[stryker]

I am getting ready to ship off the Oehlbach I just sold and I did a few last minute comparisons. While the SD images better and nails the mids and highs, it doesn't have the bass of the Oehlbach. Anyone else have these impressions?

I'm starting to think the silver-coated copper cabling on the Zu has the resolution of silver but the bass that only copper can deliver. The SD is great, but it could use just a notch more bass impact. Or is it not burned in enough? C'mon, how much is this thing gonna change after 70 hours or so? Or am I just placebo-ing? Hmm....

 

[mjg]

ive had both, now i have SD (i had mobius) I've been meaning to share my impressions, but been busy as hell.

Yes when the SD is broken in properly, it has very nice bass. The mobius i didn't feel had better bass, yet the mobius i did feel to be more neutral, if that makes sense.

To me the SD's are percise as you say, great imaging, and great resolution, yet the high end seems a bit too polished, with some silver sheen. Its not splashy anymore but does make the highend seem prevalant, or as i like to put it "highlighted".
Give them over a 100 hrs to be considered really broken in.

 

[stryker]

Thanks, I'll keep burning although 70 hrs. is a bit conservative and I think this cable has close to 100. I do like the way it brightens things up a bit and I think of all the cables it's the best match for my system. I wish there more impressions of this cable but it seems to have gotten lost. By the time it was available everyone had already switched to the Zu.

You SD lurkers, it's time for you to come forward and post!

 

[purk]

When I had the SD I alway feel that there was plenty of bass there, just give more time burn in. If you feel that you want more bass, then the mobius will give that too you with out a doubt.

 

[gregeas]

I've been trying to figure out why my maxed MPX3 won't deliver the bass I was expecting with my Arcam CD33... I'm using a Ken Rad and two Sylvania VT231s, which should deliver awesome bass. Could the Silver Dragon be to blame? I've checked just about everything else, but never thought about the 650 cable.

If so, I'll gladly switch to Zu...

 

[stryker]

You have the same tube combo as me but I have the older model MPX3. You should be getting good bass. The bass on my SD is very coherent and detailed (microdynamics whatever), but I'd like it a tad deeper. My zapfilter is still burning in so I can't make too many valid claims for now. However, I do believe that copper is superior in the lowest of the audible spectrum.

 

[PhilS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregeas I've been trying to figure out why my maxed MPX3 won't deliver the bass I was expecting with my Arcam CD33... I'm using a Ken Rad and two Sylvania VT231s, which should deliver awesome bass. Could the Silver Dragon be to blame? I've checked just about everything else, but never thought about the 650 cable. If so, I'll gladly switch to Zu...

That's interesting. I'm using the Silver Dragon on the 650's from an Arcam and with a stock Singlepower Supra (with the Ken Rad and Sylvania VT231s also) and find there is plenty of base. I wouldn't think that there would be that much difference between a Supra and a maxed out MPX3, and while I have a Bel Canto DAC 2 in the loop also, I don't think that is bass prevalent. I do find that the bass seems to be delivered when it is there on a recording, and to be more subtle on other recordings, which I attribute to my system being more accurate than other systems I have had which deliver bass on every song regardless.

Also, I feel the Silver Dragon does have sufficient bass. I compared it with a Cardas cable back and forth just to try to determine if there was any difference in the bass, and could not really hear a difference. I ended up returning the Cardas because the Silver Dragon was slightly more revealing in the midrange and high end, but in a pleasing way in my system.

 

[KShaft]

Im using a cheapy sony dvd player with a corda prehead and the silver dragon cables and it has great bass. If you want more, you might want to try another cable though. Have you heard the resolution differences as well? The olbach probably gave much less resolution in the lower bass area. When you hear a drum with the sd, you know what sort of drum it is, ones you thought were all kick drums on the stock cable, are now clearly drums, not all dull thuds. Bass notes from a double bass are clearly that, and not just low freq tones coming out of left field.

I like the fullness too of copper, but it very often seems a compromise in this or that...
k.s.

 

[stryker]

Oh yeah, the SD trounces it in resolution. No contest. But it's also 4 times as much so I'm not knocking the Oehlbach here. For $55, it's a bargain.

I don't want to give the impression the SD is weak in the bass. It's got great resolution to it and your comment about what kind of drum is quite true. I will continue to listen closely.

To make matters worse, I just received the Zu Bok pc. Now I have to deal with that temptation. All I need is another varaible to confuse things even more!

Sigh. New gear is such a burden.

 

[JaZZ]

Maybe it's the SD's slightly emphasized upper mids/lower treble that outshines the bass in your system? I don't have a specific problem with this sonic balance, rather with another phenomenon possibly related to it: an overemphasis of texture and detail. I like the Zu's smoother presentation clearly better; it's more natural to my ears. Additionally it may have a slightly stronger bass. Another important point for me is the Mobius' more extended, more brilliant and smoother treble. The Silver Dragon's demonstrative detail sharpness makes it the more spectacular sounding cable though.

 

[stryker]

So where have you guys been? I gotta wait until I buy the thing to hear about everyone else's impressions?

Jazz, the coloration thing may be the problem but my ears are fairly discerning and so far I don't think that's it. I'm going to give this a little more burn-in time. If you think the SD is the more "spectacular" cable, why do you have the Mobius? Is it the cool Euro styling? The Zu (and all of Zu's products in general) is more reminiscent of a European style where the SD doesn't quite have the bling-bling look.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stryker If you think the SD is the more "spectacular" cable, why do you have the Mobius?

Who sais spectacular is better, more true to the original signal, more natural sounding, more enjoyable, more comfortable to the ears? Hey no, I prefer the Mobius!

BTW, I have both, plus the Oehlbach. What is Euro styling and bling-bling? I don't listen with my eyes...

 

[stryker]

The styling comment was kind of a joke. I can't explain the styling thing without a lot of typing. That could be an entirely separate topic.

Anyone else have more thoughts on the SD?

 

[mjg]

to be honest, i did think the mobius sounded better in so many ways, yet the cable was a bit hard to deal with, and annoying. The SD is easier to deal with, and damn good in it's own respect.

If i could have both, i would... Yet $$$ is the issue.

 

[stryker]

I'm embarassed to say that I think it's been the Zapfilter this whole time.

I think I am so used to having my ears attuned to that opamp etch that I am still trying to hear this sense of agression in the bass. I just hooked up my Philips 763sa dvd player and popped in some of my "evaluation" cds, the ones I use to reference changes in my system, and turned up the volume. Well...it felt like someone was smacking my eardrums! Ouch. It's unbelieveable how comparably smooth this Zapfilter is.

I need to re-program that part of my brain that processes this stuff. It's like a new paradigm. Still, ever the skeptic, I'll continue pondering this cable question.

And you SD owners/auditioners, keep the comments coming. That's what this place is all about!