Bwhite: puncto primal, puncto final. By returning to the AN/NBS combination, it seems that these expensive cables cannot be surpassed by OTA in your system. (BTW, your Lamm amplifiers are probably "good enough for OTA" ;-) Peronally, I have been proceding systematically through a series of OTA ferrite experiments for the last few weeks. To cut a long story short, the changes inflicted on the system through ferrite manipulation did not seem to me an unambiguous improvement upon closer listen. The most annoying aspect at points was the infiltration of the magnetic field inside digital components, and even onto speaker connection posts, as well as resistance changes on OTA, and problems with maintaining its clarity and pacing. At this point, I think I get the best results with the ferrites attached to non-audio component cables (lamps, tel. answering machine,...), reaching the same conclusion as sead did long ago. As far as OTA power cables, they are just as neutral as OTA signal cables, and with my rather poor mains I am back to the old glory of NBS Statement PCs for three crucial connections, with OTA still on three AC connections. This OTA/NBS power cable combo actually works very well, the OTAs being cut to the size appropriate for best component positioning, the NBSs being fitted in as best they can and creating an amelioration to the mains current, more extension, smoothness, volume, immediacy, and engendering a sound stage in which the listener believes that they hear events residing very deep in the recording. I am very happy with the OTA analog interconnects: when I replaced the NBS Statement interconnects with OTAs, I heard--for one thing--an unexpected improvement in bass definition and contour. I noticed the same with the OTA speaker cable: the amps in my collection (the most powerful of which is 35 watts) were working hard just to drive the NBS speaker cable, let alone the speakers themselves. For this reason (and others) I agree with Redkiwi that OTA speaker cable is hard to beat. It relays "sforzandos" much better than NBS speaker cables, and, overall, sounds through OTA speaker cables have the exactitude they have in dreams, with only the glistening due to the sound alone, just like the world itself, so integrally there, the sound stage a "parallel universe," and a form of illusion. But as soon as one enters the field of personalized judgement on this score, argument becomes insane, demented, weird, extravagant, and pointless given the different requirements of all of our systems. Just to satisfy myself on this score, I am going to replace the OTAs with the NBS Statement interconnects and speaker cables after three months of non-use and see what better satisfies me: OTA or NBS. I cannot help but believe that the operation of switching cables to compare them in order to believe finally "It's true! Cable X is a superior cable with my audio system!" is a permanent, pathetic, physical sonic demand in me, a kind of escape from a congenital and metaphysical incompletion, and dissatisfaction:-).
