Cables for Optimizing my Two Channel Setup.
Options
nooshinjohn
Posts: 25,686
One area I will be addressing is having my turntable professionally calibrated and set up to ensure I am getting the most from it, but beyond that, I have reached a place that is the end of the road for upgrades and the days of looking for that next move are behind me. I am completely happy with the Pass Labs stack, turntable and of course, my amplifiers.
One area I may make a move later on is with my speakers, but that is so far down the road, and whatever I get would have such a high standard to meet that I have yet to find them. That leaves cables... Let me pause here and say if you cannot accept the premise that cables have a synergistic fit to a system that can make for dramatic improvement in the overall performance of a high end audio setup, do not post here. Your comments are not required.
I have been very happy with the Douglas Connection cables I have been using, but have decided to take full advantage of the XLR connections that all my gear now has and wish to upgrade. Currently, I am using AudioQuest Forest XLR and they are good, but feel I can do better. I am looking at MIT, but do not want to spend thousands on cables, especially when that money could be used to move up the chain in the Pass family. I am a newb to XLR connections and do not have much knowlege of the different types of cables within this subset of cables.
My length requirements are two sets of 1 meter, one set at 1.5/2 meter for the XLR, a set of 12 foot Bi-Wire speaker cables, 1 set of 1 meter RCA and 1 set of 3 meter RCA to connect the amplifiers to the preamp.
Thanks for any input and advice.
One area I may make a move later on is with my speakers, but that is so far down the road, and whatever I get would have such a high standard to meet that I have yet to find them. That leaves cables... Let me pause here and say if you cannot accept the premise that cables have a synergistic fit to a system that can make for dramatic improvement in the overall performance of a high end audio setup, do not post here. Your comments are not required.
I have been very happy with the Douglas Connection cables I have been using, but have decided to take full advantage of the XLR connections that all my gear now has and wish to upgrade. Currently, I am using AudioQuest Forest XLR and they are good, but feel I can do better. I am looking at MIT, but do not want to spend thousands on cables, especially when that money could be used to move up the chain in the Pass family. I am a newb to XLR connections and do not have much knowlege of the different types of cables within this subset of cables.
My length requirements are two sets of 1 meter, one set at 1.5/2 meter for the XLR, a set of 12 foot Bi-Wire speaker cables, 1 set of 1 meter RCA and 1 set of 3 meter RCA to connect the amplifiers to the preamp.
Thanks for any input and advice.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
Comments
-
Check out Shunyata. Unlike many cable vendors, they use science in designing cables, and provide tons of documentation to explain their work. I am using their TOTL cables (see sig), which might be out of your range, but their performance is better than cables from others that cost more, way more.
Check out their lines just below the TOTL.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Check out Shunyata. Unlike many cable vendors, they use science in designing cables, and provide tons of documentation to explain their work. I am using their TOTL cables (see sig), which might be out of your range, but their performance is better than cables from others that cost more, way more.
Check out their lines just below the TOTL.
If the Shunyata Venom XLR's are anywhere as good as the Venom RCA's then they should be a great choice......plus they look killer! I've been evaluating the Venom RCA's since getting a great deal on a used pair and I am super impressed, even though I never thought much of the Venom line of power cords.
Having said that, I wouldn't necessarily expect the XLR solution to be an upgrade over RCA even though there are/may be some inherent benefit.
2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones -
dragon1952 wrote: »
If the Shunyata Venom XLR's are anywhere as good as the Venom RCA's then they should be a great choice......plus they look killer! I've been evaluating the Venom RCA's since getting a great deal on a used pair and I am super impressed, even though I never thought much of the Venom line of power cords.
I have those XLR Venoms, and speaker cables, in my HT/backup stereo and love them. My feeble brain forgot that. LOL.
However, the Venoms are ‘entry’ level, so the next level (Delta or Alpha) might be more fitting for John.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Look into analysis plusAmplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
Dac: Sonnet Morpheus 2, Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkIII
Transport: Jay's Audio CDT2 mk2, Lumin U1 mini
Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II
Speaker Cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Organic Audio Organic Reference 2
Interconnects: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Argento Organic Reference 2, Argento Organic 2
Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
Digital cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2 bnc, Tellurium Q aes, Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature 2 bnc
Puritan PSM156 -
I have those XLR Venoms, and speaker cables, in my HT/backup stereo and love them. My feeble brain forgot that. LOL.
However, the Venoms are ‘entry’ level, so the next level (Delta or Alpha) might be more fitting for John.
I tend not to put much stock into a cables placement in the hierarchy. Despite being entry level they still incorporate OHNO cast copper and " exclusive VTX (hollow-core) conductors, previously found only in higher-end designs"2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones -
dragon1952 wrote: »
I tend not to put much stock into a cables placement in the hierarchy. Despite being entry level they still incorporate OHNO cast copper and " exclusive VTX (hollow-core) conductors, previously found only in higher-end designs"
Yes, that might be true. Since I haven’t heard the Delta or Alpha, I can’t speak from experience. However, I have come to conclude that Shunyata is honest and factual in their products, and descriptions. So, I suspect if your gear is capable of excellent resolution then those cables will help reveal it.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Why rule out MIT cables since you stated you're done upgrading the Pass gear?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 -
Haven't ruled out anything Jesse. MIT would be optimal for me, but I would need to go used on them. Just getting ideas for now.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Wireworld...Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)
There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus -
nooshinjohn wrote: »Haven't ruled out anything Jesse. MIT would be optimal for me, but I would need to go used on them. Just getting ideas for now.
I am thinking Shotguns but there are so many series options that I don't know where to look.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
MIT is fine. I was using Shotgun S1.3 in my stereo. However, there are better, and some vendors don’t double their list price so that vendors can appear to give ‘big’ discounts.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Nobody doubled the list price, they took 40 to 50% off 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 -
nooshinjohn wrote: »
I am thinking Shotguns but there are so many series options that I don't know where to look.
They don't make the Shotgun series any longer and not many show up on the used market because people keep them due to how good they sound.
The current offerings are priced much higher than the older series, which is unfortunate.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 -
Nobody doubled the list price, they took 40 to 50% off the list.
Okay. I never understood business.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Me either. You make a good mid/high end audio product at a reasonable price, which is selling very well, so you stop making it. After a while you realize you've lost a lot of customers and your really high priced products aren't making you as much as you thought, so you bring back the original lower priced products with a different name, but price them much higher than they were years ago and wonder why your sales still suck.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 -
Your using Forest XLR cables? Really? I never seen them before. Are you sure they are not Jaguar older models with 36v DBS system on them? All forest level cables are green in color. Can you take a pic of them?
I can make you a full recommendation for your system can you list the exact components that your wiring between. I see the lengths and the Pass Labs XO.2 preamp and the Carver Monos. I also think your rewiring the DAC Perfect Wave from PS Audio and the 1.2 TL's.
Some helpful tips on the speaker cables, if you buy Bi wire cables you will feel the need to buy speakers that can be bi wired as you may love your new wires. BUT you might find speakers down the road in your upgrade path that are not bi wirable and then you have to sell them and get new speaker cables again. Not the end of the world but it's something to think about.
The analog interconnects at 3m your gonna want a good quality and keep them away from power wires so they have less ability to pick up any interference.
Same with the 1m models.
The Balanced is where when you upgrade your not gonna hear much difference as by design the balanced cable even entry level models are going to give you a very low noise floor and as long as they are high quality properly built cables it's so small in differences I'm completely agreeing with you about spending a lot of money here when that same money can be used to upgrade something else that will give you much better value results.
You can PM me if you wish and I can talk to you over the phone. Once you confirm your system I will also leave a detailed spec here for you to think about.
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
I recently used the lending library from The Cable Company to try some Synergistic Research RCA and speaker cables.
I started with the Core UEF, then the Atmosphere UEF. Currently I have settled on the Atmosphere UEF level 1 RCA, and Atmosphere UEF level 2 speaker cables and I'm quite pleased. I don't know what they have now as far as the Atmosphere UEF, as they have upgraded their lineup to the Atmosphere X.
They are quite detailed and have brought out the finer nuances. I feel the noise floor has been reduced as the overall presentation is a more quiet background with some added clarity to the midrange.
This was coming from the S1's, and those were tough to beat and this is naturally system dependent. -
nooshinjohn wrote: »
I am thinking Shotguns but there are so many series options that I don't know where to look.
I outfitted my entire rig with MIT cabling last year because of the good advice I got here and I'm very happy with the outcome. I use XLR's where ever I can and the MH750 bi-wire speaker cables work great with the 1.2tl's. The thick cables and boxes are a pain to work with but I think it's well worth it for the better sound. Part of the fun to I must admit was the hunt and the thrill of acquisition. Good luck to you in your quest and don't settle for anything else. -
I have a local friend, has the top of the line shunyata sigma speaker wire. To him, every other speaker wire he tried from audioquest to mit was preferable to him. He sold his shunyata and now has mit.
He didn’t need to compare my wels to the shunyata.
FwiwMagico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
I have a local friend, has the top of the line shunyata sigma speaker wire. To him, every other speaker wire he tried from audioquest to mit was preferable to him. He sold his shunyata and now has mit.
He didn’t need to compare my wels to the shunyata.
Fwiw
Dems fightin wordsMy New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160
Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |
ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4
Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |
Office BlueSound Node| 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 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's | -
I'm just saying, take all options with a grain of salt. A lot is about synergy.
FWIW, he felt the alpha were better than the sigmas (speaker wire).Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
I'm just saying, take all options with a grain of salt. A lot is about synergy.
And the personal preference on what the individual wants in sound._____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ethernet Filter: GigaFOILv4 with Keces P3 LPS
Source: Roon via ethernet to DAC interface
DAC: Bricasti M1SE
Pre/Pro: Marantz AV8805
Tube Preamp Buffer: Tortuga TPB.V1
Amp1: Nord One NC1200DM Signature, Amp2: W4S MC-5, AMP3: W4S MMC-7
Front: Salk SoundScape 8's, Center: Salk SoundScape C7
Surround: Polk FXIA6, Surround Back: Polk RTIA9, Atmos: Polk 70-RT
Subs: 2 - Rythmik F25's
IC & Speaker Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, Signal Cable
Power Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, PS Audio
Room Treatments: GIK Acoustics -
And the personal preference on what the individual wants in sound.
The pricing on anything new is pretty much out of the question with anything I am looking at. What about used options?
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Your using Forest XLR cables? Really? I never seen them before. Are you sure they are not Jaguar older models with 36v DBS system on them? All forest level cables are green in color. Can you take a pic of them?
My bad... they are Macenzie. PM sent.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
I'm constantly checking 5 or 6 different sites classifieds multiple times daily so let me know what you are looking to spend and I'll keep an eye out.2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones
-
Dude I almost spit my Grandmom's birthday cake out when I read you post. I saw myself doing the same level and higher research on cables and what I could buy next LOL. I think we may have some issues that need to be worked out LOL.dragon1952 wrote: »I'm constantly checking 5 or 6 different sites classifieds multiple times daily so let me know what you are looking to spend and I'll keep an eye out.
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Ha ha....well when you're retired and used to sitting in front of a computer for the past 40 years, well......what can I say. Sometimes I just sit there and stare at the screen thinking, 'what can I Google next'? :^ /2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones
-
Dude that rules!!!! Retired huh, what's that like?Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Indescribable really. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve this. I retired at 53, 12 yrs ago, and I get free money for life for doing absolutely nothing.2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones
-
dragon1952 wrote: »Indescribable really. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve this. I retired at 53, 12 yrs ago, and I get free money for life for doing absolutely nothing.
For doing something before.Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
