[TopPop]

Hi all,

Okay, I'm stuck in a bit of a pickle, and I need your help. Here's my current gear:

Uncompressed files on computer >
Foobar2000>
Trends UD-10.1 USB transport>
Super Pro DAC707>
Octavart THE ONE amplifier>
Beyerdynamic DT-880 / Alessandro MS-1

I'm nearly happy with this system for the time being, but need to tweak things just a bit in order for my hunger to be sated for awhile. The problem is that I do most of my listening through the DT-880s, and the combination of these phones with the SS Octavart make things a bit analytical at times. I've decided that my current priorities will not allow for a new tube amp right now, so I'm looking for an IC from the DAC to the amp to take the edge off ever so slightly, without losing dynamics and clarity.

I have the following low budget IC's that I've been toying with, with my current impressions:

DIY solid silver with unshielded design using packaging tape
-Impressions: very punchy, very dynamic, very detailed, good bass. With this combo, however, the treble can be fatiguing at times.

Kimber PBJ (copper)
-Impressions: good tonality, good overall frequency response, treble much less aggressive. Not as punchy as the silver, though, and not as dynamic.

Modified Tsunami Ultra (silver plated copper)
-Impressions: not bad, but too much bass bloat. Treble is good, though doesn't extend far enough for my tastes.

Older Radio Shack gold plated stuff (copper?)
-Impressions: surprisingly good, actually. Great tonality, and overall good frequency response. Not quite dynamic enough, though.


I know that I can't expect much from IC's in this price range (<$100), but there must be something that combines the good qualities of the above cables to a reasonable extent! Looking for something detailed, dynamic, and punchy, but without an over-analytical top end. Is this possible?! Thoughts?!

By the way, I listen to a bit of everything, but most of my listening time is spent with folk/acoustic rock, blues, and jazz. Probably in that order, too...

Thanks for your time (and patience in reading this entire post!).

Cheers,
Chris

 

[TopPop]

Or do most people here not believe that interconnect cables can make a difference in sound...?

Putting my flame suit on right now...

 

[TopPop]

What? Nobody? No takers?

 

[Golden Monkey]

Ok, I'll bite, lol...

I've ordered these:
Silver Resolution

This was after exhaustive research, but at $99 for pure silver braid with Eichmann Copper plugs, you can't beat that. I went the Silver Bullet plug route, bringing it to $139 (hardly more than the cost of the plugs themseves!). Comparisons have been made to Kimber KCAG, Nordost SPM, etc. They offer a 30 day guarantee, so you can always return them if they don't meet your needs. I'd suggest finding similar 30 day no-questions-asked return policies, and trying out some other flavors as well.

 

[M3NTAL]

Golden Monkey, could you update us with how you feel about those cables afterwards?

 

[Golden Monkey]

Oh yeah, I planned to. I was actually going to write a mini-review of my whole system (pretty much a great budget system...if your budget's $2,500, lol), but I'll post impressions on these, as I know a lot of folks are looking for high-return-on-investment cables.

 

[TopPop]

You know, Signal Cables seem to be mentioned a lot for their price/performance ratio, and these seem to be a very good cable in their line up!

Thanks for the heads-up on these!

 

[Golden Monkey]

No problem. I'll be getting them on Monday, so I'll post impressions vs. my budget Monsters. TP, if you're considering them, I'd order asap, as Frank's limited time price will be going back up very soon, and the base price may go up as well, due to the increase in cost of metals. If you don't like them, you can always return them, or sell them on to the next person.

 

[Gaara]

I thought silver was thought to be brighter then copper? Go get some 89259 it is supposed to be a warmer sounding cable without losing detail. If you want Signal Cable then Frank's Analog IIs use 89259.

 

[Golden Monkey]

I finally got my Signal Cables! They were delivered on Friday, but we were closed for the weekend, and the courier just got here. That was a long, sucky wait, lemmetellya...

Man, those Eichmann plugs sure are cool looking...