[chesebert]

I just the Sc from Grover. IMO they sound quite difference from each other; so much so that one of them is notably better on my spkr system while the other is notably better on the headphone system..

Could someone with both share your experience? I want to see if they coincide with mine?

 

[sbulack]

I just had one of my Grover S RCA pairs upgraded to a Grover SC RCA pair. In fact, I still have a Grover UR8 to compare as well. My comparison of the three of them on my headphone rig is:
UR8 - the warmest of the three and more visceral than the S, but not as much as the SC. Not as much fine detail as the S.

S - less visceral than the UR8, but having more of a diaphanous quality (like a planar speaker). For other-wordly electronica, this quality can be enormously transporting. A bit on the cool side of neutral, to my ear and in my headphone rig. Because of the diaphanous quality of the sound, I prefer using this IC with my computer speakers - it conveys an especially lovely and ethereally detailed sense of space. Since spatial qualities show up best on speakers, this cable (to my ear) feeds the best sonic input to the speakers to allow them to show their strong point.

SC - more "real" sounding than either the UR8 or the S. The spectral balance is more neutral than either of its predecessors, and fuller at the same time. The fullness of the sound gives it a very convincing immediate presence, and conveys many of the timbral and textural nuances which again, create a more credible illusion of the physical presence of the recorded object making the sound. The sound (overall) is not best characterized as either "visceral" or "transporting" (as with its predecessors), but rather as the most "present" sound. I much prefer this cable on my headphone rig, where (for me) intimacy, immediacy, and textural, timbral cues are most appreciated. The spatial information conveyed by the SC is quite good as the detail in the sound of the SC is (to my ears) every bit as fine as that of the S. The added fullness of the sound (I'm not sure what specific sonic qualities add up to what I am calling fullness yet) keeps the neutrality of the sound from sounding or feeling like any form of thinness at all. It's a nicely rich and satisfying sound.

The UR8 is my first choice for use with the KSC75 and a Go-Vibe V5 when listening to music that I love which (as far as I know) is only available as 128 kbps MP3's. This particular rig does all the right psycho-acoustic things with my ear and brain to fully optimize my enjoyment of low bitrate or less-than-well-recorded musical material.

These Grover cables are wonderful offerings at what I consider to be a generous price (generous to the buyer), and I have a special niche in my rigs for each of them.

 

[chesebert]

Agree in part. I never heard UR8 so I can't comment on that.

I am not sure if S is more 'transporting' I just felt it sounds somewhat hi-fi; to me transporting means it sounds more real, and Sc def sound more 'real life' than S; granted the difference between them is pretty small vs say VD interconnects.

 

[sbulack]

About a month ago, now, Grover sent me an updated version of his SC cables, and I have to say that the update is a significant one. It takes the more solid, real sound of the SC and takes it a worthwhile step further - in the direction of the VD Nite IC's. Please note that I am not saying that the updated Grover SC sounds the same as the VD Nite, but that I am saying that the update takes the SC a worthwhile step in that direction. The sound is more lifelike, present, solid - both filled-in with more natural hues and textures, and filled-out into a more stable and convincing 3D spatial arrangement of musical voices. Much of this comes from a lower sonic floor, enabling detail to stand out in higher relief, more fully formed, with greater lifelike vividness and solidity in all regions of the acoustic spectrum - in a more natural balance. One aspect of the Grover SC which is, thankfully, NOT comparable with the VD Nites is how light, flexible and easy to install the SC cables are. Grover, as always, is a generous man to make available cables which offer this much listening enjoyment at this price. So, am I going to sell off my VD Nites and replace them with Grover SCs? No way!!! Am I going to install Grover updated SC's in my rigs in places where the weight, stiffness and cost of the VD Nites doesn't work? You bet'cha!!!

So, how does otherworldly, larger-than-life soundscape music like Tomita, Eat Static and Oakenfold sound when played through the "more natural" updated Grover SC? Simply, more SUPER-natural and otherworldly than ever - more capable of both pounding impact AND subtle, ethereal nuances simultaneously.

It's a beautiful thing to hear what a lower sonic floor can do for all of the recorded sounds I love to listen to.