Changed to Clear interconnects first, then to Clear speaker cables (audition only). Happy with the interconnects, but the speaker cables might be too much of a change to the warm in my system, that was meant to grow more warm, but the last change was the straw that broke my back. It’s just as well, as I wasn’t looking forward to the price tag on the speaker cables.
Lonh story short, my amp broke for the 2nd time in a few months after just being returned, which lead to more changes than I would normally have allowed for. It will take some time to unravel my sound change…minimal changes to the room, at least.
The past week I’ve been changing up my cabling and tubes quite a bit to see if I can find the detail that I was hearing in the CH Precision I1 – being an integrated, there’s no cabling besides the speaker and ethernet. The I1 was very precise and revealed details I’ve never heard before, but lacked the warmth and body I had become accustomed to.
The latest experiment is switching from XLR to RCA interconnects. I moved from Iconoclast OFE XLRs to a ragtag mix of Audio Envy Phono and Anticables Level 6.2 RCA cables I was using for my phono rig. I’m hearing subtle differences – but the jury is still out. It’s only been an hour.
I run two 6-foot pairs of AQ Volcano, in a double bi-wire configuration, from a Krell FPB amp to MartinLogan Prodigy’s. At the time they were discontinued, Volcano was the best copper speaker cable in the AQ lineup, with the exact same construction as the all-silver flagship model, Everest. I got them for 50% off on closeout from Music Direct about 12 years ago, and I’m not sure I’ll ever get rid of them…
I spent some time bouncing between my Lyngdorf Integrated rig set up on my bedroom system that does everything including DAC and DSP and Amp and my reference system all iconoclast UPOCC XLRs From DSD to pre and Amps and SPTPC
The Lyngdorf holds its own on details doing everything digital and using its Power Supply for PWM for amplification with black background and zero noise, Lyngdorf TDAI 2200 Digital Integrated amp in black , but the upgraded transformers in DSD and the Matrix sure makes the reference system sound way better and more live to me iconoclast and not at all electronic sounding. Maybe its having the P20 for power that tilts the reference system along with bigger mono amps for more headroom. Both systems are sounding really good, but yes less interconnected pieces can get an integrated to sound superb if it has a-really high SNR. I will admit the speaker cables on the Lyngdorf are pretty basic OFC 10 gauge wire. I am liking as well as when I ran the bedroom system off 1000 WPC bridged MC2500s it is way quieter and revealing more details. Not as warm but the neutrality of the Lyngdorf and revealing of detail is pretty incredible as well as the imaging and soundstage. I ran my main system off the Lyngdorf with SPTPC iconoclast wires during my amps refreshing and had the DSD converting digital to Analog but before the P20. I like the pure digital better with no interconnects better with my lesser bedroom speakers. But the reference system is really way ahead in live sound. Makes me want to consider a regenerator for the Lyngdorf or put a better power cord on it
I went back to my AudioEnvy speaker cables, and reverted the Cardas Clear. I’ll say that the Clear had much more depth than I’m accustomed to, which made the change back to the AE seem slightly thin and more excited. This is the biggest change I’ve ever experienced with speaker cables…without a doubt as big of a change as my recent DSD mods to the sound.
Glad to be back to where I started from…thought I lost control of my system’s direction for a minute.
When you find a great speaker cable it can be quite a revelation on what it does for system sound quality! The only upgrade I have done that has equaled or bettered the cable upgrade was adding the JL Audio CR1.
Fadel Art cables. Not available anymore because the designer passed away, unfortunately.
In my system, they bested everything else I tried (top Crystal cables, Kimber, Audioquest, Wireworld, Heaven’S Gate audio, etc). They were popular in some European countries (Germany, France, …) but it remained a small boutique.
They are amazing between my Plinius monoblocks and B&W 800 D2s.
I am currently using AQ Robin Hood into Dynaudio C20, and honestly, I am struggling to hear an improvement over the excellent Rocket 44s they’ve replaced. Of note, both cables were fitted with AQ’s 1000 series spades.
I often find that burn-in time is proportional to the time it takes for the sting of regret/guilt/embarrassment that I feel over having spent the money.
Serhan, I was fortunate enough to get a brand new pair of AQ Thunderbirds to demo. I had them for a month. It took a solid 3 weeks before they started to sound less constricted I’d say 150 plus hours. When I first connected them I said they sound better but not $2k better! After the month in my system I returned them and connected my trusty pair of AQ CV-8’s not a reference cable but good in its own right, I could not believe the difference. I had a difficult time listening to them. The thunderbirds after breaking in was like adding a new higher resolution dac. I bought new pair of Thunderbirds and had to go thru the burn in process again and it felt like my new cables took longer but I was impatient by then! I found the same with my Diamond USB and HDMI but those took much less time. Give the Robin Hood’s more hours I’m sure the are better than Rocket 33.
Thanks for sharing your experience Paul. Somehow, I seem to have forgotten that both 33s and 44s took longer than a month to sound really good (a few years back). I had a similar experience with AQ Water XLRs.
If you still have them plug them back in to your system and compare I think you will be shocked by the difference. My audio memory is very short and its amazing how some products spoil me!
