Cable Asylum: REVIEW: T.G. Audio Labs TG Audio SLVR Speaker Cables Cable by bwkendall

Model:	TG Audio SLVR Speaker Cables
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$800 / 8' + $150 for jumpers
Description:	silver speaker cables
Manufacturer URL:	T.G. Audio Labs
Model Picture:	View

Review by bwkendall ( A ) on March 05, 2005 at 10:54:48
IP Address: 69.105.22.150

Add Your Review
for the TG Audio SLVR Speaker Cables

Let me get right to the point. Thanks to these cables I found the secrets to time travel, discovered a continuous source of pollution-free energy that doesn't cost a dime, and a cure for the common cold. What's wrong? You don't believe me? Well, okay. I did lie a little bit. What these cables did do for me was the equivalent of taking sleeping bags off of my speakers, and they allowed my speakers to perform to their capacity. That doesn't match the excitement of my original claims, but is sure as hell makes me happy. Better yet, installing these cables is one of three upgrades I have made to my system that made Mrs. bwk really take notice.
Here is an honest confession: I used to be one of those guys who refused to believe that there could be a giant difference in speaker cables. There were some differences, I knew that. But I thought that the point of diminishing returns was at about the $200 per-pair price point. Where did I get that number? Out of the sky.
Through my participation in the Asylum, I have made quite a number of friends, one being Bob Crump. Bob is a pretty low-key guy who doesn't go around blowing his horn. Every once in awhile he would get excited about a shoot-out comparing his cables to others costing much more, but aside from that he never mentioned his products much. Meanwhile, several other audiophile friends were constantly telling me that I really needed to upgrade so silver speaker cables if I ever wanted to hear my system. After hearing this over and over and over again, I finally decided to give it a shot.
Even though I live just outside of Los Angeles, going to shops to audition anything is a big time-consuming adventure. It could take as long as two days to try and audition three different components. For that reason, I use the two tools I have found that can fix anything: the telephone and a credit card. I called Sonic Culture in Del Mar, CA and discussed the T.G. Audio cables with John, the owner. John immediately launched into what seemed like a memorized description. "Those cables are highly musical, and render a level of detail that rivals that of much more expensive cables." What else would he say? I mean if you are a serious dealer who has taken the time to qualify every product and brand name you sell, odds are that you would also have a very high opinion of those items, right?
I asked John to send me a pair for demo and as I pulled out my wallet to read him the credit card information, I changed my mind and did something I very seldom do. What I did was tantamount to jumping off a cliff into unknown waters: "Never mind, John, I will just buy a pair." John seemed a little shocked, but he was more than happy to take the order.
Bob cooks all of his cables and interconnects before he ships them, so it takes about a month to get whatever you order from him. Sometimes it takes longer, but that is because he puts a lot of attention to detail into everything he does. As long as I am heaping praise on Bob, I'll be fair and say that if you give him a few beers at a barbeque and someone launches in to a sing-a-long, he can't sing worth a shit and his timing is off. But we all have our limitations, don't we?
I have taken a great deal of time building my system, trying to get the best possible performance using the least dollars. That doesn't mean I am cheap, I just believe that if you take the time to really research and audition what you are buying, you can find some extraordinary bargains. While some might say that buying speaker cables that cost as much as your amplifier isn't a bargain, after listening for myself I call it a no-brainer. I thought my system sounded great before, and so did pretty much everyone else who heard it.
Then I installed these cables. Like I said before, the big, thick, invisible blankets that had been sitting on my speakers were removed. It didn't matter what I played. It didn't matter what I was using as a source. I won't waste a bunch of your time describing what differences I heard on certain passages of music. As Mrs. bwk so eloquently stated, "the sound is wonderful!".
By the way, the other two upgrades that my wife initially questioned but later became highly enthused about were my speakers, and a power cord upgrade on my amp. The latter changed another phoney-baloney theory I used to have, but that is another story for another day.
Finally, I swore off writing reviews awhile back because of some of the off-the-wall comments I would sometimes receive. But these cables perform at a level that warrants my favorable comments. If you are in the market for speaker cables, especially if you are contemplating an upgrade to silver, I highly recommend you take the time to give these a test-drive. I really doubt you'll be disappointed.

Product Weakness: They are not as pretty as what Ray Kimber makes.
Product Strengths: Excellent all-around performers.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Parasound HCA-1000A
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Parasound P/HP-850
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Marantz CD5400, Sony DVP-S560D (today, that changes)
Speakers:	Fritz Speakers MTM with ScanSpeak Revelator tweeter upgrades
Cables/Interconnects:	Monster Z series (today, those change as well)
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Rock, jazz, country, pop.
Room Size (LxWxH):	25 x 15 x Cathedral
Room Comments/Treatments:	Not much, carpet, overstuffed furniture, careful placement through time-consuming negotiations with Mrs. bwk.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	9 months.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster power conditioners, Power cables by inmate driver, speaker stands by inmate Muzikmike. Isolation devices galore.
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	They are not as pretty as what Ray Kimber makes.
Product Strengths:	Excellent all-around performers.