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Any opinion on Kharma Grand Reference Digital Cable

208.240.243.170
Posted on October 28, 2009 at 06:51:30
Plinius_Fan
Audiophile

Posts: 131
Joined: August 4, 2006
 Friends, I am about to buy a digital cable. I have spotted a Kharma Grand Reference Digital cable for just about my budget. But I have no idea how these cables sound. I dont even know about their signature sound. But here are my expectations from the digital cable:

1. It should be laidback, meaning the it should play from behind the speakers and not forward, staring at you.

2. It has to be neutral, no obvious roll-offs in the highs or bloom in the bass. Tones should be natural and fluid

3. Background should be clean/black

4. Speed, Resolution, Transparency need not amazing but should not lack in a obvious way.

Can I rely on the Kharma GR for all that ? Even if you have not heard them, any opinion about a general Kharma cable signature would be very helpful.
I have read somewhere that the Kharma Enigma Digital cable has a bit forward midrange, that actually got me to be a bit skeptic whether to go for this cable or not. Please suggest asap, because I have to make decission within a day or two.

Please suggest

RE: Any opinion on Kharma Grand Reference Digital Cable, posted on November 4, 2009 at 14:52:00
Sunya
Audiophile

Posts: 386
Joined: July 11, 2007
 I'd say try some Van den Hul The First ( MS or Ultimate) coaxial carbon digital cable, some The Second carbon interconnects and if those don't do the trick some Magnum Hybrid speaker cables (some of the warmest speaker cables around). If these cables won't provide you a more laid back presentation then any cable won't do it since the SCM40 have a boosted frequency response in the 2-10kHz range that makes them very forward sounding. Listening nearfield to them will not be easy.

http://www.vandenhul.com/p_B24.aspx
http://www.vandenhul.com/p_B25.aspx
http://www.vandenhul.com/p_B47.aspx
http://www.vandenhul.com/p_C11.aspx

The VDH distributor in India is

Innovative Information Technology Pvt. Ltd.
1507, Maker Chamber V
Nariman Point
BOMBAY 21
INDIA 400 021

Phone: + 91 22 5 632 5010
Fax: + 91 22 5 630 1209
Email: iit123@vsnl.net
Boosted Treble ??????????????, posted on November 10, 2009 at 05:47:33
Plinius_Fan
Audiophile

Posts: 131
Joined: August 4, 2006
 Now thats something I am hearing for the first time with about ATC speakers ? Did you read about this somewhere ? Kindly direct me to the link if you have any.

As far as my laidback signature requirement is concerned, I am not really looking at a warm sounding cable...I am looking at a natural and smooth sounding tonally neutral cable. When I said laidback, I just meant a middle of the hall perspective...I always like that perspective with any speaker.
vDH are way too warm and colored for my taste..I have tried them in past and I find them more like an equalizer which I do not want to introduce at all in my setup.

RE: Boosted Treble ??????????????, posted on November 10, 2009 at 06:46:14
Sunya
Audiophile

Posts: 386
Joined: July 11, 2007
 I have the Hi-Fi News review of the SCM40 and the frequency response graph shows the rising response in the 2-10kHz range. In your Audiogon thread about listening with the grills on/off you said that you get some direct sound from tweeter and midrange and that the sound is not relaxed; well this is exactly what you should hear according to that graph.

Then you said you tilted backward the speakers and everything was ok; by doing this I guess you evened out the response by recessing the midrange driver and tweeter, and indeed this way it may sound more balanced. I also think they should be listened with no toe-in because being very forward on axis, when listening off axis they should sound more even.

This is the reason I recommended the VDH cables, thinking they would tame a little of that sharpness.

Here is a thread on ZeroGain about the ATC dome mid and the difficulties one faces of implementing it and opinions on the ATC implementation in their own range of speakers.

RE: Boosted Treble ??????????????, posted on November 11, 2009 at 03:26:57
Plinius_Fan
Audiophile

Posts: 131
Joined: August 4, 2006
 Great !!!!!
I did not know about this. Its good to sometimes not know things because it can cloud your opinion when auditioning. I did not hear any such brightness when I auditioned them in the showroom...it was not tilted, just a little toed in and the room treatments were just average. In fact the very reason I did not buy the SCM-19 there (though I had been there to buy the 19) was the slight bit of brightness/hardness/abrasiveness that it showed up even when playing above average recordings...it could be because the 19 had done less than 100 hours while the 40 had done close to 300 hours but I could not take a chance. I still think, like all other good speakers ATC also requires careful matching of electronics and cables to sound best. It is not a wonder speaker which can just sound good with any decent amp. Beyond a certain level of audiophilia one tends to achieve that exact sonic character that he or she likes and for that careful matching and also the setting up of the speaker matters a lot.
I think it is easier to get there with ATC than with others because ATC reveals in a very direct way whats wrong and whats right in the setup so you can address the "right" problem....which most of the times to we fail to identify and hence solve the wrong problems ultimately trying to compensate one flaw with another.

Thanks for the link and do keep me posted of other such discussions. I would love to learn.

I recommend Velocity, posted on October 30, 2009 at 17:41:52
JimOfOakCreek
Audiophile

Posts: 1207
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Joined: August 23, 2004

I recommend Velocity cables. They are a bit pricey but well worth the money. Detail to die for.
$12 is pricey? You've Got to get a job!! nt, posted on November 1, 2009 at 23:16:11
oldmkvi
Industry Professional

Posts: 1591
Joined: April 12, 2002
 ;

Everything Is Relative..., posted on November 2, 2009 at 18:15:13
JimOfOakCreek
Audiophile

Posts: 1207
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Joined: August 23, 2004

Everything is relative......

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