Cable talk-Qed,Kimber,Nordost

Audiolab 9000N
^^I'd not make such a bold statement about cables. You might get a completely different result if the setup is voiced differently. The best cable for a particular system may be sub optimal for some other system while something that sounds average on one maybe the best for another.

At times I've noticed even a 1000 rupee monster interconnect outperform stuff which are a few orders of magnitude more expensive. Does it make the monster better than the other cables? Probably not... it just suited that system well. Cables are all about mixing and matching for a particular system. There's no one size suits all.
 
reignofchaos said:
^^I'd not make such a bold statement about cables. You might get a completely different result if the setup is voiced differently. The best cable for a particular system may be sub optimal for some other system while something that sounds average on one maybe the best for another.

At times I've noticed even a 1000 rupee monster interconnect outperform stuff which are a few orders of magnitude more expensive. Does it make the monster better than the other cables? Probably not... it just suited that system well. Cables are all about mixing and matching for a particular system. There's no one size suits all.
Click to expand...

Hi, not really a bold statement. I have tried Kimber and AQ cables and IMO the Solitones were better and I am pretty sure they will be better in his Krell/Dynaudio setup too. The solitones have actually been tested on some very high end and varied systems in India and came close to being the top. At their relatively low price, they are a bargain!
 
awedeophile said:
Hi, not really a bold statement. I have tried Kimber and AQ cables and IMO the Solitones were better and I am pretty sure they will be better in his Krell/Dynaudio setup too. The solitones have actually been tested on some very high end and varied systems in India and came close to being the top. At their relatively low price, they are a bargain!
Click to expand...

Again... you probably tried one particular kimber or audioquest and compared to one particular solitone on one particular system. Does that generalize to the fact that every solitone will outperform every kimber or audioquest? I find the evidence on that front to be pretty shoddy to say the least. Thats simply over generalization.
 
reignofchaos said:
Again... you probably tried one particular kimber or audioquest and compared to one particular solitone on one particular system. Does that generalize to the fact that every solitone will outperform every kimber or audioquest? I find the evidence on that front to be pretty shoddy to say the least. Thats simply over generalization.
Click to expand...

Solitone makes 2 models. I compared their better model (Solitone X) to a Kimber Select and an AQ Everest or something (one of their upper models) and it beat both. So I can generally say, it will beat most Kimber & AQ cables. For what it's worth it also beat the Virtual Dynamics Master (I owned this). I have no affiliation with the company, it's simply very good and a true value product.
 
SaurabhK said:
H Dinyaar,

Thanks for your reply. Well why do you say that I avoid the 8VS? Any oarticlar reason why I shoudl avoid it ?
I am currently using a 4 PR borrowed from a friend. Although it is only doing what a 4 PR can do.is quite lean and lacks soem detail..However, I am told that a 8 VS is much more punchier and musical. However, also got good feedback from a QED user.
Who deals in transparent wave?
VDH i dunno.. I had demoed a piece in my set up. Lacks musicality ( even though it was a low end entry level model ).

decisions decisions..
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Well i have had all the kimbers over the years so thats simply an opinion on the sound with the Rotel/B&W combo i had then. The 8VS is actually recommended as the cable for the LF in a Biwired set up. If used in a single wired set up i found the highs lacking detail.Since its double the thickness of the 4PR u will get more bass weight but i doubt u will get a better tonal balance.
Qed i have never used so wont comment. Transparent can be had at Boomerang @ 022 26194452 /9820949395.
 
Am sure they do but i dont have it. Call the cell No. i mentioned and speak to Grattin Vaze. They can also offer u straightwire,chord apart from transparent.
Try some supra cables in the said price range. Supra is one of those companies that actually make the cables themselves and am sure Lakozy(NAD/SUPRA distributor) has an outlet in delhi. As i mentioned earlier i like the transparent ICS but didnt think much of the entry level speaker cable i had tried. Albiet many years ago and god knows in what set up back then.
Am currently done with cables et all!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though am sure i will get the urge to get something better than the Kimber 8TC as my speaker cable.
Awedeophile have heard some good things about the Solitone cables from our forum member Shanti but have never heard them. Though i feel they would be way off the budget allocated by Saurabh.
Regards
 
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Bumping up an old thread because of some experience with Solitone interconnects that was so highly recommended by Awedeophile. These are lovely cables - very laid back, massive soundstages, amazing detail and very clean bass. Highly recommended from my side. Tried a comparison with Transparent Audio and my existing Usher Rapport. I prefer the solitone to both.
 
SaurabhK said:
Hi guys,

I am looking for good speaker cables for my set as below:

Dynaudio Focus 140
Krell 400xi
Arcam FMJ CD 37 ( coming soon..hopefully )

I have been recommended the Kimber 8VS and the QED X tube . Which would be more suitable. I mostly hear female vocals ( Diana Krall,Patricia barber,EvaCassidy etc). Both are in similar budget of abt 8-9k for 10x2 ft lengths.

I have used Nordost frey ( as a demo which were exceptional )...I know I cant hope for the same in my budget..but soem thing close would be nice

Regards,
Saurabh.

Regards,
Saurabh Kedia
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For speaker cables things start to gell for kimber in the TC line (4tc, 8tc, 12tc). I would suggest avoiding the VS and PR lines as the the TC line is much much better but not very much more cost.
 
Along with cables there is another CRITCAL factor that I don't see discussed here. And that is clean connectors.

I find that connectors over time (short time like a week) start to degrade. My guess is condensation and oxidization. A simple experiment for you folks. Listen to your system. Power down and then disconnect and reconnect every cable (or just try one set of connections). And then power up and listen again. I'd love to hear back on your results.

I believe you will hear a result. If you can hear differences in cables you will certainly hear the effect of disconnecting and reconnecting.

I clean my connectors every couple of months with a de-oxidizer (we have a local product called tarnX). Even if the connector is gold this helps. Once a week or so I reconnect all connections.
 
reignofchaos said:
Bumping up an old thread because of some experience with Solitone interconnects that was so highly recommended by Awedeophile. These are lovely cables - very laid back, massive soundstages, amazing detail and very clean bass. Highly recommended from my side. Tried a comparison with Transparent Audio and my existing Usher Rapport. I prefer the solitone to both.
Click to expand...

HI ROC,
Which solitone did u compare to which transparent? I too want to try a solitone just to get an idea of this hungarian cable. If i may ask where u got if from and for how much. I have the Transparent Music link super now and an audio note and would love to compare in my set up.

Rsud i am still using an 8TC and i like them. Didnt know there was a 12 TC. Russ andrews in the UK was selling a cable based on the 8TC but thicker which they claimed outperformed the 8TC. I think they called it 'crystraline'.Somehow i prefer a kimber banana to most fancy looking connectors i have tried. Its a a simple lifetime connection once soldered. I too clean the connectors with isopropyl alchohol regularly.
RSUD i have a request to make. Since u are in the US could u please confirm the price for a Kimber KCAG IC in either 0.6 or 1M pair? Indian price is simply outrageous @ 40K which translates to roughly 825 USD.
RGDS
 
dinyaar said:
HI ROC,
Which solitone did u compare to which transparent? I too want to try a solitone just to get an idea of this hungarian cable. If i may ask where u got if from and for how much. I have the Transparent Music link super now and an audio note and would love to compare in my set up.

Rsud i am still using an 8TC and i like them. Didnt know there was a 12 TC. Russ andrews in the UK was selling a cable based on the 8TC but thicker which they claimed outperformed the 8TC. I think they called it 'crystraline'.Somehow i prefer a kimber banana to most fancy looking connectors i have tried. Its a a simple lifetime connection once soldered. I too clean the connectors with isopropyl alchohol regularly.
RSUD i have a request to make. Since u are in the US could u please confirm the price for a Kimber KCAG IC in either 0.6 or 1M pair? Indian price is simply outrageous @ 40K which translates to roughly 825 USD.
RGDS
Click to expand...

Was comparing the Solitone X series to Transparent Audio Music Link Plus. Both are similar in price. I preferred the solitone to the transparent in my system. YMMV

I'm not sure of the exact price but my friend who got them said that it costs the same as the Music Link Plus. The latter is ~300 odd USD.
 
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dinyaar said:
HI ROC,
I too clean the connectors with isopropyl alchohol regularly.
Click to expand...

Hi dinyaar,

Which connectors you are talking about? for the speaker cables or the RCA or both?

I use bare speaker cables. I know everybody says it is bad practice.
 
Hi Asitji,
Am referring to the banana plugs or spades that one uses and also all the Rca connectors. Just moisten a little cotton in ISO alchohol and clean all the connectors and the rear sockets on all your gear once a month or so.

Using bare wire is not a bad practice at all. Frankly well made cables wont corrode that easily but the banana/spade connector is more convenient and ensures that the cables dont pop out accidently which can happen with bare wire. I dont believe that a good connector can improve the sound of a cable but a poor connector can surely degrade.

I had bought kimber bananas & transparent RCA s by the dozen years ago and they should last me a lifetime.

Rgds
 
Thanks ROC. Ya the music link plus should be about 350 USD and the super about double that.
I sold my M Link + @ 10K recently as i got this M Link super pre owned for 12K which seemed a deal. Recently have borrowed a Kimber KCAG (10 years old) from a friend and its a really revealing cable. Just got it yesterday so will wait a while before i decide. Have u tried any kimbers?
Rgds
 
Hey! Dinyaar.
Have tried the hero or compared it with the KCAG?
For kimber pricing try the link

http://www.thecableco.com/

The 0.5m KCAG with normall connectors is priced at $480US
They stock almost all major cable brands except transparent.
All the best.
Cheers
 
Hi Neo,
Super link for cables. Thanks.
Yes had tried the Hero s but in a Rotel\B&W set up and had found the timbre to be a little more true while the hero had more weight. I guess its unfair to compare the hero an all copper IC with the KCAG an all silver IC. Though i dont have a hero for ready A/B i would say they will be very different. KCAG sounds very clean and detailed when i heard it yesterday(On every street-Dire straits) where as the Timbre sounds similar but cloudy. There is a zing in the trebles that the silver cable has that the timbre does not. The transparent has better bass than any of the above cables but at the expense of sounding a bit forward at times.
Rgds
 
Hey! Dinyaar pleasure to of help.

The hero now has more variants i guess one of them is silver based.
What transparent IC are you comparing kcag with?

I use the hero on my nad, dynaudio set up & had compared it with the silver streak & to my ears the hero sounded better overall.But Haven't compared the KCAG.

If you would've been in surat i would've loved to listen to KCAG. As i'm also in the process of auditioning cables for my Tannoy,Gamut,MC2 set up.
Till now i've tried only the kimbers & the transparent.
Cheers
 
Hi Neo,
Well all i have left in transparent is the Music Link Super. This is an older version and not the new MM2. Actually this KCAG is a friends and he refuses to sell them even though they sound brittle and bright in his set up. Both these sound very different Neo with the Silver Kimber having a bit more detail in the HF and the Transparent having much much better bass( punchy, solid bass)

Actually over the last year i have sold off a lot of budget IC /speaker cables and now have barely anything apart from the ones i use. Would love to buy a silver streak if offered pre owned at a fair price. I think the transparent and the kimbers that u are trying are damn good. I didnt know of new silver heros as the one i tried was an old all copper IC with very good WBT RCA.
The pricing i was told recently of all kimber cables here was a bit shocking.
Rgds
 
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