Anticables Review


Category: Cables

I need to preface this by saying I don't have what y'all would probably consider an "Audiophile" amp: An Onkyo 805 receiver. But it drives my Vandersteen 2ce sigs wonderfully (and in Pure Audio mode has no video circuitry on. I use Pure Audio (no time processing, no sub) for this comparison.

Ok so I got two pairs of Anticables from Paul. He shotgunned them to bananas on the amp end and put vintage spades on the other (biwired to the Vandys). My other cable is a set of Canare 4S11 star quad: hard-wired on the amp end with BJC spades on the speaker. My conclusion: I can only hope that others in this forum are correct in saying that AntiCables need 400 hours to break in. Right now, they sound thin, tinny, and very lacking in bass and overall stage depth. Putting the Canare back on, Jacqueline Dupre's cello once again sounds like a Strad (instead of a high school instrument), and the bass section sounds full and present (instead of weak and distant).

This comparison duplicates results across genres. For example Alison Kraus' Live SACD, the guitar strum sounds precise with the anticables, but very thin. With the Canare you can hear the string depth through the pick.

My next step is to clip off the spades and hard wire the AntiCables, as some have suggested. Will post an update if anyone's interested :) But for now I just wanted to voice my dissatisfaction thus far, and hope that this magnet wire I paid $200 for might somehow 'burn in' to match my $30 Canare 4S11.
kontrabass

Showing 1 response by david99

"you get what you pay for" ??
I think most audiophiles know more money doent mean better sound.
The Anti-cables are a perfect example of this false thinking.
I have a single run with bare wire ends and I made jumpers from a bit of Anti-cable I didnt need.
I've owned speaker cable 5-6 times the cost,and the anti-cables are the best sounding speaker cables I have ever owned.
These cables were 'hyped' by people that bought them and loved them.
If a few people were fooled into buying the Anti-cables,there are countless people that werent fooled.
If people can afford Nordost Valhalla's, I think its safe to assume there's a very fine stereo system involved.
I highly doubt owners of a $$ rig would
sell their high cost cables for inexpensive cables if the Anti-cables didnt sound better.
Paul has countless testimonials on his web-site from people that sold their $$ cables after they bought and heard the Anti-cables.
Most audiophiles are a smart bunch and I dare say,arent easily fooled.

Audiphile 1,do you think audiophiles are dummie's? Your post srongly hints in that direction.
Have you ever heard the Anti-cables?
if so,did you get caught up in the hype of the Anti-cables and were fooled like the 'few' people you mention?
If not,you have never heard the Anti-cables.
dave