Gregg Straley Cables

Carlman · « **on:** 9 Sep 2005, 08:46 pm »

I've received a few PM's asking about Gregg's new cables and thought I'd start a thread since I received them today. Gregg said I needed to wait 48 hours before critical evaluation.

I was going to wait and post but I'm too excited. So here's my first impressions...

The speaker cables sound awesome!

They don't sound like cables! They have a nice richness to them, excellent detail (with no fatigue), tight imaging.... all the good stuff... I'll do more scientific testing later but so far I'm mighty impressed... I'm listening louder than I normally do and would normally get irritated by the harsh/edginess of the music.... but not today.

Thanks and looking forward to more testing... Oh, and what's more fun is that Tim/Tirade sent me my entire cd collection now on 1/10th the number of DVD's in FLAC files. I'll be critically comparing FLAC to WAV after I'm done.. but preliminary tests are revealing very little or maybe even no differences... or maybe a little better on the FLAC?

More to come on that as well..

Happy music day!!!

Edited post to indicate these are my first impressions of the speaker cables.. I have not yet used the IC's... that will be soon...

Kenobi · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Sep 2005, 09:15 pm »

Hi Carlman,

Please keep us posted after you have a chance to burn in those cables.

Kind regards,

Kenobi

zybar · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Sep 2005, 09:16 pm »

Carl,

Are you evaluating his ic's and speaker cable or just the speaker cable?

George

Carlman · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Sep 2005, 09:26 pm »

I've got 2 pair of IC's (1 tube and 1 SS design type)... I'm using the TacT 2150x today so, it only needs one digital IC and I'm using an Audience IC for that today... I will get a 'real' digital IC soon enough.

I've still got the DK integrated (which is for sale) which I'll use with the IC's and make some comparisons to the Audience cable on them.

-C

WK446 · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Sep 2005, 10:04 pm »

I am currently running Gregg Straley's latest speaker wire and interconnects. I have the Vampire wire cryo'd RCA ends. One of the nice things about Straley's designs are that they are all cryo'd (speaker and interconnects) and he pre-cooks them on a cable burner before he ships them out. They only require minimal use (48 hours) before they reach their peak performance.

Straley's speaker wires resemble Twizzler's licorice - bright red with the twists... They sound exceptional however - very open, detailed, cohesive, and inviting. They are a touch stiff but can be bent to shape without detriment.

I am planning on a large interconnect comparison in the near future using the following suspects (which I own):
- Oritek X-1
- VH Audio Pulsar Cryo gold Eichmann
- Grover Huffman UR2
- Grover Huffman UR3
- Gregg Straley Reality IC
- Audience Au24

I have a Hagermann FryKleaner Pro cable burner and I will be preconditioning everything prior to testing - for a level playing field.

The comparison will be done on another website, but I'll transfer the full skinny over here as well...

kyyuan · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Sep 2005, 10:41 pm »

Quote from: WK446

I am currently running Gregg Straley's latest speaker wire and interconnects. I have the Vampire wire cryo'd RCA ends. One of the nice things about Straley's designs are that they are all cryo'd (speaker and interconnects) and he pre-cooks them on a cable burner before he ships them out. They only require minimal use (48 hours) before they reach their peak performance.

Straley's speaker wires resemble Twizzler's licorice - bright red with the twists... They sound exceptional however - very open, detailed ...

Nice...look forward to reading your comparison

jermmd · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 12:36 am »

How flexible is the speaker cables? I have very stiff, unwieldy cables now that I can't stand (even though they sound good).

WK446 · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 02:12 am »

The speaker cables can be bent into a 90 degree corner and stay in that shape with relatively little effort.

They are stiff but NOT unwieldly.

Quote from: jermmd

How flexible is the speaker cables? I have very stiff, unwieldy cables now that I can't stand (even though they sound good).

Carlman · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 04:29 am »

They're much more flexible than Anti-Cables which are like unwound wire coat hangers... and just a little more flexible than the Tara Labs Phase 2 w/ TFA Return. They're not AS flexible as say, Kimber 4TC but maybe closer to 8TC. How's that?

I had no trouble connecting them at all... Photos and more later...

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 04:36 am »

Carlman :

Quote

Photos and more later...

[/list:u]

How long are the speaker cables that you received ?[/list:u]

Carlman · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 04:39 am »

Looks to be about 6' each... maybe 7? They're the perfect fit in my little room.

Fife12 · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 05:19 am »

Carlman,

How would you compare them to your old Audience Conductors and your curretn Tara's?

I know you dont have your Audience anymore, but...

gstraley · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 12:35 pm »

Carlman
The length that I sent you was right around 8 feet. Give or take an inch. I'm thrilled to hear that you really like what you are hearing. There has been a lot of testing and evaluating that went into those cables over the last 2 years.

Thanks for your comments,

Gregg Straley

Reality Cables

Carlman · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 Sep 2005, 03:00 pm »

Quote from: Fife12

Carlman,

How would you compare them to your old Audience Conductors and your curretn Tara's?

I know you dont have your Audience anymore, but...

It'll be kind of a pain and weird but.. I have the following cables right now:
SC's: Tara, Anti-cables, Reality cables (and can borrow Analysis Plus Oval 9)
IC's: Audience Conductor, Reality cables

I have a TacT 2150 that only requires 1 digital IC, so that may be the best place to isolate SC comparisons.

I'll have to a little more isolation and switching around when I do the DK... The audio PC has analog outs that I'll use to compare the IC's... and likely use Gregg's cables as a constant... then maybe do the same comparison with the Tara, then the Anti, etc.. man that sounds boring.

But, I'll do my best.

BTW... Now that I'm in the sound room, it's clear they're 8'... I shouldn't reply so late at night...

bluemike · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Sep 2005, 01:46 am »

I just received a pair of Gregg's speaker cables a week ago in the process of breaking them in

I probably have 15 hours on them as we speak
so far the cables do everything right !

They are so smooth ....I don't hear any added highs or bloated bass
The music just plays

I very much impressed

I have had in my system Audio note Lexus Audience Supra and Diy chord
I really do like what I am hearing with Gregg's cables

Gregg you're a great guy to deal with and I have nothing but great things to say about your speaker cables

I haven't even mentioned the best part ... the price which I think is outrageously low for what you get !

Will be in touch for some interconnects

Harmon · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 Sep 2005, 02:38 am »

Just to add my subjective opinion on Greggs' Cables(IC's and speaker cables): I have them in my system for several months and since they have all the characteristics of reference cables to an extreme that the thought of changing or trying new cables does not even occur to me. Highly realistic sounding, detailed, natural, excellent imaging etc.

grub · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Sep 2005, 05:21 am »

I've had a Straley setup in my two-channel rig for a shade over two years now (Thanks for the tip Hider), and you cannot beat them for the $$ plain and simple.
-->grub

nickspicks · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Sep 2005, 11:29 am »

indeed.
Props for Gregg and all the hours put into finding and tweaking these strands of copper for the benefit of our brains!

Carlman · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 Sep 2005, 01:59 am »

Ok.. an update on the IC's....
Just started comparing and I have 2 sets of cables from Gregg, one has a yellow tie on it and the other is red. I'll let Gregg explain what the difference is... but I can't remember at the moment.

Both are excellent. The yellow seems a little softer/rounder in its presentation than the red one. I prefer the red one because it seems to have the PRAT and clarity I like in a cable. It also seems to produce the greatest since of 'being there'... 'in reality'...

The yellow is no slouch, just not perfectly exactly what I like.

I compared both to the Audience Conductor and immediately the resolution, imaging, soundstage width and palpability was slightly reduced. I switched back to the Reality cables (red, then yellow) and could just hear deeper into the music... much more 'immersive' on either variety. Then, I switched back to Audience, then back to red Reality... just more real and better overall.

So, very good stuff... Way to go, Gregg.

BTW, as a side experiment I tried using the DK integrated on a Volex power cord plugged to regular house outlet.. I then changed to a dedicated outlet, and then changed the power cord to a Belden 83802 (Ernie's recipe on Audiogon)..

The surprising results were simply a smoother, less digital or 'buzzy' sound to things on the dedicated outlet. On the dedicated outlet, the Volex was a little dryer sounding... compared to the Belden, which had a little richer/fuller presentation.. Either was acceptable but the Belden sounded mo' better to me.

Thanks and more to come.. the red ones need more break-in... just started using them tonight.

-C

StevenACNJ · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 Sep 2005, 10:36 am »

Is there a website for the Gregg Straley cables?

Thanks