Review: Stealth Cables Dream Petite Speaker cable


Category: Cables

I would first like to give a brief historical perspective regarding what cables and wires I was using before the Stealth Dream Petite speaker cables to give a context of why I chose to audition this cable and it's performance in my system.

About five years ago I went through a very lengthy audition process that took about five months and six different cable companies IC's and speaker cables before settling on Acoustic Zen's wires (Silver reference II's and Satori). They were very reasonably priced, well built, and offered an overall sonic performance that was wonderful in my system. Actually, they out performed cables costing at least double their price at that time. When Mr. Acoustic Zen, Robert Lee, came out with his new and still present reference level wires the Absolute a couple of years ago, they became my new reference cables, I wrote a review on them here on the GON, and gave me much pleasure until they were slowly replaced with different cables from the Stealth Cable Company. I still believe that at their price level they offer great performance and one has to spend alot more money to get a qualitative improvement in performance.

I had read much about Stealth Cable's famous Indra IC and had heard it in other people's system and was justly impressed, but was informed that Serguei Timachev, Mr. Stealth had come out with a IC for about half the price of the Indra, that would offer 80 to 90% of its sonic performance. Well, I now have three pairs of Stealth Metacarbons, one pair of Indras, and my digital cable is the Sextet. Again, if you want more details regarding the sonic performance of the Metacarbons or Sextet I wrote reviews on both here on the GON.

Abou three year Serguei had come out with his new reference speaker cable the Dream that was his attempt to equal the sonic performance of the very highly regarded Indra IC. I would have loved to audition it, but it unfortunately surpassed my budget limits. However, I was informed that the next step down from the reference Dream was a cable that he had worked on for a couple of years called the Dream Petite. This speaker cable could be compared to what the Metacarbon IC's are to the Indra, about $3000.00 less, but offering a significant precentage of the Dream's performance.

SONICS

When I wrote the reviews of the Stealth Metacarbons and digital Sextet cable I struggled to convey what I called the "sound of nothing". The same thing is going to take place in this review of the Dream Petite. Descriptions like uncolored or neutral really does not express the very special quality that these cables have that I prefer to call "just natural" or allowing the music just to "flow" out of my speakers into the room.

Let me give what I would call more specific analytical details regarding the sonics of the Dreamm Petite cable.

1) The most accurate/natural timbres have have ever heard in my system regarding speaker wires.

2) A large very open soundstage with excellent layering in that soundstage.

3) The lowest noise floor of any speaker wire I have heard in my system.

4) I can't say it has more extension then the AZ Absolute but offers more microdetails without ever sounding "etched" or "bright" in any way.

5) Offers the best 3D images of individual players with air aroung them, but does not make them sound like "cutouts" in an HIFI unatural way.

6)The bass extension is terrific and offers a faster and more realistic sense to the low end.

To finish trying to explain the "sound of nothing" or why these speaker wires offer such a natural perspective to the sound of music, let me share this with you. My favorite tenor sax player of all times is Johnny Griffin. I have had the great pleasure and honor to hear him at least twenty times in small venues, either in quartets or in big bands over the last 30 years. One of many albums I have in my collection of his is the, The Kerry Dancers, which not only offers great music, but surperlative sonics. With all the Stealth wires in my system, including the Dream Petite, the illusion of Mr. Griffin playing in my room was damn close to the real thing, based on hearing him live on many occasions!

As I always say in my reviews, there is no "BEST" but many great pieces of gear in highend audio, and system synergy and personnal taste always comes into play. I have no idea how much better the Dream reference cables are, but the Dream Petite rank with the best I have heard and are my new reference. There not cheap, $5,500.00 for a two meter pair, but I believe are worth every penny.

Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System
teajay
Hey Teajay, thanks for the review. It almost makes me wish I had followed through on my attempted purchase of the Dream Petite. Have you heard the Stealth Hybrid MLT's? How did they compare?
I ask because I am also a fan of Serguei's work. I own several Dream power cords, and still feel his Hybrid MLT's are one of the best bargains on the audio market. They came in second only to the Jade Audio Vermeil speaker cables in my experiences.
I spoke with my Stealth dealer when the Dream Petite's came out, because I always lusted after, but could not afford the full Dream. He actually discouraged me from trying the Dream Petite's. He said the he had 4 customers that wondered why Serguei would create such a cable when the full Dream was obviously so superior in every way.
As I said earlier, the full Dream was way out of my price range, and the Petitie would have been a stretch. After speaking with my dealer I decided not to go for the Petite.
Rather funny in that he thought he was talking me up from the Petite to the full Dream, but all he really did was discourage me from trying the Petite.

Anyway, nice review.....kudos.

Cheers,
John
John, thanks for your kind words regarding my review.

To answer your question directly, no I have never heard the Hybrid MLT compared to the Dream Petite in my system. I spent a considerable amount of time talking to two individuals that I totally respect that are very knowledgable regarding the Stealth cables and both agreed that the while the Hybrid MLT is a fine cable, both the Dream Petite and Dream reference are surperior to it. Serguei, strikes me as a very serious designer who would not come out with a more expensive model if he did not really believe it offered more virtues compared to something less expensive in his stable of wires. I believe the comparsion of the performance of his Metacarbon IC to his Indra IC, I have both in my sytem, is very similiar to the performance of the Dream Petite compared the Dream, a good precentage of the sonics of the reference for alot less money.
Hi,

I use Stealth MLT Hybrid now and I ordered a pair of Dream Petite. Hope to have them soon. I tried a lot of speakercables, but the MLT Hybrid ended up to be the most natural without being harsh. Hope the Dream Petite will even do better ( almost can't imagine...).

BTW. I ordered a Accustic Arts combo too :Drive 1mk2 and Tube Dac2, which will be replacing Metronome combo.

Regards from Europe
Hi Mattheus, good luck with both your new Dream Petite cable and your AA combo! Please let use know happens in your system when you get all the new stuff up and running. I believe you know I also have AA reference digital pieces and believe they offer some of the best sonics in highend digital in the world. Please take a look at my review of the Tube Hybrid DAC for information regarding replacing the stock tubes from China with NOS tubes leading to a very dramatic inprovement in the DACS overall performance.
Teajay,

I replaced stock tubes in my Metronome tube dac with Mullards cv4004, also leading to a dramatic improvement. I will put these Mullards in the AA Tube Dac to compare with stock ones.

I read your reviews, they are VERY informative and they set my mind at ease :-)

Will keep you informed.

I read there will be a AA Drive 2 Reference transport this year ?
Mattheus, yes, AA is suppose to be coming out with a reference transport to match the Tube Hybrid DAC some time this year. I read somewhere they might be showing it at the Munich show next month. I'll be very interested in your opinion regrading both the Dream Petite and AA combo when you finally get them in your system.
Teajay,

My dealer confirmed the Reference Drive will be presented at the Munich High End Messe by the end of next month. Available from may/june on. Price would be about the same as the Tube Dac2. If I can sell my Metronome gear, I'll get this new Reference Drive.

Renaat
Renaat, since you have heard the Hybrid MLT's, I will be very interested in reading your thoughts on how the Dream Petite's compare with the MLT's. As I mentioned earlier, my dealer, who actually talked me out of buying the Dream Petite's, said that the Petite's were a nice step up over the MLT's, but that the step up from Petite to full Dream was much, much larger. Upon hearing that, I decided not to bother ordering the Dream Petite's.
Again, I have heard the MLT's and they are VERY impressive cables. I preffered them over many more expensive cables. The only speaker cable that I have found that sounds better, IMHO, is the Jade Vermeil. Perhaps if the Dream Petite's came with a trial period like the Jade cables, I would try them.

Also, Teajay, I have never heard the Indra, but I do have a pair of balanced Metacarbon in now that I will be 'testing' against the balanced Jade Hybrid. I'm still waiting for both cables to burn in. Much too soon for any comments.
I also own 5 Stealth Dream power cords. IMHO Stealth and Jade Audio are two of the best cable/cord manufacturers out there on the market at this time.

Cheers,
John
John,

I will keep you informed. BTW I also have a Jade Audio Vermeil interconnect, which I use from pre to power amp (altough I use another cheap copper cable most of the time: will decide which one it finally will be in combination with the Petite).

The Stealth Dream is too expensive, so I am glad the Petite is available. I should receive it within the next few days.

I compared the MLT with VD Master LE2.0 and preferred the first due to it's musicality. I almost can't imagine the Petite being better...

Renaat
Renaat,

I agree that the MLT is a great speaker cable, and actually one of the best bargains on the market, IMHO. I also owned a pair of VD Revelation speaker cables, and MUCH preffered the MLT. I also found the MLT to best more expensive cables like the PAD Dominus and Jena Labs Valkyre, amongst others. I always felt the MLT's were stunning. My Jade Vermeil did best the MLT's but it was a close finish.

I just traded in my Jade Vermeil interconnects for Jade Hybrid's, though I have not received the Hybrid's as of yet. I do have a pair of Stealth Metacarbon's on hand that I am waiting to compare with the Hybrid's.

Do you still have the MLT's? I'm just wondering if you can compare the MLT's and the Dream Petite's head-to-head.

Cheers,
John
John,

Yes, the MLT's are in my system at this moment. I think I will receive the Petite thursday, so comparison is on it's way !

Renaat
Petite's first impression(s)

So the 'little' Dream is in my system since yesterday late in the evening. I always have to wait untill my children and beloved wife are to their rooms to start with my cable obsession and ... listen to music.

The Petite is replacing the Hybrid MLT, which is untill now the most complete speakercable in my system. Complete meaning a fine combination of detail and naturalness.

The Petite is a very well finished cable, which is only one thick cable in stead of two seperate cables as the MLT's are. I like simplicity.

So what are my first impressions of the Petites, right out of the classy pouch with official life time warranty? Well, to be short: these cables are a big step up to the MLT in terms of detail, soundstage, 3D. As they say: there is there there. Only they are also more revealing, that's why I'm experiencing some pain in my ears. But according to Serguei they need about two weeks to burn in, so I will wait and get back to this topic.

So first impression is very impressive !
Renaat, I'm glad you are enjoying your new Petite's. It sounds like they may be worth investigating one day. FWIW, did your pair of MLT's have the optional cryogenic treatment? I ask because the previous pair of MLT's I owned did not have the cryo processing. I did just order another pair of MLT's with the cryo processing. Of course I cannot compare them side by side since I have already sold the other pair of MLT's. I plan to compare them side by side with my Jade Vermeil speaker cables. I even plan to try them both running in 'shotgun' configuration to see what happens (best of both worlds hopefully). From my recollection in the last MLT-Vermeil shootout, the MLT's were a bit more extended in the upper frequencies, while the Vermeil were more seductive in the midrange. Both soundstaged exceptionally well.

If there is no clear winner, and the shotgun configuration isn't an improvement, maybe I'll sell them both and go for a pair of Petite's.

Keep us posted on your progress as your Petite's burn in.

Cheers,
John
John,

I do not have cryo'd MLT's. The Petites have about 1OO hours of burning in, but I'm still having pain in my (very sensitive) ears (which was not the case with the MLT). Will wait for two more weeks and if this pain hasn't disappeared, I will keep the MLT no matter how spectacular the Petites sound...

Will keep on posting my impressions.

Renaat
Renaat, I would never disagree with what your ears' are telling you in the context of your system, I'm just surprized that you are finding something "painful" regarding the sonics of the Dream Petite wires.

From the very beginning of putting them in my system I found them to offer a "liquidity/easyness" without any harshness or edgyness at all. Like the Indra and Metcarbon IC's the Dream Petite is so transparent and clear that it just seems not to "be there sonicly" with very natural timbres and harmonics. None of the above mentioned wires is euphonic or warm sounding, however compared to other wires, such as Nordost Valhalla in my system, the Stealth cables are not bright/sizzly/aggressive to my ears'. The Dream Petite have just gotten more "silky smooth" as they have burnt in, in my system. So, I'm just a little surprized with your experience, maybe you can provide more details regarding what the Dream Petite is doing that you find so unpleasant.
Teajay,

I think it all is about interaction with my other components and my sensitive ears. I had the same 'painfull' experience with other cables (as Virtual Dynamics, Siltech, Jena Labs, ...). It's as if there is a certain 'hardness' which gets reveiled, but which I don't hear with the MLT (nor with another previous cable: Nirvana SL. When I switched to Nirvana SX speakercable: same 'painfull' story).

But to be honest: when I first implemented the MLT, I also experienced the hardness, but this disappeared miraculousely after I had detached the MLT for some time and re-implemented it afterwards in my system.

Don't get me wrong: I really want to keep the Petite because of it's higher level of detail, soundstage and 3D imaging. Patience is a fine companion in our hobby...

Renaat
Renaat just looked at this http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1123459787&openflup&115&4#115
So I guess Petites finally worked out well for you?

Brgrds
George
Hello George,

Yes, I finally decided to keep the Petite ! After burning in, this cable really outperforms the MLT in all areas (detail, realism, soundstage, resolution, blackness of background).

Out of topic but seemed very important: I turned off all my equipment (but without unplugging the power cords) and unplugged all the interlinks and speakercables for about one day. This made all residual static electricity dissapear and had a HUGE positive effect on sound.

Renaat
well done then and congratulations!

I also burn-in my Dream Petite as we speak.
I thinking of getting Stelth Dream speaker cable have Magico Mini 2 Rowland 8t 250 ch.Fyi he is coming out with a Stelth V 10 cable soon. Your thoughts. Thanks Much. Ed