my impressions on ur5, ur6, x-1 - Page 2

I want to know whats inside those cables!!!...

some1 wana sacrifice their ur2's and take a peeeeeek?!!?

Brilliant idea skullguise! I would like to contribute to that. BUT from a different position than I have had previously, which was very uncompromising. Although a posture I can find myself in, (the passionate tooth & nail?) it's not my preference for comfort. I like much more my view now, somewhat detached. I'll do my best to bring my perspective on my personal musical hopes which have not been expressed yet, or at least not expressed independently of defending a position, making an absolute claim or associating too closely with a product. No "versus".
You like Cardas or Oritek or Kubala-Sosna or Wolff or Silversmith or Grover or Nordost Valhalla or Kimber Select better? Great!

Benchmark DAC1>Oritek X-1>ATC SIA2-150 integrated amp>PS Audio Xstream Statement speaker cables>ATC SCM20 speakers on Skylan stands (Shunyata Diamondback power cords all around with Shunyata Guardian passive power conditioner).

I've had a similar interpretation of the X-1 as skullguise "where the X-1 exposes TOO many imperfections". I've expressed desire for transparency despite the double edged nature. I think for the person who is nearer completion of an audio system or fairly finalized the choice of cable becomes more specialized, a touch of warmth need here or there, a little reduction of this or that there. DarkAngel seems to be in this position and the Grover seems to be the correct personal fit for him. I'm not in that finalized position and have long term plans for upgrades of major components. I consider myself still on a learning curve and finding out what I like and don't like is still ongoing. Somedays much sounds well, other days I hear all the flaws, the weak links in the chain. A source upgrade is now desired. Why dump the DAC1 rather than the X-1? Because I believe I hear more clearly what the DAC1 sounds like and it's great strengths are too strong. But it's so transparent and isn't that what I said I wanted? Sort of. I think a source component interprets and further up the food chain the interpretations become more sophisticated, more artistic, more analog, more human maybe. This I'd like to point out is along the lines of DarkAngel's expressed aspirations for music playback that is above all enjoyable. I do let the pendulum swing far in one direction just to know before I let it swing back to where I like it best. This a part of my personal education. I now want a source interpretation with less of a hard edge. That hard edge isn't transparency, it's interpretation. Why do I feel it's the DAC1 and not the X-1 giving the hard edge? Because that's the constant description given of the DAC1 by those who found it not their cup of tea.

After an upgrade of source that seems to fit the bill as a long term commitment, I'll search out that specialized cable that compliments it. It might be of the transparent school or it might not. As pointed out is a recent HIFI+ review of the Supra Sword speaker cable which at about 1K breathes down the neck of the Nordost Valhalla in the transparency department: "The problem with putting the next best thing to a sonically invisible cable into your system is that it's not going to hide what went before. It's a problem that has dogged Nordost; it's a problem Supra is about to discover."
Roy Gregory
HIFI+ Issue #41

This is precisely what DarkAngel spoke of as a negative and it is a negative in many systems. It may be a negative in a future system of mine. Or not, it'll depend. I could be right or I could be wrong but I've formed the opinion of the X-1 as being burdened with this transparency and it won't suit all systems. Maybe it won't be right for me either in the future. But until I find that more personally suitable source, I can't change the X-1. X-2? No idea.

As for a "U" curve in frequency, I can't hear it. I can't say I've got perfect hearing and it's not there. But for sure the ATC gear is ruler flat and I assume the same for the DAC1.

And speaking of a learning curve, it dawned on me today that I too often listen to music right as I turn on my amp and finish within less than an hour due to having to do life's chores. I recalled ATC saying three hours were required for peak performance. I thought that nonsense. Today I listened longer and more closely and sure enough that hardness began to melt and a bloom began growing. D'oh!

So the bottom line of my story is one of hearing the weak links in an unfinished system, still learning and exploring, looking for that "just right" sound.

Peace out!

(And I hope that markl, if he views this, understands that my sig quote is there not as a poke at him but as a hysterically funny (at least to me) poke at myself. I love it!

planned upgrades ahead:
#1 phonostage
#2 Tonearm
#3 Digital source
#4 Turntable

I forgot to say it's a Nottingham Horizon with Rega RB-250, Gram Slee Gram Amp2 and Clearaudio Aurum Beta S Wood.
It's a start....and BTW it beats redbook via the DAC1.

EDIT:
Yipee I upgraded my phonostage!
The classic tubed E.A.R. 834P MM/MC.
Delivery before the end of this busy postal holiday week?

Got my Grovers UR6 with silver nextgens. All I can say that is one fine IC!

Pimping the ride!
I like nearly everything I've read about those nextgens.
Haven't had the pleasure myself though.

Tell us what you are hearing..........

Problem is set of 4 silver Nextgen RCAs cost about $200 retail so they better sound much better vs stock Grover RCAs

I emailed Grover about some NexGen on upgraded UR?, and he recommended against, saying the silver/platinum sounded 'hard' to _him_, and preferred his current choice. He did, however, offer to terminate cables with whatever connectors were sent to him.

I had two sets of Nextgens (one set Cu and one AG lying around from a DIY project I never got around to), so I decided to put it to use. I don't have the standard UR6 to compare to, so I can't really do a comparison. But would be willing to send you my UR6 with Nextgens come mid January as I am going overseas. So if you could do the favor.

HaHa that's great IMHO. Why not, just like DA doing the cryo...who knows the result if no one's tried. I thought you'd put in a special request + cost for Grover to do it. I know Ori also doesn't think much of the upmarket connectors as I asked him before out of curiosity.

I don't see the harm in it being an option for those willing to pay so long as it's stated by the maker and understood by the buyer that that extra $50-$100-$200 may only bring a certain % of improvement. I can't see how these things could degrade the sound. They wouldn't decrease the signal. What, they're screwing up the frequencies? I guess it's WBT who'd be getting the lion's share of the profit off the connector.

Under the umbrella of great value of a Grover or Oritek the Nextgen may look like very poor value for the dollar but there's a whole crowd of people out there who think any cable over $100 is a poor value.

And besides the Nextgen is available in 9 colors!