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Cable Asylum Interconnects, speaker wire, power cords. Ask the Cable Guys. |
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Cable Asylum Interconnects, speaker wire, power cords. Ask the Cable Guys. |
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Model: Digital Reference 1 Category: Cable Suggested Retail Price: $325 Description: Digital Interface Manufacturer URL: MIT Cables
Review by Luminator on October 08, 2009 at 12:05:38
IP Address: 75.25.148.121Add Your Review
for the Digital Reference 1You know how my reviews work. To arm you with product information, click on the links below. Then come back to this page, and read the text below.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Right here on Cable Asylum, I have already reviewed the Illuminati D-60 digital cable. In that review, I honed in on the music of the summer of 1986. Some of you e-mailed to praise that writing style [as of this writing, I have not received any negative remarks about that style]. And a few encouraged me to use that same style in future reviews.
In my Digital Asylum review of the California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II Power Boss CD player, I started by describing what was going on in late summer 1992. Again, some of you liked that writing style, and then asked me what happened that fall. Your questions caused me to think back, and when I recalled some of the highlights, I thought to myself, “Why not use them to start my next review?â€
In September 1992, I was waiting at home in San Francisco to start my senior year at UC Santa Cruz. My first three years at Santa Cruz were under the influence of the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. But by 1992, the town had begun to come back to life. I knew I was not going to come home that often for the 92-93 school year, so I thought, “Geez, if I’m going to be in Santa Cruz that much, I better put together a little stereo system.â€
My main system in San Francisco had the NAD 5000 CD player and Muse Model One Hundred power amp, so my old Sony CDP-520ES II and Adcom GFA-535 II were available. I did not quite like Sony’s preamps, so I felt that Adcom’s GTP-400 II was a natural. I headed to San Francisco Stereo for an audition. S.F. Stereo displayed it with Adcom CD player and amp. Speakers were the B&W Matrix 804, which cost more than the three Adcom components combined. Forbidden’s Twisted Into Form was not as detailed as it should have been. But K.D. Lang’s “Constant Craving†kept me focused on the music, enough to convince me to buy the GTP-400 II.
My main system was using AudioQuest interconnects. Of the Topaz, Ruby, Quartz, Emerald, and Lapis, I did not like the Ruby (upper midrange was too hot) and Emerald (too lifeless). So I went to Performance Audio, which was and is located in Lower Pacific Heights, and traded in the Ruby and Emerald for a short 0.5-meter Lapis. I knew from bowling league at (the now defunct) Japantown Bowl that House Of Pain’s “Jump Around†was a huge hit. The smooth but flowing Lapis was a sensational match for the Adcom pair. “Jump Around†was easier to take, easier to get off [pun intended. The scream at the beginning of each bar is sampled from Prince’s “Gett Offâ€] on.
I had discovered San Francisco’s Ultimate Sound, which was then located in the basement of the Sherman Clay building on Kearny Street. I was too cheap to get anything else, so I just bought some AQ F-14 speaker cable, whose leads fit nicely into the Adcom GFA-535 II’s twist-and-lock connectors. Afterward, I ate lunch at the Popeye’s and Carl’s Jr., which were co-tenants in the basement of what I think is now a Walgreen’s, on Market between Third and Fourth Streets. The walls were lined with black and white pictures of San Francisco. There was something rather enjoyable about that underground venue. The experience was heightened, when Peter Cetera’s “Even A Fool Can See†came over the P.A.
That school year, I lived with three guys in on-campus apartments. When I moved in, I hooked up a little 13†television. One of the first videos I saw on MTV was Ugly Kid Joe’s “Everything About You.†I took a deep breath, and just knew that this was going to be a good year. My roommate (who, many years later, would be my best man) cheered, “All right, we got ESPN and MTV!†The second video which stood out was Jackyl’s “Down On Me,†whose dirty southern rock my roommate liked.
So, our stereo consisted of the Sony CDP-520ES II, AQ Topaz, Adcom GTP-400 II, AQ Lapis, Adcom GFA-535 II, AQ F-14, and some little Pinnacle speakers, which I had bought in Santa Cruz a year or two earlier. Our apartment was up on the hill. Radio reception was surprisingly good. The Oldies station from Soledad (or somewhere in the Salinas valley) came in clearly, and we spent hours grooving to the music of the 60s. But within the current (i.e., 1992) music, Peter Gabriel’s “Steam†stood out. Under all the driving rhythms, Tony Levin’s bass reaches deep and stays there, even via FM.
Santa Cruz’s bad AC caused the stereo to snap, each time a component was turned on or off. So the first time I went back home to San Francisco, I paid a visit to Ultimate Sound. I loved hearing Swing Out Sister’s “Am I The Same Girl,†which is sung over 1969’s “Soulful Strut,†which my roommates and I occasionally heard on that Soledad Oldies station. I bought an API Power Pack I. As I came out of the Sherman Clay building, it was sunny, but not hot. Back then, there was a Wherehouse on the corner of Kearny and Sutter. I picked up Swing Out Sister’s Get In Touch With Yourself, which included “Am I The Same Girl.â€
When I got back to Santa Cruz, and hooked up the API Power Pack I, not only did it cure the turn-on/turn-off snaps and pops, it made the sound better! Grain was reduced, the soundstage widened, and more details emerged from the muck. Furthermore, it was as though the Adcom tuner were pulling stations in better. My roommate and I swayed to Patty Smyth & Don Henley’s “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough.†He remarked that this song was a nice antidote for and relief from the grunge and “alternative†scourge.
Around Halloween, I went back to San Francisco to bowl in the 20-game, all-night “endurance†tournament. I sucked, and, to make matters worse, got a cut on my thumb. When I got back to Santa Cruz, and told him how lousy I did, my roommate laughed. But anyway, as I always did when I returned from home, I brought some CDs with me. Among those was Flotsam And Jetsam’s new Cuatro. With an emphasis on groove metal, this album has too many weak stretches. But it does include some meaty tracks, such as “Natural Enemies,†“Swatting At Flies,†and “Forget About Heaven.â€
While most students left town during Thanksgiving weekend, I was swamped, and did not feel like going home. My friend and econ classmate, Kim, was, like me, also from San Francisco. She, too, said she was not going home for the Thanksgiving weekend. Now, this was the season an El Nino broke California’s 7-year drought. The apartment on top of a hill, the rains were heavy. It had let up a bit, when Kim came over in the late afternoon on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Now, Kim always liked to needle me. She was always complaining that my kitchen was “too spic and span.†So she brought over some food, and made a Vietnamese meal of pho, barbecued meats and shrimp, rice, and vermicelli. While we were doing the dishes, Sade’s “No Ordinary Love†came on the radio. Kim led me to the living room, and danced with me to that song.
A couple weeks before finals, my ex-girlfriend, KJ, who was attending Cal (UC Berkeley), took the inter-campus jitney, and stayed with me. My roommates were like, “Why is she here?†But anyway, MTV played Bon Jovi’s “In These Arms,†and KJ remarked, “Wow, are they still around?â€
That whole quarter, I enjoyed life and my classes. For pleasure, I would read my copies of Stereophile. My long-in-the-tooth Sony CDP-520ES II, with its hard, thin, and harsh sound, represented the kind of digital, which Stereophile writers railed against. Like ants on picnic food, reviewers covered new CD players, transports, and DACs. I was especially intrigued with digital separates. I learned that composite video cables could also work as S/PDIF digital cables. I eyed that AudioQuest Video Pro on our video game consoles…
If you have read some of my other reviews, right here on Audio Asylum, you have been introduced to thecharacterspeople in my life. If you have read my review of the Krell KAV-250cd, you know about Jen, who was another friend and econ classmate. My roommate and I had wanted Jen to be our housemate, but we could not find another girl, so Jen ended up in the dorms. In mid-December, Jen snuck my roommate and me into the dining hall for dinner. She then came over to our apartment to study for finals. Jen and I finished studying for one class. Then she wanted to take a shower. When she came out, typical Jen, she was just in t-shirt and panties. When she raided our fridge and cabinets, I kidded, “Gee, make yourself at home.â€
After snacking, my housemates retired to their rooms. Jen and I went to the living room. I left the stereo playing the adult contemporary station at a low volume. Since we were studying for International Trade, I know I was thinking, “Damn, now that the U.S. doesn’t produce vacuum tubes, we gotta trade with China and Russia for them.â€
Madonna’s “Deeper And Deeper†came on, and Jen brightly said, “I love Madonna’s new song!†Jen got up, and started dancing. Among other moves, Jen crossed her arms, grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt, and pulled it up. Could I concentrate on International Trade? Hell no. Could I reach for more shrimp chips, or whatever we were munching on? Hell no. Could I get lost in thoughts of high-end audio? Hell no. But any audiophile can dig it, when the system does enough right, that listeners groove to the music.
I did not get into digital separates, until after I graduated, and went back home to San Francisco. My first MIT digital cable was the US$99 T3 Digital, which was actually quite tasty. I liked it so much, I traded it in towards the US$325 Digital Reference. When I brought the Digital Reference home, I initially used it between the California Audio Labs Delta and Theta Cobalt 307. There, it made everything, including K.D. Lang’s “Constant Craving†as gritty, crunchy, and greasy as L.A. Guns’ Cocked & Loaded.
I then moved the Digital Reference to my main system, which had Theta’s Data Basic II and DS Pro Prime IIa. On House Of Pain’s “Jump Around,†I wished for blacker backgrounds, so the sniffy sounds could emerge.
I never did like that DS Pro Prime IIa, so I had no hesitation in upgrading it to the Basic IIIa. By now, the Digital Reference had a couple months of playing time. Clearly, the Basic IIIa was an improvement over the Pro Prime IIa. The images were more clearly defined, the soundstage’s dimensions grew, and there was more resolution within those images. Still, I never got the spectacular sound the reviews promised. In my system, the Basic IIIa was just…mediocre. The bass was more prominent than the treble. I did not like the reticent upper midrange, which served to muffle the horns on Peter Cetera’s “Even A Fool Can See.†There are many Peter Cetera songs on rotation, but stations hardly ever play “Even A Fool Can See.†So you just have to buy it. And if you have it, it better be magic, which for me means transporting me to the old Popeye’s/Carl’s Jr. on Market Street. No, I was just transported back to the Theta dealer, where I could upgrade.
The video for Ugly Kid Joe’s “Everything About You†takes place on a beach. The left-handed guitarist has an axe with a Pushead (whose work for Metallica is famous) design. How California can you get? Both Theta Digital and MIT hail from Cali. But one of my biggest audio mistakes was replacing the Theta Data Basic II with the Jade. When I had the Jade and DS Pro Basic IIIa, I used both the MIT Digital Reference and Kimber Select KS-2020. With both cables, the Jade’s bass was way too much. “Everything About You†should have a tight, snappy drum. Not with the Jade. The KS-2020 had more treble and a faster overall sound, while the Digital Reference had the more open soundstage.
Like everyone else, I grew tired of the Basic IIIa’s obscenely high output voltage. I sent it back, to have it padded down to a “low output†version. When I got it back, its voltage was still higher than the 2V single-ended/4V balanced standard. I gave the “low-output†Basic IIIa some time to burn-in. But everyone thought its sound was worse than the original Basic IIIa. The Digital Reference had enough imaging capability to show that the “low-output†Basic IIIa’s edge definition was worse. The soundstage also seemed marginally reined-in. Consequently, Jackyl’s “Down On Me†lost some bite.
Things got a whole lot better, when I replaced the Theta DS Pro Basic IIIa with a Mark Levinson No. 360. Not only did the No. 360 strictly adhere to the 2V/4V standard, its sound was leagues better. But Peter Gabriel’s “Steam†still had too much and too lumpy bass. I did not think that the Digital Reference was helping any. The Jade/No. 360 combo is one where the XLO Signature 4.1, with its tighter, leaner sound, was a better, more appropriate choice.
I then made up for my Jade mistake, by getting a Mark Levinson No. 37 transport. The MIT Digital Reference rose to the challenge, correctly showing the 37/360’s soundstaging prowess. This combo correctly revealed Swing Out Sister’s “Am I The Same Girl†as a loose-around-the-edges recording. But without the Jade’s overblown, ill-defined bass, the No. 37 provided more precise sonics, enough that “Am I The Same Girl†led to, once again, a rollicking good time.
An audio friend of mine had just purchased a Mark Levinson No. 360S. He was going away for two weeks, so he wanted me to make sure his 360S was okay, and to give it some burn-in time. How could I refuse? Here is where I felt the Digital Reference to fall short. It did not fully reveal the 360S’ superiority in revealing textures and the available tonal palette [here, the similarly-priced D-60 did a better job]. I felt that Patty Smyth & Don Henley’s “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,†via the 360S, could use more color and contrast. The Digital Reference certainly put the “adult†in adult contemporary, but it was not quite enough to make me think it was fall 1992, back in the campus apartment.
I had my first sample of the MIT Digital Reference for a couple years, and, despite its shortcomings, still liked it. In fact, I liked it so much, a bought a second sample, this one from Ultimate Sound. Because I had the two samples, I could see how the new one compared to the well-used one. Right out of the box, the Digital Reference does justice to the drums on Flotsam And Jetsam’s Cuatro. This arguably is the punchiest Sonor drums [they usually sound like oatmeal containers] have ever sounded. But the older sample clearly was better at retaining the music’s flow and cohesion.
Through the years, I had many samples of the Illuminati D-60. On the Mark Levinson Nos. 37 and 360S, the D-60 and MIT Digital Reference present interesting interpretations. Let us pull out Sade’s “No Ordinary Love.†Via the D-60, the sound has more color. Along with that is better contrast of music versus background silence. Across the spectrum, the notes start much faster. But the Digital Reference, though its sound is grayer, presents the more layered and definitive soundstage. There is simply more room for the bass to “swim†in. And some can argue that the Digital Reference, though the music starts more slowly, actually has more overall control over the notes. With the D-60, you can become completely enraptured by Sade’s voice. It reminds me of Kim’s flashy grin, before she closed her eyes and kissed. With the Digital Reference, it is easier to get lost in the recorded space. It takes the nervousness and tension out of your hands, as you place them behind Kim’s hips.
Now that we audiophiles have devices which properly burn-in cables, we know that no amount of regular use ever fully breaks in a cable. I had used the MIT Digital Reference for up to 8 years, before acquiring the Audio Dharma Cable Cooker. Ah, now I know that 3 days on the Cooker is all it takes to optimize the Digital Reference. Cooking the Digital Reference reduces the grain, allows soundstage depth to develop, and more firmly anchors better-scaled images into place. The sound still is not as properly colorful as with other digital cables. You know what? It is akin to watching the video of Bon Jovi’s “In These Arms.†A concert video, there are lots of dark and dimly lit areas. Some snippets are in black and white. In late 1992, KJ remarked, “Wow, are they still around?†With a Cooked Digital Reference in 2009, audiophiles proudly remark, “Yes, Bon Jovi are still around!â€
It is no secret that Spectral Audio recommended using the MIT Digital Reference with their digital gear. I know you guys are going to ask me, but no, I do not have enough experience with Spectral gear, to render an opinion. However, I have taken advantage of the digital inputs and outputs of the dCS Puccini, Simaudio Andromeda, and Wadia 781i. These components show that the Digital Reference is capable of tracking how each component resolves scale. The Digital Reference shows off the Puccini’s small, precise, razor-sharp images. The perspective is that of a small-scale model train set. With the Andromeda, if you listen carefully, the low-level details are there. It’s just that they occupy a smaller space than the louder instruments. On the 781i, some large instruments, such as bass, organ, and drums, could drown out the quietly playing instruments. Some audiophiles will say that is how music is in real life. Others will argue that that is not what is actually on the recording. I leave it up to you to make your own judgment.
But you know what? The MIT Digital Reference does not need these kilobuck modern-day pieces, in order to provide compelling music. So long as you properly burn it in, the Digital Reference sounds killer on, for example, the California Audio Labs Delta and Alpha. And with the Alpha, you can compensate for the Digital Reference’s shortcomings in treble bloom and sparkle and tonal grayness, by selecting the right tubes. Madonna’s “Deeper And Deeper†has the disco sounding a little more sultry and open than usual. It is enough to make any male audiophile get up, walk into the dance floor, overcome his self-conscientiousness, and try his dance moves. Let’s just hope that the audiophiles do not start stripping ☺
-Lummy the Seahorse
Product Weakness: discontinued; stiff; locking-barrel RCAs do not grip all jacks tightly; does not look like audio bling; cable burn-in device needed to reduce grain Product Strengths: capable of stable imaging Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: numerous Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): numerous Sources (CDP/Turntable): see text Speakers: numerous Cables/Interconnects: AudioQuest Digital Pro; HAVE/Canare Digiflex Gold; Illuminati D-60; Kimber KS-2020; MIT T3; Stereovox HDXV; Tara Labs RSC Digital 75, The One Digital; 0.8 Onboard Digital 75; Wireworld Gold Starlight 5.2; XLO Reference Type 4 and Signature 4.1 Music Used (Genre/Selections): rock, pop, metal, R&B, Hawaiian Time Period/Length of Audition: 14 years Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
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Topic - REVIEW: MIT Cables Digital Reference 1 Cable - Luminator 12:05:38 10/08/09 (3)
- RE: REVIEW: MIT Cables Digital Reference 1 Cable - CKKeung 17:07:09 10/17/09 (2)
- Stereovox - Luminator 23:08:00 10/17/09 (1)
- Thank you for your comment! nt - CKKeung 01:31:39 10/18/09 (0)
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