[tdangelo]

I have them on my amps, Tact preamp, BPT and SB powersupply - I'm using the Silver Ref. Mark 4 - they work awesome on everything

Tony

[Double Ugly]

I have them on my amps, Tact preamp, BPT and SB powersupply - I'm using the Silver Ref. Mark 4 - they work awesome on everything

Tony

I haven't tried them on my source yet, but I'll likely follow in Tony's footsteps.  The cost differential is relatively negligible IMO, and despite reports to the contrary, I don't believe a lesser cord in the Black Sand line will outperform the Silver Refs.

They're simply the best I've tried at and well beyond their price point.

[HumanMedia]

After 8 days on the power amps I figured the cord had burned in (I noticed a few shifts back and forth over that time).  I felt there was something lacking in the midrange, and I threw in some Hi-Fi Tuning fuses (replacing some cryoed standard ceramics) and treated the fuse contacts with QuickSilver Gold.  The sound became very harsh in the top end but over the period of only 3-4 hours the sound had settled and the result is great.  The fuses seem to compliment the cord and balance out and add body to the midrange.

Or was this a coincidence, and it was just the cord going through its last change?

Im not sure, but things have never sounded so good.  I would love to hear other peoples experiences with the Black Sand Silver Reference (or the Violet) and the Hi-FI Tuning fuses in particular.

[chrisl]

Great reviews guys.  I am wondering though, what extra fees are involved in buying these from Canada?  And extra taxes/fees?  Thinkning of trying some out if this isn't a big deal.  Thanks

[lonewolfny42]

Great reviews guys.  I am wondering though, what extra fees are involved in buying these from Canada?  And extra taxes/fees?  Thinkning of trying some out if this isn't a big deal.  Thanks

From Canada to the USA....there were no extra taxes or fees involved.
Black Sand has excellent feedback.......you might try your luck with one of their auctions.

[RAW]

We used the silver series at RMAF in Denver on Gary's Dodds amps and new battery pre amp and they were great.
And to top it off Tony showed up and made note as well he uses them.

Now taxes from Canada along with duty.
No taxes but any State sales tax you may have.
Any items made in Canada are part of the free trade and are duty free.
All the taxes you here us (Canadians) talking about apply to us in Canada.Our good old tax man gets us here twice in BC a Province tax as well as Government tax as well.

[lonewolfny42]

Al....You mention the Canadian taxes. I recall on my trips to Montreal years ago, the locals had a special name for that GST tax....the "grab and soak tax"....
But they said it paid for their medical coverage....health care....so all was not lost.

                                             Chris

[RAW]

Yes the taxes help out with a health care which is very nice I can tell you
And yes that is just a drop of what we call that tax.

But what nails us is the 50cents a litre for tax on GAS!.
One more reason to ship our goods from the US as we are so close.Fill up with gas at the same time!

[chrisl]

That's great to hear.  Thanks.  I'm going to audition the Silver Ref and Violet, a Air Sine with Furutech gold plugs, Jack Bybee single filter cord, and perhaps Michael Wolffs Source and power cords.  My system is a bit dated, but am still using all stock cords.  My setup is a Sony 777ES with the Vacume State Level 5 upgrade, Bat VK5i, Bryston 7b ST monos and Von Schwiekert VR4 GenII's.  Never auditioned after market cords and so many choices to try, I'm hoping this is a good bunch to try.

[95bcwh]

What about if we sell audio gears to Canadian? How much is the tax?? Anyone?

[RAW]

Selling into Canada you the seller has no issue at all the purchaser must pay the GST 6% tax then depending on what province you sell into the Province tax if it applies.
This will help
The following are the general rates  of provincial sales taxes for most purchases, and links to the provincial (or federal) web sites regarding provincial retail sales taxes:
Province/Territory    Rate    Web Site
British Columbia    7%(1)    British Columbia Consumer Taxation Branch
Alberta    no PST    n/a
Saskatchewan    5%(4)    Saskatchewan Provincial Sales Tax
Manitoba    7%    Manitoba Retail Sales Tax
Ontario    8%    The Basics of Ontario Retail Sales Tax
Québec    7.5%(2)    Québec QST and GST - for businesses
Québec QST and GST - for individuals
Newfoundland and Labrador    14% HST(3)    Canada Revenue Agency GST/HST
GST/HST Rebates for Individuals
Nova Scotia    14% HST(3)    Canada Revenue Agency GST/HST
GST/HST Rebates for Individuals
New Brunswick    14% HST(3)    Canada Revenue Agency GST/HST
GST/HST Rebates for Individuals
Prince Edward Island    10%**    Prince Edward Island Revenue Tax
Northwest Territories    no PST    n/a
Nunavut    no PST    n/a
Yukon    no PST    n/a

(1) BC PST rate reduced from 7.5% to 7% effective October 21, 2004.
(2) The sales tax is applied to the total of the selling price plus the GST.
(3) The May 2006 federal budget reduction of the GST rate from 7% to 6% reduced the HST rate to 14%, effective July 1, 2006.
(4) Saskatchewan PST rate reduced from 7% to 5% for all sales made on or after October 28, 2006.

[BlackSandCable]

We used the silver series at RMAF in Denver on Gary's Dodds amps and new battery pre amp and they were great.
And to top it off Tony showed up and made note as well he uses them.

Thanks again for the opportunity Al! It was very much appreciated! 

[RAW]

Was great to do so.And many thanks to you.

[Phil]

The Black Sand silver reference is such an oustanding cable that I wanted to add my voice to the chorus.  Double Ugly gives a very good summary of the strenghts of this cable.  Powering my Butler amp, the entire system is dramatically three dimensional and musical.  Absolutely great stuff!

John recommends Grover Huffman's ICs and speaker cables, so I was expecting great synergy in my system.  My expectations have been exceeded by a very large measure.  And, as others have noted, John redefines customer service.  Great guy; great company.

Phil

[Double Ugly]

The Black Sand silver reference is such an oustanding cable that I wanted to add my voice to the chorus.  Double Ugly gives a very good summary of the strenghts of this cable.  Powering my Butler amp, the entire system is dramatically three dimensional and musical.  Absolutely great stuff!

John recommends Grover Huffman's ICs and speaker cables, so I was expecting great synergy in my system.  My expectations have been exceeded by a very large measure.  And, as others have noted, John redefines customer service.  Great guy; great company.

Phil

Glad you're enjoying the cables, Phil.  Huffman said he wants me to compare his cables with mine (Stealth Indra), so assuming he sends them and all goes well, I may be following you in that regard.

As for the Black Sand Cables, I should add that I did finally purchase 3 Silver Reference Mk.V PCs, and did so at a time when I'd been out of work for over a year.  Point being, the improvement in my system was sufficient to justify the purchase to my wife and I despite being in the midst of a somewhat fiscally precarious time. 

There may be a stronger or more compelling recommendation out there, but I haven't seen it.

[lonewolfny42]

The Black Sand silver reference is such an oustanding cable that I wanted to add my voice to the chorus.  Double Ugly gives a very good summary of the strenghts of this cable.  Powering my Butler amp, the entire system is dramatically three dimensional and musical.  Absolutely great stuff!

Phil.....Did you happen to try any other power cords with your Butler amp ? Thanks....    Chris

[Phil]

Double Ugly,

It will be very interesting to read about your comparison of your current cables and Grovers.  I've never heard the Stealth Indras but have read some impressive reviews (and I trust your ears).  Are you using the silver reference on your source?  I like the balance better with the Audience powerChord on the source (APL Hifi re-design which includes 6 AKM DACS per channel and triode output connected directly to amp), but then again, I didn't have two MKVs so that I could hear the effect on both the amp and the source.  Right now the balance is great so I don't want to mess with it....

Chris,
I tried the Audience PowerChord and a PS Audio lab cable (old technology?).  The lab cable is very quiet to my ears, and the Audience is dynamic, but neither gave enough oxygen to the amp.  The difference is night and day.  I didn't expect it.  Female voices in particular are holographic.

Phil

[Double Ugly]

Double Ugly,

It will be very interesting to read about your comparison of your current cables and Grovers.  I've never heard the Stealth Indras but have read some impressive reviews (and I trust your ears).  Are you using the silver reference on your source?  I like the balance better with the Audience powerChord on the source (APL Hifi re-design which includes 6 AKM DACS per channel and triode output connected directly to amp), but then again, I didn't have two MKVs so that I could hear the effect on both the amp and the source.  Right now the balance is great so I don't want to mess with it....

Hi Phil,

I believe I had only two of John's PCs when I first posted to this thread, and I was obviously very pleased with what I heard using Silver Refs on the amps and a Sonoran Lightning on my player (Transporter w/ mods performed by Anthony Padilla of Aberdeen Components/Maui Mods).  But as was my intention, I ordered 3 Silver Reference PCs to hear how it responded to being attached to my source.

Short story even shorter, I connected the third Silver Ref to the Transporter and it's been there ever since.  My old (but still very good) PCs are stored in a cabinet, and I have no interest in using any PC that wasn't built and sold by John @ Black Sand Cable. 

As for the Indra/Grover comparison, I hope Grover sends them (haven't heard from him since he requested my address).  I couldn't care less what the various components and cables in my system costs, only how they sound.  If Grover's cables best the Indra, I'll be smiling all the way to the bank.

Conversely, I'd like to hear one of Alex's best efforts in my system, but I'm afraid it might end up costing me.  That said, I'm awfully pleased with my modified Transporter, and I don't anticipate it being supplanted by anything approaching its price point.

Regards,

-Jim

[Phil]

Hi Jim,

Well, I agree with you about John's PCs.  You now have me thinking about a second MKV.  I'm going to enjoy what I have for a while, however.

I'm curious what other folks have experienced with the MKV on the source.   I find the balance of components so delicate.  Lately, I have been tweaking here and there and am suprised by what I hear from small changes like footers and tube dampers.  It is easy to fine a change that increases detail but these often sound less natural to me.

I hope the Grover's work out for you.   If not, nothing lost.

I haven't heard Alex's NWOs but can only imagine how fine they are given my own more basic model.  To my ears, he gets it all right.

Regards,

Phil