MIT CVT-1 Cable Demo/Review Round 3

245

Comments

  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited March 2011
    Fantastic! Good to see this demo back in action. Looking forward to your observations.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • m00npie
    m00npie Posts: 697
    edited March 2011
    tcrossma wrote: »
    The cables have been shipped to the next person in line.

    Cables received. Thanks!
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  • tcrossma
    tcrossma Posts: 1,301
    edited April 2011
    Here's my thoughts / impressions of the CVT's. Thanks MIT, Polk, Jesse, etc for the opportunity to test these cables!
    Speakers: Polk LSi15
    Pre: Adcom GFP-750 with HT Bypass
    Amp: Pass Labs X-150
    CD/DVD Player: Classe CDP-10
    Interconnects: MIT Shortgun S3 Pro XLR
    Speaker cables: MIT MH-750 bi-wire
    TT:Micro Seiki DD-35
    Cartridge:Denon DL-160
    Phono Pre:PS Audio GCPH
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited April 2011
    hey i'm up in a few short weeks.. good timing.. i can't wait to see and hear these cables in my system. gotta look for demo music now..
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,663
    edited April 2011
    Great review, thanks.
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
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  • m00npie
    m00npie Posts: 697
    edited April 2011
    MIT CVT-1 Review....

    Thanks Jesse & MIT !
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,081
    edited April 2011
    Nice review m00npie and I like the picture idea!
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  • Big Dawg
    Big Dawg Posts: 2,005
    edited April 2011
    I've really enjoyed all of the reviews so far, and really looking forward to hearing the cables. Thanks to Jesse, MIT, and everyone else who've made this demo possible.
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,663
    edited April 2011
    Great review. Thanks.
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited May 2011
    Are we still on schedule with this? Not nagging, just checking in. I haven't seen any activity since the last review...
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2011
    Is this demo courtesy of Gavin from MIT again? These have been great demos and I'm sure the anti-cable establishment has been out of their minds....oh wait, yes, they complain offline when these start getting noticed. Hilarious.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited May 2011
    Nice reviews all around. Those demo programs are an excellent way to give items a listen in your system that you probably would never get the chance to audition. I've enjoyed the demos that I had.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited May 2011
    Yes Mark, it is.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited May 2011
    treitz3 wrote: »
    Are we still on schedule with this? Not nagging, just checking in. I haven't seen any activity since the last review...

    Yes.
    Ok.
    That's because Dangerboy has had them for the last 2 weeks. His review will be forthcoming.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2011
    treitz3 wrote: »
    Yes Mark, it is.

    Thx Tom. I think he needs to step up the offerings at this point, since he's been given the opportunity to do this here and drop the next level into the program. :smile:
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited May 2011
    The Lending Library is still open to the public as well for those who are interested. Only thing with that is that the members have to get pre-screened and approved. On the positive side, if one is approved? The components sent will be more matched to the system approved instead of one cable for all.

    It wouldn't hurt to chat with him about it though. I'm just glad this demo program was allowed to continue after being canceled.

    Thanks, F1. Good to hear.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2011
    Gavin contacted us offline and asked about doing this from the get-go. He's a very nice dude and certainly motivated about cables for sure and it's a great program, much along the lines of what we used to have here years ago....just not as varied.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited May 2011
    cables will go out tomorrow to the next person on the list..
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited May 2011
    Thought I was on the list for this...guess not.

    I'd like to get back in on this one, PM headed your way, Jesse.
    The nirvana inducer-
    APC H10 Power Conditioner
    Marantz UD5005 universal player
    Parasound Halo P5 preamp
    Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
    PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
    Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited May 2011
    Update.....the cables are en route to Gadabout, engtaz asked to be moved down the list and comfortablycurt has been added to the list.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited May 2011
    Update.....If I don't see a review from danger boy by midnight Monday the 16th, I will shut this demo down.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited May 2011
    Jesse,

    sorry you felt the need to make this public.. and I apologize to everyone else.. been dealing with some serious s@#t.. i know that's no excuse and none of you care.. but in case you do.. my partner was just diagnosed with a brain tumor (acoustic neuroma)... i am not in any way making this up. we just found out during the time of the MIT demo.

    anyway.. i'll post my demo review so that the rest can enjoy the MIT cable demo.

    AL
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited May 2011
    MIT Cable review - sorry it's not in PDF attachment like other people have used... my PDF program is messed up.

    My gear is all older gear i've picked up used in the past few years. I choose it mostly for it's sound and or power abilities.

    integrated amp I used during the demo was a Technics SU-v9
    CDP is a Bada HD 22se
    DAC California Audio Labs Alpha tube
    cables I usually use a not store bought.. mostly ones similar to the level of Signal Cables.. that gives you and idea of about the level of my cable spending extends to. No real need to mention specific brands.. as this review is not about MY cables.. it's about the MIT CVT-1

    When I took them out of the box I was very pleased at their build quality... as I'm sure anyone would be at this level of cable. First thing you notice that is not on other interconnects is the MIT coupler. I don't know what crossover or what is inside the box, but it appears to be pure magic.

    When I always change CD's in my player hooked up to the DAC unit.. i always get this ticking sound from the DAC searching for a digital signal.. with the MIT CVT-1 i never got this same ticking sound from the DAC. I was curious about this..but could not explain why other than it was some kind of crossover in the coupler that must have sent a continuous signal from the player to the DAC.

    I enjoy the locking RCA connectors on both ends of the cables. I prefer locking cable connectors over non locking ones. I almost always seek out locking connectors when choosing a cable for my system.

    Ok enough of that.. when I first turned everything on after hooking up the MIT cables.. it was instantly noticeable that I was hearing more subtle music and instruments that I had never heard as clearly and as cleanly before. I won't got into great detail about this or that.. all I can say is that the "veil" that I usually hear and experience with my cables was suddenly gone. I was hearing more of the music and notes and instruments.

    Musical notes hung in the air, and faded slowly but evenly. I was experiencing more of the music than I was previously missing. Some tracks on some CD's just were to bright. ... and that wasn't due to the cables.. it was due to a poor CD recording. Once the right CD was played, it really was magic. All ranges of the music was heard and present.

    Highs were lively, mids were blended nicely and the lows were about the same as I was used to.. that was where I noticed the least amount of difference. with bass being non directional, it's safe to say that with cables of this caliber that a person would or may not notice that much difference. Highs and mids were exceptional... proving that the gear isn't as important to listening to good music as is having good cables between associated stereo equipment is.

    Sure you want decent CDP, amp, pre amp, etc.. but when my mediocre gear can suddenly be raised from a so so system to maybe a lower mid level sounding system just by adding a pair of interconnects, then that is proof right there than well made interconnect cables do make a difference.

    That's all I can say... trying to come up with new words/expressions for how good these sound would just be repetitive to say the least. I was very impressed with their build and especially sound abilities.

    I did not have time to demo the MIT speaker cables.. *read above*

    Everyone in the demo is in for a real treat. I have not as of this writing read any of the other reviews.

    AL
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,663
    edited May 2011
    Nice review thanks. Prayers sent out for your partner.
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
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  • mufsoman
    mufsoman Posts: 631
    edited May 2011
    For those of you that have already demo'ed the cables and sent them to the next individual on the list, what the approx. cost for shipping with insurance? Thanks
    Parasound HCA-2003A & 2205A
    Front: Rti12's
    Center: Csi A6
    Side surrounds: Polk Rti A1's
    Atmos: Mirage Nanosats
    APC H15
    Power cords by Pepster, Morrow MA4 IC's, AQ Midnight, AQ Chocolate HDMI's[/SIZE]
    The rest is TBD.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2011
    mufsoman wrote: »
    For those of you that have already demo'ed the cables and sent them to the next individual on the list, what the approx. cost for shipping with insurance? Thanks

    I am not in this demo (yet) but can tell you when I shipped a pair of amps (20 bls) the insurance cost at UPS was 2 dollars for every 100 dollars with the first 100 being free.

    So since you need to insure for 1500 your looking at around 28 bucks in insurance alone. Beyond that its gonna depend on how far the next member is from you as to how much shipping is.

    I cant imagine it being that bad. Its like renting the cables for 2 weeks from a store and then being able to return them.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2011
    On another note F1NUT I am PM'ing you my info to be added to the list. Though I dont have positive feedback (due to system being broke) I have sold one item and purchased another in the past month. I can provide links to those threads if needed.

    Thanks for doing this as I signed up for the MIT lending library but never heard back from them.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited May 2011
    Just e-mail him again. There were a lot of applications.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited May 2011
    Update.....EndersShadow and mufsoman have been added to the list. Thanks guys!
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • m00npie
    m00npie Posts: 697
    edited May 2011
    mufsoman wrote: »
    For those of you that have already demo'ed the cables and sent them to the next individual on the list, what the approx. cost for shipping with insurance? Thanks

    $125.00 for me coast to coast for 3 day delivery and insured via Fedex.
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