I think I'm finished swapping ICs for awhile

[Roadrash]

I picked up a couple of pairs of Kimber Kable PBJs recently, and put them in the main system. They made an immediate and very noticeable improvement. I've been playing around with cables for about 6 months or so to see if I could actually hear a difference, and yes I can. There have been some that were barely noticeable, and some ''holy crap what a difference!'' moments.
First were AQ Evergreens. My very first 'better' cables, and a big step up from throw in cables.
Next came a pair of NOS AQ Diamondbacks to go from the pre to the mono blocks. Sounded nice but the connectors sucked.
Next was a pair made with Van Damme wire and supposed WBT connectors, because I wanted locking RCAs after a curios dog knocked one of the Diamondbacks out of the L-09ms while it was on.(got real lucky there) Not a fan of this one. I think it was let down by the connectors, they sounded very veiled compared to the Diamondbacks.
Next came Furez cable with Furez siver locking RCAs. Now we're talking! I put a 1 foot pair between the CDP and pre, and a 3 foot pair between the pre and amps. Very nice overall sound, nicely balanced.
Next came some Better Cables Silver Serpents. Once again sounded very nice, and certainly different than the Furez cables. I listened to them for a few months and went back to the Furez cables.
Picked up a couple of pairs of PBJs off of ebay last week, .5 meter and 1 meter, and installed them into the main system when they got here. WOW! They just sound incredible. I picked them up just to try a little brand matching with the 8TCs that I had picked up previously just for grins. They opened up the mids and highs without sounding bright or harsh, and everything just sounds better to me. I think I can live with this setup for quite awhile.

 

[EyeGee]

I swapped out a pair of Shunyata RCAs between my pre & power amp in favor of the Kimbers and noticed an immediate difference -- more open, less "choked" although some people may prefer the lack of detail the Shunyatas provide.

 

[pete_mac]

I picked up a couple of pairs of Kimber Kable PBJs recently, and put them in the main system. They made an immediate and very noticeable improvement. I've been playing around with cables for about 6 months or so to see if I could actually hear a difference, and yes I can. There have been some that were barely noticeable, and some ''holy crap what a difference!'' moments.
First were AQ Evergreens. My very first 'better' cables, and a big step up from throw in cables.
Next came a pair of NOS AQ Diamondbacks to go from the pre to the mono blocks. Sounded nice but the connectors sucked.
Next was a pair made with Van Damme wire and supposed WBT connectors, because I wanted locking RCAs after a curios dog knocked one of the Diamondbacks out of the L-09ms while it was on.(got real lucky there) Not a fan of this one. I think it was let down by the connectors, they sounded very veiled compared to the Diamondbacks.
Next came Furez cable with Furez siver locking RCAs. Now we're talking! I put a 1 foot pair between the CDP and pre, and a 3 foot pair between the pre and amps. Very nice overall sound, nicely balanced.
Next came some Better Cables Silver Serpents. Once again sounded very nice, and certainly different than the Furez cables. I listened to them for a few months and went back to the Furez cables.
Picked up a couple of pairs of PBJs off of ebay last week, .5 meter and 1 meter, and installed them into the main system when they got here. WOW! They just sound incredible. I picked them up just to try a little brand matching with the 8TCs that I had picked up previously just for grins. They opened up the mids and highs without sounding bright or harsh, and everything just sounds better to me. I think I can live with this setup for quite awhile.

Nicely done!

Nothing beats some long-term experimentation with various cables to see what really suits your system best.

 

[Wildcat]

I've been through a few myself. I now have Cardas between the Oppo and the pre, and the pre and power amps and I am liking this combination--very fluid sounding and solid, clean bass.

I had started with the typical giveaway ICs or cheapies I had bought over the years. Tried Audioquest Evergreens but they were noisy and very thin and lifeless sounding (the worst I'd ever owned, noise-wise)--sent those turds back within a week. Made my own with Silver Sonic cable and Neutrik ProFi RCA connectors, and they sounded much better, if slightly bright, likely from the brass used in the connectors. Dead quiet, though, almost spooky quiet!

I now want to get some Cardas cabling between phono stage and pre, but I am waiting until I settle on something I like in terms of phono stage and/or SUT. I may roll my own there using Cardas wiring, though, and copper RCA plugs. Until I get a C-J phono stage which will need its own shelf, I could get by with short interconnects.

 

[Roadrash]

I'm pretty curios how everything is going to sound when I swap amps. The big Citation is about finished, and it will be rotated into the living room while the L-09Ms are out being gone thru so this should be interesting. Maybe I'm not finished swapping ICs after all.
I just hope the Kenwoods aren't gone for too long.

 

[hifitommy]

it's good to not spend BIG money on wire. $100 is my limit for interconnects and audioquest type4 is as far as i recommend for speaker wire (though i did get a 20' pair of kimber 8tc for $50, lucky me).

 

[Wildcat]

it's good to not spend BIG money on wire. $100 is my limit for interconnects and audioquest type4 is as far as i recommend for speaker wire (though i did get a 20' pair of kimber 8tc for $50, lucky me).

One cool thing about AXPONA is that Morrow Audio sells cables at the show. They not only offer used Morrow cables at a discount, they also offer trade-in cables from other manufacturers at an even deeper discount. (The deal this year--take 50% off the already discounted cables!) Saturday Audio has a much smaller collection of previously owned cables that they bring to the show, so they are another one to check. Both companies move inventory, and we get a deal.

 

[Roadrash]

it's good to not spend BIG money on wire. $100 is my limit for interconnects and audioquest type4 is as far as i recommend for speaker wire (though i did get a 20' pair of kimber 8tc for $50, lucky me).

Agreed. The most I've spent on any one interconnect is around 85 bucks for the NOS Diamondback. Pretty much everything else was bought used, some off of Ebay, and the Silver Serpents I bought from Bostown off of BT. If you buy used you get to skip that pesky burn in process.

 

[Wildcat]

Truth! I wouldn't be rockin' Cardas ICs if I couldn't buy them used.

 

[fredgarvin]

I'm not a cable switcher really but I found an old pair of Monster Cable interlink 400 in my junk box. I vaguely recall putting Blue Jeans LC-1 in their place years ago. I remembered that I have some cheap freebie red n black cables from my old satellite boxes plugged into my TT. I figured it my be better to swap the Monsters in. Ha! Bad idea, they really muted the top end and ruined the soundstage. They're just solid core copper wire in pex dialectric but they sound much worse than the cheapo department store wire. That's probably the biggest difference I've ever heard in a cable. If only improvements could be that major.

 

[hifitommy]

i haven't been a fan of monster partially because of noel lee's aggressive copyright of the word monster and his pursuit of anything with the word monster in their trademark.

plus, when i replaced monster speaker wire with AQ Type4 i realized how much overhang was caused by the monster wire.

 

[Roadrash]

I'm not a cable switcher really but I found an old pair of Monster Cable interlink 400 in my junk box. I vaguely recall putting Blue Jeans LC-1 in their place years ago. I remembered that I have some cheap freebie red n black cables from my old satellite boxes plugged into my TT. I figured it my be better to swap the Monsters in. Ha! Bad idea, they really muted the top end and ruined the soundstage. They're just solid core copper wire in pex dialectric but they sound much worse than the cheapo department store wire. That's probably the biggest difference I've ever heard in a cable. If only improvements could be that major.

One of the biggest differences I've ever heard with cables(speaker), was when I switched from PE gold plated brass banana plugs to some NeoTech gold over copper plugs on plain old 10ga OFC. The NeoTechs were double the price for a reason. The PE plugs had the same effect you experienced with the Monster ICs.

 

[fredgarvin]

One of the biggest differences I've ever heard with cables(speaker), was when I switched from PE gold plated brass banana plugs to some NeoTech gold over copper plugs on plain old 10ga OFC. The NeoTechs were double the price for a reason. The PE plugs had the same effect you experienced with the Monster ICs.

Yeah, the Neotech and also Futuretech connectors are what the big designers prefer. I've always thought connectors play a bigger role than most of us think. I think it's odd that the freebie, unshielded cables sound better on a TT. I found two more sets of IC's in my junk, no name on them, that look well constructed. I swapped one set in for the LC-1's and the bluejeans were much better. I think in that case it may be the cheap looking brass connectors? A few years back I tried AQ Diamond backs and the they sounded just like the LC-1's. I'm starting to think that one has to spend some pretty good cash to find something that sounds exceptional. I'm too cheap. But on the other hand, People all the time will shell out $500 for an amp or a DAC that sounds just a little bit better.

 

[fredgarvin]

i haven't been a fan of monster partially because of noel lee's aggressive copyright of the word monster and his pursuit of anything with the word monster in their trademark.

plus, when i replaced monster speaker wire with AQ Type4 i realized how much overhang was caused by the monster wire.

I recently replaced my Monster speaker cable with Belden 9497, I was mainly wanting shorter cables but was surprised how immediately better they sounded. Cheaper as well.