Well I now have a pair of Cardas Quad 5C's in the house. I'm just (re) burning them in, but they're not at all what I expected so far. Instead of being darker, more tube like, they seem to have a brighter balance - though they never zing you. Very easy on the ears. In fact everything seems to have a slight honey coating to it - which so far I love.
There's also something else going on that I haven't put my finger on yet. Amazing soundstaging, palpability, yes. But there's something that just draws me much more into the music - and makes it sound (seriously) like I'm hearing it for the first time.
I was listening to a piano recital at Carnagie hall disc (Zhou Zhou, Bling Bling, Xing Xing - I forgot his name). In any case, when I listened to it before, it sounded like light and somewhat dull concert fare performaned by an artist with obviously excellent technique.
This time I was sucked into every phrase, which sounded like each one was given very different attention than the one before it. And I was hearing the silence around the notes and wondering how he could pull this delicate almost meditative act off within the pressures of a Carnagie Hall recital. Quite different than the impression I had before of just deftly performed parlor tunes.
Maybe even more astounding was a Yo Yo Ma disc of oriental music (the title also escapes me). It was so dimensional, nuanced and gorgeous to listen to, I haven't gotten past it yet. It's playing over again for a third time in row. I just can't get past the beauty, amazing musicianship, etc.
It's almost like I would imagine listening to music on ecstasy would be like (with this crazily enhanced sense of empathy and oneness with the music). It's freaking me out, but I'll figure out what's going - and at the expense of what else later. But it sure does make listening to the rig fun in the mean time.
Ouch, I guess I sound like some of those reviewers I make fun of who feel the need to report a cartharsis with every piece of equipment over $3000 they review. BUT.. there's definitely something going on here - and anyway I didn't even pay $300. :D
