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Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Mosaic Chimera Cable by mdhoover

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REVIEW: Mosaic Chimera Cable

12.206.195.81


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Model: Chimera
Category: Cable
Suggested Retail Price: $2000 for an 8 foot pair.
Description: Loudspeaker cables
Manufacturer URL: Not Available

Review by Mdhoover on June 23, 2007 at 20:05:05
IP Address: 12.206.195.81
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for the Chimera


Mosaic Chimera Speaker Cables

I was already ecstatic with the sound of my system and had no reason whatsoever to contemplate any upgrades. Still……the Intuitive Design Summits were (and still are) SO stellar that it made me wonder what else their designer might have up his sleeve. Thus I decided to violate a rule and “fix” something that wasn’t even close to being broken. I paid full retail ($2195 for my set, which are something like 10 or 12 feet long, as I recall) for a pair of Mosaic (brand) Chimera (model) speaker cables. I did this in spite of the fact that I was quite pleased with the speaker cables I already owned, the highly excellent Mas Signature Hybrid Reference cables from Audioparts. I liked those enough that I reviewed them on Audiogon a while back. However, the Chimeras are even better (and, to be fair, considerably more expensive).

The most remarkable difference is the substantially increased retrieval of musical detail without any loss of smoothness. This was strikingly obvious after having the Chimeras in the system for a while, and then removing them to compare with the Mas. Switching back and forth the difference was immediate, unequivocal and substantial. And yet the Mas Signatures are excellent cables (and an absolutely killer value). Keep in mind that it was the Mas Signatures that were in the system when I wrote the wildly positive (but nevertheless absolutely true) Summit review linked to above. I believe that the reason it wasn’t more obvious at first was that the Chimeras bring out all this “extra” detail WITHOUT SOUNDING HARSH OR GRAINY, i.e., musical and natural. That seems to be a tough combination for any component to achieve, yet the Chimeras pull this off wonderfully. This must be something that Dale Pitcher strives for in his products, because it’s also true of the Summits. The Chimeras serve to accentuate this unusual combination of strengths still further. In my system, it’s not so much that they add smoothness. Instead, they retrieve a lot more detail without being harsh or strident. They seem to have inherently more overall resolution, rather than boom or sizzle. It’s not like turning up the contrast knob on a television to give the illusion of a better picture. These cables provide a TRULY better sonic “picture.”

The detail through the mains is on a par with that of my Stax system. That system consists of the SRM T1 tube energizer and two pairs of earspeakers. One of them is the original Lambda Pro Signature version and the other is a pair that WERE Lambda Pro Signatures, but have been modified (by Yamasinc) with the new 404 diaphragms. It is roughly at the level of their current second from the top unit. The person who sold to me the Stax system listened at my house one day and he thought that the Summits and Chimeras brought out even MORE detail than the Stax. I don’t know if I’d go that far (and I don’t plan to do a bunch of A-B testing between the speakers and the headphones to find out either), but I certainly think that it’s significant that the mains can rival a set of Stax for detail. Overall, the mains sound considerably better to my ears.

The Chimeras made the “Stereo Times 2007 Most Wanted Components Award” under “Accessories.” Stereo Times contributor Kee Kim states that they “utilize nano-tube carbon elements in the modules at the speaker termination. The manufacturer does this to (among other things) provide for improved electron symmetry at the termination. The Mosaic Chimera cables had a natural, open, airy sound and an ability to draw you into the music.”

Note: The Chimeras do require a breaking in period before they sound their best. Out of the box they can sound thin and unimpressive. However, once they break in, it’s a totally different story.


Product Weakness: Nothing comes to mind.
Product Strengths: Detail and smoothness, both.


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: See below
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): See below
Sources (CDP/Turntable): See below
Speakers: Intuitive Design Summits
Cables/Interconnects: See below
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical music, classic rock, jazz, new age.
Room Size (LxWxH): 20 ft 10 in x 15 ½ ft x 9 ft
Room Comments/Treatments: None special
Time Period/Length of Audition: Several months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): See below
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): 1. Electronics:<br><br>-Onkyo Integra DPC 8.5 universal player.<br><br>-Dodson 217 Mark II D digital to analog converter with 218-like upgrade<br>and aftermarket cryo treatment.<br><br>-Odyssey Extreme Tempest preamplifier.<br><br>-A Parasound R/EQ 150 has been modified so that it can be in the signal<br>path but emulate a hard wire connection when set on bypass, which it<br>usually is.<br><br>-Odyssey Extreme Monoblock amplifiers.<br><br>-Rel Storm III sub-bass unit.<br><br>2. Interconnects and speaker cables:<br><br>-Groneberg Digital Reference interconnect from cd player to DAC.<br><br>-Audioquest Python interconnects from DAC to Preamp.<br><br>-All other interconnects are Audioparts mas Signature, cryo treated<br>interconnects.<br><br>-Speaker cables are Mosaic (brand) Chimeras (model), made by Dale Pitcher.<br><br>-Cable to the Rel Storm 3 is Signal Cable (brand) speakon/neutrik type<br>aftermarket cable.<br><br>3. Power cords, etc.<br><br>-Dedicated circuit with two pairs of Porter Ports 20 amp outlets in a<br>4-plex configuration.<br><br>-Two adjacent outlet doublets have also been replaced with Porter Ports 20<br>amp outlets, but these are on the household circuit, separate from the<br>dedicated circuit of the 4-plex.<br><br>-Groneberg Reference Power Cords for Osyssey Stratos Extreme monoblocks,<br>plugged directly into the Porter Ports of the 4-plex with dedicated circuit.<br><br>-Groneberg Reference power cord for Odyssey Tempest Extreme Preamp.<br><br>-Some higher end Transparent Reference cord for the Dodson 217 Mark II D<br>DAC.<br><br>-Shunyata Hydra, original version, with white outlets. This has most if<br>not all of the front end components plugged into it, and it is plugged in<br>to one of the other two Porter Ports outlets that is not on the dedicated<br>circuit with the 4-plex.<br><br>-Rel is plugged with a %22regular%22 power cord directly into the wall, into<br>the other Porter Port duplex that is also not on the dedicated circuit that the<br>4-plex is on.<br><br>4. Tweaks:<br><br>-The Onkyo universal player sits on a Sistrum platform by StarSound Technologies .<br><br>-The DAC, the preamplifier, both monoblocks and the Hydra sit on<br>Audiopoints by StarSound Technologies, and the points sit on the matching discs.<br><br>-Stillpoints with inverse risers support both speakers and both stands,<br>with the whole assembly sitting on huge granite surface plates (I got the<br>75 pound plates for about 130-something dollars, including shipping, on<br>ebay).<br><br>-First generation Dakiom Feedback Stabilizers are put on the back of the<br>CD player, the DAC and inside of the Rel, spliced into its amp.<br><br>-Second generation Dakiom Feedback Stabilizers are on the back of the<br>preamp and the back of both amps.<br>




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Topic - REVIEW: Mosaic Chimera Cable - mdhoover 20:05:05 06/23/07 ( 7)