Kimber or Cardas for Dynaudio 1.3se


I have narrowed my next speaker cable to the Kimber Monocle XL and cardas Golden Cross. I am am currently trying out Monocle X with my system (Blue Circle Audio pre and amp with Dyn 1.3se speakers connected with Cardas Golden Cross and Ref IC) and love the sense of rhythm and pace they have. At the frequence extremes they better my former cables but I feel liek they may be a *bit* thin with a slightly narrower soundstage. Highly musical however lacking in the low end.
The Cardas GC I have not tried out since my dealer only carries Golden Ref. I am looking for some help from audiogoners in improvements, if any, there are if I spend the money for the Golden Cross. I am lookin gfo r afuller bass but retaining the tonality of the Kimber as well as its abilities at frequency extreme. And most importatntly retain the pace and timing of the Kimber. I love my Golden Cross IC as they add a pleasant warmth to my system, I am worried that the GC speaker cables will add TOO much warmth. Any advice n adirection to go either with one of these cables or a different cable all together? Thanks!
vikvilkhu

Drubin, You got me there.....this will be tough. Describing the house sound or character of any product is difficult. But I will try - and then think more after I post so I can describe it better if need be. I am not going to give you the standard audiophile terms of "air, transparency, detail, etc...." because I think that will be confusing.

One thing that really stands out with Kimber's products seems to be a certain unique way of defining the leading and ending edge of each note and the space between them. Kimber's products do this in a way that progressively gets smoother as you go up the line where as the lower end cables tend to have more dramatic (not exactly harsh) edges and the high end less dramatic and somewhat smoother. Low or high, the sound or definition created by this characteristic is unique to Kimber.

This quality gives a pace and a feel to the music which can be perceived as detail throughout the frequency spectrum because all notes (not just highs and lows) are somehow defined and split apart such that they become more visible.

This is similar to NBS in that there seems to be a blackness between notes because of the not-so-subtle beginning and end to each note but each note of Kimber is less abrupt and more rounded than even NBS's finest cables.

Climbing the ladder at Kimber gives you more organic sound. Lower end Kimber is stripped harmonically but higher end stuff - while still a little stripped of richness, sounds more organic, more natural more "skin-like". In fact the 3035 is THE most "skin-like" sounding cable I've ever heard through the mid-band.

To think of Kimber visually maybe you can picture a ball bouncing across a table... the ball represents each note in music...each bounce is between 1 and three inches high. The ball goes up in semi-steep round curves indicating it has energy as it comes off the table. Likewise the ball heads back to the table in the same curve.

Cardas "bounce" would be less severe... flatter, showing less energy coming off the table

NBS bounce would be more severe, coming off the table almost straight into the air curving slightly at the very top and then coming straight down again.
Kimber XL --power and control, finesse, accurate, tonally realistic and holographic stage. A fine, fine speaker wire.

peter jasz
Bwhite, that you for that! An heroic effort (small pun intended) to convey what Kimber sounds like in a way I can grasp. NBS is another brand I'm not familiar with, but I do know Cardas. Where would you put Harmonic Tech on the bouncing ball spectrum?

Where do people think the "value" is in the Kimber line, if I wanted to pick up something used to try out?
Marakenetz, I'm not sure I agree with you on the pro wire equalling the kimber. But it does seem appealing to me. Are you talking about speaker wire as used in pro-audio applications? Which brand, if any? What gauge?
Hi Drubin, I've never spent much personal time with Harmonic Technology's analog cables. I did own HT Platinum Digital for a day but, that's it - not enough to make a fair comment.

A local dealer has these and I've NEVER been impressed with anything in that shop - they sell good gear but it never sounds too good. I attribute that to bad rooms mostly but I have often wondered about the cables.