***under construction***

I could wait several more days before giving my review of these cables, but I think I’ve spent enough listening time to form an opinion that will not change, regardless of how much time elapses. The actual review itself will be fairly brief and to the point- no sense in weighing the issue down with flowery prose that goes on for pages.

I was a little hesitant at first to even try any upscale cables, fearing that my modest system might not have sufficient resolution to reveal differences, if any. But, then, what the hell- it WAS free, after all. I went into this with no preconceived notions, and no experience with high-end cables.

Details on the cables are here (http://zebracables.com/sp10sd.html)

The modest system:

Power- NAD 2200PE (100wpcx2)
Preamp- BEZ Q4B 6HBC with stock tubes
Speakers- Shahinian Obelisks
CD (redbook only)- Denon DCD-1500

For vinyl, add:

Phono pre- Wardsweb-built Bottlehead Seduction C4S
TT- Harman Kardon T-60 fitted with a Denon D-160 HOMC

I/C’s are all plain vanilla, with the exception of pre-power, which are some brand of ~$50 items from Fry’s- they may be Belden brand, but I can’t remember. Regular speaker cable is Home Depot 12 ga monster clone with Vampire bananas on the speaker ends and bare on the amp ends.

The following musical selections were played entirely or in part in the demonstration:

CD:
Jim White~ Drill A Hole In That Substrate & Tell Me What You See
Taj Mahal~ Like Never Before
Richie Havens~ Cuts To The Chase
Van Morrison~ Veedon Fleece
Jorma Kaukonen~ Blue Country Heart
Garland Jeffreys~ Don’t Call Me Buckwheat
Willard Grant Conspiracy~ Regard The end
Willie Nile~ Streets Of New York

Vinyl:
Chuck Mangione~ Children Of Sanchez
Joan Armatrading~ The Shouting Stage
David Bromberg~ Sideman Serenade
Waterboys~ Fisherman’s Blues
Paul Simon~ One Trick Pony
Robbie Robertson~ S/T
Harry Nilsson~ A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night
Dire Straits~ Brothers In Arms
Tracy Chapman~ S/T
Peter Gabriel~ So

There may have been more- I forget.

The Listening:

I had been listening to the normal set-up most of the day yesterday, so it was plenty warmed up. After the Jim White cd finished, I went through the drill of swapping in the Zebra cables and restarted Jim White. Immediate impression after only about 30 seconds: everything about the music was much improved, and noticeably so. The opening track of that cd has some intentional distortion recorded into the rhythm section that was always a little disconcerting form me. It was not as noticeable with the Zebras. Also, the soundstage opened up dramatically- ~3 feet wider, ~3 feet deeper, and maybe 2 feet higher than what I was accustomed to. Clarity and detail improved to the point it was as if a quilt had been pulled off the speakers. The presentation was more like a sonic hologram in front of me, with instruments and vocals placed solidly in their respective occupying air space.

From that starting point, I proceeded to play a combination of 8 or 9 cd’s and lp’s, dutifully swapping between the Zebras and my regular cables and re-listening. The resulting impressions were identical to what is described above.

At some point, it became obvious to me I was wasting time swapping back in my regular cables to compare to the Zebras- each time I did, the listening experience diminished dramatically.

The Conclusion:

The damned things work, and work phenomenally well. I don’t know WHY, and frankly don’t care. If I had any complaint at all, it would be that due to their construction, they're quite stiff, and getting them to lie on the floor or otherwise be routed is somewhat like old Marlon Perkins wrestling an anaconda.

For anyone who wants to declaim that this wasn’t valid because it wasn’t a double blah blah, or that I WANTED to hear an improvement, you are cordially invited to bite my ass. I listen with my ears.

And I’m ordering a pair.

now thats my kind of review.

Awesome review, Toze! What a great way to start the program. Same damn thing happen to me 2 months ago. Didn't wanna believe it either. But who the hell cares what I believe, as long as the music sounds better.
Enjoy!
E

Tentoze, your Shinanigans have PLENTY of resolution. I'm very familar with them. Very good review! :thmbsp:

Check out this pics from the Buda Bash Mini AKFest where we were using the Zebra speaker cables with a 211 mega amp and a 6DN7 flea amp. Be sure to click on the pics to enlarge.

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=30

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=31

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=36

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=37

Check out this pics from the Buda Bash Mini AKFest where we were using the Zebra speaker cables with a 211 mega amp and a 6DN7 flea amp. Be sure to click on the pics to enlarge.

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=30

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=31

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=36

http://www.lonestarbottleheads.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=22&pos=37


I recognized em immediately. This pair will be shipping to skippy_ps tomorrow.

Thanks to 'toze for sending the cables to me and of course thanks to Russman for setting the whole deal up in the first place.

I've, umm, completed my trial and sent the cables on to AK member Photobitstream.

Will post some favorable comments later.

Murray

I actually bought two pairs of these Zebra speaker wires to biamp my Vandersteen 2C's and agree with Tentoze's review of these wires.
The other equipment being used was two EchoWars rebuilt Pioneer SPEC 2's, a rebuilt SPEC 1, and a modded Sony DVD/CD player. I listen to a wide spectrum of music and had this set up hooked up for several days. This part of Toze's review hit the hammer on the head of the nail for me, "Clarity and detail improved to the point it was as if a quilt had been pulled off the speakers"

I am attempting to bring this entire set up to the AK Fest this week, and people can hear for themselves what Tentoze and I are talking about.


Retro

If you do, make sure to bring along your old wires (for a good 1 - 1 comparison).

Just thought I'd mention it.... I won't be at the 'Fest....... :(

Great review! :thmbsp: Where do I send my teeth (for that bite). And please wash thoroughly before returning. :D

How about a bit of info on who is selling these Z-cables and the pricing.

AK Sponsor Zebra cables- click their linky at the bottom of the main page.

If you do, make sure to bring along your old wires (for a good 1 - 1 comparison).

Just thought I'd mention it.... I won't be at the 'Fest....... :(

Yep, I'll bring my old ones as well. I also bought some new Zebra IC's and will bring new and old of those too.


Retro

Looks good. How do I go about auditioning a set of their speaker cables? I want to high-end model (the ones that cost $5 more :D ). Is this a money-back if not happy thing? If so, I'll simply order them.

Looks good. How do I go about auditioning a set of their speaker cables? I want to high-end model (the ones that cost $5 more :D ). Is this a money-back if not happy thing? If so, I'll simply order them.

Email Scott at sales@zebracables.com, and I'm sure he'll be happy to answer these questions.

After trying the cables out, I ordered a pair of the 10 ga., bananas/BAR8 spades (fit on McIntosh terminal strip). I got them last week and plugged them in - they replaced 12 ga. stranded "speaker cable."

Scott from Zebra Cables just em'd me to check on "how it's going" and here is the essence of my response.

"Scott,

Cables are great. I like the McIntosh size spades as they fit perfectly and are nice and sturdy. I have them connected so that they go up from the terminal strip and I turned them around backwards - works fine (MC-2205 amp).

I have listened to some familiar cee dees and I noticed some enhancement in detail in what I would call the upper mid and treble. This is a good thing, to me. Cables are beautiful, as well.

Thanks for checking in,

Murray"

So, :thmbsp: :thmbsp: for the cables, Scott Burns at Zebra Cables and the AK cable swap program. :banana:

Have the cables in my main system. Been house hunting so haven't had time for critical listening, but I plan on doing that this weekend during breaks while packing to move. First impressions are very favorable. These things are beautiful, and they most certainly do not degrade the sound (j/k) compared with the cheap 14-gauge cable I've been using. The construction quality is excellent.

I really don't want to write this review. After making the mistake of participating in cable discussions last year and taking the stance that speakers cables just carry the signal and make no difference to the sound, I'm typing this with a heaping serving of crow sitting between my keyboard and me.

It took me about 10 seconds into Dave Alvin's "Blackjack David" to start rethinking my cable knowledge. Maybe these Zebra cables just carry a stronger signal than the 14-ga. Ratshack wire I've been using, but the sound difference is apparent. I could go into all kinds of esoteric audio-porn BS about bloom and such, but the simple message I got from my ears is the noise floor is lower with these cables. Turning up the volume after reinserting the Ratshack wire didn't make up the difference, it just amplified (bada-bump) the difference.

Going back to the Zebra Cables I listened to Weather Report's "Crystal" from "I Sing the Body Electric." Again, the noise floor just sounded lower than with the cheaper cables. Next up, Toni's Price exquisite acapella "Swim Away" from the album of the same name. Beautiful. Nothing but her voice and the echo in the studio. My last demo song was from a friend, Tim Steele's "Desert Wind" from "Ridin' with the Top Down." I chose this because Tim has played in my living room, and I've demoed this song on numerous systems. I heard nuances on the tune that I haven't heard since I demoed a pair of Totem Hawk's last year.

For the last test, I reinstalled the Zebra Cables and played the same four tunes through my Marantz DVD player. This player has always sounded harsh on the high ends, so much so that my wife and I gave up using it for music after I found a Rotel CD player in a pawn shop last year. The Marantz is no longer harsh. In fact, with the Zebra cables in place it is downright pleasant. That's one less pair of interconnects I need, and one more piece that can sit in a closet.

Checking Zebra Cable's web site I see these cables cost $96 for an 8-foot pair. Seeing as how they made my DCM TF-700s sound as good as the Totem Hawks I have to consider that a bargain, especially considering that I can retire the Rotel CD player and use the Marantz DVD player for music. Go ahead, tell me ya told me so. I can take it.

Associated equipment:
Carver CT-Seven pre/tuner
Carver TFM-25 amp
Rotel RCD-955AX CD player
Marantz DV 4300 DVD player
DCM Time Frame 700 speakers

Good cables/ICs. We told you so. :D
Sort of like going from a decent MM cartridge and phono stage to a high-end MC cartridge and matching phono stage. Makes you wonder why you wasted all those years :tears: missing out on so much of the music.

Oh my gawd. you mean I need to buy an outboard phono stage too?! What's next, a tube amp? :ntwrthy:

J/K. My Sony TA-E77ESD preamp has a switch for MC cartridges. And a built-in DAC. Kinda the best of both worlds. But I am wondering what a nice little 35 wpc tube amp would sound like in my office system.

Where does it stop?

Depends on just how much of the music you wish to hear. But tubes.....hmmmmm.......my next purchase will be a BAT tube preamp.

First off I want to say thanks for this swap program and for giving me the opportunity to demo these cables in my system. AK is great!

I got the package safe and sound and my first impression was that it was HEAVY! Speaker cables? I opened the box and they are beautiful.

My gear I used is a Dared VP-16 integrated tube amp, a Sony SCD-CE595, a dampened Toshiba 3960, and Klipsch KG-4's.
TT was a MMF-5 with a Bellari Rolls VP-129 phono stage.

I did not do any double blind, A/B or any sort of that testing. I let my gear play for a bit while putzing around the apartment after work and before swapping anything out. After about an hour I sat listened to John Mayer Trio Live-Try! on CD. This cd is notoriuos for me to reach for the bass knob while played on other gear. The bass is boomy and muddy. The Dared helps a little and keeps it tolerable, but muddy, nonetheless. I listened to 3/4 of the cd and swapped out the Home Depot Monster knock-off cables for the Zebra cables. Well, I was floored. The first thing I noticed was the boomy, muddy bass was tightened up dramatically. I listened to the entire CD from the beginning again. The soundstage seemed wider and clarity improved. I wanted more, so I dropped in Alice in Chains-MTV Unplugged. I have had this CD for long time and know it well. I have heard strings rattling against frets before but the Zebra cables brought a "prescence" to the strings. It was going to be long night. Next up was Hot Tuna, recorded live at the New Orleans House, Berkley with the same results. Greater clarity, wider soundstage. I spent the better part of the 2 weeks relistening to several CDs, LPs and DVD concerts and I can not complain. These cables are next on my list of upgrades! :thmbsp:

disclaimer: no alcohol was abused during the first 3 days of demo-ing these cables!

Just wanted to let eveyrone know I now have the cables in-hand and will get out a review next week (Memorial Day is screwing up my schedule). Thanks Tonedeaf!

BTW I cannot promise the alcohol will not be abused! :beer: :D

Ok I have FINALLY been able to get down to reviewing these cables!

The first thing you notice is the weight. These babies are heavy for what they are, and represents the excellent construction used. I do have one bitch, the bannana connectors need a little more "spring". They dident seem to want to stay put in my speakers, though they never did fall out.
I compared these directly to the Speltz Anti-Cables and this may have been a bit unfair.
I played all the tracks listed below and then changed out the Speltz's and inserted the Zebras, which were used on the mid/tweeter ribbons of my Apogee's.
The first thing I noticed was a "tightening up" of the soundstage. It was not as expansive, though the detail level was on-par with the Anti's, to a point. Where the Zebras were lacking was in micro detail, and the ability to let the listener "sense" the sound field of a given recording. It was almost as if the very top octave was rolled off. This gave a most recordings a slighty shallower depth of field.
I then single wired the speakers with the Zebras (using jumpers from the woofer panels to the mr/t's) to see what the bass response was like. Here again detail was better than the 16 ga flat braided Radio Shack that I was using. However it became apparent that the lowest registers were, as with the top end, rolled off. Bass, though very nicely detailed lacked the "punch" that I was used to.

In summary, these are good cables, though if you have very "picky" speakers (Apogees are known to be a pain in the ass) you may notice the subtle differences that I found to be toward the negative side. I Found these to have very good upper bass/midrange detail. I thats what you are looking for these cables would be worth an audition.

Equipment used:

Amp: Bedini 150/150 MKII
Pre: Luxman C02
CD player: Marantz SA 8260
Speakers: Apogee Duetta II
IC's: Zebra Analog

Cd's used: ( Artist, Album, Track)
The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan, Life by the Drop.
Muddy Waters, Folk Singer, Big Leg Woman
Van Morrision, Moondance, Crazy Love
Spin Doctors, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, Forty or Fifty
Talking Heads, Naked, Flowers
Jennifer Warnes, Famous Blue Raincoat, Bird on a Wire
Blink 182, I Miss You (debut album?)

Franz - Cheap speakers have cheap wire inside. Today's good speakers have good wire inside. If you have vintage speakers, one thing you can do is rewire with good wire (I used DHLabs). Then start your cable hunt.