MIT CVT-1 Cable Demo/Review Round 3

135

Comments

  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited May 2011
    umm.. it ran me approx $34 from WA state to TX using Fed Ex ground... my preferred shipping company.

    i don't see the need to ship them 3 day delivery myself.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited May 2011
    Folks, please use UPS or FedEx regular ground. There's no need for expedited shipping unless the cost doesn't bother you.
    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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  • Gadabout
    Gadabout Posts: 1,072
    edited May 2011
    Thanks to MIT for giving us this opportunity and Jesse for keeping us on track with these. It was a lot of fun having these cables on the 2ch system

    Scott
    Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. ..... Frank Zappa
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,663
    edited June 2011
    Thanks for the review.
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited June 2011
    Update.....cables are now with Disc Jockey.

    Just an FYI for future demos, you'll get the best results by using the IC's and speaker cables together in your system.
    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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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited June 2011
    They just hit the house, Jesse. Review forthcoming.
    ~ 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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  • Disc Jockey
    Disc Jockey Posts: 1,013
    edited June 2011
    Had to get my review in before trietz3 got his done. Thanks Jesse and MIT!
    "The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." Thucydides
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited June 2011
    Disc Jockey wrote:
    It involves leaving the country so I didn’t let Jesse know as I didn’t want him fearing for the cables.

    LOL......smart man, Brendt.
    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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  • gavn8r
    gavn8r Posts: 53
    edited July 2011
    I haven't checked in for quite a while, so I decided to log in and see what was going on with the demo. Wow. Thanks for all of the reviews fellas... and for keeping the ball rolling. The more systems these cables get into, the happier I am.

    My thoughts and prayers are with you and your partner danger boy. I was very sorry to read that news.
    mitcables.com
    audioevo.org/mitcables
    twitter.com/mitcables
    facebook.com/morethanjustcables
    youtube.com/mitcables
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited July 2011
    Update.....iskandam has requested to be taken off the demo 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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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited July 2011
    Fellas, I apologize for the delay with my review. I know it is no excuse but life and Mother Nature kept getting in the way. The cables have already moved on to the next in line and that part fortunately had no delay. Please accept my apologies for a timely review and expect it to be posted here today.

    Thanks to Jesse, MIT and Gavin for making this a possibility. The results as to what hit my ears were surprising to me, to say the least.
    ~ 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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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited July 2011
    Well, here goes. I have been looking forward to this MIT demo for a long time now and once again, I do appreciate having the opportunity to demo some MIT cables. What I got was two sets of MIT CVT-1 interconnects and 1 set of MIT CVT-1 speaker cables.

    Equipment used:
    Richard Grey 400Pro Power Supply
    Dodd Audio MLP tubed preamplifier w/ isolation footings and 12AX7 Ei gold pins
    Jolida JD100 CDP w/12AX7 Ei gold pins w/ isolation footings
    Sony BDP S-570 SACD/Blu-ray player
    Musical Fidelity A3Cr amplifier
    2 custom Tyler Acoustics sub woofers hooked up in stereo, both on Target Audio stands w/ spikes
    Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature Series towers w/ spikes

    Most power cords are upgraded as well from stock:
    Dodd - Custom made
    Jolida - Nerve Audio Hosa PC-1
    MF - PS Audio Prelude
    Sony - No IEC

    Previous IC's and SC used prior to demo:
    Jolida to Dodd - Wire World Eclipse5 [squared]
    Sony to Dodd - Silver Sonic BL-1 Series II
    Dodd to MF - Transparent Music Link Plus
    Speaker Cables - AudioQuest CV-8's w/ an upgraded 72v BP

    I purposely have not changed one thing in the rig for about a month or more just so I was familiar with exactly what my rig could do and how it performed on a variety of music.

    When I was unpacking the box, I was thinking of ways to pay for them as I have heard some great rigs that use MIT all around and I have heard lots of good things about MIT. The build quality was real nice and they were flexible enough not to pose an issue on my rig. Installed, they made a clean and professional look. One gripe I had was the same gripe I have with the AQ SC's. That being that the nanner's do not fit tightly into either the MF amplifier or the Tyler speakers. This might be due to the amount of use these cables have had but if I were to own them, it would be something that I would definitely address as I am not a big fan of spades. They tend to vibrate out of position over time in my experience with them.

    Now on to the sound. Immediately, I noticed a coloring of the music. Now, I'm not sure coloring would be the exact word I'm looking for as all cables "color" the music but it had the same type of tone/coloring as when I went from the other 30 or so IC's to the Transparents. Something that I have and could live with, given the so many other attributes they offer. Anyway, this coloring or tone was slightly different than the Transparents. Same sound, different flavor would be a good way to put it. Both of them pleasurable.

    So, I haven't even sat down in the sweet spot and I notice that other than the different flavor, if you will, there is no change. My wife walks in with my son Aiden and I told her that I had swapped out the cables. She made the comment that they sounded the same. Interesting and not what I expected.

    So, I sit down in the sweet spot and listen critically to many different genres of music at all levels on the volume knob. I listen to my reference albums, I listen to the dynamic albums I have and the only thing detectable to me is that the bass was just a smudge less than with the old cables. The bass frequencies that I'm referring too are the kick drum and bass guitar and things around and below that region of frequencies. The difference was so slight that it was as if I had bass/treble controls again and I had turned the bass down only 2 notches out of a possible 100 notches. Not really a noticeable change at all but worth mentioning. No change in speed, impact, punch, reverb, definition, separation or anything else. Just a slight, and I do mean slight, decrease in volume.

    Here is where I am very surprised. No other differences. None. :eek:

    This surprises the hell out of me because with all of the other IC's I have, EVERY one of them had something that was very noticeable to these ears. I heard everything from missing mids and bloated bass to a bright top end with limited, yet accurate bass. I have heard the overall frequencies that were the bomb but the sound stage collapsed to the point to where I had a 2-D sound stage. A rolled off top end, pushed back mids and adequate bass and just about every conceivable combination in between and more.

    But when I switch out 2 sets of IC's and the SC's, I get nothing but a different flavor and slightly different volume of the lower regions? What?

    Frequencies, linearity and overall sound are one thing and for some, that's where they stop. This is where I start. The pinpoint imaging and spatial locational cues are a must with anything that is introduced into my rig. If they can not do them properly, they are out in T-minus one minute. I knew I could notice a change with where things were on the sound stage.

    Wrong. I listened and listened to as many songs, genres and types of music I could. Many of which I am extremely familiar with. Nothing. Not one damned thing. So, out of frustration I went and grabbed my reference disc to test depth, height, and left to right imaging. The MIT's were spot on to my existing cables. There was no difference. That explains why I couldn't detect any locational cues.

    My conclusion:
    These cables would be a great addition to those who do not want to spend more than what the set of MIT's cost in trying out different cables. They offered basically the same thing my rig already had but without the thousands of dollars spent to get there. This may not be the case in your rig as synergy can be a nasty thing but for me, in my rig, with the gear that I have right now? They fit right on in and sounded great.
    ~ 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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  • tcrossma
    tcrossma Posts: 1,301
    edited July 2011
    treitz3 wrote: »
    One gripe I had was the same gripe I have with the AQ SC's. That being that the nanner's do not fit tightly into either the MF amplifier or the Tyler speakers. This might be due to the amount of use these cables have had but if I were to own them, it would be something that I would definitely address as I am not a big fan of spades. They tend to vibrate out of position over time in my experience with them.

    Did you try the flex pins? What you are describing is the exact reason I used the flex pins (and loved them).
    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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  • Big Dawg
    Big Dawg Posts: 2,005
    edited July 2011
    I just sent the cables on to Larry (ToolForLifeFan), and forwarded the tracking info to Jesse. As I wrote to Jesse, I really enjoyed the chance to audition the cables in my rig. I need to think a bit more about the experience, and then I'll write up my review.

    Just for reference, the box weighed in at 15.1 lbs (so they rounded up to 16 lbs), and measured 17x17x16.

    Cost to ship from NJ to Colorado, with signature required and $1,500 declared value? $31.08.

    Cost to my future audio fund? My wife is already getting nervous.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited July 2011
    Cool can't wait!! Wish I had them now as I'm taking a few days off..
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited July 2011
    Update:

    Waiting on a review from Big Dawg.

    The cables are now with Toolforlifefan.

    LessisNevermore has asked to be removed from the list.

    grimmace19 and Outfitter03 have asked to be moved to the end of 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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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited July 2011
    I had yesterday off so I'm sure they are in my office..

    grimmace19 lives not far from me..
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited July 2011
    TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »
    I had yesterday off

    Lucky you. :smile:
    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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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited July 2011
    I have them in my hands, i will hook them up here in just a few.

    BTW Nice looking cables!!!
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  • Big Dawg
    Big Dawg Posts: 2,005
    edited July 2011
    Here's my review. In it, I neglected to mention the impressive build quality, which is first rate.

    Thanks to MIT, Jesse, and the CP community for making stuff like this possible.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited August 2011
    Just so everyone understands I am running full MIT S3 Shotguns in my system.

    For now I just swapped out the speaker cables with the CVT Terminator 1's and to be honest I almost backed out of this demo because I have the Shotguns and how can these be better? Right??

    Well I have swapped these back and forth about 6 times now, I can tell you the CVT-1's trump my shotguns not in the bass department as they are about the same but with the soundstage and 3D imaging the CVT-1's take it big time.

    I'm sure I should have waited before I posted this till my two weeks is up but I could not help it so if I broke the rules I'm sorry Jesse..

    I will integrate the interconnects tomorrow. I am very excited about what I will find.

    Thanks MIT and Jesse I will update more later!!!

    Larry.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,561
    edited August 2011
    Update:

    Zingo has been added to the list. Thanks!
    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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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited August 2011
    Package is ready to ship It will be picked up Monday and off to Chris Martin..
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited August 2011
    Woohoo and I got the sda bottoms the other day Larry! Thanks again!

    Can't wait to try these out against my nordost and signal cable.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited August 2011
    Not sure about nordost but these cables will kill the signal cables!!

    I was wondering if you received the wood caps yet..

    Enjoy!!
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited August 2011
    TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »
    Not sure about nordost but these cables will kill the signal cables!!

    I was wondering if you received the wood caps yet..

    Enjoy!!

    yep got them a day ago going to have to refinish them to match the color of the wood on the SRS's. I really like the Nordost so we'll have a good time comparing!

    I'll post once I get them.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited August 2011
    I started with just the speaker cables to compare then I worked in the IC's.. This demo got me to upgrade my speaker cables from the Shotgun 3's to the Shotgun 1's, I have them in the mix now.

    Looking forward to the comparison with the nordost..
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited August 2011
    F1NUT, can I get re added to the list?
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited August 2011
    Got the cables today and wow these are fun! So happy I tried this out!!!
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,244
    edited August 2011
    Enjoy!! they are a great cables..
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