REVIEW: DIY by Chris VenHaus Cat5 Speaker Cable Cable

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Made two sets with 9 pairs for hi and 18 for lo with Teflon Cat5. I had been using Kimber 4VS into both hi and lo before. I figured the new cables would be better but COWABUNGA! they just plain blew the Kimbers right out of the water. I don't even know where to begin. Lows were improved almost night and day. More bass without the boom. Tightly controlled, fast, with awesome articulation and slam. I used to have to go up against the wall to get bass...not anymore.
The midrange gained greater richness, realism and 'presence'. The highs were extended completely beyond what I thought possible. I can taste the skin on a snare, cymbals crash and shimmer. I had anticipated that these cables would mellow the highs on what I had already figured was a bright system. The extension came as a welcome surprise but the upper midrange and beyond, especially plosives and silibants on vocals, are overly harsh on some recordings to the point of unlistenability. I find this problem to be very much recording-dependent, however, and I think I can blame my amplifier as well. This is one of the reasons why I am a vinyl lover.
These cables dramatically improved detail. It is as if a haze has been removed. The soundstage is razor-sharp and sometimes extends beyond the speakers. The depth is utterly absorbing on some of my better recordings. Articulation is fantastic across the board. Instruments are much better delineated and much more easily followed throughout a tune. Where I could only hear the bass guitar during uncongested moments now I can follow all the way through a raw thrashy punk song. Lyrics are much easier to understand even if they are spoken with a thick British working-class accent. (I'm writing of The Clash here :-) ) I hear subtleties in the way trumpets and saxophones are played I had no idea were there that give them much more realism and presence.
For the money I spent on high quality cable and terminations ($25) this speaker cable is a coup d'etat. It was not that difficult to make, just excercise patience and you won't interchange + and - strands on the end twists AFTER you solder.
I still have some time before this cable is fully broken in, perhaps some of the abrasiveness in the highs will be tamed. Other than that, I have no complaints and I doubt I will be buying any cable for a long, long time.

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Topic - REVIEW: DIY by Chris VenHaus Cat5 Speaker Cable Cable Review by endymion@alum.dartmouth.org at Audio Asylum - endymion@alum.dartmouth.org 23:56:21 04/19/01 (6)

DIY by Chris VenHaus Cat5 Speaker Cable Cable - MarcS 09:39:00 04/20/01 (1)

Positioning is key... - darkmoebius 14:15:40 04/20/01 (0)

DIY by Chris VenHaus Cat5 Speaker Cable Cable - ChrisVH 08:06:15 04/20/01 (0)

Amazing isn't it? - darkmoebius 00:31:48 04/20/01 (2)

Re: Amazing isn't it? - endymion@alum.dartmouth.org 22:32:19 04/20/01 (1)

Re: Amazing isn't it? - ChrisVH 23:47:18 04/20/01 (0)

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