[Dr.J]

Hi,

I have a Meridian 508.24 and a Zana Deux. I'm using Audio Art- IC3's, which are a mixture of copper and silver. The Merdian is on the bright side and so without trying any other interconnect, I can't say how much of the blame goes directly to the IC-3's.

Can anyone recommend an interconnect that will bring warmth to my combination of equipment?

Thanks,

John

 

[nick_charles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.J /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, I have a Meridian 508.24 and a Zana Deux. I'm using Audio Art- IC3's, which are a mixture of copper and silver. The Merdian is on the bright side and so without trying any other interconnect, I can't say how much of the blame goes directly to the IC-3's. Can anyone recommend an interconnect that will bring warmth to my combination of equipment? Thanks, John

From Stereophile's test suite on the 508.24

The 508.24's frequency response at full level, measured from its balanced outputs, is shown in fig.1 (top traces).

Stereophile: Meridian 508.24 CD player

It is basically flat from 10Hz to 20kHz, with a hint of droop in the top octave. But at -0.1dB at 20kHz, this is negligible....The unbalanced output was identical

It is not bright it is actually accurate. If you do not like the sound you could try an equalizer and roll it off at the top.

The interconnects ***cannot*** make it brighter unless they absolutely nobble **all** other frequencies. My empirical testing of silver, silver-plated , solid copper and stranded copper has not shown any notable effect of materials on FR, so I am dubious about this.

 

[Dr.J]

I tried driving my amp with pure copper interconnects, as compared to the IC-3's; there was a noticeable difference in how they sound.

Theory and practice are two very different things. Nevertheless, I appreciate your input.

The only way I will know is if I try a different pair.

thanks,

John

 

[piotr z]

I would recommend chord as I'm using them myself with very good result - but the best recommendation is to tell You to go to local retailer, get a bunch of IC's and test them in your rig - it's imposible to guess what will sond best in your rig, We can only recommend some brands/models to test them, never buy without audition, thats worst idea from my experience

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.J /img/forum/go_quote.gif I tried driving my amp with pure copper interconnects, as compared to the IC-3's; there was a noticeable difference in how they sound. Theory and practice are two very different things. Nevertheless, I appreciate your input. The only way I will know is if I try a different pair. thanks, John

I recognize your dilemma John. I too find silver and/ or silver plated copper generally sounds to lean, analytical, even etched .... and excerbate any tendency towards brightness in my system or headphones. I especially like a relatively inexpensive copper IC made by Enigma Audio named the Elemental. This IC tones down the silver plated copper?? types analytical tendency while adding an appealing richness and body to the sound.

This IC is very versatile and works well with both my SP tube amps and my various hybrid amps. Moreover, regardless if I use low impedance Alessandros or high impedance Senn 600s with the many different amp I have available .... the IC simply gets out of the way and lets the music through like you would hope.

Enigma Audio

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick_charles /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is basically flat from 10Hz to 20kHz, with a hint of droop in the top octave. But at -0.1dB at 20kHz, this is negligible....The unbalanced output was identical It is not bright it is actually accurate. If you do not like the sound you could try an equalizer and roll it off at the top.[/i]

You're speaking from a reasonable, theoretical perspective -- and from there you're absolutely right. But that's in fact the problem with electronics components: Most of them measure passably flat, and even if we take the residual tiny deviations seriously, they don't reflect the actual sonic characteristics. So theory is good, but not applicable here. Listening is the only way. And from there looking for synergy. An equalizer OTOH is too big a gun and often not the right tool for this kind of subtleties.


Quote:

The interconnects ***cannot*** make it brighter unless they absolutely nobble **all** other frequencies. My empirical testing of silver, silver-plated , solid copper and stranded copper has not shown any notable effect of materials on FR, so I am dubious about this.

The same applies to cables. I experience distinct sonic characteristics, and at the same time I'm aware that they all measure virtually identical (i.e. flat).
.

 

[Happy Camper]

Solid core copper.

 

[olblueyez]

Double Post

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.J /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, I have a Meridian 508.24 and a Zana Deux. I'm using Audio Art- IC3's, which are a mixture of copper and silver. The Merdian is on the bright side and so without trying any other interconnect, I can't say how much of the blame goes directly to the IC-3's. Can anyone recommend an interconnect that will bring warmth to my combination of equipment? Thanks, John

AudioQuest King Cobra, will provide what your looking for. I remember the first time I installed it sounded like someone had turned the treble down, it was actually letting bass get to the amp. Very nice.

 

[Currawong]

Van Den Hul's The Orchid is also a good cable if you don't want colouration. "The First Ultimate", made from linear structured carbon (like you get in record brushes) is more forgiving if your system is quite bright, but The Orchid easily has the edge on detail.

 

[883dave]

Do you have a local Hi-Fi dealer? If so you could borrow some different cables and give them a try.

Any audiophiles close to you? Try to borrow cables from them.

 

[Twoguns]

he only way to correct such a specific problem would be to audition cables.. in general solid core or braided copper will sound "warmer" and less bright though. One to try, might be Black Rhodium Coda.. a very nice and warm interconnect.

 

[nick_charles]

Never mind !

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.J /img/forum/go_quote.gif Theory and practice are two very different things.

FYI, Nick Charles did not theorize about cables. He actually put cables into practice, by testing them with highly sensitive, professional lab equipment. That was not a theoretical classroom exercise.

I have also experimented with cables, both listening and testing with equipment, and found no appreciable differences.

I believe that you would be much better off putting that money into another pair of headphones, perhaps ones with the brighter sound signature that you're looking for. You might also want to invest in a difference source - I find that a turntable and a good FM tuner get a lot of use. Buying more music is another great way to enjoy your system more.

 

[mrarroyo]

IMO, the point of diminishing returns is reached quite rapidly with IC's. How about a pair of IC's from Blue Jean Cable?

Correct! Nick Charles has a very interesting thread on cables and their measurements/performance.