[rob303]

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!

[jgb0194]

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.

[DaveC113]

Rob, thanks for posting your thoughts! 

Happy customers make it all worthwhile... 

[DaveC113]

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

[jtcf]

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.

[jmolsberg]

^ he certainly makes fine cables. I’d like to audition more of them in the not so far off future

[A_shah]

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 
Asghar

[DaveC113]

Thanks very much for posting everyone!   

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. 

[jtcf]

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.

[jtcf]

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.

[DaveC113]

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!

[MttBsh]

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.

[jtcf]

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.