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Sony Z1R....listening impressions only
Jul 3, 2020 at 12:28 PM Post #4,967 of 9,645
candlejack said:
So I've had now a good couple of days with the Sony Kimber 2m balanced cable. Time to share some impressions.

Starting with the build. I'm sorry, I just cannot get on board with this type of construction. The thickness, stiffness, stickiness of the jacket and plasticity are not what I would expect from a boutique cable. The connectors are very nice and the braid is decent I guess, but overall, it's just too unwieldy. But you don't buy a cable like this to jump rope, you buy it to take your listening experience to the next level, so how does it do in that respect?

I think that by now anyone on this forum who recognized my handle or avatar know where I stand when it comes to cables: they all sound the same. So you can imagine my surprise the first time I listened to the Kimber. I didn't want to say anything immediately because I didn't trust that my impressions were not distorted by everything I had read about it. Well, after two days, a lot of A/B testing and even some blind A/B/X testing I'm convinced that it was not an illusion. The first thing that immediately stood out to me was how much deeper and punchier the bass felt. It was not louder or anything like that, it just felt better controlled, like there was no looseness about it, no fuzziness if you will. I never thought that the Z1R sounded fuzzy in the bass, but now going back to the stock cable, it's impossible to not hear it.

The bass cleanliness also made the lower midrange clearer and a bit better separated. Piano notes and their undertones have so much texture now and the timbre is incredible. The rest of the midrange sounds mostly unchanged, but when you get to the treble, the sometimes peaky tonality of the Z1R with its occasionally exaggerated sharpness has been completely tamed as far as I can tell with the music I've tested with. I would describe the treble as being smoother and feeling a lot more balanced and I am now able to extract more detail from the top end. I think the reason for this is twofold. Firstly, the more even presentation makes all notes easier to hear and secondly - and maybe even more important - my mind can relax more because there are no sharp sounds that it needs process away. Truly a immersive experience!

So yeah, I never though this moment would come, but the evidence is right here in front of me and it leaves me no choice but to admit I was wrong: cables can make all the difference in the world...

Psych!!! The cable is already back in its packaging, waiting for me to complete the return formalities with Amazon. You've been a great audience, I thank you! :)
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What's even funnier is it kind of does do those things for the Z1R's 🤷‍♂️
 
Jul 3, 2020 at 12:47 PM Post #4,968 of 9,645
In terms of build, the kimber cable may be too "manly", as it were, for some to handle. For a stationary setup it's fine, I can see it being cumbersome for mobile use.

And I'm just gonna throw out there that candlejack's long psych post is a reflection of a mental breakdown after the world collapsed upon realizing that this cable actually changed the sound. But this was too much to bear. The immediate return to Amazon is part of a psychological defense mechanism :p
 
Jul 3, 2020 at 2:06 PM Post #4,969 of 9,645
Umwelt said:
In terms of build, the kimber cable may be too "manly", as it were, for some to handle. For a stationary setup it's fine, I can see it being cumbersome for mobile use.

And I'm just gonna throw out there that candlejack's long psych post is a reflection of a mental breakdown after the world collapsed upon realizing that this cable actually changed the sound. But this was too much to bear. The immediate return to Amazon is part of a psychological defense mechanism :p
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I took it on the go. It’s no problem at all
 
Jul 9, 2020 at 10:48 AM Post #4,971 of 9,645
Just showed up!
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Jul 9, 2020 at 12:24 PM Post #4,974 of 9,645
Jul 9, 2020 at 12:38 PM Post #4,976 of 9,645
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