I first would like to thank Jason (Pez) for the opportunity to have some fun testing cables this last month or so. If someone asked me a year or two ago how much of a difference cables made, I'd have laughed. My thought had always been get something above basic zip cord and call it good. BOY WAS I FREAKING WRONG! I won't go into debating cable fact vs fiction stuff, but I will add my rambling $0.02 on how a few sets of cables affected my system this last month.
First off, my system is not big money hifi, and most people here would shake their head at a few of the things going on. Things are slowly improving where finances allow. I've made some big gains in sound recently, but it's still not a fully complete, really nice system yet. I'll leave the diatribe of specs to my system page if you care to look.
Now as for Hapa cables, I do have experience with them in my system. First impression with any Hapa cable, you come to appreciate the top notch build quality and these cables are no different. The cables are light and nimble, super compliant for awkward routing if necessary, and the KLE Absolute connectors are just icing on the cake. I did notice that the braiding was slightly different than my Breathe C cables so I knew I would have fun trying to hear the differences. My normal cables setup are from my turntable to my phono stage is a Quiescence C w/ Absolute connectors, then a Breathe C w/ Absolute connectors to my receiver and from my dac to receiver is another Breathe C with the standard KLE connectors. These cables have been superb on detail and texture and I love that! Hearing all of the things hidden in the back corners of the recording is something I really geek out on.
The new Ember RCA and Breathe/Quiescence C cables have a very recognizable family sound signature to them of being smooth and detailed without harsh edginess or grit. The new Ember cables are absolutely unbelievable for even more detail retrieval and texture than the Breathe C or Quiescence C. The best way I can describe the change in detail is that the current Breathe C cables are like a small club performance where it is very intimate and you can see everything laid out right in front of you on the stage. The new Ember cables would be similar to a Live at Carnegie Hall concert where everything is extremely well mic'd up and phenomenal acoustics to bring every detail out into the light. Hearing every tap of the drums, ting of the cymbals, and pluck of the strings with superb separation has been amazing. The separation and soundstsging of instruments are spooky good which makes everything so much more lifelike to the recording. I can say without hesitation or doubt that these Ember cables exceed what the Quiescence and Breathe cables can do, and I haven't even talked about the best part and where they offer the most difference in sound. These new Ember cables have so much more oompf, drive and livelyness behind them it makes for a much more rich and robust sound to them. That's not to say they sound weighty, slow or bloated by any means. Far from it! They just have SO much more meat on the bone to the sound, but without losing any of that finesse and poise you've come to love and expect from a Hapa cable design. It is amazing the difference between the cables in this respect. They are like a boxer that is also classically trained ballet dancer. The funny part is no matter where I place them in the system, it improves the sound in such a rich and lifelike manner. ANYWHERE. Just for fun I even placed them as subwoofer cables where I normally have a set of Blue Jeans, and it just made me giggle how they made a noticeable difference even as just a subwoofer cable.
The long and the short of it, I'm still not sure if I can give these cables back (sorry, not sorry). They are way too good. Holy crap, even as I'm typing this, I'm hearing new things on Metallica ...And Justice For All album, which I've listened to countless number of times. In the intro to Harvester Of Sorrow, there are the creepy ominous ghostly voices in the background that are so much more pronounced with these cables, yet that has been in the recording this entire time. I have listened to this album with my new speakers, but I never heard that part so clear and creepy. With everything that I have listened to, from pop to classical to metal, jazz, and Red Hot Chili Peppers these Ember cables have allowed me to hear all the details that have been there hiding the whole time. Not only did it shed light on all the detail in the back corners of the mix, but it brought it forth on a beautifully balanced soundstage. If I could upload an audio recording of my system, I'm sure you'd be able to hear my giggling in there as well.
I'll stop rambling now, but just know that right now, I am having WAY more fun listening to music than you are.
Well done, Jason. Seriously.
-Lloyd
