I sold my Anti for half the amount I paid for them and bought used GRs. Two of my friends and I have VERY different systems, The only common component is Graham arms and Golden Reference speaker cable.
Cardas Golden Ref vs Anti IC vs Straley Reality IC
Friends,
I am in the market for a pair of Interconnect. Budget is $500. I am okay buying either new or used. I recently heard a Speltz Anti IC in my system and I was very impressed. It matches very close to my taste of "good" sound. Yea, if I really have to crib, I would ask for more air, little more detail on top, a tad deeper bass, a little more organic tone, I cant think of much more than these. But for the price it is "God Level" !!!
Now, before I heard the Anti, I had short listed the Cardas Golden Reference based on its reputation of being the most neutral Cardas which retains the Cardas musicality as well. I have not heard them neither can I hear them (there is no one in the vicinity who owns them). So I have to trust some of the opinions given by you guys. I am okay taking some amount of risk of trying a not-auditioned cable and only based on fellow audiophile's experience. I would love to see if someone has actually moved from Anti to Cardas or vice versa or have heard both and have something to share about them. I obviously cannot buy a new Golden Ref with my budget I think I can get one used.
I have also added the Greg Straley Reality cables in the contention because I see them to be offering a similar value for money, extraordinarily high performing cables as the Antis, again going by what I read on the forums. Also from what little I have read they seem to actually offer that extra bit of organic sense compared to Antis. But I would rather wait and hear your comments on these as well.
Finally, the one thing that struck me hard with the Anti was the PRAT it offered. There was a great sense of speed, rhythm and timing with these cables which did a lot in terms of music involvement. I would not want to lose this PRAT, if possible, to gain smoothness (vDH types).
I am in the market for a pair of Interconnect. Budget is $500. I am okay buying either new or used. I recently heard a Speltz Anti IC in my system and I was very impressed. It matches very close to my taste of "good" sound. Yea, if I really have to crib, I would ask for more air, little more detail on top, a tad deeper bass, a little more organic tone, I cant think of much more than these. But for the price it is "God Level" !!!
Now, before I heard the Anti, I had short listed the Cardas Golden Reference based on its reputation of being the most neutral Cardas which retains the Cardas musicality as well. I have not heard them neither can I hear them (there is no one in the vicinity who owns them). So I have to trust some of the opinions given by you guys. I am okay taking some amount of risk of trying a not-auditioned cable and only based on fellow audiophile's experience. I would love to see if someone has actually moved from Anti to Cardas or vice versa or have heard both and have something to share about them. I obviously cannot buy a new Golden Ref with my budget I think I can get one used.
I have also added the Greg Straley Reality cables in the contention because I see them to be offering a similar value for money, extraordinarily high performing cables as the Antis, again going by what I read on the forums. Also from what little I have read they seem to actually offer that extra bit of organic sense compared to Antis. But I would rather wait and hear your comments on these as well.
Finally, the one thing that struck me hard with the Anti was the PRAT it offered. There was a great sense of speed, rhythm and timing with these cables which did a lot in terms of music involvement. I would not want to lose this PRAT, if possible, to gain smoothness (vDH types).