Wardsweb
08-20-2003, 06:13 AM
Pre: Bottlehead Foreplay tube
Amp: custom direct coupled "ultra path" 2A3 tube
Source: KLH CD entry level
speakers: JBL L40 two way
Music: Nora Jones
Let me start by saying I an NOT an audiophile, but have been into music since childhood. My father was an accomplished musician and my sister has her undergraduate degree in music and voice. So, I've grown up with music in all it's forms. I would call myself an music enthusiast. How else can I explain five working systems in my house and a sixth at work. This being said, these are my own impressions and totally subjective. I'm not trying to sell anything or impress anyone. This is just the way I heard it on my first audition of these cables.
Volume on the pre was set to 8 o'clock (6 being no sound) and never moved. The pre has mega gain and mated with the 2A3 will drive fairly inefficient speakers well. There is a speaker impedance switch with an off position that I used to swap cables.
Kimber 4VS
1st auditioned and while good tone and clarity, nothing to write home about
Ultalink Challenger
2nd auditoned and improved bass noticed more than anything else and a gain in volume with nothing else changing.
QED Silver
3rd auditioned and a sudden sense of realism. The volume was lower (maybe softer) but extremely detailed.
QED XT350
4th auditioned and a bit of the same decrease in volume over the Ultralink, not as bad as the Silver, but at the same time a loss of some of the detail and realism (presence?).
I plan on spending a little more time doing some A/B with different cables in the left and right channels that I can hear one at a time or together to get a real sense of what changes.
Amp: custom direct coupled "ultra path" 2A3 tube
Source: KLH CD entry level
speakers: JBL L40 two way
Music: Nora Jones
Let me start by saying I an NOT an audiophile, but have been into music since childhood. My father was an accomplished musician and my sister has her undergraduate degree in music and voice. So, I've grown up with music in all it's forms. I would call myself an music enthusiast. How else can I explain five working systems in my house and a sixth at work. This being said, these are my own impressions and totally subjective. I'm not trying to sell anything or impress anyone. This is just the way I heard it on my first audition of these cables.
Volume on the pre was set to 8 o'clock (6 being no sound) and never moved. The pre has mega gain and mated with the 2A3 will drive fairly inefficient speakers well. There is a speaker impedance switch with an off position that I used to swap cables.
Kimber 4VS
1st auditioned and while good tone and clarity, nothing to write home about
Ultalink Challenger
2nd auditoned and improved bass noticed more than anything else and a gain in volume with nothing else changing.
QED Silver
3rd auditioned and a sudden sense of realism. The volume was lower (maybe softer) but extremely detailed.
QED XT350
4th auditioned and a bit of the same decrease in volume over the Ultralink, not as bad as the Silver, but at the same time a loss of some of the detail and realism (presence?).
I plan on spending a little more time doing some A/B with different cables in the left and right channels that I can hear one at a time or together to get a real sense of what changes.