General Asylum: REVIEW: Signal Cable Analog Two Cable by Bosh

Model:	Analog Two
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$49.00
Description:	Coaxial construction using a unique combination of bare copper center conductor, Teflon insulation, bare copper braided shield wrapped in a Teflon jacket. low capacitance of 17.3 pf/ft. In many areas compared favorably against industry standard name brands that retails for up to $1,000. This is a reference quality interconnect!Conductor: 22 AWG stranded bare copperNom. Capacitance: 17.3 PF/FTCable: Belden 89259Dual shield: 95% bare copper braidJacket: Black tint TeflonInsulation: Foam FEP (Teflon)Nom. DC Resistance: 15.0 ohm/M'Velocity of propagation: 78.0 %The Connectors-Ultra High quality Scosche Platinum RCA connectors with Gold plating, a sleeper in High End AudioTermination-Professionally Hand Terminated.
Manufacturer URL:	Signal Cable
Model Picture:	View

Review by Bosh ( A ) on December 01, 2003 at 14:22:00
IP Address: 192.159.35.58

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There was good news and, as always, bad news tagging right along. The good was a new (actually quite old) house and a new, dedicated listening room to go with it. The good gets even better as I made arrangements for dedicated, isolated ground AC to be installed in that room. And the good stays good as far as the room's layout is concerned: perhaps a bit too small (even with my little SET) for much more than one-person listening, but featuring nicely uneven walls with built-in bookcases on the short walls and just about ideal placement opportunities for the rig.
The bad news was that none, as in absolutely none of my interconnects were long enough for the system placement I wanted. This was the first time I had a listening space that would allow me to get the equipment rack out from between the loudspeakers. But I needed lengths of at least 15 feet, while the longest pair I had ever used in the old room was 1.5 meter.
And I decided to go for 20', just to be on the safe side.
Let's just say that excluded Valhalla from serious consideration.
While doing a search on "low capacitance" on Cable Asylum, I eventually came across a mention for Signal Cable. The price was certainly right, and as importantly the specs seemed great. Eichman Bullet Plugs, offered at a (very) resaonable $25. premium, were attractive and, as a topper, Signal Cable turned out to be located within 30 miles of my front door, so why not support the home team?
I shared e-correspondance and eventually telephone conversation with owner/designer Frank Dai. A great guy all around who made my three pair of Analog Twos and had them in my hands days sooner than promised (which itself was sooner than I hoped for).
No fancy, burled wood presentation cases. Just stiff, sturdy-feeling interconnects in plastic bags. The outer jacket was an attractive, blue webbing with a slight shine to it. The Eichman plugs adding a sort of, well, "plastic" touch to the whole aesthetic. And damn, at least by the standard of what I've been used to all these years, these things were LONG.
Speaking of what I was "used to", it's probably fair to note that I had been using two runs of VPI [Discovery] cable for the TT/phono stage, Kimber Hero for the CDP and Analasis Plus Copper Oval for the tuner. Overpriced "consumer" stuff for the talented DIYers among us, I'm sure. And mid-fi pasta strings for you well-heeled Robb Report subscribers. But all quality wires in my thin book nonetheless, most of which have since found homes in my HT system.
I hooked-up the Analog Twos, with the Bullet Plugs demanding a pretty serious push and some real caution to avoid busting any inputs (a little Sex Wax in the form of Pro Gold helped the effort). I got the new wires dressed neatly and popped in the XLO Test and Burn-In CD for a few hours of Flea Circus electron training. That was followed with several passes on Cardas Sweep LP for the other front end, and I went up to bed that evening with the Tuner playing NPR Classical at a moderate volume.
While that last paragraph was in action I "tried" not to listen...but c'mon! I couldn't help it and neither could you.
At first, things sounded a bit thin and even a littly quacky. But the signal was sure getting where it needed to go, as I noticed that, contrary to my misgivings about the lengths needed, the comfortable volume setting for each front end component was a good notch or two lower than had been the case in the old set-up (especially noticable in phono). Prop heads may make of that whatever they may. And this "as much gain at lower volume settings" remains true today, several months after the A2's were put in.
The next day I headed to the office, CD on repeat. Ten hours later I sat down and really listened. The initial thin-and-tin was barely in evidence. What I heard was the beginnings of a clarity , a nothing-in-the-way quality that has only grown more impressive.
Today (and within about 24 hours of regular use, really) it's as if those wires have pulled a fade: I'm hearing lots of good things...confident, tight bass, crisp but realistic highs and a fully fleshed midrange...what I'm NOT hearing are any interconnects.
I'm told these wires are little if anything more than a good homebrew recipe using high-quality ingredients. That's cool with me, because even assuming I had the skill (which I do not), the cost of the proper tools and basic materials would very likely have been a wash, at best, with the finished product from Signal Cable. And my hourly charges are steep.
Now I'm well aware that many factors contributed to the sound during the period this review reflects: the single biggest being a whole new room. But while there are a few things I'd like to "do" or change with this system, the interconnects are not one of them.
The Analog Two cables from Signal Cable represent one of the best values I've enjoyed in this hobby. And they're worth a serious trial whether you've got a budget to watch or money to burn.
For the audiophile, that's the good news. For $20. per-inch cable marketers, that's the...
You get the idea.

Product Weakness: Stiffer than most, which could present an issue in tight quarters.
Product Strengths: Effortless, "no cable" sound. Solid, hand crafted build quality. Killer value.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Antique Sound Lab MG SI-15
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Audio by Van Alstine T-6 hybrid phono stage
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	MMb professional CDP/R; VPI Scout TT w/JMW 9 arm & Grado Master Reference cartridge; vintage Sherwood (mono) tuner
Speakers:	Omega TS1-R8 single driver loudspeakers
Cables/Interconnects:	VPI phono cable (TT to AVA), all other ICs Signal Cable A2s; speaker cable AQ Mammoth; "Basic Power" cords by Virtual Dynamics
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	All genres
Room Size (LxWxH):	21 x 13 x 8
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	"Home run" AC w/CVH tweaked Pass & Seymour outlets
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Stiffer than most, which could present an issue in tight quarters.
Product Strengths:	Effortless, "no cable" sound. Solid, hand crafted build quality. Killer value.