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Hmm, I didn't realize that on this board updated messages don't push the thread on to the "new" stack, so I'm posting this only to get it to show up on the main message listing since I updated one of my previous postings with new info.
All I can say is that what I heard did sound different from what I'm used to hearing.
Hi Tony, very nice review. I've had my Veloce for a little while now & I am more than pleased with it's signature. Maybe I can pull some strings on my end & join you on Sat for a listening session. I'd love to hear your set up especially after your speaker update. Also to give Frank's amp a listen. Let me know.
Thanks for the very good review. I think you have convinced me and the Veloce will be my coaxial cable.
Okay, I was able to do a little bit of listening last night (it didn't rain much after dinner), but a lot of listening today. And the bonus was that pearsall001 (Phil) was able to come over today and lend a set of ears to the cable comparison. I'll leave it to him to detail his thoughts, although I will summarize and say that I think we landed on the same page.The key piece today that focused and confirmed my initial impressions was "S'Wonderful" by Diana Krall from her Live in Paris CD. Remember I set aside the Bluejeans and Nordost+adapter cables so they weren't part of the mix. The Veloce does, I now believe more readily, exhibit a lower noise floor compared to my cable. This allows for a slightly better sense of instrument localization, but in particular allows for - I'll call them - microcues to be heard when there's a lot of overlapping information. There's one point in "S'Wonderful" where Diana Krall is singing and the guitar and double bass are playing where with the Veloce a number of subtle, slight transient notes are more easily distinguished compared to my cable. Phil thought this gave the Veloce a slightly closer perspective.There appears to be no difference between the two in high end extension or soundstage depth. It might be argued that with this apparent lower noise floor perhaps the Veloce was a bit better in soundstage width (maybe, tough call). The low end was, in Phil's words, a toss-up. I give the edge only slightly to my cable, but I think I know why. This is going to sound odd only because I don't have the right words to describe it. Today, and in the past listening sessions over the last several days, I get the sense that the Veloce favors juusst slightly the upper part of the harmonic structure of the music. I'm not saying it's lighter or that it has no low end - in these regards you almost couldn't tell the cables apart. It's just that... imagine a well miked piano playing. With the Veloce I get the sense that it favors a bit more of the soundboard and strings. With my cable the balance of that to the resonant body of the piano seems just a hair different. IMO my cable is more closely balanced in this regard to a mid-hall sonic perspective where maybe the Veloce is a few rows more forward. But again don't mistake that for meaning the Veloce seems louder or anything like that! It's kind of what I said already - just a very slight better ability to distinguish microcues from the surrounding mix. My cable favors a bit more of the organic musicality at the smallest expense of these microcues.Cheez, doing a real review is not that easy.Both cables are very musical and show no graininess, "sheen", or softness. If I have the time I plan to do one more evening of listening before sending it on is way, but I would have to say the Veloce is a very nice cable indeed. No shortcomings as far as I can tell, no odd imbalances or exaggerations. A low noise floor. Quick but not brittle.Just for fun I compared it to my PDT-3 transport, which is fed by glass to my EAD. Phil thought my transport had a more shallow soundstage. I'm not sure about that, but what I am sure about is that I think my transport still bests even my highly modified SB Duet Receiver with the Veloce. That sense of "organic musicality" still shows itself best through my transport. I listen to that and it just... sounds a bit more like real music. It has all the ability to retrieve microcues like the Veloce with all the ability to present the "human body" of the instruments like my cable.I keep putting cautions in this review and will do so again - I am splitting hairs here. In that regard I'm sure Phil would agree (I do hope he adds his own thoughts). The fact that the Veloce stands up so well to my cable, and my transport through AT&T glass, makes it quite surprising. So much so that I may have to just get one for myself to be able to use when I'm feeling like the other side of that split hair.It's pretty good, although like anything else in audio YMMV.