[ken6217]

What are some of the popular high end cables people are using in this forum?


I have used Transparent in the past and have Bi-Wire MIT Magnum MA cables now. The associated equipment are Levinson 436 monoblocks, Meridian 861, Aerial 20T and cc5 center speaker.


I wonder if all of this time if maybe this type of cable I am using is not giving me sound how it is "supposed" to be. This is something that I have thought about in the past, but about a week ago my brother met someone who was a "higher up" with Mark Levinson and now is with Meridian. He had said that the type of cable that I am using is a poor choice with Levinson amps in that it kills the dynamics of the amp. My brother said that he mentioned Kimber and another brand but doesn't remember it. Regardless of what brands he mentioned, what do you think of Transparent/MIT type cables versus other high end speaker cables without networks.


Please let's not get into a debate that there is no difference in sound between cables. Let that be on another thread.


Thanks,

Ken

 

[Jim HTPC]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ken6217 /forum/post/14176580


What are some of the popular high end cables people are using in this forum?


I have used Transparent in the past and have Bi-Wire MIT Magnum MA cables now. The associated equipment are Levinson 436 monoblocks, Meridian 861, Aerial 20T and cc5 center speaker.


I wonder if all of this time if maybe this type of cable I am using is not giving me sound how it is "supposed" to be. This is something that I have thought about in the past, but about a week ago my brother met someone who was a "higher up" with Mark Levinson and now is with Meridian. He had said that the type of cable that I am using is a poor choice with Levinson amps in that it kills the dynamics of the amp. My brother said that he mentioned Kimber and another brand but doesn't remember it. Regardless of what brands he mentioned, what do you think of Transparent/MIT type cables versus other high end speaker cables without networks.


Please let's not get into a debate that there is no difference in sound between cables. Let that be on another thread.


Thanks,

Ken

Odin

 

[rydenfan]

I am a huge fan of the new Tesla line from Synergistic Research

 

[Brucemck2]

I really enjoyed the Transparent top of the line interconnects and speaker wires in a mixed solid state and tube setup. In that system they were markedly better than the Purists they replaced.

 

[tyree91]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rydenfan /forum/post/14176740


I am a huge fan of the new Tesla line from Synergistic Research

I agree The Tesla is one of the new hot tickets. It's very intriguing indeed with the Enigma Power Supply. The Audioquest DBS cables are also very nice.

 

[speco2003]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ken6217 /forum/post/14176580


Please let's not get into a debate that there is no difference in sound between cables. Let that be on another thread.


Thanks,

Ken

Well you already did that. You stated that you think they are not giving you the correct sound. So cables must make a difference. The reality is if you are using the correct gauge cable for the gear then price is no issue. The reality is also that none of these cable companies have beat physics and until they do they are pure snake oil.

 

[Anthony A.]

see that? only 5 posts and you get the typical "can't resist post". i think this is the last forum you should ask a cable question in. audioasylum and audiocircle are better for this.

 

[speco2003]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony A. /forum/post/14177259


audioasylum and audiocircle are better for this.

[I[/i]



Indeed they are. Science is not allowed there. Truth is not either. Here at the AV SCIENCE forum the truth is allowed.Please instead of just blowing it off tell me how I was wronng in anything I wrote?


And it seems you also missed the point I made as well. The OP said dont debate yet it was ok for him to do it in his post.

 

[rsbeck]

I would first want to know how the cables can possibly be "killing the dynamics." Maybe you should place a call to makers of these cables to hear what they have to say. Not that you should believe them, but at least to hear what they say, get another opinion. Next, just for argument's sake, if you need specific cables to keep from harming your dynamics, how do you determine which cables those might be? By taking a poll to find out which cables others use and favor in their systems? What next, a series of random trial and error to see if you hit the lucky number? Stop and think about it for awhile. What special conditions does your gear present that would demand special cables to keep the dynamics intact? Which cables can work effectively under these conditions and, more importantly, why? Then, you might ask around, talk to a few electrical engineers and see if any of these "conditions" and "remedies" make sense or if they are just marketing BS. Get another point of view. If your gear truly has special conditions that make your dynamics fragile and in danger of degradation from the wrong cable and demands the "right" cable, it would seem to me like some rational investigation is in order.

 

[Alimentall]

Transparent, MIT and Purist all try very hard to alter the sound. Speakers with boxes are obviously different sounding and warmer than something like Nordost or Kimber. If the sound is kinda midrangey and rolled off, just try any other cable.

 

[rsbeck]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Alimentall /forum/post/14177493


Transparent, MIT and Purist all try very hard to alter the sound.

In what way?

Quote:
Speakers with boxes are obviously different sounding and warmer than something like Nordost or Kimber.

Why should they? Speakers with "boxes" generally tout their ability to do the opposite, to avoid attenuation and stay linear.....way outside the range of human audibility. Don't see any reason that should make them sound different, much less, "warmer."

 

[ken6217]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Alimentall /forum/post/14177493


Speakers with boxes are obviously different sounding and warmer than something like Nordost or Kimber. If the sound is kinda midrangey and rolled off, just try any other cable.

Can you elaborate more on what you are saying with regards to the statement.

Ken

 

[Alimentall]

I'm saying that you can make a speaker cable have a sound if you want, especially easy if you throw in extra parts in the signal path. We've traded in a lot of MIT, Purist and Transparent over the years because people change their speakers to something more refined and suddenly these don't work for them. We then resell them to people with bright, aggressive speakers and it makes them happy. Passive tone control. Technically, a pair of zip cords would be more accurate. A guy at Nordost once told me that they measured some really expensive Purist cables and their propagation speed was way below that of zip cable.

 

[owl1]

Siltech G6 Emperor. Others from sig line are also vy vy good. Ribbons and boxes can be very problematic. Cables are about system balance and should be done last.

 

[eljr]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ken6217 /forum/post/14176580


What are some of the popular high end cables people are using in this forum?


I have used Transparent in the past and have Bi-Wire MIT Magnum MA cables now. The associated equipment are Levinson 436 monoblocks, Meridian 861, Aerial 20T and cc5 center speaker.


I wonder if all of this time if maybe this type of cable I am using is not giving me sound how it is "supposed" to be. This is something that I have thought about in the past, but about a week ago my brother met someone who was a "higher up" with Mark Levinson and now is with Meridian. He had said that the type of cable that I am using is a poor choice with Levinson amps in that it kills the dynamics of the amp. My brother said that he mentioned Kimber and another brand but doesn't remember it. Regardless of what brands he mentioned, what do you think of Transparent/MIT type cables versus other high end speaker cables without networks.


Please let's not get into a debate that there is no difference in sound between cables. Let that be on another thread.


Thanks,

Ken

OMG, you didn't go there!

 

[eljr]



Quote:
Originally Posted by owl1 /forum/post/14178243


Ribbons and boxes can be very problematic.

You do know someone will dispute this.

 

[Anthony A.]

i have 1 question to ask all the "physics" guys (not intending to be rude). do you believe that different cable constructions result in "different" sounding cables? for example, would you say that a solid silver interconnect/speaker cable sounds exactly the same as an a gold or copper cable?

 

[Michael Grant]



Quote:
for example, would you say that a solid silver interconnect/speaker cable sounds exactly the same as an a gold or copper cable?

I do reject the notion that silver and copper impart different flavors to the sound. Any measured or audible differences between silver and copper are entirely due to the fact that silver is approximately 8% more conductive than silver. That means given two otherwise identical cables, one being silver and one being copper, the former will have slightly lower resistance. It's not likely this is audible at all at any reasonable cable length; regardless, simply making the copper cable slightly thicker mitigates the conductivity advantage too.

 

[rsbeck]

First, you have to state *why* you think a given cable should sound different, then we can examine the science behind it and see it it is valid. Why should the "boxes" employed by MIT and Transparent should make them sound different?

 

[rsbeck]

If a particular set of amplifiers and speakers needs a certain cable to avoid killing the dynamics, there should be a reason. Knowing the reason should help pick the particular cable and before spending money on the cable, it should be verified that it possesses the properties needed. That's only logical.