I get your love for the Genelec mini monitor. As you probably know, this brand has carved a solid niche in the studio near field market. I have an earlier version of the same, with their sub. I take them in a flight case (without sub) when taking an extended vacation. A great companion at the end of a good day. There is a glowing write-up in the latest Stereophile. Thanks for sharing its
merits and your setup. Lucky for you you already have a head start with good cables.
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If you like a warmer flowing edged over sound, these aren’t your speaker. They are designed to start and stop exactly where the signal does as best a mechanical driver can. They seem to be so neutral that EVERY sound seems to be “the best range” for them. Their sound is mostly the recording. I’d say anything they can play is dead on…they just can’t defy physics on the size needed for the bass. I picked the G Three for the 45-50 Hz range as a sweet spot.
EVERY source and song will be exceedingly different to an extreme compared to what most people are used to. But, that’s why I use the CWT 1000-40 and why I tried these based on the comments. They are accurate on the sounds properties; fast, detailed and crisp as the source.
Play Hans Theessinc and the lower timber of his voice is still compellingly deep. This is where they might fall short of satisfation, but they don’t. No, they can’t be 100% there flat to 50 Hz but the fact that they are so flat and even (they don’t bump up the bass) to that frequency covers the sins of gradual omission way down low. You don’t get a coloration to fake the deeper bass, it just rolls off.
As good or bad as the source is, I’ve never heard it better where these are designed to work. Such a small speaker with such a BIG near field personality. You read about stuff all the time. Once and awhile it is good enough to try something. WOW.
Best,
Galen
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I come from the country of Genelecs and been listening to pretty much all of their product range the past 20 years or so. They have improved a lot since their introduction and most local audio shops sell them like bread. For the money Genelecs are nearly impossible to beat and even then a bargain. I am not surprised that Galen likes their honest and accurate sound. I prefer more soulful and warmer sound at my home and my main setup,but they are great for any setup or studio. But G threes are one of their smallest ones,you should listen to 8361A with W371A subs and GLM room correction activated and of course wired with Iconoclast cables 
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This is what I was just telling someone about my new 8331’s. Mind-boggling. I thought they were too costly when “The Ones” came out, but now I think they’re just the screamin’est deal in audio. Just keep shaking my head.
48" monitor for reference. The 8331’s are roughly the size of my 20-year old 1030A’s, which still work well.
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Well, I needed a set of IC’s straight-in monitors, and the off duty application is the PC. So I can’t get too involved with a whole new system. Gosh we all do that! But yes, I crave a ruthlessly open and clear sound. That’s not thin, not bright, but SOLID and spatially specific. Think architectural print versus an impressionistic bent to the sound. I want to see everything in the room that contains the music, not just the music. To me that’s the soul of the affair, to be placed into the sound of the room AND the music. These little devils can do that.
I’m a “newbie” to this product and brand and bought it because of the data, but does a flat test tone sweep equal music’s dynamic race from one voltage to another? This is what adds some of that coloration to speakers that for all reason test, “the same”. Been told that one before! And a big yes on the value. Few purchases I’m glad I made to this degree and that nail the needed characteristics. So I’m just saying they really are worth a try for those that need sound + extreme value. A good place to start, and was the end point for me.
Best,
Galen
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Fantastic!!! That’s a great write-up.
One question. How long is too long? You made a 5’ cable. At what length do we start getting in trouble with capacitance?
Thanks for the great work! I really appreciate all your contributions to our hobby.
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I am loving my 10’ REL cables and matching 10’ “Star Quad” speaker cables from my PS Audio M700 amps to Maggie LRS and a pair of REL T/5i woofers. Improvement in sound was immediate and quite obviously noticeable.
I think I was the first pair of each that you officially sent out the door. I never thought about doubling up the speaker cables. Certainly now food for thought. Wonder if I could hear improvement or if I should just save for some Iconoclast Series 1 speaker cables.
The BAV line represents great value. I also have the BAV XLR cables since I needed flexibility for my installation.
Great posting Jeff, and great work on the cables. Working with you via email was a dream and the end product was great.
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Jeff,
In your blog you mentioned the Iconoclast cables.
Can a parallel/dual Iconoclast be terminated into a single connector like the Octoquad to prevent stacking connections?
Yes, it is is possible with the Cardas Spades for sure, we have done that before. I don’t think we would be able to do it with any type of banana connector we have right now, but we have been looking into getting something made up with a larger body.
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Now that’s gonna sell.
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Dual Iconoclast is doable and is “already in application” with Doug Schroeder of Constantine Soo’s Dagogo and Galen with his own personal system. Doug has written at length about the benefits of parallel speaker cables. Galen’s technical brief is detailed in the benefits as well.
Remember too, that Iconoclast speaker cables in both Series I and Series II already apply the same principles by utilizing a significant number of parallel conductors. Series II cables have “doubled” the number of yet smaller AWG conductors as Series I, all run in parallel. Galen’s research and subsequent data are part of the patents in place with Belden on Iconoclast speaker cables. The benefits are immediately obvious to all who listen! The benefits of his designs are undeniable.
As Jeff states, the Cardas spade is at present our only option for the double Iconoclast application. We did recently receive a shipment of 7mm weldable spades that I am unsure whether or not have been tested for compatibility on cable over 10 AWG. Jeff can better speak to this.
The Cardas spade is the same “silver soldered” connector that we used since the beginning and for years with Iconoclast speaker cables and is presently our only offering on bi-wire and “double” Iconoclast orders. It is a fine Rhodium plated/copper connector that is meticulously hand terminated by Jeff and Andrew who really know how to “flow” the solder. Be grateful you don’t have to view my work in solder!!
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Bob,
Any word on SPTPC wire for series II speaker cables?
Thanks
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Jeff:
I’m happy you are experimenting and finding new challenges. Perhaps you or Bob can say more on how doubling the cable sounds.
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People ask about what AWG power cord to use.
This is an easy but complex answer. People ask me where the heck I got 0.05 volts dropped across the cord maximum from. Well, I get it form TIA/EIA and here is why. Easy answer, use a cord DCR based on length such that the voltage lost on the cord is less than 0.05 volts. I view the stereo as an “entire” system from the cord to the wall. The TIA/EIA measure ALL points in the consolidation point to every other point. So no, I didn’t make this up but used high speed Ethernet to set my recommendation.
For the “equal” circuit across AWG size, it is easiest to map the ratio of the current to the cords CMA area. This is pretty easy to explain. This is also why TAI/EIA uses AWG (CMA) for proper grounding in their specs.
CMA is Circular Mil Area. Or the diameter squared of the wire. If that value stays the same the voltage drop is the same. A 10 mil wire is 100 CMA, a 100 mil wire is 10,000 CMA as examples.
The voltage drop across the cable is current, I, time resistance, R. If you double the current, you need to halve the resistance to arrive at the same voltage drop on the cord. This holds the ratio of CMA area (resistance) to current. The TIA / EIA spec shows the AWG needed to maintain a 100-millohms potential any where in the system.
This voltage drop isn’t just the length of the cord as it is the RESISTANCE of the cord, too. We’d like to mitigate the voltage drop to; Volts on the cord = I x R (100 milli-ohm). As the cord gets longer the R needs to go DOWN per Table one. We have the same, as we go LONGER we use heavier cord to stay under 0.05 ohm dropped on the cord.
You’ll see you don’t even hit 0.05 volts cord loss with a 14 AWG cord of typical length, 6-8 feet. If the power cord is less than 0.100 ohm (100-milli ohm) at the LENGTH you use it will be fine.
Look at your devices current requirement. If it is in watts, use WATTS = AMPS X VOLTS and calculate the AMPS. Most things show the watts used somewhere.
EXAMPLE
A device uses 60 watts (amps x volts) @ 120 Volts
60W = amps x volts = I x 120V
I = 60W/120V = 6/12 = 3/6 = 1/2 amps, or 0.5 amps.
Voltage on the cord should be I X R
I = 0.5 amps in the cord.
R = the cords resistance, that should be 0.100 ohm or less
V = 0.5 amp x 0.100 milli-ohm = 0.05 max recommended volts lost on the cord.
There is an equation for the loss within a component, current squared time the resistance. This is what is lost in WATTS across the extension cord based on the resistance of the cord and the current this produces with the applied voltage (110 or 220). This will try to MELT (thermoplastic) or burn up (thermoset) your power cord!
Few sources will need more than a 14 AWG to limit voltage drop to less than a 0.05 volt. I use 14 AWG on all my sources and 10 AWG on my power amps.
OK, that’s the voltage drop consideration. The next one is NOISE. As we get longer and longer we CHANGE the Ground at each end point, and they should be the SAME everywhere, Opps, we made a ground loop! The only way to adjust that is to make the cable invisible as we can if we have a bad or marginal ground situation, or a bigger AWG cord. You’ll know it if you do!
The TIA/EIA 607-B suggest a total RESISTANCE of bonding wires used. This the same as “voltage drop” as the resistance and voltage are tied together. If a device uses 220 voltage, the current goes to HALF a 110 volt input. It is easier to spec the AWG (resistance) to get the needed ground balance than measuring voltages all over.
TIA/EIA 607-B TABLE 1 shows the requirements based on length and wire DCR used from one spot to any other spot. Section 5.1 General refers to the INSIDE ground potential. They refer to the ground as BONDING. Section 8.1 TWO-POINT GROUNDING/ CONTINUITY TEST suggest a resistance of 100 milli ohms. If you used the spec wire AWG based on lengths you should meet this test. We just have a mini-system. But the 100-milli-ohms max DCR is the basic spec you are trying to maintain.
When we go outside, the ground needs to be 4 ohm nominal with 10 ohms maximum per ANSI 222. This is obviously less strict and can be changed from one side of a building to another (soil differences).
The third is RF. Here we depend on the power supply to have the proper RF shunts, and for the cords dielectric to be a higher impedance path for RF noise. Since 50-60 Hz is near DC, we want a dielectric that is awful for AC, especially RF range AC. That’s why we use an EPDM dielectric as it passively absorbs RF (see the power cord tech papers) so the power supply has less to do. A good power supply send ingress RF to ground with a cross-over like device that separates out the 50-60 Hz and the RF. This ALSO keeps the RF inside the device from egressing and leaking OUT, which is a bigger problem believe it or not. The FCC has limits on that leakage and if you fail with a “reference” AC cord, you need to use a CAPTIVE cord and CHOKES until you pass.
A good power cord is a VERY low pass “filter” for 50-60 Hz and blocks everything else in theory. All you need is the 50-60Hz AC power signal at exactly 120 or 240 volts and nothing else. That’s what all the fuss is about.
Best,
Galen
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Hoping to have some information in the next couple of weeks. We were rattling chains at Belden today…
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Awesome amount of info, thanks!
From my perspective, even if all my gear except amps require 14 AWG, is there any harm in using 10 AWG everywhere?
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Harm using 10 AWG everywhere? Nope, except your wallet.
Best,
Galen
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The manufacturer that I use for power cables recommends their 14 ga for everything but high current amps. They say that the “medium power” cables actually sound better on source components and are much less expensive.
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Any plans for an Iconoclast power cable?
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I haven’t given this much thought prior. All of my cables are 10 AWG except the P20 and amp are 8 AWG.
More dorking around is required.