Interconnects for Tube amps

Cardas' Neutral Reference--quiet and revealing in my all tube system. A bit on the expensive side, but you can pick them up used on Audiogon for a reasonable figure. Be sure they are broken in 200 hrs or so.

I use Homegrown Audio Super Silver interconnects $70.00 and pure silver on my SS system and they sound super. I also use Harmonic Tech. Truthlinks for a change of pace and for poor recordings. I don't see that they would sound worse on a tube setup. I highly reccomend the Homegrown cables that are better to my ears than the Kimber Hero and KCAG that I have also tried in my system. Their low cost will also give you the option/$$$ to pick up better/comparable speaker cables.

Transparent are also networked and if you buy into the premium line, about $450.00 they offer a upgrade program from there so if you do you will not lose your initial investment.

STAY AWAY FROM MIT cables for tube amps. I really like the sound of silver with tube products, so I would recommend Kimber, Silver Audio, and ESPECIALLY HomeGrown Audio. HomeGrown is like a much improved version of KCAG, at 1/8th the price. Solid core wire vs. the Kimber stranded. Sounds less harsh, shrill, metallic to me, while remaining full, extended, and detailed(to me).

Hi Curtis 1. I agree with Trelja. Stay away from MIT. Trelja recommendation of the silver will give you the impression of highlighted detail and sparkle. Coincident cables are IMO much better than KCAG. Coincident compares to Kimber select 1030 but not quite as good.

Curtis, I use MIT with my Rogue 88 tube amp, and recommend that you at least try it, before you "stay away" from it. If the input impedance of your tube amp is high, like 200k ohms, then you could try one of the high impedance specific 330 series interconnects (you could get them used for not too much money). I have tried perhaps most of the silver interconnects out there, and prefer my 350 EVO interconnect to all of them, with my tube amp. These have included (of the ones I can remember): AudioTruth Diamond x3; Vantage gold and silver pre-production prototype ic's; Stealth Ribbon and M-7; Siltech FTM-generation 3 (it's partly gold); Sonic Horizon Silver Moon (it's merely silver plated); Pure Note Signature; LAT International IC-200; and Silversmith Audio. The prices of all these run from under $200 to $1600. Of all of these, the Pure Notes were the "fastest" by far, and perhaps with a couple hundred thousand hours of burn in (I didn't have that kind of time), they might suit a system that needs such a character in its interconnect (like maybe 2A3 amps? I may try them again, once I get mine built). The Silversmith defied the rest, in not hyping attack transients, but was still dynamically laid back, and this seemed to affect the "timing specificity" of the music. The Vantage all-gold-conductor interconnect is extremely smooth, has an awesome midrange, incredible deep and fast bass, but has about the weakest dynamic contrast of any cable I've tried (the smoothness alone makes me want to try other all-gold ic's at some point, though). However, none of these were as dynamic/powerful/musical/ as the 350 EVO, which never over-hypes attack transients in music (the way all of the silver ones I tried, did). If you want the notes in the music to have proper duration, and the deepest staging and most solid imaging you've ever heard, then try an MIT interconnect. These 350 EVO's were Robert Harley's (I hope you've heard of him) reference for many years, with his AR Reference 600 tube amps. Good luck, and keep an open mind.......Carl

look into a new company,analysis plus.they are dirt cheap and great sounding

Carl: Would you be interested in demoing a pair of the Homegrown's (broken in 1.0 meter)? I have two sets now as well as the HT's and am willing to ship one to you for evaluation. I would like to hear your opinion as I am certain that you will have one, plus your system is more full range than mine. It has been hard for me to recommend them (due to their cost only) though I have a few times. I think that others that use them are hesitant to recommend them as well, for the same reason. Email me if you are up for it, you would just pay for the return ship.

I would and do not hesitate in recommending the Homegrown Audio cables. That is, for people with tube products. That is not to say they are for everyone using a tube product(no cable can be all things to all people). But, if you do not have bright, shrill speakers, you owe yourself an audition. At $70/meter, terminated(what wire CAN and should??? cost), how can you get hurt? I think that MIT cables have their place in this hobby, but I HATE them for tube systems. I liken what they do to the sound(at least the ones I have heard in tube systems) to using Chinese tubes. As if a thick oil had been poured over the music, yielding a slow, heavy, uninvolving sound(to me). Of course, we all have our own preferences. But, for the most part people who used MIT wire are solid state devotees, and tubeophiles are not usually MIT users. But, you should investigate all that is out there, that way you are sure.

ANALYSIS PLUS.period.incredible value for the money.

In my better system I am using Cary 2A3 mono blocks (5 watts each channel) or a Conrad Johnson Premiere 11-A (70 watts). After much trial I decieded I prefered Silver Audio interconnects. I tried Home Grown, they were good and less exspensive, however I thought the sound was better with Silver Audio. I have seen a few pair on the used market. Silver Audio us to and still might let you audition them at home on the honor system! I hope this helps. Carl_eber have you auditioned Silver Audio?

Lak, what model of Silver Audio do you have? I plan to order the Bullet 6.

I concur with the stay away from MIT crowd.Its good stuff but way overpriced.Try out the Coincident IC.Like their speakers the cables are very tube friendly.

Hi Hpfish10, I use several pair of the Silver bullet 4.0's and one pair of the newer Hyacinth (RCA). If you have not ordered yet email me at: [email protected] for additional information.

Dekay, I will email you.

I'd also agree with the post above, go with the Silver Audio Silver 4.0. Using them on my Anthem Pre1L and Amp1 and the sound is very good. Silver cables are best w/ tubes since tube amps can sound a bit heavy at times and therefore slow. Silver speed things up.

My opinions are strictly my feelings of interconnects w/tube amps. Silver Audio are actually the best cables I have tried(4.0 and Hyacinth - I would like to hear 6.0). And while not cheap, nor are they expensive($250). HomeGrown are great too. And at $70, they sound as good to me as most almost anything else I have heard. I also like the Audioquest Lapis. Basically, on my short list to try is Coincident and Kimber Select w/silver(but too expensive for me). No cable is perfect, but we all have our likes/dislikes which we try to match with wire.

Hello all, thanks for the input.If the silver cables all sound like the chinese/russian tubes, I will try the homegrowns.I realized what everyone was saying about the lesser tubes when I tried my Mullards the first time, no comparison.Thanks again, Curt.

In my opinion the best is from Coincident Speaker Technology - particularly considering the decent price charged. Some prefer other cables, but usually at a higher price, and very very few people have ever had anything bad to say about them. In my systems they beat everything else I have tried (but I have still not been able to get my hands on any of the top Purist Audio stuff to try yet Albert).

I agree my days of trying out innterconnects ended with my trial of Coincident.Beat everything else i tired.Really beat the bejesus out of some grossly over priced cables one starts with an M and has 2 more letters.

The Coincident had a very similar effect on me Leafs - Once I had run the Coincident in, I stopped thinking I needed to try another interconnect - that has got to be a good thing (at least for my pocket), whatever small faults it may possess.

I guess I need to duck before I mention that I have no regrets with my MIT 330 Tube Terminator interconnects. My tube equipment is CJ PV11 Pre-amp and McIntosh 240 amp. I've been using MIT interconnects for at least 10 years now, starting with PC Squared when I bought my CJ DF-1 CD player. Upgraded to 330 Tube Terminator's a year ago. What can I say... I have no problem with their sound and seems to work well with my gear.

I am also a MIT fan/user. I use shotgun medium impedance with CJ Prem 17 preamp and Classe 200 and 750 speaker cables. I started out with Music Link 10 years ago (prenetwork boxes). Upgraded to 330's and last year shotguns. Watch it Lamapp - INCOMING!

Lamapp, how does the CJ player sound? Currently have Cal. Ikon MKII going into CJ PV10a.