[kwkarth]

Mini Interconnect Review

·Monster M400Mk2 1M pair $40.00
·DiMarzio M-Path 1M pair $150.00
·Stealth Audio SCR 1M pair $380.00
·Cardas Neutral Reference 1M pair $500.00

Source Kenwood RD-VH7 HDCD
Amp Headroom 2001 model Max.

Monster M400Mk2
Bright in a good way, but not perfectly balanced because the bottom end tends to be thin by comparison to the weight of the top end. Missing a little bottom fullness
Not a lot of depth here, rather 2D sounding, flat soundstage
Good respectable articulation in mids and highs, but not astounding. There’s detail here, but not the very subtlest of details. These cables are missing the bloom on the rose. Mechanically, very positive connections
Something not there on the bottom, but I actually think I prefer these to the DiMarzio’s with some material.

DiMarzio M-Path
These immediately strike me as being fuller in the midrange, with better overall balance than the M400’s.
Not quit as bright but still very good
Better depth than the M400’s but not as good as the Cardas
Still rather 2d, but better than the monsters
Very musical sound
Mechanically, even though the conectors were locking, I never felt confident in the connection because of the shallow seating of the conector.
The sax doesn’t have the right bite.
The texture of the drumheads is not evident when hit with the sticks
Strings of the plucked bass and the piano don’t have the definition they do w/ the Cardas.
By themselves, and unto themselves, the DiMarzio’s sound good, but they sound veiled by comparison to the Cardas.

Stealth Audio SCR
Crisp resolution, brighter than the DiMarzios, but not as bright as the monsters or Cardas
More depth than the monsters, not quite as much as the Cardas
Mechanically, very positive connections
This is my number 2 choice

Cardas Neutral Reference
Bright and articulate in a good way, and perfectly balanced. So detailed without being the least bit strident
Wonderful depth, 3D soundstaging
Mechanically, very positive connections
Easily the most musical cable here
With this cable, I could re-discover all my CD’s again!!

No MAX should be without these cables

After auditioning these Cardas Neutral Reference cables, all I can say is…What about the Cardas Golden Reference?

 

[DarkAngel]

Yes unfortunately for your pocketbook if you try a Cardas Golden Reference you will like them even more. I have auditioned the Cardas Cross and Golden Cross in the past.

Also what AC cord are you using?

Heh!
Did you just buy a Max or is this a friends unit?

 

[kwkarth]

The Max I have is here on trial. I'm considering buying it.

The standard power cord is being used on the downwind side of a fairly conventional varistor based spike & RFI protector.

Cheers!

 

[nebuchadnezzar]

Kwkarth, where'd you find the DiMarzio M-Path's for $89???
I bought two pair direct from DiMarzio at $150 a pair, and Headroom charged me the same for the pair i bought through them. I'd be very interested in knowing where I could find them cheaper?!?

btw: they were all 1 meter (3ft)

 

[kwkarth]

My mistake, they are indeed $150.00
Thanks for catching that!
-kevin

 

[DarkAngel]

Kevin
Sounds like there will soon be another member of team max!

I have never tried one and I assume it will sound better than Creek OBH11se, but at 5x the price we are quickly entering the realm of diminishing returns.......how would you describe the level of improvement it provides?

Also if you really want a pair of Cardas reference/golden reference
check audiogon, with patience you can get a used pair.

 

[Magic77]

I just ordered the Cardas 300B from AudioAdvisor. I've always wanted a pair of Cardas cables. Their website is very interesting and informative. I'll let you guys know how I like them when I get them.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

I know one thing for sure. If I was going to spend $2000 on a source, and interconnect I would buy a $1000 source, and the Cardas GOLDEN Neutral Reference. Hell, if I was going to spend $1500 the first place I would look would be a $500 source, and the GOLDEN Neutral Reference. I'm buying these bad boys!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by CRESCENDOPOWER I know one thing for sure. If I was going to spend $2000 on a source, and interconnect I would buy a $1000 source, and the Cardas GOLDEN Neutral Reference. Hell, if I was going to spend $1500 the first place I would look would be a $500 source, and the GOLDEN Neutral Reference.

That would be a mistake -- MHO. I mean, you know the rule -- 10%. You gotta have a US$10K source, otherwise...what're you going to hear, besides gilden crap? Not only that, people will look at you funny -- like you crazy. Go ahead, ask Jude. Quote:

I'm buying these bad boys!

Now that would not be a mistake.

OTOH, if I am completely wrong, please feel free to report back.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Bright in a good way, but not perfectly balanced because the bottom end tends to be thin by comparison to the weight of the top end. Missing a little bottom fullness

Bright? Bottom end thin? Monster?? Interesting. I found the complete opposite, a bit dull and bloated in the bottom and smoothed flat from the midrange to the highs. I found the Kimber PBJ to be much more transparent and better at defining an open soundstage but something about the upper mid/lower treble begins to grate after a while. The AR cables I bought recently sound very clear, open and articulate, or they seem to anyway.

Are cables simply tone controls or equalizers?

BTW nice review kwkarth! These are the kind of reviews that make me want to go seek out new cables, or gear period.

It would be interesting if we could come to terms with why cables sound different. For example, when you pay $500 for a pair of interconnects, could they be physically broken down to determine what it is in the construction/parts that make that difference over a $40 pair. I realize this is the old Grado RA-1 (parts/cost) debate all over again, but it would be interesting if we could determine why cables sound different, assuming all things being equal in terms of quality of wire and plugs.

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkAngel Also if you really want a pair of Cardas reference/golden reference check audiogon, with patience you can get a used pair.

For example, this add was placed at Audiogon 1/28/02 and may still be available, lists used Cardas Golden Reference 1m RCA pair
for $535, retails for $920!
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...067&class&3&4&

You should always check Audiogon before dropping big bucks on cables, since used cables work just as good as new ones and there is nothing that can be broken.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dusty Chalk That would be a mistake -- MHO. I mean, you know the rule -- 10%. You gotta have a US$10K source, otherwise...what're you going to hear, besides gilden crap? Not only that, people will look at you funny -- like you crazy. Go ahead, ask Jude. Now that would not be a mistake.

Dusty, I think maybe back in the early 80's when CD players first arrived some of these rules may have had some merrit. Maybe audiophiles have been saying them for so long now that they just stuck around. But, I find the sound of entry level CD players to be very good. Of course a $500 player is not going to sound like a $5000 player, but I still believe that when entry level equipment is used to it's maxium potential that is when the point of diminishing returns kicks in.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by CRESCENDOPOWER Dusty, I think maybe back in the early 80's when CD players first arrived some of these rules may have had some merrit.

Yeah, I don't really believe in those rules, neither.

Speakers: US$800
Subwoofers (originally, 2; now, 1): US$900 each
Amp: US$500
etc.

I don't think you're supposed to spend as much on each of two subs as on both speakers in anyone's book.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkAngel Kevin Sounds like there will soon be another member of team max! I have never tried one and I assume it will sound better than Creek OBH11se, but at 5x the price we are quickly entering the realm of diminishing returns.......how would you describe the level of improvement it provides? Also if you really want a pair of Cardas reference/golden reference check audiogon, with patience you can get a used pair.

I'm sorry, I realized that I never answered your question before so I'll take a stab at it now.

The New HeadRoom Max vs. the Creek OBH-11SE.
First, let me give you the real short answer… I bought it! I NEVER thought I would go that far into the realm of seemingly diminishing returns, but the differences were substantial enough that I felt after all, the ROI was justified.

The Creek amp sounded wonderful and served me very well for almost two years. This latest odyssey started when I searched for an amp for my K1000’s.

I purchased a used SAC K-1000 amp from a fellow Head-Fi’er. Once I fired it up, it had a major problem from the factory which I fixed and having done that I decided that besides using it to power my K-1000’s, I made an adapter to enable it to drive conventional headphones as well. I was astounded at the difference the SAC K-1000 made particularly with the AKG-K501’s and the Sennheiser HD-580’s over the Creek. The SAC seemed to remarkably go a long way towards “fixing” the major ailments of both of those headphones. With the 501’s, it improved the bottom end of their sound, making it more substantial while adding even more transparency and air to the top end relative to the Creek. With the Sennheisers, the SAC seemed to tighten up the bottom end which was a bit wooly and ill defined with the Creek (comparatively speaking) and the midrange suck out which was evident in the Creek/Senn pairing was also ameliorated.

What has all of this to do with the Max you may be asking? The Max does exactly the same thing with both cans that the SAC does.

In my mind’s eye, the Max grabs these headphones by the throat as it were and forces them into submission. It makes both of them sound more alike than different.

Their sound converges towards perfection when driven by the Max. So, the Creek was a great amp, but the Max is in an entirely different league altogether. Then when you start considering the quality of sound that the cross feed process produces, wow…..

 

[DarkAngel]

Kevin
I think I will soon be joining you with the Max, that way I can just skip 2-3 more upgrade steps. I like the fact that there is a sound/reliable company behind the product that can do repairs and upgrades easily if necessary. This is not true of some of the other high end headphone amps mentioned here and I consider this a very important plus for the Max.

May have to sell some of my headphone/amp collection soon to make room for the Max.