Audio Note ISIS interconnect

I am curious how the Audio Note ISIS interconnect sounds compared to other Audio Note cables. Has anyone here heard it? It's a copper version of their top silver interconnect.

 

I have heard it, and I really liked it with my gear. I did not try any of their other interconnects though, so I can't really say how it compares.

I see you're in Maryland, so if you are in the D.C. area you should try Deja Vu in McLean, VA. That's where I tried the Isis.

 

Snorker, that's good to know. Unfortunately I live 3 hours away from McLean so I don't get to Vu's store very often. The last time I was there was several years ago, before I had even heard of ISIS cables.

 

Understood. I will say, they were better than the Audioquest cables I had. I don't think you'd be disappointed.

 

I already have a 1M AN-Vx that I use from source to linestage, but I also use a 4m interconnect from linestage to amps. Since I can't afford a 4m run of AN-Vx, I am hoping the ISIS might be an option.

 

I use ISIS cables throughout with my all AN system (mains IC's and bi wired speaker cable). I feel that they are terrific cables. My friend has all the AN cables from SPx down and so I have done the comparisons. The AN silver cables do some things better but overall the ISIS, although less analytical, is very 'musical' and well balanced without any perceivable weaknesses. The ISIS cables also work well in Solid State systems. I used the mains and IC's with Dynavector amps and Shahainian speakers before moving to AN. A recommended buy and the best AN cables under SPx IMO.

 

Rob, I appreciate your sharing your experience. Any comments on the ISIS interconnect compared to either Lexus or Vx?

I am already set in the speaker cable department since I got a good deal on some SPx. I also have some DIY power cords using ISIS mains cable. The SPx speaker cable and the ISIS mains cables sound really good which is why I am interested in the ISIS interconnect. There is very little information on the internet about them.

 

I like the ISIS cable a lot. It delivers a very rich, harmonically dense sound and does so without sounding murky or slow. If you are looking for more "weight" this is a terrific choice. The AN silver interconnects deliver a more open sounding top end and a lot of detail without sounding harsh or shrill. The silvers may not sound quite as warm and rich as the ISIS, so I suppose to some extent it is a matter of taste and system matching and one is not necessarily better than the others. But, in a well put together system, where the interconnects are not called on to make gross alterations to the sound, I think most people would find their higher end silver interconnects to be better than the copper interconnects, even ISIS. I run a 4 meter pair of Sogon interconnect between my preamp and amplifier and it is quite outstanding.

 

Thanks Larry. Coming from a Sogon owner, your comment carries a lot of weight. Speaking of "weight" that is one of my reservations about the AN-Vx cable. Its bass is tight and detailed but it doesn't have quite as much weight as I like. Surprisingly I found the SPx speaker cable to have terrific bass despite comments that it too is lightweight. Maybe the SPx is just a great match with my Spendor SP-100 speakers which tend to be a bit warm sounding.

 

Unfortunate branding...

 

Larry I is totally on point Salectric. I was going to mention system matching in my previous post. Having said that my all AN system with Jinro and it's classic 211 rich sound ISIS throughout it's still an excellent match.

The Sogon is obviously on another level but I can tell you that ISIS is worth the extra over Lexus. As for the comparison with Vx I can't comment as I haven't heard it.

 

I have heard and compared these AN interconnect cables --Lexus, Isis, AN-V, AN-Vx & Sogon-- in two all AN systems. Each time we upgraded from one to the next, I heard obvious improvements in resolution of subtle details, and lively presentation of micro-dynamics . There was no obvious jump in any one particular upgrade, rather each step was an upgrade to about the same extent. But, in the all copper-wired speaker/amplifier system, AN-Vx and Sogon didn't really provide the same dramatic level of improvement as we heard from these cables in the all silver-wired speaker/amplifier system. Personally, I wouldn't spring for the Vx or Sogon with copper-wired speakers and non-Signature/non-Silver electronics; I would upgrade from Lexus to Isis or AN-V. On the other hand, for anyone who did pay extra for Signature level AN gear, with all the proprietary transformers, capacitors and silver internal wire, Vx and Sogon definately provide more of what that equipment is capable of delivering.

 

I had a 30 minute conversation with Peter Qvortrop last week (my Jinro is being replaced because of a recurring fault) and he more or less echoed what Warren has written. His views on system matching, 'sweet spots' and upgrading were very interesting. I'm at a crossroads upgrading wise as I have more or less exhausted the best of AN copper route but don't don't have the funds or desire to replace several virtually new components all at once. One piece of advice from Peter was that if I can't stretch to the CDT five transport as a replacement for my CDT Two/11 then the CDT Three is the 'sweet spot' in that level of transport range and many people skip the CDT Four and go 3 to 5. Sadly the '5' is around $50k US .

 

Thank you Warren and Rob. I understand about the importance of system matching and synergy, and Warren's comments especially make sense for an all-Audio Note system. My electronics are all tube but not Audio Note, so I have to make a few educated guesses to imagine how some ISIS would fit in my setup. I use Emotive Audio Vita amps and a custom version of the Epifania linestage. Phono preamp is my own design. I have never compared the Emotive units to Audio Note electronics so I can't really say where they would fit in the AN hierarchy.

 

I heard that Isis is also a girl's name. Wonder if it'd be enough for some of them to change their names, legally.

 

Maybe it's better than you have not Sal'. The sound of an all Audio Note system especially at the higher levels can quickly potentially lead to alternate system dissatisfaction. I speak from experience . ISIS should be a safe bet for you though........

 

Sal,

I would hazard a guess that the ISIS interconnect would sound quite good with the complement of electronics you have. I have heard the Vita, though not in my own system, and I own an Epifania. The Epifania is quite unlike Emotive Audio's prior linestages--it is quite a bit tighter sounding and not as warm and loose in the bass as their Sira model. In other words, I don't think you will be overdoing it with "warm" sounding gear with the Epifania and ISIS interconnects. I currently don't run the Epifania (it is on loan to a friend), but, I really do like it a lot and it is so deserving of being hooked up to the very best components and cabling.

 

Larry, have you ever compared your Epifania to an Audio Note preamp?

 

Sal,

No I have never done that. I have a requirement that my linestage must have, at a minimum, remote control of volume level and it must have a control for balance. The higher end Audio Notes do not offer remote control so I have never looked at them. Fred Volz put remove control in my Epifania, including control of balance. I have run the Epifania into an Audio Note amp, and the combination worked well. My other amp (again on loan to a friend) is an Audio Note Kageki. I like the Epifania/Kageki combination a lot. But, I like my current combination of electronics a lot too: a custom-built linestage with input and output transformers and running 310 and 311 tubes, into a power amp with matching input transformers (running 348 and 349 tubes).

 

OK, thanks.

 

I have an Audio Note Kit system with Hemp coned AlNiCo magnet AN/E speakers. Can anyone describe the difference I am likely to hear going from basic interconnects to the Isis? I am seriously considering the upgrade

 

For those who have heard the ISIS interconnect, how would you describe the soundstage perspective---e.g. forward, neutral or distant? The reason I am asking is that I find my AN-Vx interconnect is somewhat on the distant side. I am wondering whether the ISIS might have a similar issue, and whether I might be compounding the effect.

 

Sal,

I think you should contact Vu at Deja Vu and arrange to borrow a pair of ISIS. If you don't like it, you can mail it back. That way you can avoid multiple 3-hour drives. I cannot think of a way to really know, unless you give it a try. You could probably arrange to audition it against one of the silver Audio Notes as well. Vu also sells Acrolink interconnects. I heard him compare an Acrolink interconnect against an Audio Note cable (it might have been the ISIS) in a system with AN-E speakers. In this system, which, I believe, did not include Audio Note electronics, the Acrolink more than held its own--the sound was full-bodied, dynamic and nicely textured (not quite as warm or smooth as the ISIS, but still very much in that camp).

 

Larry, you are right. I will get up with Vu and arrange a demo. Even though he won't have a spare 4m ISIS lying around, I can get a good feel for the sound by listening to a 1m cable.

 

"Our new ISIS interconnects will blow you away!"