Talking about cables. I finally tested the new Acoustic Zen Satoris vs the AQ Type 4s that were in my system. HUGE difference!
My test consisted of :
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet In D, Op. 76, No. 5 - Finale - Presto- DSD64 file plugged directly into Cambridge CXN
Used the new PSA M700s which have about 50 hours on them now so they are not fully broken in per manufacturer. Speakers are the Elac Adante AF-61s and the Stellar Gain Pre. AQ XLRs connect the CXN to the Pre and same cables (type) connect the pre to the M700s
I listened to this track alternately back and forth disconnecting each full set and then reconnecting a total of four times. Two per cable set.
My findings are:
The soundstage on the Satoris gained height and seemed to move the music closer to me. The positioning of the instruments were not only more accurate, but they presented more decay and natural reverb. The cello and three Violins hit the staccato notes and had much more depth to those notes and they lasted longer. This was one track but for me, I can tell the biggest system changes with well recorded classical. Especially small quartets.
Overall now that the cables are somewhat broken in, this should have been a decent apples to apples test between the two. And it’s not even a competition. Great cables. Very very happy.
Did a frequency sweep in my listening room. It drops SIGNIFICANTLY at 43 hz. Not fun.
SDA 2Bs (recapped) - Adcom GFA-545 (recapped)
Just a dude doing dude-ly things
"Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
" I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
"Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
"Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
"Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member
Perhaps, one day, you will realize MOSFETS aren't all they are cracked up to be..
Ha! Tell that to Nelson Pass...
Eh, he may like them but I do not. I like to turn on the rig and enjoy the music. Waiting up to three days for optimum sound is not my idea of what a rig should do for your listening enjoyment. We have a lot of lightning storms where I live and when I had my Odyssey Stratos, it took right at about 3 days for everything to come back into fruition...with everything getting WORSE on day two. So, if I had 2 lightning storms 3 days apart?
F that. That was the reason I got rid of it, even though it was a really nice sounding amplifier after 3 days.
Turn it on and enjoy the high fidelity music immediately is where I like to be.
Tom
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.
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
Ah. We almost never get lightning so I guess I'm spoiled.
Home System:
SDA 1C's - Full mod with the help by Dave...
1000 Va Dreadnought- w/ WireWorld Mini-Eclipse cables
WireWorld Mini-Eclipse 7 speaker cables
WireWorld Silver Eclipse IC's
Cambridge Audio Azur 851N - DAC/Streamer
In The Market For A New Pre...
B&K M200 Sonata Monoblocks
BLE-Design 16mm Power Cables
Denon DVD 2900
Barn system:
SDA SRS 2.3's Full mod done by myself
Carver C-1 pre
Carver M1.5t
BluDenso - Bluetooth receiver/DAC
Perhaps, one day, you will realize MOSFETS aren't all they are cracked up to be..
Ha! Tell that to Nelson Pass...
Eh, he may like them but I do not. I like to turn on the rig and enjoy the music. Waiting up to three days for optimum sound is not my idea of what a rig should do for your listening enjoyment. We have a lot of lightning storms where I live and when I had my Odyssey Stratos, it took right at about 3 days for everything to come back into fruition...with everything getting WORSE on day two. So, if I had 2 lightning storms 3 days apart?
F that. That was the reason I got rid of it, even though it was a really nice sounding amplifier after 3 days.
Turn it on and enjoy the high fidelity music immediately is where I like to be.
Tom
Tom, what are you running now?? Sorry if it's in your sig, I'm on my phone and can't see it....just curious
Hello, Gerres26. No, it's not in my signature. I am currently running a Musical Fidelity A3cr and am extremely happy with its sonic signature, linear frequency and finesse with a power punch that'll scare you at times. No issues turning it on and spinning some music with optimum sound immediately.
Tom
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.
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
I hear you, I ran a Musical Fidelity A5 integrated for a while before moving to some other gear. Sounded great and still might have been my biggest bang for buck purchase in this hobby. I'm a couple combinations past the MF, I've gotten different sound...maybe not "better", just different.
I know I read a review that said the mono blocks sounded better separated then on top of each other, however this entire set up with half of the equipment on that rack that was on the left was very irritating to me because I do appreciate symmetry. So the trade-off is everything is all clumped together and the record player is now lower than ideal. But it still sounds really good and the biggest thing is I have my symmetry back.
Plus the Niagara actually looks pretty slick sitting there
Did a frequency sweep in my listening room. It drops SIGNIFICANTLY at 43 hz. Not fun.
SDA 2Bs (recapped) - Adcom GFA-545 (recapped)
Do you have an idea why? That's a major frequency area to have a lack of.
My assumption? Small room, overloaded with bass causing horrible standing waves and lack of room absorption.
Just a guess though.
Just a dude doing dude-ly things
"Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
" I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
"Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
"Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
"Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member
Looks good, Joe. I've seen a number of setups with the TT placed in front of the TV like how you have it. Let us know how it works out in practice. It looks low in the photos, but maybe it's a different experience in the room.
Love that subtle backlight glow behind the TV.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Thank You Drew. Listened to it last night and even with all that wiring back there, I have not gotten an increase in noise or phono feedback with this setup.
The sound is better over all as the speakers have the distance between them and from the side walls as recommended. Am I losing some stereophonics with the M700’s on top of each other? Not sure but much better too to bottom sound with this setup.
That light behind the tv is a very cool modular light bar setup from LIFX and can change to all colors and even display movement.
Put a Schiit Mani in. Have a lot of burning in to do. Trying some Morrow Audio cables too. So far so good.
Lexicon RT-10, Parasound P5, McCormack DNA 0.5, Polk SDA CRS+, SVS Sub
Schiit Modi, Luminous Audio Axiom II, McCormack DNA-1, Digital Phase AP 2
Marantz AV7701, Emotiva XPA-5, Paradigm 11se Mkii, DCM Time Windows, NHT 2C, SVS Sub
Spares - Kenwood C1 Pre, NAD 2200PE, Polk Monitor 10B, Polk Model 11, other odds and ends
Man, I hope you break the balls toward the camera!!!
Tom
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.
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
Man, I hope you break the balls toward the camera!!!
Tom
I don’t actually... thought about it, but there’s a fireplace with big glass doors on the other side. Guess the time will come one way or another.
Lexicon RT-10, Parasound P5, McCormack DNA 0.5, Polk SDA CRS+, SVS Sub
Schiit Modi, Luminous Audio Axiom II, McCormack DNA-1, Digital Phase AP 2
Marantz AV7701, Emotiva XPA-5, Paradigm 11se Mkii, DCM Time Windows, NHT 2C, SVS Sub
Spares - Kenwood C1 Pre, NAD 2200PE, Polk Monitor 10B, Polk Model 11, other odds and ends
I replaced the rather fumpy looking 5V4GA HV rectifier that's been in the "Simple 2A3" (JELabs via AK's Redboy) amplifier for the past year or so with an altogether much more shapely and pulchritudinous 5V4G.
I replaced the rather fumpy looking 5V4GA HV rectifier that's been in the "Simple 2A3" (JELabs via AK's Redboy) amplifier for the past year or so with an altogether much more shapely and pulchritudinous 5V4G.
Comments
My test consisted of :
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet In D, Op. 76, No. 5 - Finale - Presto- DSD64 file plugged directly into Cambridge CXN
Used the new PSA M700s which have about 50 hours on them now so they are not fully broken in per manufacturer. Speakers are the Elac Adante AF-61s and the Stellar Gain Pre. AQ XLRs connect the CXN to the Pre and same cables (type) connect the pre to the M700s
I listened to this track alternately back and forth disconnecting each full set and then reconnecting a total of four times. Two per cable set.
My findings are:
The soundstage on the Satoris gained height and seemed to move the music closer to me. The positioning of the instruments were not only more accurate, but they presented more decay and natural reverb. The cello and three Violins hit the staccato notes and had much more depth to those notes and they lasted longer. This was one track but for me, I can tell the biggest system changes with well recorded classical. Especially small quartets.
Overall now that the cables are somewhat broken in, this should have been a decent apples to apples test between the two. And it’s not even a competition. Great cables. Very very happy.
We be cablin' on a snowy spring Friday in Northern New Hampsha.
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/185187/cable-test-thoughts
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/185275/interconnect-rca-unbalanced-demo
to be exact
HT:Polk LSiM 706 LSiM 705's VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's| Marantz AV7704 | Sunfire TGA-7401 | Oppo UDP 203 | Sony PS4 Pro| Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | SVS PB13 Ultra | MIT EXP 2's (Fronts & Center)
ManCave: Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro | Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's | Usher BE-616 Center | SVS Ultra Surrounds | SVS SB4000 Sub | SVS SB2000 Sub | Oppo UDP 203 | MIT Shotgun S3's | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life | Samsung 50" SUHD TV | Sony PS4
Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |
Office |Cocktail Audio X14 | KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |
Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |
Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's
Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 | Bluesound Node |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 |
Digital: Sony CDP-CE375 / Streaming > Cambridge CXN v2
MastersounD Dueventi > JBL Studio 580 or Arcam rHead > Hifiman HE4XX
Discogs
HT:Polk LSiM 706 LSiM 705's VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's| Marantz AV7704 | Sunfire TGA-7401 | Oppo UDP 203 | Sony PS4 Pro| Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | SVS PB13 Ultra | MIT EXP 2's (Fronts & Center)
ManCave: Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro | Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's | Usher BE-616 Center | SVS Ultra Surrounds | SVS SB4000 Sub | SVS SB2000 Sub | Oppo UDP 203 | MIT Shotgun S3's | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life | Samsung 50" SUHD TV | Sony PS4
Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |
Office |Cocktail Audio X14 | KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |
Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |
Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's
Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 | Bluesound Node |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 |
SDA 2Bs (recapped) - Adcom GFA-545 (recapped)
"Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
" I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
"Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
"Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
"Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member
Eh, he may like them but I do not. I like to turn on the rig and enjoy the music. Waiting up to three days for optimum sound is not my idea of what a rig should do for your listening enjoyment. We have a lot of lightning storms where I live and when I had my Odyssey Stratos, it took right at about 3 days for everything to come back into fruition...with everything getting WORSE on day two. So, if I had 2 lightning storms 3 days apart?
F that. That was the reason I got rid of it, even though it was a really nice sounding amplifier after 3 days.
Turn it on and enjoy the high fidelity music immediately is where I like to be.
Tom
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
SDA 1C's - Full mod with the help by Dave...
1000 Va Dreadnought- w/ WireWorld Mini-Eclipse cables
WireWorld Mini-Eclipse 7 speaker cables
WireWorld Silver Eclipse IC's
Cambridge Audio Azur 851N - DAC/Streamer
In The Market For A New Pre...
B&K M200 Sonata Monoblocks
BLE-Design 16mm Power Cables
Denon DVD 2900
Barn system:
SDA SRS 2.3's Full mod done by myself
Carver C-1 pre
Carver M1.5t
BluDenso - Bluetooth receiver/DAC
Listen & learn time upcoming.
Tom, what are you running now?? Sorry if it's in your sig, I'm on my phone and can't see it....just curious
Tom
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
Danny
Do you have an idea why? That's a major frequency area to have a lack of.
Plus the Niagara actually looks pretty slick sitting there
My assumption? Small room, overloaded with bass causing horrible standing waves and lack of room absorption.
Just a guess though.
"Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
" I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
"Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
"Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
"Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member
Love that subtle backlight glow behind the TV.
The sound is better over all as the speakers have the distance between them and from the side walls as recommended. Am I losing some stereophonics with the M700’s on top of each other? Not sure but much better too to bottom sound with this setup.
That light behind the tv is a very cool modular light bar setup from LIFX and can change to all colors and even display movement.
Schiit Modi, Luminous Audio Axiom II, McCormack DNA-1, Digital Phase AP 2
Marantz AV7701, Emotiva XPA-5, Paradigm 11se Mkii, DCM Time Windows, NHT 2C, SVS Sub
Spares - Kenwood C1 Pre, NAD 2200PE, Polk Monitor 10B, Polk Model 11, other odds and ends
Tom
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
Hmm, even that's edited, but maybe it's better that way
Now it's not edited, haha
"No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act." - Doro
Saying that it's "too hard" to pursue your dreams is no different than admitting to yourself that you are too lazy to achieve them.
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
I don’t actually... thought about it, but there’s a fireplace with big glass doors on the other side. Guess the time will come one way or another.
Schiit Modi, Luminous Audio Axiom II, McCormack DNA-1, Digital Phase AP 2
Marantz AV7701, Emotiva XPA-5, Paradigm 11se Mkii, DCM Time Windows, NHT 2C, SVS Sub
Spares - Kenwood C1 Pre, NAD 2200PE, Polk Monitor 10B, Polk Model 11, other odds and ends
Just because.
You've got some good looking AQ Diamondback cables there Mark!!
(is this a good example of Bangorrhea?)
Vinyl: Fluance RT82 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Vinyl II: Audio Technica AT-LP120X USB * AT120EB * ART DJ Pre II * Acrylic Turntable Mat
Video: Hisense 55H8F * Panasonic DMP-UB200 * ROKU Premiere * Z-line Designs Elektra
Saying that it's "too hard" to pursue your dreams is no different than admitting to yourself that you are too lazy to achieve them.
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”