Sgr,
Your experience parallels mine in many ways. Like you, I have found there is more than one way to skin a cat. The hyping of new cable products seems to be the rule now and this must be taken with a grain of salt, IMO, for the reasons I outlined in my earlier post.
In my system I still use SR cables -- in series with cables from HiDiamond, Bybee, Cardas, ASI Liveline and Supra LoRad (as a bridge connector with Oyaide plugs/IECs) to achieve the effects I am looking for. I find that active shielding helps the sound -- especially when used in series with other cables.
But, like you, I find the "Active Shielding mess" with SR wires a problem. The MPC wires are all over the place and with my equipment close to the wall (until we remodel the house) it is very difficult to squeeze behind the components to see what's what and try to untangle things.
I have not had Signal Cable products in my system. I will look them up.
Studiosoundman,
The kind of trial period you describe would be very helpful -- with special terms for overseas customers because of the shipping time lag. In my own business, I have an extended trial period and word of mouth keeps the return rate extremely low. I rarely get a return. I am not in the audio business, but this same thinking applies.
Your observation about companies being extremely confident in their products, many of which have not changed for ten to twenty years, hits the nail on the head. There are products out there that have stood the test of time. Some of them have taken my system to a new level -- at an aftermarket cost that is a fraction of the price of a new high-end cable -- Bybee comes to mind. And there are some products out there that are new to me that provide superior results and superior value -- HiDiamond comes to mind.
Your experience parallels mine in many ways. Like you, I have found there is more than one way to skin a cat. The hyping of new cable products seems to be the rule now and this must be taken with a grain of salt, IMO, for the reasons I outlined in my earlier post.
In my system I still use SR cables -- in series with cables from HiDiamond, Bybee, Cardas, ASI Liveline and Supra LoRad (as a bridge connector with Oyaide plugs/IECs) to achieve the effects I am looking for. I find that active shielding helps the sound -- especially when used in series with other cables.
But, like you, I find the "Active Shielding mess" with SR wires a problem. The MPC wires are all over the place and with my equipment close to the wall (until we remodel the house) it is very difficult to squeeze behind the components to see what's what and try to untangle things.
I have not had Signal Cable products in my system. I will look them up.
Studiosoundman,
The kind of trial period you describe would be very helpful -- with special terms for overseas customers because of the shipping time lag. In my own business, I have an extended trial period and word of mouth keeps the return rate extremely low. I rarely get a return. I am not in the audio business, but this same thinking applies.
Your observation about companies being extremely confident in their products, many of which have not changed for ten to twenty years, hits the nail on the head. There are products out there that have stood the test of time. Some of them have taken my system to a new level -- at an aftermarket cost that is a fraction of the price of a new high-end cable -- Bybee comes to mind. And there are some products out there that are new to me that provide superior results and superior value -- HiDiamond comes to mind.