[Jon L]

Thanks as usual to Mad Dog and MOM for another great session.  Among us little people, we had Jeff Smith (Silversmith Audio), Jim Wang (Harmonic Tech), and Steve McCormack (McCormack and sMc audio) present which is amazing in itself.  

There's so much we listened to, I'd better jot some down while my memory is still fresh.

Interconnect comparisons

VH Audio Pulsars Cryo'd ($370 for silver nextgen)

We used one pair with silver Nextgens and one pair with gold nextgens.  Great balance, bass, warmth, with good detail.  Sounded pretty coherent and did nothing wrong.  Not bright, not lean, not too soft.  I was rather enjoying myself listening to this setup and couldn't really think of much to complain about, until...

Cryotweaks Silver Ref Mk II ($550)

When we switched to 2 pairs of Cryotweaks cable, everyone commented the volume seemed louder, which was of course, the result of clearer details and more articulate presentation overall.  There was just more clean detail across the board from treble to bass.  One "side effect" of greater detail and resolution was that I could hear a little more textured detail in the midrange, which is good, but some recordings could sound less forgiving.  I could be happy with this, I thought..

Audioquest Sky ($2100)

This battery powered DBS cable sounded super smooth.  Very dark background from which subtle details emerged, almost gliding off the speakers. Tonality was actually more similar to copper VH cable than to fellow silver Cryotweaks IC. This IC made me realize that Cryotweaks IC does retain some characteristics that some people would call "silver sound."  That is to say, superb, almost superhuman resolution and squeaky cleanliness that reveals silver signature.  We're not talking about "bright" silver nasties some lesser cables have.  Sky was very detailed, more than VH, but in a more natural way than Cryotweaks.

Bass was significantly more in quantity and impactful than Cryotweaks, which was good and bad.  More warmth, bloom was available, but the bass at times intruded into midrange,I thought, getting in the way of crystal clear vocal/instrumental detail.  Cryotweaks IC didn't suffer from this problem and had a clearer presentation.  Overall, I was impressed, but the pricetag was bothering me..

Silversmith Audio silver ($1400)

Veerry nice.  I thought these had the most expressive midrange, ones that draw you in the most and involve you.  It did not seem to have "silver signature" and seemed the most neutral in this system context, especially bass, which was just right in quantity and quality.  There was detail aplenty, but it wasn't shouting out at you.  So far the best at combining that mythical "musicality" and involvement factor with technical detailing.  I need to get one of these, I was thinking..

Harmonic Tech Cyberlight ($1499 + $400 of battery pack)

Unfortunately, our battery pack was not working properly, so most of the time we were using the wallwart.  Fortunately, we had a Walker Velocitor which helped a lot with the wallwart.  When I did hear the battery pack for a VERY brief moment, I did hear some meaningful improvements compared to wallwart, especially in authority/solidity of sound, so stayed tuned for the replacement battery pack.  

It wouldn't be fair to compare the Cyberlight without battery to the formidable Silversmith, but I will anyway with above caveats.  

There were some controversies about this cable, and I will tell you right now these are the real deal.  Even without battery pack, the greatness comes through enough to let you know.  The main thing I noticed is a sense that I'm not listening to signal traveling in some kind of metal.  I can usually hear the differences various metals impart, such as gold, silver, copper.   All these metals impart a subtle, almost subliminal texture to sound that makes you aware of "cable" or interaction with dielectric.  Cyberlight didn't have such texture and sounded extremely pure and completely grainless.  

Many felt Silversmith silvers were "better," and I agree (without battery) in that Silversmith had more control and authority as well as more expressive/richer midrange and more powerful/tighter bass and better dynamics.  It sounded more like a complete package and more involving.  But I personally felt Cyberlights still had that unique sense of purity and no-cableness that I haven't heard before with a cable.  I probably liked it more than others at the session, though.  I hope a working battery pack makes it to Mad Dog soon.  Most felt both Cyberlights and Silversmiths were better than others tested so far.  Then, KaBoom!

Silversmith Palladiums ($4000)

Jeff Smith pulled out his Palladiums.  As good as silvers are, Palladiums just had more magic, more music.  Background became eerily ink black, probably as black as the DBS-powered Sky!  There was even more detail and resolution present than silvers but they were even better integrated into the fabric of music and overall gestalt.  One of those "warmer but more detailed" type of changes, including bass, which was more "moist" and expressive, which kind of challenged the VR4Jr/room interface in this case.  I will stop here b/c the price will put it outside the reach of most of us, and Silvers are good enough IMO for any application I can think of.  Palladiums are NOT 2.5X better than Silvers as price would suggest.  The extra $2600 gets you the last round of spit-shine.

Now, don't get me wrong.  ALL the interconnects I mentioned are awesome.  The cheapest (VH) is still fantastic interconnects, one I would be happy using in my system and enjoy the music completely.  The differences are there, but there are no losers in this group in the least.  

Digital Cable Comparison.

Onyx Statement

Pleasant, listenable sound.  Overall sound was a bit opaque, though with very top and bottom a bit soft.  Bass and dynamics weren't as powerful as others.  Not in the elite group, but I've heard many digital cables that are worse over the years.

Dodson Audio digital cable

Puny little cable that sounds big, bold, powerful.  Good detail, good musicality, and clean treble.  Bass at times could sound a bit too powerful and boomy, but it was still tight.  More transparent than Onyx.  Mad Dog said this was the best digital cable he had heard until the next two came along..

cyberlight digital

Very clear, pure.  Just like the Cyberlight IC, there was a sense  of pellucid clarity that was like flowing spring water.  

Silversmith Palladium

Other than that pellucidity (?), palladiums cleaned house.  One noticeable advantage over cyberlight was more weight to intruments and vocals.  Just more richness, heft, and weight behind each note, resulting in more enjoyable experience.  Bass and dynamics were best of the lot, with right amount of extension, slam, and tautness.  $2000

DAC/Transport thoughts.  

Dodson 218 is a Great DAC.  What can I say?  A fabulous match for Silversmith cables, both helping each other pull out every last hidden detail and richness while serving up big doses of musical enjoyment.  Compared to McCormack UDP-1 on redbook, 218 had more resolution, realism, and especially dynamics and bass that was unreal.  And UDP-1 is a GREAT redbook player on its own right, one that Mad Dog reports bettered his older Dodson 217 II ...  218 pricetag, $8000.  UDP-1 coming in at measly $3500, including fantastic DVD-A and SACD capabilities!

One big surprise was how great UDP-1 was as transport.  There was great resolution, warmth, involvement, and PRAT as transport.  Some of us thought the UDP-1 outperformed Empirical Audio modded Sony as transport, which sounded less involving and a bit "flat" for some reason.  I will reserve judgment until a more prolonged comparison can be done when both transports have been warmed up for a long period.

Preamps

Mad Dog's new Callisto is an impressive looking and sounding pre.  No typical tuby rolloffs on top or bottom.  Bass was taut and powerful, likely owing to the huge separate power supply.  There was great texture and sense of air and three-dimensionality as well as dynamic flow.  Reminded me of some of the high-end VAC preamps, which is a great thing.

Steve McCormack brought a prototype of his hybrid passive/buffered preamp.  Basically the most resolving, most transparent, most detailed active preamp I've probably ever heard.  If it was anywhere in the recording, it came right through.  Some of the well-remastered redbook CD's and 24/192 DVD-A's as well as good SACD's sounded so resolute and detailed it was actually scary.  

Good news.  Steve says this will go into production "soon," and that the preliminary guess on the price would be around $3000-3500 (hopefully).  Yummy.

One last word on Silversmith silver speaker cables.  These completely proved me wrong about how silver ribbons should sound.  No vagueness in upper bass or uneven tonal balance that some silver ribbons can impart.  These cables were dynamic as all get-out, with boogie factor and fun factor that was phenomenal.  There was clarity and transparency galore, which I enjoyed very much.  Compared to traditional cables, these 'can' sound more lively and lit-up (trying to avoid saying "bright" here), so some care in system matching would be wise as always.  $2500.

Moral of the story.  At one point, we had a $3500 transport feeding $8000 DAC into $9000 preamp into $9000 amp with cabling that was >$15,000.  Luckily the $4000 speakers were not limiting us (VR4Jr).  Conclusion?  Money, for lack of a better word, is GOOD

[shokunin]

Jon,

As Usual, great write up!!  Man, I keep missing these great sessions.  Sounds like a lot more fun that sitting in the ER watching my daughter get stiches in her forehead.    

hopefully MD will have the cables for awhile and I can get a personal listen when i pick up my phonostage.  

Was any of the listening done with MD's Anti-cables?

[zybar]

Great write-up John.

Just curious, why not try the VH Audio as a digital cable?

I use my single ended Pulsar (Silver NextGen connectors) as a digital ic and have preferred it to all contenders so far.

In the comparisons I have done, the balanced Pulsars with Furutech connectors are significantly better than the single ended with the NextGen connectors.

There is more clarity, dynamics, and texture to music.  Pretty much what you are saying the other ic's had.  I use the balanced Pulsars with Furutech connectors between my Tact preamp and my amps (McCormack DNA-500 and Crown K2-sub duty only).

One of these days I will decide to try more ic's and now I have a few to put on my list.

Thanks,

George

[Jon L]

Great write-up John.

Just curious, why not try the VH Audio as a digital cable?

I use my single ended Pulsar (Silver NextGen connectors) as a digital ic and have preferred it to all contenders so far.

In the comparisons I have done, the balanced Pulsars with Furutech connectors are significantly better than the single ended with the NextGen connectors.

There is more clarity, dynamics, and texture to music.  Pretty much what you are saying the other ic's had.  I use the balanced Pulsars with Furu ...

We just had too much to do, and it didn't even occur to me to try the VH as digital cable.  Mad Dog should try it as he has all the cables.  I do like the Nextgen-based digital cables for its 75 Ohm characteristic.

If your balanced Furutech Pulsars improve on single-ended, I don't know if auditioning more is necessary.  VH IC's were damned good; it's just more money (much more money) gets you a bit more as usual.  

Are you still using Sonoran Plateau speaker cables?  How did they compare to others you've tried?   I still use my ancient Sonoran Desert Signature speaker cables and have been itching to try some others.

Shokunin, I saw those Anti-cables and wanted to try them, but once again, there was no time.  I WILL say they look even more tiny in person than in pictures.  I might have to grab some for my (yet to be realized) home theater..  Hope you can make it for our next session.

[zybar]

We just had too much to do, and it didn't even occur to me to try the VH as digital cable. Mad Dog should try it as he has all the cables. I do like the Nextgen-based digital cables for its 75 Ohm characteristic.

If your balanced Furutech Pulsars improve on single-ended, I don't know if auditioning more is necessary. VH IC's were damned good; it's just more money (much more money) gets you a bit more as usual.

Are you still using Sonoran Plateau speaker cables? How did they compare to others you've tried? I still use my ancient Sonoran Desert Signature speaker cables and have been itching to try some others.

Shokunin, I saw those Anti-cables and wanted to try them, but once again, there was no time. I WILL say they look even more tiny in person than in pictures. I might have to grab some for my (yet to be realized) home theater.. Hope you can make it for our next session.

Yup, I am super happy with my VH Audio Balanced Pulsar analog ic's and the single ended Pulsar used as a digital ic.  If I am not looking to compare something I own with other stuff out there, that is my highest level of recommendation.

I am about to sell my Sonoran speaker cable.  I reinserted the TG Audio speaker cable by Bob Crump and I prefer the way it sounds with the HT3/DNA-500 combo.  It is a little more dynamic and little more natural sounding to my ears.  

The funny part is that I really liked the Sonoran with the RM 40's....

Goes to show how important component matching is.

George

[John Casler]

YES!!!

What a session,

Mad Dog and Master were again great hosts and we have to be very thankful that they not only open their house, but also assemble such an event.

I mean we have almost as many "Audio Celebrities" as Participants.

three (count'em) of the attendees were well known and excellent manufacturers.

One, MD himself is a very prominent reviewer, and

Even the Legendary Steve McCormack and Jim Merod were in attendance.

Since the format is set here by JonL, I will follow it, but first a little about the "SYSTEM"

Mad Dog has one of the finest systems you will hear in any private residence and any who get the opportunity should scramble to have a seat in the sweet spot.

His V4Jr's, Callisto pre, Jeff Rowland Amp, and McCormack CDP, are very synergistic and when connected together offer one great and revealing set up.

Also, all my impressions (as well as those of the others) were limited to their seating positions and subsequent sonic conditions.  I actually was in the only "equidistant" sweet spot seated position, but was in the second row behind Jon L and Adam R, whose heads were somewhat blocking each speaker, a bit.  Jon's head being slightly more absorbant of HF energy due to his hair style compared to Adam's shave pate.        

I mention this to establish that if my impressions were different, that the postitioning might have played a role.

I should also mention that I am a dealer and use AudioQuest in my system so am rather familiar with the "sound" character of their line.

And one other comment/statement, regarding those who read these "comparo's".  While these sessions are carried out under very good conditions (the best I have ever seen) they are limited and not scientific.  I feel that they can give you some ideas of what a cable might offer in regards to "general character" and "price to performance", they don't tell you what the cable will sound like in your system.

In some cases, (due to the pure logistics of cable swapping and time constraints) we only heard some of the cables for good protions of two specific cuts and I was only familiar with one (DUENDE)

And one last disclaimer, most of the time when listening to a couple comparisons cuts "over and over" the cables at the latter portion of the session will benefit from the brains "familiarity" with the cut and the details.  For example, when you watch a movie the first time, you get most of it, but each time you watch it after that, you pick up additional "details" that you saw, but didn't notice with the inital viewings.

This same thing happens with audio, so thats the set up and now the cables.


Interconnect comparisons

VH Audio Pulsars ($370 for silver nextgen)

These had the disadvantage of going first, and I thought they sounded quite good.

In listening to the cut DUENDE, I can only compare them to "my" system since that is my reference.

I thought they had good depth, in the bass, but the 'definition' of the fuzztone bass riff was not as detailed and controlled as I remember, it to be.

The midrange is where this cable shined and it seemed to have this well together.  The treble was slightly rolled off and the trailing guitar riff after the bass run, was not as detailed as I have heard it.

Dynamics were pretty good, but the single tom strike in DUENDE was slightly soft.

Soundstage was acceptable and overall this seems to be a well rounded cable.  I think it might perform best in a more forward system with lots of treble energy.

Cryotweaks Silver Ref Mk II ($550)


In switching to the Cryotweaks cable, I immediatley noticed a few things:

1) the detail on the acoustic guitar riff was now "very prominent" so this cable offered good resolving power

2) The sonic backround seemed darker

3) Dynamics were improved

4) I also made note that the Soundstage was wide and deep.

This is a very good cable.

Audioquest Sky ($2100)

When the Sky was installed, and we pressed play, I immediatly noticed a familiar sound.  I have the Cheetahs and they share some traits.

I thought they sounded pretty darn good.  I thought they sounded louder, but no one else thought so.  Might just have been that I could hear them better since I know their sound.

I found the treble smooth, extended and open, with the texture and realism, I would expect from a cable of this category.  The telltale acoustic guitar trailing riff was "pristine" and the sound was natural

Not a single complaint about the midrange, and the bass was as deep as any cable we had heard (or would hear).  On DUENDE at the very end of the initial bass riff, there is a very low bass note and the sky seemed to reproduce this louder and lower than the other cables.  The bass detail and resolution was also as good as the best I heard.

Like Jon, I heard a very realistic and tonal balance that again should be present at this level.

The soundstage was solid, 3-D, wide and deep.  Images were well formed and had palpable edges and correct size.


Silversmith Audio silver ($1400)

This cable worked very well in Mad Dogs system, and I can see why he likes it so well.

While I won't go into long drawn out detail, I can just say, people should try this, if they are in the market for a cable in this price range.

There were two things that stood out, to me compared to the other cables, and while they might not seem very significant, please consider that these are impressions over "parts" of only two cuts, so generally where there is smoke, there is fire.  Meaning if a cable does something well in one area, it probably has other attributes that limited listening might not reveal. Sort o a "trickle down" performance effect.

1) The images had a  "slightly different presence"???? What does that mean?  I'm not sure how to describe it, but they did take on a sonic presence that was very pleasing, real, and enjoyable.  

2) Instruments with microdynamics were "very" lifelike.  I noticed this on the bongos in both of the cuts.

These certainly would be something I would like to try in my system.  They are the real deal and there was just not enough exposure or comparison for me to say too much more.


Harmonic Tech Cyberlight ($1499 + $400 of battery pack)

While it is true that the "electrical" system was not operating 100%, I felt that these cable were also quite impressive.

I like the concept of "no electrical connection" if it works.  If these are an idicator of "things to come", they are a good representative.

I didn't hear anything lacking, and they were the second best on bass depth and weight.  Tone and timbre were "equal" to both the Sky and SilverSmith, and they also had similar dynamics.

They did not have that "exclusive" imaging character that the SilverSmith had, which I would like to hear more of.  Their macro and micro Dynamics were also equal.

So if getting the "electrics" up and operating adds anything else they have the potential to be the top contender.  As it stands now, I felt they were a top contender in several perfromance categories.

I might also mention that much of the time we heard "insertions" rather than "PURE" cable systems.  I think it was close, during the Harmonic Tech, section since the speaker cables during most of the session were Harmonic Tech.  Also toward the very end, we went with the SilverSmith Palladiums, and Jeff's speakers cables.  We never got to that point with the SKY.  Just not enough time.

Silversmith Palladiums ($4000)

This happened just as I was leaving and I only got to hear DUENDE , and a new cut off Jim Merod's new CD "SunShower" by the John Hicks Trio, on BluePort records. (Absoultley Fabulous by the way, I have it on my phones as I type this)

The Palladiums and synergy of the SilverSmith System did again add to the incredible presence the initial Silver cables had.  Reality is the word.

I would agree with Jon L that they now were matching the blackness of the SKY, as well as the depth of bass.

I would also agree with Jon that this was not a winner/loser shoot out.  It would be impossible with all the "variables" to arrive at much more than very basic conclusions.

Every cable performed up to a very high standard and the qualities, I describe were from a very limited sampling.  The differences were perceptions from that perspective.

To really hear what any of these cables could do, it would take some rather serious, and arduous A/B/A/B and then some.

When differences can be heard, then they have to be examined to see if they truly offer an improvment, equalization, or detraction to long term listening and enjoyment, and realism.

Most don't get the opportunity to enjoy this fascinating yet confounding area of our hobby.

It is like building a car out of parts you order online, by trial and error.

I do know however that this group of cables (to my ears under the conditions) were exemplary in their sonic virtues.

I know I'd like to spend time with the SKYs and compare them to my Cheetahs, and I would really like to spend time with the SilverSmith and CyberLights to see how they react to my gear.

I highly reccomend "ALL" of the cables we heard, at their various price/performance points.

DAC/Transport thoughts.

As far as the gear we used, it was of the highest level.

At one time, the CDP, Preamp, DAC, AMP, and cables were in excess of a retail list of almost $45,000 (I don't know all the prices of all the cables)

We should have been hearing incredible sound and we were.

Preamps

The Calisto was MAGIC, and I really regret having to leave and not hear Steve's new Pre.  If for his target price point of $3500, it is 90% of the Calisto, it would be a STEAL!!

Wish I could have heard it.

Although, I am weary of typing, it is important that all realize that while I have said that these comparisons are based on limited and conditional listening, they did show that there are definately differences that we can hear in wiring and cables.

I also think that while the CyberLight cables put in an admirable showing (hearing) that the technological concept has a potential to surpass the current metalurgical/electrical limitations of most current conventional products.

Either stay tuned, or go active and see for yourself.

Overall, it was great to see all who attended, and thanks again to MD and his fabulous SO, for a great session and a chance to hear fun (and expensive) toys

[Mad DOg]

Just curious, why not try the VH Audio as a digital cable?

i have used the Pulsar as a digital cable...but as Jon L said, prior to the Cyberlight and Silversmith cables, the "secret skunkworks" Dodson digital cable was the best i've tried...the Pulsar is an excellent digital cable, but doesn't quite hit the mark set by the Dodson digital cable and seeing as we were tight on time, i chose to not to include this in the comparison.

i also had the EA Bitmeister which i didn't throw into the comparisons either due to limited time because, like the Pulsar, it is also off the mark set by the Dodson.

[Mad DOg]

Man, what a AMAZING session!!! For those of you who missed it? Well, too bad for you. You guys missed an awesome session.

I would like to sincerely thank the manufacturers for giving their blessings and providing all the cables to make this successful session happen!

Special call out and recognition go to:

Jim Wang of Harmonic Tech:
a wonderful and talented man w/ a wealth of knowledge and understanding about cables, connectors and much, much more; the Cyberlight technology is cutting edge stuff in its infancy still which I'm sure will only continue to be improved upon; scary stuff indeed!

Jeff Smith of Silversmith Audio:
another amazingly talented designer who has really pushed the envelop in cable design and performance

Steve Niemi of Audioquest:
for providing some of AQ's best cabling!

Mike Garner of CryoTweaks:
for bringing such a great performing cable down to an "affordable" price for the masses and for lugging down all kinds of fun gear that we unfortunately did not have the time to listen to.

Chris VenHaus of VH Audio:
also for bringing a great performing cable down to an even more "affordable" price for the masses.

Steve McCormack of SMc Audio:
for bringing his new work in process prototype reference linestage creation  for all of us to enjoy.

THANK YOU for making this possible!    

[Marbles]

How much $$$$ is the Dodson digicable?

[Mad DOg]

How much $$$$ is the Dodson digicable?

not available for sale to the general public.

[Mad DOg]

This was meant to be a comparison and should not be seen as a shootout. As always, the opinions and impressions were arrived at based on a LIMITED amount of listening time in MY home and in MY system. As always, YMMV and YOU will need to try these products out in YOUR home in YOUR system to see if they'll work for YOUR preferences. Each of these cables has bested a number of other cables in extended listening in my system.

Allow me to take the budget leading VH Audio cables, for example...in my system, these have easily bested the likes of the following: Cardas Golden Reference, Cardas Golden Cross, Acoustic Zen Silver Reference MkII, Zu Varial, Argent Jaden Sig, Argent Pursang and many more. So as you can see, all of the cables present at my home yesterday, offer an INCREDIBLE level of performance. If you have a chance to try them in your own system, I think you'd agree...

[Mad DOg]

As always, I MUST thank my wonderful wife for putting up with me and my hobby. I'm not sure how a wonderful woman like her decided to spend the rest of her life w/ a nutcase like me, but I consider myself lucky, indeed!   Then again, when she married me, I was but a poor sap just a few months removed from college with a modest stereo system so I guess it's not her fault!  

This listening session was LONG overdue! It's been a some time now since I last hosted so it was great to see all the familiar faces...

Jim Merod and Steve McCormack, ALWAYS a pleasure and an HONOR to see and listen with you! I learn so much every time I have an opportunity to hang out with you, my friends. Folks, these guys both have an amazing amount of knowledge to share. Thanks for joining us again!

My buddy, John Casler! There are times, I do regret having to move so far away...It's not often we get the chance to listen together anymore, man.

Jon L, a FINE play by play write up of the day's events! As always, you accurately captured the action all while engaging the readers with your entertaining, vivid, and colorful descriptions! Great work, my friend! Folks, I've said it before and I'll say it again, Jon L is an extremely knowledgeable audiophile with alot of experience and keen ears who simply GETS it!

Mike (CryoTweaks), another fine fellow who I am HONORED to be able to call my friend. As always, thanks so much for bringing your objective and unbiased perspective. And thanks for bringing so much gear that we unfortunately ran out of time and were unable to listen to.

Hajime, glad to have you join our group! New blood is always invigorating and refreshing! Hopefully, you'll continue to join us in the future!

Once again, I want to thank Jim Wang, Mike Garner, Chris Venhaus, Jeff Smith and Steve Niemi for allowing this session to come together! Having met all of them with the exception of Chris Venhaus who I have corresponded with ofter via email, PM and by phone, I will say that each of these fine folks are true 200% CLASS ACTS through and through! All manufacture fine products that DESERVE our support...

please stay tuned for part 2: the system...

[Mad DOg]

While the two Jo(h)ns have already made mention of the system, here's a detailed rundown of the complete system used for the comparison. With so much gear to listen to, we did not have a chance to spin up any vinyl...

Source: McCormack Audio UDP-1 Universal Disc Player isolated by Hyperion Magnetic Floater feet and powered by an Electraglide Reference Tri-glide Power Cord
Preamplifier: Aesthetix Callisto Linestage isolated by Black Diamond Racing Cones (MkIII) powered by a Cryo'd Venhaus Audio Flavor 4 Power Cord w/ gold Furutech connectors. Outboard Power Supply placed on a Polycrystal amp stand.
Power Amplifier:Jeff Rowland Model 10 stereo amplifier sitting on top of a Polycrystal Amp stand powered by a Cryo'd 20A Venhaus Audio Flavor 4 Power Cord w/ gold Furutech connectors. a Verastarr Veraslab granite vibration isolation slab was placed on top of the amp.
Speakers: Von Schweikert Audio VR-4 Jr (NOT mass loaded w/ lead shot; this is important as Albert, Kevin, and numerous other folks have mentioned that mass loading will allow these speakers to play at their full potential; i have not done so yet becuz i'm not into S&M and have no desire to subject my poor ol' back to moving an additional 50lbs/speaker )
Power conditioner: Tice Power Block outlets replaced w/ hospital-grade 20A Hubbell units sitting on a wood cutting block.
Equipment Rack: Wood Technologies MGA-4 rack
Wall outlet: 20A Hubbell hospital grade duplex outlet
Outboard DAC: Dodson DA-218 (courtesy of Adam Reiter) power by one of my Cryo'd Venhaus Audio Flavor 3 Power Cord and fed by my "super secret factory skunkworks" Dodson digital cable .

up next...System Background/Comments:

[Mad DOg]

Hajime Sato

Joined: 03 Feb 2005
Posts: 19
Location: Orange County, CA
 Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:17 pm  Thanks a bunch!    

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Mad DOg,

Thanks for a wonderful session and your hospitality. Your system is awesome, and the interconnect shootout was fantastic. I also thank Mike, Jim and Jeff who brought their state-of-the-art cables.

Sometimes I didn't hear all the subtle differences others pointed out, probably because I don't have as much experience. But I thought all the cables did a phenomenal job, way above the level I'm used to with my system.

Sorry I had to leave early. I'm looking forward to hear what you did after I left.

Thanks again, guys!
_________________
Happy listening!
Hajime

System -> http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=systems;system=459

[Hajime Sato]

In addition to the brief message I posted on another thread and Mad DOg copied here, here are my impressions about the interconnects...

Several caveats: I'm relatively new to this hobby and have much less experience than any of you. I couldn't either hear, identify or articulate some of the subtle differences that were pointed out at the session.

I felt it was very difficult to judge something in an unfamiliar (albeit wonderful) system using unfamiliar source material. As John has pointed out, sometimes I couldn't tell if I was hearing more details because of the cable change or because I was hearing the same passage for the second time. I also felt that sometimes my memory failed during switchovers.

So I'm not sure if I can provide any meaningful insights, but here they are. Please remember: All the cables were great and far above the level I'm used to. I would be beyond happy to own any of them.

Mad DOg's system sounded very dynamic, powerful and detailed. I did not sit on the sweet spot so I can't comment on stereo imaging but the voices and instruments had powerful presense, and frequency extension was excellent in both directions.

I never liked Wynton Marsalis' latest CD content-wise, but I brought it upon lonewolf's recommendation and played it when many people were in the kitchen. (Sorry for being so shy!) The first track sounded so good that it changed my entire perspective on this disc. The track will be my sound check reference for a while .

VH Audio Pulsar: Since I had no way of evaluating the first interconnect in any meaningful way (I heard the entire system and not just the interconnect, so I had no way of distinguishing the interconnect's contributions), I simply made the VH Audio Pulsar my reference point, giving 5 points across all parameters that were on the sheet Mad DOg gave me. I certainly didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

CryoTweaks Silver Ref Mk II: I thought it was a clear improvement over the Pulsar in terms of bass extension, resolution and detail, and most of all dynamics.

Audioquest Sky: I was surprised by how everything sounded different. Like John, I felt the volume was higher. Compared to the CryoTweaks, the bass was much more powerful and I felt the treble was also more extended and airy. The background seemed blacker and I could hear more details. And the most prominent characteristic was the dynamics.

When I experimented and made my own DIY DBS interconnects (and speaker cables) with regular 9V batteries, I found similar effects: more bass power and more dynamics. I also found a little more noise in my experiment but not so with the Sky. This was actually my personal favorite of all.

Silversmith Audio Silver: After the Sky, I felt that the sound went back closer to the CryoTweaks. Or, maybe I should say the Sky was so different from everything else. The bass sounded more extended and powerful than the Cryo but less so than the Sky. Ditto for resolution and detail, which I felt was the strongest point of the Silversmith.

Harmonic Tech Cyberlight: As others pointed out, there were some glitches and we could not use it under the best conditions. I guess that's the price we have to pay for having a complicated system in an interconnect. I felt it was very similar to the Silversmith but if I'm pressed, I thought the treble and bass extension (or quantity) was a bit less than the Silversmith but I liked the smoothness of the midrange very much. Resolution and detail might have been a bit less than the Silversmith.

It may not be the main design objective of the Cyberlight, but I thought the fact that they can have different impedance at different ends can be a significant benefit. You could (or probably should) use different combinations for digital-preamp and preamp-amp sections and can forget about impedance matching.

I had to leave at that point. I'm kicking myself because a lot of interesting things happened afterwards, but oh well.

Thanks again for everyone involved. For a neophyte audiophile like me, this listening session was a great learning experience. I look forward to future meetings and sessions, if you don't mind having me!

[lonewolfny42]

I never liked Wynton Marsalis' latest CD content-wise, but I brought it upon lonewolf's recommendation and played it when many people were in the kitchen. (Sorry for being so shy!) The first track sounded so good that it changed my entire perspective on this disc. The track will be my sound check reference for a while  .
 

Thank you Hajime. That first track is the one ("Feeling of Jazz"). It's one of four cd's that the NYAR always use to check out different systems. This way we always have a point of reference.[/list:u]
Thanks guy's for posting the results of your comparisons...very interesting....and some excellent equipement. [/list:u]
My only disappointment....the SP Tech's didn't make it to your gathering.....maybe next time. I was looking forward to reading what you guys thought of them. Thanks !! [/list:u]
Chris[/list:u]

[Hajime Sato]

That first track is the one ("Feeling of Jazz"). It's one of four cd's that the NYAR always use to check out different systems. This way we always have a point of reference.

Thank YOU, Chris, for recommending a great track.
Having a set of reference CDs for the group sounds like a good idea, for I had a hard time trying to figure things out while getting accustomed to the tracks at the same time.

[Adam_Reiter]

Sorry for the late reply.

I'd like to thanx MadDog for a great listening session and going through all of the trouble to set it up.  That was truely a great spread.  I was eating all day long.


VH Audio Pulsar: I though this cable was very good.  Good bass, good midrange.  First cable is going to be the hardest one to really evaluate.  I can only really tell the differences in the cables replacing it.


CryoTweaks Silver Ref Mk II:  This cable was a BIG improvement for me from the VH cable.  I heard the detail come out alot more, and the extention is the highs.  The bass was more defined and dropped a little lower.


Audioquest Sky:  This cable was a very interesting cable to me.  It was an improvement over the CryoTweaks.  Bass was stronger and more defined. The airyness was really great, and the detail was tremendous.  But to me, the upper airyness almost sounded to light.  As if the cymbals lost their weight.  The detail was there, but the weight to the upperend was not there.  Its really hard to put this into words what I was hearing, but that is the best way to explain it.


Silversmith Audio Silver:  This was my person favorite cable of the group.  When this cable went in the system, I was floored.  This is the sound for me.  The upper detail was amazing.  The notes again had weight to them.  The bass was the most detailed to me with this cable.  The bass was also strong and extended low.  The overall detail was just fabulous

Silversmith Palladium:  This cable was the best cable there, IMHO.  Very close to the Silver.  A littel more detail in the highs.  Airyness.  To tell you the truth, I had the hardest time telling this cable apart from the regular silver.  It was better that the silver, but certainly not $2600 better to my ears.  I think that is a big part of being the exact same cable as the silver, only with the palladium alloy instead of silver.


Harmonic Tech Cyberlight:  This cable was definitely the closest to the Silversmith.  It ended up being a two way comparison between this cable and the Silversmiths after we norrowed the field.   This is a great cable as well.  I just thought the Silversmith did everything a tad better.

Also for me, the Cyberlights have this battery pack to mess with, and or Cords to plug in if you don't have the batttery.  For me, unless I hear a SUBSTANTIAL  improvement over the Silversmith, I would not want to hassle with all the extra connections and battery stuff.  I just want a simple interconnect.  BUT that is only my opinion.   I want it as simple as possible.  That is why I don't prefer tubed gear.


Thanx so much to Jim Merod and Steve McCormack.  Those two were truely amazing to talk with, and are damn genius' in their fields.  I especially enjoyed talking with Jim Merod.  Thanx guys for all the wonderfull gear and those remastered DVD-A's

Jon Casler, you are a really cool guy.  I look forward to meeting you again.  Its not always I meet guys as big as I am.  Although you are actually muscle.  

Mike from Cryo, it was a pleasure to meet you.  You remind me alot of one of my good friends.  I hope to meet you again soon.  Thanx for bringing all that gear.

It was good meeting Jon L, and Jim from Cyberlight and, Hajime.


That session was really eye opening as far as my Statement cables are concerned.  I was also really suprized at what I stunning transport the McCormack UPD-1 is.

Lets just say that my FINAL system will have the McCormack as a transport and the Silversmith Silver lineup.  They really were THAT good.

And I feel as though I allready have an incredible system going.

[Mad DOg]

Adam,

thx for weighing in w/ your impressions...you are aware that there were 2 different Silversmith cables that we were listening to...The Silver and the Palladium. just want to be sure since you made no mention of the Palladium.

[Jon L]

"Audioquest Sky: This cable was a very interesting cable to me. It was an improvement over the CryoTweaks. Bass was stronger and more defined. The airyness was really great, and the detail was tremendous. But to me, the upper airyness almost sounded to light. As if the cymbals lost their weight. The detail was there, but the weight to the upperend was not there. Its really hard to put this into words what I was hearing, but that is the best way to explain it. "

It was nice to meet you too, Adam.  You know who REALLY wants to hear it all b/c they will be sitting in the front row center, which in this case was Adam and myself.  

I know exactly what you mean about Sky's treble.  I can hear exactly the same thing with my Aural Thrills active cables when power is turned on.  With DBS, treble does seem to lose some apparent "weight" or bite or immediacy, whatever you want to call it.  Treble becomes more ethereal, airy, "feathery."  Many people would absolutely LOVE this effect, especially with most redbook CD's.  But in certain system configurations, I do often prefer the treble with power turned Off for that extra treble presence.  What's right?  Who knows.  It's also interesting that everyone noticed the stronger bass with DBS, which is exactly what happens with power engaged on my Aural Thrills cable as well.  

I had actually brought my Aural Thrills active cables with me, and it would have been very interesting to compare this budget  active cable to Sky, but we simply ran out of time.  

I had actually also brought my quiet audio PC and Empirical Audio Modded Transit and Lynx 2B card, but there was no time.  Oh...I would have paid good money to hear the Dodson 218 through Audio PC/Empirical and compare to UDP-1 as transport.  Maybe next time.