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For speaker cables, the anti-cables were really value for money and out-performed many other speaker cables costing thousands of $$$.
For ICs, are there any such equivalent value for money ones?
Please recommend any RCA ICs you have used in the region of around US$150.
If you have also used anti-cable ICs, I would also look forward to hearing your views.
I'm all ears. ;)
Thanks!
Follow Ups:
MA2's was the sweet spot for me. I did try the anticable IC's a few years ago and didn't care for them. YMMV
MA2's are the sweet spot for me as well. Open,airy and present. The MA3 adds warmth, but seems to lose a bit of air. ......probably more of a system synergy thing, but that's what I seem to be hearing.
I use Anti-Cables....and like them. When I moved to a new house, I ordered more - different sizes needed. I compared them to many more expensive cables...Cardas,Audioquest,Nordost,..all top of the line, and came away with Anti-Cables.
Depending on your system, and I really stress the system synergy issue, Kimber Kable Heroes are great for the money and can be found used at $150 or less for a one meter pair. I've used them in my system and if your amp/preamp or digital source is a bit on the soft side, they can be a great match. However, on certain gear you match them up with, they can sound a bit hard. However, bass is plentiful and solid, soundstaging is superb. Also, if you can find Audioquest Columbia used, you can sometimes get them in this price range. Another great cable, but less system dependent, IMO.
...cable, it's really very good, and the manufacturer (Stewart Prior) is a great guy. I have one between my main pre and amp, and honestly my previous silver Ecosse Myth/Pro cable ($900) is not much better.
You can email him at soundsilvercable@yahoo.com, or look for him on Agon:
Stewart's cables are easily the best I've heard at this price point. And as a bonus, they look decent as well.
I see you have also heard the Morrow MA3s. Which is better?
Thanks.
My Soundsilver comment was in reference to the Trilogy ....not the Symmetry.
Most of my comparing was between the Morrow MA2 and the Trilogy. The Trilogy thru a wider soundstage and was warmer, but the MA2 always seemed to sound more real and sorted complexities in the music a bit better. The MA3 adds a little more warmth by comparison, but I'd be hard pressed to say it's clearly superior to the MA2... at least in my system. Now the Trilogy was only $79 when I bought it, so I was quite pleased it hung in there as well as it did. Not quite the equal of the Morrows, but close. The Symmetry may have closed the gap, but that I can't say.
Anti's have a tryout window of a month (I think) and you can return them if you don't like them. I have some used ones if you'd like those at 1/2 price.
Dear Erik and Mick,
Thanks for your recommendation.
I looked at the specs in Stewart's Audiogon advertisement.
He is currently selling the symmetry for US$99 per 1M RCA pair.
This is a great price for cables which look very well made and with solid core internals and excellent RCA connectors.
I have contacted Stewart and have decided to place an order with him.
Kind regards,
LS
P.S. Thanks to the feedback from the others too. :)
...just break-in the cables for about 50 hrs before your critical listening (if you believe in these kind of things :-).
The wire was "Mark levinson ***Swiss made***" printed on beige teflon jacket. skinny wires.
I have had these wires since early 1980s. I only wish I had bought more if the bulk wire.
I have at least eight sets of this wire for interconnects.
I originally used Radio Shack gold plated RCA. And recently redid the RCA with Vampire 'Tiffany' style RCA.
The sound like Cardas.. So for maybe $40 a set.. I have some exquisite wires..
If you ever SEE any of these floating around grab them. They are worth $500 a pair easy, twice that... really great wires.
Presentation a little soft, a little warm, best described just like Cardas golden stuff. Detail.. great.
I would NEVER sell them.
Lucky I guess.
These?
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Mark+Levinson+RCA+Audio+Cable+3Ft+Tiffany+Connector
Has anyone tried the AudioQuest Black Mamba 2's that AudioAdvisor has in this price range?
I use their speaker wire and their interconnects and the IC's are even more impressive to me. I even have their silver wire,silver Eichmann version which is available but not listed on the site. These cables made me go all unshielded in my system for all cables including power cables which opened up the sound and improved everything for me.
ET
I got my new Anti ICs (again with the Eichmann plugs - nice) earlier this week and inserted them into use with a new Marantz SA8004 SACD player. I was using some Straightwire Rhapsody S cables that I had sitting in a box and now I remember why they were in the box.
The Anticables are nowhere near broken in yet but I got pretty much what I was expecting. I have enjoyed the set that bridges my amp and preamp. I was hoping the great sound of the Marantz could be raised another notch as well.
The Rhapsodys were imposing a dull film over the sound in general. The Anti ICs really cleaned the glass. Upper frequencies are better exposed without being sharp and bass has tightened. Dynamic punch is clearly better and micro details are much easier to hear. I'm a fan of these cables for sure. I just love the neutrality and clarity of these.
Since cables do make a difference I'm sure there are better ones out there than these, but I'm not going to multiply the price tag to find out. I paid more (dealer recommendation) a couple of years ago for the Rhapsodys and that was a mistake.
Add me to the list. I use the speaker cables with bare terminations. I have been using the ICs with the Eichmann plugs for close to a year now and I have just ordered a second short set to connect a new CD player I recently purchased.
I love the clear presentation with no coloration whatsoever. Like not having cables. Get the plugs. The RCA connectors are not as good if you can afford the extra $50. Worth it IMO.
Scott
I use bare terminations too on my speaker wire. Do you have the silver IC's or the copper?
ET
I use the copper. No extra sound from these wires as far as my ears can tell. I can't believe how everything else I tried acted like a tone control one way or the other.
I only tried the standard or the silver wire w/silver Eichmanns. I never tried copper upgraded to copper Eichmann. I love both but the silver is better.
ET
I like the Mapleshade ribbons at $120.
The Black Cat Morpheus IC ($127.50) is very good too and has some outstanding strengths. They both benefit from a long break in period.
I tried the anticables and found them to be bad for the money (I'm one of the few), the IC much worse than the speaker cable.
A bit off topic, but are you related to Lord Sutch? I saw him perform in Toronto in the late 60's Weird dude.
Nope. I'm not related to Lord Sutch.
FWIW, I've been nicknamed "Lord Sloth" in other audio forums...
That's about as weird as it gets for me.
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