Les3547, I'm happy to see you achieved the bass response you wanted from the Legacy's. I was biting my tongue when there were discussions of somewhat sloppy bass. I know the Legacy products (the ones manufactured since Bill Dudleston reacquired Legacy) and they would not be guilty of poor/unrefined bass.
I reviewed the Focus HD on Dagogo.com, and it has some of the best low end I have heard in quite a long time. The bass response is so good that I sold my Vandersteen subwoofers. I was thinking that in your case other changes in the electronics/cables would change the picture, so I'm glad you discovered it.
Your conclusions are not surprising at all, except for those who haven't discovered the extent to which cabling makes a difference in performance. You were surprised by the realization that total gauge makes a critical difference in sound. I have done similar experimenting over the years with "doubling" cables and had the same results.
In fact, it is possible to achieve very similar results with any number of cables "doubled" as you did. The sonics will vary slightly, but the overall benefit will remain. Once one adds into the mix the cable geometry the results of experimentation get quite interesting.
After working with dozens of cable brands, I have settled on usually outfitting the system with one manufacturer's cables at a time. I found that when I'm impressed by the sound of a cable, I want it throughout the system and not just at certain connection points. If funds are limited, then the mix 'n match method can work fine.
Now, what do you think will happen if you double up on the mid/highs? You would likely be in for a very pleasant surprise. It makes for an attractive alternative to pursuing extremely high end cables - an option for the econo-audiophile to give his rig a relatively economical boost. :)
I did much the same kind of experiment when I first got into audio almost 30 years ago. I was a cable skeptic and saw some big, fat cables in audio stores. I decided to try out the concept, so I went to the hardware store and bought the thickest cable I could work with, which would still fit into the posts. By George, it made a difference, and at that time I noted that the bass especially was helped! And that was on a mid fi rig. It was essentially the same discovery you made, that total gauge is a factor in cable/speaker performance especially in the low end.
Your willingness to have an open mind to possibilities and creative thinking got you some good gains. Kudos!
I reviewed the Focus HD on Dagogo.com, and it has some of the best low end I have heard in quite a long time. The bass response is so good that I sold my Vandersteen subwoofers. I was thinking that in your case other changes in the electronics/cables would change the picture, so I'm glad you discovered it.
Your conclusions are not surprising at all, except for those who haven't discovered the extent to which cabling makes a difference in performance. You were surprised by the realization that total gauge makes a critical difference in sound. I have done similar experimenting over the years with "doubling" cables and had the same results.
In fact, it is possible to achieve very similar results with any number of cables "doubled" as you did. The sonics will vary slightly, but the overall benefit will remain. Once one adds into the mix the cable geometry the results of experimentation get quite interesting.
After working with dozens of cable brands, I have settled on usually outfitting the system with one manufacturer's cables at a time. I found that when I'm impressed by the sound of a cable, I want it throughout the system and not just at certain connection points. If funds are limited, then the mix 'n match method can work fine.
Now, what do you think will happen if you double up on the mid/highs? You would likely be in for a very pleasant surprise. It makes for an attractive alternative to pursuing extremely high end cables - an option for the econo-audiophile to give his rig a relatively economical boost. :)
I did much the same kind of experiment when I first got into audio almost 30 years ago. I was a cable skeptic and saw some big, fat cables in audio stores. I decided to try out the concept, so I went to the hardware store and bought the thickest cable I could work with, which would still fit into the posts. By George, it made a difference, and at that time I noted that the bass especially was helped! And that was on a mid fi rig. It was essentially the same discovery you made, that total gauge is a factor in cable/speaker performance especially in the low end.
Your willingness to have an open mind to possibilities and creative thinking got you some good gains. Kudos!