@CalvinandHobbes2020,
@Smoothstereo
Got some power cables to add to both Pontus DAC and Artemis headphone amp. Also bought an HDMI cable as well as a USB cable. All courtesy of Supra Cables...
Being this is a wholesale upgrade its kind of hard to tell what's the most significant upgrade, but I will say the Supra HDMI (I2S) cable vs. my cheap Kabel Direct HDMI cable made a huge difference in the sound coming through the Iris to the Pontus out to the Artemis. Here everything is cleaner, tighter, and wider. Now I can enjoy my PC FLAC files just as much as my CDs. Can't say what the Excaliber USB cable is doing (LOL), but it's not hurting
Anyway, I'm also coming to the conclusion I don't like silver cables where sound reproduction is concerned. More below...
Because I got both the LoRad CS1 and LoRad Silver power-cords, I've been able to experiment. So, with the silver cord connected the Artemis, and the CS (copper) cord connected to the Pontus, the soundstage of the Artemis is widened, and you get this 3D effect soundstage, which is absolutely lovely, but at the cost of detail with muddier (veiled) bass notes.
Going the other way - silver cord to Pontus, copper cord to Artemis, bass cleaner and tighter and overall detail is greatly improved; here though, the sound moves closer and at the cost of that wide 3D effect. It's there, but not to the level of the silver cord connected to the Pontus.
Both ways have their plus/minus, but overall, I prefer more detail and better bass so it's the copper power-cord to the Artemis, and silver power-cord to the Pontus. Mind you the Sennheiser HD800S already has a wide soundstage, so I guess the choice would come down to which headphones you have.
Silver wire-based audio cables - in my short trial and error to find the right cables for the sound I'm after, I'm finding (not news to some) silver-based cables tend to be bright and airy favoring the upper range, where copper-based cables tend to be warmer, more intimate, favoring the lower range. This was also my experience when I bought a1.5-foot
Better Cable Silver Serpent AIR Digital S/PDIF Coax Cable to go between my Rotel RCD-1072 CD player and Pontus DAC, to replace my 10-foot
Better Cables Blue Truth Digital S/PDIF Coax Cable I had. What I found here is what I found in the power cords, and also when I moved to the Quad Balanced Canare L-4E6S XLR cables with silver Neutrik connectors to go between the Pontus and Artemis.... increased upper range, spacious soundstage but less umph, detail, and bass. I'm sure there are cables that has it all, so do tell (though price is a factor).
Check the review of Supra's power-cables by Lachlen, to get an idea of where I'm coming. Silver / copper cables can produce different results depending on gear. He talks of this here with regards to the power cables...
Anyway, I'm going to be returning the Better Cable Silver Serpent for the cheaper Blue Truth cable, as I already have that one (though its 10-feet) and know what it sounds like in my system. Was curious about the cable and why I choose it, but I don't like it so I'm replacing it. Will also be replacing the XLR Canare cables with something a little more balanced.
All said, after 3-weeks, the Artemis is sounding wonderful no matter the cables. Very happy with this amp. Just need to fine tune it a little further.
Thanks.
