AudioCircle
Industry Circles => ZenWave Audio => Topic started by: jgb0194 on 21 Aug 2014, 07:56 pm
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I want to welcome Dave to Audio Circle and give totally unsolicited kudos for his world class D4 interconnects.
I've had a balanced pair in use from DAC to linestage for a month now. I was so impressed that I bought an RCA-terminated pair to run from linestage to monoblock amps. They have been in use for two weeks now. For context, my signal chain is an Accustic Arts Drive 2 >> K&K Audio DAC using Sonus Veritas Modena alpha test boards >> K&K Audio linestage preamplifier using Sonus Veritas Genoa beta test board >> CAT JL-1 LE monoblocks.
The D4 interconnects capture that elusive magic of "body and soul" without any loss of low level detail. Most cables I've used skew toward one or the other of these attributes. The D4s throw a holographic soundstage with true depth in my system, as well.
Dave's patience in answering my questions epitomizes the best customer service. He's a cool guy - which is my highest personal recommendation.
I'm saving my pennies for his loudspeaker cables, maybe a nice year end bonus to self...
I am so grateful I happened upon Dave's website and wish him much success with ZenWave.
John
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Hi John, Thanks for the post! I'm really happy with how the D4s turned out and I'm glad they worked for you. :thumb:
The SMSG silver/gold speaker cables sound just like the D4 IC cables, which was the goal. I wish the speaker cables could be a little closer in price to the ICs, but they use a lot more wire!
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The D4 interconnects capture that elusive magic of "body and soul" without any loss of low level detail. Most cables I've used skew toward one or the other of these attributes. The D4s throw a holographic soundstage with true depth in my system, as well.
That has been my experience with the D4s as well! Keep us up-to-date on your system!
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Let me also link to your review in the cable review section of AC, Stercom... IDK how you snuck that in without me seeing it! :green: But thanks! :thumb:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=127507.0
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Have these in xlr on borrow from Dave. They're snazzy and extremely versatile. He claims to make neutral cables i would say they are just that. I only have one pair so its hard to offer a complete loom sound. I am using Empirical audio from pre to power and D4s dac to preamp.
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Let me also link to your review in the cable review section of AC, Stercom... IDK how you snuck that in without me seeing it! :green: But thanks! :thumb:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=127507.0
Yeah, AC is a great forum. Just wanted to get the word out on the D4s. I'm still kind of amazed how good they are!
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Zenwave Audio/Dave's Cables D4 RCA Digital Cable
While listening to (and enjoying) the D4 RCA IC's, I recalled Dave having told me that a few listeners liked the D4 as a digital cable – better than some very expensive ones. So I tried one between the transport and DAC. I was prepared for a one-song session. I had tried other very good analog IC's as digital cables only to have them “smoked” by various coaxial digital cables.
When I played the first song with the D4 I thought: WHAT? There was more foundation to the music. Coherence improved, staging was wider and deeper, detail improved and the presentation was smoother. I listened for a few more days.
I consulted Dave as to how a non-shielded, non-coaxial, stranded cable sounded as good as it did with digital. After going back and forth, I knew that only the sound mattered; not the construction.
So I bought one.
(Transport) April Music Stello CDT 100; (DAC) Teac UD-501; (Preamp) BAT VK-3i; (Power Amp) Llano Trinity 200 Hybrid; (Speakers) Gamut Phi 7
Cables:(Speaker) Morrow Audio; (Analog-RCA) Zenwave DD w/Duelund 2.0; (Analog-XLR) Shunyata Aries; (Power Cords) Triode Wire Labs 7 & 8+; Lessloss DFPC Original; Zenwave PL
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The D4 interconnects capture that elusive magic of "body and soul" without any loss of low level detail. Most cables I've used skew toward one or the other of these attributes. The D4s throw a holographic soundstage with true depth in my system, as well.
I got a set of balanced D4s to demo from Dave last week. I had been using D3s for my one analog cable, (NAD M51-> Hypex N-core NC-400s) position, and had been very pleased with them- best I'd used, and I've used dozens of models over these many decades.
I had decided in advance that I would try the D4 demos and do a write up on them for Dave, but not get sucked into forking out $900+ to get a pair for some modest improvement.
Well, that plan lasted less than 5 minutes when I swapped the D4s in and reality intervened. I knew they were not leaving my system.
What a sound! To me, these ICs, in conjunction with my newly acquired Wywires Platinum SCs, have got me to the holy grail of 2 channel sound, in the neighborhood with the very best I've heard at any price.
John's reaction above describes it very well. Performers right in the room in a most intimate and lifelike way, on all types of music. Even mediocre recordings get a new lease on life. An ideal musical balance of traits. Scary good.
We spend a lot on amps, DACS, cartridges, etc. in this hobby. The refinement the D4s brought to my already fine system is on a par with a major component upgrade. It's always exciting to find something that really gels the musical experience.
Dave's demo program is a good way to get a taste for yourself, but be prepared. I found these things to be addictive.
FYI-the main chain in my big rig: Windows 7 PC w/JRiver 19->Revelation Audio twin conduit USB->Musical Fidelity V-link192->Wireworld Gold Starlight 7 AES/EBU->NADM51->D4->tweaked NCore->Wywire Platinum->Daedalus DA-RMA V2/ James Audio EMB-1000 sub.
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I got my pair of D4s a few days ago. I ordered them with the upgrade Furutech CF XLRs, which are rhodium plated instead of the mix Dave uses with the standard Furutech connectors.
With the CF connectors, the sound is a bit more focused and dynamic yet- not hugely so but noticeable. Slightly more top end energy too. A bit livelier overall.
This works for my system just fine. I feel with the D4s I'm finally getting the soundstage depth, width, height and ambience retrieval I'd been looking for. Not cheap, but they do deliver.
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Hi John, thanks for your thoughts! The CF series XLRs are now standard, there is a modest price increase but I feel it's worth it... the resonant properties of the CF bodies combined with Furutech's rhodium plating make for a great sounding connector and the strain relief is a bit more solid. Here's a couple pics:
(http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/davec113/Cables%208-14-13/1-D4XLR002_zpsf5f0390a.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/user/davec113/media/Cables%208-14-13/1-D4XLR002_zpsf5f0390a.jpg.html)
(http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/davec113/Cables%208-14-13/2-D4XLR009_zps57338096.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/user/davec113/media/Cables%208-14-13/2-D4XLR009_zps57338096.jpg.html)
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Well, I've finally placed my order for a pair of SMSG speaker cables to complete my ZenWave loom.
I'll share impression s in a few weeks.
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Well, I've finally placed my order for a pair of SMSG speaker cables to complete my ZenWave loom.
I'll share impression s in a few weeks.
They are in progress now! 374.4 feet of OCC silver/gold alloy wire will be made into two 4.5' speaker cables. :green:
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They are in progress now! 374.4 feet of OCC silver/gold alloy wire will be made into two 4.5' speaker cables. :green:
Now thats just crazy!! :D
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Now thats just crazy!! :D
It's a good amount of work for sure. And while these cables are not cheap, they are cheaper than the retail cost of materials!
The cables are done and on the Cable Cooker, jgb! :D
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What follows are my impressions of the ZenWave SMSG 14 ga loudspeaker cables. They have been in my system for about a week and I've done some critical listening since. Every component review is, in essence, a full system review with that component now in place. For context, I've entered my system and gallery pics on to the Audio Circle database. Every component review also occurs in the context of one's musical material, listening volume and "system presentation/flavoring" (for lack of better words) preferences. My favorite music encompasses acoustic jazz of the '50-'60s, electric jazz of the '60s-'70s and rock of the '60s-'80s. I listen at an average volume of 65-70dB at the sofa. I have biased my system toward very low distortion electrical and passive components, to best hear even the softest accompaniment of ensemble performers and subtlest nuances of layered tracks mixed by the recording engineers. Experience with (too) many evolutions of my system over 15 years has taught me that this approach, at its best, connects me most strongly with the performers and their music. The connection reaches me emotionally, cerebrally and (yes, even at my listen volumes) viscerally depending on the music. That connection, at its strongest, provides one of the most treasured reminders to me of why I am on this rock.
The SMSG cables are truly "high fidelity" components in the old school definition of the term. Some of you may, like me, remember reading that term on record jackets as a kid when you listened on your $25 "all components in one" record plaver. It didn't mean anything to me back then as the heavy needle wore the grooves. For those with real music systems in the '60s I suppose it did, as it does to me now: musical fidelity = faithfulness to the recordings made both in studios and at live venues.
How we and our systems handle the "truth" is quite another matter. In my home, the SMSG cables keep company with (deliberately-chosen) very low distortion components. Room treatments and the Rives PARC limit the room-imposed degradations. My modest listening volume limits amp clipping. This allows me to say that the SMSG cables better my last two loudspeaker cables (Klee Grand Illusion and Kubala Sosna Fascination) in two important respects: preservation of softest inner details and clarity of instruments/voices within the sound field. Most of my music was created in recording studios, and I want to hear what the artists and engineers committed to the lp/cd. Some recordings are small combo "right/left/center" jazz mixes, but others are quite layered with instruments and voices of wide-ranging volumes. Ever get taken by a great accompaniest's contribution to an out front solo or a by beautiful vocal harmony, but struggled to hear it well? I have, and it's not audiophile nitpicking. When I can hear such things clearly, the performance takes on a virtual reality that IS "high fidelity" in the old school definition of the term. It is what most strongly connects me with the music. it allows me to let the whole musical performance wash over me, or to explore what each musician is doing at any given time if i I'm so inclined. On densely-layered tracks I can better understand what the artists and recording engineers were trying to convey.
Examples from my musical library:
- "Psychicemotus", Yusef Lateef - A small combo jazz album that is impeccably-recorded. No instrumental music I own has more heart and soul than this. Several tracks feature very quiet moments and startling dynamics that the SMSG cables handle so well. The acoustic bass work is particularly integral to a few of the quieter tracks, and Mr. Workman's subtle inflections are a joy to hear, as is Yusef's flute playing.
- "Straight Ahead" , Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - A collection of fairly densely-layered electric jazz/rock music, another timeless classic. Wes Montgomery's "Bumpin on Sunset" is interpreted beautifully. Brian's B4 Hammond playing always soothes the mind, but I now hear the synthesizer layers so distinctly. At times two synth tracks float above the organ anchored at center. Good stuff.
- "Free as the Wind", The Crusaders - I tend not to connect with music that contains background strings because, I think, it reminds me of too many syrupy pop tracks that are not for me. A few tracks on this lp use background strings and brass very tastefully, on beautiful musical pieces that couldn't work otherwise. The SMSG cables allow these layers to arrive, stay and depart distinctly and sweetly. Larry Carlton's guitar is very nice on this lp, but a second git (Dean Parks) is also credited. Listening to the track, "Sweet'n Sour", I can now hear both guitarists filling during Wilton Felder's sax solo. The git at right center is further down in the mix, but adds nice fills!
- Call of the West", Wall of Voodoo - Known by many only for the single "Mexican Radio", the lp is filled with beautiful, though melancholy, stories sung within a densely-layered sound field (the "wall", that Stanford Ridgeway tried to create a la Phil Spector). Being electric/synth and a bit compressed, the "wall" has sounded muddy to me in the past. Not so with the SMSG cables in place, in fact, now easy to immerse in even when the going gets complex and out front.
In an already bright system, the SMSG cables may not fit, but only because they preserve so much detail. They are incredibly neutral and certainly don't sugar coat the music - but I've long since learned the futility of trying to cure bad recordings with system changes. Better to approach high fidelity with one's system as best one can, and experience the recordings for what they are.
Hope this helps those considering Dave's cables. I now have a full set of D4 and SMSG cables in my system. They are world class.
John
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Thanks for your thorough review and insight into your musical priorities. :thumb:
It sounds like we're on the same page as far as the pursuit of high fidelity, and I'm happy my cables were able to help you achieve it. :D
I think the quote below is key, people struggle with it all the time...
"I've long since learned the futility of trying to cure bad recordings with system changes. Better to approach high fidelity with one's system as best one can, and experience the recordings for what they are."
Poor recordings don't bother me too much, but I'm sure everyone has a different tolerance. The problem with adjusting your system to sound better on bad recordings is it will smooth out good recordings too and make them less enjoyable as a result. I'd rather hear the warts on bad recordings and also hear the full fidelity of good recordings.
I suppose a "warmifier" could be (easily) built to warm up and smooth out harsh recordings... but it would be at the price of another set of IC cables, jacks and a switch so it can't be completely sonically neutral. But for those who listen to rough recordings and can't tolerate hearing it "warts and all" it may be a solution...
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I agree, Dave. I enjoy everything in my musical library for the music itself. I prefer to experience the beauty of the best recordings to the fullest, and trade off not sugar-coating the lesser quality recordings. Heck, back in the day I'd bootleg NYC venue concerts on a small mono Panasonic cassette boom box using the little built in mic. Security would let me carry it in not even noticing the mic opening on the face. 300-3000 Hz stuff that I'd enjoy because I enjoyed the show itself. Music first.
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John,
Thanks for the review. And thank you for delineating your system details on the "Systems" page, it really helps with placing your review in context. It's also nice to see you appreciate room treatment.
Best,
Anand.
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Yes, Anand, room treatments make a real difference. Simply treating first reflections is relatively inexpensive. Room bass peak nodes are also worth mitigating. The Rives PARC outperforms full round traps in my room, as I'd really also need 90Hz Helmholz for a huge peak if I stayed passive. The woofers I chose for my loudspeakers also are a bit too sensitive relative to the mids/tweets, and the PARC does a great job in dropping the excess energy between 125 and 400Hz that is a loudspeaker (not room) anomaly.
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p.s. I want to avoid "A>D/D>A" conversion for my vinyl lps, so I'll only move along to DSP for room and loudspeaker correction once the PARC fails.
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In an already bright system, the SMSG cables may not fit, but only because they preserve so much detail. They are incredibly neutral and certainly don't sugar coat the music - but I've long since learned the futility of trying to cure bad recordings with system changes. Better to approach high fidelity with one's system as best one can, and experience the recordings for what they are.
Hope this helps those considering Dave's cables. I now have a full set of D4 and SMSG cables in my system. They are world class.
John
I've had the D4s and SMSGs in my system for almost a year and, next to my phono preamp, they are the #1 game-changer upgrade I have made. So good, they blew the roof off of my cable budget in a very big way! But they were that good. I couldn't justify shorting my system by not using them after I experienced what they can do.
With speaker cables, I demo'd Shunyata at the same price point and the ZenWave SL cables easily matched those at a fraction of the price. I also owned a pair of Blue Jeans and those were part of the demo A/B process. The SMSGs are "next level" and for those of us that want neutral, exacting music reproduction, the SMSG is essential. As John said, trying to alter your system in order to "fix" bad recordings or bad mastering by coloring the sound is a deep, dark spiral of a rabbit hole. My system is 100% exclusive to vinyl playback and I have worked to put together a very revealing system. The ZenWave SMSGs are crucial to reproducing those long cymbal and reverb trails especially. That level of detail will make an audiophile release of a classic title like "Kind Of Blue" sound like you are in the studio with Miles & Co. You get all of those fine little details like Miles' quiet breath inhales, his horn sputtering at the end of his breath and in a way that is creepily present. In demoing the complete line of ZenWave SCs, I will say connecting any of Dave's speaker cables is like pulling a wet blanket off your speakers when compared to other SCs on the market. And as I have attested, A/B-ing anything next to the SMSG will quickly prove echo decay, reverb, cymbal trails all are extended much longer. The finest detail of the recording does not get lost in the transmission.
As for the interconnects, I demo'd an assortment from Shunyata, AudioQuest and Blue Jeans. I do not recall the exact models, but the AQs were mid-range on their pricing scale and the Shunyata ICs were at similar price as the D4. The BJs were cheap in comparison to all of these and a real contender with AQ and Shunyata. In fact I liked the BJs better than AQ. I found the BJ and Shunyata to have no major discernible difference. The D4s were obvious between the two. Like the SMSG speaker cables, they do not color the sound. That means you get all those fine details that make the music so much more realistic and sounding like you are in the studio. For me, the SMSG was a massive massive day/night comparison. When demoing, I did a lot of cable swaps. I ran each IC with each SC and took notes. It was a 4-6 week process. Much of that time was trying to convince myself the D4s and SMSGs weren't as good as I was hearing. But, finally, I succumbed and bought both.
Thanks Dave!
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Glad that the D4 and SMSG cables match your system. My impression of their performance and relative value has not changed. I consider myself most fortunate to have them in my system, and grateful to Dave for his great products.
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Rob, thanks for posting your thoughts! :thumb:
Happy customers make it all worthwhile... :)
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Here's Al M's comments on the D4 posted at WBF:
Recently I had the fortunate opportunity to hear the ZenWave Audio D4 Interconnect, manufactured by WBF member DaveC, in Madfloyd's highly resolving system. I was struck by how good orchestral massed violins sounded, as well as string quintet. My Monster Sigma 2000 cable -- licensed from a design by Bruce Brisson of MIT fame -- also sounded good in the system, but did not fare as well on strings, among other things. I was very satisfied with the sound of my own system, but had always thought that the sound of massed violins was still a relative weak point. So I asked DaveC for a demo cable to try out in my system.
With the Monster Sigma 2000 interconnect I had the corner tube traps in my room on the reflective side. Yet I have found out that the ZenWave Audio D4 interconnect works best in my room with tube traps turned to the absorptive side because there are more highs. I do think the cable is very neutral (see below), and that in general issues with the tonal balance should be taken care of through adjusting room acoustics. Unfortunately, many audiophiles try to adjust tonal balance with cables. I'd rather choose the truth in audio gear, and adjust the room acoustics if necessary (sometimes even just carpets or the absence thereof can make a big difference).
The highs through the D4 cable, though beautiful, at first sounded a bit disconnected, and drawing attention to themselves in my system/room. Perhaps they also were a bit 'whitish'. Yet now, with tube traps turned with their absorptive side forward, the highs are perfectly integrated, and cleaner and more resolved than ever before -- not by a small margin. The cable gets many things right that the Monster cable simply cannot. For example, in the sixth movement of Stravinsky's Histoire d'un Soldat (Stravinsky cond.) there is a small (high-pitched) triangle that never came through the right way but which in a climax clearly plays on top of the tutti ensemble. Now it does come through, bright and clear -- while at the same time the overall tonal balance is earthy and gutsy (just like with the Monster with tube traps on the reflective side). My jaw dropped when I heard this, because I had known for quite some time that something had to be not right, and now it was. In amazement, I repeated playing this passage a few times! It sounds more like you would expect from the real thing live. This is one of the reasons why I think the cable is very neutral -- and the Monster is warmly colored. While that triangle now shines through, and with the Monster never did, cymbals are not whiter than before; this also holds for recordings that under less ideal circumstances would be on the edge. For example on track 5 of the John McLaughlin jazz rock CD 'To the One' the cymbals can sound a bit splashy, but now they are clean as a whistle and not overbearing. The triangle tremolo at the beginning of Stockhausen's 'Right-Eye Brow Dance' still has a 'golden' timbre but the individual attacks in this fast tremolo are even more distinct than before.
Yesterday I listened to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (Gergiev conducting, Decca). I had thought the recording had sounded sensational before, but this is even better. The first thing that struck me was how free of distortion the sound was. I never thought that a cable could distort, but here was the evidence that the Monster cable had done so. There is a passage in track 11 at 0'47" where unison muted trumpets play a very sharp and concise figure in fortissimo, and normally this distorted grossly. Now it was remarkably clean (I repeated also that passage a few times because I couldn't believe it). The massed violins in track 4 don't harden up anymore once they start playing fortissimo, but keep a beautifully refined and micro-detailed texture. And in track 10 I had found the violins playing mezzo-forte incredibly beautiful and detailed in texture already before, but I wasn't prepared for how with the D4 cable the micro-detail and textural beauty heard before was topped even much more! It floored me. In track 14 there is a passage with swirling figures for the violin section, played forte, that now sounds marvelous too.
Then I listened to the 5th Symphony of Bruckner (Wand, Cologne Symphony Orchestra, on Sony) where the strings had previously sounded quite beautiful. But now it seemed unreal how resolved the violins were in their micro-texture, resulting in this wonderful silky sheen that you also hear live. Miles ahead of what I had before. I had never thought that my system could reproduce massed violins so realistically.
Strings, especially the violin section, on my beloved set of complete Haydn symphonies with Dorati conducting the Philharmonia Hungarica (Decca) had sounded rather horrific on my system until a few years ago, very harsh, like a hard digital 'brick wall'. Eventually, with upgrades of gear (DAC, external power supplies for amps, speakers) and, importantly, also great improvements of room acoustics, the string sound became, bit by bit, better and better. Yet now, with the D4 interconnect, a number of recordings in the series have exceptional string sound in my system, immensely enjoyable. A highlight of my afternoon today.
When people claim that standard Redbook CD cannot reproduce massed violins well, then it seems to me their system/room, including cables, is simply not up to that particular task. The ZenWave Audio D4 cable is just so incredibly 'fast', able to transmit each micro-detail with enormous resolution and lack of distortion. This is also obvious on fast transients of metallic percussion, as mentioned above.
Yet even though strings can sound very beautiful through the D4 interconnect, I don't think the cable itself sounds beautiful. To my ears, it is simply accurate, reproducing the natural timbre of instruments whatever that may be. For example, brutally hard tutti brass attacks still sound just like that through the cable.
The cable serves all kinds of music well, including rock, which is reproduced through it with articulate bass and excellent rhythm & timing.
All in all, the Zenwave Audio D4 interconnect is exceptional, with an unusually favorable value/price ratio. I have ordered a pair from DaveC.
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?22942-ZenWave-Audio-D4-Interconnect
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So Dave sent me a few cables to try. D4 for a digital cable,a D1,and a DSR.I put the D4 in a couple of hours ago between my Cambridge transport and Tubadour lll dac.The first thing that comes to mind is Dimensionality.Smooth,3D,detailed,and dynamic.I'm very pleasantly surprised!Tomorrow I'll add the DSR and see what happens.Right now it seriously sounds like I just bought new speakers.
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^ he certainly makes fine cables. I’d like to audition more of them in the not so far off future
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I auditioned practically a full loom of Dave's cables D4, D5, DSR SMSG SC and his silver speaker cables their is no question in my mind they were among the best I have heard very 3 D like Holographic , detailed smooth thru Mid's & Highs, wide soundstage , although I had some issues with the connectors , but overall the experience was delightful :popcorn:
Asghar
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Thanks very much for posting everyone! :D
I made a thread on WBT plugs and how to properly use them, the new softer alloy the locking barrels are made out of combined with the new carbon fiber dampers I add is making the plugs easier to over tighten.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=166727.new#new
WBT does make the best plugs in the world and the carbon fiber makes them even better, it's just important to understand exactly how they work.
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I managed the plugs ok,it's when I take them back off that I get confused for a moment :scratch:I
This afternoon I put the DSR cable between the dac and pre,turned the volume down and let it run for a couple of hours on repeat.When I sat down to listen to the same CD I'd started with yesterday 'Eric Clapton Unplugged ' what blew me away was the beautiful timbre and tone.So I'm smiling and muttering to myself "I KNEW this system was capable of this musicality!" I've been trying to tease it out for months with different tube and cable configurations.It's like finding the perfect compliment of spices for a stew that turns it from very good to sublime.
Back to Eric and company;the guitars had just right amount of attack,harmonics,and decay.The vocals were detailed and dimensional.The fabulous Ray Cooper's percussion was spot on.The timbre of the instruments as he added his 'spice'to the performance!Next up was another live recording that will make your ears bleed on systems that lean towards the cooler side, "James Gang Live in Concert"1971.The obligatory guitar solo was unraveled and listenable instead of the congealed mess it can be.Very impressive!
Tomorrow the D1 is up,then the D4 and D5 will be on the way soon.I'm buying some cables from Dave,which ones not yet determined.They are really something special and a really good fit for my taste and system.Acoustic and electric folk,blues,and rock is what I enjoy most.
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I reluctantly removed the DSR from between the dac and pre to swap in the D1,again running it in for a couple of hours.Guess what?I love it.This was the same spot previously occupied by an Audio Envy Prestige before the ZW cables.Compared to the AEs they are slightly warmer and of course more 3D,which seems to be a running theme with Dave's cables.Great timbre and tone and a beautiful complement to the warmish Gold Lion tubes that are in my amp right now.Joan Baez never sounded better.Next was more Eric Clapton from yesterday to compare presentations and some Otis Spann(piano,vocals).The D1s don't have as much detail and dimension as the DSRs but they're not that far off.Today I was taken back about 20 years ago to when I had Conrad Johnson equipment,sweet and so musical.So tomorrow I'm curious to see how the DIs do with the cooler airier KT150s.Then put both the DSR and D1 together.Final thoughts in a few days.
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Thanks for posting, I appreciate you trying the D1s for me, I am curious how they compare with Audio Envy. :) Sometimes people forget I also offer high quality copper cables for a good price.
I kind of agree the D1s are not far off from the DSR (and D4), but on the other hand that improvement in detail and dimensionality can be a really big deal as far as achieving a very immersive, 3-D soundstage. For some it's a big deal, for others not so much... and of course there is no right or wrong, some don't place much value on the soundstage or having a ton of resolution. They are lucky, they can spend less and not feel like they need more, it's trying to achieve a "you are there" experience across a wide variety of music that gets difficult and more costly.
I should be able to send you the D4 and D5 by Friday. Thanks again for your patience!
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The sense of "you are there" is the sound I love in my living room, that's why the D4s and Zenwave power cords have been in my system for years and are not going away. Sure, they cost more but for years of amazing sound realism and clarity I consider them to be one of the best audio investments I've made.
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So far the D4 as a digital cable along with the DSR between dac and pre are my favorite configuration,along with an Analysis Plus Solo Crystal between amp and pre.Using both the D1 and DSR sounded 'off' to me,surprisingly.That D1 though,wow!The lushness is addictive!Swapping in cooler sounding tubes was interesting - I wasn't feeling the same emotional connection.Which was another surprise since the big airy sound of the KT150 has been my favorite for the past few months.Every little thing really does matter.