[KoshNaranek]

Your picture shows the male plug and indeed the new AQ misses the lock slot there.
On the female plug the lock should be on the plug itself.
(and isn't anymore with AQ)
It's a travesty I tell you.
Would I have known I wouldn't have bought this cable and I advise everyone here indeed not to do so.

I think Audioquest lost the plot about 8 years ago. The $340 ethernet cable was the last straw.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...40-audiophile-ethernet-cable-and-look-inside/

 

[audio philestine]

Pietro,

I once was bringing up DIY two SS amplifiers I had built and power resistors were not in my budget so I used a toaster for a load. I was driving the amp with a sine wave and the problem was that the bimetal tripped toaster would pop after 20 seconds so I eventually put bread in it to get a longer test time and then frozen bread.

When I switched to music which has far less power than a sine wave, I could drive the toaster for much longer. Rock music produced toast more quickly than classical which popped the toaster more quickly than baroque. I could hear the music from the toaster coils and considered if Bach toast tasted differently than Beethoven toast or Freebird toast.

If you use Gospel music, do you make Virgin Mary toast?

 

[Rensek]

First post for me... I’ve searched these forums and found questions regarding this but no answer. For a Saga to Magni 3 setup, can I turn the Magni all the way up and use the Saga for remote controlled volume? Does the Magni 3 basically become a headphone power amp? Does this affect sq by having the Magni all the way up?

I had the same question and it was answered earlier on this thread. If you turn Magni all the way up it's supposed to go to bypass/pass through, and the saga controls the volume. This isn't supposed to affect SQ from what I've been told. I will be doing this myself in the next couple of months.

 

[Pandahead]

Your picture shows the male plug and indeed the new AQ misses the lock slot there.
On the female plug the lock should be on the plug itself.
(and isn't anymore with AQ)
It's a travesty I tell you.
Would I have known I wouldn't have bought this cable and I advise everyone here indeed not to do so.

Yes that is correct and my intention of the photo is some gear you can't release the male end of the cable from the component without pressing the tab. So if they think eliminating the lock on the female end of the cable will prevent damaging the wire in a mishap they are only partially correct, if that's the reason.

Bummer. And the male end doesn't stay secure either? Audio Advisor has a line of Pangea cables now with Cardas wire in RCA and XLR up to 10meter. They also make their own using PSC+.

I've generally bought used cables or close out. There is certainly nothing wrong with soldering on your own ends, or making two pairs out of a long pair not used anymore, I've done that many times too.

Can you take a train to Lichtenstein and go for a factory tour? Bring back a load of connectors. There's a market I think: "Constanza Cables, within a whisker of perfection". They will certainly sell on this thread!

Seroiusly though, sorry for your frustration.

 

[Azookey]

I had the same question and it was answered earlier on this thread. If you turn Magni all the way up it's supposed to go to bypass/pass through, and the saga controls the volume. This isn't supposed to affect SQ from what I've been told. I will be doing this myself in the next couple of months.

Thanks for the reply. Is it truly a "pass through" since it's technically amplifying the signal (as opposed to Saga that only attenuating if you are using passive mode)? But, still, it seems like if you just turn Magni up, it's just like any power amp with no volume control.

 

[Ripper2860]

I had the same question and it was answered earlier on this thread. If you turn Magni all the way up it's supposed to go to bypass/pass through, and the saga controls the volume. This isn't supposed to affect SQ from what I've been told. I will be doing this myself in the next couple of months.

I would also suggest that you select the LOW GAIN setting on the Magni in this configuration.

Notes:

HIGH GAIN switch setting adds an additional amplification stage and increased distortion. (measurable vs. audible?)

A Volume pot is a BRAKE and not an ACCELERATOR. As one turns a volume pot up, it is actually lowering the resistance and when one turns it down, one adds resistance. Having the volume control at the highest setting presents the lowest resistive load and likely lowest distortion.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

The final answer from AudioQuest:

Hello Pietro,
We would suggest to contact the dealer you purchased from for a possible exchange. Our connector tolerances are very good and your situation is not the norm.

and my final answer:

Your answer is noted and shared on our forum.
Not everyone (certainly not I) is (am) happy with it.
Connectors on both sides are new professional connectors.
The cable is new.
How’s that not the norm?
I can imagine it’s to much out of your sphere of influence to really do something.
So I thanks for your time.

Pietro Cozzi Tinin.

 

[Ableza]

I think Audioquest lost the plot about 8 years ago. The $340 ethernet cable was the last straw.
/

I'd argue that instead of losing the plot, this is the plot they intentionally helped create. It's what they want everyone to accept as normal.

 

[garbulky]

The final answer from AudioQuest:

Hello Pietro,
We would suggest to contact the dealer you purchased from for a possible exchange. Our connector tolerances are very good and your situation is not the norm.

and my final answer:

Your answer is noted and shared on our forum.
Not everyone (certainly not I) is (am) happy with it.
Connectors on both sides are new professional connectors.
The cable is new.
How’s that not the norm?
I can imagine it’s to much out of your sphere of influence to really do something.
So I thanks for your time.

Pietro Cozzi Tinin.

Did you try contacting the dealer like they said? it sounds like they are directing you to the appropriate channel. If the dealer fails to service you then there is a real problem.

 

[Pandahead]

I'd argue that instead of losing the plot, this is the plot they intentionally helped create. It's what they want everyone to accept as normal.

Schiit gear is great and fun too use but the stack requires interconnects. The time is rapidly approaching for the general population with HiFi tendencies, that one box solutions or better yet speakers that do everything with tailored electronics built in will mean the norm. Then the used market for cables will be at give away prices.

Heck, there will be estate sales in the future with the family not even knowing what an interconnect is!

We will leave to you, our beloved technical source, the task of explaining to Schiit newbies in the next decade what an XLR cable is!

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Oh yes of course.
They where the ones that directed me to the AQ helpdesk in the first place.
Couldn't take the cables back because more than 1 month old etc.
And.. They too claimed there's something wrong on my side.
There you go.
"Van het kastje naar de muur gestuurd" we say here.
Sent from the cupboard to the wall.
As you can see there's nothing strange with "my side" of the connectors.

 

[garbulky]

Oh yes of course.
They where the ones that directed me to the AQ helpdesk in the first place.
Couldn't take the cables back because more than 1 month old etc.
And.. They too claimed there's something wrong on my side.
There you go.
"Van het kastje naar de muur gestuurd" we say here.
Sent from the cupboard to the wall.
As you can see there's nothing strange with "my side" of the connectors.

Oh well that's an issue. They are not offering you proper service.

 

[Pandahead]

Sell them before the market collapses.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Oh well that's an issue. They are not offering you proper service.

They should ad a note that those cables cannot hang on their own weight.
Well.... enough of this.
I have to use them and they were too expensive to throw away.
Duct tape and tie raps it is.

 

[Pandahead]

They should ad a note that those cables cannot hang on their own weight.
Well.... enough of this.
I have to use them and they were too expensive to throw away.
Duct tape and tie raps it is.

Have you thought of a nice wide elastic band to put around both connectors so it puts a reasonable amount of side pressure on them? Maybe this will be enough friction to keep them from dislodging. There's stress from gravity there already, don't see how this could hurt. Also maybe something under them. This could be attached under the switch box and incorporated with the elastic band idea....