[BikeWNC]

I bought a pair of new unused Greg Straley Reality speaker cables from a fellow board member.  My question is as I understand these cables are well burned in before leaving the shop, is how long do they need in my system to sound their best?  I'm comparing them to my long time favorite the Zu Cable Ibis.  At first listen, they seem a little lean compared to the Ibis. 

Andy

[TomS]

Mine took at least another 200 hours but they are still very good out of the box.  They just smooth out a little more over time.  Tom

[Carlman]

Interesting... I can't imagine your speakers sounding lean, Andy.   The Reality Cables took a little while to break in, maybe a few days, and the change was subtle.  I would attribute the change as much to me getting used to them as them getting used to my system.  Keep 'em playing for a couple of weeks and switch back.  You may find the Ibis bloated or 'fat' comparatively. 

If you have a good cable/speaker combo already, it's tough to find something better.  I have found the Straley Cables to work well for me, especially on the Usher's... but I haven't compared them to anything on the Piega's.  So far I haven't been driven to change them, though.

Good luck and keep us posted!

-C

[BikeWNC]

Carl,

I'll give them through the weekend before switching back to the Ibis.  I do like a touch of warmth, as you know, so time will tell how my ears adjust to the change.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Andy

[BikeWNC]

Well it's been a week since I put the Reality sc in my system.  They started off a little hot, which surprised me coming from a silver cable to the copper Straley's.  I went through a frustrating time at first, having to readjust my sub and fiddle with speaker toe-in.  I think I have reached a point where I am satisfied with the sound.  Perhaps the cables needed to settle in some as the edge has gone and the bass seems to have come back around so that the sub is close to the original setting.  I definitely think it was more than just my ears needing to adjust.

I'm away the next couple of days, hiking into LeConte Lodge in Smoky Mt NP for the night Wed., but when I get home I will put the Ibis back in the system for a comparison.

Andy

[tybee]

Is everyone using Reality iCs with Reality speaker cables?  Any suggestions for good ICs to match Reality SC?

[BikeWNC]

I'm using VH Audio Pulsars with the Nextgen silver connectors between the Universal player and pre and the pre to the amps.  I haven't heard the Reality ICs yet.

Andy

[zybar]

I am using VH Audio balanced Symmetry ic's with the Straley cables.

Later this week I will have a pair of Gregg's single ended ic's as well as some balanced ones to try in my system.

George

[smargo]

I am using VH Audio balanced Symmetry ic's with the Straley cables.

Later this week I will have a pair of Gregg's single ended ic's as well as some balanced ones to try in my system.

George

Zybar:

I started with the cables about 8 months ago and have been using the interconnects for the last 4 months. These ics with the cables are awesome - I have tried so many cables and interconnect over the last 13 years in the $300 to $800 dollar range and these ( cabs and ics) are so far and away better than anything i have used.

They absolutely do not f--k around with the sound. Are extremely neutral and will not call attention to themselves at all. The ics are the icing on the cake. enjoy

regards,
smargo

[denjo]

Smargo
I have a pair of Gregg's ICs XLR connected between my amp and pre. They easily displaced my Acoustic Zen Matrix. Gregg appropriately names them "Reality Cables". My listening impressions are like yours - dead neutral (does not call attention to itself), seems to portray realism in the music that can sometimes unnerve me from my seat and make me open my eyes, wondering if the musicians are in my listening room! Interestingly, the cables were made for non-audiophile use (not sure what this exactly means) but Gregg has a few trade secrets that he has applied or tweaked with! Has anyone compared Gregg's Reality ICs with Grover Huffman's ICs? That would be interesting! Two gentlemen who are audiophiles to begin with, DIY-ers at heart and who seem more passionate in exacting the best sound without having to break the bank. Wish someone could do a cable shootout between these two cables!

Denjo

[BikeWNC]

It's been another month with the Reality speaker cables in my system.  Comparison to the Ibis cables has been tough as they each are different enough that I need to move my speaker position to make each cable sound its best.  The Ibis are no doubt a warmer cable overall.  I need to move the speakers out into the room with the Zu cable to balance the sound or in the case of the Straley cables the speakers need to be closer to the front wall from their original position. 

It's been quite some time since the Ibis have been used so next week they go back in for another listen.  One thing is certain, the Straley cables are a great cable and in the end it may just come down to system syergy between the two.  Right now I would say that if your system leans towards being bright or lean the Zu cables might be a better pick.  There are other differences in the presentation but I will have to do another comparison to refresh my memory before I can state what they are.

Andy

[LadyDog]

Andy,
Hopefully the cables will work out for you in the long run. 

One thing to keep in mind, you could probably sell the Ibis cables, recoup your initial costs, and still have enough money left over to purchase some of Gregg's i/c's.  Tells you what a great bargain the Reality cables are.

No knock against Zu either, as I enjoy their cables in both of my ht systems.

Zybar, any preview thoughts about Gregg's new i/c(I take it you have his higher-end version)?

Regards,
Jeff