Looking for RCA Interconnect Upgrade

Imagine a world in which there was only one "universal" amplifier that could be purchased, and the same parameter applied to a digital source. Marry either to the only available loudspeakers that can be purchased....in fact, the only variable is interconnects. Imagine the fun that could be had.

 

When I hooked up my latest TT, I used the cables it came with. Totally forgot to swap them out after testing it new out of the box.

Had a bad hum, couldn't get rid of it. Finally it hit me I never changed them out. Swapped in my Belden cables and hum gone, nice clean sound.

It is amazing what they send with new TT's. Belden cables aren't that much, especially if a big company buys in bulk. Why would you want to send cables that induce electrical noise ?

 

wow!

 

I tried these based on the raves in what hifi. Totally disappointed and couldn't yank them fast enough. They cast a warm dull sheen on everything and restricted the sound- based on my system and its interactions of course.
The $30 set of audioquest evergreens sounded better.

 

I have two systems and also recently have been trying interconnects. I tried a set of Chord Clearwater in my main system (Marantz cd player, Rega Brio and Dynaudio speakers) and they sounded as you describe - a bit dull and bass heavy. I then tried them in my other system (Marantz cd player, NAD Amp and Elac Speakers) and they sounded completely different and much better. They smooth out and give a nice low end boost to the Elac uni-fi UB5s.


My preferred all purpose interconnect at the moment is Wireworld Oasis 7 - great resolution and clarity and they are able to convey a musical performance convincingly. I thought the Luna 7s were pretty good too.

 

"they are able to convey a musical performance convincingly"

Just what in the world does that mean? You should write copy for cable sales ads.

 

My experience was that it took a while before they sounded right in my system.

I can't recognise the veiled sound however.
To me the they sounded a bit bright the first 10 hours. Voices had an annoying edge , but that has since completely disappeared.

 

Thanks for the tip, I will check them out. =)

 

Just for "fun" i put my old audioquest evergreen ($30) cables in place of the new nordost blue heaven ($350) supplying the feed from the Sony HAP player. music didn't sound bad, not as good as with the nordosts, but completely different. it was literally as if i had just swapped out speakers. midrange was more forward, highs rolled off, mid bass somewhat elevated, smoothness replaced transparency.
i have never heard such differences between interconnect cables.
unfortunately the only way to tell what sounds best is to roll the dice and give them a shot. and know the dealer's return policy before you buy.

 

You might want to look into the Teo Audio Game Changers:

Teo Game-Changer IC's - get on the bus! | Audiogon Discussion Forum

They have really lived up to their name in my system.

 

If you have nothing meaningful to add why in hell do you bother to post? Do you see yourself as the resident smartarse?

 

anyone who spends $100

 

I think you miss the forum

 

After reading nearly 300 posts in this thread, I've concluded the following:

* Some people hear differences between low end cables and higher end cables
* Some people do not hear differences between low end cables and higher cables
* Some systems appear to benefit from better cables
* Some systems do not appear to benefit from better cables

So why do some people hear a difference between low end cables and higher end cables and others do not hear a difference? Is it their hearing, meaning we all hear things differently? I believe this may play a part (sidenote - someone once told me they thought Aerosmith's 'Dream On' was a ripoff of LZ's 'Stairway to Heaven' since they both sounded like the same song to this person, I don't hear similarities, but he did). Or, is it a matter of synergy? Do different IC's sound similiar in system X but can sound different in system Y? I think the answer is, use "good" IC's that are not too long for your system, and have adequate shielding to prevent noise/hum from entering. Anything more could be a gamble, ... or not!

 

Maybe the difference is not cost but rather different design parameters? There's no accounting for taste or perception in this case—brains and ears and learned acuity are always going to vary.

 

"Most of the above" would be a good answer based on my experience. They do sound different, of that I have no doubt in my system. However, sspending $1,500 is no guarantee of improvement, but neither is limiting yourself to $100 totally sensible. Clearly it's a case of trial and error.

 

I've been watching for Grover cables too. The last time a pair of Grover IC's showed up on the Hardware section here on the SHF was two years ago. As far as those other used sites, I usually see the older Grover cables, like the U6, I don't see the current EX+ or Empress often. I'll probably just go ahead and purchase them new. A 1 meter pair of the EX+ is $200.

 

confirmation bias? unless one compare cables in a blind listening test, all data are compromised.

 

In my system, I lost the improvement from an Audioquest King Cobra IC, probably because I had to add an AQ Evergreen IC. The King Cobra alone made a distinct improvement over a cheap generic cable. Again, I was a skeptic before giving the KC a try.

 

I agree that can be a factor, and all else being equal, I feel more confident of my preferences if I've done the listening test blind. That said, I can't see how confirmation bias explains why cables in the same price range sound different, which is often the case. I mean, maybe there is some hidden bias, but I can't figure out what it could be, aside from the brand, but I personally don't have a strong preference on cable brands – which ever sounds best is OK with me.

 

Maybe it's the general design parameters and the materials rather than the cost. Obviously, one could buy an identical cable for more or less and it would sound the same.

 

You forgot to mention -
*Some people do not hear a difference between cables of differing quality because they don't believe it will make much difference and never tried them- but that doesn't stop them from having an opinion on how they sound!

 

I know I'll probably get slagged by some for saying this, but a key aspect of phono cables (compared to other signal cables) is that the signal running through them is usually not enough to break them in--e.g., to form the dielectric of the insulation (among other possible effects). In my experience this can lead to them not performing up to potential, resulting in incorrect assessment of their performance. I always break in my cables using a signal generator before putting them in my system, in order to make sure I have them settled before listening.

John K.

 

Just this week bought a pair of Siltech Classic Anniversary 330i interconnects (XLR) to replace my cheapo Mogami Golds. Am looking forward to installing them when I get home and possibly doing some a/b comparisons.

 

Honestly, I I was going to spend $500 on interconnects. It would be a requirement that I take them home and do a blind test with my old ones to see if they are really better. And I mean like 10 different tries; then if ALL 10 tries I preferred the $500 ones I would buy them.