[SMG52]

Thanks for the responses about balanced vs single ended. The interconnect I'm using is not very expensive (by 'high end' standards 

) and I like it  very much, so it may be worth buying one wired for balanced use.
 
With regard to (the clue) speakers, yes I like them a lot. I've had so many speakers over the years, but most of them were pretty demanding in terms of placement, usually far out into the room. It's great to have such good sound with a speaker actually designed to be against the wall. Lars is a nice guy to deal with as well. 

 

[project86]

Agreed! If I ever want to replace (the clue) in my system, the choices are very slim. I was considering the Von Schweikert VR-22 or one of the Larsen speakers, either model 6 or model 8. Then I realized those are all way more expensive than (the clue), and I don't do enough critical speaker listening to justify the expense. Maybe some day if I have a larger room to fill I'd consider it.

 

[brat]

You could always pick up some cheap pro-audio style XLR cables and give it a shot. Don't have much to lose. 

It would be a big mistake to decide balanced vs.unbalanced using cheap XLRs. I've tried many different balanced and unbalanced cables with my Weiss DAC202U and V200, and found that it's up to cable's quality which one I choose. I haven't heard any sonic advantages of XLR or RCA inputs itself.
If the signal is transformed from balanced to unbalanced it's matter of personal preferences to choose which component does the transformation better - the source or the amp.

 

[Contrails]

I picked up some van damme xlr cables for $30. These have really good reviews.

 

[brat]

This amp deserves much better cable, $30 cables will spoil the sound for shure. It's very transparent device, you'll hear every problem before it, no matter what induces it, source, cables or power.
$30 cables may have good reviews but they may be good cables for $30, not really good cables.

 

[guido]

Until you do an A-B comparison there is no way anyone can say a $30 cable will ruin the sound...there is absolutely NO correlation between cable price and performance

 

[brat]

I've made too many cable comparisons by mayself, not metnioning hundreds similar in internet by other people.
There are few good cheap cables. Just right now I'm listening to $66 speaker cables by Blue Jeans and RCA ICs by Eagle Cable which cost 60 euros. These cables replaced more expensive cables in my system. But still there IS a correlation between price and performance in cables. Companies like Blue Jeans and Eagle Cable are exceptions, they're famous and successful because of their extremely good price/performance ratio. I've tried MANY cheap cables from local stores and no other chinese production got even closer to them. Never a cheap chinese cable sounded similar to some of my carbon van den huls or solid core silver ICs. Believe me, V200 is an amp that reveals every subtle nuance of the sound and the crappy cables are very "audible".

 

[project86]

I had no idea what the poster was using as far as RCA cables. I figured if he was a big "cable person" he would fill in the blanks himself as far as using an XLR of similar quality to his current RCA. Or at least take into account the differences between his favorite RCA cables and some generic stuff he tries. Or maybe he doesn't care about cables and can therefore use any basic cable.
 
For what it's worth, I think the affordable Monoprice XLRs do a good job. Stepping up from there is the Signal Cable stuff, which looks and sounds as good as some far more expensive name-brand options, without costing a fortune. 

 

[SMG52]

In my many years in the audio hobby, I have used a multitude of different brand interconnects and speaker wires. I agree with those of you who feel there IS a sonic difference among cables (including usb cables). What I am presently using in my headphone system between the Oppo BD105 and the V200 is a Mogami single ended interconnect. After a couple hundred hours of break in, I feel they 'sound' excellent. Although there may be interconnects that perform significantly better than these, the question I would need to ask is 'for how much more money?' I have used wires from Van Den Hul (the first), Audioquest, Museatex/Meitner, 47 Labs, Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technology, Clear Day, and  Purist Audio, to name a few. These are not all cables I have used in my present system, but within the context of the different audio systems I have owned over the years, I did hear a difference between the various cables I tried. In my present headphone system, I am very happy with the Mogami interconnect. Unless someone has heard something significantly better and has experience with this Mogami wire as well, I will likely stick with the Mogami if I experiment with going balanced. I feel it does not color the sound in any appreciable way. BUT, it really needs several hundred hours of break in. I listened to it at various points along the break in process, and it didn't sound as good as it did after a couple hundred hours. (If you don't believe in break in, that's fine and I understand, but just relating my own experience.) 
 
http://www.10audio.com/market.htm

 

[Shaffer]

In my many years in the audio hobby, I have used a multitude of different brand interconnects and speaker wires. I agree with those of you who feel there IS a sonic difference among cables (including usb cables). What I am presently using in my headphone system between the Oppo BD105 and the V200 is a Mogami single ended interconnect. After a couple hundred hours of break in, I feel they 'sound' excellent. Although there may be interconnects that perform significantly better than these, the question I would need to ask is 'for how much more money?' I have used wires from Van Den Hul (the first), Audioquest, Museatex/Meitner, 47 Labs, Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technology, Clear Day, and  Purist Audio, to name a few. These are not all cables I have used in my present system, but within the context of the different audio systems I have owned over the years, I did hear a difference between the various cables I tried. In my present headphone system, I am very happy with the Mogami interconnect. Unless someone has heard something significantly better and has experience with this Mogami wire as well, I will likely stick with the Mogami if I experiment with going balanced. I feel it does not color the sound in any appreciable way. BUT, it really needs several hundred hours of break in. I listened to it at various points along the break in process, and it didn't sound as good as it did after a couple hundred hours. (If you don't believe in break in, that's fine and I understand, but just relating my own experience.) 

http://www.10audio.com/market.htm

Which Mogami wire is it, exactly? It should say so on the cable.

 

[SMG52]

Which Mogami wire is it, exactly? It should say so on the cable.

Mogami 2549 for my single ended interconnect,purchased from 10audio. 
 
I believe the fella at 10audio finds that a different Mogami wire sounds better for balanced applications. Don't know which one that would be, though. 

 

[brat]

@SMG52: Try the balanced Van den Hul The Second. It's the most neutral cable I've ever heard, and has nothing in common with the other carbon cables. I use it in all my systems and everywhere it is the winner compared to other XLRs, I mean with dynamic and electrostatic amps, as well as a couple of speaker amps

 

[SMG52]

  @SMG52: Try the balanced Van den Hul The Second. It's the most neutral cable I've ever heard, and has nothing in common with the other carbon cables. I use it in all my systems and everywhere it is the winner compared to other XLRs, I mean with dynamic and electrostatic amps, as well as a couple of speaker amps

Interesting. I still have a pair of  Van den Hul The First single ended interconnects. Always liked them. Very nice treble....no etch or brightness at all. Have not compared it with the Mogami, but then again you say The Second is not similar in sound to The First anyway. 

 

[belisk]

the new m-stage has a nice USB board exactly what the V200 needs.

The M-STAGE HPA-2 (USB) uses a XMOS interface chip along with a BURR-BROWN PCM1793 D/A converter and LME49720 OpAmp.

hope we get something similar

 

[GoldfishX]

At this point, I'm about 95% sure I'll be picking up a V200. BUT...just putting myself through the paces and looking for an extra go-ahead (hint, hint to V200 fans)
 
My situation: I'm running a single ended setup with my computer through USB into a Peachtree Dac It. I have an HD800, but I'm quickly running out of patience with it and almost willing to move on. I need something to take the edge off the highs, particularly the 6Khz spike these cans are known for (EQ is somewhat effective, but I prefer not to have to use it on my computer). I also want something that's flexible with a wide range of cans, particularly the Mad Dogs/Alpha Dogs, the HD600/650, the Beyer T1, DT660 and T90 and some of the newer orthos coming out (the Oppo PM-1 and He-560). Finally, I'm also interested in something I can haul off to work on certain days. The amp seems small enough to do that.
 
I like the idea of tubes and how they influence sound, so the Woo Audio 2 is on my radar, but I understand it doesn't offer up the flexibility of the V200 and that once you factor in the cost of tube upgrades, you're looking at nearly twice the price of the V200 ($1000 is about where my comfort zone is, anything past that is stretching it). I've about reached my limit with the Lyr/HD800 pairing, every pair of tubes I use is too bright with that pairing. Very detailed, but too fatiguing to be any fun. I want to try Mullards, but I also don't want to throw any more money into that amp.
 
So, does anyone else see a V200 purchase in my future?