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In Reply to: Nice job posted by grailer on November 19, 2006 at 09:09:33:
Yeah, these wires really do have a different sound from the Monster 2RCL previously used.In short: Overall there is a warmth in tone. More low freq slam. Midrange is detailed. High frequencies, while seemingly warmer still have extension and air. Imaging is improved with better sense of placement. Excellent sense of ambience.
The NHT 2.9s I'm using, by their nature, tend toward the slightly brighter end of the tonality scale. I have tamed this to a fair degree by choosing an amp that plays warm tones, then there is the tubed phono stage and tubed cd player. These cables take it another step toward warmer. So far I like.
What I like best, however is a more "ballsy presentation". More bass slam while retaining the details of timbre and texture. These cables definitely rock better, but I would not limit these to any particular genre of music. So far everything played through them is completely agreeable with me.
As for the site content, these cables have created quite a lot of grass roots/word-of-mouth commentary. They're cheap and easy to try so I thought to add as much detail as I can for the benefit of anyone wanting to try them. The odd thing is that I seem to see Home Depot closing these out to carry other brand names. My hunch is that many of these different brand names will be similar in character so long as manufacturing details like quality of the copper, number and size of the individual strands, jacket materials, twist configuration, are carried through.
I also tried to find the source of the story and I think the big news break comes from Paul Seydor in his TAS cable survey. I linked to it from my site.
For me the next thing to do is decide if I want to try a bi-wire configuration with these, then figure out how to finish off their appearance. At this point I have a weakness for the "fire-hose look" and using cotton outers having a snake skin design pattern. 'Will see what I can come up with.
Anyway, thanks for the suggestion. This gives me a new reference point from which to compare other, more expensive, speaker cables.
-Steve
System info @:
http://www.theanalogdept.com/user510.htm
Follow Ups:
... was when he said, "I'll leave the last observation to the most technologically knowledgeable, musically literate, and experienced of my listening group: 'You know what's really good about this cable? It sounds totally unscrewed around with'."And he was using it in a 2-wire configuration with the third wire cut off. I liked it this way too, but it advanced to a whole new level, IMHO, when I first tried the "shotgun" configuration that you're using. Glad you like it!
My system seemed agreeable with the shotgun config so I added 4 more lengths of the stuff to handle the LF. It's now bi-wired-shotgun.....and,like the first trial, this hasn't hurt either. Although I may be just hearing an improvement brought about by the removal/replacement of those jumpers at the speaker. Basic rule of thumb in play: if it sounds good, it likely is.
"You know what's really good about this cable? It sounds totally unscrewed around with'."I like the truth in that quote. As a matter of fact, no one has tried to "design the signal" passing to speakers with this wire. It was really just assembled to deliver 110 volts to power tools like an electric chainsaw. Because it sounds this good as a speaker wire, a new perspective is there for me. I suspect it also strips away credibility from some of the higher priced boutique wires being offered.
-Steve
System info @:
http://www.theanalogdept.com/user510.htm
Steve,I hear you, when something sounds as good as the HD14s, it's hard to justify the expense of Valhallas, et al.
However, to my ears at least, they DO sound better. How much better? $5k better? Not to my mind.
I think that's where dimishing returns comes in. I've heard relatively large leaps going to, say, $1k cables, but far smaller leaps going from there to $5k cables.
Could just be my ears though...
Ignorance partners with skepticism fairly easily. After all, skepticism can save us from our ignorance by causing us to hesitate. To not listen to that money-leaching salesman. To save money rather than throwing --large amounts of it-- after something like wire.Is it just me or is it a really big turn-off to see expensive IC's and Speaker Cables delivered in custom made hardwood boxes and then wrapped in plush velvet bags? Like jewelry. Good grief, it is WIRE people! Wire is common.
Those are some of my preconceptions.
However, as with myths and legends, there must be some kernel of truth to it. Something that would cause otherwise rational, intelligent people to spend (what appears to be) disposable income after these. (Another preconception.)
In that light I am willing to dabble, experiment, listen and review. So I read John Risch and Thurston Loesch. I read the occasional white paper from Audioquest and the like. So I try easy affordable things. (have you priced Belden 89259 lately?) Just try it and listen. Like trying solid 12-gage home building wire as a speaker cable. Stupid? I did experience what those wires sounded like through my speakers. Interesting midrange, but with rolled off high frequencies. That helps to build a frame of reference.
I've made simple IC's out of Belden 89259 with Eichmann Bullit plugs. Yes, I heard an improvement over my commercial AQ Jade interconnects.
(btw, Interconnect: used to be called a patch cord. More marketing hype)
Cardas Golden Section. Custom shaped extrusions of high quality copper individually coated. Called Litz. Variations in size, bundled in a custom pattern. Specialized tooling to produce limited quantities. Hand assembly labor to build the damn cables. Sure, that's going to cost. Precious metals. Gold and Silver. Use those minerals and the price goes way up. Might as well add copper into the category as a soon-to-become precious metal. Price of copper ore keeps going up.
I may have tossed a stone or two at rich cable merchants but I'm willing to reconsider. To gather new perspectives. I have to admit to some sort of epiphany hearing these (HD14G) electric chainsaw wires and comparing those to Monster's so called home theater wires. Noticeable differences in favor of Home Depot. That opens me up to further experimentation.
So it begins. Cables.
-Steve
System info @:
http://www.theanalogdept.com/user510.htm
Glad these seem to be working for you so far! I tend to agree with you re different manufacturers.Your listening notes are similar to mine. Definitely a full-bodied cable, and that's not a bad thing! They carry a decent sense of volume and impact, while not sacrificing the clarity and air around the highs.
My system tends to be pretty neutral, as it's balanced with careful selection of SS and tube components, and the right selection of tubes.
Thanks too for the link to the TAS article. I actually hadn't read it, so it was very informative. It almost made me want to try the Nordost cables, but given that I like their engineering too, it's an understandable draw.
I love your idea about the cotton 'snake skin' jacket. That's exactly what I was trying to replicate with the FR CleanCut Techflex. I figured with the amount of plastic/PVC/whateverthehellthejacketis of the HD14s, whatever I used for the jacket wouldn't matter much.
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