Hi all! It's been awhile since I've made any posts to the Critics Circle. One reason I'm not spending much time around AudioCircle lately is because I've reached a level of contentment with my system, and I haven't been motivated much to debate gear. But I still pop in time to time to see what's being discussed, and I do miss the friendly, humorous, and passionate exchange of ideas and views.
As a completely enthralled owner of MSE Gen II interconnect and speaker cable, I was somewhat reluctant to audition Robert's latest refinements to Ridge Street's premium Poiema. When I originally changed all my wire to the MSE, I was stunned, but thrilled that its performance far exceeded anything I'd used previously. As such, I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest the time and effort performing a/b comparisons and analyzing subtle differences between wires. Besides, I doubted anything could be significantly better. After all, there is only so much a cable can do. It can't make magic.
It was difficult to psyche myself up for another arduous component audition. I have to admit, I've kind of burned myself out auditioning and compraring components. I've done a ridiculous amount over the past several years, and my home was a revolving door for audio equipment. It was great fun, and I learned a lot about the character and signatures of a bevy of well known and not so well known manufacturers. I also learned what type of sonics I prefer, and I have gotten better at fine tuning my components to align with my tastes. In many instances I have sold off very expensive well known gear for far less expensive gear without sacrificing overall performance. The one place where I haven't been able to compromise has been my amplifier. I've tried several times, and I've discovered some very high quality value priced amplifiers, but in the end, I'm still hanging on to my souped-up Audio Research VT200. One benefit of my downgrading efforts is that it has allowed me to consider premium, but reasonably priced audio cable.
After thorough burn-in, I forced myself to spend an evening to compare the Poiema interconnect with my MSE Gen II. I was prepared to take notes and listen carefully with all my usual and familiar recordings normally used for auditions. I wasn't prepared for the experience that ensued. What I experienced was spine tingling, hair raising, electrifying!
I was riveted to my chair, and couldn't believe what I was hearing. I played one recording after another. After several hours of purely self-indulgent music listening, I figured I'd better take note of some relevent points.
The Poiema is ultra high rez. Of course, to benefit from this your components must be up to the task. I think this high-rez quality allowed me to better perceive the true timbre and complexity of individual instruments and performers on the soundstage. There was more air and greater separation between performers and instruments. The music was vivid and felt alive. I was immersed and involved in my music like never before.
Because the Poiema is extremely high-rez, it sometimes reveals things that are not always desirable. Bad recordings were more difficult to listen to with the Poiema than with the MSE Gen II. The Gen II was kinder to shortcomings in recordings and equipment. The Gen II seemed to make everything sound better. The Poiema makes some recordings sound worse, but when the recording is done well, it sounds incredibly good with Poiema.
Sorry for not writing a more detailed review, but I just don't have the time. The bottom line is the Poiema is absolutely fantastic. I have been captivated by the Poiema, and for me there is no going back. Robert is an artist with an extraordinary ear for music!
