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Klei rca connectors...Pure Harmony vs Absolute Harmony

103.10.197.214
Posted on July 13, 2015 at 11:02:21
pc123v
Audiophile

Posts: 225
Joined: February 6, 2014
 Hello Guys,

Anyone compared them before? Seeking the fuller richer sounding of the 2. How about HF extension and detail? As my system is on the bright and etched side...seeking the smoother, fuller and richer sounding i.e. "more meat on the bones" plug(esp on vocals). Which has less HF energy?

Thanks.

 

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RE: Klei rca connectors...Pure Harmony vs Absolute Harmony, posted on July 14, 2015 at 09:18:25
Mike B.
Audiophile

Posts: 26354
Location: OR
Joined: September 27, 1999
Contributor
  Since: September 1, 1999
 Just from your description I would recommend the gold plated connectors and copper based cabling.


 

I purchased the KLEI Absolute Harmony RCA Set..., posted on July 15, 2015 at 09:27:44
RadioWonder
Audiophile

Posts: 1236
Location: Arizona
Joined: March 16, 2003



Sorry no experience with the Pure Harmony RCA...

The Absolute Harmony is shockingly good...

Quote from their website...

"Exceptional Resolution, Extremely tight non-bloated deep/detailed/resolving Bass, Extremely articulate presentation, Conveys subtle nuances with amazing dexterity, Stage is spacious and envelopes the listener, Allows the full emotion of the music to be experienced, Superb dynamics and an excellent micro detail presentation, Displays delicate upper mid and high frequency detail/resolution and harmonic texture with precision and emotion, Delivers music with extremely low noise/distortion in a Warm Musical and Involving manner from an very very Black/Quiet Background."

Photo shows the VH Audio V-Twist CU24 interconnect cable with KLEI Absolute Harmony RCA connectors Conditioning on the Audiodharma Cable Cooker...

 

VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 15, 2015 at 15:47:38
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002



Image: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable

I've been evaluating the new VH Audio V-Twist interconnect cable terminated with WBT NextGen WBT-0102 Cu rca connectors for the past few months, and I'm convinced it's the best sounding line-level interconnect cable I've ever experienced. I find it to be in the same league as the AirSine power cord and the CHeLA speaker cable. I'm in the process of compiling an upcoming report to be posted in Cable Asylum.

Another new revelation to be added to the report is when I placed an also relatively new VH Audio Pulsar Cu II OCC copper 75 ohm coaxial digital cable terminated with WBT NextGen WBT-0110 Cu rca connectors in the digital front end of my main audio system, outstanding synergy is found in relationship with the VH Audio V-Twist interconnect cables terminated with WBT NextGen WBT-0102 Cu rca connectors placed between my DAC and preamplifier, and yet another pair placed between my preamplifier and power amplifier.

The Pulsar Cu II OCC copper 75 ohm coaxial digital cable has replaced my favorite solid core OCC pure silver Oyaide FTVS-510 digital cable terminated with silver WBT NextGen WBT-0102 Ag rca connectors, simply because the stellar strengths of the OCC copper Pulsar Cu II digital cable when terminated with WBT NextGen WBT-0110 Cu rca connectors provides more pristine synergy with the V-Twist interconnect cables terminated with WBT NextGen WBT-0102 Cu rca connectors. The next step in my experimentation with the Pulsar Cu II OCC copper 75 ohm coaxial digital cable is to build yet another Pulsar Cu II digital cable with the more rigid/robust WBT NextGen WBT-0102 Cu, the same rca connector implemented for the V-Twist line-level interconnect cables placed in my system.

I find there are no euphonic aspects of the new VH Audio cables to speak of; simply uncolored, transparent, high resolution audiophile listening cues as the sole reward. Spatial cues, including stellar ambient retrieval was the most immediate initial impression I observed when first evaluating the V-Twist interconnect cable, and the overall performance level has only became better while settling into my system.

 

RE: Klei rca connectors...Pure Harmony vs Absolute Harmony, posted on July 16, 2015 at 11:53:57
RadioWonder
Audiophile

Posts: 1236
Location: Arizona
Joined: March 16, 2003
 Sonic Craft has a set of 4 KLE Innovations Copper Harmony RCA connectors on sale for $48.00...

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 16, 2015 at 12:10:53
RadioWonder
Audiophile

Posts: 1236
Location: Arizona
Joined: March 16, 2003
 Duster, excellent review of the VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable... I was wondering what the cable would sound like with copper RCA connectors...

My choice in purchasing the KLEI Absolute Harmony RCA Set was mostly the price of $119.95 delivered to my door... I was also looking for the best sound quality I could afford at that time...

My review of the VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable matches the quote from KLEI Innovations...

"Exceptional Resolution, Extremely tight non-bloated deep/detailed/resolving Bass, Extremely articulate presentation, Conveys subtle nuances with amazing dexterity, Stage is spacious and envelopes the listener, Allows the full emotion of the music to be experienced, Superb dynamics and an excellent micro detail presentation, Displays delicate upper mid and high frequency detail/resolution and harmonic texture with precision and emotion, Delivers music with extremely low noise/distortion in a Warm Musical and Involving manner from an very very Black/Quiet Background."

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 16, 2015 at 12:23:39
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5285
Joined: April 7, 2000
 RW....do you solder the terminations, or crimp? If you solder, what brand solder do you use?

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 16, 2015 at 12:24:55
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 Hi Duster,

I saw the V-Twist on the VH site and was intrigued, but I am wary of using an unshielded interconnect. What are your thought on this?

Dave

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 16, 2015 at 12:47:01
RadioWonder
Audiophile

Posts: 1236
Location: Arizona
Joined: March 16, 2003
 I soldered the connections using Cardas Quad Eutectic solder...

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 16, 2015 at 13:56:05
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5285
Joined: April 7, 2000
 That's what I've been using for many years....

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 16, 2015 at 16:16:33
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 Shielding can act as a filter, and filters tend to affect signal purity in a compromised manner. The goal of such a compromise is to obtain a lowered noise floor if audible, but perhaps at the expense of signal purity. However, shielding can sometimes provide inherent sonic benefits, such as the very thin floating copper foil layer some Oyaide and Acrolink power cords feature, simply because the designers find it to "sound better that way", perhaps in part due to mild capacitive coupling, without gross sonic alterations as a result. But that's postulation on my part.

Many folks find that unless a system is located within an unusually high RFI and EMI environment, a twisted pair featuring a twist/pitch rate that effectively cancels noise riding on the cable is adequate. If shielding was considered mandatory, the ubiquitous unshielded Cat5 cable consisting of multiple twisted pairs with different twist/pitch rates for reduced interactions between them would not be an option to implement as a dependable data interface method.

Other than low-level phono-level cables that tend to require a braided shield to avoid highly audible hum, and digital cables which require a 75 ohm characteristic dielectric relationship, an unshielded line-level interconnect tends to be the preferable cable type for audiophile applications. That said, an early user of the new V-Quad interconnect cable (4-conductor, cross-connected star-quad design) finds it to effectively avoid audible hum, with excellent performance when used for a low-level phono application, without the need of a braided shield to address the issue. However, increased capacitance due to the star-quad wiring scheme needs to be considered for a low-level phono-level application with a capacitive loading issue, but a shielded twisted pair cable can also involve a level of increased capacitance vs. that of an unshielded twisted pair, so that aspect should be factored-in when comparing various cables for a low-level application.

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 16, 2015 at 17:15:48
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 I find the KLE design offers high-performance audiophile value with a distinctly silver sonic signature, not unlike the subjective impression of an audiophile quality line-level preamplifier selector switch with silver contacts might convey. I don't agree with the notion that a copper wire requires a copper connector, nor that a pure silver conductor requires a pure silver connector. It may be considered an old-school purist POV to demand a complete lack of dissimilar metals involved in the signal path, but I don't believe it's based on comprehensive system tuning efforts. It's also not based on the fact that most audio components gold plated brass or copper I/O jacks don't allow some users to follow the rule without modifications to begin with. But that's just my opinion based on subjective findings. This is not to say there is no basis in finding a highly desirable subjective synergy when following a particular rule, but exploring the relationships of dissimilar metals in the signal path including exploring various plating schemes for various AC outlets and AC connectors which greatly influence the presentation indicates the notion of dissimilar metals to be obsolete in my own book...

 

Some questions, posted on July 17, 2015 at 07:52:12
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1358
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 Duster, I am interested in the V-Twist (and V-Quad) cables, so I have a couple questions:

1. Have you tried the V-Quad or only the V-Twist?

2. I noticed you used the Cu WBT. Did you try the Ag WBT plug with the Twist?

3. Any comments on either of the WBT plugs vs. the KLE plugs would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 17, 2015 at 09:15:52
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 Duster,

You have thought this out very carefully, I expect with a lot of listening too. At 14.95 per foot for twisted pair and 23.99 per foot for star quad, it won't break the bank to experiment. As you suggested to me with speaker cable, I think I should try mocking up some unshielded cable will lesser wire to see if my system can handle it. If I do go the V-Twist rout, hopefully there is something less expensive that NextGen WBT-0102 Cu rca connectors ($299.99 for a set of 4) that will suffice. I don't want to test my wife's tolerance too much!

Dave

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 17, 2015 at 14:35:10
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 I see no reason why you shouldn't choose a more affordable KLE rca connector option that RadioWonder selected for use with the V-Twist, but I can't vouch for the superiority of the KLE Absolute Harmony vs. the KLE Pure Harmony that I'm familiar with. That said, the price difference between the two models is nothing to quibble about from an audiophile POV, so opting for the the Absolute Harmony should be a safe bet in terms of the usual "you often get what you pay for" dynamic. I found the higher-cost Pure Harmony vs. the lower-cost Silver Harmony to be worth the extra expense, so the top-of-the-line the Absolute Harmony should provide similar sonic betterment for the price, IMHO.

 

RE: Some questions, posted on July 17, 2015 at 14:53:26
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 1. I've only tried the V-Twist, not the V-Quad.

2. I have no experience of the V-Twist when terminated with a silver WBT NextGen Ag rca connector.

3. I think you might find the KLE Absolute Harmony rca connector to provide a more vivid presentation, while in comparison, the WBT NextGen WBT-0102 Cu might provide a more delicate, pristine presentation with a more transparent sounding sonic signature. However, I can't predict such a thing to be truth in fact, since "YMMV" must be the obvious disclaimer when it comes to component, system, and listener dependent issues. I'm sure RadioWonder will provide a more in-depth report regarding the V-Twist when terminated with the KLE Absolute Harmony rca connector at some point.

 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on July 17, 2015 at 15:23:47
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 It makes sense to me, as does the concept of a low mass connector.

Dave

 

RE: I purchased the KLEI Absolute Harmony RCA Set..., posted on July 18, 2015 at 19:43:54
Ric Schultz
Manufacturer

Posts: 844
Joined: August 7, 2000
 I have only listened to the $90 a set Silver Harmony KLEs but my mods would, I am pretty darn sure, make the same difference on the more expensive ones:

1. Remove the plastic housing....through it away....messes up the sound

2. Damp the connector right where it connects to the female RCA with EAR SD40AL material....even a little bit wrapped around the connector end will help. Way, way better sound. You do these two things and you will hear a much more detailed, rich and correct sound.

Use Teflon tape and then heatshrink if you must have strain relief.

 

KLEI Absolute Harmony RCA, posted on July 19, 2015 at 18:39:36
PingPing
Audiophile

Posts: 196
Joined: May 22, 2014
 RadioWonder, that's been my experience with the KLEI Absolute Harmony RCA's, also. I love them and think that they are better than great and prefer them to the WBTs :)

|||My choice in purchasing the KLEI Absolute Harmony RCA Set was mostly the price of $119.95 delivered to my door... I was also looking for the best sound quality I could afford at that time... My review of the VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable matches the quote from KLEI Innovations...

"Exceptional Resolution, Extremely tight non-bloated deep/detailed/resolving Bass, Extremely articulate presentation, Conveys subtle nuances with amazing dexterity, Stage is spacious and envelopes the listener, Allows the full emotion of the music to be experienced, Superb dynamics and an excellent micro detail presentation, Displays delicate upper mid and high frequency detail/resolution and harmonic texture with precision and emotion, Delivers music with extremely low noise/distortion in a Warm Musical and Involving manner from an very very Black/Quiet Background." |||



 

RE: VH Audio V-Twist OCC Copper Interconnect Cable, posted on September 10, 2015 at 19:03:39
PingPing
Audiophile

Posts: 196
Joined: May 22, 2014
 Any further updates?

 

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