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My next Coax / SPDIF after Green Hornet

Posting this in the digital section as I think I’ll have better luck here.

I’m in search for a new digital coax cable to go between my Bluesound Vault and my Luxman DA-06 DAC. I own two digital cables to date: a DH Labs Glass Master TOSlink which is too analytical and brittle for this particular application, and a Creative Cable Green Hornet which is magical on the bass and midrange but is not as revealing on the top end.

I’ve been trying to figure out where I can step up with a new cable and decided to try a Tara Labs ISM Onboard Digital, which is amazingly open, revealing and refined, but it just does not have the bass and midbass magic that the Green Hornet has. I’m wondering if there is another digital cable that may be somewhere inbetween the two. Upon my research, I’m thinking that the following cables might work for me:

Harmonic Technology Magic Two Digital
Acoustic Zen MC2

Has anyone played with the Green Hornet and compared to the two above? Or know of a more open/revealing cable that still had a similar bass extension / warmth as the Green Hornet?

128x128thiefoflight
uberwaltz's avatar
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uberwaltz
4,946 posts
 
I am using the Nordost Heimdall 2 spdif out of the vault and this opened up the midrange and upper bass in spades compared to the previous Nordost Silver Shadow.
I would agree that Nordost as a whole do seem to be a little lean in the lower bass area compared to some but I can live with that for the midrange, piano and acoustic guitar streamed through the vault are sublime.
Just my thoughts.....
soix
2,133 posts
 
Although I haven't heard their digital cables, I have several AZ interconnects and cables, and if their house sound translates to the MC2 I think you may well be on the right track.  I've been using an Apogee Wyde Eye for years and find it to occupy a nice balance of detail and tonality.  I actually prefer it to my Stereovox XV2, which sounds a little thin tonally by comparison.  The Wyde Eye sounds more natural to my ear.  Might be worth a shot for 40 bucks...

https://www.amazon.com/Geistnotes-Apogee-Wyde-Cable-WE-RR/dp/B01N29180M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1...
thiefoflight's avatar
thiefoflight OP
79 posts
 
Thanks for the advice guys. 

@jond  - does the Jorma still have the bass extension and warmth that the Green Hornet did? The way you describe it, sounds a lot like my Tara Labs, but the Tara is just lean below 100hz. 

@uberwaltz - I’ll look into the Nordost. That’s the first time I’ve heard that particular model mentioned. 

@soix - thanks for the vote of confidence. I also read about the apogee as well on other threads, so I’ll look into that. 
jond's avatar
jond
3,400 posts
 
thiefofflight the Jorma has great natural warmth without obscuring detail, as far as bass extension it seems quite full and extended but tough to compare. I was using different speakers when I had the Green Hornet, Focal Micro-Utopia's then Audio Note AN-J's now. The ANs have more bass extension themselves so a bit tough to say.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

My $275 silver coax with expanded Teflon and BNC terminations (RCA adapters) will beat any of these.  My $499 Reference BNC is even better.

Jitter measurements of several cables:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154425.0

30-day money-back less shipping.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

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