[ginetto61]

Hi !
with the buy of a SAC headphone amp i took the opportunity to switch to a fully balanced system.
pc > usb to spdif interface > Apogee Rosetta 200 dac > SAC headphone amp > akg 240, 600 ohm
I tried some XLR cables and noticed some differences
So i am here asking for recommendations of some not very expensive XLR cables with a beautiful midrange.
I value midrange above all other things (i am old and i do not ear above 14k at max).
But i like a clean midrange.
I read that Cardas, for instance, have a sound of this kind.
But unfortunately above my budget.
Thanks a lot,  gino

 

[alec66]

Forza Audio Works Copper Series HPC Mk2

 

[ginetto61]

  Forza Audio Works Copper Series HPC Mk2

 
Thanks a lot for the kind reply
Actually i was looking for something built using solid core or litz wires
I have grown this idea that they are better conductor for signals
Maybe i am wrong
Thanks again, gino

 

[alec66]

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/lavricables?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

 

[Speedskater]

In on location pro audio recordings, 100 meter long XLR cables are often used. Those interconnects are made from Belden or Mogami cables that have copper conductors (sometimes stranded & sometimes solid).

 

[ginetto61]

Hi and thanks a lot again for the very valuable advice.
I am a little intrigued by cables made out of copper solid core and litz wires (silver i think is too expensive to consider for me).
Someone says that also normal multifilament wires are just fine as long as the copper used is good quality
The solid core cable seem to me they give a different midrange, less confused.
But i could be wrong.  Cables are not arrived yet.
I have a tough weekend ahead ... lots of listening.
Thanks again,  gino 

 

[ejong7]

  Hi and thanks a lot again for the very valuable advice.
I am a little intrigued by cables made out of copper solid core and litz wires (silver i think is too expensive to consider for me).
Someone says that also normal multifilament wires are just fine as long as the copper used is good quality
The solid core cable seem to me they give a different midrange, less confused.
But i could be wrong.  Cables are not arrived yet.
I have a tough weekend ahead ... lots of listening.
Thanks again,  gino 

Where did you get your cables eventually? Interested.

 

[ginetto61]

 
Where did you get your cables eventually? Interested.

 
Hi you mean from where ? ebay in the various version ... .com .de .co.uk
I bought Sommercable models Galileo, Albedo e Binary AES/EBU new and a pair of Cardas Hexlink Golden V 2nd hand.
All xlrs.
But of course this is just the first round.
I have already Grimm Audio TPR as next target.
I think that the most important cables are the digital one and the one from dac to preamp.
For all other uses just honest good cables can work just fine.
So the idea is to use there  the best ones.
I am quite sure Sommercable have a very nice quality/price ratio ... but i have to listen for myself.
 
Moreover i do not want to spend a fortune on cables.  I am sure that good cables at nice price are possible.
I have also read a lot on XLR cables for microphones lately ... to have some hints.
And i got suggestion about Zaolla, Grimm Audio, Vovox, Gotham, Canare and Mogami.
But i am partial for cables made out of solid core or litz wires.
I tend to believe in the " inter-filament crosstalk " occuring in normal stranded wires.
Thanks a lot,  gino

 

[TheAttorney]

I recommend Sommercable Carbokab xlr. Sommer are a German supplier to the pro market.
 
I thought my 2m Van Damme sounded pretty good for the money, but the 1m Sommer "vintage gold braid" sounded slightly better (and looks great IMO), and the 0.5m Sommer Carbokab was better still and an easy winner on SQ (although its rather sombre black finish doesn't look as cute as the gold braid).
.
Can't say how much of the SQ differences were due to cable length vs cable design - I'm guessing a bit of both. The CarboKab costs more than the other two, but if you can live with the shorter length, the 0.5m Carbokab was about the same price as the 1m other two.
 
The Carbokab is multistrand for flexibility, but each wire is carbon coated (or something like that), which Sommer claims to give the advantages of solid core with the flexibility of multistrand - in effect its is lots of little solid cores.
 
Edit: I wasn't paying attention and didn't spot that you have already bought your cables, but nevermind, my recommendation still stands.

 

[ginetto61]

  I recommend Sommercable Carbokab xlr. Sommer are a German supplier to the pro market.
 
I thought my 2m Van Damme sounded pretty good for the money, but the 1m Sommer "vintage gold braid" sounded slightly better (and looks great IMO), and the 0.5m Sommer Carbokab was better still and an easy winner on SQ (although its rather sombre black finish doesn't look as cute as the gold braid).
.
Can't say how much of the SQ differences were due to cable length vs cable design - I'm guessing a bit of both. The CarboKab costs more than the other two, but if you can live with the shorter length, the 0.5m Carbokab was about the same price as the 1m other two.
 
The Carbokab is multistrand for flexibility, but each wire is carbon coated (or something like that), which Sommer claims to give the advantages of solid core with the flexibility of multistrand - in effect its is lots of little solid cores.
 
Edit: I wasn't paying attention and didn't spot that you have already bought your cables, but nevermind, my recommendation still stands.

 
Hi and thanks a lot for the kind and valuable advice
Yes i have already made a first buy.
What i am looking for is a good quality/price ratio, aware that this cannot give me high end performance (that would be a disaster for the cables business, but  a dream for me  ... ehehehe).
I am focusing more the midrange.   The rendition of voices ...
I guess Sommercable are good quality but the Carbokab also much more expensive than Galileo or Albedo i am afraid, and stiffer also that i do not like very much.
I prefer good but also flexible cables for practical reasons.
I have a weekend ahead of listenings.
 
Thanks and regards,
 
gino

 

[TheAttorney]

I'm perfectly happy for you to look elsewhere, but the Carbokab is more than flexible enough. It was the whole point of it's design (so say Sommer) that the multistrand thin wire design makes it very flexible (although the gold braid is even more flexible IMO) 
 
Regarding cost, the 0.5m Carbokab was about the same price (around £30/pair) as the 1m gold braid Club versions, In the high end hifi world that I normally frequent, that is less than loose change )

 

[ginetto61]

  I'm perfectly happy for you to look elsewhere, but the Carbokab is more than flexible enough. It was the whole point of it's design (so say Sommer) that the multistrand thin wire design makes it very flexible (although the gold braid is even more flexible IMO) 
Regarding cost, the 0.5m Carbokab was about the same price (around £30/pair) as the 1m gold braid Club versions, In the high end hifi world that I normally frequent, that is less than loose change )

 
Hi and just another question. Do you make your cables yourself or do you buy them completed ?
Are the Carbokab difficult to terminate with XLR plugs ? the price per meter is extremely inviting.
But if they are of the litz type it will not be that easy to solder them to the plugs i guess.
Thanks again,  gino  

 

[TheAttorney]

All my cables were bought fully terminated - from Designacable via Amazon.co.uk.
So I can't say how easy any of them are to solder. They (Van Damme and Sommer) are all quite thin microphone cables, so I imagine they would be quite easy to DIY terminate.

 

[ginetto61]

  All my cables were bought fully terminated - from Designacable via Amazon.co.uk.
So I can't say how easy any of them are to solder. They (Van Damme and Sommer) are all quite thin microphone cables, so I imagine they would be quite easy to DIY terminate.

 
Hi and thanks a lot again.  I checked and the prices are very reasonable indeed.
I will buy one pair and try.  My feeling is that the interconnect between dac and preamp could be the more impacting in the overall sound.
However i have received and i am using now a Sommercable Binary aes/ebu and a pair of Galileo XLRs ... not bad at all.  Like them.
Thanks again for the valuable recommendation.
Kindest regards,  gino

 

[TheAttorney]

A couple of final points:
 
1. The Amazon prices quoted are per individual cable (these are intended primarily as microphone cables after all). Believe it or not, when I first ordered I had blindly assumed all audio cables came in pairs, so I had to order twice. Doh! Luckily the postage was free anyway, so it didn't cost any extra,
 
2. Even at this low price, I found that the cables benefited from some burn-in (100 hours should do it) to remove a slight trace of brightness when first played. Some say this very idea is rubbish and they are entitled to think what they like. For me, subtle differences do matter.