Lon
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"Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick
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I just did a shootout with interconnects when I discovered a box that had been missing for years that had Decware, My Audio Cable, TARA Labs and cryoset.com interconnects, and two pair of the top of the line Audioquest silver component video coaxial cables that I picked up cheap years ago. There were also two power cords, an Anaylsis Plus Oval One and a PS Audio Power Punch. I didn't play with the power cords, I know how they are and have much better power cords, so they'll go directly to the for sale pile.
I was using my audio-video system in the living room for the testing and then also my headphone only system upstairs in the "loft" bedroom area. In the living room system I was using a VooDoo Cable Stradivarius Cremona XLR out of the Oppo UDP-205 to the ZBIT, a pair of (fantastic sounding) silver Granite Audio interconnects from the ZBIT to the ZROCK2, a pair of VooDoo Cable Stradivarius (earliest version) from ZROCK2 to CSP2+ with mods, then a VooDoo Cable Ultralinear to the Taboo Mk IV with mods. I really liked the sound with these cables though they lacked a tiny bit of warmth I get with higher tier VooDoo Cables in my main system upstairs.
Due to unnegotiable terms from my lovely wife, I have to hide my PS Audio Power Plant Premier, Decware ZLC, CSP2+ and Taboo Mk IV BEHIND a "lovely" cadenza that my wife made me put in place instead of my Mapleshade Samson racks which are now upstairs. The ZBIT and ZROCK2 are underneath the cadenza. As there is a nest of power and signal cables back there behind the cadenza real careful placement is necessary for unshielded interconnects, and not always satisfactorily possible. Shielded cables are probably the best here.
In this system here is the ranking of the single-ended cables (didn't change out the balanced), which surprised me:
Audioquest YIQ-5 solid "perfect surface" silver conductor with really good copper and silver shielding. Now of course there is a third cable in each set which is unused, but these cables gave me nearly all the resolution of the VooDoo Cable interconnects, with just a touch of smoothness and warmth that is a nice addition. I have two pair, each 2 meter, and paid less than 175 for both, and these are a steal as they really are just right for this system.
Next were TARA Labs Reference interconnects, rectangular solid core copper, shielded. These had a bit more warmth and "body" but appeared a bit "slower." These were among the first "audiophile" cables I bought and they still deliver. On Redbook they are actually better than the Audioquest by a hair (Redbook is the format that sounds just a bit unsatisfactory to me on the Oppo, so I don't play many cds as a rule, it's mainly a video system with some SACD and Spectrum jazz channel listening). These old friends do deliver.
Cryoset.com interconnects are next, or a tie with the TARA Labs, hard to tell, more listening time would be needed and I just haven't had the time. Copper conductors, shielded, cryo treated. Very similar signature to the TARA Labs. . . warm and smooth being the major characteristic, perhaps just a bit too much for the best recorded material, but helpful with the rest.
My Audio Cables unshielded silver cables. These were the fastest and most detailed of the cables, just a bit on the bright side of neutral, and very open and clear sounding. With some placement there was noise/hum due to the environment behind the cadenza.
Decware interconnects, unshielded silver conductor with the standard connectors, very very similar to the My Audio Cables, really eerily so and also had the same placement requirements to avoid noise/hum.
So for this system I replaced the VooDoo cable RCA interconnects with the Audioquest and have really enjoyed the sound. A really good synergy among components and cabling.
In my headphone only system I have been using for my analog cabling PS Audio Resolution interconnects, shielded silver conductor RCA cables, from PS Audio NuWave DAC to ZBOX then to ZROCK2 and then from there to the PS Audio GCHA headphone amp. I really like this loom and didn't find any of the other cabling to top it though though mixing in the TARA Labs from the ZROCK to the amp was quite good, and a full loom of the Cryoset.com cables (I have three of differing lengths) gave the PS Audio a run for their money, I could easily live with those in place. Again the Decware and My Audio Cable sounded nearly identical and sounded good (I have the three pair of the My Audio Cable and could do a full loom) and in comparison to the PS Audio the PS Audio was just a bit more relaxed and perhaps "musical sounding."
So all our rooms and systems are different but any of these I have used in my systems in the past and would recommend are worth trying. Only problem is. . . the Decware is the only one still easily available. And its quite possible that shielded interconnects would work best with the ZP3. When I had a ZP3 I used VooDoo Cable Stradivarius Amati interconnects; fantastic cables, highly recommendable, quite expensive!
Over time I have moved to shielded even in systems that are not "noise" challenged, not with any real intention, just following my ears, but there may be other "environmental" reasons why I have.
It was an interesting experiment and the Audioquest DID surprise me as the winner in the living room system. I sent my Decware cables off to my best friend in Texas (who has my trusty old RL-2 speakers in his system for 9 years now) and the others. . . are back in a box for now!
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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