WyWire Line Level Interconnect (Hot Sauce)

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Nick77

WyWire Line Level Interconnect (Hot Sauce)
« on: 14 Jun 2010, 11:25 pm »
WyWires is a new start up cable company which takes a little different approach to cable making. Not only do they make component specific cables but also takes a person’s system and desires into consideration before building a cable.

I am writing this review for several reasons, first the demo has had such a profound effect on my system and listening that I wanted to share my experience.  Secondly I am whole heartily grateful to WyWire for sharing their product thru a beta sampling program and I wanted to return the favor, although a review wasn’t required of the program. My experience completely mirrors Fred’s (Gopher) findings and review.

I contacted Alex at WyWires about his beta test offer and  informed him of my system and some adverse symptoms I was experiencing. He recommended sending me out a set of line level interconnects. These are only to be inserted between the source and preamp, another specific cable would be inserted between the preamp and the amplifier.

I later found out that the line level cable that Alex made for me is called “Hot Sauce”.  I was told that hot sauce is for people like myself who want realism,  detail and dynamics while still retaining forgiveness and smoothness. Alex said he suspected that 80% of audiophiles will prefer Hot Sauce.

Here is some feedback the company claims customer’s are saying about their cables:


•   Eerily silent background between notes.
•   Spooky realism, especially vocalists.
•   Greatly expanded soundstage in all dimensions including the vertical.
•   Takes the edge off of sibilants (SSS's) while maintaining inner detail.
•   Presents instruments in their lifelike scale, e.g., presents violin and cello as different sized instruments.
•   The most natural rendering of tone, timbre, attack and decay.
•   Excellent dynamics, both micro and macro. Great percussive slam.
•   State of the art definition and resolution of complex passages.
•   Excellent low frequency performance that belies the size of my woofers.
•   Forgiving of less than perfect recordings, maybe to a fault.


I can honestly say that I experienced all of these claims except the last one, I don’t listen to poor recordings so I have no opinion on that.

My system consists of: Squeezebox SB3   (Linear PS)
                                  Paradisea Tube Dac (modified)
                                 HK Preamp
                                 ClassD Audio SDS Amp (Modified)
                                 GR Research OB/7 Speakers (modified Teflon bypass)

My speakers and system are pretty resolving and will readily convey changes in cabling or equipment. I replaced a pair of AudioArt IC-3 interconnects that use a silver plated copper, I have been a little suspicious of the silver in my system because I am experiencing a little listener fatigue especially with certain recordings. In fact I try to stick to known warmer recordings. I have been hesitant to remove them because I love the detail they are giving me.

I shared the listener fatigue problem with Alex and he said he should be able to help and broaden my listening library. I received the Hot Sauce cables a few days later and promptly inserted them into my system. Right off the bat I still had the brightness that I detest but the resolution was better than what I had. I can’t say I was hearing things I have never heard before because my system is pretty resolving and I already had the detail but the resolution was definitely kicked up a few notches.

Alex recommends 50hrs of burn-in so I let them cook for several days. Now the cable had settled down quite a bit and I found I was enjoying the music more because a glare had been removed off the treble region. These cables are VERY smooth and present the treble region in such a fashion that makes listening much more fatigue free without loss of any detail. I was shocked at how much more I was enjoying my system and music.

But even more evident was the fact that I was getting gobs of resolution, my system had completely come into focus. I was still getting the detail I was used to but now it was HIGHLY resolute detail. The previous cable was smearing everything in comparison.
The change in resolution is so evident that I had somewhat of an epiphany this morning listening to Diana Krall. I had so much resolute detail coming at me my mind didn’t know what to listen to. Should I focus on her voice or the bass or this instrument or that, it was all presented with such clarity it was overwhelming. And I will have to retrain my brain so to speak to listen with this much clarity. I cannot believe a cable can have such a profound effect and just like Fred mentioned the difference is more akin to a component change rather than a cable. They certainly have opened up a whole new level of critical listening.

The bass has just come thru in spades at about 50-60 hrs. I am very conscious of the bass output difference because my sub has been temporally removed from the room and I am relying on my speakers for bass output. They only go down into the lower 40’s so bass has been a little thin. I am astonished at the bass coming from my 4 sealed bass drivers in my speakers. Not only am I getting more bass output but its more defined and tighter and I am no longer missing the sub as much. I am certainly looking forward to its effect on the lower bass region when I can bring the sub back into play.

I talked to Alex and he said the cables do have a cumulative effect, and so now I am faced with the dilemma of what do I sell to get more.  :eyebrows:

I highly recommend giving these cables a try if your budget will allow because there are not cheap, but very worthy of a 60 day trial. If you think I am off my rocker well I am not alone, everyone who has tried these on AC have had the same results. I am in Austin and an open invitation to anyone who wants to come and hear them.

Thanks for reading

Keith (Nick77)

« Last Edit: 15 Jun 2010, 01:01 am by Nick77 »

etcarroll

  • Full Member
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  • SE PA. by way of Boston, MA.
Re: WyWire Line Level Interconnect (Hot Sauce)
« Reply #1 on: 30 Jul 2010, 07:47 pm »
See part 1 for intro of myself under my review of Tuan's 'Silver Reveals'.

WyWyres 1meter ICs - So I'm sitting here typing, and Kool and the Gangs instrumental "Summer Madness" is playing, if you know the song, opens with electric keyboard, then electric guitar adds some phrasing, then electric bass enters big and phat, demanding attention, finally synthesizer spirals through the universe, while drums and an insistent hi-hat keep the beat. The Wywires present all these elements with style and grace, letting me into the  room/studio where the track was recorded. The WyWires offer excellent tautness, control, and impact from the upper bass on down, giving the entire bass region real life and vitality. Especially this song with it's use of strong bass line and synthesizers to create emphatic, low-plunging bass lines. I think it easy for listeners to mistakenly equate “lots of bass” with the idea of “good bass.” Happily, the WyWires help listeners hear and draw a meaningful distinction between bass quantity and true bass quality.

During my testing of the WyWires I listend to some of the 2L groups SACD offerings, the WyWires did a fine job of interpreting this high resolution material, much of it recorded in various Norwegian churches with the musicians in a circle around the mic. This truly puts you "in the 1st row center" of the listening experience. However, were other ICs might induce listener fatigue under these circumstances, the WyWires simply invite you into the church to 'have a listen' with no hardship in the process. I suppose this is a result of some of Alex' stated benefits of his product, that the ICs;
•   Greatly expanded soundstage in all dimensions including the vertical.
•   Takes the edge off of sibilants (SSS's) while maintaining inner detail.
•   Presents instruments in their lifelike scale, e.g., presents violin and cello as different sized instruments.
•   The most natural rendering of tone, timbre, attack and decay.
I of course have never heard musicians playing in a Norwegian church live, but have been to the Kimmel Center in Philly, (a great acoustic experience), a few times this year to hear the Philly Symphony, and live music wasn't all that different from what the WyWires helped my system reproduce.

Two examples, in the Mozart recordings, there's a spot where the violins are descending through  registers, hit a low point where there's a single piano note, and the violins promptly begin to ascend back through the registers. I've been swapping through 5 sets of ICs, the WyWires were the only ones that told my ear that single note was from a piano, with other ICs I wasn't sure what instrument generated the note. Also, the 'wood' tone of the violins and cello that I enjoy is accurately reproduced.

In "The Girl From Ipanema", Joao Gilberto's wife Astrud sings a portion of the song, close your eyes and she's in the room with you. A neat trick as the female voice will show many systems' imperfections.

And my system has imperfections, it's older equipment, though both amp and pre have been rebuilt recently. My system is not the best and brightest, (see my profile) but it represents a true value to me. And this may be where the greatest strength of Alex' work is apparent. He says a benefit of the WyWire method is 'Forgiving of less than perfect recordings, maybe to a fault.' Well, forgiving of less than perfect systems is also implied in that statement.

My SACD player is meant for a diy project later in the year to improve it's sound, it's brittle with glare in the upper registers, and the WyWires attenuate this shortcoming to the point the player is listenable.


Conclusion:

IMHO, this is an IC for someone who doesn't have a system that reproduces that final nth degree of the audio spectrum, that doesn't have the ability to reveal every little nuance of the music, (though no reason it wouldn't work there too). Rather, this is the ideal IC for those who have built their system to the best of their ability, and as much as wallet will allow. They've removed most of the 'problems', gotten as much 'synergy' from/between their components as able, and want an IC to showcase what they've accomplished. This is it.

Music Listened to:
SACD: From 2l, (2l.no/) -
MOZART/GRIEG vol II - "Sonata in D for two pianos"
DIVERTIMENTI - "Divertimento for Strings"
Stone Rose - North Country II
MOZART Violin Concertos - Violin Concerto in D major- Allegro

Redbook:
Getz/Gilberto - "The Girl From Ipanema"
Joe Pass, Virtuoso - " Night and Day" & "How High the Moon"

Gene
 

« Last Edit: 30 Jul 2010, 08:48 pm by etcarroll »

bacobits1

Re: WyWire Line Level Interconnect (Hot Sauce)
« Reply #2 on: 30 Jul 2010, 10:18 pm »
Initially speaking with Alex, he starts off by wanting to know what equipment your using, taste in music etc. He then takes it from there.

I received the interconnects from Alex about 3 weeks ago. Very nice right from the beginning. I'm not sure of the version, probably "Hot Sauce".
Break-in necessary. I can't stand to wait maybe 100 hrs. through break-in just via the system. I then put the interconnects on my "audiodharma CABLE COOKER" for 24 hours.

After this time cooking the interconnects, everything improved a couple
more notches. I'm being very conservative here. But people say cables don't change on break-in?

All the great adjectives we used in our descriptions previously have increased.
Things seemed to calm down a bit further, very much the music is flowing
effortlessly and smoother now. Did I mention quiet? Very black backgrounds, quiet. The equipment just disappears. Voices got wetter, palpable, real!! Still very airy sounding and again showing well, the venue perspective and real placement these recordings were made in. Depth and height as mentioned. The Pathos is capable of doing that. The cables compliment it perfect. Bass detail and voice "emotion" I think changed the most. Not quantity bass just detailed. Fat strings on stand up bass slapping the fretless neck. It's all there, and everything sounds correct. Let me add, I don't listen louder than 85-87db loudness. It is "can't sit still" good. Also, the Raysonic 128 is a great player with these cables. This was all Red Book and in NOS mode on the Raysonic. SACD never sounded this good.

Some noted specifics from the albums I have mentioned:

Diana Krall- From this Moment On, PRAT, depth, voice tone perfect.
Dynamic swings very real. Lots of emotion. Very good recording.

Essential Toto- Africa, Superb! Goose bumps! Slam. I couldn't believe
it, this is a great recording to begin with. More, just more of
everything done right. It's killer!

Paul Brown-Up Front, Finger snaps, voice, tone detail again all there.

Bette Midler sings Rosemary Clooney- Emotion, PRAT, can't sit still. Big
Band excellent.

A lot of music I listen to has big band or Orchestra in the mix. This
came across very real in size and scope on all of the Cd's. A down beat, then a stop, and a resume is fantastic. The album I'm talking about is Mindi Abair, Come as You Are, New Shoes the cut. Outstanding!

These cables have done some things I have never heard in 30 years at
this hobby.

Now come the WyWire Speaker Cables last week.
Alex had screw down mechanical type banana ends on these. Although very good finished nicely too, he thought they may be holding things back. He and I both like soldered ends. So I soldered the very good and not very expensive ends Take Five audio sells. These fit perfect with even pressure and more contact area. More of the same comments that were expressed on the Interconnects they compliment each other. Did you expect anything else?

After soldering on the new ends there still seemed to be very little
aggressiveness, I will call it.
I threw the cables back on the cooker for another 12 hours last evening.
Total of 3 1/2 days break-in now on these. Amazing, and superb were my thoughts. How much better does it get?

As usual I like albums and artists that have that big band backup. This time it is Jane Monheit, Taking a Chance on Love, and The Best of Elaine Elias, you can hear the pads on the piano hammers hitting the strings. Excellent, I have no criticisms at all now. Any aggressiveness is gone. Background detail, not necessarily depth is presented naturally and is all there. Snare drums (especially), the top crown on cymbals, brushes, triangles all presented enhanced like I have never heard before. Again, the down beat stops, and slam from the up beat afterwords are real, Mindy Abair again. Snare drums usually sound like garbage cans on many albums. I'm finding out that it isn't always the recording. In fact, most of the time it is not. The combination of the two, the interconnects and these speaker cables are very involving with large amounts of "goose bump" factor.

My phono is enhanced by the speaker cables. I use Home Grown Audio solid silver between the Nova Phenomena and the Pathos. Very good.

I cannot compliment these more highly, and thank Alex for the opportunity to hear these. Just excellent, enlightened, and very much recommended.
They are that good.

Den N.





« Last Edit: 31 Jul 2010, 12:33 pm by bacobits1 »