The Audioquest Plunge

HBombToo

I did not have enough audio cables for my humble 2 channel project so I shot gunned a cable purchase. I purchased 3 pair of Audioquest Copperhead analog cables and wired it all up. From my Denon 2900 multi out I ran the FL,FR and Center into my h/k then from the h/k preamp out into my Outlaw amp. Surround L/R remain on the monster THX cables.

Well fellas I have to say I cannot tell at this time whether or not it was a good change but I can say I had to slightly re-cal the HT after the change. There was about 2 dB additional loss from the monster cable. Perhaps over time because of breakin I'll be Zen'd.

I also bought the Audioquest YIQ-3 component vidio cables and immediatly saw a brighter more vivid and accurate image compared to my monsters. The red is definetly more red and the darks are very dark with excellent contrast. The monsters are no slouch and I'll hang on to them for Direct HDTV but I'll hold onto the Audioquest for the Denon.

No more upgrades for me for awhile... 500 bones is a lot of beer:p

HBomb

dorokusai

Glad to hear your good results, maybe some further time will reveal more character....maybe not. I was pretty impressed with the Diamondbacks, so Audioquest is a keeper for me.

PolkThug

Hbomb,

You wouldn't happen to be from around the KC area would ya?

Regards,
PolkThug

HBombToo

Originally posted by PolkThug
Hbomb,

You wouldn't happen to be from around the KC area would ya?

Regards,
PolkThug

Lee's Summit... are you here also? If so lets drink a few dozen Beers!!!

HBomb

Fireman99

Glad you can tell the diffrance in the cables. I just replaced my monster cable front speaker wire to Audioquest biwire and noticed a diffrence as well. gona have to cut the Beer drinking in half and save for more wire!
Dan

steveinaz

You'll love the Copperheads. The treble is the most grainless, accurate treble I've heard, in any cable. Voices are incredibly real, with no "spitty" artifacts or nasal character. Once you go solid core, you'll never go back to stranded-wire cables. I've tried a number of high quality stranded cables, and always go back to AQ IC's. I also have AQ Granite speaker wires--they'll be the last cables I buy...they're that good.

I recently tried Straight Wire IC's and guess what....I just returned them for another set of Copperheads. When will I learn?

HBombToo

Audioport(The most amazing audio store I have ever visited) here in KC was kind enough to loan out a few pair of cables to a friend of mine who has a GREAT 2 channel settup(Thiel 7.1's, Class'e(chck Sp) CDP, Pre and 200W/channel amp). We had Volcano(last season), Mont Blanc and CV6 from this season. All in all your talking a few months of mortgage payments here

On the Thiel's there is a clear distinction between these 3 cable types and I'll attempt to explain what I sensed.

First and formost the Mont Blank and CV6 did not image well at all. Everything was right shifted and I kept looking at the speaker and thinking the toe in was off but indeed it was not. The Volcano cable's image in comparison was night and day. From my untrained and novice perspective all I can say is the listening stage is HUGE and the performance was as life like as I have ever heard. Not only do the wires make a difference but the Thiels are just amazing and SO LIFELIKE!!!

The 1 year old Volcano was the most accurate across the lows through the highs and I was simply amazed. The Vulcano's were very transparent on this settup and the highs from cymbals down to the kickdrums were as lifelike as I have ever heard. I sensed noise of some sort riding on the highs from the Mont Blanc and CV6 and when we cut over to the Vulcano it was gone. All three btypes did not stress me out but from my vantage point but the Vulcano's surely were as seemless as if they were not even there.

Note: Break in was not an issue for the Mont Blanc or CV6 as they are Demo's plus we let them ride over the past week or so on the Thiel settup before the final shootout. I have to say the Thiels weigh in at about 170 lbs and are over 5 ft tall. They are marvelouse speakers and I can truely understand why they have an audiophile following. IMO a system such as this deserve a high end cable and they DO make a difference.

Caveate: "I have always been on the conservative or skeptical side on the forum regarding wire but can truely say my opinion has slightly changed." The reason I say slightly is my bro decided to keep the Vulcano's which was also my pick so I got to bring the Mont Blanc and CV6's home for a test drive on my humble 800i's. Keep in mind the 800i's are the BEST SPEAKER EVER MADE .

Moving from my Monster Z's to the Mont Blanks last night and giving a hard listin through too about 4AM made me realize I really can't tell the difference. Other than knowing I have a very high dollar speaker wire in line there was nothing revealed differently than I'm very acquated with. The odd thing was I did not experience the right push in the image the way we experienced with the Thiels. Being an EE I can honestly say I have NO CLUE WHY!!! I just don't understand why I did not hear the same thing on both systems.... metal is metal right

With all that said I will concede to the fact that wire does make a difference but I guess how much is determined by many factors that are a stretch for my little noodle. Very high end speaker systems may probably be more intolerant to Inductive and Capacitive shifts due to the wire, where as in a speaker where tolerances are not held as tight may not benifit from the very high end wire.

Probably tomorrow after the Football games and Winston Cup I cut over to the CV6's and give them a test drive until their return this week.

1 thing I will say is that I prefer are Bannana Plugs verse spaids in an HT settup because of their ease in preventing a short. The spades on the back of a multi channel amp are just too damn close verse a 2 channel amp and may rotate and short and in my case they did unknowingly touch. Good thing the Outlaw amp went into protect rather than nuken itself.

I'll jump back in on the CV6's but I truely can say for my modest HT I see no value in very high end speaker cables.

HBomb