HiDiamond Digital IC


Seems to be a popular theme these days.

I received the aes/ebu version of the HD Digital Carbon cable today in the mail. I was enticed by the glowing remarks posted elsewhere and have been bored while awaiting a Varidig Sextet to show up. With a few hundred bucks burning a hole in my pocket I figured I'd take the plunge.

First let me dispell concerns posted elsewhere regarding dealing with the north American distributor, Robert of worldwide wholesales. From my first communication with him he's been responsive, pleasant, professional. My standards for these qualities is unusually exacting and my tolerance for any bs below nil. Our interaction resulted in an order, which he made easy, and the cables were shipped virtually instantaneously and arrived quickly.

On to the soundy bits....

Straight from my mailbox cold into my system went the cable. Fit and finish, fine, no issues.

Some comparisons to my Marigo Apparition 5.8, a cable that has bested all comers to date and served me well for years.....

Realism and presence. Edge to the HD. Small margin.
Air around instruments. Edge to HD. Medium margin.
Instrument placement. Edge to HD. Small margin.
Resolution. Edge to HD. Medium margin.
Soundstage depth. Edge to HD. Small margin.
Soundstage width. Even.
PRAT. Edge to HD. Small margin.
Frequency extension - highs. Even.
Frequency extension - lows. Even.
Bass control. Edge to HD. Very small margin.
Black background. Even.

Overall these cables are more similar than different. But there are noticeable improvements with the HD. This is cold, no break-in, both on the cables and on the aes/ebu connections on transport and dac.

Also, keep in mind the Marigo is an $1100 cable, the HD is half that.

The $100,000 question: which is more musical, which will I keep?

I'm going to reserve judgement and see how this breaks in a bit, get more listening time under its belt. Go back and forth some.

Initial impression though is extremely favorable. If they keep trending in the direction shown, I'll try the interconnects sooner than later.

(for the cynics: I am in now way related in business or otherwise to HD or Worldwide wholesales. I live in Florida and work as a technology executive.)
joncourage
Wig,
For the digital it looks like the winning combination is the HiDiamond Carbon 2 from the transport into the Tesla D3 into the CDP. I am running XLR.

Here is my speaker cabling series. I have ASI liveline from integrated amp into Bybee Quantum Speaker Purifiers into Cardas Golden Cross (cold forged spades) into SR Galileo Universal Speaker cells (with Galileo MPC) into HiDiamond Diamond 8 into Bybee Golden Goddess Super Effect Speaker Bullets. The HiDiamonds create a stunning effect that is unobtainable without them.

I also run ICs in series and will soon be adding HiDiamond to my PCs in series.
Well, I went ahead an ordered a HD Digital Carbon cable today.I was told that I could get it by Tuesday, but past experience with buying things from Canada it will probably take much longer.

I'll put it on my Audiodharma Cable Cooker when it does arrive for a few days before trying it.
The cable sounds better and better as it gets some hours on it.

I couldn't be more pleased.

I have the ICs on the way.
I recieved the HiDiamond Digital Cable today. Wow! that was really fast from Canada! Its a very good looking cable.

I have put it on my Cable Cooker and will try it Wednesday or Thursday.