Just to set the record straight...I don't believe I ever said that adding the RSA SC improved the sound of my system...In fact, I PURPOSELY did not share any of my impressions about the RSA SC publicly even tho I did audition it....
Now I did say the RSA MSE GenIIs were good...but I've since found that there are quite a few ICs that work even better in my system...Argent Audio Jaden Signatures, Argent Audio Pursang, Acoustic Zen Silver Ref Mk II, Onix Grand Masters and the Eichmann eXpress6 Series 2s...
I think Zybar's IC comparison accurately and concisely sums up what I have also experienced with the same cables...
To spin off an old SNL skit…”Mad Dog, you….” Na! I needn’t go that far. But if there are any of you folks who have found yourself part of a certain secret society, it’s my turn to set the record straight. And, straight it will be.
Back in September of last year we offered an audition tour of our MSE Gen.II cabling. We were the “New Kid” on the block and not many were familiar with us. I offered the tour to five volunteer participants of my choosing who met the requirements I set (see
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=4864.msg41954#41954&highlight=#41954).
Five brave souled participants were chosen and we were off. Over the course of time we received very favorable feedback which, starting in Nov./Dec., seemed to be bringing other volunteers out of the woodwork of which Mad Dog was one. Honestly, I was a bit offended that now certain folk wanted to jump on the bandwagon after it seemed the water was tested and found safe by the initial participants. In my view, I didn’t want to minimize my appreciation for those who volunteered when the window was open. To me, they risked valuable time and effort to audition offerings from, for all they new, a company that had no real passion for the craft but was just a huckster. I’m convinced all of the woodwork folk could have requested to be part of the tour during the window of opportunity I allowed but they didn’t.
Forward to December. Mad DOg posted some comment about not being able to become part of the audition tour. Out of wanting to be generous and helpful, I caved after some conversation via the phone with Mad DOg and agreed to add him, and I think two or three others, to the tour. I thought it at the time but ignored it…”bad judgment call Robert!”. Should have apologetically stuck to my guns.
The jist of the conversation was this:
RSA: What gear do you have.
MD: Such and such.
RSA: Here’s what you can expect with our cables partnering your set up. If that’s the sound you prefer, then the audition will be worth your time.
MD: Well, no, that’s not the sound I prefer and my system doesn’t sound like that.
RSA: Hmmm. I’ll take your word for it. You’ll see the audition pack soon.
My response after “Hmmm…” should have been different. I have a pretty good scope of how a lot of gear “sounds” and MDs gear is not an exception. In my view, MD has done a good job of tailoring his system to address certain characteristics he finds unfavorable to his preferences howbeit with it’s own set of compromises. I believe this for a couple of reasons. First, I know at least one of the cables he mentions above in the quote intentionally rolls off certain frequencies to achieve a certain signature. It’s also one of his long time favorites. If I remember correctly, this roll off was his own admission. Nevertheless, it’s something I know as fact regarding this cable.
Secondly, as the audition turned out, the sound I suggested he would experience with our cabling partnering his gear turned out to be spot on. How could this be? Well, I maintain it’s because our cables do an excellent job revealing the electronics it’s mated to. I’ve always said and continue to say that if one’s gear is chosen to honestly reflect one’s listening preferences and biases, then our offerings will prove to be keepers over the long haul. If one needs to use cabling to “tune” a given system, then our offerings really become kind of a crap shoot. End users of our products can testify to this.
Now, to stay above board here, subsequent personal conversation with MD after his audition told me that he believed in no uncertain terms his impressions had more to do with his gear than our cables and that he wanted to be careful in making that known with any posts he would submit here. I thought that was fair.
What I don’t think is fair and have little tolerance for is when our cables receive a politely word-smithed bum rap for their performance when all they’re doing by and large is telling you about the other components. If someone doesn’t like what our cabling is revealing, I don’t have a problem with that at all and I can understand and deal with that but that’s not the impression I got from MDs public posts.
I recently had a client who understood his system very well and tried $2500.00 worth of our cables. He loved what the cables did but couldn’t live with the certain deficiency he understood the cables were revealing about his system. I regretfully (of course) but gladly refunded his investment. He understood that, with his present set up, he needed cabling that would help tune out an upper bass cancellation he was experiencing between the interaction of his woofer, mid driver section and floor reflections. I didn’t need to educate him on what was happening, he already knew and will address the source of the cancellation at a later date if and when finances allow for other speakers that address this issue while maintaining the other virtues he appreciates about his present speakers. He’ll also be back for our cables then.
As I read MD’s posts regarding his audition, I felt eloquently deceived. Maybe I’m delusional but I don’t think so…I have a pretty good gut on reading between the lines most of the time. I felt that while his comments were certainly polite, that’s all they were. Polite is not the same as honesty and/or accuracy. I don’t appreciate such deception, intentional or not.
As a result, I said to myself…”screw this” and after one more audition, pulled the tour home. I probably reacted hurtfully which isn’t usually the best way to deal with things but I did what I did and that’s done. My apologies to the few who I said would see the audition pack but didn’t.
Further, I discovered that MD had apparently started a secret society of PMs where at the least our cable products were discussed in a less than polite manner. I asked if I could join but evidently my request for membership was declined.
A few more comments I imagine will evoke something and if so, so be it. If I wasn’t confident in my opinions, I wouldn’t state them.
Zybar’s experience with our cables baffled me for some time because I knew that what he described was not characteristic of our cables. At the same time, I didn’t doubt his impressions. I just couldn’t figure out why his impressions were so. I also have clients who have replaced Jadens and Pursangs with our cabling so it was all the more baffling to me. I have very high esteem for Argent products as well as the others MD mentioned above and mean them no discredit at all. In certain applications, these cables will be your ticket and deservedly so. In other applications where the approach more closely fits with what we endevor to be about and what I mentioned above, I trust we’re going to be your ticket.
Here’s what I’ve come to learn. I believe the source of Zybar’s impressions was at least partially caused by the Tenor amps he was using. OTL amps are hard to get right and can suffer from some excessive brightness amidst all the things they can do so well. As I’ve come to experience and learn, OTL designs that meet my expectations are Atma-Sphere and Berning. While not having personal experience with the Tenors, one of my associates has and I explicitly trust his ears and his over 20 years of experience in this hobby. His impressions are that while good, these amps have a bit of etch to them in the upper registers. Same with the Bernings but to a much much lesser degree... perhaps not even discernable in many instances. The Atma-Spheres’ nail it! as far as I can tell. After 25 years, they know all the tricks to doing “OTL Done”. They are truly state of art says I. Anyway, I don’t assume to know why Zybar replaced the Tenors with the Rowland gear but I’m betting it wasn’t because the Rowlands were inferior to the Tenors. I do know the Rowland gear exhibits no edge, has an engaging well rounded character without sacrificing details…to a very good degree, the best of both worlds; tube and solid state. What Atma-Sphere is to the tube community and the art of music reproduction, Rowland is to the transistor community and the art of music reproduction. Perhaps in the near future, more eastern states dealers will recognize this.
Lastly, you’ll notice most of my comment here is not engaging to conversation. That is purposeful. As many as want to, of course, can post whatever response they want. Short of me being convinced that I’m flat out wrong (which I’m not adverse to), I probably won’t contribute more to this thread. It’s April, January is long past and I really don’t want to fight. I just want to be a "Luv Puppy"
and hell, maybe even enjoy a beer with MD someday....It could happen!
