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Post by MartinT on Apr 3, 2015 21:49:44 GMT
The thought of spending twenty years chasing cable options to me seems a bit of an obsessive nightmare. Not at all. I have simply kept my ears open, tried cables on occasion and upgraded whenever I heard something better.
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Post by MartinT on Apr 3, 2015 21:51:50 GMT
Oh, and "the best connector is no connector" is of course the best option. Unless you have equipment that you've spent a great deal of money on and don't want to bastardise it by hardwiring cables.
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Post by ChrisB on Apr 3, 2015 22:36:58 GMT
It is true. But would you buy a product solely on the basis that it has a hard wired mains inlet? No, I didn't think so. So while some of us realise that it is a better way to do things, we have to work with what the manufacturers offer us, and as we may want to move on gear after we have used it for a bit, we might think twice about making such changes to our expensive purchases. Like it or not, that's the way of world.
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Post by MikeMusic on Apr 4, 2015 10:21:01 GMT
No connector has to be best In practice not so easy and more work than most of us want plus add in lack of flexibility
Similar theme...... BTW I was wrong earlier
"2nd" and "3rd" are both 5D cables - with different plugs
As of an hour ago I also have a 6D to test over the weekend
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Post by MartinT on Apr 4, 2015 10:43:28 GMT
Enjoy that, Mike. Try and hear the 5D versus 6D. I never heard a 5D, only the smaller 4D. Mine are both 6D.
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 13, 2015 17:18:04 GMT
Update at long last.
Thanks so much to Tony C for his great patience.
Tony came to me and I went to Tony's to hear different kit and cables. Some tracks show their quality recording and some just don't. Good news -There are more that improved than I thought
A very full comparison with 4D, 5D and 6D cables L'arpeggiata - All'improvviso the test album
4D in place feeding the PS Audio P10 Wonderful
5D with Furutech plugs. Mellower, gentler, nicer, more open, vocals smoother, surprisingly more inflection in the vocals, percussion sharper,
5D with Tony's special blasted and recoated plugs Voice gentler, more sympathetic, clarinet more 'there', more width to the sound, drums more present, more flow, more from the tambourine, background further forward and clearer, more punch in the percussion, harpsichord sound more detailed, clarinet smoother
6D, Furutech Different. Vocals smoother again, more dynamic sound, drum up slightly, more tambourine, diction improved on the vocals. More space overall.
The 6D price didn't seem so bad to this old cheapskate.
More soon
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2015 19:34:13 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Sept 13, 2015 20:03:38 GMT
Mike, I have two lengths of Coherent 6D power cable at the moment, one feeding the entire system (regenerator) and one feeding my power amplifier (currently with a 16A connector but thankfully the Belles uses a standard IEC). In each case, they comprehensively beat the Furukawa 2.6 and 2.2 respectively that I was using before. So I'm with you on how outstanding they are.
I'm going to try a 5D that I have on loan feeding the preamp and SACD player. I'll report back on my findings.
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 13, 2015 20:20:43 GMT
In my next instalment I'll tell more on 5D v's 6D........
The 4D beats the Furukawa
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 14, 2015 16:16:22 GMT
Decision made from above The 6D feeding the P10 was a keeper. It stayed where it was.
The 5D is very good. The 6D takes the sound quality that much further. Choice between 5 and 6D is purely down to depth of pocket. I think the 6D beats the 5 for value with what it delivers
Next up was the Pass Labs Pre amp. 4D improved the detail, particularly in the top end, certainly in the clarinet which also sounded sweeter, more general background evident, guitar strumming more forward, more detail from the harpsichord sound
5D improved all further and also added more detail again, more oomph, the sound was 'bigger'
6D Diction in the vocals even clearer and more dynamic, drums more sustained, background even clearer, quiet parts quieter, clarinet sounded gentler, as if less effort being used.
Damn That's a second 6D required.....
Dare I try these on the Isis CD ?
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Post by John on Sept 14, 2015 16:45:16 GMT
Depends how deep is your pockets Mike!
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 16, 2015 12:20:23 GMT
Having my cheapskate self arguing with my 'must get more out the of the music' self was always going to be a struggle.
The justification : I've worked very hard running my own business for over 30 years and I deserve it
Anyway Tony cleverly provided me with 3 of the 6D cables so I had to try the 3rd. The Isis was the box chosen Usual good on the 4D, better on the 5D and great on the 6D. I thought it couldn't make so much difference but it did. Another 6D. Cheapskate self writhing in agony
There's more. Martin raved about how the 6D really made a difference on the P10 and the Chord power amp so Tony made me up a 6D with the special IEC the Chord needs.
I could see this was probably going to be a keeper but me and the boss were surprised about how much better the 6D was. Maybe because I jumped straight to that.
The system really sings now with the 4 in place and that's what I ended up buying.
Have to confess there are some albums that deliver little extra, but some deliver a huge amount of extra detail now that takes the breath away.
Not finished. There are the 2 types of connector. Having heard the 5D with Furutech and the specially rolled on a virgin's thighs (well, blasted and coated by Tony's artisans) I wanted the latter.
System playing the vanilla Furutechs was wonderful
With the super duper connectors it was noticeable better and that was from brand spanking new and cold.
I know cables get better with use and, placebo or not these are getting better to my ears.
A great step up to my system that you could not imagine could come just from mains cables.
Thanks to Tony for his patience and various visits
I am a happy bunny
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Post by MartinT on Sept 16, 2015 12:51:22 GMT
Nice moves there, Mike.
I'm waiting for things to settle (and my funds to recover) before I look at replacing the MCRU No.9 cables feeding the Pass and Ayre.
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 16, 2015 14:11:54 GMT
Don't let that Tony leave a 6D behind when you next see him
You have to try it and then you can't let it go !
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Post by MartinT on Sept 16, 2015 17:09:23 GMT
I've got two 6Ds to try out, but I'm still listening to the new sound and don't want to muddy the waters just yet.
Tony is very kindly going to swap out the 16A connector for an IEC on my 6D power amp cable for the Belles, when he delivers it.
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 16, 2015 20:37:46 GMT
Danger wallet alert !
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Post by MartinT on Oct 8, 2015 11:16:33 GMT
me and the boss were surprised about how much better the 6D was. Maybe because I jumped straight to that. . . Have to confess there are some albums that deliver little extra, but some deliver a huge amount of extra detail now that takes the breath away. . . System playing the vanilla Furutechs was wonderful With the super duper connectors it was noticeable better and that was from brand spanking new and cold. What I think the Coherent series of mains cables do which is fundamentally different from all of the others I've tried is that they work on bringing out transparency and midrange presence, rather than doing something more obvious with the frequency extremes. That isn't to say that they don't bring shimmering cymbal detail or tighter bass to the party, they certainly do. But what they bring in presence detail, air and space is quite startling. The series is indeed progressive with the 4D being excellent and the 5D and 6D getting even better. I have never heard power cables that make such an obvious and positive improvement to sound. The construction is complex and Tony talks about days to make a 6D cable. Looking at one closely, I can quite believe it. However they do it, the low noise floor and remarkable detail retrieval give the clue that strong RFI and mains-borne noise rejection form a major part of their operation. Mike is quite right: some albums give a lot more, others appear to have reached their limit and have little more to give. The cables serve to differentiate the quality of recordings but almost everything benefits, even if you can't quite put your finger on it to start with. These are not inexpensive cables and can be recommended only for well sorted systems where a brick wall has been reached in performance improvements. In such cases, borrow a 4D or better at your peril. You are most unlikely to give it back. One final point about plugs which serves to show how different systems respond: I far prefer the Furutech gold plugs to the new ones that Tony is trialling and which Mike prefers. In my system, the new ones are too mellow and cuddly whereas the Furutechs bring out more of what my system is good at. However, you can go too far and I believe the Furutech Rhodiums do this, which is why I've been migrating them out in favour of the gold ones.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 8, 2015 11:49:20 GMT
Tony said some preferred the Furutech and that surprised me. The others, in my system certainly, were better on everything. The difference was so great I thought the 5D with the non Furutech was a 6D.
Mains cables making a difference is one thing. Plugs takes it to a different place. You have to hear them both to believe it
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Guest
Rank: Quartet
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Post by Guest on Oct 9, 2015 7:21:53 GMT
I attacked this thorny subject from a different end. I put a spur into my supply at the junction box. Then used the best solid core available and a none switchable socket on the wall. The electricity I get to my gear shares therefore with nothing! As I am getting zero interference from every other electrical item in the property, it sounded good to me. To eliminate radio interference I then used a belkin mains cable at a cost of £6:99.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 9, 2015 8:45:18 GMT
Anything to improve is good
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