I've logged over 100 hours on the Silver Dragon V2 for my Senn. 600s and thought it was time for a detailed review.
Associated equipment:
Ah Tjoeb CD player with new power cable, power transformer, damped cabinet, upgraded crystal etc. (sort of an ongoing project).
Nakamichi CR3a
FIM plugs, dedicated breakers and ground for the music system.
Music
I listen about 60% classical and an assortment of pop and jazz after that.
Build Quality
The Silver Dragon seems very robust. The cable, while flexible, is about four times as thick as the stock cable and the plug is roughly the diameter of a dime. Very sturdy overall impression.
The Sound
If you have Crosby Still Nash and Young's "So Far", set it to Guinnevere and listen for the snare drum. I can't say how many times I've heard this song, but I never really notice the percussion before. With the Silver Dragons, it was palpable. When I switched back to the stock cable, the drums were there but blurry, less distinct, undefined. The Silver dragons seems to remove a level of grain or haze from the sound. All my specific comments seems to derive from this singular element.
Treble - the highs seemed more distinct and also more clearly defined in space. I didn't hear any "harshness" just a greater sense of attack and refinement. Indeed the SDs have a smoother top end - it feels less strained than the stock cable.
Midrange - Sumi Jo's voice on her album "Prayers" and Sharon Isbin's guitar on all of her albums were simply gripping. The increased definition and greater sense of spatial details seemed to be particularly noticeable in the midrange. Isbin is an amazing player and every nuance of her technique was jsut there to hear - effortlessly.
Bass - Initially there seemed to be some increase in bass, but over time I ascribed this to better defiintion. The bottom end control seems to increase attack and thus bass seems more present. The big drums on Verdi's Requiem were scary and upright bass was much easier to follow. The bass register of the piano, on Jarret's Koln concert for instance, seemed balanced and truer to live piano.
All together now: I listen to a lot of orchestral music and the SDs helped to present a more coeherent sense of the orchestra. Rachmaninoff's Vespers, with its mix of vocals and strings, is a delight. When I switched back to the stock cables it was as if the lights came up in the concert hall and the conductor left. There was a little haze, less focus, less articulation and less sense of coherence.
Overall: In the end, these cables just made me want to listen to more music. They give the Senns better detail and increased sense of ease. Most importantly for me, the emtional impact of music just went up by several notches. The 600s and SDs can be had for a total of $500. I've heard a range of Grados, Stax Lambda Pros, Etymotics, AKGs(though not the 701) and feel that for this money its hard to go wrong with this combo.
PS. One down side is you lose your 1/8" jack. This means I can't plug them into my computer, which means I need a set of headphones for using with the computer(or maybe this is an upside
I'm thinking the Grado Sr60s - any suggestions?
Review Silver Dragon V2 For Senn. 600
