Review of the Oyaide DB-510 – An "analog sounding" digital cable - Page 7

Sorry, I have never listened to the Nordost moonglo. It looks like a nice high performance cable. If your system is well balanced I suggest not upgrading the cable. At this performance level there is more likely to be a shift in tonal balance rather than a pure increase in performance.

However, if someone has already compared it to the stereovox XV2 for example it might give us a reference point.

Hi pompon,

I am not sure to understand which version of the Stereovox you tried. When you say "prior" do you mean the HDXV? Or maybe you meant "subsequent" since you mention the "Ultra" later.

Concerning the Ultra vs XV2, it seems that they have made a lot of improvements to the sound:
- cryogenic treatment for the cable and connectors
- RF absorbing layer of pure woven carbon fiber
- an external jacket with lower dielectric effect
However what botters me with a cable that is selling for the price of the Ultra is the use of a silver plated copper instead of high purity silver or high purity copper. Mil Spec Wire is just another way to say cheap silver plated copper.

However, I have to admit that from a listening point of view it doesn't directly relate to the sound. In my experience, 3 high-end cables sounded natural to me: the Oyaide (pure silver), the very expensive Actinote (pure copper), and the hifi cables Sobek (SPC). The weird thing is that the XV2 was significantly different than the other ones: it was leaner and brighter. It was more upfront with the details but in reality it didn't have more low level details: it was simply voiced to sound more detailed.
I have also listened to the XV2 against a high end Audioquest (I don't remember the reference) on a speaker system and had the same feeling about the XV2 which also sounded harsher and more artificial in that system.

My advice is to hold on to the Oyaide maybe until you can try your new B22. Depending on the sound of your system, you will see if the Oyaide or the Stereovox better suits your tastes.

BTW, I agree that $600 is an insane amount to pay for a digital cable. With that amount you can buy yourself a proper DAC which has good reclocking such as the dac19dsp (see here: н¨ÍøÒ³ 1). It has good jitter rejection (less sensitive to the transport and the digital cable), it uses multibit PCM1704uk dac chips, and it is an all discrete design with zero negative feedback.

Edit -- Did you try the XV2? If you can get your hands on a used one (since it is discontinued), it might be a cheaper alternative to the Ultra and better suited for you system than the oyaide.

I think that different people will consider the Oyaide as being too smooth or too dry depending on their baseline (see the quote below from 2 pages ago).

According to my experience, and I have tested dozens of high quality digital cables, the Oyaide falls right in the middle between warmer digital cables and dryer ones. I have currently in my posession many digital cables (whether coaxial, glass or plastic optical) that are either warmer or more foreword sounding.

I think it is hard to judge whether a digital cable is accurate or not by comparing to only one or 2 high performance digital cables.

As for the stereovox, it appears that each time it is compared to high performance (and expensive cables), it is judged as being leaner and more detailed. My personal opinion is that the Stereovox was voiced slightly on the bright side to simulate details and airiness.

So either the Stereovox is voiced correctly and the Oyaide, Hifi Cables Sobek, Actinote Aria, Audioquest I tried (and the Nordost Zerotohero tested) were voiced incorrectly. Or maybe it is the other way around.

If your speakers are resolving enough (which they seem to be), the difference should be easily noticeable especially if you already hear a difference between different transports (hiface vs. other sources).

 

The Oyaide is a very detailed but smooth cable. If your system is too warm, bass heavy or doesn't have an articulate bass, the Oyaide cable might not be appropriate in those cases and there might be better options out there like a used Stereovox XV2 or its replacement (http://www.sixmoons.com/audioreviews/blackcat/veloce.html)

 

However, if your system is neutral or quick, and you want to get an "analog" sound (less digitis in the upper frequencies), the Oyaide will probably be an excellent solution.

I am glad the review was helpful and that you are enjoying your new cable.

 

Thanks for pointing us the Oyaide, since you are the one who encouraged me to try the Oyaide digital cable in the first place!