Kubala Sosna and Virtual Dynamics - Similar??

>>PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT SLAM ME FOR PROVIDING THESE INITIAL REACTIONS....<<

They're your opinions and there's no reason to apologise for it. You hear what you hear. So what?

You paid the money and really shouldn't care what anybody else thinks. Your ears' satisfaction is what matters not some self appointed expert(s) here who claim(s) to know what's best for you. Everything in these threads must be taken with a grain of salt. Trust your ears not the resident forum genius.

Finally, there is no single manufacturer whose products are best for all systems. To say or believe that is very naive.

Good luck.

As you say, you have no baseline for comparison. I would put the Oppo back in, let it run for a few days, and listen. Alternatively, put your old cord back in the system with the new player and listen for a few days first. Either of these suggestions will give you some sort of a baseline, which you totally lack at this point and are therefore unable to evaluate the VD cords really at all, since you introduced another unknown variable.

Additionally, a new VD PC will probably make a more pronounced difference plugged into the CD player than the pre-amp. I would therefore really try to make that work - the cable bending can be a challenge, but is definitely doable with a little thought. For example, my CD player is 5' off the ground and I have a Genesis PC attached(a lot bigger and heavier than yours) with no problem. I'm sure many others have gone thru similar gyrations so you are by no means alone. Obviously we feel it was worth the drain bramage. Good luck

Teck5
you are experiencing normal cable issues that everybody must wrestle with(and I mean literally, when I installed my Genesis i/c's,I actually broke a sweat).VD cables should be supported by either putting something underneath or by wrapping a strong construction string around the cable and tying it to your audio rack or wall.I know they can be frustrating to deal with but they will show themselves if you have the patience on installation and in listening.Fplanner2000 is right about the cd player being the most important source component,the fact that you must turn up the voulmne more is a good sign.The soundstaging that you are experiencing will drop back further and also widen out as the cables break in ( this is not a forward sounding cable and should increase your soundfield).Dynamics will also change remember that your cd and preamp are swallowing a lot more juice than they are used to with the SOL circuit.Also you can suport the cables with objects that fit underneath the cables ( I do this with my p/c going into my dedicated lines and coming out of my Wadia).Please contact me if you need any other suggestions since these are the toughest snakes you will have wrestled!!Take care Dennis

Teck5,

Additional ideas..

You also may try to use the wall as additional VD support.
That is, bend the cable so the cable bends at near a right angle at the wall pushing towards the CD Player.
Of course the power cable has to be long enough to do this.
Also, for the wall outlets, try using the Wattgate 381 . It has the grip of death and will help grab the VD.

All the other suggestions about support underneath the cable and tieing a cable to them attached to your stand are good ideas.
My outlets are 4 feet off the ground so I also am using a large Radio Shack project box filled with pennies that sits atop a 1/2 Tube trap behind my TV near the outlet.
I have tied a lamp cord wire around the heavy project box and then around the VD Plug that goes into the wall.
Also, try putting a strip of electrical tape around the edge of the VD IEC that may tighten it up.
I am using a 20A VD Master cable to power my Hydra 8 and I think it is great!

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback...

Tonight, I will go wrestle with the cables and rearrange my cd player closer to the floor....

Boy this is real hard work...but fun..will be back to post again.