“I used to have $4,000 Kimber Select speaker cable, $1,800 Kimber Select and $2,000 Nordost Tyr balanced interconnects. Why does this $15 a foot (yes, that’s fifteen dollars a foot) cable sound more neutral and like live music than other “high end” cables that I’ve tried? I listen to live classical/jazz about 5 times a […]
AUDIO: Ask us
A dialogue between audiophile enthusiasts
Found 571 results
I’ve been aware for a long time that some speaker cables are designated as “directional”. To a limited extent I can understand the rational behind choices based on wire size and construction, biwiring, etc. but don’t understand how any conductor can have directional characteristics even in a DC circuit. I’m not denying the possibility but […]
Hi All, Recently just for fun I purchased a short run of “expensive” speaker cable ($9/ft) and have been A/B-ing it in my system with great delight. I used to believe that there wasn’t much difference at all and that cable was cable. But now I have proven to myself that there are differences that […]
Paul McGowan writes: When we compare sound quality between a set of Mogami XLR cables and Audioquest WEL silver XLR cables is there a difference to be heard in Music Room One? Watch Now
Hi All, Recently just for fun I purchased a short run of “expensive” speaker cable ($9/ft) and have been A/B-ing it in my system with great delight. I used to believe that there wasn’t much difference at all and that cable was cable. But now I have proven to myself that there are differences that […]
I was just over on Audioholics, and was reading their review of the 25th anniversary version of the Legacy Audio Focus SE when I came across this little comment in the review: Better than that, though, Legacy’s user manual gives consumers a basic lessen in cable physics. It’s a good read, and I loved the […]
Since making a spread sheet with my audio system prices, I have been thinking(shocked) about my total investment in cables. My total system retails at $67,000 (Digital and analog front ends included). I purchased all of it here on Audiogon so my investment is about 50%. Of that I have about 10% invested in interconnects […]
For the last 30 years I have always ensured that my cables run in the same direction i.e. the writing runs from the amp to the speakers. This was a claim made way back which kind of has a logic in how the strands are manufactured.Is this still considered the case? Opinions please. Norrie
I lived in Manchester in the mid 1990s and looked in the ad paper Loot and saw a Linn Sondek with Lingo and ekos for £50 , I immediately phoned at 9.30am thinking I’d be first in but a caller had already seen it and was on his way to buy, I was gutted for […]
I was at a small concert in Venice last Friday. The room was about 10m x 20m, there were 4 violins and a double bass. There are those that say soundstage doesn’t exist in live concerts, it did and was very obvious at this concert. I could easily pinpoint each musician. I think what happens […]
Neil, what is the biggest danger facing the high-end sector? In a word, hype. In another word, the bullshit. Another word ignorance. Anyone looking in on our tiny and dwindling high-end world would think we are nuts. Not nuts because of the prices. But nuts because of the nonsense published occasionally in some magazines about […]
Paul McGowan writes … There was a time in our HiFi history that the ability to electronically control music’s tone was necessary. Necessary because the entire chain of electronics and speakers were bad enough to warrant their intrusion. Sure, many bemoan the lack of bass and treble controls, even full band graphic equalizers, but for […]
The 300B amp that I am using has a magical euphoric (not euphonic) realism and I am looking for a linestage and phonostage with the same qualities. The amp is not euphonic, romantic, ‘golden’, ‘vintage,’ soft, fuzzy, or veiled. It is immediate, transparent and fast, yet beautiful, ‘human,’ and emotionally communicative. I have tried the […]
Are some high-profile retailers as independent as they make out, or are they covertly owned by their suppliers? And why should it matter? MORE
Admittedly, on a subject we know little about and in fact care even less about – but we respect the enthusiasm of others regarding the matter and so we’ll pass it on in that spirit. MORE
I’ve been looking hard and fast at my collection of 2000+ CD’s and 1200 vinyl albums with a view to stripping out what I don’t really need or want. If I purely focus on the items I really couldn’t live without under any circumstances, I’m down to 150 albums and 250 CD’s. Whilst I don’t […]
Editor’s note 09/05/19: Hello colleague members ….. Although the link nudges towards an ‘old’ thread, I did find it interesting and hopefully some of you will find it useful too having just checked it for relevance. =================== This might seem like a strange question, but why do people seem to prefer to buy a home […]
Ever hook up some components where you’re expecting the results to be dreck and instead you’re pleasantly surprised by the results? I’ll share mine; Klipsch loudspeakers and naim. In the store naim (olive series) always leaned on the more forward and (to be fair with out nasty power and 120v operation) bright-ish. Klipsch of course […]
STEVE GUTTENBERG: Let’s face it: our “indulgences” can get expensive, so whether we go to sports events or concerts, buy flashy clothes or jewelry, gamble, drink, or take lots of vacations, those things can add up to a lot of money. Smoke a $6 pack of cigarettes every day, and you’ll see close to […]
“I’ve just set up my daughter’s old Dell laptop to run through the Young DAC as a way of playing the odd HD file I have, or a few bits that are on the hard disc. Just by chance, I put a CD in and let it play rather than rip. It sounded rather […]
The last two weeks have been a bit of an eye opener to me and I thought I would share my experiences, however misguided they may be. I’ve been into this hobby for 20 something years and have had some rather nice kit from the likes of Rega, Naim, Densen, Linn, Sugden, Audio Note, Quad, […]
Opinions differ, of course Take a look HERE
Is end of side distorsion something inherent to vinyl due to arm geometry etc. and the difference in velocity of the tip as it tracks relative to ever dwindling spirals ? Read more HERE