slwiser
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2001
- Posts
- 6,317
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- 25
I am wondering if a re-cabled AKG K81DJ with a Valhalla cable would be a R10 or L3000 killer. Based on the magic here it may very well be.
Originally Posted by Patrick82 Problems: The background noise in music is giving me a headache! Cary transport uses more watts than my amp and DAC combined, so using 1 conductor Valhalla (1+1+1) didn't make sense. It sounded little dull and lifeless, but man the detail was crazy. I went back to 2+2+1 conductors and OMG so heavy and black it sounds like, but all the detail is gone. That's why it sounds black with fake dynamics. Hmm colored music, oh well, at least it doesn't sound annoying anymore, I think I will keep it. |
Originally Posted by Patrick82 I ordered a couple sheets of ERS paper and will try a toilet paper roll mod. I don't want anything touching the cable. The dielectric could also be completely removed. Just a bare wire floating in air with toilet paper roll around it and not touching. The toilet paper rolls would be heavily wrapped in ERS paper. Later I will do it with my headphone cable, I can suspend the wire inside the rolls with rubber bands. It will take a long time until I have enough toilet paper rolls for 3 meters. |
It is weird that $30k worth of cables are the weaknesses in my system. PS Audio GCC-100 amplifier is amazing that shows it all. |
Originally Posted by Tachikoma How did you come to that conclusion? |
Originally Posted by Patrick82 6 months of cutting cables to pieces. After I got my 'Solid-tech Rack Of Silence' the differences between cables became obvious, and sources started sounding the same. I remember I was still sick from the tight and fast bass two months after I got the isolation rack. The increase in resolution was that big. The difference between 1 conductor Valhalla and 1 conductor Vishnu is bigger than 4 step VS 5 step vibration isolation. So yes, cables make the biggest difference in my system. But Nordost doesn't have proper shielding of their cables, the stock fat Valhalla sacrifices detail and hides the problem good. It's dead black. |
Originally Posted by tourmaline So, you're saying patrick that those cables could be even better! They are already better then most of the cables. Why don't you submit your findings to Nordost?! |
Originally Posted by Patrick82 Yes. They should make a Valhalla in the Vishnu design and sell it for $1300 or so. But the problem is that with 99% of the customers there will be too much detail and it will sound thin, bright and lifeless because of the lack of bass. Vibration isolation is needed for that, so Nordost needs to make their own isolation rack to match the thinner cable. It isn't going to happen. People are already complaining about the lack of body with the stock Valhallas! I found that 3 step isolation for source and 2 step for amp was a great match with stock Valhalla, but 4 step isolation was not, it sounded way too heavy so I had to make Valhalla thinner to compensate for it. |
Originally Posted by tourmaline I am not complaining at all, most of the problems tend to be with solid state equipment, wich in itself lacks the right body most of the time! With tubes you can tuberoll the sound you want; some tubes sound like solid state, some tubes have full lush body. Also, some amps and sources have more body then others, so, with good matching it shouldn't be a problem to find the right mix! |
Originally Posted by Patrick82 Yes, before I got the isolation rack I was using Mullard tubes, but after the rack I didn't need tubes anymore! |
Originally Posted by tourmaline Some say that tubes are still better then solid state equipment. Fill me on how an isolation rack can do such big improvents...cdplayer i understand, the transport mechanism is having less fibration when using vibration pods or a vibration rack. I never heard any difference in putting an amp(tube amp, wich are more sensative then solid state anyway) on those feet or a rack. i use headphones...so there is no vobration from speakers that can go back into the soundsystem. |
Originally Posted by Patrick82 I don't hear much background noise anymore. Few days ago I wondered why it sounds so bad, then I looked at rack and noticed that the roll of coins on top of DAC1 had rolled back and was touching the top shelf. I put some blutac behind it so it stays still. Afterwards I didn't hear much noise anymore, hmm. Maybe I got used to the background noise and it doesn't bother me anymore. It doesn't feel like I need to upgrade anymore. |
Originally Posted by Patrick82 I paused music for 1 hour and it sounded blacker and whiter. Background was black and treble was brighter, but bass was still warm. I liked that sound better! It was fake but it sounded more transparent. After 30 mins of listening I paused it for 2 hours more and the blackness had turned into coldness and low-level detail was gone! Bass was cold too. It sounds analytical. So first the highs get bright and edgy and later the bass gets cold. It sounds cold from top to bottom. After only 3 hours it went from musical warmth into analytical coldness. |
Originally Posted by Patrick82 It is weird that $30k worth of cables are the weaknesses in my system. PS Audio GCC-100 amplifier is amazing that shows it all. |