Acoustic Zen vs. Nordost

no to the nosrdost, maybe yes to others, better stay where you are.IMHO.

If you are able to, try out Cardas Golden Cross or Golden Reference... see what happens.

Nordost cables and Valhalla in particular impart an edgy or grainy character I find fatiguing. I don't want to hear all of the resolution and revealing crap espoused by Nordost advocates who use these cables as tone controls to ameliorate other deficiencies in their system. Other brands such as Acoustic Zen, Stealth, Audience, Luminous, Ridge Street, VD, PAD, etc. offer outstanding resolution without the pain. Acoustic Zen is a great choice.

Judy426, you state:

Nordost cables and Valhalla in particular impart an edgy or grainy character I find fatiguing. I don't want to hear all of the resolution and revealing crap espoused by Nordost advocates who use these cables as tone controls to ameliorate other deficiencies in their system.

HUH?!! You can't have it both ways! The one thing that you CAN'T do with Valhallas is use them for "tone controls"! They are merciless for their resolution and micro-dynamics. Edgy or grainy...NO WAY! You've got other problems in your system that the Valhallas are revealing. It is you, who are in fact, are seeking to use cables as a tone control. Not that there is anything wrong with using cables to compliment the synergy of a system, or that the other cables you mention are "inferior".

The complaint voiced most often about Valhallas is their thinness in the bass region. I have not noticed this to be true, but again "system synergy" is the key.

I dont buy the revealing statement, that the cable is exposing the system problems.
An experiment can be made. Put a record with one or two instruments that you know the timbre very well. First listen with a cable like the AZ and there is a violin and a cello. Then enter the Red Dawn a the violin and cello are gone. It's like - now you have it, now you dont. And you say that the Red Dawn is telling the truth! Strange.
If we put a better uncoloured cable, we shoul have a more truthful violin and cello, not a fizzi tizzy little thing.
The Red Dawn can do good things in the TIME departement, but others do it too without the TIMBRE problems.