Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Argent Audio Pursang Speaker Cable Cable by Tuckers

Model:	Pursang Speaker Cable
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$1,300 8ft. Pair
Description:	All silver cable with unique geometry
Manufacturer URL:	Argent Audio
Model Picture:	View

Review by Tuckers ( A ) on December 11, 2003 at 01:19:50
IP Address: 24.7.43.79

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I have now had the 5 meter Pursang Speaker cables in my system for three weeks. I have been playing them and enjoying the sound since day one. The first day it sounded a bit glaring and peakish, but that went away quickly. It was an easier break-in than any other high-end speaker cable I have used.
It's finished with a nice pearlescent looking white jacket, and the cable diameter is on the small side for a top-end audiophile speaker cable - heck it's a quarter of the size of my Synergistic cables! Well made, it has small and light gold-plated spades. The cables are signed by Ric Cummings
These cables do deserve the praise than has been heaped on them here in the Asylum. They are the best I have heard, period. Cables I have had in the past year include: Synergistic Designers Reference Active cables with Master Control Center, Audience AU24 biwire, Empirical Audio Clarity 7. I have also recently had the opportunity of having the Supra Sword in my system for about 5 days.
My favorite of all of these had been the Empirical. The Empiricals had a neutrality speed and articulation that was quite nice. They also had really tight extended bass. The one negative I could hear with them was some grain and sibilance on the top end, lending a bit of an aggressive quality to the music on some material. I tried the Supra Sword, and it was also very nice, with a more laid-back sound and highs. The Sword did not have the grain and sibilance of the Empirical, but it had less control and definition in the bass. That and the somewhat laid-back highs removed the Sword from my consideration.
The AU24 speaker cable sounded overly warm in the midrange and midbass. It also had some kind of undefinable smoothing effect on the midrange that lost critical detail. Bass seemed deep and tight but somehow something was missing there too. While the AU24 sounded nice and musical in my system, there was some 'you are there' quality missing. I really like the AU24 interconnects and something synergistic happens in my system with them. The AU24 interconnects have bested several challengers costing up to 5 times as much.
The Synergistic Research Designers Reference Active is inferior to all of the cables mentioned above. There is a glare and slightly mechanical quality to it compared to the others. What it does offer is a technicolor presentation with very large images. I find the images are too big and unrealistic sounding to my ear - attack of the six foot mouth! Bass is excellent with these cables though.
So onto the Pursang. I simply can't find anything wrong with this cable. I genuinely forget it's there, which is the highest compliment I can hand it. There is no grain, and importantly, no sibilance at all with this cable. I have been particularly sensitive to sibilance with most silver cables, but no problem that I can hear with the Pursang. The lack of these distortions means the music just flows out unimpeded. Highs have a clarity without etch that let's violins sound like violins and bells ring with all the overtones and undertones coming through. This adds an incredible vibrancy and richness to the highs and midrange. Tonal qualities of natural instruments are revealed better than I have heard before. Detail is the best I have heard, but it is not in your face. In fact, I forget to listen to detail because it is presented so naturally.
Bass is well defined and plumbs the depths. The soundstage is very wide and there is incredible depth to it. More depth than I have heard in my system since I had a Ganmut D-200. Perspective is slightly forward of mid-hall, and just right to my ears. From ancient music to Rock this cable did equally well.
I took a big chance buying a 5 meter run from Argent, as there was no return policy for this custom length. But after auditioning the interconnects, I knew the speaker cable had to be pretty darn good, and the comments here were encouraging. Ric Cummings was a charm to deal with, and has a good return policy on standard runs. He had a quick turn around on my orders too. I'm very happy I gave them a chance.

Product Weakness: Cable is a bit stiff.
Product Strengths: Excellent frequency balance, clarity and tonal accuracy, richness without ripeness, purest highs I have heard. So good I forget they are there.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	ASR Emitter HD amplification system
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Well Tempered Reference with Symphonic Line RG-8 cartridge, Spectral reference trasport and Audio Note 3.1 balanced DAC
Speakers:	Vanersteen 5s
Cables/Interconnects:	Audience AU24 interconnects, Empirical Audio holophonic PC, Argent Pursang
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical, Jazz, Reggae, Rock
Room Size (LxWxH):	30 x 24 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	Custom built room
Time Period/Length of Audition:	3 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Equitech Q2, Sound Applications Linestage
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Cable is a bit stiff.
Product Strengths:	Excellent frequency balance, clarity and tonal accuracy, richness without ripeness, purest highs I have heard. So good I forget they are there.