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Having become engaged in this pursuit over twenty years ago and subsequently going down the rabbit hole known as cables, I feel obliged to share a few thoughts and experiences that may be of some benefit to some fellow inmates, especially those who may be new to this endeavor. As an overview, I share the outlook of many that cables are, in effect, a component of sorts. I see them as providing a framework through which our equipment provides the music and allows the gear to perform to its utmost.
While many use the term "tone controls" to describe cables, I much prefer to refer to them as sound modifiers because they impact far more than the tone. They can impact transparency, soundstage width or depth, bass reproduction, and imaging.
I've had a Musical Fidelity X-10v3 tube buffer in my system for 17 years. Aside from one repair, it's performed extremely well. A couple of months ago the material on the plate held by a screw where the incoming binding posts are deteriorated. That caused some inadvertent contact sending nasty noises through the speaker. To avert damage, I pulled it out and tried a myriad of cables to try to at least partially replicate the characteristics I got from the buffer, though without it. Couldn't quite do it, but fortunately I was able to replace the screw on the buffer with a very small nut and bolt. That solved that problem and buffer back in.
Now, with additional cables on hand and the buffer, I was able to experiment with even more options. With Acoustic Zen Satori speaker cables, I was able to configure an agglomeration of Wireworld Eclipse 8, Analysis Plus Solo Crystal, van den Hul The Integration, AQ Coffee S/PDIF, and Kimber Hero interconnects along with PS Audio AC-5, Furutech FP-S032N, AQ NRG-4, Monsoon, and Thunder power cords. The key to extracting the best sound I can with what I've got on my budget is matching the right cables to the right component. Without the tube buffer in my system, the AQ Thunder on my preamp is simply too aggressive. With it, I get a more expansive soundstage and better images in a better balanced presentation featuring solid lows and nice highs.
The van den Huls are new and hence my first experience with them. I first read about them twenty years ago when Paul Seydor and Neil Gader reviewed over a dozen interconnects. I admit to being a bit apprehensive based on the materials and having read some other impressions, but I was pleasantly surprised that when paired correctly, they can be transparent while also being warm with a sizable soundstage.
In conclusion, what I'd like to convey is that with the right cables matched to the right components, they can form a transmission network that can extract the best performance possible from your gear, even modestly priced equipment. On the other hand, simply slapping any wire in can retard the capability. I've found that with most cable brands, buying in their mid-range usually yields results not far from their top tier models. At the same time, buying used makes a lot of sense. The vast majority of my cables were purchased used or dealer demos. In the end, it may pay to look at the cables in your system before replacing an expensive component.
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Topic - Cable Configuration and System Matching - Chris K. 12:48:22 10/29/22 (1)
- True words.... - ABliss 13:40:36 11/03/22 (0)
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