[Sonny]

after about 22 hours of listening since Saturday,it's get better all the time.the separation of instruments is more clear ,the bass is tight not boom.i like it alot.this IC is will stay in my system .no need for me to upgrade any more :)Thanks again


oh BTW,i loan one of my IC to my friend,i let him try it out in his system.i will get feed back from in a couple day.


lapsan

Lapsan,
did you ever get feedback from your friend you mentioned above?
T

[orientalexpress]

Yes,i did.He's love it. :thumb:Not many cables out there that came close with this price range.This will be the only cable i will using in my system.Thanks again


lapsan

[Sonny]

Thanks Lapsan...

FYI, all I just got news of my lay off, so, any orders for my cables are greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks
T

[SFDude]

I just received one of Sonny's ICs with Neutrik XLR connectors. This is a very preliminary feedback on them but let me say first off that they are VERY well made, with a level of professionalism that makes some of the other cable makers look amateurish. And he does this as a hobby in spare time on the side!

After inserting into the system, initially everything sounded really open (I guess that's what this thread title is all about) and seemed to let me hear a LOT of details in things. It did come with a little getting use to a slight harshness in the upper end but I do need to spend more time with the cable. After about 4 hours of casual listening (background music & a movie through them, since my rig doubles as a 2-ch HT system as well), I went back to the system today and started to notice that things sounded a little closed off! Odd and I thought I was imagining things. But some of the same albums I played yesterday sounded different today, there was no mistaking it.

My point of comparison was against a Synergistic Research Alpha Sterling X2 Active ICs, with a single Mini Power Coupler providing the power to both cables. The Synergistic cable actually sounded more "round" in the midrange but I definitely attribute that to being a cable that rolls off the highs and the lows, more than anything else. A cable should be fairly neutral in nature and that means everything from top to bottom end should come right through.

There'll be some burn-in time required for these cables, after which I'll give a more complete report. No conclusions right now but just wanted to give some initial feedback to keep this thread alive and see what others have experienced with these, whether balanced or unbalanced.

Thanks Sonny and lovely system you had at your place! 

[Sonny]

Thanks SFDude...

Hm...I wonder if you had the exact setting when you got back from playing it on HT mode for 4 hours....
Perhaps what happened was when you listened to it for that extended period, you might have be desensitized. 
Hopefully the next time you sit down, the open / airiness and detail / imaging will return. It should.
Also, could you tell me which end of the cable is at the source? Is it the female end?

Tuan

[bluemike]

Hi Sonny
Are you still building Interconnects
I need a price on a 4 foot lead using them between my phono stage and pre amp

[Sonny]

Hi Sonny
Are you still building Interconnects
I need a price on a 4 foot lead using them between my phono stage and pre amp

PM sent!
Thanks

[Sonny]

Here's what they look like

[Sonny]

SOLD!

[brj]

Tuan, please start a thread in the proper for-sale circle, as ads are not appropriate in the Critic's Circle.

I will move or delete, per your choice, the corresponding posts once this is done.  Thank you.

[Sonny]

SFDude,

Any new news to talk about regarding your experience with my cables vs others?
Thanks
T

I just received one of Sonny's ICs with Neutrik XLR connectors. This is a very preliminary feedback on them but let me say first off that they are VERY well made, with a level of professionalism that makes some of the other cable makers look amateurish. And he does this as a hobby in spare time on the side!

After inserting into the system, initially everything sounded really open (I guess that's what this thread title is all about) and seemed to let me hear a LOT of details in things. It did come with a little getting use to a slight harshness in the upper end but I do need to spend more time with the cable. After about 4 hours of casual listening (background music & a movie through them, since my rig doubles as a 2-ch HT system as well), I went back to the system today and started to notice that things sounded a little closed off! Odd and I thought I was imagining things. But some of the same albums I played yesterday sounded different today, there was no mistaking it.

My point of comparison was against a Synergistic Research Alpha Sterling X2 Active ICs, with a single Mini Power Coupler providing the power to both cables. The Synergistic cable actually sounded more "round" in the midrange but I definitely attribute that to being a cable that rolls off the highs and the lows, more than anything else. A cable should be fairly neutral in nature and that means everything from top to bottom end should come right through.

There'll be some burn-in time required for these cables, after which I'll give a more complete report. No conclusions right now but just wanted to give some initial feedback to keep this thread alive and see what others have experienced with these, whether balanced or unbalanced.

Thanks Sonny and lovely system you had at your place! 

[watercourse]

I traded Tuan some of his DIY interconnect cables for my Audio Alchemy DAC and jitter box.  I met Tuan at his crib, and checked out his cables on his very revealing, highly accurate system (DIY speakers, cabling, and phono pre - which were killer).  Tuan shared his magnet wire IC recipe with me when I heard how good they sounded. He also did me a huge favor by fixing my tonearm cable, which had been damaged at the RCA jacks, at the same time providing me a short tutorial on soldering.  What a guy!

I ended up asking Tuan to make up a few pairs of cables for me.  Tuan lent me some cables to check out in my system while he fabricated the new ones.  In my system, which consists of:
Bel Canto PL2 > Bel Canto DAC3 > Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2 > Devore Fidelity 9s and Rel Strata III
Digital cable is Audience AU24 AES/EBU, speaker cables are Auditorium 23, using Rel speakon.  I like my system to sound musical.  Sound staging is very good, imaging is good, but accuracy of tone and dynamics are far more important to me.

My preamp is currently out of commission, and so I have been running a minimal setup to assess Tuan's cables, digital source only.  My living room is 20x15x9, with hardwood floors and no treatment except rugs and curtains. Because my living room is open on one short wall, I have to augment the bass to get a better balance. Typical circa-1930s San Francisco architecture, but the living room is above a garage, and my flat is on the L-train, so ambient noise is high and vibrations transmit through the sand pretty well. Nothing I can do about those things except move. But at least the room is not reflective of high frequencies too, and my system sounds great no matter where in the flat you are.

Immediately putting the cables in my system, they were very musical and enjoyable.  I agree with everything that has been said previously about the cable's fast, detailed, and open character.  In my system, the cables had a coherent and balanced character as well, with very accurate tone from high to very low frequencies.  There are no emphasized frequencies.  The cables are very lively and upfront, and definitely livened up my system without being too much of a good thing.  They are very quiet and allow all details to come through.  Prior to Tuan's cables, I only had silver over copper cables throughout my system, thinking that the addition of silver allowed detail retrieval and speed not possible with copper alone; Tuan's cables changed my mind about that.

I always check out how badly recorded music sounds at some point in my assessment of cables.  Notably, this is the first cable that made the recent Van Halen reissues listenable and not too bright.  Sound staging was massive and dynamics were very wide on Van Halen 1, the best I've heard this album on my system.  However, badly engineered recordings don't always sound better, i.e. U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was still very bright and bass volume still varied with each track.

The following are my brief notes from my critical listening with Tuan's cables in the system:

Rostropovich: Bach cello suites
Cello tone is full and accurate, excellent detail and ambience retrieval even at low volumes.

Massive Attack: Angel
Bass complexity and texture are clear down to the lowest frequencies, sound staging very wide.

Meat Puppets: Up on the Sun
I meant to only put on a few tracks, but ended up playing the whole album.  My wife and I were singing and dancing by the time Buckethead came on.

Cyrus Chestnut: Lord, Lord, Lord
Bass micro and macro dynamics were excellent.  Bass on this track has sounded boomy with other cables in my system, but was tight and balanced through Tuan's cables.  The piano sound was realistic, with the ringing, bell-like quality of Steinway and Cyrus's touch.

Anyway, I have listened to much more music with Tuan's cables, less critically, and the characteristics listed above are consistent.  These are very nice cables and have kicked my other cables to the curb, which cost at least twice as much.  More later when my Dodd battery preamp shows up in two weeks, and after I've had a chance to check out my new cables! aa

Tuan has inspired me to pick up the soldering iron again - give Tuan a holler and check out his cables - they rock! Thanks Tuan!

Wilson

[Sonny]

I ended up asking Tuan to make up a few pairs of cables for me.  Tuan lent me some cables to check out in my system while he fabricated the new ones.  In my system, which consists of:
Bel Canto PL2 > Bel Canto DAC3 > Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2 > Devore Fidelity 9s and Rel Strata III
Digital cable is Audience AU24 AES/EBU, speaker cables are Auditorium 23, using Rel speakon.  I like my system to sound musical.  Sound staging is very good, imaging is good, but accuracy of tone and dynamics are far more important to me.

Tuan has inspired me to pick up the soldering iron again - give Tuan a holler and check out his cables ? they rock! Thanks Tuan!

Wilson

Wilson, thanks for the comments!  I am glad the cables worked well in your set up!  Also, glad that the headphone cable worked out as well!
I look forward to coming over for a listen and doing the compare of the Dodd and the Bent TAP!
Tuan

[Sonny]

The posting below is from a DIYer that used my recipe:


1000a
Registered+

Posts: 517



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Re: mag ICs
? Sent to: Sonny on: Today at 11:43:32 AM ?
   Reply with quoteQuote ReplyReply Remove this messageRemove
Sorry Sonny,

been swamped, (feel free to copy and post)

I really like the ICs though I can not detect any specific sound changes from the ones I made a few yrs. back.  I will have to switch back to those again in a while to ck again.

But the drain wire is fantastic and I had been needing to re due my org very poorly constructed mag ICs.  Love the braided design very nice.  Keep up the good work.

As per sound they sound fantastic as I found out awhile back, any body wanting an exceptional IC should either make your design or simply get a set from you.  When I had my first experience with mag wires I knew I would never purchase ICs from a company again.  My guess is there is very little competion until one spends 800+ on ICs.

these are smooth, very detailed, tight well defined bass, natural and airey, big stage- no complaints

I even use mag wire for PCs across the board in my system the qualities achieved are more of the same. -

1000a
Welborne PS/SB3----GW Labs DSP----Monarchy NM24 Tube DAC----Promitheus Ref 2 TVC----Jolida 1000a amp----Odyssey Nightingales & HSU sub 

(DIY; Room Lens/bass traps/absorption panels/ICs/SCs/PCs) mmf5 TT--Gram Amp2

[orientalexpress]

well,i finally broke down and cross over to analog.The reason it take me so long to cross over is ,the cost of analog system.since i got a good digital front end already.i try to keep my analog system under 2k,add a use minimax phono pre $700 ,Heybrook turnatable with dynvector 20xl $800.pioneer pl560 with benz mc20e $300.i thought my system sound pretty good as it is with a cheap radio shack 25feet cable..i ask Tuan to make me a special 12 feet long rca to rca cable for my phono to my modwrigt pre amp.The sound different is night and day.i also ask tuan to make me a RCA to XLR cable also since my DAC amp only take XLR .the high and mid sound more expanded and the bass sound deeper then before.Now i can said my Analog beat my digital front end in sonic but i still prefer my digital convienency.Thanks again


lapsan

[Sonny]

Lapsan,

Thanks for the comments...I am glad you are happy with the cables...
Thanks also for inviting me over to you place and hear you system.  I got to say the SP Tech Speakers, the DAC amps and the Modded Transporter was amazing!  Didn't know digital can sound that good!

Tuan

[TheChairGuy]

Allright, as co-Mod of this circle (with Brian/brj) I have casually read this topic for the past year it's run to make sure there are no shenanigans ....but I haven't really kept up with it, per se.

I'm a cable agnostic - by choice.  Yes, I have heard differences, but they tend to be slight next to component changes and other matters...so I have blissfully sworn off the merry-go-round of wire for years now.  Best Buy is near me, so when I need a length of IC, I normally buy the $49/4' cable they have - which I think is called Interlink 600 (?)

I sold a lot of my boutique cables (Kimber, LAT International, Revelation Audio Labs, Alpha-Core, etc) a while back.....not that I didn't perceive some betterment with the higher end cables, I just didn't feel my cash outlay for them was equivalent to their sonic merits.  So, I've semi-happily used Monster Cable, cheap free stuff that comes with components primarily.

Sonny/Tuan is a San Fran local and we've met 3x in the past year.  Tho I've heard his rig at his place, we didn't pull his wires and subbed in Monster Cable to hear the effect of different IC's in his system.....so I just enjoyed tunes there

We were at local Bill Berndt's place yesterday for a (vinyl) GTG.  I brought my VPI with a length of Monster Cable (I think their top of the line this time, the 1000i).  At some point or another Sonny/Tuan subbed his cable for the Monster Cable and I thought, overall, it sounded a bit better.  You know how these things go tho....I'm not in my own domain, I'm getting phone calls and messages on my Blackberry so I'm half-an-ear to the music, we're talking amongst ourselves and or eating pizza.  I figured what I heard to be half-illusion and the other half delusion

At Tuan's urging, I went home with a 35" length of the TuanCable(tm) (ha), Eichmann bullet plugs and listened to my VPI turntable with it.  Now, I am not a golden-eared lad, but I have music on 6-8' from my ear every day I'm in the office so small changes are noticeable to me immediately merely due to repetition.  As well, the Linaeum tweeters on my speakers are really special and changes in treble are noticed very quickly relative to most other speakers I have heard.

Well, damned if I didn't enjoy my TT just a wee bit more late yesterday after the GTG.  So, I ordered up a full 1 mtr. length ($125.00) with Switchcraft rca's on them (he had these in stock and I the Bullets need 4" space between component and wall and I have more like 3" total to play with...so Switchcrafts for me )

I can't cite specifics...I just think something in the presentation is more enjoyable now than with the Monster Cables previously.  Nothing more or less than that for me.

I'm not a DIY guy, nor have time to tinker anymore, so I bought mine.  Tuan may still be giving his simple recipe away - you need to ask him.  Since the topic first ran, Tuan's economic circumstances have changed (like many of us in this deep recession), so he has more time and definitely more inclination to make them now rather than give them away

So, I hope I have adequately conveyed my thoughts on the TuanCable(tm), wire in general and all else. If you have limited funds, save it up for a component upgrade.  If you already have a system that sounds good to you - you may find a TuanCable(tm) delicious frosting on an already yummy cake

Regards, John

[Sonny]

Thanks for the kind words John...
Of course the best thing about it is, it's totally customized...I can definitely use any connectors that you or anyone wants, as it'll be your cable.  I too never believed in cables until I tried it and well, went from all these exotic cables to just using my own throughout, from TT to Phono / CD sources to Pre  to amps. 

Just a note for passive preamp users, my cables actually works really well as it works great in my system with the Bent Tap-X. 

I've also made a 12ft single ended cable from phono stage (tube) to Modwright preamp and well, we didn't hear any hums or noises...even for a 12 footer from phono stage to preamp. 

Thanks
Tuan

[guest1632]

Thanks for the kind words John...
Of course the best thing about it is, it's totally customized...I can definitely use any connectors that you or anyone wants, as it'll be your cable.  I too never believed in cables until I tried it and well, went from all these exotic cables to just using my own throughout, from TT to Phono / CD sources to Pre  to amps. 

Just a note for passive preamp users, my cables actually works really well as it works great in my system with the Bent Tap-X. 

I've also made a 12ft single ended cable from phono stage (tube) to Modwright preamp and well, we didn't hear any hums or noises...even for a 12 footer from phono stage to preamp. 

Thanks
Tuan

Hi Tuan,

Could you send me your receipe? How tight a twist do you make each cable? I suppose your receipe will give those details.? Yep, those bullets do make a surprising difference. You ought to hear those Soundbolts of John's with Silver bullets. The main thing I noted between the Silvers and the regular copper Ikemans is the compression is gone, more dynamics, better delineation of everything, as well as better top to bottom resolution. in my particular system, it made a surprising difference almost night and day. Now, this is no exaggeration. YMMV This is in my opinion.

amp is a SKA150D, control Center is a TVC, speakers a pair of 400 dollars from a Company from John Saucoletos. Sorry I know the spelling is wrong. He is known for his speaker designs. Anywho, the DVD player is a Philips bought at of all places, I think Target.

Right now, don't have anything set up, because, my wife and I are staying with relatives til we can get back on our feet.

Might just try my hand at building a pair. Now, being a blind person, you will have to get a bit more descriptive than normal. You mentioned speaker cabling as well as power cord?

Ray Bronk

[Sonny]

Ray, reply sent!
T