The Great WyWires Eastern US Cable Tour is about to start...

Gopher · « **Reply #40 on:** 11 Dec 2010, 05:33 am »

Mosjef,

How did you like the Hot Sauce/"older version" interconnect compared to the newer version which was built to address some of Robert Levi's suggestions?

I have a pair of the newbies in my rig now which I'm allowing some hours to burn in, but so far the jury is stil out for me. They definitely address the desire for greater treble extension and transparency and should be real knockouts for the hifi crowd. I'm still experimenting to pick a winner but if pressed would say that at the moment I'm leaning towards the originals with my associated equipment.

mjosef · « **Reply #41 on:** 13 Dec 2010, 06:00 am »

Quote from: Gopher on 11 Dec 2010, 05:33 am

Mosjef,

How did you like the Hot Sauce/"older version" interconnect compared to the newer version which was built to address some of Robert Levi's suggestions?

FWIW, I received a box containing, three power cords, two pairs of RCA ICs, one pair of XLR IC and a pair of speaker wires. I have no knowledge of nor idea of "Hot Sauce/"older version" interconnect compared to the newer version "...

Two of the power cords were of 'normal' length, 5-6ft., the other was maybe 9-10ft. I used the two normal cords. THe power cords didn't offer any benefit to my system sound, so they spent the least amount of time in play.
I started out introducing one item at a time, first to go in was a pair of IC between the DAC and the pre-amp replacing a pair of Grover SX...this was an improvement, more small details in the upper frequencies, a little more clarity in the midrange...

Lived with the sound for a day...then added the speaker cables. I felt I had lost some of the 'groovyness' in the music. My stock speaker wire has been LAT Synchestra for a few years and recently supplanted by Kaplan GS speaker cable. I felt it compared well to the LAT, had a better balance across the range, the LAT did have a better handle on the mids.
The next day I went back to my regular speaker wires...and added the other IC between pre and amp, replacing another pair of Groover SX...this was a wow moment, much more details and micro details...thought it was too much of a good thing, like too hi-fi, but after a few hours I 'grew' to like it.

THe next day I threw in the two power cords, on the amp and the DAC. That is when the sound went south. I did stick with it for a day but I just wasn't getting the vibe to sit and appreciate the music as much.
About a few weeks before getting the WYWires package, I had gotten newly revised Kaplan HE MKII (and other revised Kaplan cords) and had gotten used to their sound signature in my system. So the WyWire were not being compared to stock wires, but pretty darn good cords.
Funny thing is that the difference between the WyWires pc and the Kaplan HE mkII were much closer on the DAC than on the amp.
On a PM to Alex, he suggested I let the pc burn for a few days and reassess...but since I run tube amps, that was not possible...however I did rig up one WyWire pc to a fan and left it running for 2 days...in the end that one cord did sound more polished but still didn't do it in my system.

I revisited the speaker cables after I discovered that I might have hooked it up in reverse to how it was burnt in, so following Alex's lead, I tried it his way. I thought it was something of an improvement vs the way I had it previously. So I kept it in for the next day or two...by this time I had eliminated the DAC and was going directly from the SACD player to the pre.
My impression of this combo, two ICs + speaker cables (plus my stock power cables), was one of a leaner balance with nice extended highs...a sound I could live with. I thought the upper mids and highs were a little more pronounced than I was familiar with, and the bass was certainly on the leaner side. But it was a difference with which I could still enjoy some of the music I listen to.
I had the WyWires for more than a week, and as the time to ship them off approached, I started by replacing the speaker wires first. The warmth and bloom of the bass and midrange returned, the sound was now fully fleshed out with that extra micro details in the upper range still present...So my final impressions were that the IC were the crown of the WyWire package, with the speaker cables a close second.
Unfortunately the power cables did not fare well in my system. It may do well in another system however.

WYWire ICs

WyWire Speaker cables

THanks ALex for the opportunity.

carusoracer · « **Reply #42 on:** 19 Dec 2010, 05:01 pm »

Nice Write Up. Very open and honest.
Who is next on the list?

wywires · « **Reply #43 on:** 20 Dec 2010, 02:18 am »

Yes, thanks for the honest evaluation. I really do appreciate accurate assessments of how the different cables perform in different systems and together. This information is very valuable for me. Of course I would like everybody to feel that WyWires are the greatest thing since sliced bread but different systems, tastes and synergies all play a role. One person's panacea may be another person's ho hum.

The R&D effort is ongoing with no end in sight and this has been instrumental.

The box of wires is with jriggs and carusoracer is next.

Gopher · « **Reply #44 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 03:05 pm »

Any first impressions, carusoracer?

carusoracer · « **Reply #45 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 06:18 pm »

So far I have only been able to listen last night, as I just got back into town...

Preliminary tests are only with the Power Cords on the CDP and the PreAmp. Nicely packaged and easy to move around and are actually flexible unlike some of the heavy monster carpet-snakes that I have had that can topple over your equipment. The plugs have a good snug fit in the IEC receptacles. They seem much lighter in weight than most cables I have.
I noticed right away that the midrange is very clear, with good imaging, and a smooth top end. Voices are very good. I did feel that something in the lower midrange was missing, strings,background vocals and the fullness of notes was not quite there.
I did A/B several times and tried the combination of the Wywires with my existing PC's. Not quite vivid enough of a picture to make you reach out and touch the musician's like my cables but very clear and cohesive.

I have learned in the past that cables do need to settle in the system and that cable synergy is important.
I then inserted one pair of the IC's between the Pre and Power Amps.

Things snapped into place with the first 3 notes...and Whoa the sound immediately was fleshed out and now full range again. Way too late in evening now than to listen to a few songs and revisit the other demo cuts. Very nice presentation and the window to the music is very clear, with good crisp images and nice pin point-solid imaging.

I will have much more time this weekend to actually tackle the entire box, as I'm very interested in hearing the Speaker Cables. The synergy is very evident with both PC's and the IC's in place. The "House Sound" is very good right away even though the PC's can not stand alone so far as replacements. Maybe a conversation post review with Alex can help tailor them to my system.
The IC's well...I want to reserve my impressions until I run them through the paces

So far they stand out as I have been off the cable go-round for quite sometime and these really grab your attention with a nice sophisticated sound. I can point out immediately, they have a great knack to paint the entire landscape. The complex pieces from a full orchestra to a well recorded multi-tracked recording ebb and flow with ease.

More to come...

jriggy · « **Reply #46 on:** 9 Jan 2011, 04:52 pm »

I wanted to relay a few comments about my experience with the WyWires... Unfortunately my time, albeit plenty long enough, I was unable to get to the Speaker cables

I agree with carusoracer - The more you add the cables in the better the sounds gets. Although the IC's are wonderful on there own, the last registers of deep bass appear more after the insertion of a couple Wy power cords. It just seemed like they wanted to work together. Not to say that the IC's don't do bass well, they do but at the cost of that last deep rumble. Once listening, the IC's are so sweet, smooth and engaging other wise, that I did not miss those last registers at all...

I also agree with carusoracer with their ability to 'paint the entire landscape'. And this is where the cables really shin IMO... they have a smooth organic presentation. Ambients/air and spatial cues are so good, increasing the amount of resonant decays that brought greater layering and a deeper sounsstage. Details are not over done, allowing again, for a more natural believable space.

Organic, musical, natural, smooth and 3D.

Peace

EDIT: Its been a month now or so, my system has calmed down and I have made a realization that I have to correct in my review... I had to many changes happening at the time of my review of these cables. I was out a power cord, needed another proper fit PC for the system AND my trusty EML tube was dead w/ a new one on the way... I did the cable evaluations normally - A,B,A - but I was unable to try all of them. I thought I had a handle on their sound pretty good for the week before doing an evening of a,b, a testing but I think I need to make a correction here...

Now that I have all my PC issues worked out, all proper tubes in place, as well as the new pre broken in, I now have a good amount of bass in my system... Thinking back on this now and realizing my 'irresponsible audiophile' actions here

Now that I have a proper amount of bass in my system I cant stop thinking what theses wonderful cables would be like, as I truly believe the 'lack of the last and lowest registers' I mentioned in my review were a combination of other culprits and I would LOVE to hear these babies again.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #47 on:** 24 Jan 2011, 11:14 pm »

No mo comments?
It's been 2 weeks?

D

wywires · « **Reply #48 on:** 24 Jan 2011, 11:32 pm »

Quote from: bacobits1 on 24 Jan 2011, 11:14 pm

No mo comments?
It's been 2 weeks?

D

Carusoracer AKA Mark and I have been talking on the phone. He will post his latest comments. I sent him the older version of IC along with a newly designed power cord which we will refer to as Juice II. Both items will make their way through the tour as soon as Mark is done. It takes some time to properly and thoroughly evaluate a bunch of cables so two weeks per participant is no problem for WyWires. Take your time guys.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #49 on:** 24 Jan 2011, 11:44 pm »

Oh, I was just stirring it up a bit.

D

jriggy · « **Reply #50 on:** 14 Feb 2011, 03:53 pm »

I have edited my previous review post...

Sorry to all for my confusion at the time. Knowing what I know now about my [incomplete at the time] system, I completely believe that these cables would sound extraordinary here with all other aspects in line.

Peace

Jason

bacobits1 · « **Reply #51 on:** 14 Feb 2011, 05:36 pm »

Jason, you have a great system there.
You WILL hear everything with these cables.
Hell, I would like to hear your system with these cables in place.

With my modest system I can hear every single change.
And yes you can have too many changes going on at the same time.
That has happened here too.

Cheers!
D

carusoracer · « **Reply #52 on:** 14 Feb 2011, 05:42 pm »

Sorry for the delay, but I would like to start a new thread regarding the second version of the cables or Juice 2 PC and IC.
This is not a tease but somethings have radically changed since the cables have left to the next tour particpant and I do not mean equipment

There are no frequency shortages in the lower registers now

Synergy, Synergy is all I can say for each individual's system. I should have further comments soon.

Alex has been a very patient and Audiophile Gentleman throughout. I think we are lucky to be able to have this level of interaction among Vendor/Engineer's here on AC.

jriggy · « **Reply #53 on:** 14 Feb 2011, 06:31 pm »

Quote from: bacobits1 on 14 Feb 2011, 05:36 pm

Jason, you have a great system there.
You WILL hear everything with these cables.
Hell, I would like to hear your system with these cables in place.

With my modest system I can hear every single change.
And yes you can have too many changes going on at the same time.
That has happened here too.

Cheers!
D

D,

Thanks for the system compliment! I did not intend on being a "ModWright Fanboy" (

) when this system started a year or so ago but that is how it worked out for now....
And thanks for the understanding and kindness as well... It really started to bug me that I had posted that once I realized my situation.
Just glad I can express my findings at this point and suggest an 'oops' in my initial comments...

I have fine ears but am still learning, thats for sure! And AudioCircle has been a wonderful place for me to learn and grow. Whats a better place to hang out as an avid audiophile than the place with the most consistent factual/truthful information out there. Opinions, yes, but the knowledge base here exceeds most other forums I have seen.

~J

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #54 on:** 19 Feb 2011, 04:03 pm »

I know you're all waiting with baited breath for the next installment and I'm the latest stop on the tour. I've had them for a week and as per Alex's instructions will have them for another before shipping to the next participant. I installed them incrementally with power cord first, then interconnect, then speaker cable. I'll remove them the same way, although not in the same order.

Review? Sorry, you'll have to wait until my evaluation is complete, but I'll give you a snippet preview. The Juice power cord had a totally unfair advantage as my system is just now settling in to a new listening room and I had a stock cord on my preamp in a temporary setup (the Zu Cable was too short). But the indictment of stock cords is complete, vast improvement in every area using the Juice, impact, bass, clarity, imaging, etc., just a total sound quality upgrade across the board. I'll compare it more fairly against the Zu Cable as the review goes on.

Speaking of which, are we suppose to post our impressions here, in the Cable Review section, or both? I think in the Cable Review section with a link posted here would be the most appropriate format and it would give Alex the widest exposure on AC. Secondly, I don't know if I got the 'Honey' or 'Hot Sauce' versions of the cables, but I have a definitive guess. Don't tell me now and see if I'm right later.

Gopher · « **Reply #55 on:** 27 Feb 2011, 04:34 am »

I'm not a tour participant, but I'm an East Coaster and I figure an active impressions thread is the most appropriate venue for this.

I just wanted to chime in and say I was pretty undecided about the V2 for some time. I could clearly hear the areas of improvement/change over the Hot Sauce, but the Hot Sauce just seemed to keep pulling me in for more between my Minimax DAC and Minimax preamp.

My original impressions as reported to Alex are here:

"The sparkle you were aiming for with the V2s definitely came through over the HS. There is more top end extension and detail up there and it seems to be fatigue free thus far.

I feel like I'm perceiving an upward tonal shift with these cables. The V2s seem more transparant from the upper midrange up but also a little leaner. They're quite nimble and seemingly a little more resolving the the HS, but not quite as creamy (without being syrupy) like the HS.

The HS seems to have a fuller, more dense harmonic foundation in my configuration while the v2 is very nimble and resolved from top to bottom, but lighter on its toes. I think this is the case on the bottom end as well with very tight bass that appears a little less in quantiy.
One thing I noticed in swapping back and forth, with the HS it seems like a couple db are lost and its output is slightly quiter than the V2. I noticed this compared to other ICs as well. Not that anything is lost, but I open the preamp pot slightly higher... Maybe that just has to do with my perception of loudness cues.

The v2 is a very good interconnect and I wouldn't be surprised if it pleased more people in their systems than the HS. To be 100% truthful with you though, I think there is a certaiin magic that you absolutely nail with the HS that makes an appearance in the v2, but to a slightly lesser extent. I don't know if its a perception of more texture through the midband or just the slightly denser presentation--I'll keep listening with an open mind. "

Well I'd settled back into the HS and never revisited the cable choice despite some significant system changes (Bolder modifications to Minimax DAC and Minimax Pre upgraded to a Shindo Aureigies-L) until today and I'm VERY impressed with the v2 over the HS in this position now.

The HS may have been the more forgiving cable which was likely why I preferred it on my 'value' oriented gear. Stepping things up a few notches, the more honest V2 really shines and my preference seems to have changed. A more linear, transparant cable then the previous that retain the Wywire magic so long as your components are up to the task.

My enthusiasm over the V2 interconnect is significantly upgraded.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #56 on:** 27 Feb 2011, 04:30 pm »

I agree with that assessment totally except up to the last 2 paragraphs because my taste differs a bit and Fred has changed the equipment in his system. Fred's description is quite accurate.

I listened to the v2 interconnects for at least a month when finally I had Alex change these back to HS version. Both versions very are good and just comes down to taste. To me the HS were just more involving. It took awhile to decide that. I have no v2 here now.

Quote

One thing I noticed in swapping back and forth, with the HS it seems like a couple db are lost and its output is slightly quiter than the V2. I noticed this compared to other ICs as well. Not that anything is lost, but I open the preamp pot slightly higher... Maybe that just has to do with my perception of loudness cues.

It is not just you, I always noticed I had to bump the volume on the HS version. Not a bad thing at all, but there. The v2 interconnects struck me as "in your face " when I first put them in. "Leaner" is a good description too. A difference that you can hear right away. Your choice will be equipment dependent and personal preferences.

Moving along with my preferring the HS Interconnects, I also prefer the Juice 1 PC too for pretty much the same reasons. Although the Juice 2 does a fine job on my Jasmine Phono now. It will stay there.

Everyone has heard substantial improvements in there systems using both versions.

D

eclein · « **Reply #57 on:** 27 Feb 2011, 04:37 pm »

I had the original Hot Sauce and also had version 2 and thought for my ears that version two was noticeably better, crisper. The Juice I have is awesome...not sure what version I have but its very nice and I have it on a tube amp..small one..6W X 2. The original speaker cables I have they really added to the sparkle I call it.
Everytime I put one of Alex's cables into my system there was a noticeable improvement in my sound. The cymbals sound like cymbals and the detail is there and at perfect levels...no fatigue for me ever. I listen 24/7 just about.
Alex...send me a digital cable when you make one...or headphone cables...the stuff he could make would be awesome. I would love to have him recable my Grado's I'm modding and solder in the EVS Ground Enhancers etc.. to see what we'd get..I bet it would be incredible.

Gopher · « **Reply #58 on:** 28 Feb 2011, 02:20 am »

Den,

We're definitely on the same page as far as what we hear, but I'm not convinced we really differ as far as tastes/preferences. In fact, I'd say we share more sonic priorities than not and tend to enjoy similar equipment. I initially preferred the HS to the v2 from DAC to pre, but with different equipment comes different synergy/system interaction.

Shindo's own cables are silver and I imagine share more similarities with the v2 than HS. No better or worse here, they're both amazing cables and I tended to prefer the HS for more situations than the v2.

I'll revisit things after a bit more time has passed, but its no loss or anything--I'll just use the very yummy HS between my Jasmine and Shindo.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #59 on:** 28 Feb 2011, 02:42 am »

How about a "tweener" ? Alex said he made a set of "in between" version for a European Customer.

Yes, we usually agree with what we are both hearing and preferences. HS version seems to be more emotional. Notice how we never talk about accuracy?

D