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In Reply to: REVIEW: Jena Labs Valkyre Cable posted by Quint on March 3, 2007 at 06:16:02:
Hi Quint,I haven't posted here in a while, but I saw your review, and since I used to own the Valkyre's, and had a chance to compare them with a number of other cables (including the Valhalla's and Reference MM's), I thought I'd chime in.
First, I agree with everything you say about the Nordost and Transparent cables. The Valhalla's are very quick and clean, but have a slight edginess that over time starts to wear on you (at least, it did on me). The Reference MM's are pleasant enough, but seem veiled and a little dynamically constricted when compared to the very best. I preferred the Jena cables to both.Still, I didn't think they were perfect, either. In my system, they sounded a little diffuse and "billowy" (for lack of a better word). Everything was there -- air, space, neutral tone -- but it was as if someone had put a filter over the lens. This effect was subtle, but the longer I listened, and the more competitors I tried (including, in addition to the Nordost and Transparent cables, Silversmith Palladian's, top-of-the-line Shunyata's, Basis cables, and Chris Venhaus's Symmetry's), the more I realized what was going on. Of course, each one of these other cables had pluses and minuses, but they all seemed to present the music with a smidgen more clarity.
Looking back, I realize now the interconnects that seemed the most transparent to me were all single-conductor types, and the ones that seemed less clear all had stranded conductor constructions (I'd put the Cardas Golden Reference in this category, although it sounds a little crude compared to the Jena's). I'm not an engineer, so I'll leave it to others to decide if this is merely a coincidence or not.
Of course, I considered the possibility that the Jena Labs cables -- and I'll include the Pathfinders here, since I tried them as well -- were right and everything else was wrong.
And then I tried the Tara Labs Zero. The Zero's seem to have the speed of the Valhalla's without the edginess, and the tonality of the Jena's without the haziness. They are, in my experience, simply in a category of their own (price-wise as well!). Are they perfect? No. Sometimes, I think I hear a slight emphasis in the upper midrange that detracts from the illusion of reality (or could this just be my system?); sometimes, I think they could use a little more weight in the upper bass (perhaps a related phenomenon). But in the final analysis, the music is just more exciting with Zero's in the system, and I can listen for hours on end (or go to sleep, as the case may be) in a way I never could with some of the other cables (especially the Valhalla's).
In sum, I get the sense that the Zero's are the most direct connection I've ever had between my components. As ridiculous as their price may be, you owe it to yourself to at least try them. You may not buy them (I haven't -- so far), but I'm certain you'll find them very interesting.
Follow Ups:
Hi, Cleop:Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I personally don't hear that "diffuseness" you speak of—maybe it's a system-interaction thing—but I do agree that, compared against some other cables, the Jenas can seem a tad "soft" and "fuzzy." That quality threw me at first, but when I had done enough listening and comparing, I came to realize that, in fact, the Jenas were portraying musical events so much more naturally and realistically, without any artificial sweetening or hyping, that they could come across as diffuse or "billowy" when judged against cables that added a little "zip" in the mids and highs.
FWIW, I owned most of the cables you mentioned, including the Silversmith Palladiums, Shunyata Andromedas, and VH Symmetrys. Both the Symmetrys and Silversmiths, to my ears, add a bit of edge and accentuation to transients and the highs, which, in my experience, can lead to the impression of increased clarity. (The Andromedas, on the other hand, seem a bit sucked out on top.) The Jenas don't do that, but I still hear all the detail (and more) that I heard from these other cables, just without the edge and bite.
BTW, I just arranged for an audiophile acquaintance of mine to send me a pair of his Zeros in the next few weeks. I plan to A-B them against the Dreamdancers, and will report my findings ASAP.
Quint,Once again, we pretty much agree on things. The Symmetry's are, in my opinion, a little hard at times -- though less so than other silver cables (e.g., the Audioquest Sky's, which I forgot to mention in my last post); the Palladians sounded somewhat like the Symmetry's, but at a much higher price.
The Jena's ability to shine may well be system-dependent. I know mine is on the mellow side. But I can still tell etch and glare when I hear them, so I know it's not too soft. And so many other cables I've tried with differing technologies (yes, I even tried the Harmonic Tech Cyberlights, which were extremely transparent without etch, but which also were unacceptably colored and noisy -- particularly in a balanced configuration) were more lively and, well, transparent, that one starts to wonder what's accurate and what's euphonic.
(As an aside, while I don't particularly care for Transparent cables, when I had zippy SS amps and Watt/Puppy 5.1's, Reference XL's were just the ticket!)
I have no doubt the Jena's work superbly in your system, and I know you have very good ears. That said, it'll be interesting to see what you think of the Zero's.
Cleop,I am surprised to see that your many tests of interconnects do not include the Kubala-Sosna Emotion, the Stealth Indra or the Jorma Prime. All three are highly praised and, although very expensive, they do not reach the staggering price of the Tara Labs Zero. Have you ever considered trying these IC's?
Hi,I haven't tried any of the cables in your post in my own system. However, a friend had Kubala-Sosna Emotion (that's their top-of-the-line wire, correct?) throughout his system at one point (he's since sold most of it), and I've heard at least a half-dozen other systems at shows that used K-S. IMHO, it's overly warm and slow -- a good band-aid for zippy systems (e.g., ss gear witha CD front-end), but not something I'd use with top-drawer equipment and analogue sources.
I've always wanted to try the Indira Stealth, but haven't been able to get my hands on a demo cable. Ditto the Siltech G6 interconnects, with their new heat treatment. Maybe someday...
I didn't mean to say the Tara Labs Zero's are the best out there (although they might be for all I know). But in my system, so far, they were my favorite, with the most appealing set of trade-offs. I do know one person who preferred the PAD Dominus, because he felt it had more weight in the bass. As always, YMMV.
Thanks for your feedback, Cleop. The Jorma Prime might be interesting to test, as well, in particular because its dielectric is air. I've had the opportunity to insert its younger brother, the Jorma No1, in my system. I found it extraordinary in its ability to convey music as a whole, I mean with a tonal coherency that I heard with no other cable. It is also exceptionnally resolutive. However, the overall esthetic was a bit cold to me. The Prime should be warmer, but at $7000 per meter...
having used vampire CCC-22 wire it looks like that is what the Jena labs cables are made up of...again I could be wrong just a observation.
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