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During Memorial Day weekend 1992, I went home to San Francisco. Those who were on the semester system were already out of school. And from them, I learned that many of our old friends, then all in college, were going to spend the summer in S.F. When we got together at Rossi Playground, Skull brought a boombox, which actually had a CD player. Yes!!! Ken brought some CDs, and by the time we had a dozen players, Pantera's "Walk" played, and exhorted us little dweebs to kick ass. Even though those of us on the quarter system still had three more weeks to go, we knew that the summer of 1992 was going to be the best ever.
Even though I had received an AudioQuest Lapis line-level interconnect in time for Christmas 1991, it stayed at home, while I had to go back to UC Santa Cruz. So it was not until the summer of '92, that my friends were exposed to the game-changing Lapis. Friends would come over, and the Lapis had a way of stashing or embedding the distortion. It thus let the music flow, take over, set the pace, or enhance the mood. Friends would stay for hours, and end up crashing overnight. But we'd look up at each other, and see that none of us [we were 18-, 19-, and 20-years-old] was in a steady relationship.
Mona was your stereotypical little church-mouse of a nerd. Then entering her sophomore year at Harvard, Mona was under 5'-tall, blind, studious, and softly spoke in measured, grammatically-correct sentences. My guy friends were lousy wingmen. Mona was the best wingwoman. She was always calm, did not flee, and never abandoned you. Short and plain-looking, Mona was barely noticed. And when guys did see her, their eyes quickly moved on to other girls. She would squint at other girls, and then, in a neutral tone, give you some facts and observations. She gave you information, and let you decide what to do with it. Because of Mona's influence, when you became an audio reviewer, you did not overlook facets such as aesthetics, ergonomics, heat, noise, and practicality.
Mona's information saved or spared you from bad or risky girls. Other girls were not threatened by Mona, so it was okay to have Mona around. In fact, Mona's presence often made it easier to start talking to other girls. If things were going well, Mona knew when to step away. If things were going poorly, Mona would flick her eyes towards an exit, and you could make your escape. Yep, as an audiophile, you needed a Mona as a reviewer or shopping buddy.
Which brings us back to the AudioQuest Lapis, which was available in both RCA and XLR versions (the latter added $80 to the price). Because the outer jacket and insulation are not transparent/clear, we cannot see what the Lapis' internal construction is. Oddly enough, the outer jacket of the balanced Lapis is darker in color.
Mona didn't really compare girls. But I've auditioned hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of identical RCA/XLR interconnects. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but we still like to compare single-ended versus balanced. In order to facilitate that, let us recharge these two Lapis ICs on the audiodharma Cable Cooker.
During Spring and Summer 1992, Pantera's "Mouth For War" was the hit. "Walk" and its accompanying video were not released until 1993. Mona's summer '92 fling actually turned into a boyfriend, whom she really liked (though they ultimately broke up). According to the guy, they met, because "she walked too slow, and as I tried to pass, I bumped into her!" Walk indeed, LOL!
Match levels at the preamp, walk around with the two Lapis ICs, and compare. I can't think of another RCA/XLR model, from any brand, which minimizes the difference between single-ended and balanced. If you have an honest and transparent preamp, switching between RCA and XLR with Lapis does not effect major differences. You are satisfied with either or both. Even Mona shrugs, "Close enough." So if you like the Lapis' somewhat feminine personality and forgiving nature, rest assured that you will pay no penalty for using either RCA or XLR. Or both.
-Lummy The Loch Monster
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Topic - AudioQuest Lapis, Part 27 - Luminator 22:25:23 06/04/20 (0)
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