[Aether Audio]

Yeah...right

Really though, in the end the world will find out once they listen to them, so hyping them now will back-fire in the end if I'm telling fibs.

So...for what it's worth friends - here's the scoop:

As many of you know, not being satisfied with enough work building speakers to drive a man insane, I decided to try my hand at speaker cable design too.   Well, I've managed to build a pair (albeit a very short pair) and listen to them.

They came about as the result of several folks purchasing them sound-unheard-sight-unseen.  Specifically in this case, Gongos has been waiting for a complete set to be built into his Revelations.  Well, as I've told everyone involved, I'm still waiting on the Silver-Gold foil from Mundorf.  But...Gongos opted for copper ones to the woofers in his Revs.  The copper came in so at least I could start building them while I was waiting on the S-G.

In the process of building the first ones, I screwed up in a couple areas.  First, I cut the foil too short by accident.  Since I didn't want to waste it I decided to make a matching set as they were just long enough to use in Timepieces.  Second, after they were done they didn't match my spreadsheet prediction regarding L/C values.  They weren't too far off but they weren't exactly ideal either.

As many of you know, we have a pair of Timepiece 3.0s going to RMAF that will be demonstrated in Dave Belles' room (Belles Amplifiers).  Anyway, I thought..."What the heck, can't hurt."  So I made matching ones for the tweeters too and put them in Dave's TPs.  Now... I didn't expect to hear much if any difference.  I mean, how much difference can a 3 foot piece of wire make?  I was already using good OFC copper on the woofers since day one and Cardas Litz wire on the tweeters. 

As most of you know, even though I've decided to try making cables myself, I've still been a bit of a cynic about the whole matter.  That's the engineer in me.  I've been forced to admit along the way that they can make a difference, so I figured that at least I could maybe bring some real engineering to the cable world.  As many hacks as there are out there making cables, I figured I couldn't do much harm.

But still...only 3 feet of wire?  That certainly couldn't make much difference one way or the other - as long as it was decent quality material being used in the first place - Right?  Well, I put them in and fired up the TPs.  Results?

   I'm going to be frick'n rich!!!

I heard resolution and detail like never before - not even in any of our bigger models.  Then what really has me  is that the imaging/soundstage was better too.  I listened to them for a long time too on recordings I use over and over, just to be sure it wasn't my imagination. 

The next day, after my son Jason listened to them he came into my office and was trying to hold back a real s**t eating grin.  When I asked him what he thought he just started cracking up.  He knows our stuff as well as I do and maybe even has a better ear.  I can only imagine what the TPs would have sounded like if I'd have used the same cables all the way back to the amp.

Anyway...I'm a believer now!!! And I have a solid theory as to why.  I'm not telling exactly what's going on though as there's likely to be some guy out there just smart enough to figure out what I've done if I explain the theory.  I'll tell you this much though, it doesn't have anything to do with alternative physics, "subluminal charge carrier migration" or any of that hocus-pocus stuff.  All that is fun to think about but it's got nothing to do with the performance of cables.  Instead, it all has to do with real engineering - speaker behavioral dynamics, amplifier/speaker interaction and the optimized matching thereof.

Again...why hasn't somebody figured all this out before me?  Either I'm really smart or there's a lot of...uh, nevermind.

-Bob

PS.  They may be used at RMAF and... I'm taking orders aa

[mcullinan]

Hi Bob... Ill take a set perhaps...

Mike

[Aether Audio]

Marbles,

Just in case you want to stop by for a listen sometime - that's La Porte, IN.  LaGrange, IN is quite a ways from here.

Boy, now you have me worried.  I thought my particular design approach was considerably different than what has been done before.  I've checked Robert's website in the past and he doesn't really mention any specifics regarding his design theory.  Right now all he has are pictures and although to me they don't look like what I'm doing, you can't tell much of anything from that.  Maybe he is using the exact same algorithm I am.  That would suck.  I guess it would take an exact comparison and disclosure on both sides to be sure.  I doubt Robert would be willing to do that and I know I'm not!

I guess just like everything else in audio, the only way to know for sure is to listen and compare.  Maybe one day someone will have that opportunity - once I start getting them out there.  If it turns out that I'm the "last guy on the block" to really understand this stuff and my cables don't cut the mustard, I'll just quietly give the nod to the competition and go away.  Until then, I figure I have to at least give it a try.

Take care,
-Bob

[Zero]

Bob,

Congrats on building what very well may be a solid recipe. I've been very impressed with the Totem cable's I've ran this year. In fact, I'm content to the point to where I feel they may not leave the digs. It's great when you've come across something that takes you by surprise - in a good way! 

[Bill Baker]

So Bob, Do you have an ETA on the Silver/Gold yet? I mentioned some time ago I wanted a pair to have here and I am still interested

 They don't need to be too long as I will be running mono blocs and floor standers.

[Steve Eddy]

  I'm going to be frick'n rich!!!

I admire your optimism. But I'm sad to say that Noel Lee's the only one to become frick'n rich in the cable bidness.

se

[Bill Baker]

Monster dude? Is he the one that sues everyone?

[Double Ugly]

Bob, I would love to listen to your speakers wired with your new wire as well as listening to them with a  run to the amps.

You and me both!   aa

I heard about the differences the troops heard with the copper cables used internally last weekend, so now I'm *REALLY* stoked to hear my Revelations with silver/gold internal wiring running to and from external crossovers. 

I guess I'm getting a little ahead of myself, though.  Bob's going to compare the copper with the silver/gold before my speakers go out, so if there's little to no difference, I save the $$$ and go with copper.

Either way, I'm beyond confident I'm thinking I'm gonna be one happy camper.  My wallet will be a little lighter, but it's only money...right? 

  I'm going to be frick'n rich!!!

I admire your optimism. But I'm sad to say that Noel Lee's the only one to become frick'n rich in the cable bidness.

se

You aren't rich, Steve? 

[Steve Eddy]

Monster dude? Is he the one that sues everyone?

That's the guy.



se

[Steve Eddy]

You aren't rich, Steve? 

'Fraid not. But then I never got into making cables with the thought of their making me rich. The cables are just a plateau to get me to the next one, which is high-end narrow market electronics. And that to get me to the next one which is high-end broader market electronics. I'm hoping that will get me to "rich" territory and I'll be happy. I'll leave frick'n rich to others.

Anyway, let me hand the mic back to Bob along with my best wishes for his success.

se

[Big Red Machine]

Marbles,

  Maybe he is using the exact same algorithm I am.  That would suck.  I guess it would take an exact comparison and disclosure on both sides to be sure.  I doubt Robert would be willing to do that and I know I'm not!

I wouild actually think that was a good thing.  If you two came out with the same results independently that would b a breakthough in this whole mystique of why cables can and do postively impact sound.  Can't wait to hear these speakers at RMAF.  

[jneutron]

In the process of building the first ones, I screwed up in a couple areas.  First, I cut the foil too short by accident.  Since I didn't want to waste it I decided to make a matching set as they were just long enough to use in Timepieces.  Second, after they were done they didn't match my spreadsheet prediction regarding L/C values.  They weren't too far off but they weren't exactly ideal either.

How did you measure the inductance of a 3 foot long pair accurately?  Setup to do so repeatably can be rather daunting.  Did you cal out the lead inductance first?

Your dielectric thickness will be tricky to maintain at the design goal.  And don't forget, the dielectric coefficient may not be what you think it is.  Also, what is the aspect ratio of the geometry? (rhetorical question to provoke thought...I do not wish the answer posted if you do not wish such.  If it's sufficiently low, the inductance will not scale correctly on the spreadsheet, giving you a higher EDC (remember, EDC is the constrained equivalent for the model, splaying magfield about raises that value.).  Make a flat plate capacitor say 6 by 6 inch, to measure the DC more accurately using the flat plate capacitance equation.

I heard resolution and detail like never before - not even in any of our bigger models.  Then what really has me  is that the imaging/soundstage was better too.  I listened to them for a long time too on recordings I use over and over, just to be sure it wasn't my imagination. 

You've only begun to scratch the surface.  There is much to be done yet...

Anyway...I'm a believer now!!! And I have a solid theory as to why.  I'm not telling exactly what's going on though as there's likely to be some guy out there just smart enough to figure out what I've done if I explain the theory. 

Try me.. aa

I'll tell you this much though, it doesn't have anything to do with alternative physics, "subluminal charge carrier migration" or any of that hocus-pocus stuff. 

that's no fun...

All that is fun to think about but it's got nothing to do with the performance of cables.  Instead, it all has to do with real engineering - speaker behavioral dynamics, amplifier/speaker interaction and the optimized matching thereof.

Uh oh, real engineering...I'm outta here...

Again...why hasn't somebody figured all this out before me? 

No comment..I'm bitin my tongue.

The next steps are big ones..

Hope you do well with the wires.

Cheers, John

[Imperial]

I have monster cables.
I also like to increase my group of friends..

So I added AudioQuest, and Taralabs and Nordost to that mix!

About cables it is said that one best "just listen" ...
One could let the cables speak for themselves, and then await the response.

The Head Monsters (Noel Lee)  response was a few years back this:
http://www.audioholics.com/news/press-releases/monster-cable-responds-a-message-from-noel-lee

I think that we have to remember that Noel at some stage meet resistance to his new ideas..
but 31 years on there should at least be some respect to be found, for the long duration of the product.

Think what the cable scene would look like without Monster Cable... Who would defend that cables do have a sound, that they indeed are to be looked at like components.

You guys say that Monster is a bully... OK I agree!
A bully Audioholics would not easily take on..  Or Hydrogen Audio or what all these microphone ears are calling themselves these days..
So every bit as  much a knight in shining armour for the little guys that make cables... isn't it true?
Imagine if Noel Lee had stayed at Livermore labs, and had joined another set of ranks...
I'm glad he didn't !
 Imperial

[Steve Eddy]

The Head Monsters (Noel Lee)  response was a few years back this:

And this was my response:

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/general/messages/359773.html

And you can read many more responses here:

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/general/messages/359696.html

Think what the cable scene would look like without Monster Cable... Who would defend that cables do have a sound, that they indeed are to be looked at like components.

That was going on before Monster Cable.

It began commercially with Bob Fulton and his "Brown" and "Gold" series speaker cables. Polk Audio also introduced their "Cobra" cables before Monster Cable came into being. There would have been a high-end cable market without Noel Lee. The only thing Lee brought to the game was cutthroat marketing and legal thuggery.

Imagine if Noel Lee had stayed at Livermore labs, and had joined another set of ranks...

Yes. Imagine if all those businesses (many of them very small businesses) had been spared the grief and epxense of defending themselves against Monster Cable's legal thuggery.

I'm glad he didn't !

I wish he had. And if there is such a thing as hell, I hope he rots in it.

se

[Imperial]

The good thing here, is that your response to my posting was very professional, apart from the two last lines..
This is great Steve Eddy, this is what I'm on this forum for, to get a good answer back!
If I'm a bit off my mark, then I know others will put me in my place, like it should be!

You do like to shoot your mouth of Steve Eddy, even back two years I see. But there is also a lot of good writing going on here!
This is what we should use! This is the great stuff.
Yeah, sure, we get mad, and sometimes we have the right to be, but we can still be professional about it, still get the message
across without having to stoop down to calling names and asking people to go to hell and stuff.
We can do without it, and the more respect it will give!

I like my monsters! But I also like my other cables!

We could forget about MonsterCable a bit here and get back on topic!
Bobs cables!

I suggest we do this!

Imperial

[Double Ugly]

We could forget about MonsterCable a bit here and get back on topic!
Bobs cables!

I suggest we do this!

Outstanding suggestion, especially given the circle we're all posting in.

PS - The RMAF is sure lookin' pretty sweet, Imperial.  Sure you can't make it this year? 

[Imperial]

Can't make it this year DU.
But I'll put it in the loop for next year, most assuredly!

Imperial

[seadogs1]

SO, when will the cables be available for sale and how much will they cost?

[Aether Audio]

seadogs1,

SO, when will the cables be available for sale and how much will they cost?

Very soon now.  In fact, I hope/plan to bring at least a couple of pair to RMAF - if all goes well.  The clock is running out fast and I have yet to make them.

Oh... that will be the speaker cables.  The interconnects are a ways off yet.

Hope to see you there!
-Bob