VH Audio Pulsar XLR Analog IC

zybar · « **on:** 3 Jul 2004, 04:26 pm »

Below is the e-mail I sent Chris (VH Audio):

All my comments are in direct comparison to the Argent Audio Pursang (my reference ic's)

Here is the system:

VMPS RM 40’s w/ FST, TRT caps, and Analysis Plus wire
Jeff Rowland 201 Mono Blocks (Flavor 4 - gold option)
Electrocompaniet EC 4.7 Balanced preamp (Argent Audio Brujo power cord)
Electrocompaniet ECD-1 DAC (Sonoran Plateau)
Empirical Audio modified Sony S-7700 (transport only)
Argent Audio Pursang digital ic
BPT 3.5 Signature Power Conditioner
Argent Audio Pursang speaker cable on mid/treble
Sonoran Plateau speaker cable on woofers

I used the following music:

Rusted Root – When I Woke (bongos, drums, gourds, layered vocals, male vocals, soundstage (l/r and f/b)

Ben Harper – Fight for Your Mind (male vocals, acoustic guitar, cymbals, percussion)

Tori Amos – Boys for Pele (female vocals, piano, harpsichord)

Harry Connick Jr. – She (male vocals, piano, percussion, stand up bass)

Here are some notes I took as I listened. Reading back through them, I see consistency throughout the various cd’s.

Rusted Root

Drum Trip – This is an instrumental track that is mostly percussion with some background vocals

With the Pulsars the drums had more drive and slam than the Pursang. When a snare drum is hit, you feel the whack and its aftershock. The Pursang is more delicate and refined in its presentation. I can hear more small or low level details with the Pursang (all though not by much). The Pulsar does a very good job of separating out the various instruments and not getting confused or muddied, just not quite as good as the Pursang (again very close). The only real negative with the Pulsar is that there is a sheen to the high end (especially on cymbals). No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get rid of it. In all fairness, the Pursang is still the most natural sounding ic I have ever heard. Its highs are full of detail and spatial cues without being the least bit harsh.

Laugh as the Sun – lots of percussion (drums, bongos, gourds, tambourine, bass), layered vocals, guitar

The Pulsars again do a very good job. Imaging is excellent from side to side and front to back. Voices of the various singers are easy to place and have the correct tone. I can easily hear the breathy qualities in the female voice and raw power in the male singer’s voice. The Pulsars did a very good job conveying the rhythm and pace of the music. Detail was also very good. At the start of the song there is a strong bass line in the center with percussive instruments to the right and left. Everything is very clear and easy to identify. In fact, I feel like I can count the number of beans in the gourd!

I have seen this band half a dozen times live and I can say the Pulsar nails it. I preferred the Pulsar over the Pursang b/c this song is all about pure emotion and raw power. I had the system cranked up to 100+db peaks and the Pulsars continued to shine!

Ben Harper

Another Lonely Day – male vocals, acoustic guitar

Pulsars allowed in a great amount of detail (can easily hear Ben’s hand work on the guitar) and made it sound like Ben was in the room playing. The guitar notes has texture and depth to them. They seemed to hang in the air, but not in a way that each note overlapped the previous one. Ben’s voice was a little deeper with the Pulsars and the notes maybe a tad richer.

Gold to Me – male vocals, cymbals, bass, triangle, tambourine, acoustic guitar

Pretty much the same results as with Rusted Root songs. Excellent drive and dynamics. A more forward and aggressive presentation than the Pursang (but not in a bad way). Since this song has lots of treble energy, the Pursang really shined.

God Fearing Man – male vocals, slide guitar, bass, percussion

Opening slide guitar just pulled me in and grabbed my attention. Pulsars again let you hear the finger work and the better bass gives a more solid foundation to the music. This might have been my best experience with this song and I have listened to it probably 1000’s of times!! Only area that holds it back from being the 100% champ is the top end again.

Tori Amos

Horses – female vocal, piano

The Pulsars presented piano very well and gave it the weight and heft it should have. Notes were delicate/powerful when they should be. Tori’s sings in a breathy, sultry style at times and the Pulsars did a good job portraying this. You could easily hear her intake for breath and little shudders as she sang. Very enjoyable.

Way Down – vocals, piano

Tori sings dead center and the piano plays off to the side. The chorus is behind her. With the Pulsars I can hear the individual members of the chorus and they aren’t just one big blob of sound.

In the Springtime of his Voodoo – vocals, drum track, piano, percussion, harpsichord

Very big sounding with the Pulsars. Images are more lifelike in size when compared to the Pursang. Midrange and bass are well balanced and articulate. East to identify the various instruments and their placement on the soundstage. Harpsichord has the appropriate bite and presence. First attack on the notes is excellent.

Harry Connick Jr.

She – stand up bass, percussion, male vocal, guitar

WOW!! The stand up bass is sooooo good. I can clearly hear the individual notes and there is such weight and body. Drums are tight and clearly defined. Bongos are very musical. Harry’s voice is clear and powerful. Cymbals are good but have that little bit of sheen.

That Party/Booker – male vocals, percussion, piano, guitar

Great dynamics with such a big image! Underlying bass line is well defined and creates a solid foundation for the rest of the instruments. Very good imaging. Music just jumped out at me and said “Listen Up!!” Piano is crisp and clear.

Conclusion

Chris, outside of the slight treble glare these are outstanding!! In terms of macro dynamics, they are the best ic have heard in my system. They produce a large image that is a little forward and aggressive (in comparison to the Pursang), but in a good way. I found myself tapping my foot and really getting into the music when the Pulsars were in the system. They have lots of detail without being too obvious about it. They are well balanced and very clean.

I know the Gallos very well and they have a very extended treble, do you notice any issues there in your system? Since I haven’t heard your ic’s in other systems, I can’t be 100% certain it is the ic’s, but since I have heard the Pursang in multiple systems, I can say that the top end of the Pursang is the best I have heard.

As things stand right now, you have made an excellent ic that will compete (and beat) against much more costly competition. If you can somehow refine the treble a bit (less glare and maybe get it slightly more extended) you will have a world beater IMHO.

I hope this helps give you an idea of what I think.

For me personally, I can't ignore price (the Pursang is more than double the price of the Pulsars). The Pulsars are staying in the system.

George

Carlman · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Jul 2004, 07:59 pm »

I've been breaking in the Pulsar single-ended RCA's for about 500 hours at this point and am comparing them to the Audience Conductor. There are subtle differences but I don't think my system has the resolution to accurately pinpoint differences.

The differences are so slight.... the Audience sounds a tiny bit more natural to me.... or less like a cable. It's likely just familiarity.

The Pulsar's are definitely great IC's and are in the ballpark of the Audience Conductor.

zybar · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Jul 2004, 08:03 pm »

Carlman,

In a revealing system, the differences aren't subtle.

Try to find a more revealing system and report back on what you hear.

Also, from talking to Chris, the balanced Pulsars are supposed to be significantly better than the rca version.

BTW, do you hear a bit of grain at the top end at times?

George

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 03:03 am »

One point concerning the Pulsar's. I ordered two pairs of 1.5m IC's. Came in two separate bags. I shipped out one bag to Carlman to try , and I held the other. Short time later, PM from Carl, did you notice one IC cable is 1/2 inch longer than the other. Sure enough, checking my pair , 1/2 inch difference between the two cables.

That metric stuff will throw you off all the time.

zybar · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 03:09 am »

Chris,

Don't forget that the balanced version of the Pulsars is actually a double run + the awesome Furutech Rhodium connectors (which alone are $150 male/female pair). This makes them much better than the standard RCA Pulsar.

Are you just going to try the Pulsar as an analog ic?

George

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 03:19 am »

Quote from: zybar

Chris,

Don't forget that the balanced version of the Pulsars is actually a double run + the awesome Furutech Rhodium connectors (which alone are $150 male/female pair). This makes them much better than the standard RCA Pulsar.

Are you just going to try the Pulsar as an analog ic?

George

I understand about the double runs for the XLR ic's. I mainly bought them to use with my Nakamichi CR-7A cassette deck , but playing with things here , I've not had a lot of time to break in or compare. And I've been listening to another IC sent to me by Carl , yes , an Audience Conductor. Thats in now between a Phillips CD-80 cdp and the Krell amp.

JoshK · « **Reply #6 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 04:00 am »

I don't think the comparison between the Audience and the Pulsar digital IC at Daniel's place was all that subtle.

When you say Furutech Rhodium connectors, are you referring to XLR connector? I didn't know they made any. My thought on the treble glare is maybe try a gold plated connector instead of the rhodium, with no other change and see if that does it. Rhodium can have funny results in my opinion, sometimes works well but not always. It also typically leaves its sonic mark on the top end.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #7 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 04:16 am »

Josh, There was no VH Audio Pulsar Digital cable at Daniel's Rave... http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=8590&start=0 , it just came out a few months ago. But we had plenty of other digital cables there.

JoshK · « **Reply #8 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 04:28 am »

Sorry, I meant the Pursang, and said Pulsar...

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 04:33 am »

Quote from: JoshK

Sorry, I meant the Pursang, and said Pulsar...

It's ok , you were tired that day....

, and we did listen to a lot of cables !!

Carlman · « **Reply #10 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 04:06 pm »

Quote from: zybar

Carlman,

In a revealing system, the differences aren't subtle.

Try to find a more revealing system and report back on what you hear.

Also, from talking to Chris, the balanced Pulsars are supposed to be significantly better than the rca version.

BTW, do you hear a bit of grain at the top end at times?

George

From what you're saying, I'd think comparing the Pulsar balanced to the standard RCA would not be subtle.

My only point was to add what I've heard on the RCA-RCA version of this cable... on the only system I have at the moment.... I didn't want to write a detailed review since I couldn't really make a lot of discernable differences.... be it from the room, synergy, etc...

As to the grain, that may be what I heard... in that the Audience didn't have it and the Pulsar did... but just a little. It was enough to make the cable impart its personality on the sound. Ever since I've heard the Audience cables, I've really liked their natural sound. Every other cable has a personality whereas the Audience doesn't.. to my ears.

Like I said, though... the Pulsars are a great cable. And, in a better room or system, there may be more differences to note. I will leave that to Mr. Loanwolf since he's in NY amongst many AC members' highly resolving systems. (including his own)

He and I swapped Audience Conductor and Pulsar's to hear the differences and compare notes. We should do that!

-C

ChrisVH · « **Reply #11 on:** 5 Jul 2004, 05:20 am »

Quote

One point concerning the Pulsar's. I ordered two pairs of 1.5m IC's. Came in two separate bags. I shipped out one bag to Carlman to try , and I held the other. Short time later, PM from Carl, did you notice one IC cable is 1/2 inch longer than the other. Sure enough, checking my pair , 1/2 inch difference between the two cables. That metric stuff will throw you off all the time.

Each pair of Pulsars are made to be equal length within each pair. I'm afraid your two pairs were mixed-up when I was affixing the labels. If you guys could swap one of your IC's, you should see that they are identical (I'll even reimburse you for the shipping). The reason I match within each pair is due to the trimming process to get them extremely close, and this can't be done by just measuring the tubing to an aboslute length, due to the curvature of the tubing.

Also, be sure to reverse the direction of one of the IC's after burn-in as some have reported these IC's may be directional in some systems.

Enjoy

kana813 · « **Reply #12 on:** 5 Jul 2004, 07:19 pm »

Chris- On your website you say the balanced cable can't be used for digital AES/EBU. If the singe IC can do 75 ohm SPDIF, why couldn't two
runs of it do 150 ohm AES/EBU?

ChrisVH · « **Reply #13 on:** 5 Jul 2004, 07:48 pm »

Quote

Chris- On your website you say the balanced cable can't be used for digital AES/EBU. If the singe IC can do 75 ohm SPDIF, why couldn't two runs of it do 150 ohm AES/EBU?

The AES/EBU is actually a 110 ohm impedance standard (+/- 10%). Using two 75 ohms cables can't be summed to 150 ohms. The impedance is determined by the dielectric construction, the center condutor size, and the distance between signal and return. I have found consistency of impedance along the cabling to be extremely important in digital apps.

zybar · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Jul 2004, 02:05 am »

I am currently breaking in a pair of balanced Pulsars with the gold Furutech xlr connectors (my current ones have the Rhodium connectors) to see how those sound.

I plan on playing doing a little A/B session this weekend when the NYC gang is over.

Will report back.

George

zybar · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Aug 2004, 03:35 am »

Latest update...

I am happy to report that the little bit of HF grain or glare I initial reported is gone! It turned out that most of what I was hearing was removed by doing a little bit of tweaking to my RM 40's. I also think getting more hours on the Pulsars helped as well.

So I can now safely say that the balanced Pulsars with Furutech XLR are the all-around best ic I have had in my system.

I can heartily recommend this ic, without reservation and regardess of the price point you are at.

As for the gold vs. rhodium... I preferred the Rhodium in my system. Here is why:

StevenACNJ · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Aug 2004, 09:07 pm »

Zybar,

Did you get a chance to try out the Pulsar digital cable?

Thanks

zybar · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Aug 2004, 09:15 pm »

I use a single ended Pulsar for my digital ic and I am very happy with it.

I have been working with Chris on testing some changes and I believe he will have an announcement in the near future as to options on the Pulsar (specifically related to use as a digital ic).

George

StevenACNJ · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 Aug 2004, 10:38 am »

Zbar,

Thanks for the reply. You definately seem to be bitten by the Pulsar bug.

What other digital single ended cables have you compared the Pulsar too.

I have also been talking to Chris @ VH Audio over the past couple of weeks about the Pulsar digital cable.

Thanks

zybar · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 Aug 2004, 01:03 pm »

My previous reference was the Argent Audio Pursang.

In no particular order, here are the digital ic's I thought weren't as good as the Pursang:

Argent Audio Jaden Signature
AZ MC2
WireWorld Gold Starlight
Audience AU24
Ridge Street Audio MSE II
Soundstring

Plus there was the big shootout at one of our NYC gatherings. I believe this also included products from:

Jenna Labs
Bolder Cable
Z-Cable

George