Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Chris VenHaus DIY Cables CAT-5 speaker cable Cable by Green Lantern

Model:	CAT-5 speaker cable
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$40
Description:	DIY
Manufacturer URL:	Chris VenHaus DIY Cables
Manufacturer URL:	Chris VenHaus DIY Cables

Review by Green Lantern ( A ) on April 03, 2003 at 07:47:11
IP Address: 68.101.206.167

Add Your Review
for the CAT-5 speaker cable

per Chris VenHaus design-
I decided to try the DIY speaker cable after reading several positive reviews.
This project seemed VERY tenuous and extremely repetitive but I figured what the hell, for $50 and the
chance to outperform $300+ cables; they're defintely worth a shot!
CAT-5 cable purchased at Home Depot; $0.25 ft. 150 feet
I use no connectors; 'hard wired' straight into my external cross-over.
**************************************************************
First listening is incredible; These cables sound gorgeous. I'm usually in bed before 10:30pm but my speakers are sounding so good it's now well after 1:00am!
Imaging is fantastic; drums are not only heard but visualized as cymbals shimmer in midair. Most noteworthy are the high-hats which appear 'razor edge sharp' and crisp; lots of 'zip'. Bass kick-drums pound and pack a lot of oomph but never overbearing. Hearing a kick drum on Marcus Roberts 'Time and Circumstance' 1996 (a cymbal and drum masterpiece) remind me indeed these drums are 'round'; even it's orientation is envisioned: drum is positioned and pointed around 7:00!
On Al Jarreau's - Tenderness (1994) track 4-‘My favorite things’ Kathleen Battle’s angelic soprano vocals are accompanied by a whimsical triangle mid stage; while Jarreau’s intro is matched with a full, tight bass riff. This is perhaps the best live recording I’ve heard to date and hard to reproduce accurately. Track 7 Jarreau is teamed with sax great David Sandborn (whom I’ve always had a hard time listening to with his didstinctive style and sound through maggies; let's just say his sax can sound rather 'edgy' and hard..)yet this match is powerfully light, airy and electrically charged.
These cables obiviously smooth out those rough edges compared to the transparencies I was using.
Instrument separation is phenomenal.
Note: these cables are extremely fast! Pace is picked up and exhilarating!
Without question these out perform my $200 transparency cables.
My compliments to Chris VenHaus

Product Weakness: A bear to make, hard on the fingers but well worth the task.
Product Strengths: very transparent, they get out of they way, good tight bass, inexpensive

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Bryston 4bst
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Sony 1000ESD
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony SACD
Speakers:	Magnepan 1.6qr w/mods
Cables/Interconnects:	Transparency(old) CVHCAT-5(new)
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	all types
Room Size (LxWxH):	40 x 30 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	plants
Time Period/Length of Audition:	72 hours
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	n/a
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	A bear to make, hard on the fingers but well worth the task.
Product Strengths:	very transparent, they get out of they way, good tight bass, inexpensive