Comparing Virtual Dynamics and Tranparent Audio


Has anyone listened extensively to both and care to offer an opinion?

I put a Virtual Dynamics David XLR interconnect in my system today and I'm impressed. Soundstage seems larger, midrange more realistic and bass tighter. Piano sounds great!

I'm wondering what result I'd get if I replaced my Shunyata Power Cords and/or Transparent Audio Super Speaker cable.

I'm running a Great Northern modded Wadia 860 directly in to a Classe CA-2200 driving Wilson Watt Puppy 3/2's.

To be fair I also plugged into my new dedicated lines today as well so it may be the combination of both.
vhuang
"Know other cable that I know of comes close to VD cables. Call Rick and transform your system. Brian"

OK Brian, I'll bite:

What other brands/models of IC and PC have you personally A-B'd with VD cables, apples-to-apples in the same system, which led you to the above conclusion??

Just curious :~))
Nsgarch, Your system is Killer by the way. I have owned like 3 set of VD cables so far. I keep saving up for the next series. I now have the masters from the nites and from the audition series. If you have'nt ever tryed a VD cable, and with your system, you should. Rick sometimes will send you a cable just to try. I know for me that was all it took.So on my way up to the master series of cables,
I would try different cables, swamp out one cable for another to see if it would add or subtract to my system. I could never replace a whole systems wires at one time because of the cash thing. So an apple to apple is hard to do.The wire you add or subtract may not be the weakest link, but when you wire with all one brand, you sometimes strike a synergy. This is what VD cables do IMO. The more you add, the more the system comes together. I am sure you already know all of this with your fab system. I have used over the years cables, and speaker wire from Rat shack, Kimber, Audioquest,Audience, Nordost, Wolff, ps audio, and shunyata, a couple homemade, maybe one or two more that I have forgotten. This isn't an apple for apple, but everytime I changed out a cable, I alway went back to VD. AS a whole system, yes it will transform your system. Try one on your killer system, just to see if you gain or loss anything.By the way, Stereotimes has a review on the master series which you can read if you wish.
Brian, thanks for your overview. It really is very helpful to know what else a person has tried, even if it wasn't a direct A-B, and even if they didn't try one's own favorite cable! The Purist Dominus is the best I've ever heard on my amp, even better than the Purist Venustas, although they're both 10 AWG. So maybe I will give the VD Master a try.

IMO, power amps are the acid test for power cords. Or to put it a different way: If placing a particular power cord on the power amp doesn't improve the sonics of your system -- specifically: tighter bass, better center fill of the soundstage, better transients and blacker noise floor and (belive it) louder volume at a given preamp setting, then it probably won't do anything special elsewhere in your system (where differences are sometimes a little harder to identify.)

Thanks again for the details.

Neil
Neil
PAD and VD are fabulous and their power cords are easy to show differences. Just try VD .....and tell us.
Also don't underestimate what a good pc cord can do to a preamp.

George.
I,ve used various VD cables throughout my system., I stared with NiteII, Master and now own the Revelation PC, IC and speaker. I have a Wadia/CAT/Dunlavy system and without reservation believe that these cords are one of the best I've tried. I have tried various products over the years and each one has made marginal but positive improvmnents. My last set was the Synergistic Research Designers Ref X2 with Active sheieding. The Mater totally blew away these. I didn't think the Revelation series could do much better than the Master but I was totally surprised.These are a major step forward.

I haven't heard the David's, but you will not understand how much better the Rev/Master cords are until you try them. This is where the VD cables really outdistance themselves from the competing brands at similar price points.

I would rank the benefits of the Rev and Master cords by saying that thye produced as much, if not more, benefit from replacing my Krell FPB600 with a Convergent Audio JL2. The difference and benefit was that big. No other cables I tried have even come close to this level of change.

With regard to Transparent, Ken Stevens from CAT has had experience with both. He shows with VD Revelation, but he admits that as good as the VD cable is, it doesn't "blow away" the high end Transparent cables which he uses in his system.

I can't say since I haven't made the direct comparison. But what I will tell you is that the VD Revelation has been just that...a total revelation! I will never replace these cables. If you get them, you would be wasting money and time trying to better them. Money better spent on front ends at that point.

An important point is that you need to try the complete VD system. Until then, you will not really know what these cables can do.

Also, the Revelation PC transformed my Wadia CD player.

Key strengths of the REvelation is POWER, detail/resolution, tonal accuracy, soundstage etc. These are high energy cables without ever sounding bright or edgy. They are the most natural cables I've used by a longshot.

In all of the equipment I've fooled arounfd with, I consider these cables as the best investment I've made. I no longer have any interest in trying anything else.

I agree with the other posts in that you should give Rick a call. Try them and be prepared to want to purchase them.

Andrew