VenHaus Pulsar™ interconnects

Hang in there. IMHO, the Audience are nice, but the Pulsar will retrieve more information, be better balanced from top to bottom, and produce a bigger, more lifelike image.

The Pulsars take 300-400 hours before I stopped hearing improvements. One of the last things to change was the top end (finally smoothes out).

I have noticed this with the singled ended Pulsar I use as a digital ic and the balanced Pulsars I use as analog ic's.

George

Driver,

I have the balanced Pulsars who the Rhodium Furutech xlr connectors. Below are my thoughts that I posted on Audio Circle (here is the whole thread: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=11486&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) .

BTW, I did extensive comparisons of the Argent Audio Jaden Signatures (model below the Pursangs that I compared the Pulsars to) vs. the AZ Silver Ref I and II.

All my comments are in direct comparison to the Argent Audio Pursang (my reference ic's)

Here is the system:

VMPS RM 40’s w/ FST, TRT caps, and Analysis Plus wire
Jeff Rowland 201 Mono Blocks (Flavor 4 - gold option)
Electrocompaniet EC 4.7 Balanced preamp (Argent Audio Brujo power cord)
Electrocompaniet ECD-1 DAC (Sonoran Plateau)
Empirical Audio modified Sony S-7700 (transport only)
Argent Audio Pursang digital ic
BPT 3.5 Signature Power Conditioner
Argent Audio Pursang speaker cable on mid/treble
Sonoran Plateau speaker cable on woofers

I used the following music:

Rusted Root – When I Woke (bongos, drums, gourds, layered vocals, male vocals, soundstage (l/r and f/b)

Ben Harper – Fight for Your Mind (male vocals, acoustic guitar, cymbals, percussion)

Tori Amos – Boys for Pele (female vocals, piano, harpsichord)

Harry Connick Jr. – She (male vocals, piano, percussion, stand up bass)

Here are some notes I took as I listened. Reading back through them, I see consistency throughout the various cd’s.

Rusted Root

Drum Trip – This is an instrumental track that is mostly percussion with some background vocals

With the Pulsars the drums had more drive and slam than the Pursang. When a snare drum is hit, you feel the whack and its aftershock. The Pursang is more delicate and refined in its presentation. I can hear more small or low level details with the Pursang (all though not by much). The Pulsar does a very good job of separating out the various instruments and not getting confused or muddied, just not quite as good as the Pursang (again very close). The only real negative with the Pulsar is that there is a sheen to the high end (especially on cymbals). No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get rid of it. In all fairness, the Pursang is still the most natural sounding ic I have ever heard. Its highs are full of detail and spatial cues without being the least bit harsh.

Laugh as the Sun – lots of percussion (drums, bongos, gourds, tambourine, bass), layered vocals, guitar

The Pulsars again do a very good job. Imaging is excellent from side to side and front to back. Voices of the various singers are easy to place and have the correct tone. I can easily hear the breathy qualities in the female voice and raw power in the male singer’s voice. The Pulsars did a very good job conveying the rhythm and pace of the music. Detail was also very good. At the start of the song there is a strong bass line in the center with percussive instruments to the right and left. Everything is very clear and easy to identify. In fact, I feel like I can count the number of beans in the gourd!

I have seen this band half a dozen times live and I can say the Pulsar nails it. I preferred the Pulsar over the Pursang b/c this song is all about pure emotion and raw power. I had the system cranked up to 100+db peaks and the Pulsars continued to shine!

Ben Harper

Another Lonely Day – male vocals, acoustic guitar

Pulsars allowed in a great amount of detail (can easily hear Ben’s hand work on the guitar) and made it sound like Ben was in the room playing. The guitar notes has texture and depth to them. They seemed to hang in the air, but not in a way that each note overlapped the previous one. Ben’s voice was a little deeper with the Pulsars and the notes maybe a tad richer.

Gold to Me – male vocals, cymbals, bass, triangle, tambourine, acoustic guitar

Pretty much the same results as with Rusted Root songs. Excellent drive and dynamics. A more forward and aggressive presentation than the Pursang (but not in a bad way). Since this song has lots of treble energy, the Pursang really shined.

God Fearing Man – male vocals, slide guitar, bass, percussion

Opening slide guitar just pulled me in and grabbed my attention. Pulsars again let you hear the finger work and the better bass gives a more solid foundation to the music. This might have been my best experience with this song and I have listened to it probably 1000’s of times!! Only area that holds it back from being the 100% champ is the top end again.

Tori Amos

Horses – female vocal, piano

The Pulsars presented piano very well and gave it the weight and heft it should have. Notes were delicate/powerful when they should be. Tori’s sings in a breathy, sultry style at times and the Pulsars did a good job portraying this. You could easily hear her intake for breath and little shudders as she sang. Very enjoyable.

Way Down – vocals, piano

Tori sings dead center and the piano plays off to the side. The chorus is behind her. With the Pulsars I can hear the individual members of the chorus and they aren’t just one big blob of sound.

In the Springtime of his Voodoo – vocals, drum track, piano, percussion, harpsichord

Very big sounding with the Pulsars. Images are more lifelike in size when compared to the Pursang. Midrange and bass are well balanced and articulate. East to identify the various instruments and their placement on the soundstage. Harpsichord has the appropriate bite and presence. First attack on the notes is excellent.

Harry Connick Jr.

She – stand up bass, percussion, male vocal, guitar

WOW!! The stand up bass is sooooo good. I can clearly hear the individual notes and there is such weight and body. Drums are tight and clearly defined. Bongos are very musical. Harry’s voice is clear and powerful. Cymbals are good but have that little bit of sheen.

That Party/Booker – male vocals, percussion, piano, guitar

Great dynamics with such a big image! Underlying bass line is well defined and creates a solid foundation for the rest of the instruments. Very good imaging. Music just jumped out at me and said “Listen Up!!” Piano is crisp and clear.

Conclusion

Chris, outside of the slight treble glare these are outstanding!! In terms of macro dynamics, they are the best ic have heard in my system. They produce a large image that is a little forward and aggressive (in comparison to the Pursang), but in a good way. I found myself tapping my foot and really getting into the music when the Pulsars were in the system. They have lots of detail without being too obvious about it. They are well balanced and very clean.

I know the Gallos very well and they have a very extended treble, do you notice any issues there in your system? Since I haven’t heard your ic’s in other systems, I can’t be 100% certain it is the ic’s, but since I have heard the Pursang in multiple systems, I can say that the top end of the Pursang is the best I have heard.

As things stand right now, you have made an excellent ic that will compete (and beat) against much more costly competition. If you can somehow refine the treble a bit (less glare and maybe get it slightly more extended) you will have a world beater IMHO.

I hope this helps give you an idea of what I think.

For me personally, I can't ignore price (the Pursang is more than double the price of the Pulsars). The Pulsars are staying in the system.

George

I will let you know the difference between the gold Furutech xlr connectors and the rhodium. I have both types in my house right now.

As for the high end glare...I was able to get rid of it my some tweaking of my speakers (VMPS RM 40's).

I highly recommend the balanced Pulsars regardless of the budget.

George

Yup, they do take a very long time to break in (300-400 hrs). But they are the most balanced ic I have had in my system (I have had products from AZ, Cardas, Nordost, WireWorld, Argent Audio, Coincident, Empirical Audio, Kimber, Purist Audio, Audience, and others that I can't remember right now).

I also use Chris' Flavor 4 w/ gold option power cords (on my Rowland 201 amps).

On top of the incredible value for the money, Chris is great to deal with and his customer service is some of the best on the business.

Couldn't be happier!!

George

Ok, wanted to post an update on the balanced Pulsars (both Rhodium and Gold Furutechs).

I am happy to report that the little bit of HF grain or glare I initial reported is all gone! It turned out that most of what I was hearing was removed by doing a little bit of tweaking to my RM 40's. I also think getting more hours on the Pulsars helped as well.

So I can now safely say that the balanced Pulsars with Furutech XLR are the all-around best ic I have had in my system.

I can heartily recommend this ic, without reservation and regardess of the price point you are at.

As for the gold vs. rhodium... I preferred the Rhodium in my system. Here is why:

The rhodium had better initial attack and was a more lively in a good way.
The leading edge on an acoustic guitar had more definition and was easier to hear.
The drums and bass seemed to jump out at me and had slightly better definition.
The gold was more polite and laid back.
With the rhodium the soundstage is more forward and slightly deeper.
The biggest difference was in the highs. The gold by comparison sounds a little rolled off and slow. Cymbals seem to hit faster and decay a little longer with the rhodium.

The differences weren't huge, but I didn't have to strain to hear them. Although I preffered the Rhodium, the Gold was excellent as well.

I think it just comes down to personal tastes and proper system matching.

George

Yes, I use the balanced Pulsars (in fact, I am the one that begged Chris to make them in the first place).

They are much more primarily b/c the xlr connectors are very expensive (Furutech Rhodium are $150/pair and you obviously need 2 pairs per set of ic's). Additionally, it is a double run of wire.

How long is really long? Just contact Chris and see what he can do for you.

George

Well said Tvad. I am still stunned at the performance/value ratio on the Pulsar.

Although I do think there is some value in giving details such as which is more dynamic, better HF extension, etc... IF it is done on the proper context.

If you say how each compared in your own system, that can help a person get an idea of the "flavor" of each ic/cable.

George

I am a little short on time right now, but I have tried every version of the Pulsars and the "best" sounding in my system is the Silver NextGen (followed by Silver Eichmann, Copper NextGen, Gold Eichmann).

The Silver NextGen is the most transparent and detailed of the group. Its dynamics are also tighter and better defined. Imaging is also better from both a size/placement and depth perspective.

In terms of Silver Eichmann vs. Copper NextGen, I thought the Silver Eichmann was better in all areas except for the top end. The Copper NextGen was just a little more extended.

Overall, if you can afford the Silver NextGen it is well worth the money.

I still can't believe how these ic's sound so much better than other ic's I have tried in my system that cost anywhere from 2x to as much as 5x as much as the Pulsars.

Kudos to Chris!!

George

In my evaluations, I was going for best sound, not best sound for the money. My comments should be taken in that context.

I totally agree with previous statements that cables are system dependent and need to be evaluated in each person's system.

That being said, I have evaluated many different ic's in my system and the Pulsars are staying.

Some other excellent ic's that I tried that are absolutely worth trying:

Ridge Street Audio Poiema!! and MSE II
Acoustic Zen Silver Reference
Bolder Cable Summit
Argent Audio Pursang and Jaden Signature

George