concentrate on the speaker cables this time. When the first loom came in I was careful to listen to the IC’s first to get a good feel of their sound. The IC’s are a big step up in sound quality as compared to the GE.
Lak...I sold my HF UR interconnect and will be replacing it with the Matrix. In the interval,I am using an old Audio Telnet Litz I/c which sounds superb and 95% of the HF UR...amazing
@maxima95

Good question. I have the Chinese knock off version of the rhodium plated carbon connectors on my DPS-4. I did use the Furutech nano liquid on the wire.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Set-Copper-Rhodium-Plated-US-AC-Power-Plug-Carbon-Fiber-Connector-Adapter...

The Furutech NCF’s are probably better but how much I don’t know. I’ve had the NCF connectors on another cable that had previously used the standard FI-50’s and while the NCF’s were better I didn’t think they upgraded the performance with the amount of extra cost they incur. The NCF receptacles on the other hand are indeed worth the extra price compared to other Furutech receptacles. Just my experience and opinion.
t_ramey

Thank you for the information.

For what it is worth, my experience with the NCF and non-NCF FI-50(R) on the Furutech S55N dovetails with yours.
i received my Matrix i/c and power cords today..a day ahead of the expected delivery date...YEA..!!!...i installed the i/c initially and played 2 tracks before dinner and will wait until after watching TV to listen again...My initial impression of those 2 tracks is just amazingly positive.The improvement it made over the previous HF CT-1UR interconnect if profound. That 'right out of the box'..stay tuned...
@calloway 
Wow! That’s a huge compliment, I can’t wait to hear your next report on the progress!
A few more days and I’ll take my Matrix interconnect off the cable burner:-)!
Hi Dave (calloway): I just got my CT Matrix ICs and AC cord today. I only installed the ICs for now. They replaced the CT graphene extremes. Holy s**t ! Bob's products are hands down the best bang for the buck in audio today. The fact that you preferred them over High Fidelity UR cables speaks volumes. Maybe now we don't need Deep Core after all?
Ok, I'm ready to pull the trigger on some Matrix cables but can't afford a full loom at this time. I need a new digital cable so I'm going to order the damping squared. I can either replace my High Fidelity CT-1's with the damping squared IC's or replace my Groneberg PC's with Matrix PC's. Any suggestions on which to get first? The Matrix speaker cables will have to wait until spring. Thanks. 
Well with my DPS-4 I did use the Furutech FI-50 nano NCF connectors along with the nano liquid on the cable connections.
To me, these DIY power cords bettered all other power cords that I have used before. They seem to work best on digital and other front end equipment.

But, I have not yet tried Bob’s new Matrix power cords to compare. I would like to someday.

ozzy
mac48025....i just installed an RCA interconnect, last night, that replaced a HF CT-1UR, and already find it better than the HF...Bob says that right out of the box it is at 40% of what it will be after breaking in.i did get 2 of the Matrix pcs but unfortunately the stiffness of them precludes me from using them on my amps...just my thoughts..
@mac48025,  I think both cables make a big impact vs already very good GE ICs and PCs. If I had to choose I would start with the ICs but that’s knowing I would get them all eventually.

Today I just inserted the new Matrix cables into my second system with my Double Impacts. Wow! The DI’s reveal the cable changes in a big way. These cables are soooo freakin good!

Lance
Seriously Calloway? That's amazing.....and encouraging. 

Thanks Lance, IC's and digital cable it is......with SC's and PC's down the road. 

Just when I thought I was all set with cables too! 
i listened last night for about 3 hrs and initial thoughts are as follows....soundstage larger..much better deliniation of instruments within the soundstage.can hear instruments within the soundstage not prevoiously heard. vocals with much better consonant articulation. This compared to the HF cable..Very happy to this point..
yoby,

I bought the DPS-4 cable from a Furutech distributor, I think in California. Unfortunately I don’t remember the name. But do a search and you should be able to find it. I see now that VH Audio also sells it.

I bought the Furutech nano liquid on EBay.

ozzy
After 130 hours of burn-in on my Audiodharma Cable Cooker, I inserted the 1.5/M RCA Matrix Interconnects into my secondary system this morning between my CJ Classic SE preamp and my CJ Classic Sixty SE amp. The Matrix replaced the Reval 1.5/M interconnects.
The build, looks and feel of the Matrix Interconnects is excellent as well as the custom box and awesome packaging that Bob always delivers.
I believe that my Matrix Interconnects need some additional time to breath and age but if you are looking for a high quality interconnect that looks as good as it sounds, look no farther! I'd put this interconnect up against any other I've ever heard. Believe me, it can hold it's own and then some!
Great bass, very nice macro and micro details, handles piano, organ, violins etc very well. That's all I dare say at this time. Now I wonder what I would hear if I replaced my HF U interconnect between my Dac and Preamp? Darm Merry go round never stops, it just pauses for a while!

lak. Unless you want to sell your HF .. don’t do it. I agree with your thoughts exactly. Just a superb cable. Mine now about 15 hrs old, from a use standpoint, and gets better every night. Magic. I could not use the pc, however, due it’s stiffness and not being able to make the tight turn from wall to amps. Sad. Will try the speaker cables in the near future. 
Got my first shipment of the new GM cables today.
Two pairs of XLR GM interconnects and one pair of GM speaker cables.
The second shipment is coming tomorrow and a GM XLR digital cable and the second pair of GM speaker cables.

I only installed the GM interconnects - 9 hours on them as of now.

These cables are insane. It is new now but the level of details, instrument timbre and decay, imaging and sound stage are already shattered my expectations.
I have went through tons of cables, the highest end ones I own were Nosdost Valhalla, before that AQ SKY and Redwood and before that Kimber silver stuff. Those were replaced by the GE cables by Bob. And my system sounds better than ever before. Now the GM cables (only the interconnects at this time), stone cold, 9 hours into the system is giving me organic gains that is - wow. I mean wow. Blew me away.

It seems Bob is charging a lot more this time, compare to the GE cables - well, he is, but I do not think I am overpaying at all. In fact, from the sound I get, as of now, before fully broken in, it is already worth every penny. Still a lot of money if you do a loom but I feel for the second time, in high end audio, I get what I pay for and then some, in cost to benefit ratio. (The first time was Kimber Kable KCAGs and 8TCs, back in the 90s).

Will give you guys more feedback after the holidays.

My pair of Matrix interconnects continue to improve (even after coming off the cable cooker for 136 hours) I really like them as stated above.

I'd like to hear more about the Matrix power cords, especially from those of you that have them and can compare them to the various High Feditity power cords and the Furutech SO22N (14 gauge) and DPS-4 (11 gauge) power cords.
have ordered a pair of speaker cables as of yesterday. can't wait. As lprules1962 notes they are great. Each day brings improvements.     .............lak...wish i could help with the Matrix power cord findings but i could not make them fit in my system..
The power cables are excellent, besting all PCs I’ve tried to date including: Lessloss Signature, Sablon Grand Corona, Sablon Petite, Mad Scientist Audio, etc. I can’t even remember all of the cables I’ve tried.
I have at least several hundred hours on my Cerious Matrix speaker, interconnect, and digital cables and I swear I am hearing sounds that are way off to the left and the right sides that I didn't notice in familiar recordings.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

ozzy
I wish you guys would stop talking how great the Matrix ic's are!!! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Lancelock,
Have the Shunyata Sigma PC’s ever been included in your list of experienced cords? In my system these were the only PC’s I had exposure to which were not upended by the GE cords. 

@powerglide, I have not had exposure to any of the Shunyata line of cables but I can confirm that the Matrix PC bests the GE by a good margin if that helps any.
@lancelock,
Thank you for the information. I am weighing whether the GAIA isolation or the cable upgrade would optimally enhance the sound.
A Matrix audition is probably in order.



Just want to wish all a very Merry Christmas and thank you all for the kind words. Ozzy...I am going to get you on those Matrix power cords!
Hugs.
Bob
Cerious Technologies
Powerglide: You really need both. Power conditioning/treating  and vibration control address two very different problems.
I Ceriously want to try the Matrix speaker cables.My only hesitation is all my speakers have two sets of binding posts.I do not see any jumpers offered on the website.What are those of you with multiple binding posts using for jumpers?
@un4given I beleive you can order thr Matrix jumper cables. Send Bob an email.
Well, I used two (CM) lengths.
But Bob would probably make you up a short jumper set. It may not be exactly like the Matrix though because there probably isn’t enough room to fit in all of the ingredients.

Or perhaps just buy an additional Cerious Graphene cable (CT) and use that as a jumper for the bass?

ozzy