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Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Zu Cable Disco 1.0m pair Cable by Duster

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REVIEW: Zu Cable Disco 1.0m pair Cable

24.78.82.215


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Model: Disco 1.0m pair
Category: Cable
Suggested Retail Price: $60
Description: RCA type coax audio cable
Manufacturer URL: Zu Cable
Model Picture: View

Review by Duster ( A ) on August 28, 2002 at 12:41:27
IP Address: 24.78.82.215
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for the Disco 1.0m pair


Mogami patch cable on steroids?

When Zu Cable’s Disco interconnect arrived it was swapped around my various source components in three audio systems during their initial burn-in. My first impressions of the cables were very good for a cable that has the typical "new cable sound". I expected the sound to open up and come to life after burn-in. I waited for them to "blossom" after the first 48 hours have passed but, they still sounded dry, closed in, tizzy on the top end, with no authority on the bottom end.

Then I found the missing element...

It has responded to the use of a generic ferrite noise blocker from Radio Shack at the output end of the cable in a rather dramatic way. I use a very effective AC power conditioner system of Vans Evers and MIT Z-Series line filters so the use of additional filtering on my interconnects is very cable/component sensitive.

The Disco really sings now and I'm impressed with how the soundstage and imaging has come alive. I venture to guess that the coaxial design plays a part in the effectiveness of the ferrite noise blocker tweak. The Disco still sounds like a Mogami patch cable on steroids but, it has a nice synergy with a Motorola Digital Cable box in my main audio system. The Disco's excellent speed, tonal balance, phase coherency and, although a bit dry, ultra clean character in the midrange, makes this a nice cable for CATV broadcast audio. Both movies/television and digital broadcast music channels come through with a tight sound that makes the usual crummy effects of compression used on audio broadcasts more tolerable, not to mention the must-be-mid-fi analog audio outputs present in a cable box. It still lacks finesse in the frequency extremes (perhaps with more burn-in hours it will improve) but, since these are the more problematic areas of a digital audio broadcast anyway, and the realm of higher priced cables, one can appreciate the cable for the sheer gestalt of it's presentation. It took the ferrite noise blockers and some serious cable swapping to get familiar with the Disco, how different it sounds than other high-end cables, then to finally appreciate it for it’s strengths.

Cheers, Duster


Product Weakness: Polite, conservative sound similar to Mogami patch cable but, with much greater speed and resolution.
Product Strengths: Excellent speed, tonal balance, phase coherency and, although a bit dry, ultra clean character in the midrange. Very attractive looking, downright sexy...


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Acurus DIA-100
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Passive
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Motorola Digital CATV box
Speakers: B&W Matrix 805's
Cables/Interconnects: MIT Terminator 2 speaker cables
Music Used (Genre/Selections): CATV, Digital Music Broadcasts
Time Period/Length of Audition: 3 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Vans Evers, MIT Z-Series
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Zu Cable Disco 1.0m pair Cable - Duster 12:41:27 08/28/02 ( 2)