Views on Siltech cables with Pass Labs Pre/Power


Looking if anyone has views / experience with Siltech cables between Pass Labs Pre and Power amps? I'm looking at "Explorer" series and maybe "Ann" series.
Other considerations I thought of were Transparent "Ultra" and Silent Source "Signature". System will be mainly digital source. Tks in advance..

PS Other recommendations welcome.
fsyme
Trying all canorus on everything now.. for couple of days.. to adjust sound.. then will retry all venustas. Maybe its cos i'm missing the separation at first.. maybe head adjustment required.. lol
So.. not sure what this means. but see what you think. With 3 venustas AC with my musaeus interconnects.. i have a what seems to me a huge separation with everything.. and love the sound. I received the canorus AC.. and its broken in.. and added to my amp only. It brought what was separated back together and the bass seems more there.. but i think its because it was taken from mid. Not sure if that make sense.. but what i'm hearing .. with 3 different tracks.
It Always depends on the brand you use. Better powercables give a different result when you compare different interconnects.

When you compare with the new Purist you bought, the same interconnects work differently then when you compare them with the older powercables. Many people forget this.
Whats weird.. and i'm not sure this sounds right.. but seems power cords have a bigger effect on sound that interconnects... not sure if correct.. but i'm thinking i'd have to really move up in any line.. to get these effects with just interconnects. Just seems bottom from top thinking.. just interesting.
What I said many times: Purist makes the best powercables on this planet!!
Ok.. I've completed my demo's. I purchased PAD Museaus Luminist rev (new) speaker cables and XLR's for between Tannoy D700's, Pass Labs XA30.5, Pass Labs X1 and Oppo 105. I was blown away and i'm very new to all this. but
for price and performance i find these amazing. Now.. a dealer let me borrow Venustas AC power cords (one for each component). I'm not sure i can go back. Again i'm new to this but did as advised.. and i can hear the changes with each one. So as it stands, I purchased 2 Ventustas AC cords.. and have a Canorus arriving to compare for the power amp. I'm told these are unreal.. but this whole experience has been amazing.. Can't wait to hear these...
Dear BVdiman,

I sell 3 brands; Audioquest, Kimber and Purist Audio. Often I sell 1 or 2 cables. It is only a part of a set. These cables are compared with others most of the time.

When I know what equipment a client owns and what he wants to change I bring in a cable which will fit into his demands. I work very precise.

My focus is on how I see what should be the blueprint of the absolute sound. I have already written this. I use these cables and brands to achieve this.

I sold Nordost for over 9 years of time. And sold a lot Valhalla in the past. Owned it for over 12 years of time. Nordost does not have all parts in one cables which I need for the absolute sound. That is why I sold it often with Kimber cables togheter in ther past. To make it more complete. Blacks and a small and intimate individual focus of instruments are the weakest points of Nordost. I can demo this very precise why it is not complete.

I use properties of cables to make a set more complete. The same as I use the properties of amps, sources, speakers and conditioners etc. That is a different approach.

I would never recommend to use cables from one brand. The synergie stories are one of the biggest bullshit stories in audio. It is not about what they say but about what you hear.

That is why the best and most convincing sound Always will win. And that makes audio a lot more easy.
Quality you can hear in every different room.

These days with roomacoustic systems the freedom to get a good result even in bad acoustic situations is a lot easier.
As usual with diff systems and rooms its pretty much subjective yet some continue to preach the Holy Grail is this........cheers,Bob
My comments can sound hard, but we are talking about many years of comparing. That is what I do. My focus is Always on the products which are the best at that moment. This can change during time. So am I committed to a brand? Only for a part. When another brand is better, this will be the new reference. That is why you need to be open for other brands.

Don't forget when I visit clients I hear many orther brands as well.

About Siltech I can say that many of my collegues as well don't like the Siltech people. Why? Because at shows they had big stories but there demos were often poor.

In the past I tested many many Siltech cables, I only liked there digital cables in the past. And I even owned one.

When you can compare a lot, ofcourse your opinion is different than customers there opinion is. They are more brand committed than I am.

I have met too many people who spend a lot of money on audio and did not have a great sound at all. This has irritated me a lot in the past. Because I saw the mistakes which were made. When other shops would have done better there work, this never should have happen.

I still think you can get a better result by using more different brands in your set. Also when you talk about brands in cables. Often you can add more different properties togheter. So you get a more complete and better balanced sound.

I have to say that we have a totally different kind of humor in the Netherlands. it is a lot harder than the humor in the US. It is more to the sarcastic side.

I am not here to make friends. I am here to give my personal opinion. No one has to agree with it.

I only hope people will think differently about audio. And that they all will get a higher endresult. I still send my clients to other shops all the time. Why? Because I want them to be sure the get the best for there money. And that is the thing that counts at the end.

When you can create a higher endresult, just show it. It is that simple. Audio needs to be more open and honest. Then other people can get a higher result.

There are many critics about the audio shows given in my country. And it is true that the level is often even poor. Distributers have to open up there view. I said it to many of them; Work togheter on shows. So you can show people a more realistic view of sound and a better level. When all distributers only work with equipment chosen by political reasons customers never will get a realistic view.

I prefer a more open and honest approach to all customers. I have said to journalists the same thing. I know a few and I know they often get stuff for free. This way the review never will be realistic.

That is why I said many times; it is not about me. It is about getting more quality for customers.
I have to agree with Bvdiman. When Bo started actively posting a little over a year ago I thought his comments were provoking and sometimes entertaining. I know he is a committed salesmen. Now he seem to keep beating the same dead horse and it has become tiresome. I skip his replies because they all start to sound the same. He lost me as a fan and someone who I would rely on for an unbiased opinion.

The credibility meter has swung to the negative, Sorry.

Bo, sorry to say your strong sale pitch and persistent knock on other brands will do
more harm than good to those that you are selling imo.

End last year, we actually did shootouts on my and some buddies systems (3 different
set-ups). Intention was to help choose best fit for a friend setting up new system. AQ
WEL loom (SC/IC/PC) were one. Discounting Siltech Crown/ DoubleCrown (I'm biased) -
Nordost Odins, Tara Zero/Gold, StageIII Kraken/Zyklop/Gryphon - were much preferred.

The AQ's had just too much 'perceived' resolution/a tad bright that gets tiring after a
while. I bought their AQ Diamond RJ/E though which I thought was ok at the time, then
again it is now replaced by AIM Shieldio NA3 which at about half the price sounds better
- more natural, dimensional and organic. Btw.If you need an RJ/E cable you can buy
mine cheap (as new, 8 months old). Well I guess if perfect hi-fi sound is what you are
after then AQs are for you - Yes truth hurts. *Meant to keep this all to myself, but since
you are that persistent so there goes.

As for PAD, their 25th Anniv. PC are great btw. A friend bought one. But then there are
Odin, Kraken and there's the new Acrolink Mexcel 7N-9500 which are no less great PCs,
any one could be superior to the other depending the system/applications ~ synergy. So
to say one completely 'crushes' the other is loads of BS.

If you have the opportunity, give a listen to those few mentioned above - which I'm quite
certain by tone of your rambling, you have not. Cheers!
I tested many Siltech cables, they are inferior to Audioquest. I am from the Netherlands, Slisssstech ( how we call it in our country) is made overhere. At shows here in Holland I Always made them look like fools. Why? Because people who give a poor demo and use words what does not matter. Will be put down to the world by me. I am very demanding. When a demo is not good, I will tell them in details why it is not good.

Read my point of few about Total sound. Many other brands who produce cabels are less complete. Slisstech misses the level in black. Sharpness in individual focus. Many other things. I have beaten many many Slisscables over the years at clients of mine.

The problem with brands like Kimber ( I still sell), Slisstech and MIT, is that they have done not enough research for better and new cables. The distance has become bigger than in the past.

I am a perfectionist, that means you Always want to win. I love the competition in audio. It gives you a big smile on your face all the time you win. Maybe it is hard way of doing my profession. I Always say: If you think you can give my client a higher endresult just prove it. Because hearing is believing. That makes it Always simple and clear. I like things to be open, honest and clear!
Bo1972, reading many of your posts, I'm under impression, that the best cables out there the one you sell. I never heard audioquest, but had latest purist all the way up to canours (power cords) and purist provectus (ICs and SCs). Yes they are good and dominus and limited may be even better, but I'am sure there are other brands out there that equally good or even better than purist and audioquest. Stealth, siltech, Ch acosutics for example. Sorry, you may have a lot of knowledge, but to me you are basically pushing brands you sell all the time. More objective opinion/approach will be really appreciated.
I agree with Bo....power cables have the greatest influence on the total sound
Yet another reason why I don't regularly comment, but was only trying to provide feedback to Fsyme. Is Venustas not an advertisement? As these MIT cables are listed on Audiogon, they are there for everyone to search for on this site. It was NOT an advertisement, but trying to be helpful. Probably won't do so in the future, as we have become too polarized and cynical in our society.
Gee, thanks for the advertisement jdsaudio. At least you don't have to use the cables between your source and the pre-amp, that really must help cut down the cost.
I got my hands on some NOS MIT S1 cables, which, after break-in, are the best I have experienced over the years. I was advised to use the cables between the pre-amp, amp and speakers. Really does it for me, and the price was 1/2 off the 2009 price, as the current prices for the current models are too rich for me. Saw the ads on Audiogon. Pass XP 30, XP 25 and 250.8.
The problem with cables and, therein lies their beauty, is that they take quite some time to break in to sound their best. So, patience is key when it comes to cables.
Well... completed all comparisons .. and came down to Discovery and Purist.
Decided on Purist.. now comparing some of the lines.. Tks all.. this has been
fun.. Next will be AC cables... i've no idea how 5-60 Hz effects audio signal,
but sounds like it does... will be interesting..
What I did was comparing andd amps of about 2000 and 5000 euro. I compared them in blind tests. A rather cheap source/amp worth of about 2000 euro with a powercable of 2500 euro. I compared it with a source/amp with our most sold powercable of 100 euro. I wanted to see what people prefer, which one is better? Almost every person choose for the cheaper source/amp with the expensive powercable. Most of them thought they would prefer the am/source of 5000 euro with the powercable of 100 euro. What I wanted to achieve is how important a powercable can be.
Powercables even make more difference than interconnects. I started in 2002 with blindtests for clients. What I did was using a source/amp of 2000 e with a powercable of 2500e and a source/amp from 5000 e with a powercable of 100 e. It is much easier to get a higher endresult with a 2000e source with a 2500e powercable. People were amazed that they picked the one with the expensive powercable.
I didn't do anything with power cables.. but will request .. do they make that big a difference?
The brand I sell are: Audioquest, Kimber and Purist. I think that Purist Audio makes the best powercables by far in the world. Purist has all the different parts you need for the absolute sound in one cable. That makes it convincing.

Compare powercables from Purist with MIT and NBS ( which I sold both for over 6 years of time) and they will be crushed.
First compare done.. and honestly i'm blown away... Purist Elementa Adv..
all I can say is wow... really show up my old VDH. Low end is superb and the control. The high seem rolled off just a touch.. but betting further up line that comes back.. But wow.. Who ever recommended these .. man have i been missing out..
Omsed is right about the facts that there are enough well known cable brands who give you less details.

The most irritating thing for me is those brands who make instruments and voices bigger than in real.

I learned how small instruments and voices are at the small concert room of one of my best friends. he had a concert room with a Steinway wing for about 65 people.

Brands like MIT and NBS make the stage and also instruments and voices bigger than they are in real. For me it is difficult to understand why you would buy this. I have sold them both for over 6 years of time. When people like a stage to be bigger in real I am the last who is going to say you are not allowed to find this good.
Try Discovery, try Analysis Plus, and be aware that all of the cable dogma you will read is complete fiction. Many of the "detailed" cables you hear about are full of distortion, ringing, that folks interpret as detail and that covers up true detail.

Many of the "super smooth" cables roll off transients, thus losing lots of musical detail.

Try to ignore opinions and look for what reminds you of real music, not what the loudest-mouthed posters and reviewers say. Tread carefully, there are more snake oil salesmen in cables than any other audio sector. And THAT'S saying something, as the other sectors are far from being fiction-free.
You need to learn what every single part does. Because this will improve your personal skills to understand it better.

At the end you can create a better endresult for yourself.
yes.. i've a set list so to speak already.. i was going to do all at once.. but maybe what you say makes more sense.
First of all you need to use music you know well. ( and like) These numbers ( about 5) you use all the time to compare. These numbers need to be different.

I have a photographic memory in sound, most people do not have. So you need to make it as simple as possible.

Test one single part ( cable) at a time. Then it is more easy to understand what it does. After that you bring in the second part. ( and so on)
You are correct... i'm new to this. I'm looking for a sound that is involved, and most of all is musical to me.. and that over a long period of time doesn't decay my engagement into the musical experience.

I've Transparent and Purist arrive this week.. and will try these out. Then i plan to try Discovery and Silent Source.

I'm also planning on using same brand for interconnects and speaker wires.

I'm not sure if that is a good plan.. but its a start.
The biggest problem in audio is that there are a lot more average cables than exeptional good cables. Personally I hate these products. Why? Because at the end they will give many people a lower end result of there set. Every different brand have there own qualities/properties. When you are not aware of those, you do not understand what it will bring into your set. Differences in how the image will be is huge. Same about resolution, speed, depth and even decay. When people send me a list of what they use, often I see the mistake peope make. Because of the thousend of tests I did in 16 years of time I know how the overwhole image will become. When you are not aware of the properties of your amp, source and cables. You do not know what kind of properties/qualities you need.
This thread is about what I expected... the more people who join the conversation, the more companies that get recommended. I know cables matter, I've heard that in my system, but it's so easy to end up purchasing a wire wrapped in snake oil.
Don't dismiss Siltech. The SQ-110 is very good, as is the G6 Forbes Lake. I still own the latter and haven't had another brand unseat it (though I find Stealth Indra and Klee Acoustics on par). I found the older SQ-110 clearly better than the 770i in my systems. Sold both, should have held on to the SQ-110. Haven't heard in my systems the brands others recommended.

Just my 2c
Based on feedback am going to demo 1) Discovery, 2) Silent Source, 3) Purist Audio and 4) Transparent Ultra.

Tks all for feedback .. and helping this newbie...