Can we talk about cables for a bit? I checked out the Kimber Axios, Nordost Heimdall 2, and SourceAV Black Cobra. I compared them to the stock Utopia cable and to each other using both my personal Utopia and the Source's, and a WA7 with Tidal MQA streaming from a V30. I used the same minute of music for each listen -- between 6:00 and 7:00 of Inception Medley by Hans Zimmer, Live in Prague -- so that I could really drill down and see if I could hear a difference, like some of you claim.
And, I could. F' me. Without having really tried out any high-end cables, I had always been kinda in the objectivist camp because it sounded well-reasoned and based on science. I think this is an example of where there hasn't been enough research done. Each cable sounded different and had their own signature sound. Not necessarily better sound, but there was definitely an effect.
SourceAV Black Cobra - This is where I started out. This is a bright cable that also has the effect of tightening up the bass. Cymbal crashes were louder and more shimmery. Timpani hits seemed slightly more defined with a quicker decay. Mids sounded slightly subdued, but it's probably only in relation to the elevated treble. The sheath on the cable is gorgeous and feels stealthy and a little dangerous. Black Cobra is definitely a name that fits these cables.
Nordost Heimdall 2 - This is also a bright cable that seemed to elevate treble as much as the Black Cobra. It did not seem to have an effect on the bass. However, it seemed like the dynamic range on some of the instruments were negatively affected. Some of the background percussion sounded more 1 dimensional vs having a rounded out sound.
Kimber Axios - Yes, the Utopia rocks out with this cable. I could hear slightly more texture in the brass and the timpani hits starting at 6:48 came through clear, well-defined, and with... I don't know the word... I could hear the mallet strike and each note reverberate in the kettle with a wider range of tones. I don't want to say that it's more "musical" because that seems like such a cop out but I'm not sure how else to describe it in a concise way.
Overall, I preferred the stock Utopia cable over the Black Cobra and Heimdall 2 because I didn't like the increased brightness. I can see either cable being great with something like the Ether or Auteur. I liked the Black Cobra better than the Heimdall 2 because of the increased bass definition and think it's a much better buy. The Axios really shined and I almost ordered one but checked my calendar and I'll be out of town for next week and a half. I wouldn't want $800 worth of cable sitting around for a week for my wife to cut in half with scissors when she finds out how much I spent on it.