[guest1632]

Hi All,

Cables are a touchy subject for us audiophiles. Some people think there is a big difference, some either don't or can't hear any difference at all. I for one do believe there is a difference. This review will highlight those differences.


I was fortunate to be able to borrow a pair of Anticable Interconnects from someone who is a regular on the Circles. They are the copper type with I believe the Bullet plugs. I also took a risk and bought a pair of "C4" Silver Interconnects from an outfit in Canada called Ultimate Cables. I got them from Audiogon.Elsewhere is a review of the power cord he makes.

The anticables with bullet plugs are $150 a pair, while the C4's are $61 with shipping. They actually are $45 with this $16 shipping to the States.

The anticables uses Magnet wire, with the outer coil approximately 18 to 20 gauge. This outer coil is a spring with each link spaced about a quarter inch apart. The coil is not that big maybe a slight bigger than a pencil width.  Inside is the center is a single wire roughly 24 gauge. Now these gauges are merely a guess, so don't hold me to them.

On the other hand, the C4 cables are made using a foiled outer shield, with 2 18 gauge Teflon covered wires. twisted together.  The foil and one of these wires are tied together at one end, thus creating directional effects.  Now these wires aren't the standard copper variety. Each wire is layered with silver the same thickness as the copper center, hence, the designated term C4 Silver Cable.

To start with, these C4 cables seem to be a good bargain. I haven't heard other cables to be a reference . with. That give me an idea of which I'll pursue and you will read the results in the next few days.

Now about the sound of each of these cables:

Both cables did lots of things right, and wrong. Now what I am expressing here in the most part are some subtleties, except for one.

The C4 isn't what I'd say open and airy, but yet it is detailed and plays music well. Perhaps it doesn't have the widest sound stage. The bass is nice, tight and extended. The mids are full bodied, and the top is not harsh at all.

The anticables come across relaxed, with a wider soundstage. There is more stuff going on with this cable. there were times where the anticables seem "busy." I was listening to a song, from a group called 2nd Chapter Of Acts. There is a place where a bass note is abruptly stopped. With the anticables, I couldn't hear that. There was to much other stuff going on in the background.Whereas, the C4 it was quite obvious.

The bass on both cables, I liked the C4 the best. The anticables at times were i felt a bit flabby. Now if you did not hear any other cables besides the antis, you would not think so.

The mids, I liked the mids on the antis better. I felt that voices were a bit more detailed in how they were protrayed. They seemed perhaps more natural.

The Highend/topend, The antis were just a big pulled back. That's due to the Copper versus the use of Silver on the C4.No real verdict there.

 It took awhile to get a handle on each cable's strengths and weaknesses. That how subtle this is. The one thing that the antis did well was dynamics. If you hadn't listened to the antis versus the C4, you would be a happy camper. The antis had a dynamic quality about them, that was not to subtle versus the C4. The dynamic part of this made you want to just get up and dance. I was using an album recorded by Hannah Montana, the stage name for Miley Cirus, the daughter of Billy Ray Cirus. She's got a song on there, "Hey get up, get loud, ..." I confess I forgot the rest of the lyrics there. I almost felt like I was in a room full of people, with the music blaring, and people dancing around. The C4 cables did give some of that dynamic quality, but to a lesser degree.

On both cables, imaging is a problem. My speakers at the present time are not in the most optimum placement. So I won't comment at this present time on imaging.

I don't think you would go wrong in buying either of these two cables. I had them hooked up between my amp and TVC. The most difference was had when I removed the cables from my DVD player and hooked up the antis. They sure made that DVD player come alive.

Both cables seemsed quick in handling transients. I think maybe a slight edge would go to the C4's.

That was lots of fun. I almost hate to send these Anticables back, I'm not through listening to cables. I would like to hear others. If you have a spare set, or a manufacturer would like to loan me a pair, I am not against that idea.

Happy Listening
Ray Bronk

 

   

 

[Russtafarian]

I was listening to a song, from a group called 2nd Chapter Of Acts.

Wow! That's blast from the past.  I haven't heard them in years.  I had a few of their records back in the late '70s, early '80s.  Are they still making records?

BTW, nice IC review.  Very helpful descriptions.

Russ

[guest1632]

I was listening to a song, from a group called 2nd Chapter Of Acts.

Wow! That's blast from the past.  I haven't heard them in years.  I had a few of their records back in the late '70s, early '80s.  Are they still making records?

BTW, nice IC review.  Very helpful descriptions.

Russ

Hi Russ,

They have a compilation of the best of on 2 CD's. On some songs, I get the impression of a definite redoing or remix. I wore out out there first 2 albums.

Ray Bronk

[Russtafarian]

I'll have to hunt down the CD.  Would also like to find the Narnia album.  That was very well done and really complemented the spirit of the story. 

[guest1632]

I'll have to hunt down the CD.  Would also like to find the Narnia album.  That was very well done and really complemented the spirit of the story. 

I don't know if they are reproducing all of there albums. The set is a 2 CD set with a booklet inside.

Annie Hareing had produced an album with Michael O'Martian, producer. Don't know if that is in print on CD or not.

We better get back on topic.

Ray Bronk

[Russtafarian]

Yup, back on topic.  PM me your address and I'll send you a pair of my homebrew interconnects to evaluate.

Russ

[TheChairGuy]

I only just read this review by Ray as he posted a small 'correction' to it elsewhere.

I found what you found...using magnet wire speaker cables (which I think is the anti-cable configuration) versus various brands of 'stranded' cables.  The wholeness and dynamics were excellent - somehow solid core hunks of copper cable and minimal dialectric interaction seems to enhance these virtues - at the expense of one-note and bass tightness (I think the esteemable Carlman referred to solid care bass long ago as 'bladdy, bladdy' bass) and micro-level details. In the end, it's disadvantages were too many for me.

Ray, you might want to try the Alpha-Core IC's.  Even their silver series is not hideously expensive, but they give you that wholeness and dynamics of the magnet wire stuff...but with less of the 'bladdy' bass.  Use only short lengths - as it has the lowest levels of inductance in the business, it has exceptionally high levels of capacitance.

In the end, the Alpha-Core IC's didn't quite make the grade for me - but they were damn close to perfect in several areas that may be more important to you.  As it's only you that needs to be impressed, it doesn't matter what failings I found with them 

They, that is the Goertz design, actually seems to work far better as a speaker cable (their copper series is not terribly expensive in short-ish lengths) as the remarkably low inductance is most appreciated, while the very, very high level of capacitance is of minimal concern for most modern amplifiers.  As well, they terminate their speaker cables in zoebel networks so that your amps will remain stable (that is , not oscillate) is use.  I pair them with a 50 year old set of tube monoblocks that would otherwise, almost surely, oscillate if the zoebels were not employed.  They oscillated badly and at low levels with similarly high capacitance Kimber 4TC's in use.

Again, as ultra-high capacitance is a concern for any amp to some extent, keeping length minimal is a good practice even on speaker cables.  Mine are only 5' pairs, for instance.

I've tried a bunch of speaker cables (sorry for diverging off-topic, Ray ), but the Alpha-Core MI2 is the only one I've ever used that sounded like a definitive upgrade with any upstream components in tandem with it.  The others used were mostly 'sideways' moves up or down the sonic ladder.

Good review, thanks     

John / TCG

[guest1632]

I only just read this review by Ray as he posted a small 'correction' to it elsewhere.

I found what you found...using magnet wire speaker cables (which I think is the anti-cable configuration) versus various brands of 'stranded' cables.  The wholeness and dynamics were excellent - somehow solid core hunks of copper cable and minimal dialectric interaction seems to enhance these virtues - at the expense of one-note and bass tightness (I think the esteemable Carlman referred to solid care bass long ago as 'bladdy, bladdy' bass) and micro-level details. In the end, it's disadvantages were too many for me.

Ray, you might want to try the Alpha-Core IC's.  Even their silver series is not hideously expensive, but they give you that wholeness and dynamics of the magnet wire stuff...but with less of the 'bladdy' bass.  Use only short lengths - as it has the lowest levels of inductance in the business, it has exceptionally high levels of capacitance.

In the end, the Alpha-Core IC's didn't quite make the grade for me - but they were damn close to perfect in several areas that may be more important to you.  As it's only you that needs to be impressed, it doesn't matter what failings I found with them 

They, that is the Goertz design, actually seems to work far better as a speaker cable (their copper series is not terribly expensive in short-ish lengths) as the remarkably low inductance is most appreciated, while the very, very high level of capacitance is of minimal concern for most modern amplifiers.  As well, they terminate their speaker cables in zoebel networks so that your amps will remain stable (that is , not oscillate) is use.  I pair them with a 50 year old set of tube monoblocks that would otherwise, almost surely, oscillate if the zoebels were not employed.  They oscillated badly and at low levels with similarly high capacitance Kimber 4TC's in use.

Again, as ultra-high capacitance is a concern for any amp to some extent, keeping length minimal is a good practice even on speaker cables.  Mine are only 5' pairs, for instance.

I've tried a bunch of speaker cables (sorry for diverging off-topic, Ray ), but the Alpha-Core MI2 is the only one I've ever used that sounded like a definitive upgrade with any upstream components in tandem with it.  The others used were mostly 'sideways' moves up or down the sonic ladder.

Good review, thanks     

John / TCG
Hi Chair Guy,

Thanks for the heads up. I'd be using a meter pair for the IC's Is that ok?

So what did you end up with for IC's?

Got some idea of prices?

Ray

I only just read this review by Ray as he posted a small 'correction' to it elsewhere.

I found what you found...using magnet wire speaker cables (which I think is the anti-cable configuration) versus various brands of 'stranded' cables.  The wholeness and dynamics were excellent - somehow solid core hunks of copper cable and minimal dialectric interaction seems to enhance these virtues - at the expense of one-note and bass tightness (I think the esteemable Carlman referred to solid care bass long ago as 'bladdy, bladdy' bass) and micro-level details. In the end, it's disadvantages were too many for me.

Ray, you might want to try the Alpha-Core IC's.  Even their silver series is not hideously expensive, but they give you that wholeness and dynamics of the magnet wire stuff...but with less of the 'bladdy' bass.  Use only short lengths - as it has the lowest levels of inductance in the business, it has exceptionally high levels of capacitance.

In the end, the Alpha-Core IC's didn't quite make the grade for me - but they were damn close to perfect in several areas that may be more important to you.  As it's only you that needs to be impressed, it doesn't matter what failings I found with them 

They, that is the Goertz design, actually seems to work far better as a speaker cable (their copper series is not terribly expensive in short-ish lengths) as the remarkably low inductance is most appreciated, while the very, very high level of capacitance is of minimal concern for most modern amplifiers.  As well, they terminate their speaker cables in zoebel networks so that your amps will remain stable (that is , not oscillate) is use.  I pair them with a 50 year old set of tube monoblocks that would otherwise, almost surely, oscillate if the zoebels were not employed.  They oscillated badly and at low levels with similarly high capacitance Kimber 4TC's in use.

Again, as ultra-high capacitance is a concern for any amp to some extent, keeping length minimal is a good practice even on speaker cables.  Mine are only 5' pairs, for instance.

I've tried a bunch of speaker cables (sorry for diverging off-topic, Ray ), but the Alpha-Core MI2 is the only one I've ever used that sounded like a definitive upgrade with any upstream components in tandem with it.  The others used were mostly 'sideways' moves up or down the sonic ladder.

Good review, thanks     

John / TCG