Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Acoustic Zen Silver Reference IC Cable by thebestamp

Model:	Silver Reference IC
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$898/m
Description:	silver conductor reference interconnect
Manufacturer URL:	Acoustic Zen

Review by thebestamp on February 02, 2008 at 12:50:48
IP Address: 79.130.238.38 Add Your Review
for the Silver Reference IC

1st sorry for my English language...but I hope this review will be helpful.

After searching a long-long time for the ideal interconnect connecting my source (or DAC) with my Jadis I ended with the one and only interconnect: Acoustic Zen's Silver Reference MkII.

Acoustic Zen SR MkII sounds at first 40-50 hours lean, anemic and very bass-shy. The sound was not a good step forward comparing with my Cardas Golden Reference I also own. Totally different schools, I agree. The only thing that surpassed Golden Reference in My System (and I say again, in My System) was that Silver Ref. from the first minute had a better reputation with massed strings (large orchestral works etc.) but also with solo violin. Cardas sound was less transparent and less refined than Zen. But it has the bass and fullness I want. Zen sound was from the first moment totaly uncolored without a 'rich lavour' as Cardas . Also, a very strong point of Zens 1st hour of audition was the fantastic imaging that brings the Stadivari and Amati violins in front of you , 3D and holographic , center stage. Cardas sounds more opaque and the image of instruments was by far better with Zen SR. Also, a very strange thing, the soundstage seems to go further-further back , with huge decay delay of each note and ambience air, up to 60% more than any other brand !
After a medium burn-in of 80 hours, the magic revialed ! The tonality and richness became 'ideal' for my system, it started to sound lush, bold, rich with even better balance than anything else I tried. Transparency , image height, pin-point imaging and spooky precision and black backgound together with creamy, smooth-as-silk midrange and smooth-as-velvet hi frequency spectrum , speed, accuracy and soundstage that never curves at the end . Soundstage so 3 dimensional , so airy, placing instruments so further back than you ever thought your equipment is capable for , real, human, detailed as switching from VHS to 1080p (!) and so fatigue free. Cream . Balance. Tonality, Rightness. Completeness. You name it. No mid-bass jumps. No edgy transients, no stress of high frequency.

Product Weakness:	Not the most dynamic and punchy presented bass region.
Product Strengths:	The best interconnect after Siltech's finest line. Silky as adding 5 AC conditioners together , dynamical correct, rich as reallity, polite, creamy, fast as hell, precise as no one else, decay to die for, transparent, detailed as the best of the world and ...3D soundstage so clearly defined and so HUGE without any opaque or back-there fogue.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Jadis
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Jadis, Placette
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Jadis, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto
Speakers: Proac, Sonus-Faber
Cables/Interconnects: Acoustic Zen, Cardas.
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical, Rock, Jazz
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Jadis
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Jadis, Placette
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Jadis, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto
Speakers:	Proac, Sonus-Faber
Cables/Interconnects:	Acoustic Zen, Cardas.
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical, Rock, Jazz
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner