Interesting and can be... :)
Copper®Harmony RCA Plug - a new breed
I was contacted by KLE Innovations recently to review their entry level RCA connector (plug).
I have no idea why - Maybe due to a blog that I maintain?
Anyhow - I was a little skeptical that the Copper Harmony RCA Plug could significantly better my existing Silver Bullet RCA's, since they share (i.e. visually) very similar design principals.
So I set about planning a testing strategy based on about 30 tracks that, over the years, I have used for auditioning various audio components, who's purchase I was considering.
Well, I didn't even have to wait for the Copper Harmony RCA Plug to burn-in to realize they are something extremely special.
Anyhow - to cut to the chase - the Copper Harmony RCA Plug delivers an exceptional performance which improved upon details, dynamics, imaging, etc... of the Silver Bullet RCA's that I own.
Now, I have not compared the Copper Harmony RCA Plug directly to RCA's that conform to a more "conventional" RCA design, mainly because my Silver Bullet RCA's had already demonstrated their superiority.
So - the Copper®Harmony RCA Plug resolves to a very high level of performance and it is very very quick - perfect for just about any duty in the realm of audio - including their use on digital cables!
Because of their ability to allow the flow of extremely small "micro details" in an audio signal, I believe they would also be ideally suited for use on those turntables that employ a one piece wiring harness - especially when using moving coil cart's.
So if you are interested in the complete review please go to http://www.image99.net/blog/
If you would like more information from KLE Innovations then use the following
o Website – www.KLEinnovations.com (nearly ready)
o Email - [email protected]
Please note - I have no affiliation with KLE Innovations and was not paid to participate in the review.
I am just very impressed with what I consider to be a stellar product and feel it would be beneficial to share my experience with the members.
Regards...
I have no idea why - Maybe due to a blog that I maintain?
Anyhow - I was a little skeptical that the Copper Harmony RCA Plug could significantly better my existing Silver Bullet RCA's, since they share (i.e. visually) very similar design principals.
So I set about planning a testing strategy based on about 30 tracks that, over the years, I have used for auditioning various audio components, who's purchase I was considering.
Well, I didn't even have to wait for the Copper Harmony RCA Plug to burn-in to realize they are something extremely special.
Anyhow - to cut to the chase - the Copper Harmony RCA Plug delivers an exceptional performance which improved upon details, dynamics, imaging, etc... of the Silver Bullet RCA's that I own.
Now, I have not compared the Copper Harmony RCA Plug directly to RCA's that conform to a more "conventional" RCA design, mainly because my Silver Bullet RCA's had already demonstrated their superiority.
So - the Copper®Harmony RCA Plug resolves to a very high level of performance and it is very very quick - perfect for just about any duty in the realm of audio - including their use on digital cables!
Because of their ability to allow the flow of extremely small "micro details" in an audio signal, I believe they would also be ideally suited for use on those turntables that employ a one piece wiring harness - especially when using moving coil cart's.
So if you are interested in the complete review please go to http://www.image99.net/blog/
If you would like more information from KLE Innovations then use the following
o Website – www.KLEinnovations.com (nearly ready)
o Email - [email protected]
Please note - I have no affiliation with KLE Innovations and was not paid to participate in the review.
I am just very impressed with what I consider to be a stellar product and feel it would be beneficial to share my experience with the members.
Regards...
87 responses Add your response
Very interesting. I think I found the magic combo. We all know that I'm using Mogami 2549 as the cable with the only differences being the interconnects. I kept the Furutech 126(g) combo on all my sources to my preamp. I put the KLEI Copper Harmony combo between my preamp and amp and is so far, a match made. :) Is all about finding what works and synergy. :) |
Sb, - I think I may have observed something similar.... On a couple of Police tracks it did seem as though the bass drum was quieter, until I realized that the image had deepened considerably and the bass drum was now further towards the rear of the image with the rest of the drum kit and as such not as loud as before, but the dynamics were still crisp. On Eric Clapton's Unplugged album there was always quite a loud thumping of his foot on the stage. But as I moved up through the Harmony line this became much less annoying and is now in the background, but the overall bass performance improved and is now much tighter, so I figure it's now where the engineer intended it to be - it sounds more natural. So as a result of the effect these RCA's seem to have on the image, I now listen in 3D - by that I mean that whenever I observe a change that seems a little "alien" to what my ears are accustomed too, I focus on the image to determine if the changes I am hearing are due to a change in an instrument's placement within the image. Regards. |
Yes, too refined. Just like when I tried the Tekton mini lores with the latest drivers. Even with custom metal outriggers, the mini lores were too refined. I went back to my punchy midrange Tekton 6.5t monitors. The KLEI Copper Harmony has many good traits, and many people enjoy a really refined sound, but I lost some of the punchy characteristic that I like. It sounds more musical and lifelike to me. |
Happy New Years everyone. After having the new Furutech 126g / Mogami 2549 in my system for almost a week now with all sources on, I've decided these are a better fit for my system I think the KLEI Copper Harmony RCAs with the Mogami 2549 are too refined for my system and would be perfect for the many posts here that ask for a RCA / IC to warm up their system without loss of imaging and soundstage. So, they are for sale. $125 each - I have 4 three foot sets and 2 four foot sets. PM me if you are interested. |
An audio buddy of mine has a 500 hr rule that he applies to all high fidelity capacitors, resistors, chipsets, audio transformers, inductors, etc... That is that high fidelity components take at least 500 hrs to burn in and he interestingly applies the 500 hr rule to the KLEI Harmony RCA plugs! After your post/experience, maybe he is correct :) |
IC/SC Burn-in is very interesting :) I know the Harmony plugs take considerable time (150hrs plus more) to burn-in. The other thing that is interesting is if you unplug/unconnect the Harmony plugs then replug/reconnect them. It is best to allow at least an hour for them to settle before they will begin to sound at their best... they are a very high fidelity connector :) |
I am selling the Mogami 2549 / KLEI Copper Harmony cables for $125 each. I have 2 four foot pairs and 4 three foot pairs. Price does not including shipping or PayPal fees. If you get all 6, I will pay shipping (USPS Priority Mail insured - USA only) and PayPal fees. Cables look brand new as they only have 200 hours on them. PM me if you are interested... |
@Sbrownnw, I have started this thread, DouglasConn/Mogami 2549 & KLEI Copper Harmony RCAs, on the cable forum, http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?fcabl&1&ctg&3&, and asked for comments :)Sorry, but I wasn't allowed to start the thread... all good :) The comments would have been quite interesting though... |
Sbrownnw - One other thing to consider might be speaker position. Perhaps making the speakers slightly wider might assist with the image. Also, front to back placement might also make a difference. The KLEI RCA's do make the image wider and deeper If the image on the recording is too wide or too deep for the current speaker position then it might be the reason for an unfocussed or jumbled image. FYI: My speakers are around 8.5 feet apart and the image still exceeds that width. The front of my speakers is also around 39 inches from the wall behind them. I realize you room may not allow this, but it's just another thought. Regards... |
Sbrownnw - I took a detailed look at the electrical specs of the Mogami (I should have done that first) and I didn't see a problem with them - very similar to many other good interconnect cables - except the capacitance was 1/3 of other cables I have used, but that's a good thing - high capacitance can be an issue. A couple of questions... I am guessing that the end of the cable to which the floating shield is attached to is connected to the "source component" - is that correct? - if not - give that a try Do the sources you are dissatisfied with have a three-pin or a two-pin plug? If they have a two-pin plug, have you tried grounding the chassis of that component? I have a Pioneer Elite DVD player with a two-pin and it creates a hum if the chassis is not grounded. It also sounds much better with the chassis grounded. You also mention certain media does not sound good - can you identify those media and their sources Thanks... |
Sbrownnw - I know you like mogami - and so do many others, but there could be architectural issues that may be causing your problems and the Copper Harmony are just bringing them to light. Maybe trying the Copper Harmony with a cable specifically designed for interconnect use would be a much better option. All of the cables I have tried were designed specifically for interconnect use and worked extremely well with the entire Harmony RCA range. The signal from instruments like electric guitar and Microphones have a much larger dynamic range than the signal in a home audio interconnect and as a consequence - the cables designed to handle these dynamics may have different attributes like Capacitance, inductance and impedance, form those cables specifically designed for home audio use. So perhaps a cable designed for the higher dynamic range may not be the most ideal cable for home audio inerconnect use. Based on my excellent findings with several vastly different interconnects designed specifically for home audio use - I think the issue here is probably the Mogami cable - the Copper Harmony is just highlighting the issues that other RCA's seem to be muting. I hope that makes sense Regards |
Sorry for the many posts but they seem to take a long time to appear on the tread and I can never remember what I have previously posted while waiting for them to appear... Doug does not any experience with the KLEI RCAs nor did I and my cable build was the first set. He has wired up many, many different cable configs with exceptional results.Bit Confused... didn't you buy these from Douglas Connection? Are you the Douglas Connection beta tester (ie sound evaluation process)? All good and have fun :) |
I have given the new cable set over 200 hours. For some sources with certain media, the cable set sounds great. For other sources with other media, the cable set sounds unacceptable. Overall, I just don't think this cable set is a good match for my system and my media. I have read similar experiences with the fist generation bullet RCAs... Yes, I did talk to DouglasConnection. He has a great deal of Mogami 2549 experience and always does a continuity check for phase and as a quality check (center pin to center pin and ground to ground). The Mogami wire has very high quality control, as it is used in pro studios plus DIY and other high-end audio equipment manufacturers, so I highly doubt the 2549 is bad. I did switch the cable leads and they all sound like I described in the first paragraph. Doug does not any experience with the KLEI RCAs nor did I and my cable build was the first set. He has wired up many, many different cable configs with exceptional results. I'm going to sell these at very good prices and go with some Mogami 2549 with either Neutrik Pro-Fi or Furutech 126(g) RCAs. Please PM if anyone is interested in these cables. I'm sure they sound great on other systems, just not mine all the time. I have 2 four foot pairs and 4 three foot pairs with the shielding floated at one end with a directional mark and black cable mesh for each pair for a very professional looking setup. |
@Sbrownnw, I have started this thread, DouglasConn/Mogami 2549 & KLEI Copper Harmony RCAs, on the cable forum, http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?fcabl&1&ctg&3&, and asked for comments :) Perhaps it is best to post some questions there :) Should be interesting to see the comments... |
Other questions are ... How many hours burn-in have the cables had? I know the Copper Harmony plugs require more than a 100 hrs burn-in... Have you contacted Douglas Connection and what do they Douglas Connection suggest? Perhaps the Mogami 2549 wire is not that good? From my experience the KLEI Copper Harmony plugs have a very good and focused mid-range, once run in :) |
Have you discussed this with Douglas Connection. What have they suggested, especially regarding your components? Perhaps it's an attribute of the Mogami 2549 cable... Perhaps Williewonka can have help. I believe that he has mentioned in his write-ups that he a musician of alot of years also :) Sorry, I don't think I can help any further although I can say that I like the Copper Harmony plugs very much, at least on my own DIY ICs :) |
Ok, after some really careful listening, I realized the following: - I don't know how the KLEI Copper Harmony RCAs are creating such a large (tall and wide) soundstage, but I don't like it. It is either a combination on how the larger soundstage acts in my room (primary and secondary reflections?) or the subdued sound from the all copper RCA connectors (see below), or both. - I don't think I like copper chassis RCA connectors (or just the KLEI Copper Harmony connectors). They are very clear and resolving but my music and other sources lost their midrange focus and punch. As a musician for 15 years I've really missed what I had before. I realize how good the Mogami 2549 cable is with 3 different wiring combinations. I picked my Audio Refinement gear for its tube like sound and I think my previous cable configuration really helped with that tube like strong midrange punch and focus. It was not a narrowly focused soundstage, instead, it just sounded right to me. With this all said, I wonder if there is another RCA connector I should try, or should I just go back to my Neutrik Pro-Fi RCA connectors which get great reviews? I think I am going to stay in the $15 - $20 / pair range and the only other one I see is the Onix 70024 copper chassis gold plated RCA. But does the Onix bring the same subdued lack of midrange punch and focus similar to the KLEI Copper Harmony? Can anyone chime in on this? TIA! |
Thanking about it a little more, I would say that the KLEI Copper Harmony plugs, and any RCA plug, cannot deliver more than the Source can output but IME the Copper Harmony plugs allow more of the Source signal output through... that is more micro harmonics, stage, PRAT, timbre, decay, etc, which is the Source's musical reproduction :) Sbrownnw, have you contacted Douglas Connection... what did they have to say! |
OK - if the L/R are "out of focus" - then yes, the RCA's will provide cleaner transmission of fine details, so the new RCA's will exacerbate that condition. You'll hear more of it. If the AV Comcast Box has an IEC plug you could try a better power cable. Some boxes have the C7 IEC plug like my DVD player - I bought an adapter that converts C7 to C14 (3 pin)and upgraded the cable using more standard C14 IEC connectors I always start with the power supply and proceed from there. If it's "plumbed in" there's not a lot you can do without "surgery" Switching to a less detailed IC as you had indicated might be the cheapest solution - if you can live with that. Also - If the Mogami's are anywhere near a power cable or source of interference - like digital components - get some space between them. Regards... |
I think the AV comcast box or the channel's source is poor / slightly out of phase or focus and the KLEI Copper Harmony RCAs just exaggerate that...I would say, not exaggerate but allow more of the AV comcast box or the channels poor/slightly out of phase or focus signal through. I have not noticed that the Copper Harmony plugs to exaggerate but they do allow of the signal through... that is, more micro harmonics, stage, PRAT, timbre, decay, etc :) I wonder if a better AC chord will help... highly likely! Do Douglas Connection do power chords? Actually, what has Douglas Connection suggested :) |
Could just be due to the RCA/cable combo conveying more audible information than that conveyed by the cable previously used, so if the source contains more "noise" perhaps that noise is now being heard? Some components respond negatively to some cables. Sometimes the power cable and Interconnect combination can have an effect on a component. Sometimes the outlet the component is plugged into can cause an issue and the introduction of a better quality Interconnect merely highlights that issue. Hard to pinpoint without experiencing the setup and the issue first hand and trying some different alternatives. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance |
Sbrownnw, the Copper Harmony RCA's present a much larger 3D image with excellent resolution... Hmm, the Copper Harmony RCA's are reproducing a higher resolution, so perhaps the questionable sources are reproducing some this resolution as noise rather than resolved harmonics, maybe? That is the noise isn't smoothed like honey or fudge... What do you think Williewonka? Am I thinking ok... |
I really like what I'm hearing from my better sources (vinyl and CD). On my OK source (tuner) and my below average source (comcast cable box using their built-in DAC to stereo analog out) the KLEI Copper Harmony connectors seem to make a questionable source worse. I currently have the KLEI Copper Harmony connectors and Mogami 2549 throughout my system. I am going to try some older cables (Mogami 2549 without the KLEI Copper Harmony) between my comcast box and my Audio Refinement preamp and maybe between my tuner and my AR preamp. |
@Yping, I've seen the Mogami 2549 from PerformanceAudio.com for $.77 / foot. @Yping / Williewonka, after my KLEI RCA cables broke in I experienced a very wide and tall sound stage. One I have experienced before. It almost seems like some sources are out of phase it is so wide and tall. Have you experienced this? Thanks! |
@Yping, I think the Mogami 2549 for unblanaced RCA is a hard cable to beat. Very neutral and lets all the frequencies just flow. Many people like the 2549 and there are rumors that Linn uses this cable for some of their interconnects. And with Mogami used in many of the recording studios today I think it is a great all around cable. With the KLE Copper Harmony RCAs, I got a great soundstage with width and depth never before heard on my system with a nice air and tonality of the piece I was playing. |
Ok, as this site attempts to make itself better it actually makes things worse. Now posting a raw url without forum markup strips the protocol from the link. Here is the correct link with forum markup: Douglas Connection |
The url was missing the protocol from the beginning. Here is the correct one: http://douglasconnection.com/ I have an pair (1 each of left / right) extra unterminated KLE copper harmony RCA connectors after receiving my last shipment from Douglas Connection. Anyone want this extra pair for $28 including shipping and PayPal fees? PM me and we can work out the details. |