Final Labs OFC speaker cables

[millerdog]

First of all, I was using 18 gauge zip wire from my Sansui to my Polks. I couldn't quite get my Kimbers to fit into those little holes of the "press and insert" speaker connections.
SK came over to listen to the Polks and he brought the Final Labs cables with him. I should have plugged those suckers in cause they opened up the highs big time.
Okay, do high end cables work with vintage gear? In my opinion they do. I immediatley noticed the high end bloom.
Next I take em down stairs and listen to my DH Labs Q10s and Paramours....change em out for the Final Labs, and yeah!
The change is sound was a bit more subtle, but still there. The Q10s are just don't have upper range the Final Labs have.
Okay, nuff said..check em out if BrianB still has some.

[Thatch_Ear]

How are they made, look, stuff like that? Were you using Kimber on your Paramour/DH Labs and if so can you make a comparision?

[millerdog]

Did I leave out the pertinent stuff?:rolleyes:
The cables are separate runs of what appear to stranded 16-14 gauge copper wire surrounded by cotton insulation. In other words, they are thin! Like the Final Labs interconnect, don't let the size fool you though. Unlike the interconnects, the speaker cables are unterminated.
Right now, on my Paramours and LothXs, they sound a bit better than my DH Labs Q10s. They are a bit more detailed and airy. The extended upper range is immediately noticable on my favorite tracks.
To be honest though, today, I'm not quite sure I like what they are doing to the upper range. I think I'll give em about a week then go back to the DH Labs and see what I think.

[sasaki kojiro]

Interesting. In my system those wires seemed really smooth with no overly pronounced high end response. They couldn't quite match my AZ Satori, but those retail for twice as much.

[Thatch_Ear]

Brian B had told me about the quality of the OFC and I understand that cotton has great dialectic properties. If the old WE wire that I have was made with that purity of copper I would be in heaven. I was mainly curious as to the construction of the cables and how the wires were laid out.

[millerdog]

sorry, almost forgot about this post:(
The cables are individually wrapped in the cotton insulation. Therefore, you got four individual cables running to your speakers. Brian suggested using plastic ties to keep them together. The wire is the color of magnet wire; deep, deep orange (think clean penny). It's stranded and soldered at the ends. I am using them unterminated.
I'll put the DH Labs Q10s back in tomorrow and report back.:)

[millerdog]

I put the DH Labs Q10s back in a couple of days ago. I gotta say this was a toss up.
The DH Labs were warmer on the vocals. The bass was about the same; I didn't notice any difference in punch or detail. Then again, I have had the DH Labs since I put system together, what, six months ago?
The Final Labs were more airy and detailed. The cymbals seemed to rise about a foot higher in the soundstage. I could hear the vocalists' breathe in and out when singing.
The Final Labs are in, the DH Labs are out. But that is just for my ears. I have to say I was kinda suprised for the DH Labs cables are silver coated and I expected them to be brighter, or at least more detailed. No way Hose!
I would recommend the Final Labs with tubes, but not with SS gear. That is unless you like clear ringing highs on your cymbals and vocals. I found the vocals a bit sibilant on the Sansui 771 though.
And you thought speaker cables don't make a diff on vintage gear!:D Maybe you just haven't tried some really good ones. :cool:

[BrianB]

Hi millerdog,

You really seem to have hit the nail on the head! In the past, I have recommended Final Labs' OFC speaker cables to folks who are looking for an interface between low-powered tube amps and high-efficiency loudspeakers. Generally speaking, these speaker cables are less friendly towards solid-state amplifiers than tube amplifiers, although they do seem to like SS units by DNM, 47 Labs, Lavardin, and - not surprisingly - Final Labs.

In contrast, the Final Labs OFC interconnects seem to like almost everything, and are even more impressive than the OFC speaker cables. At least that's my impression. Given that you now have both the interconnects and speakers cables, what do you think, millerdog?

Happy listening,
Brian

[millerdog]

I am thinking that I need a new Jolida tube amp to power my living room Polk speakers.:)

OH! the cables! With both the ICs and speaker cables in my bedroom system, I thought it almost matched my living room system in terms of air and instrument separation. Soundstage has never been a problem with the Loths( I was kinda sorry to see you drop the line), but the placement of the instruments in the soundstage was more to my liking with the Final Labs.
I gotta say though, compared to my Q10s, the Final Labs look puny. But hey! it's all about the sound.;)

[BrianB]

Originally posted by sasaki kojiro
Interesting. In my system those wires seemed really smooth with no overly pronounced high end response. They couldn't quite match my AZ Satori, but those retail for twice as much.

Hi SK,

I don't know why, but for some reason Acoustic Zen has been something of a reference point for my Final Labs cable customers...

I now have some sample sets of Final Labs' new SPEED-series interconnects and speaker cables, and I must say that these are noticeably better than the older OFC-series cables. In particular, Final Labs' new cables are harmonically richer, offer greater extension at both frequency extremes, and throw the biggest soundstage of any wire that I've ever heard.

Indeed, I have a customer on the East Coast who has auditioned my sample sets, and has decided to replace all of his top-of-the-line AZ cabling for the new and much less expensive (but still not cheap!) FL SPEED cabling.

Would you be interested in trying out my new sample sets as well, SK?

Cheers,
Brian

[millerdog]

I am going to hate myself for asking....but what do the new Speed series run as far as cost?

[BrianB]

Hi millerdog,

The new SPEED cables from Final Labs will cost around twice as much as their older OFC cables...

Happy listening,
Brian

[sasaki kojiro]

Thanks Brian,
I'm pretty happy with the system right now, so I'll let it remain static for at least a couple of months.