I ordered a Silver Widow 22 4ft balanced cable with 2.5mm jack for use with my AK380 from Frank a while ago. It took about 3 months to arrive but was well worth the wait. It's difficult to believe a cable can make such a difference - the SQ of my DAP has been transformed. 3D is the only way I can describe it, everything is so much more spacious. Was using a Nordost Heimdall before with 3.5mm jack and it was really, really great, but the Toxic is simply on a different planet. Thanks Frank.
Update on my challenge for best music listening experience: i will get a he1000 soon to pair with the extra ordininary custom dual mono balanced silver widow i have..yesss .. my rare code-x is sold to a very lucky basterd..and will be on its way soon..
already asked frank to change the connectors into high quality he1000 ones (waitin for reply now).. and then i will do a review for that pairing on my mighty 'PaG'...
Sorry mate, been extremely busy lately, running a little behind on orders, so not had the chance to go through email for the last week, will go through them later tonight or tomorrow for sure.
No worries...i know ur busy..i am never in a hurry..bad for my heart..as long you use ur special carbon connectors..lolz
I will be getting the headphone hopefully in 3 weeks time..so no need to be in hurry Frank.
No worries...i know ur busy..i am never in a hurry..bad for my heart..as long you use ur special carbon connectors..lolz
I will be getting the headphone hopefully in 3 weeks time..so no need to be in hurry Frank.
Congrats, Paolo! Excellent pair of cans! I had the HE1000 v1 and now the HE1000 v2. Excellent stuff! Even with its rather ordinary stock cable. I have tried it before with the SW22 with adapters Frank kindly made for me.
In due course, you may also want to try the Susvara.
And Yess..my he1000 just came in...goin to listen this evening..
Frank..this weekend i will sent you my sw22 to put ur special custom he1000 connectors on them...hope i will get them returned fast..
Bad news: i have to use the standard SINGLE ENDED standard hifiman cable until i get my cables back....not happy..am so customed to the smooth, powerful, clean and detaily sound those custom cables provide...
Ps..kiats...susvara? Mmmmm i see you already got one..lolz
And Yess..my he1000 just came in...goin to listen this evening..
Frank..this weekend i will sent you my sw22 to put ur special custom he1000 connectors on them...hope i will get them returned fast..
Bad news: i have to use the standard SINGLE ENDED standard hifiman cable until i get my cables back....not happy..am so customed to the smooth, powerful, clean and detaily sound those custom cables provide...
Ps..kiats...susvara? Mmmmm i see you already got one..lolz
Haha! The HE1000 is great. Well, its such a great pair of cans that even SE or with the stock balanced cables, it sounds great.
As for the Susvara, it is quite something else. You know me: never been one to do things in half measures. I upgraded my HE1000 v1 to v2; I picked up the LCD4 and now the Susvara. I suspect the Abyss Phi will be next.
Apologies if i have missed any of your PMs. I've been crazy busy cos I travel practically every week in my current job and the new head-fi design is hardly germane to portable viewing on my iPhone and hence, my time on it has been much reduced.
I'm glad to see you are still rocking on. You take care, my friend!
With 5 cables from Toxic, I must say, I have never once been disappointed with Frank's workmanship. The latest addition to my collection is the Hydra 22, and boy, is it a beauty, in both looks and sound. It pairs very well with my Zeus XIV. Great job, Frank!
I've had my SW22 for a few months now so it's time to report back and give my sincere thanks to Frank for such an amazing product (which says it all really).
Headphones are Audio Zenith PMx2 (latest version); amp is my DIY 'Xanthe' based on 7N7 valves (paralleled) with good output transformers; source is now Lector CDP 707 (was the excellent Gryphon Scorpio when I last posted ... the Lector is a worthwhile improvement).
The SW22 has given major improvements to an already very good sound. Sound is more 'solid' and definite which suggests significantly better dynamics; I'm familiar with how things like better PSUs in amps can improve dynamics and the sonic results of this, but I'm amazed at how a cable can do the same. Well this cable does.
Details have improved significantly - and in a nice way. I'll try to explain this. Sometimes one makes a change to improve detail, only to find that some harshness creeps in as well. Sometimes one makes a change to improve smoothness, only to find that detail is lost. (I find that good valve gear gives very good detail from extended HF, without that harshness).
Anyway, this cable gives extra detail, more HF, and without adding any harshness whatsoever .... this is a *result*! It's very similar to what I get from Argento interconnects which are silver but don't have any trace of silver 'colouration' or undesirable artefacts.
Image width tends to be somewhat limited on the PMx2 (do not be put off these superb phones by this, it's nothing major); the SW22 seems to improve the width slightly, but more importantly to me, the focus has improved significantly ... especially with female vocals which I absolutely love. Images are more solid and stable.
Tonality of the PMx2 is very good indeed; with a good valve output CD player and valve amp, it's very special; add the SW22 and it's outstanding, just beautiful.
Low level details and subtleties are excellent; this shows in the inflections, modulations, changes in tone etc that I love in the best of female vocals.
Put all this together and it's amazing. I'll mention one CD now playing; After Blue by Tierney Sutton. The instruments are 'solid', well defined, not blurred together, clear, playing the tunes, with their own character, stopping and starting quickly. And Tierney's voice is focussed, gorgeous, full of character, expressive, with all these subtle changes to how everything is sung, superb tone and tunefulness .... spine tingly and just beautiful. Other singers (e.g. Haley Loren, Erin Bode) are equally well presented, as is classical music and other genres.
I first used the standard Oppo cable; then I found useful improvements using a copper/silver cable from the far east on Ebay. The further improvements from the SW22 are far greater!
Of course I have little idea how other Toxic cables will perform; but I know I've hit gold with the SW22 and can believe it may be the 'definitive' model in the range, simply doing everything well.
I am extremely sorry to those waiting for email/PM replies, i have been away with family before the school holidays are over and have not been able to go through emails or PM's for some time, also fallen a little behind on orders with some running quite a bit behind.
I will be on overdrive these coming weeks so will start going through messages over weekend and start sending out the cables that are running behind.
We have a huge batch being completed now and will be shipping next week, so anyone who's order is delayed, you can expect it to be hopefully shipping next week, they will be shipping in order received, as always.
Money is just transfered to you for the change of the connectors on my sw22 to he1000 versions..
tomorrow i will be sending the cable off to you so you guys can put those yummy classy carbon connectors on it..thanks!
Cant wait to hear my he1000 with those custom sw22 using my balanced output on my amp (am now using single ended as i only have dual 3 pin balanced output and the standard hifiman cables dont have those connectors
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..as long you use ur special carbon connectors..lolz
