[jude]

Alright....my Tara RSC Reference Gen 2's may be in for some serious competition soon. I'll be auditioning Acoustic Zen's Matrix Reference and Silver Reference interconnects. I try to keep my eyes (and ears) open to products that get almost invariable praise from customers and reviewers alike, and Acoustic Zen has been a name I've run into repeatedly lately. On Audio Asylum, those who've used the Acoustic Zen interconnects compare them to price-no-object cables (though their cables aren't exactly cheap, Acoustic Zen's interconnects are actually far less expensive than many of the cables I see them compared to).

My BPT C-7 powercord may be sweating a little bit too, as I will also be giving Acoustic Zen's Tsunami powercord a run in my rig. When I asked for a suggestion from Acoustic Zen on which of their two powercords to use -- the Tsunami or the Krakatoa -- with my HeadRoom Max, they suggested the Tsunami due to the fact that the Max doesn't draw as much power as, say, a speaker-driving amplifier.

Should be interesting. Of course, I'll keep y'all updated.

 

[wasifazim]

ouch, if you end up going with an Acoustic Zen interconnect and/or power cord, your source cost-to-ancilliaries cost ratio will be seriously out of whack..time to upgrade to an Electrocompaniet EMC-1 or something

 

[KR...]

Why stop there, since you already have a great SACD player, might as while go for the gold and get a true audiophile redbook player.

http://www.wadia.com/products/301/301_home.htm
[size=small]$3,650[/size]

 

[MooGoesTheCow]

Awesome Jude! I've been thinking about auditioning the matrix reference cables too. Please let me know your findings. (Also thinking about Cardas Neutral Reference, Mapleshade Clearview Double Helix II, and JPS Labs Superconductor FX)

Right now I am auditioning the Bolder Cable Co. Type II ic's. Lots of work ahead =)

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by wasifazim ouch, if you end up going with an Acoustic Zen interconnect and/or power cord, your source cost-to-ancilliaries cost ratio will be seriously out of whack..time to upgrade to an Electrocompaniet EMC-1 or something

Oh, I don't pay too much mind to such ratios (I know you were being tongue-in-cheek). Having worked in a hi-fi store in the past (and still a frequent tourer of such), I learned quite quickly that there aren't too many of those kinds of ratios that apply even most of the time.

Even keeping those ratios in mind, I would be willing to bet that a US$ 23,000.00 set of speaker cables could likely be found between speakers and amps that cost not much more (if not less).

Also, look at the Nordost Valhalla and Tara Labs The One interconnects (and other super price stratosphere cables) -- I'd be willing to bet that they often unify components that don't cost much more (if not less) than they do.

The RCA-terminated Acoustic Zen Matrix References cost US$ 498.00 per meter pair, and the Silver References cost US$ 898.00 per meter pair. Considering it wasn't too long ago that the SCD-C333ES retailed for US$ 1,200.00, I don't consider it too remarkably out of whack -- at least not in the crazy world of audiophiles that we belong to.

The Tsunami powercord costs US$ 350.00 for a six-foot length. Again, if one wants to consider these types of ratios, that's not entirely out of whack in the audiophile world either, considering that it'll be attached to the butt end of a US$ 1,777.00 headphone amplifier. Electraglides apparently sell quite well, and those can retail for US$ 3,000.00 and above -- and I'd be willing to bet that they can be found on the butt end of amps and other components that cost less than US$ 15,231.00.

Of course, ours is not a world that makes sense to most folks we bump into as we walk to our offices (or our classes), but, by our funky "rules" of acceptability, the Acoustic Zens actually fit the price profile quite nicely.

Hey, vij and Neruda, stop rolling your eyes!

 

[dngl]

Jude's a brave man for exploring these waters of cabling financially unattainable to the masses. Some day all my schooling will be over and I'll get to be just like my hero Jude!

Oh yeah, those ratios don't make sense because different companies have different profit margins. Further, more expensive components aren't always better than better designed ones. Example: a $50 cmoy will blow away the $50 boosteroo.

 

[KR...]

He, Jude have you tried some high end MIT cables like the ones that I have? I think you should compare them to these cables, they cost about the same.

Here the updated version (different color, three impedance ranges) other than that and the name they are suppose sound the same as my cables.

MIT MI-330 Shotgun

http://www.mitcables.com/pages/produ...e_SHOTGUN.html


oh and btw, I just got over 500 posts, so when you get the time, could you please, you know... thanks.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by KR... He, Jude have you tried some high end MIT cables like the ones that I have? I think you should compare them to these cables, they cost about the same.... ....oh and btw, I just got over 500 posts, so when you get the time, could you please, you know... thanks.

You're five-hundred'ed.

And regarding the MIT cables. I don't read too much about them anymore. And I was always concerned with the boxes. What are they for? Is there a particular whitepaper at MIT, or review you know of, that I should read to better understand the theory and design behind the MIT box, as well as the cable design?

 

[DanG]

DanG's speaker system:

Axiom Millenia M3Ti speakers: $235
DH Labs Q-10 speaker cable (6' pair): $185
Dan's sanity: Sorry, taken already.

 

[MacDEF]

Jude, if you like the new power cord, can I have your BPT cord?

 

[KR...]

Quote:

You're five-hundred'ed.

Cool, it's offical! I have no life

Quote:

And regarding the MIT cables. I don't read too much about them anymore. And I was always concerned with the boxes. What are they for? Is there a particular whitepaper at MIT, or review you know of, that I should read to better understand the theory and design behind the MIT box, as well as the cable design?

The MIT website has many white papers available.

Here's the link to all of them :

http://www.mitcables.com/pages/page03.html

Here's the one that explains the idea behind the boxes:

http://www.mitcables.com/media/series2.pdf

Other papers go into this with much more detail, but they are very technical as well. But, before you read in depth, this paper is much easier to understand and digest. So I would start there.

I have the MIT MI-330 CVTerminator Series Two.

 

[morphsci]

Wow. Good choice. Robert Lee designed the Harmonic Tech cables I have and I am very happy with them. I was also considering the Zen Matrix but could not justify the increased price over the truthlinks (especially since I bought them used). I would like to know your impressions since I refused to listen to them (I knew I would probably buy them if I did

)

 

[jaghouse]

morphsci, I have been thinking about the Truthlinks... I would like to fink a used set of these. Have you compared them with other cables?

 

[morphsci]

I have compared them to other cables I had lying around. a Jon Risch Type 1 DIY (Single 89259), Type two (braided 89259 & 82248) DIY, a canare star quad cable (DIY), a straightwire flexconnect and a straightwire encore. Compared to the Risch type cables the bass seems much more extended and the treble seem a bit more pronounced, but not harsh. compared to the starquad it has a much clearer midrange, but the treble and bass seem very similar. It totally trashes the flexconnect (now relagated to carrying the FM signal (the stations around here are not that good). The only cable it doesnt't really sound different than is the straightwire Encore (not Encore II). However that is a longer cable I use on my big system. I also wonder how much of the difference is due to the locking RCA's on the truthlinks. I really like those for the feeling of confidence they give when you tighten them down.

These impressions are on a system consisting of

Rotel RCD-855 > CAL GAMMA > McCormack MID > MS II or Sony V6

 

[DarkAngel]

I have some AZ cables now in my "collection" the Mc2 digital cable and the Satori speaker cables, very high performance/cost ratio.
The ICs are also excellent but not as good a value, if you got the money you will love them though. The Tsunami AC cord is good value, hard to beat for its price point. Sometimes some used AZ cables available at Audiogon.

I did have some MIT cables but recently sold these.

Jude
Where do you get your cables? Are you aware of services offered by Cable Co?