Opinions on Mogami Cable?

I just ordered a pair of 2534's from Redco. $45 shipped. Will compare to the 2549's and report any interesting findings.

01-29-11: Jazzgene
Mogami 2534s for balanced xlr and 2549s for SE. Great for the price.
Jazzgene (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

My understanding is the 2534 has much more shielding than the 2549, so use it in areas of high RFI and the like. Otherwise, 2549 for balanced is fine, and is what I use. FWIW I bought a pair of 2549 XLR's for around $40. I ran them for a couple weeks but they sounded thin to me. I've had them in a box ever since, but recently took them out and put them back in the system. The current system is completely different than the one I had then.

My immediate impression was one of neutrality over the other cables I was using, one being a pair of AZ Wow!! xlr's, the other a DIY braided silver design. Those cables both seem to sound a little bloated and glary in the mid-bass and bass. The Mogami's neither highlight nor obscure anything. Details in abundance, but also a natural tone. And again, neutral. Surprising to say the least. I've noticed as I've been playing them now for around 36 hours that the mids and bass are opening up as well.

As with all things cables, and certainly in my case, system synergy is key. I think the Mogami's cleanness and apparent lack of midrange highlighting (coupled with surprising amounts of natural sounding detail) complement my system quite well. I didn't realize that the other cables, by comparison, were too much of a good thing -- warmer, but also thicker and with some midrange glare (I can't stand glare). The Mogami's lightness and nimbleness seem to be the ticket for me. The things I perceive as negatives with them are a slightly shrunken soundstage and a perceived bit of grain. Still, very enjoyable.

Update after about 80 hours (+ previous break in from the last time I used them) -- I'm pretty impressed with the Mogami in my system. It is at the critical point between source (CDP) and preamp.

First, I've never heard such precise imaging ever from my stereo. Vocals are reach-out-and-touch in front of me, as are other instruments/cues. Soundstaging also is very dimensional. Bass and mids have filled out nicely. And they have tamed some glary nasties I've been dealing with, one of the most appreciated improvements. All of the above equates to a much more musically involving experience. So for right now at least, they are staying put and I'm really enjoying them!

02-01-11: Jazzgene
@Tholt

How did you come to the conclusion that 2534 has more shielding than a 2549?

I remember reading about this issue in various places on the web, though now I can't recall where exactly. Perhaps what I meant was that, as you stated, the 2534 is a quad cable while the 2549 is a twisted pair. The thing that stuck with me was that 2534 should be used in areas of high interference. If this situation doesn't exist, use the 2549.

Anyway, here is a response I found on the Gearslutz forum by a Mogami rep to an inquiry about the differences between 2534 and 2549: "I do recommend 2534 anytime noise is the most important issue while being as transparent as possible. That is what we use in our Gold Studio cables. As I mentioned noise intrusion is often more noticeable when recording that last decibel above human hearing. If noise is not a big problem our 2549 is actually world class for a twisted pair noise rejection, and the golden ears among us can hear the difference in fidelity compared to the slightly softened transients of a quad. But we are definitely comparing subtleties here."

There is more info on the Mogami website for these 2 cables.

I have never heard 2534, either in balanced or SE, so can't comment on the differences from a personal experience.