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Cable Suggestions for my system?

Greetings,
I’m seeking your recommendations for the final segment of my system upgrade – interconnects and speaker cables.

My system consists of:
Grand Prix Monaco equipment stand
dCS Verdi; need AES/EBU 1 or 1.5 meter digital interconnect to
dCS Elgar+; need 1 pair RCA/RCA 1.0 meter interconnect to
Art Audio Jota SET amp (with KR 300BXLS tubes, etc.) ; Need 2.5 meter/8’ speaker cables to
Avantgarde Duo hornspeakers.

Now, I recently tried the PS-500 and found it substantially veiled the sound. Prefer straight out of the wall – I’ve run two lengths of 10GA wires to the main breaker box. Thus, at this point, my only focus is cables and their generating sonic improvements in my system.

FYI - my hearing is check annually and is excellent, but I like to listen to my music at fairly loud levels – not damaging loud, just want to be enveloped by the sound.

Currently, cables are:
Stealth M-7 Varidag digital and interconnects (silver).
Silversmith speaker cables run in shotgun to the mid and tweeter horns and jumped to subs.

Music I like: World Music/New Age – Agricantus, Delirium, Vas, Enigma, Mythos, Libera, Vollenweider, Mouth Music, Loreena McKennitt, Hibernia, Deuter, Deep Forest. This listing gives you an idea of the importance of the percussion and female vocals in my music.

What I’m trying to accomplish is to pull out some of the brightness from the highs – just about 5% is all – yet retain ALL of the detail. System has just a bit too much “bite” on the highs in some passages.

Considering:
Nordost Valhallas
Siltech
Stereovox (currently auditioning/burning in – too soon to tell – but beautifully constructed)

Listened to the Audience au24 – substantial loss of detail and bass was not as crisp as I like.

I've recently started to think a good idea would be to keep the silver on the interconnects to carry the detail and then go with a silver/copper hybred speaker cable to just take the edge off of the brightness.

I would appreciate your suggestions and lessons learned.
Thanks,
Jack
tao
driver's avatar
driver
746 posts
 
I've been a proponent of copper cables for years until I heard the Luminous Audio Silver Reference, which totally changes my perspective on silver cables.

Here's a link to the review a did a few months ago on the Silver Refs. for a more detailed assessment.

Good luck with your search.
richards
140 posts
 
May be hard to beat the Silversmiths, but another cable to put on your list is the HMS Gran Finale. They replaced silver cables in my (solid state) system and actually gave more detail, but in a distinctly musical way, without any grain, etch, or excessive top-end bite.

I've used some pretty expensive speaker cables, but haven't tried some of the super expensive ICs you're considering...Most recently, I've used AZ Silver Ref, Jena Symphony, Nordost QF and Luminous Synch. Ref (a great buy!)for ICs, and Wireworld Silver Eclipse III speaker cables, and found the HMS far superior to any of them IMS.

See the HMS review at 6moons....he also uses Duos with tubes.
Good luck.
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
I would add to your list the Poiema series by Ridge Street Audio Designs. They are must hear cables and interconnects, if you can afford them...
danamc
52 posts
 
I use Cardas Golden Reference ICs throughout my system for listening to New Age (Vollenveider, David Arkenstone, Kitaro, Secret Garden, etc). My system consists of Ayre CX-7 CDP, Merlin VSM-ME speakers, Joule LA-100 Mk3, Sim Moon W5 Amp. Silent Source Power cords throughout. I too like my music louder than most and the Cardas are winners in my opinion. Crisp and vibrant with slight warmth. Silver connects (TG Audio) have always been a bit bright for my ears.
tok20000's avatar
tok20000
608 posts
 
[if you want to change out dig IC] Digital Cables: Stealth Varidig is very good (It is MY reference), you may want to try also the Empirical Audio's top digital and Magnan's new digital cables. I have heard all three, and all are in the same ballpark. Each does some things very well. It is pretty system dependant which one is best.

ICs: I'm with Tireguy. Jena Labs IC is hard to beat. You can get different... but deffinitively better is tough. These will NOT give you bright highs. I would try to avoid silver ICs. I would not go with Valhalla if you want to curb highs.

Speaker cables: I have heard from friends I trust that Silversmith is quite good (I have not heard it though). I like a few speaker cables expecially for their price. Xindak FS-01 and FS-02 - These cables are great; however, I'd go with the FS-01 if you are worried about the high frequency range. The FS-02 has silver in it, and can impact the highs. (This can be a good thing for some systems). The other speaker cable I would suggest is the Supra Sword. It is the most resolute cable I have had in my system and it has the most amazing mids and highs I have heard in a speaker cable. Speaker cables just do not get much better than the Supra Sword... Period. Several of my friends have sold their Valhalla for Sword.

KF
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