[Agisthos]

I want to give you all a heads up on what I believe is a fantastic boutique cable maker, Josh Graham, aka Downsize Audio Cables.

I have a pair of his best interconnects, speaker cables and power cables. Each of these 3 products is the very best I have ever heard in their respective categories. I think What sets Downsize apart from other cable makers is he's a fanatic when it comes to trial and error, burning in and testing dozens of different connectors, conductors and solders types.

Im not going to go into the exact differences between my previous cables and these, simply because my system has changed so much especially in the last 2 years. I have had around 10 different sets of speaker cables and interconnects pass through, and about 5 different power cables. Also a lot of the products I purchase are British brands, so the Americans here will find it harder to relate in comparisons.

INTERCONNECT

The Downsize Audio interconnects use a custom 97/3 silver/gold alloy. What intruiged me was the design philosophy of this cable, which was very different to every other interconnect on the market. I do not want to let on about the geometry of this cable, but I have only found one other manufacturer out there that makes an interconnect like this, and it is inferior in every aspect while being twice the price.

My previous interconnects have been various Van Den Hul, DH Labs, Chord, QED, Skywire (these could be giant killers), Audioquest.

But these solid core, silver/gold alloy cables just sound the best. Almost no fatigue, a very natural sound but with lots of detail and resolution. I will say that all pure silver cables I have heard exhibit a tilted up, higher frequencies. I dont think pure silver has an even tonal balance like copper does. But these are not your typical silver cables with shrill highs and a fatigueing sound. Downsize claims the secret is all in the custom conductor, the gold mixed with the silver alloy. Yous get the detail of silver but with a natural smoothness.

Coupled with the unique geometry that nobody else is doing...and you have the best interconnect I have ever heard.

SPEAKER CABLE

I have been through many speaker cables, from brands such as QED, Chord, Atlas, DNM, Speltz, and custom made cables from Furutech and Oyaide. I initially thought that solid core was the way to go, that was until I heard Downsizes new ribbon speaker cable.

This is a 2" wide, extremely thin copper ribbon cable, and it is awesome. It somehow manages to have an extra octave of bass over normal thick stranded cable. How? I dont know, I always presumed ribbon speaker cables had high resolution but were light on bass. Not this one, all the information is there. What really makes this cable important is the way it has high resolution, but less fatigue than any other speaker cable I have had. Again, how? Im not sure, but you are mssing no detail while there is a relaxed and organic sound to these cables.

What I should also mention is the great value these ribbon cables are. Whenever you see a pair of ribbon cables from other manufacturers, they are usually at least over $1000 in price, usually 2-3,000 thousand dollars. Downsize does his high end 2" wide ribbon cable for about $800. It is a true bargain.

POWER CABLE

Well to be honest I have less experience with power cables, only really been trying them for the last six months. I have used various bulk reel Furutech models, Oyiade, Audioquest and Supra Lorad. But what has been consistant is that all of these have been used on the exact same amp, a Marantz PM7003 integrated. Power cables make a difference in the sound in my experience. My theory as to why this is.... probably a cheaper integrated amp such as mine does not have the most over engineered power supply, thus a power cable will have a more pronounced effect.

So how good is the Downsize Audio VLR Power Cables? I was able to do a direct comparison with Furutech bulk FP-3TS20. This is not your cheap $5 a foot cable that other brands rebadge with fancy connectors. This is a true high end cable that still cost almost $100 a metre in bulk. The Downsize audio cables was handily better in all sonic areas.

The power cable is very good and the best I have had in my system yet, but I am not going to rave on because of my lack of experience with simlar products.

MUSIC

Progressive Rock / Heavy Metal - such as Dream Theatre, Symphony X, Porcupine Tree, Arena, Iron Maiden
Electronica / Chill Out - such as Massive Attack, Buddha Bar, Cafe Del Mar.
Naim audiophile recordings & Naxos classical recordings
Contemporary - Talking Heads, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie

SYSTEM

SOURCE - Marantz BD7004
DAC - Audio-GB NFB-2
AMP - MARANTZ PM7003
SPEAKERS - Custom MTM towers with side firing woofer.Scan-Speak drivers, SB Acoustic ring radiator tweeter, Erse foil inductors, 4th order crossover.

CONCLUSION

Looking back at what I have written it seems the common theme of Downsize Audio Cables, is high resolution and detail, but with an organic and non fatigueing sound. This is very difficult to achieve and a fine balancing act. I have had many cables that have either been one or the other, and always a compromise. But Josh seems to have struck the right note with these designs.

I held back on posting this, because Josh was doing it for fun and not sure if he wanted to get back into the audio business, but he now has a website.

http://www.downsizeaudiocables.com/

[JohnR]

THIS Downsize??

[Agisthos]

Yep, that one.

[audio2addict]

I am actually working with Josh right now on a 7 foot pair of the 2 inch foil speaker cables so your comments regarding these cables is very timely.

I will say he is easy to work with.  I should mention I have had Josh build 2 interconnects for me before he started his commercial venture.  One was a single ended using the 97/3 silver gold alloy with the top end Furutech connections while the other was a custom 75/25 gold silver alloy in a balance configuration using the Wireworld silver plated cooper XLRs. 

[Vapor Audio]

I sold Josh his speakers which he loves ... and I delivered them in person to his home.  While we were setting them up I could tell there was something very nice going on with his system, even though his room was untreated at the time and his front-end was good but nothing exorbitant.  Josh, being a cable guy said it's because of the cables.  And me being a total cable sceptic just said whatever, it's gotta be the speakers 

Well, like all my customers I've kept in close contact with Josh since delivering his speakers and he eventually talked me into buying a pair of his copper foil speaker cables and one of his power cords.  My cables before were DH Labs Silversonic Q-10 with Furutech spades for speaker cable, and a DH Labs Power Plus with Oyaide P-037 ends for power ... both very good cables.

The speaker cables were an improvement I noticed immediately.  The soundstage goes wider than before, they overall presentation feels a bit more dynamic and lively, and there's more tonality and richness to the bass. 

The power cable is harder to tell differences, but I haven't yet given it the proper time to analyze.  Josh did build it using his 'cheapest' ends, and compared to the DH Labs cable with top of the line Oyaide ends it's at least an even comparison.  I'll update as I give it more listen time. 

[Letitroll98]

Hello Mr. Otis .... If you can tell me where you can purchase a conductor made from an alloy of UPOCC silver and pure gold in a 97/3 % ratio off the shelf, or in any other cable, I will give you a pair of my best interconnects.
    While you are at it, please look for copper foil that is .007" thick, and 7N purity ...   

But naw ... There is nothing special going on here ...

I wouldn't suppose to comment on the sound of your cables having never heard them, they may be the cat's meow.  And I'm one of the people who do hear significant differences in audio cables.  But silver/gold alloy wire (Mundorf and R & F Alloy Wires, Inc, etc., commonly called jewelers wire) and thin copper foil conductors (Integrated Metals, Indium Corp, Spira Mfg., etc.) have been around for some time and the materials are easily accessible.  I'm not commenting on your ideas or designs, I happen to be using .005" thick bronze ribbon interconnects right now.  But while these materials are not commonly used in audio cable applications, they are not magical or special or exclusive to Downsize cables.  I do wish you all the greatest success and may even be interested in hearing your products someday, but we may have to agree to disagree on this point.

[Agisthos]

EDIT - Edited out the reference to earlier deleted posts.

I have done no reviews on audio products since getting in to the hobby in 2002. I am only getting to the stage where I feel comfortable with my audio knowledge to do a review. Nothing annoys me more than an 'expert' who has only bought 2 types of a similar product and then goes on a forum proclaiming it to be the best evar.
To me you must have heard 5-10 products in a similar category to know anything. Im not at that stage with electronics or speakers (apart from auditioning),  but I am with cables.

I certainly have no financial interest in promoting Downsize's cables. In fact i paid $100's more for the speaker cables than the current price, because at the time they were just one off designs and he was not buying any material in bulk.

Im sorry if I cannot give direct comparisons to other products but that is not fair. Since 2002 I have had 4 different integrated amps, 2 of them class d, with very different sonic goals. All I know is the downsize cables were all a large jump over everything else I currently had. So I presume even on my older equipment they would still be the best.

[brj]

Guys, play nice.  I just pruned the thread.  Please don't make me do it again.  Thanks.

Agisthos, please see the Critic's Circle Guidelines for some additional details on what we're looking for in a review and consider expanding your original post.

Downsize, you are free to answer direct questions about your cables in this thread, but please be aware that this circle is not an advertising venue.  Consider "Industry Ads" for that purpose.  Similarly, I'm not enthralled with the idea of a vendor soliciting reviews in the Critic's Circle, but I'll give Agisthos a chance to expand his post and hope that the thread grows into something productive.  Also, in light of your new commercial venture, please comply with the AC policy for industry participants regarding disclosure and modify your signature accordingly.  Thanks.

My apologies if this is more curt than usual, but it is late and I'm long overdue for some sleep...

[saisunil]

Good review - thanks ... nice cables ...

[Jon L]

I happen to be using .005" thick bronze ribbon interconnects right now. 

Did you DIY that bronze ribbon or using Magnan interconnects?  Would love to know where people are sourcing bronze ribbons.

I would be usually very skeptical of posts like OP's, but I recently tested out a pair of Downsize Audio interconnects with Wireworld pure-silver RCA connectors before the company was launched, and it sounded better than other silver/gold alloy cables I've tried in the past, so I would watch the progress of this new company and wait for what more people have to say...

[low.pfile]

@Agisthos

What speakers were connected to the speaker cables reviewed?

[satfrat]

A listing of one's whole system is usually a nice addition in component reviews so folks have a base to work with in forming an opinion. Frankly tho, I'm naturally suspicous of any introduction product review, especially when the manufacturer's start chiming in unannounced. I've seen too many of these product introduction reviews to make me feel any differently.
 
But regardless, I'm a big fan of silver/gold alloys (I'm a Crystal Cable owner) so I'm in agreement with Jon L in hopes of seeing more user opinions of Downsize Audio Cables in other diverse systems. 
 
Cheers,
Robin

[thorjensen]

Hey Agisthos

I just google'd Downsize Audio Cables to see if anyone had made some reviews of any of Josh's products. I've bought the 8ft. CFR speaker cables with Cardas copper spades and the UR1 ic. Just waiting now for two VLR power cords

My system:

VAIC 32B SET tube amp, 2x15w on Ayon 32B-S output tubes, NOS pre- and driver tubes.
BKS Audio bipol ribbon speakers on SD-feets
Primare D30.2 cdp
Downsize Audio Cables CFR+UR1

First off i've put on the CFR's so I better can destinguish the difference in performance from my BKS Cressida 8 Supreme speaker cables. Here's what I found out.

Right out of the box the CFR has been a SUPERB upgrade and the looks of the cable is very "professional" and the copper Cardas spades are VERY firmly tightend on the speaker- and amp binding posts. I've been listening to a fav CD of mine: Thomas Dybdahl - En samling, and some not subtle and very good differences have been made. There is much more air around voices now, the micro detail in both high and low frequencies is more noticeable, and instruments and voices stand out individually better in the sound stage. The extra air tends to also open up midrange details which were lost before. Bloated bass has been lowered due to much better punch and tightening up of the bass. Some of the tracks on the " En samling" album had before a tendency here to be a bit "boomy", but now that's all gone.

With the CFR there's is no need to worry about silver vs. copper etc. etc. etc. This cable is super open, and if it had any tendencies to close up the top, then it would have been easily noticeable with my BKS Audio ribbon speakers. The lows are tight and clean, and the mids have a spooky live feeling that brings the vocals of the artist right into your room.

I highly recommend this speaker cable. "

Thor

[jhm731]

If Downsize Audio Cables had balanced interconnects and a return policy like: http://www.groverhuffman.com

I'd give them a try.

[Agisthos]

@Agisthos

What speakers were connected to the speaker cables reviewed?

Custom MTM towers with side firing woofer.
Scan Speaker drivers, SB Acoustic ring radiator tweeter. Erse Foil inductors, 4th order crossover.

Soon to be a Vapor Sound Cirrus with all upgrades.

I just edited the review to add my current system details.

[Letitroll98]

Did you DIY that bronze ribbon or using Magnan interconnects?  Would love to know where people are sourcing bronze ribbons.

I would be usually very skeptical of posts like OP's, but I recently tested out a pair of Downsize Audio interconnects with Wireworld pure-silver RCA connectors before the company was launched, and it sounded better than other silver/gold alloy cables I've tried in the past, so I would watch the progress of this new company and wait for what more people have to say...

Good catch, yes Magnan Vi interconnects.  I'd be interested if anyone knows what happened to the company, the phone number goes to a private party and the web site is gone. 

Almost any wire is readily available thanks to the internet.  Most of your specialty stuff is coming from China, even if sourced through US or EU companies, the manufacturing is off shore.  Tooling costs are way too high in the western world to do anything but very large unit runs.  Getting smaller lots for DIY may require some phone calls to locate a distributor, but you can get what you need with a small amount of effort.  Duplicating Dave Magnan's termination techniques may be another matter entirely.

For anyone interested, Josh and I exchanged very pleasant PM's and I hope to see more of him on these pages.   

[Agisthos]

Mundorf does a 99/1 silver-gold wire, but Josh claims his 97/3 wire is custom and not off the shelf. All wire makers say that, but in this case 97/3 alloy is not readily available OEM. Not with 7n silver purity anyway.

[Letitroll98]

Josh explained where he sources his wire and I take him at his word, the product is available in bulk quantities to anyone willing to purchase that much, but he has a workaround that allows him to source smaller quantities of this product.  So I stand by my statement, it is available and you do have to work at it to get smaller runs.  I wouldn't get specific with information Josh sent to me in message (I mean, it is titled 'Private Message'), but he seems like a sincere person and his explanation made perfect sense, so I have every reason to believe him.  I really appreciated his prompt, courteous and informative response.

So I know he'll understand if I play Devil's Advocate and throw in some monkey wrenches to make the conversation interesting.  My latest cable purchase, Tuan's (Sonny is the nic) Sweet Spot Reveal, is made out of lowly magnet wire using $2 connectors and sounds wonderful.  My previous cables included lots of Zu cable.  Sean at Zu does use high quality materials, but claims geometry and screening trumps material by a mile.  So for Josh and others here, do you think the cables sound the way they do because of materials, or the way Josh constructs them (geometry, screening, etc.)?  Interested in any opinions.   

[JerryM]

[Agisthos]

Josh explained where he sources his wire and I take him at his word, the product is available in bulk quantities to anyone willing to purchase that much, but he has a workaround that allows him to source smaller quantities of this product.  So I stand by my statement, it is available and you do have to work at it to get smaller runs.  I wouldn't get specific with information Josh sent to me in message (I mean, it is titled 'Private Message'), but he seems like a sincere person and his explanation made perfect sense, so I have every reason to believe him.  I really appreciated his prompt, courteous and informative response.

So I know he'll understand if I play Devil's Advocate and throw in some monkey wrenches to make the conversation interesting.  My latest cable purchase, Tuan's (Sonny is the nic) Sweet Spot Reveal, is made out of lowly magnet wire using $2 connectors and sounds wonderful.  My previous cables included lots of Zu cable.  Sean at Zu does use high quality materials, but claims geometry and screening trumps material by a mile.  So for Josh and others here, do you think the cables sound the way they do because of materials, or the way Josh constructs them (geometry, screening, etc.)?  Interested in any opinions.

Audiocircle rules are that manufacturers should not participate directly in a review discussion. I have asked Josh this question before and he says

- It is only when the geometry is EXACTLY right that the quality of materials really start to make a big difference in the sound.  If the geometry isn't optimum to start with, NO amount of quality materials can overcome the time smearing and congested sound that incorrect geometry brings.  When you get the geometry right to start with, the differences in conductors and connectors are VERY obvious.