Mantis Cable Corporation(MCC) VS. AudioQuest Q2s.
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HzTweaker
Posts: 1,125
@mantis
Okay, slight back story for the cables I did a quick review on. I asked the forum (back in January) for some speaker cables and man oh man did @mantis come through! These were for an office rig project that has "stalled" and the cables/project went on the "back burner". Then a couple weeks ago mantis put them back on my raider. So this is how the sessions went.
Tuesday morning I listened to the rig as it was while making the playlist. This was done only using the LRSs with NO sub as I was listening to the difference between the speaker cables. The first listening "seshs" were done with flac files from my computer straight into the Fiio K13 r2r dac. The sample rates didn't dip below 88.1khz. After I was satisfied with the playlist I switched the AQ Q2s out for the MCCs speaker cables and listened to the playlist again.
Artists:
The Rolling Stones; 88.1khz
Porcupine Tree; 96khz
Phil Collins; 96khz
Supertramp; 192khz
Wednesday mornings "sesh" I spun CDs for a couple of hours then I turned on the sub and listen to the CD playlist again to dial in the sub.
Artists (CDs):
Eminem
P.M Dawn
Vanessa Fernandez (Red Book format?)
(I think I leaving a few out due to not writing them down. My bad)
This is what I heard:
AudioQuest Q2s:
The relaxed treble (compared to the “Mantis Cable Corporation” cables) evens them up with the balanced mids. The Bass is thick, not in a muddy way but certainty with weight.
Quick summary: Relaxed, Boring aesthetically.
Mantis cable Corporation:
The fit and finish will go toe to toe with the price bracket the AQ Q2s are in easily! The sparkle these cables bring to the presentation brings out the most from these quasi ribbon tweeters. The mids are open and airy. The Bass is tight and accurate.
Quick summary: I wish they were longer so I could A/B them for guest!
This was a fun project! We (as in the forum) should do another cable comparison soon. What do y'all think?
Okay, slight back story for the cables I did a quick review on. I asked the forum (back in January) for some speaker cables and man oh man did @mantis come through! These were for an office rig project that has "stalled" and the cables/project went on the "back burner". Then a couple weeks ago mantis put them back on my raider. So this is how the sessions went.
Tuesday morning I listened to the rig as it was while making the playlist. This was done only using the LRSs with NO sub as I was listening to the difference between the speaker cables. The first listening "seshs" were done with flac files from my computer straight into the Fiio K13 r2r dac. The sample rates didn't dip below 88.1khz. After I was satisfied with the playlist I switched the AQ Q2s out for the MCCs speaker cables and listened to the playlist again.
Artists:
The Rolling Stones; 88.1khz
Porcupine Tree; 96khz
Phil Collins; 96khz
Supertramp; 192khz
Wednesday mornings "sesh" I spun CDs for a couple of hours then I turned on the sub and listen to the CD playlist again to dial in the sub.
Artists (CDs):
Eminem
P.M Dawn
Vanessa Fernandez (Red Book format?)
(I think I leaving a few out due to not writing them down. My bad)
This is what I heard:
AudioQuest Q2s:
The relaxed treble (compared to the “Mantis Cable Corporation” cables) evens them up with the balanced mids. The Bass is thick, not in a muddy way but certainty with weight.
Quick summary: Relaxed, Boring aesthetically.
Mantis cable Corporation:
The fit and finish will go toe to toe with the price bracket the AQ Q2s are in easily! The sparkle these cables bring to the presentation brings out the most from these quasi ribbon tweeters. The mids are open and airy. The Bass is tight and accurate.
Quick summary: I wish they were longer so I could A/B them for guest!
This was a fun project! We (as in the forum) should do another cable comparison soon. What do y'all think?
2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)
Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands
Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands
Comments
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Say more about the cables from @mantis lol"....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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UM I'm glad to have obtained a pair of mantis DIY speaker cables.
2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)
Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands -
Thanks for the Kind words, No I'm not starting my own cable business, I just do it for fun.
BUT if did start my own Cable company , I'm thinking Mantis Cable Corporation is growing on me and I guess I'm paying you royalties for that pretty cool name.
Glad your digging them.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
UM I'm glad to have obtained a pair of mantis DIY speaker cables.Thanks for the Kind words, No I'm not starting my own cable business, I just do it for fun.
BUT if did start my own Cable company , I'm thinking Mantis Cable Corporation is growing on me and I guess I'm paying you royalties for that pretty cool name.
Glad your digging them.
lol I was wondering what cable and terminations were used pol
"....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) -
Thanks for the Kind words, No I'm not starting my own cable business, I just do it for fun.
BUT if did start my own Cable company , I'm thinking Mantis Cable Corporation is growing on me and I guess I'm paying you royalties for that pretty cool name.
Glad your digging them.
The name is on the house Dan.
EndersShadow wrote: »UM I'm glad to have obtained a pair of mantis DIY speaker cables.Thanks for the Kind words, No I'm not starting my own cable business, I just do it for fun.
BUT if did start my own Cable company , I'm thinking Mantis Cable Corporation is growing on me and I guess I'm paying you royalties for that pretty cool name.
Glad your digging them.
lol I was wondering what cable and terminations were used pol
Oh haha, I was very tired yesterday. The AQ Q2s used AQ's own banana plugs. The MCC's were Liberty THX Ultra Cap 12-2 speaker cables terminated in Niles Banana plugs.2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)
Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands -
Came for pics...
leaving dissatisfied....- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
Came for pics...
leaving dissatisfied....
This week turned upside down on me. I'll try to post some this weekend. 2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)
Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands -
A month later......pics??Marantz AV10-Emotiva ERC3-Denafrips Venus-Panasonic UB9000-AudioQuest Power Quest 707-Emotiva DR3, DR2, XPA2, XPA6-Focal Kanta No2, Sopra Center-PolkAudio RTiA9, RTiA3, LSiM 702F/X-Epik Empire-11.2 -
Stock pics of the Q2s:
The only photo I currently have of the MCC speaker cables:
My bad Team, I didn't mean to drop the ball.
2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)
Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands -
Sir... Sir.. We don't accept stock images- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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I didn't know that the picture police was online this late lol. Lucky for you I don't go straight to bed when I get home from work.
AQ Q2s on the LSi9s:
MCC on the LSi9s:
Side profile of both together:
Mind the dog hair LOL. She's blowing out her summer coat.2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)
Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands
