[mirh]

I've recently bought a second-hand Stax 4040 combo (older model 006t not 006tII).
My DAC is Mytek Stereo96.
Before that I used Beresford DAC and headamp with Denon AH-D2000.
The new set Mytek/Stax opened my eyes how audio staff can be sensitive to cables...
I use cheap PC AC power cord and cheap xlr microphone cable and I'm eager to try sth. different.

First of all 4040 is quite bright and sometimes (especially with bad recordings) I hear grainy and harsh upper mids.
I know that "thrash in = trash out" but is there anything I could do to make this sound more polite to such recordings?

I don't want to spend fortune on interconnects or AC power cords. Let's say 400$ for interconnect (XLR or RCA) is max I would spend.
I prefer XLR cause my DAC has only XLR out and I don't want to use any XLR-RCA cables and I don't want to regulate some trimpots inside DAC to have less hot out for RCA.

I thought about PS Audio Duet Power Center with  PerfectWave AC-3 cables.
For interconnects really no idea what to try : silver or cooper I'm really confused. As I told before I would like to avoid harsh and grainy upper mids.

What is your opinion?
 
BTW I'm not sure if it is a good place for this thread....

 

 

[minimus]

I use Gabriel Gold Revelation MK2 XLR interconnects between my source and preamp and Morrow Audio MA3 XLR interconnects between my preamp and amp.  Gabriel Gold makes a stellar cable, but they offer a lot of detail, especially the higher priced cables (Revelation, Rapture), and so won't tame a bright sounding system.  The Morrow cables are primarily made out of copper and are generally fairly warm sounding.  I found them to be a great match for my system, which is fairly revealing. Morrow offers a 60-day trial period with no questions asked if you want to return them
 
Finally, if you really want to mellow out the sound, the Cardas Golden line (Golden Reference, Golden Presence, Golden Cross) has a reputation for being very "euphonic" and are often recommended to tame bright-sounding systems.  Some people hate them for not being at all neutral.  You might be able to find a pair used within your budget.  

 

[mirh]

Thanks minimus!
 
I've read that  Van den Hul The SECOND (XLR version) is worth of trying in my setup.

 

[mirh]

I was talking with my local Stax dealer and he told me that even Van den Hul The Orchid (it is told to be quite neutral) is not good choice for Stax cause it is grainy.
He recommend me Transparent Audio cables. I could buy Music Link Plus. The higher models are out of question for me.
I also take into consideration Fadel Art Aerolitz XLR.
What do you recommend to try?

 

[immtbiker]

I happen to like the Cardas Neutral Reference IC's. You get what is output.
 
Make sure to get good quality OFC Copper IC's that are made out of copper.
Most silver-only cables are extremely fast, but also bright. The copper, if it is pure,
will give you a warmer sound that tames the shrill of most aggressive headphones,
and the 404's can be a little thin sounding and aggressive at times.

 

[AudioCats]

For warm and full sound, try something with Mundorf silver/gold wire. Preferably a hybrid with some other silver.
 

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

I've recently bought a second-hand Stax 4040 combo (older model 006t not 006tII).
My DAC is Mytek Stereo96.
Before that I used Beresford DAC and headamp with Denon AH-D2000.
The new set Mytek/Stax opened my eyes how audio staff can be sensitive to cables...
I use cheap PC AC power cord and cheap xlr microphone cable and I'm eager to try sth. different.

First of all 4040 is quite bright and sometimes (especially with bad recordings) I hear grainy and harsh upper mids.
I know that "thrash in = trash out" but is there anything I could do to make this sound more polite to such recordings?

I don't want to spend fortune on interconnects or AC power cords. Let's say 400$ for interconnect (XLR or RCA) is max I would spend.
I prefer XLR cause my DAC has only XLR out and I don't want to use any XLR-RCA cables and I don't want to regulate some trimpots inside DAC to have less hot out for RCA.

I thought about PS Audio Duet Power Center with  PerfectWave AC-3 cables.
For interconnects really no idea what to try : silver or cooper I'm really confused. As I told before I would like to avoid harsh and grainy upper mids.

What is your opinion?
 
BTW I'm not sure if it is a good place for this thread....

 

Before you plunk down a few hundred on cables you might want to spend 15 minutes and see what you think about removing the back foam on the 404.  This thread shows how I found out about the problem the back foam causes:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/443060/is-the-stax-lambda-signature-supposed-to-be-damped-on-second-thought-ditch-the-foam-backing-on-all-the-lambdas
 
 
I no longer use the back foam in either my 404 or Signature. You get a much more open and less harsh sound.  It's easy to pullrthe foam out and replace if you change your mind.

 

[gilency]

Some people just don't like the edginess of the more modern Lambdas. I loved the 4040 system when I had it.
May be the 404's are not for you.

 

[mrarroyo]

Before you pay for expensive IC's have  you considered getting an inexpensive set of IC's made from all copper from BJC or Monoprice?