Tag Archives: Interconnects

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Siltech Royal Double Crown Interconnects and Loudspeaker Cables

Posted on by Jacob Heilbrunn

Siltech is positioned within the Netherlands, the place it started manufacturing audio merchandise in 1983. They embody the Siltech SAGA System amplification, which was reviewed by Jonathan Valin in 2014, and the mighty Symphony loudspeaker, launched in 2021. But the corporate might be finest identified for its interconnects and speaker cables, each for his or her hefty worth and stellar efficiency. Its chief designer, Edwin van der Kley Rynveld, who invented a novel silver-gold alloy in 1997, enjoys a excessive status within the audio trade. When Rich Maez, previously of Boulder Amplifiers now the American distributor for Siltech, recommended that I overview its new line of cables, I used to be greater than sport.

The packaging for the Royal Double Crown Series that I acquired, one step from the very high of the road, might hardly have been extra putting—the darkish blue packing containers containing these gems have been festooned with giant golden royal crowns. The aristocrat of cables? After prying the packing containers open, I found a passel of pretty hefty-looking interconnects, speaker cables, and energy cords, whose building seemed to be meticulous. The cables are properly shielded—a dual-layer insulation of DuPont Kapton and Teflon coupled with a Hexagon air insulation is meant to decrease inductance and capacitance. Nestled inside all this shielding are Siltech’s S10 monocrystal silver-wire conductors. The connectors are constructed from pure silver, as properly. The build-quality seems to be impeccable.

What did the cables sound like? Abandon all preconceptions about silver cables being harsh or rebarbative or vibrant. Fiddlesticks. Those days appear to be long gone with regards to the highest audio producers, who make use of silver for its velocity and purity. Whatever annealing course of Siltech is using—and it’s clearly a superb one—proper out of the field the cables sounded darned good. Indeed, the Royal Crown cables produced a lustrous sound that was troublesome to neglect. Instruments emerged from about as black a background as I’ve ever heard. Forget that. It was obsidian. Take the Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch performed by Joshua Bell with the venerable Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, a fascinating orchestral work that I’ve been listening to fairly a bit. Through the Wilson WAMM loudspeakers and darTZeel NHB-468 amplifiers, it was a supremely velvety sound. Not just like the notorious “Dockers” time period that my new colleague Michael Fremer likes to make use of as a disparaging phrase for gear that’s too relaxed and mellow, this was one thing else altogether—refined, wealthy, and rewarding. The first motion, which is predicated on the track “Through the Wood Laddie,” was an actual pleasure to pay attention by the Siltech cables. They conveyed the sonority and sheen of the string part with marvelous constancy, permitting Bell’s rubatos to emerge with tender poignancy. Throughout, there was no trace of any stridency within the treble. Instead, there was a lifelike high quality to the sound. It was nearly just like the internal glow of tubes, besides that there was (gulp) nary a tube within the system.

The soothing character of the Siltech was all to the nice on “hotter” recordings reminiscent of Count Basie’s basic Chairman of the Board, launched in 1959. This kick-ass recording was one of many late David Wilson’s favorites–a showstopper, loaded with nifty numbers reminiscent of “H.R.H.” and “Segue in C” which are assured to spotlight the spectacular qualities of a very good full-range stereo. One of the enjoyable issues about this recording is that the songs usually start with Count Basie plunking away, quietly accompanied by a bass, then the remainder of the orchestra joins in, one after the other, till the joint actually is leaping. Such is the case on “Segue in C”; the Siltech cables simply dealt with the great dynamic surge on this quantity. Also spectacular was the panache with which the cables locked down the varied sections of the orchestra, starting from the muted trumpets on the far proper to trombones on the left. All nuances and particulars have been totally obvious, together with these within the bass line. Indeed, I’d be remiss if I didn’t single out the bass efficiency of the Siltech cables for particular commendation.

Siltech Royal Double Crown Power Connector

Put bluntly, they laid down the regulation proper from the second I inserted them. John Giolas of DAC producer dCS in Great Britain not too long ago visited me to take heed to the brand new Vivaldi Apex CD/SACD gear in my system and launched me to James Blake’s album Friends That Break Your Heart. Giolas and the album didn’t. Nor did the playback on “Famous Last Words.” Right from the outset, the Siltech cables nearly appeared to plunge into the sonic depths, delivering a sort of deep propulsive character to the synthesized bass. Immediately obvious, as properly, was the creamy sound of the treble. Blake’s falsetto sounded ethereal, and feminine vocals have been only a trace extra detailed than I’m accustomed to by way of the WAMM.

Adding within the Siltech energy cable solely intensified these attributes. On the Proprius recording Cantate Domino, I used to be taken by the deep bass these cables helped to supply on the track “O Helga natt.” The sound grew to become even hotter and extra fulsome. The sense of refinement and palpability additionally went up one other notch. They additionally go deep into the corridor—on “Silent Night” on the Proprius recording, the cavernous sound of the church was overwhelming. If I needed to describe the cables in plain stereo gear phrases, it might be as a single-ended-triode sound.

The composure and tranquility of the Double Crown cables in all probability gained’t enchantment to listeners on the lookout for extra razzle-dazzle or sizzle. These cables are in one other realm altogether. There is one thing greater than a bit of spooky in regards to the degree of element coupled to the refinement they provide. On Murray Perahia’s imaginative recording of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata for Deutsche Grammophon, for instance, the cables provided a sort of rhythmic stability that made it even simpler to observe his use of the piano pedal. Ditto for a Rolf Smedvig recording for Telarc with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra of Torelli’s Trumpet Concerto. Once once more, I heard the uncanny rhythmic solidity of trumpet and orchestra with unprecedented accuracy. There was no sense of slippage. The notes popped out of the piccolo trumpet. The transient assaults, in different phrases, have been useless on. On the Berlin Academy for Ancient Music’s recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos for Harmonia Mundi, the precision of the rhythm rendered the accents of the string devices immediately understandable, once more to a level that I’m undecided I’ve hitherto skilled. It gave the much-beloved third concerto, as an illustration, an pressing character that swept alongside all the things in its path with whole musical conviction.

The absence of grain together with the superior bass management and picture solidity of the Royal Double Crown be certain that it ranks among the many aristocrats of high-end cables. It could not have the identical supersonic velocity because the Nordost Odin 2 or the heft of the Transparent Magnum Opus, but it surely brings its personal set of virtues to the desk. Nothing is brummagem in regards to the efficiency of the Double Crown. Quite the opposite. These cables deserve each accolade that will get showered upon them. Anyone on the lookout for efficiency match for a king would do properly to think about them.

Specs & Pricing

Royal Double Crown interconnect: $18,100/1 meter
Royal Double Crown loudspeaker cable: $37,500/2 meter
Royal Double Crown energy wire: $15,300/2 meter

MONARCH SYSTEMS LTD. (U.S. Distributor)
16 Inverness Place E, Building B
Englewood, CO 80122
(720) 399-0072
monarch-systems.com

The put up Siltech Royal Double Crown Interconnects and Loudspeaker Cables appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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Synergistic Research Foundation SX interconnect and loudspeaker cables

Posted on by Alan Sircom

We examined Synergistic Research’s unique Foundation sequence of cables again in July 2020 (hi-fi+ Issue 185). Loads has occurred since then, and the Synergistic Research Foundation SX sequence is the outcome. They stay the one above the entry-level vary to Synergistic Research’s intensive line of tuning and energy merchandise. We’ll take a look at but extra of these in our subsequent survey of the Foundation SX line.

To recap, Synergistic Research makes a spread of parts that deal with the system relatively than parts within the system. The firm makes energy merchandise, tools helps, acoustic therapies, fuses, cables and extra.

Foundation

The unique Foundation Series cables featured 6N purity pure silver conductors. These featured Synergistic’s personal handmade Air String geometry. It additionally used the corporate’s UEF (Unified Energy Field) Matrix shielding in a grid sample contained in the cable. Foundation signed off with a graphene sleeve extending across the connector itself. The RCA cables used 4 of those Air String conductors per channel whereas the XLRs used six. All of those conductors had been woven in an air dielectric and wrapped in a good braided jacket. The loudspeaker cables seemed virtually equivalent to the interconnects, utilizing equivalent supplies, methods, and jacketing. The optimistic and destructive conductors are separated, with two distinct conductors for every speaker terminal connection. This means 4 cables per channel for bi-wire, six for tri-wire, and so forth.

Foundation and Empire

These cables had been rattling good, however they had been additionally an introduction to the entire empire of Synergistic Research’s systematic remedy of an audio system. As a outcome, the cables should work independently of Synergistic Research’s different therapies, but additionally act in concord with them, and work with the broadest vary of methods from reasonably priced to distinctly high-end.

Covering all these bases was a troublesome name, however one Foundation did exceptionally nicely. And now it’s three and a half years later since its launch, and Foundation SX replaces the unique. What’s modified… and why?

Second Foundation

The ‘OG’ Foundation was primarily based on the applied sciences created for the higher-end Atmosphere X sequence cables. Foundation SX trickles down from the latest developments to the super-high-end SRX cable methods. The core building of the Foundation stays unchanged. Still, it’s handled with a brand new UEF Compound and subjected to a long-duration, high-voltage conditioning course of that ensures the cable is appropriately and constantly run in earlier than it reaches the tip person. The SRX undertaking additionally helped create the most recent UEF Carbon Tuning Discs, however extra on these later.

The phrase ‘consistency’ is vital. Foundation labored each as a standalone single-cable improve and as an entire system cable rewire, however with Foundation SX, that latter all-Synergistic cable system makes much more sense. Yes, after all, you hear the advantages of 1 Foundation wire within the combine, however you hear the advantages much more instantly if each cable within the sign path is singing the identical track, and Foundation SX makes certain all of them sing in concord.

Foundation’s Edge

Used throughout the board, that synergy is met by some extraordinary ranges of perception and element for what’s – by high-end requirements, a minimum of – distinctly reasonably priced cables. You get greater than a glimpse of the large audio image right here; with elegant soundstage width and solidity of photographs inside that soundstage, frequency extension to make devices with a high-frequency part sound pure as a substitute of ‘tinny’ and ‘brash’. The cable can be analytical with out being over-analytical, detailed with out sounding ‘etched’ or ‘edgy’ and extremely coherent and articulate proper throughout the frequency vary.

 There is one last query to deal with. Three and a half years later, would a Foundation proprietor be sensible to improve to Foundation SX? Well, sure and no. Suppose you could have upgraded some components of your system to Foundation. In that case, the remainder ought to obtain the Foundation SX remedy, and also you’ll probably improve the extra important components of the system with SX, and the lesser-used parts will find yourself with the unique. But in case you are considering of adjusting Foundation for SX? Maybe. It’s higher, and there are trade-in programmes, however I believe a trade-up could be higher.

Foundation and Earth

I virtually missed the final little bit of the take a look at; the UEF Carbon Tuning Discs are tiny and very gentle… and there’s a purple and a gold one and a few White-Tack in a baggie provided with every cable. For a couple of seconds, I believed Synergistic had thrown in a few tabs of acid with the cable. I used to be about to inform them that I not go to Hawkwind gigs once I discovered about the entire Carbon Tuning Discs factor. Back on planet Earth, they’re fine-tuning units that you just follow the pressure reduction of the cables that broadly talking offer you extra soundstage depth (gold) or extra element retrieval (purple). That’s true ‘fringe of my bizarre huge world’ stuff and makes me marvel if they’re made from LSD, in spite of everything! Regardless the Discs do one thing and do it constantly.

Even when you ignore the discs, Synergistic Research’s Foundation SX builds on the strengths of Foundation. It, due to this fact, has the proper title. It’s an ideal basis for reworking a system via Synergistic Research’s tuning methods. But, that holds even when Foundation SX is your solely shot at coordinating the sound of a system. If you haven’t any plans to discover the remainder of the Synergistic Research catalogue, the Foundation SX cables harmonise and convey out the very best in any system.

Price and Contact particulars

  • Synergistic Research Foundation SX interconnect cables: $699 (excl tax), £599 (inc VAT) 1m RCA (as examined)
  • Synergistic Research Foundation SX loudspeaker cables: $749 (excl tax), £650 (inc VAT) 8’ spade lugs (as examined)

Manufacturer

Synergistic Research

Homepage – https://www.synergisticresearch.com

Products:

Interconnects https://www.synergisticresearch.com/cables/foundation-sx/foundation-sx-ic/

and

Loudspeaker cables https://www.synergisticresearch.com/cables/foundation-sx/foundation-sx-sc/

International Dealer List – https://www.synergisticresearch.com/dealer-list/

Back to Reviews

The put up Synergistic Research Foundation SX interconnect and loudspeaker cables appeared first on Hi-Fi+.

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Synergistic Research SRX Speaker Cables, Interconnects, and Power Cords

Posted on by Jonathan Valin

Better than a decade-and-a-half ago, Synergistic Research’s chief cook and bottle washer, Ted Denney, came out with a cable the likes of which I’d never seen or heard before. It was called the Galileo System. Physically, what set this wire apart was the use of strands of different metals (copper/silver alloy, pure silver, pure gold, and pure platinum) that weren’t twisted or bundled together, as they are in every other brand of wire I’m familiar with, but separated into what Denney called “air strings.” In part because these individually jacketed strands of wire weren’t interwoven into massive braids, crosstalk was reduced, capacitance and inductance lowered, skin effects diminished, and transparency to sources greatly increased. The sonic superiority of its unique materials and geometry made the Galileo System a benchmark. It was the best wire I’d heard at that time and remains one of the most innovative products I’ve reviewed.

Synergistic Research’s new top-line SRX cable is the latest descendant of Denney’s extraordinary original, and it, too, is very special. Like Galileo, each SRX speaker cable uses thin, individually jacketed air strings (two made from a monocrystal silver-copper alloy, four from 14AWG silver, and four from mono-filament silver), that are separated from one another by perforations in an evenly spaced series of carbon-fiber discs, through which the strands run without physically contacting each other (or walls, shelves, and flooring). Where the air strings in Galileo cable were routed, via LEMO connectors, into and out of free-standing electromagnetic power-conditioning/active-shielding junction boxes (called “Active Mini EM Cells”) that themselves were plugged into “quantum tunneled” Mini Power Coupler power supplies (wall-wart-like devices that provided the DC current for the active shielding and EM power conditioning of the cells and the precious-metal “strings” attached to them), the SRXes are, blessedly, simpler in construction. Their air strings run out of and into a pair of barrel-shaped carbon-fiber tuning modules—passive devices which, in addition to providing conditioning and shielding, have two plugs (one each for the positive and negative legs of the cable) that allow you to attach cylindrical gold and silver “tuning bullets” to further voice the system. This provision for voicing, which is very nearly unique to Synergistic Research products, unquestionably works—and works in the ways that SR claims it does, with the gold bullets adding warmth and body to the sound and the silver bullets resolution and extension. For anyone with a difficult room or picky componentry or a marked preference for acoustic or electric music, SRX’s “tuneability” can be a blessing.

Like the speaker cable, SRX interconnect uses thin, individually jacketed air strings (one of 10AWG monocrystal silver-copper and five of monocrystal silver), each separated from the others by perforated carbon-fiber discs. In addition to a provision for attaching tuning “bullets,” the interconnects have another set of wires that can be plugged into Synergistic’s active Galileo SX Ground Block—to improve shielding and further lower noise.

The only item in the SRX lineup that superficially resembles products from other manufacturers’ cable lines is the power cord, though even here looks are deceiving. Though it does not make use of “air strings,” each cord comprises a nine-gauge composite of silver conductors for hot and neutral runs, including a long, flat, silver-ribbon EM (electromagnetic) cell and two folded EM cells for what SR claims amounts to a “pure-silver line conditioner in an AC cable format.” Like the cable and interconnect, the power cords can be voiced via Synergistic’s tuning “bullets,” and like the interconnect it can be connected to an SX Ground Block for lower noise and better shielding.

A few months ago, I reviewed Crystal Cable’s very pricey, top-of-the-line Art Series Da Vinci cable, interconnect, and power cords, which for me set new standards of fidelity. Since then, I’ve been able to audition a complete loom of SRX in my upstairs MBL reference system, and while the Crystal and the Synergistic aren’t sonically identical, they do sound an awful lot alike, clearly sharing a property that is key to their excellence. To wit, they are both extremely low in noise (and high in resolution).

As Robert and I have said in print (and Alan Taffel talks about in his Metronome DSC review in this issue), the lowering of noise is, across the board, the chief improvement in today’s high-end offerings. For examples, the elimination of RF in DS Audio’s optical cartridges, the lowering of jitter, phase, and quantization errors in DACs from Wadax, MSB, Soulution, Berkeley Audio, etc., the reduction of EMI, IM, TIM, and THD in high-bandwidth solid-state electronics from Soulution, CH Precision, darTZeel, etc., the use of aluminum, carbon-fiber, stone, acrylics, and other non-resonant materials in speaker cabinets from companies like Magico, Stenheim, Estelon, Rockport, YG, etc., and the application of carbon fiber, synthetic diamond, ceramic, and other low-resonance/high-stiffness substances in dynamic-driver diaphragms have, independently and together, reduced distortions and colorations that we simply took for granted in the old days, elevating what I’ve called “completeness” and “neutrality” to new heights.

This does not mean that pieces of high-end gear are without sonic “characters” of their own—i.e., that all of today’s components sound alike. What it does mean is that the differences in sonics among the best high-end products are, for the most part, less marked than they once were and that rather than reflecting unique distortion profiles they are the results of deliberate decisions about parts, materials, layout, manufacture, and voicing. As similar in sound as they are in many ways, the presentations of amps from Soulution, CH Precision, and Constellation are still easily distinguishable from each other, but that is not because one or the other of the trio has more (or less) THD.

This same paradigm holds true for Da Vinci and SRX cabling. Where Crystal’s top-of-the-line achieved its astonishing vanishing act primarily through metallurgical advances, Synergistic SRX earns its laurels primarily through the unique geometries I’ve discussed above. This is not to say that either cable shortchanges the other’s areas of strengths, just that their designers’ foci are slightly different, including their respective ideas about what best constitutes a replica of the absolute sound. Crystal’s Edwin Rynveld has what I would call a “fidelity to sources” (or accuracy-first) mindset. For him, the object is to lower noises that alter and obscure the original signal, and measurable differences are his primary standards of comparison. Synergistic’s Ted Denney has more of an “as you like it” (or “musicality-first”) slant. As his provisions for markedly different voicings show, his intent is to provide the listener with a sound that can accommodate individual tastes, rooms, and ancillary gear. Ironically, perhaps, both approaches end up in the same sonic ballpark, which, to reiterate, means that Da Vinci and SRX sound more alike than different—especially on an initial audition. Over time, however, each reveals its own character. Which of them you’ll prefer may be more a matter of taste (and pocketbook) than across-the-board sonic superiority.

For example, Da Vinci has a density of tone, particularly through the low end, midbass, and power range, that I simply   haven’t heard to the same lifelike extent from any other wire. Like Soulution amplification, there is a timbral richness and three-dimensional solidity to its bottom octaves that is quite natural and appealing. I should note, however, that (as with Soulution electronics) this exceptional low-end color and weight tend to give Da Vinci a slightly “bottom-up” tonal balance, a bit of a “darker” overall character (though, as you will see, nothing is scanted in the midband or on top).

Though voicing with gold bullets can bring the SRX quite a bit closer to Crystal’s darker, more granitic presentation, the Synergistic wire is fundamentally less bottom-up in character than the Crystal Cable offering. This is not to say that SRX is anything like “thin” sounding; it is not. Indeed, its bass and power-range timbre are downright gorgeous; its focus and grip in the bottom octaves may even be very slightly higher than that of the Crystal Cable. As a result, details about Fender guitar performance-technique—picking, fingering, plucking, and slapping—are (sometimes) a bit clearer.

There is an irony to this, actually, because up until Denney’s last generation of Galileo from several years back, Synergistic cable, too, had a “bottom-up” tonal balance, a slightly “dark” overall character. Not anymore. Indeed, “unvoiced” (without bullets) it is the most neutral wire that Denney has yet produced—and certainly, as noted, the lowest in noise and coloration and highest in resolution. I’m not going to claim that it outdoes Da Vinci in this last regard, but it is, as I’ve said, a bit more tightly focused, which (minus the somewhat fuller power-range/bass weight of Da Vinci) tends to clarify transient detail.

In the midband there is little to choose between these two remarkable wires. They are both exceedingly realistic sounding, capable (with the best sources) of fooling you into thinking you are in the presence of actual musicians. Not only do they reproduce timbre with lifelike density; they also reproduce the dynamic/harmonic envelope (from starting transient through steady-state tone to decay) with lifelike duration, without adding, for instance, “zip” or ringing to hard transients, sibilance to frictatives of higher pitch or amplitude, or smearing to decays. This is the very essence of “completeness”—and the reason why you can not just readily visualize singers like Sinatra on Sinatra at the Sands through both wires; you can also tell the way he is using his mic (like that geisha fan he compared it to) to shape, punctuate, and convey the emotional power of his delivery.

On top, the Synergistic and the Crystal Cable are, once again, very similar. With the best sources, both are extremely finely nuanced. When two things come this close to identity, it’s hard to distinguish one from the other. Having said this, I would guess that Da Vinci (or Crystal’s also superior Ultimate Dream) is just a smidgeon softer and sweeter at the very top, and that Synergistic’s SRX is just a bit airier and more extended.

Both are superb imagers and soundstagers; both reproduce the dynamic range of recordings with high accuracy; both are astonishingly realistic sounding with great tapes, LPs, and streams; and both lower noises and colorations to unprecedented levels.

So…where does that leave you?

Well, to begin with you’ve got to be rich to afford either one of these extraordinary looms of wire. However, for what it is worth, SRX is a good deal less expensive than Da Vinci (e.g., an eight-foot pair of SRX speaker cable costs $29,995; a two-meter pair of Da Vinci speaker cable is a staggering $46,500). If a $16.5k difference means anything to you (and if it doesn’t, my congratulations), then I’d certainly opt for the SRX. If, on the other hand, you’re rolling in dough and have a near-psychotic lack of self-control when it comes to spending it, well…Da Vinci is a hair richer in the bass and power range.

One difference that isn’t a matter of taste or guesswork is convenience. Because of its simpler geometry and lighter weight, Da Vinci is easier to set up and use (and less space-consuming) than SRX. There are no voicing bullets on Da Vinci, no grounding plugs, no multiple strands, no perforated carbon-fiber discs. It is what it is, with no provisions to adjust its sound.

Which brings us to a crux. As I’ve already noted, Edwin Rynveld perfects his products by measurement. The lower the calculable noise floor, the more he feels he’s succeeded. Though he also tests his creations extensively (see the interview to the left), Ted Denney makes his products for real-world users, whose varied systems and musical tastes he attempts to accommodate with voicing options. It’s kind of like the difference between a Soulution amplifier and an amplifier from CH Precision. The former comes with no provision for changing its sound; the latter can be “tuned” to taste via adjustments in feedback, gain, and other variables. Depending on your room, gear, and musical preferences, SRX’s tuneability (which, ideally, requires the assistance of a knowledgeable dealer for setup) may be a real plus.

Assuming you’ve got the moolah (and a spouse without a power of attorney), I can’t tell you which of these sonically similar but physically and functionally different cables to buy. Both Synergistic Research SRX and Crystal Cable Da Vinci are honest-to-God great—along with Crystal’s Ultimate Dream (which the Da Vincis replaced), the best wires I’ve heard. What I can say is this: Denney has long claimed to be able to build cables, interconnects, and power cords that will equal or exceed those of the competition for half the money. In this instance, he has proven his point. Co-winner of TAS’ Cable of the Year Award in 2022, Synergistic Research’s SRX is one of my references—and a worthy successor to Denney’s original, standard-setting Galileo.

Specs & Pricing

Synergistic SRX
Speaker Cable: $29,995 per 8′ pair
Interconnect: $12,995 per meter pair
Power cable: $10,000 per 6′

SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH
synergisticresearch.com

JV’s Reference System
Loudspeakers: MBL 101 X-treme, Stenheim Alumine Five SE, Estelon X Diamond Mk II, Magico M3, Voxativ 9.87, Avantgarde Zero 1, Magnepan LRS+, MG 1.7, and MG 30.7
Subwoofers: JL Audio Gotham (pair)
Linestage preamps: Soulution 725, MBL 6010 D, Siltech SAGA System C1, Air Tight ATE-2001 Reference
Phonostage preamps: Soulution 755, Constellation Audio Perseus, DS Audio Grand Master
Power amplifiers: Soulution 711, MBL 9008 A, Aavik P-580, Air Tight 3211, Air Tight ATM-2001, Zanden Audio Systems Model 9600, Siltech SAGA System V1/P1, Odyssey Audio Stratos, Voxativ Integrated 805
Analog source: Clearaudio Master Innovation, Acoustic Signature Invictus Jr./T-9000, Walker Audio Proscenium Black Diamond Mk V, TW Acustic Black Knight/TW Raven 10.5, AMG Viella 12
Tape deck: Metaxas & Sins Tourbillon T-RX, United Home Audio Ultimate 4 OPS
Phono cartridges: DS Audio Grandmaster, DS Audio Master1, DS Audio DS-003 Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement, Air Tight Opus 1, Ortofon MC Anna, Ortofon MC A90
Digital source: MSB Reference DAC, Soulution 760, Berkeley Alpha DAC 2
Cable and interconnect: CrystalConnect Art Series Da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research SRX, Ansuz Acoustics Diamond
Power cords: CrystalConnect Art Series Da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research SRX, Ansuz Acoustics Diamond
Power conditioner: AudioQuest Niagara 5000 (two), Synergistic Research Galileo UEF, Ansuz Acoustics DTC, Technical Brain
Support systems: Critical Mass Systems MAXXUM and QXK equipment racks and amp stands and CenterStage2M footers
Room treatments: Stein Music H2 Harmonizer system, Synergistic Research UEF Acoustic Panels/Atmosphere XL4/UEF Acoustic Dot system, Synergistic Research ART system, Shakti Hallographs (6), Zanden Acoustic panels, A/V Room Services Metu acoustic panels and traps, ASC Tube Traps
Accessories: DS Audio ION-001, SteinMusic Pi Carbon Signature record mat, Symposium Isis and Ultra equipment platforms, Symposium Rollerblocks and Fat Padz, Walker Prologue Reference equipment and amp stands, Walker Valid Points and Resonance Control discs, Clearaudio Double Matrix Professional Sonic record cleaner, Synergistic Research RED Quantum fuses, HiFi-Tuning silver/gold fuses

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GutWire Synchrony3

Posted on by Alan Sircom

GutWire is the example that proves the rule that marketing matters. If there were any justice in the audio world, GutWire would be up there with the Big Names, but because those Big Names spend Big Bucks (not just in advertising; they spend big at shows and events and stage lots of events to keep putting their name and products in front of media, dealer, and end-user alike) and GutWire doesn’t, it will likely forever be that plucky little Canadian company with the great cables that deserves to be better known.

GutWire’s entry level cables – Congruence and Synchrony – recently underwent some major changes, bringing both to ‘Cube’ status. The main change to the cable design is a change in insulation from polyethylene to Teflon, along with even higher purity copper throughout. Both interconnect and speaker cables in the Synchrony3 range tested here are multi-stranded copper designs with a copper braided shield in the interconnects and a Mylar metallic shield in both cables. The cables are also damped using natural material known as ‘Binchō-tan’ (this is a big thing with GutWire; as the company thinks plastic damping systems undermine the overall sound quality). From the outside at least, the main differentiator between Synchrony3 and its predecessor is the superscript ‘3’ on the strain-relief. There isn’t a Synchrony3 power cord, but the obvious partner would be B10 SE or Iris3 from the same company. All samples – a set of spade/banana-plug equipped 8ft loudspeaker cables and a pair of 1m RCA interconnects – receive 300-400 hours of real-music burn-in, so I cannot speak as to the running in process and its highlights. Nevertheless, I gave them some bedding in time before I put on my critical ears.

Fun with Cubism

The big physical difference between Synchrony3 and GutWire’s more up-scale products (such as Eon-Z interconnects and the Chime3 loudspeaker cable we tested in Issue 191) is the absence of heavy aluminium vibration absorbing blocks on the cables. Naturally, there’s a lot more going on under the covers (that sounds rude and was probably meant to do so), but those large cans and cubes on the cables do draw attention. Of course, the Synchrony3 loudspeaker cable is no shrinking violet, thanks to a one-inch diameter, and a subtle line of golden lustre from that shield beneath the braid.

GutWire Synchrony3 Speaker Cables

Regardless, the cables Synchrony3 have a lot in common with other GutWire cables I’ve tried. Where other cables often stress leading edges, speed, detail, soundstage width or some other aspect of performance, like previous GutWire cables, Synchrony3 goes for a more mature, level-headed, and even-handed approach. It’s almost acting like a butler for your music, acting invisibly but always on hand, except without a handy glass of Corpse Reviver No 1 for ‘those mornings’. There’s not a hair out of place; every frequency is perfectly handled, without any undue emphasis or weakness. The cable has great extension too; never forward, bright, boomy or ‘in yer face’, the cable simply keeps going in its natural, unforced manner from the deepest bass to the highest treble.

Synchrony3 is also extremely transparent and is possessed of a fine soundstage as good as the recording itself. This degree of transparency to source is heard more in the breech than the observance at times, as it so often comes with qualifications like ‘breezy and transparent’. Synchrony3 is just transparent, which is why it gets so close to some of GutWire’s bigger boys in performance terms.

The same applies to almost any aspect of performance that either yanks your chain or you try to focus upon. The cable behaves itself and makes so small a footprint on the character of the music or the equipment, you find yourself nodding in approval. Change tack and listen out for another aspect of the performance, and the same happens again. The difference between this and other GutWire cables is you get ever closer to the ideal of ‘nothing in-between components’. As they get larger, their imprint gets smaller!

It’s hard to put a pin between the two Synchrony3 cables in sonic terms. I suspect ‘all roads lead to Rome’ applies; you try – and like – the interconnect cables, there will be a loudspeaker cable change in the pipeline soon after. If you go down the speaker cable route, the same happens in reverse. Either way, you end up fully Synchronised3.

Tone-shaping? Nein danke!

In trying not to think cynically about why GutWire isn’t better known, I suspect a lot comes down to people using cables as a form of tone-shaping, even unconsciously. In truth, we all do this to some extent, and it’s only spending some hours sitting in front of cables that don’t tone shape do you begin to discover what you are missing. OK, that tone-shaping can often be very alluring (it’s basically the same as a classic LS3/5a making a piano sound more ‘piano-like’ than the piano itself!), but if the goal really is ‘high fidelity’, we should be all about the stripping away inaccuracy, no matter how exciting or euphonic it sounds. That stripping away of inaccuracy is what GutWire does so well, seemingly whatever the price point, and Synchrony3 is no exception. In fact, it does that stripping away so well, you might find the more up-market cables from the company harder to justify in absolute terms.

There might be some equipment brands that are so far from musical honesty and so reliant on cables to highlight that move. They will likely never play nice with GutWire, but in Synchrony3’s defence, criticising an intrinsically honest cable for not being dishonest enough is pretty far from the point of all this audio stuff, isn’t it?

For all its honesty, GutWire’s Synchrony3 cables are not ‘starkly’ honest, and neither do they force a rethink of your system (unless it’s so unbalanced it’s got all the articulation of a foghorn). They just tell you what your music and your system can sound like with a surprisingly large sonic impediment removed from the equation. It’s a dynamic and exciting neutrality too. Honesty, without the courtroom drama. What more do you need?

Price and contact details

  • Synchrony3 interconnect cables from £900/1m stereo pair
  • Synchrony3 speaker cables from £2,700 8’ stereo pair

Manufacturer

GutWire cables

gutwire.com

UK contact

The Audio Consultants

audioconsultants.co.uk

Tel: +44(0)118 981 9891

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AudioQuest ThunderBird

Posted on by Alan Sircom

You can tell when one of AudioQuest’s ranges change because the nomenclature goes through a complete overhaul. Some of AudioQuest’s best-loved interconnect cables have been a part of a series named after snakes, rivers, elements, and most recently the Bridges & Falls range. Now we are into the three-strong Mythical Creature series, which began in AudioQuest’s loudspeaker cable line. These define the upper echelon of AudioQuest’s extensive range of cables, with ThunderBird representing the jumping off point, and FireBird and Dragon forming the pinnacle of the brand’s interconnect output. Given the predecessor to Dragon (WEL Signature) carried the name of the founder, Bill Low, and both ThunderBird and FireBird replace some extremely well-respected cables, these magic critters have some big, talon-shaped shoes to fill.

Perfecting Perfect Surfaces

Previous high-end AudioQuest cables use Perfect-Surface conductor metals, a balanced triaxial topology, and directionally oriented conductors, as well as the FEP Air Tube dielectric, and the patented Dielectric Bias System. A large part of the performance of the cables available to date would also be due to the noise attenuation or shielding provided by multiple layers of conductive carbon and aluminium foils. However, AudioQuest went as far as it’s possible to go with these technologies. The new Mythical Creature designs take that ball of tech and run with it.

So, AudioQuest put Garth Powell – the company’s resident Big Brain – to work on what comes next. ThunderBird’s conductors remain Perfect-Surface Copper, a high-purity copper with a special and proprietary surface treatment. All the surfaces of the plug are also copper-coated, which is claimed to help its RFI busting abilities.  However, that’s nothing too far outside the ordinary for audio.

What Garth did next was look to effectively eliminatE the characteristic impedance of a cable, as matching the impedance of source and load circuits is a goal once aimed for and almost comically missed by the audio industry. To address this required using the electrostatic screening first seen in AudioQuest’s Storm power cord line. This effectively eliminates the cable’s dielectric constant.

Eliminating the characteristic impedance of a signal cable was hitherto not considered particularly relevant or important beyond power-line cables (remember, it’s a missed goal), but the need for predictable linear behaviour is important in signal cables. In fact, it’s even more vital as the primary audio signal reaches far lower into the noise-floor.

As a result of this thought process, coupled with a lot of testing and listening, AudioQuest established a level of ‘Permanent Molecular Optimisation’ of both the cable contacts and the dielectric. The process optimally stresses the associated materials in a fashion similar to the purposeful run-in of a fine race engine.

The subtle art of banjaxing

There are two tales to tell here. How does ThunderBird shape up compared to previous iterations of AudioQuest interconnects, and how does it fare in and of itself. The first is easy; it kind of banjaxes earlier AudioQuest cables. OK, if you are reading this with metre upon metre of WEL Signature cables in your system then it’s less ‘banjaxed’ more ‘trading blows’. But more or less everything in the old line that sounded ‘quiet’ ‘refined’, ‘natural’, ‘extended’ and ‘well-balanced’ sounds a little uneven and noisy next to ThunderBird.

This is not a subtle change; granted, those of us who spend an inordinate amount of time changing things in our systems get pretty good at discerning differences at pace, but I can’t imagine someone spending too long comparing ThunderBird and not reaching for the credit card.

Int ThunderBird case n cable

Listening to ThunderBird next to the previous generation cables, it’s clear that there’s a lot less hash getting in the way of the sound, backgrounds are more silent, the tonal balance is more precise, more level-headed and it’s just way more detailed. Given that ‘previous generation’ was far further up the AudioQuest food chain, this is something of a revelation. There’s also a strange and wonderful change; the cable isn’t bright but is musically brighter when it’s called upon to be brighter. Too many high-end cables ‘zing up’ the detail, making for a sound that’s ‘effervescent’ and ‘bubbly’, but ‘bubbly’ when it’s not called for is ‘exuberant’ and sometimes just plain ‘drunken’ sounding. By having a performance that is a perfect reflection of the music, ThunderBird is one of the most lyrical and lithe performers in wire.

Moving out of the AudioQuest romper room, the same applies. This is an extremely transparent cable design that simply allows two devices to speak to one another without interference or feeling the need to call an interpreter.

I spend a lot of time talking about soundstaging and image stability, but there is another aspect of spatial performance that is often elusive; ambience. That’s usually because it remains the preserve of audiophile recordings that take account of the physical space in which the recording was made. But ThunderBird extends that ability out into the real world; I’ve been listening to a lot of Donny Hathaway recently and the live cut of ‘The Ghetto’ [Live, Atlantic] recorded in a small club in Greenwich Village. This is not a recording where one goes looking for expanse, but instead ThunderBird just puts you in the room – low ceilings, audience at fingertip distance from the band – in a way that’s so damn ‘right’ that you set aside critical audio listening and just enjoy the event.

ThunderBirds are GO!

In fact, my biggest dislike in ThunderBird is that I hear the Thunderbirds theme tune as an earworm every time I discuss the cable (because Gerry Anderson wrote at least part of the soundtrack to my childhood). Note that nothing about this has any actual bearing on the performance of the cable and is more to do with life as a reviewer being one long fever dream.

I wasn’t expecting a sea-change in cable performance to come at this sort of price point. Normally, the big changes happen when the really big tickets come out. But ThunderBird really does make a big change to the performance of a system, even one that is in the attainable rather than ‘stratospheric’ price and quality level. I can’t wait to hear what the full loom can do and what the likes of FireBird and Dragon will do. These might be Mythical Creatures, but what they do to sound is more than just fantasy.

Price and contact details

  • AudioQuest ThunderBird £2,500/1m RCA
  • AudioQuest ThunderBird £3,400/1m XLR

Manufactured by

AudioQuest

 audioquest.com

+44(0)1249 848873

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2022 Golden Ear: Empirical Design Cables

Posted on by Alan Taffel

Empirical Design Cables

Prices Vary

Empirical Design is probably the most under-the-radar, over-the-top-performing high-end cable company in existence. It’s been my reference for nearly 20 years, along the way winning two previous Golden Ear Awards. But those were back in the aughts. It’s worth noting that, through constant incremental evolution, these cables and power cords have retained what originally set them apart: top-notch parts-quality, straightforward topologies, hand-built construction, and a price roughly one-tenth that of cables of comparable merit. Recently, two events reminded of these cables’ unique attributes. First, the sonics of a review component were transformed—no exaggeration—by the insertion of a $240 Empirical Design power cord. Second, some fancy-pants speaker cable recommended by the speaker’s manufacturer was shown up by the far more neutral ED wire. At prices in the hundreds rather than the thousands, these cables are a no-brainer investment for most systems.

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AudioQuest Launches Mythical Horses Interconnects

Posted on by TAS Staff

The following is a press release issued by AudioQuest.

November 2022 – In his review of AudioQuest’s cost-no-object Dragon ZERO-Tech analog interconnect (The Absolute Sound, October 2022), Robert Harley stated: “The Dragon is the most significant advance in interconnect performance I’ve encountered in 33 years of full-time reviewing… It is expensive, but in the context of a reference-quality system, it is indispensable.”
Now AudioQuest’s new Mythical Horses — Black Beauty and Pegasus — bring the remarkable ZERO-Tech performance introduced with the Mythical Creatures (ThunderBird, FireBird, Dragon) to a much wider audience.

To keep the very complicated construction flexible, the upper Mythicals have two or three externally visible separate constructions. While also necessarily complex, Black Beauty and Pegasus house their internal parts in single round cables (smaller for the 2-conductor RCA versions, a bit larger for the 3-conductor XLR versions).

As with the Mythical Creatures, the RCA version of Pegasus uses a single 72v DBS pack, and, to maintain the integrity of the ZERO-Tech system, a Dual-DBS pack (2x 72v in a single case) is used with the XLR version.

AudioQuest founder, William E. Low says: “I wanted to bring Mythical Creature goodness to a much bigger audience. The Mythical Horses are proof that I got my wish.”

AudioQuest ZERO-Tech Interconnects

Materials & Design
  • ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance) optimizes Noise-Dissipation and prevents distortion caused by source-to-cable and cable-to-load (input) impedance mismatches
  • Dedicated Constructions: Double-Balanced RCA and Triple-Balanced XLR. The shield is never used as an inferior ground reference.
  • Perfect-Surface Conductors (Direction-Controlled Solid PSC+ Copper or PSS Silver) prevent inter-strand distortion, minimize distortion caused by grain boundaries, and maximize RF Noise-Dissipation.
  • Carbon+Graphene Mesh-Network reduces RF noise-masking effects to unprecedented degree.
  • Hanging-Silver over Red Copper Electrical Contacts ensure uncompromised signal transfer.
  • Copper or Silver-Plated Plug Casings maximize RF draining, minimizing RF coupling to the conductors

For more technical information on the design of these cables, with a focus on ZERO-Tech and the ways AudioQuest implements it in interconnects, click here.

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Better Cables Blue Truth/Blue Truth Ultra

Posted on by Alan Sircom

It’s easy to get really carried away with audio cable, especially in a high-end title like Hi-Fi+, where we’ve come across a significant amount of super high-end cable designs that cost as much as a new car. So, it’s refreshing to come across a brand that delivers the goods without a price tag that can frighten people at 20 paces. And Better Cables is that brand; it makes a range of solid, low-noise, low‑BS cables with very good connectors under its Blue Truth line. We looked at the Blue Truth loudspeaker cables in Issue 188 and were so impressed we wanted to try some more in the series. A Blue Truth Ultra XLR cable and Blue Truth USB cable were duly dispatched, and they do exactly what the loudspeaker cable did; offer great bang for the buck.

For affordable cables, the Blue Truth Ultra has some pretty high specifications. The XLR, for example, uses top-end Neutrik plugs throughout. Inside its woven outer shell (black with a subtle blue thread running through it), Blue Truth Ultra uses a dual conductor, twisted pair configuration. It features 99.999% pure silver-coated copper solid core conductors with a silver-coated 100% coverage shield of similar purity and foamed FEP Teflon dielectric. These are rated at 110Ω, making them notionally ideal for both analogue and AES/EBU digital connections.

The USB cable uses four silver-coated copper conductors using HDPE as the dielectric. This gives a precise 90Ω connection, and the high-grade gold-plated type A and type B USB connectors are of similarly high grade to the Neutriks used in the XLR.

The power problem

A problem unique to USB that Blue Truth addresses directly is that – unlike almost all other audio signal cables – two of the four conductors inside a USB cable potentially provide power from the host device. That 5V voltage can be a source of noise on the data conductor, which is why Better Cables doubles down on shielding that data pathway, using a combination of two layers of aluminium isolation; a 100% coverage foil and an 85% coverage braid.

Blue Truth Ultra XLR needs some burning-in to remove an out-of-the-packet zing to the upper midrange. Still, a thorough run-in with a Blue Horizons cable burner-inner removes that slight metallic edge to the sound. Still, it leaves the extension and the detail and considerably opens the soundstage. I let the cable run in for a long weekend before commencing. The USB cable didn’t need the same degree of attention (and I don’t have a USB connection for my Blue Horizon cable burner), but I gave it a few days of digital feed before critical listening.

These are very detailed and analytical cables, with the XLR, in particular, having a forward, expressive presentation. I made some quick and dirty comparisons between Blue Truth Ultra using Burmester’s designs, Nordost’s Blue Heaven, and Cardas Clear when connecting a Burmester 088 preamp and 911 Mk 3 power amplifier. This might seem like over-egging the pudding (using a relatively inexpensive XLR cable between two Top Line products costing just this side of £40,000). Still, it exposed the cable and highlighted any issues it might have… and the Blue Truth Ultra didn’t let the side down. In many respects, Blue Truth Ultra went toe-to-toe with Nordost Blue Heaven, although the additional speed and poise of the Nordost design ultimately showed what spending more buys you. Similarly, the Cardas Clear XLR retained a greater sense of musical refinement and naturalness that Blue Truth Ultra can only hint at.

Substantial

If anything, the changes brought about by the USB cable were even more substantial than with the XLR. This is perhaps understandable given that XLR’s pro audio use eliminates noise across long cables, so any cable characteristics are also likely minimised. But XLR’s inherent noise-busting notwithstanding, the improvement Blue Truth brought to USB was marked. Like its Ultra analogue sibling, Blue Truth is extremely detailed across the board, with extremely clean treble and deep, stentorian bass. Unlike the XLR cable, Blue Truth USB has a sense of effortless refinement and ‘listenability’ that is at odds with Blue Truth Ultra XLR’s more expressive presentation. Both are also good at broad-brushstroke dynamic range and close-combat microdynamics. However, I’d give the XLR the edge in the macrodynamic world, and the USB takes the microdynamic prize.

This brings me to my only caveat with Blue Truth in general; while USB is usually outside the purview of ‘cable loom’ thinking, the sonic difference between USB and both XLR and loudspeaker cable is marked. The USB is more rounded and relaxed than the forward nature of the analogue cables that carry the same name. I’d go so far as to say those who like Blue Truth USB might not be as smitten with Blue Truth Ultra XLR and vice versa. They are both equally good in outright terms but different.

Not filters

OK, so if you are wanting your cables to be filters these are not the cables for you. And if you are looking for that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ synergy, you’ll need to keep looking (and probably looking at an order of magnitude more expensive). But both Blue Truth cables offer a glimpse into a much bigger world of high-end cable design, with both the XLR and USB punching above their respective weight classes.

Better Cables has come up with the goods with Blue Truth Ultra XLR and Blue Truth USB but – in my opinion – especially the latter. Both represent fine introductions to the world of high-end cables without necessarily spending high-end bucks. Of the two, I find the USB to be the show’s real star, but the XLR is no slouch either and, after a good run-in, does the Better Cables ‘punching up’ thing well. Both are well worth seeking out!

Price and Contact details

  • Blue Truth Ultra XLR: $239.95/1m pair as tested
  • Blue Truth USB: $169.95/1.5m as tested

Manufacturer:

Better Cables

URL: bettercables.com 

 

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AudioQuest Dragon Interconnect

Posted on by Robert Harley

I rarely write about cables because I rarely encounter one that inspires me to review it. This isn’t to say that cables are unimportant, only that I find other product categories more interesting. But after hearing AudioQuest’s new top-of-the-line Dragon interconnect, I immediately knew that I wanted to share my impressions with you. To spill the beans in the first paragraph, the Dragon is the most significant advance in interconnect performance I’ve encountered in 33 years of full-time reviewing.

Although AudioQuest has been developing proprietary cable materials and techniques for 42 years, the company embarked on its new “Mythical Creatures” series of interconnects with a fresh mind. Rather than create a more advanced implementation of existing technologies, AudioQuest approached its new reference series by starting from first principles. It would call on proven technologies but not be bound by them. The result is a fascinating amalgam of fresh thinking and AudioQuest’s established designs. I’ve broken out the unique technologies of these interconnects in the sidebar.

Dragon is the top model in the three-product Mythical Creatures series. It is priced at $9500 for a meter pair terminated with RCA plugs, or $11,900 for balanced connection with XLR connectors. FireBird is $5500/$6900-per-meter pair (RCA/XLR), and ThunderBird comes in at $2900/$3900 (RCA/XLR). All three share the same design approach but differ in the level of execution. As a tremendous bonus, the interconnects are extremely flexible and easy to install and swap.

Listening

AudioQuest initially sent me a single one-meter run of balanced Dragon that I installed between the CH Precision P1 phonostage (with X1 power supply) and the CH Precision L10 four-chassis linestage. After replacing my existing cable with Dragon and listening to the first record, I was beyond surprised, not only at the magnitude of the improvement but also at the ways in which the sound was better. I had simply never heard this kind of wholesale effect from any cable. Dragon wasn’t just different; it was better in every possible way. Comparing cables is often a matter of trading one set of virtues and drawbacks for a different set of virtues and drawbacks. You pick the cable that happens to have the tradeoffs that best suit your system and tastes. Dragon wasn’t like that. Rather, it elevated the musical experience to an entirely new level of involvement and expression.

Some months later, I was able to replace the entire line-level signal path with Dragon, including the 37′ run from the linestage behind the listening couch to the front of the room where the CH Precision M10 amplifiers are located. This run made the most significant difference in my system, and the improvements it rendered combined with the advances heard with Dragon in the phono path and from the Wadax Reference DAC to the CH Precision L10 linestage.

Although Dragon does everything you’d expect from a top-level interconnect at this price, it goes above and beyond the cliches of greater transparency, smoother textures, and a bigger soundstage. Judged simply by the traditional criteria for evaluating cables, Dragon excelled in all the audiophile parameters. But this interconnect did things I’ve never heard from a cable—or more precisely, Dragon allowed my system to reveal previously hidden qualities. For example, the midrange was simply luscious, liquid, and stunningly present and vivid. Vocals were completely untethered to the speakers and projected against an absolutely silent background. This had the effect of increasing the sense of presence and fostering the startling impression of the vocalist being in the room. Dragon made the midrange sound eerily like that of a full-range planar speaker, with the unmistakable palpability and realism that comes so easily to full-range electrostatics and ribbons. I’m not saying that Dragon will make any box speaker sounds like a Magnepan MG30.7 or a MartinLogan CLX, only that Dragon moves the system in a sonic and musical direction that is reminiscent of the best full-range dipoles. Listen, for example, to Melody Gardot’s beautiful singing on her new album Sunset in the Blue (Qobuz 96/24). Switching to Dragon (from an already reference-level interconnect, AudioQuest’s WEL Signature) heightened the sensation of her singing directly to me. Incidentally, I heard this album on Magnepan MG30.7s the same week I installed Dragon in my system. Dragon has a vividness that is startling, but in an entirely musical rather than a hi-fi-hype way.

Another aspect of Dragon that is unique is that it conveys more richly saturated tone color. From the lowest bass to the top treble, the sound simply had denser timbre, greater body, and better tonal weight. Timbres not only had more color; they also had a greater sense that there was energy and substance behind them. I don’t mean dynamically (although Dragon is superb in this regard), but rather in the impression of solidity and tangibility of instrumental textures. Consequently, images took a step toward the way we hear instruments in life, rich in vivid color and body and less like an ethereal simulacrum. It was as though Dragon stripped away a very slight grey patina overlaying timbres, allowing their full color to bloom. This was true no matter the instrument or the register in which it was playing. From the most delicately played passages on solo violin (Hilary Hahn’s Retrospective, direct-to-disc on Deutsche Grammophon) to the fff brass tuttis on John Williams at the Movies (Reference Recordings, 176/24 download), Dragon allowed the system to express the palpable physicality of instrumental timbres more realistically. Dragon was the antithesis of threadbare and lightweight. It made other interconnects, even great ones, sound a bit thin and bleached by comparison, like a slightly underexposed photograph. I was struck by the unique quality of this improvement, the magnitude of the difference, and the profound effect it had on musical realism and my immersion in the experience.

Dragon’s density of texture was also apparent in the bass—warm, rich, and full without being plummy or thick. Textural resolution in the bottom end was superb; there was simply more detail resolved in the timbres of acoustic and electric bass, left-hand piano lines, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, and low brass, for examples. I love the sound of bass clarinet, with its dark and rich color. Dragon allowed my system to portray that instrument with greater realism—try Bob Mintzer’s fabulous and extended bass clarinet solo on the 13-minute piece “El Faqir” from guitarist Steve Khan’s Borrowed Time. 

This quality extended beyond timbre to the way Dragon allowed the system to portray dynamics, both in the startling suddenness of transient impact, but also in the way an instrument’s dynamic envelope expands into the air around it. The bloom around an instrumental outline, static during held notes, modulates with the instrument’s dynamics, a quality Jonathan Valin has called “action.” It’s the bloom around an instrumental outline expanding outward with the dynamic envelope of the note. With Dragon, this “action” seemed to have more force and power behind it, and more tangibility, further adding to the lifelike rendering. Dragon also better revealed the space between instruments in an ensemble. A vivid example is The Zappa Album, a performance of Zappa compositions performed by the Finnish new-music group Ensemble Ambrosius on Baroque instruments. I know it sounds weird, but it works, presenting these brilliant compositions in an entirely new light. Dragon more realistically conveyed the unique timbres of the period instruments as well as the space in which they were played. Indeed, Dragon opened new vistas in soundstage depth and transparency. The presentation was more three-dimensional, with superb resolution of the size and character of the acoustic surrounding the images, further adding to the overall organic and lifelike sound.

Last, and certainly not least, Dragon’s treble was simply stunning in its combination of openness and resolution on one hand, and smoothness and refinement on the other. One of my “go-to” evaluation tracks is “Ain’t Misbehavin’” performed by Bob James on the trio album Espresso (one of the best-sounding piano trio recordings I know of). On the intricate and subtle ride-cymbal work at the beginning of the bass solo, I heard a newfound delicacy, richness of detail, and treble purity. The treble was exquisitely detailed and finely filigreed, with no hint of hardness. The combination of high resolution and textural smoothness was extremely compelling, and greatly contributed to the musical involvement and overall ease of the presentation. If you audition Dragon, listen to how sibilance is less intrusive on an album like Diana Krall’s Turn Up the Quiet. The sibilance is still there, but it doesn’t have objectionable “ssss” component. This very fine resolution of treble detail was also apparent on “Beckus the Dandipratt” from The Arnold Overtures (Reference Recordings 176/24), particularly during a passage in which an unaccompanied snare drum is played at a barely perceptible volume. After installing Dragon, I could more clearly hear the inner detail and texture of the drum despite the vanishingly low signal level.

Conclusion

AudioQuest’s new Dragon is not only the most transparent and revealing interconnect I’ve heard, it’s also the most musically rewarding. The things that it does so well are all aligned toward fostering a powerful feeling of connection to the music and the expression of the musicians rather than just filling in boxes on an audiophile checklist.

It’s important to note that the qualities I’ve described here are not intrinsic to Dragon. Rather, they are qualities of my system that Dragon is simply revealing better than any other interconnect I’ve heard. There must be some distortion mechanism in other cables that Dragon somehow avoids, allowing the true quality of the rest of my system to be revealed.

Dragon is expensive, but in the context of a reference-quality system, it is indispensable.

Specs & Pricing

Terminations: RCA or XLR
Price: $9500 1m RCA; $11,900 1m XLR

AUDIOQUEST
2621 White Road
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 790-6000
audioquest.com

Associated Equipment
Analog source: Basis Audio A.J. Conti Transcendence turntable with SuperArm 12.5 tonearm; Air Tight Opus cartridge; CH Precision P1 phonostage with X1 power supply; DS Audio ST-50 stylus cleaner, Levin record brush, Degritter ultrasonic LP cleaner
Digital source: Wadax Reference DAC, Wadax Reference Server, Wadax Akasa optical interface, UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Ethernet switch
Amplification: CH Precision L10 Dual Monaural linestage; CH Precision M10 Dual Monaural power amplifiers
AC Power: Shunyata Everest 8000 conditioner, Omega and Sigma NR V2 power cords; Shunyata AC outlets, five dedicated 20A lines wired with identical length 10AWG
Support: Critical Mass Systems Olympus equipment racks and Olympus amplifier stands; CenterStage2 isolation, Ayra Audio RevOpods isolation
Cables: AudioQuest Dragon Zero and Dragon Bass loudspeaker cables
Accessories: The Chord Company GroundArray noise reduction
Acoustics: Acoustic Geometry Pro Room Pack 12, ASC 16″ Round Tube Traps
Room: Purpose-built; Acoustic Sciences Corporation Iso-Wall System

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