markl
Hangin' with the monkeys.
Member of the Trade: Lawton Audio
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2001
- Posts
- 9,130
- Likes
- 54
Web Site
https://www.virtualdynamics.ca
Pricing
VD Master Series 3.0 (per 1.5 meter pair): ~$2400. (I'm guessing at this number, I'll correct it when I have the right amount).
VD Nite Series 2.0 (per 1 meter pair): ~$1300.
VD David Series 1.0 (per 1.5 meter pair): ~$750.
Introduction
Old-timers may remember I was really into the Virtual Dynamics (VD) cables several years ago when they first came out. (Has it really been 5 years?
) I tried almost all of their power cords (maxed-out at that time by the first version of the Nite). The humble VD Power 3 was the first fancy power cord I ever tried, and to say it convinced me-- well, 25 different power cables later, I think it's safe to say, yes, I definitely believe in the efficacy of aftermarket power cords!
I also used their Reference interconnects for a few years very happily. Then I strayed and started my epic power cord quest (detailed here on Head-Fi) and sampled many fine interconnects over the last several years.
Since then, the VD line has expanded upwards (there are now 3 models above the Nite), and has undergone many revisions, as well as changes/improvements in the way they are assembled/built. I can tell you that the performance on their cables today is a very appreciable step ahead of where they were back then (and they were no slouches then).
I re-invested in their David ICs a few months ago (an improved version of the Reference), and it was a real winner. Then I upgraded to the Nite II IC. This is simply a fantastic cable. I will review these older models later in this thread, and try to detail what changes in performance you can expect as you climb up the VD line. Don't be intimidated by the retail prices of the older models, they can be had at attractive price points on the used market, at a fraction of original cost.
At the end of 2006, VD has introduced new revisions of their entire line. The Nite is now on Version 3.0, the David on version 2.0. The Master Series (a big step above the Nite in price), is also on Version 3.0.
I would NEVER have been able to afford this new Master Series 3.0 IC if VD hadn't had a 60% off sale to clear out older version 2.0 models before the introduction of the new 3.0s. I purchased the 2.0 version of the Master, but as they were packing it up, they noticed an issue, and instead substituted a brand new 3.0 version. Lucky me!
Even better when you consider that the cost of the line has gone up a bit from the prices of the previous versions, so I got a real deal.
Let's Take A Look at the New Master 3.0s
The Nite II makes a cameo appearance here for scale. Physical differences I note between the Master 3.0 and the Nite II:
1. The magnets (more on this later) on the Master 3.0 are much STRONGER than on the Nite IIs (which are of the same power as the one on the David 1.0, though that cable has only one magnet, not two).
2. The Master 3.0 has gold-colored Cardas connectors instead of the silver of the Nite II.
3. As you would expect, the Master 3.0 is even STIFFER and THICKER than the Nite IIs. The Master 3.0 has 8-guage solid-core copper conductors (yup 8-GUAGE
) where the Nite IIs have "mere" 10-guage wires. The Master Series 3.0 also has more of VD's "Dynamic Filtering" material, which also plumps them up a bit.
Here are some pics of the new 3.0:
Close-up of the connectors of the Master 3.0 and Nite 2.0 with a quarter for scale:
Finally, here they are installed, with my very own ultra-sophisticated DIY "Support Stacks" (patent pending). These cables are so heavy, I feel the need to offer some support underneath so they don't stress my equipment's RCA jacks (or the IEC for my Nite II power cord, visible in the rear), or add stress on the RCA connectors on the cables. As you can see, you need A LOT of space behind your gear and the wall to get them to comfortably bend at a 90 degree angle:
My System
Source: Sony XA9000ES with Reference Audio Mods modifications. With VD Nite II Power cord.
Amp: Rudistor RPX-33 Mark II. With Michael Wolff's latest (and greatest) Carbon/Silver/Copper power cord.
First Impressions Day 1
I shouldn't, but I can't help it.
These stubborn cables only have 10 hours of burn-in on them, so they have a long long way to go, but many things are already apparent...
1. I know many people (whether they are consciously aware of it or not) are looking for a radical re-drawing or re-imagining of the soundscape or sonic architecture. The VD cables won't necessarily do that.
2. I know there are people who inadvertently guage the difference between cables in terms of the treble response. OUCH! It's DRILLING a HOLE into my ear! Wow! This must surely be BETTER! I can hear so much MORE!
3. There are people who respond to any cable that appears to be LOUDER than what they're used to. "Gee, it appears to be delivering more signal, so it must be better, right?" WRONG. Try listening to that initially WOW-ing cable over time. OUCH! YUCK! It will drive you from your enjoyment of your equipment and your music. Cables can compress the sound and add edgi-ness, but that initial contact high you might get from that sound will not last at all over extended listening.
For anyone looking for that immediate increase in volume, treble, sharpness, crispness, or whatever, the VD cables don't do that.
What do they do? They eliminate that fake sheen, halo, or digital-ness to the signal. They add weight, heft, substance to the bare-bones you are used to hearing. They reproduce the sound as an event-- ORGANIC and REAL.
The VD cables eliminate distortion, grain, and any artificiality that can be introduced by most gear. The VD cables provide WARM, full, ROBUST sound with a lot of BODY. It's MEATY and SUBSTANTIAL. But it's not "lush" or "sweet" or in any way artificial.
The highs are NOT rolled, but immaculately clean and clear. They sound REAL, not "hyped" or "analytical". Just TRUE.
Long story short-- there's a possibility that a lot of what the VD cables do may end up as pearls before swine. It's not necessarily an immediate "PRICK YOUR EARS" kind of sound. These cables aren't going to assault your ears and attack you. They will instead let you turn up the volume and listen LOUDER to your favorite tunes without causing any discomfort to your precious ears. You will hear more as a result, but not by having it shoved down your ear-drums.
As you climb up the VD line, you get a more and more refined sound. The David 1.0 has a mild spike in the lower treble, the Nite II is very neutral, the Master 3.0 is all but invisible.
Matter-of-Fact and TRUE has a hard time competing with HYPED and/or ROMANTIC. But REAL is REAL, everything else is FAKE.
My first impression of these magnificent cables is that they are incredibly life-like and natural and realistic. There is no part of the audio band that sticks out, they are dead neutral. But hardly "dead"-sounding. They are incredibly true-to-life.
Day 4 Impressions
100 Hours of burn-in.
1. Hands down, the best IC I've ever heard. The Nite II was a nice step up from the David 1.0. The Master 3.0 is in a different category altogether.
2. Forget about AUDIO, say hello to MUSIC! In comparison, everything else will sound like a recording, not like an event happening in front of you.
3. Again, if your idea of audio bliss is doing an autopsy under a microscope on the individual digital bits of your favorite recordings, this may not appeal. But if you want to get lost in the music, to let yourself be captured by the illusion of a musical event that great recordings can create, this is where you want to be.
4. But I want to be clear-- the Master is not some wimpy, foggy, hazy, un-focused, undetailed, low-resolution cable, like some re-heated murky, muddy soup. It captures it all, but presents it REALISTICALLY and NATURALLY. I'm a resolution freak, but I HATE crispy, synthetic, edgy, outlined, clinical, mechanical, analytical sound. Getting it right, providing real RESOLUTION is hard, and not many audio components can do it.
5. There's a difference (to me) between "detail" and RESOLUTION. Detail is like having the sharpest, cleanest, most contrasty and precise digital pixels on your monitor to marvel at. Wow, look at that. But at the end of the day, you are still looking at a screen and individual pixels (no matter how clear or precisely drawn), and you can never forget that; it's always going to be an un-natural reproduction of something real.
6. Resolution, OTOH (for me), is like looking at a screen without pixels-- you know, how we see real things with our actual eyes in real life (does anyone look at anything other than computer screens these days?
). Vision is analog, not digital, and so is hearing. Our brains are also analog and not digital. The Master 3.0 takes every digital bit and projects and expands it outward and assembles it or weaves it into a completely seamless musical, full-bodied, real-life whole. In real life, you don't hear individual digital bits of sound; there's no grain or sharpness to sounds; they just occur and are organic and natural and fluid. The Master 3.0 delivers that even with your humble 16-bit digital recordings.
7. Because the Master 3.0 is so distortion/hash/grain/grit free, it allows your ears (and brain and body) to subconsciously relax. This enables your ears to open up into the sound, instead of closing off and bracing up against the assault it knows (or fears) is imminent every other second. This enables you to climb up into the recording and to just forget about yourself and be ONE-- Zen-like-- with the music. Because the background is so black, the soundstage so dimensional, and the music so full and real, you are in your own womb of sound, totally absorbed and transported away. Too esoteric for you?
OK, I'll try to ease up a bit.
8. If you doubt the ability of the Master 3.0's to deliver grain-free, natural sound, just listen to cymbal hits and crashes. This is a MAJOR problem with digital-- it really struggles to get cymbals right. Typically, they're forward, stabbing, gritty, spitty, tinny, hashy, thin, pish-y, artificial. Or so I thought. I've not heard them reproduced so totally like life until I heard them through the Master 3.0. SHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... CRRRAAAAaaaashhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... SPLAAAAAaaashhhhhhhhhhhh.... Fully rendered and smooth and analog as could be. Your ears will not have to run and hide every time a cymbal is struck. No fake jagged edges to prick your ears.
9. A lot of the unique features/technology behind the VD cables is designed to minimize the effects of vibration. It may be coincidence or a direct result of the build of these cables, but I definitely get the distinct impression they really do eliminate the little resonances or shakes that blur images, or apply that halo-like fuzziness or glow around images. The Master 3.0 removes that little vibration at the leading edges of sounds that create that false "double-tracked" sound (like two voices layered on top of one another). Have you ever seen a double-struck coin? You get part of the image doubled-up and ever-so-slightly offset from the original image, creating a smudged, blurred effect (the most easily audible effect of this is commonly called "sibilance"). To me, a lot of stereo sounds like this, but the Master 3.0 eliminates this effect. I hear a linear, stable sound, perfectly laid down as a single event or image or point source coming from both channels.
OK, that's all I got for now. Final thoughts after full burn-in.
Final Thoughts After Full Burn-In, 1-16-07
It's hard to come up with anything else I can add to what I've already written. These cables have only continued to improve. They sound killer straight out of the chute, but need around 400 hours to get into their prime. These mere *cables* are virtual *components* in and of themselves. And that's not down to them hyping or exaggerating the sound. It's about them simply allowing the music to happen in a totally naturalistic and organic way. They underline and point out what your current cables *aren't* delivering.
If you've read any of my reviews, you know that I'm picky. In real life, I admit I'm anally picky about everything-- what I eat, what I wear, who or what I like. I can find fault with almost anything, it's a curse. But I'm at a loss to criticize the VD Master 3.0 cables. It's very hard to describe their sound. I can't find a coloration or an anomaly in their presentation to latch onto or exaggerate for your consumption.
But it's not enough to find no fault. The Master 3.0 give you everything you need to be actively *passionate* about. In short, they move me. Or, more precisely, enable the music to move me just as it should.
IMHO, after hearing this sound, every other cable sounds thin, reedy, spindly, anemic, and "fake". They sound brittle, synthetic, grainy, or any other negative adjective you can come up with that equals "un-real".
OK, OK, enough. The lower-end Virtual Dynamics cables, the David and Nite, are simply outstanding. But the Master 3.0 re-defines for me what a cable should be or can do. It's insanely, irrationally expensive, and doesn't make sense in anything but the best systems. But if you have gear in such rarified air, these cables will not let you down, be a bottleneck, or otherwise hold back all those other dollars you've already spent elsewhere in your system.
I can't recommend these cables highly enough. They've improved my listening experience immensely without introducing any new nasties, and for that I'm very grateful. Thumbs up!
https://www.virtualdynamics.ca
Pricing
VD Master Series 3.0 (per 1.5 meter pair): ~$2400. (I'm guessing at this number, I'll correct it when I have the right amount).
VD Nite Series 2.0 (per 1 meter pair): ~$1300.
VD David Series 1.0 (per 1.5 meter pair): ~$750.
Introduction
Old-timers may remember I was really into the Virtual Dynamics (VD) cables several years ago when they first came out. (Has it really been 5 years?
Since then, the VD line has expanded upwards (there are now 3 models above the Nite), and has undergone many revisions, as well as changes/improvements in the way they are assembled/built. I can tell you that the performance on their cables today is a very appreciable step ahead of where they were back then (and they were no slouches then).
I re-invested in their David ICs a few months ago (an improved version of the Reference), and it was a real winner. Then I upgraded to the Nite II IC. This is simply a fantastic cable. I will review these older models later in this thread, and try to detail what changes in performance you can expect as you climb up the VD line. Don't be intimidated by the retail prices of the older models, they can be had at attractive price points on the used market, at a fraction of original cost.
At the end of 2006, VD has introduced new revisions of their entire line. The Nite is now on Version 3.0, the David on version 2.0. The Master Series (a big step above the Nite in price), is also on Version 3.0.
I would NEVER have been able to afford this new Master Series 3.0 IC if VD hadn't had a 60% off sale to clear out older version 2.0 models before the introduction of the new 3.0s. I purchased the 2.0 version of the Master, but as they were packing it up, they noticed an issue, and instead substituted a brand new 3.0 version. Lucky me!
Let's Take A Look at the New Master 3.0s
The Nite II makes a cameo appearance here for scale. Physical differences I note between the Master 3.0 and the Nite II:
1. The magnets (more on this later) on the Master 3.0 are much STRONGER than on the Nite IIs (which are of the same power as the one on the David 1.0, though that cable has only one magnet, not two).
2. The Master 3.0 has gold-colored Cardas connectors instead of the silver of the Nite II.
3. As you would expect, the Master 3.0 is even STIFFER and THICKER than the Nite IIs. The Master 3.0 has 8-guage solid-core copper conductors (yup 8-GUAGE
Here are some pics of the new 3.0:
Close-up of the connectors of the Master 3.0 and Nite 2.0 with a quarter for scale:
Finally, here they are installed, with my very own ultra-sophisticated DIY "Support Stacks" (patent pending). These cables are so heavy, I feel the need to offer some support underneath so they don't stress my equipment's RCA jacks (or the IEC for my Nite II power cord, visible in the rear), or add stress on the RCA connectors on the cables. As you can see, you need A LOT of space behind your gear and the wall to get them to comfortably bend at a 90 degree angle:
My System
Source: Sony XA9000ES with Reference Audio Mods modifications. With VD Nite II Power cord.
Amp: Rudistor RPX-33 Mark II. With Michael Wolff's latest (and greatest) Carbon/Silver/Copper power cord.
First Impressions Day 1
I shouldn't, but I can't help it.
1. I know many people (whether they are consciously aware of it or not) are looking for a radical re-drawing or re-imagining of the soundscape or sonic architecture. The VD cables won't necessarily do that.
2. I know there are people who inadvertently guage the difference between cables in terms of the treble response. OUCH! It's DRILLING a HOLE into my ear! Wow! This must surely be BETTER! I can hear so much MORE!
3. There are people who respond to any cable that appears to be LOUDER than what they're used to. "Gee, it appears to be delivering more signal, so it must be better, right?" WRONG. Try listening to that initially WOW-ing cable over time. OUCH! YUCK! It will drive you from your enjoyment of your equipment and your music. Cables can compress the sound and add edgi-ness, but that initial contact high you might get from that sound will not last at all over extended listening.
For anyone looking for that immediate increase in volume, treble, sharpness, crispness, or whatever, the VD cables don't do that.
What do they do? They eliminate that fake sheen, halo, or digital-ness to the signal. They add weight, heft, substance to the bare-bones you are used to hearing. They reproduce the sound as an event-- ORGANIC and REAL.
The VD cables eliminate distortion, grain, and any artificiality that can be introduced by most gear. The VD cables provide WARM, full, ROBUST sound with a lot of BODY. It's MEATY and SUBSTANTIAL. But it's not "lush" or "sweet" or in any way artificial.
The highs are NOT rolled, but immaculately clean and clear. They sound REAL, not "hyped" or "analytical". Just TRUE.
Long story short-- there's a possibility that a lot of what the VD cables do may end up as pearls before swine. It's not necessarily an immediate "PRICK YOUR EARS" kind of sound. These cables aren't going to assault your ears and attack you. They will instead let you turn up the volume and listen LOUDER to your favorite tunes without causing any discomfort to your precious ears. You will hear more as a result, but not by having it shoved down your ear-drums.
As you climb up the VD line, you get a more and more refined sound. The David 1.0 has a mild spike in the lower treble, the Nite II is very neutral, the Master 3.0 is all but invisible.
Matter-of-Fact and TRUE has a hard time competing with HYPED and/or ROMANTIC. But REAL is REAL, everything else is FAKE.
My first impression of these magnificent cables is that they are incredibly life-like and natural and realistic. There is no part of the audio band that sticks out, they are dead neutral. But hardly "dead"-sounding. They are incredibly true-to-life.
Day 4 Impressions
100 Hours of burn-in.
1. Hands down, the best IC I've ever heard. The Nite II was a nice step up from the David 1.0. The Master 3.0 is in a different category altogether.
2. Forget about AUDIO, say hello to MUSIC! In comparison, everything else will sound like a recording, not like an event happening in front of you.
3. Again, if your idea of audio bliss is doing an autopsy under a microscope on the individual digital bits of your favorite recordings, this may not appeal. But if you want to get lost in the music, to let yourself be captured by the illusion of a musical event that great recordings can create, this is where you want to be.
4. But I want to be clear-- the Master is not some wimpy, foggy, hazy, un-focused, undetailed, low-resolution cable, like some re-heated murky, muddy soup. It captures it all, but presents it REALISTICALLY and NATURALLY. I'm a resolution freak, but I HATE crispy, synthetic, edgy, outlined, clinical, mechanical, analytical sound. Getting it right, providing real RESOLUTION is hard, and not many audio components can do it.
5. There's a difference (to me) between "detail" and RESOLUTION. Detail is like having the sharpest, cleanest, most contrasty and precise digital pixels on your monitor to marvel at. Wow, look at that. But at the end of the day, you are still looking at a screen and individual pixels (no matter how clear or precisely drawn), and you can never forget that; it's always going to be an un-natural reproduction of something real.
6. Resolution, OTOH (for me), is like looking at a screen without pixels-- you know, how we see real things with our actual eyes in real life (does anyone look at anything other than computer screens these days?
7. Because the Master 3.0 is so distortion/hash/grain/grit free, it allows your ears (and brain and body) to subconsciously relax. This enables your ears to open up into the sound, instead of closing off and bracing up against the assault it knows (or fears) is imminent every other second. This enables you to climb up into the recording and to just forget about yourself and be ONE-- Zen-like-- with the music. Because the background is so black, the soundstage so dimensional, and the music so full and real, you are in your own womb of sound, totally absorbed and transported away. Too esoteric for you?
8. If you doubt the ability of the Master 3.0's to deliver grain-free, natural sound, just listen to cymbal hits and crashes. This is a MAJOR problem with digital-- it really struggles to get cymbals right. Typically, they're forward, stabbing, gritty, spitty, tinny, hashy, thin, pish-y, artificial. Or so I thought. I've not heard them reproduced so totally like life until I heard them through the Master 3.0. SHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... CRRRAAAAaaaashhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... SPLAAAAAaaashhhhhhhhhhhh.... Fully rendered and smooth and analog as could be. Your ears will not have to run and hide every time a cymbal is struck. No fake jagged edges to prick your ears.
9. A lot of the unique features/technology behind the VD cables is designed to minimize the effects of vibration. It may be coincidence or a direct result of the build of these cables, but I definitely get the distinct impression they really do eliminate the little resonances or shakes that blur images, or apply that halo-like fuzziness or glow around images. The Master 3.0 removes that little vibration at the leading edges of sounds that create that false "double-tracked" sound (like two voices layered on top of one another). Have you ever seen a double-struck coin? You get part of the image doubled-up and ever-so-slightly offset from the original image, creating a smudged, blurred effect (the most easily audible effect of this is commonly called "sibilance"). To me, a lot of stereo sounds like this, but the Master 3.0 eliminates this effect. I hear a linear, stable sound, perfectly laid down as a single event or image or point source coming from both channels.
OK, that's all I got for now. Final thoughts after full burn-in.
Final Thoughts After Full Burn-In, 1-16-07
It's hard to come up with anything else I can add to what I've already written. These cables have only continued to improve. They sound killer straight out of the chute, but need around 400 hours to get into their prime. These mere *cables* are virtual *components* in and of themselves. And that's not down to them hyping or exaggerating the sound. It's about them simply allowing the music to happen in a totally naturalistic and organic way. They underline and point out what your current cables *aren't* delivering.
If you've read any of my reviews, you know that I'm picky. In real life, I admit I'm anally picky about everything-- what I eat, what I wear, who or what I like. I can find fault with almost anything, it's a curse. But I'm at a loss to criticize the VD Master 3.0 cables. It's very hard to describe their sound. I can't find a coloration or an anomaly in their presentation to latch onto or exaggerate for your consumption.
But it's not enough to find no fault. The Master 3.0 give you everything you need to be actively *passionate* about. In short, they move me. Or, more precisely, enable the music to move me just as it should.
IMHO, after hearing this sound, every other cable sounds thin, reedy, spindly, anemic, and "fake". They sound brittle, synthetic, grainy, or any other negative adjective you can come up with that equals "un-real".
OK, OK, enough. The lower-end Virtual Dynamics cables, the David and Nite, are simply outstanding. But the Master 3.0 re-defines for me what a cable should be or can do. It's insanely, irrationally expensive, and doesn't make sense in anything but the best systems. But if you have gear in such rarified air, these cables will not let you down, be a bottleneck, or otherwise hold back all those other dollars you've already spent elsewhere in your system.
I can't recommend these cables highly enough. They've improved my listening experience immensely without introducing any new nasties, and for that I'm very grateful. Thumbs up!
