I've been thinking about trying the AU24's, as I've only heard great things about them. Thank you all for the feedback. All of the cables you mentioned will be on my list to try.
All the best,
Howard |
Ptmconsulting, are you a drummer as well? I prefer tonal accuracy in the sound of the drums (again, silver has worked best so far in my systems), and the sense that the music is coming to me as opposed to me having to suss it out, for lack of a better term. I tried a pair of Analysis Plus Solo Crystals the other day, and they just couldn't muster the same clarity and attack in the drum sound as the silver Verastarr's do on Robbie Robertson's first solo album. Manu Katche--what a killer drummer!
And Walkelin,
Happy for you to sound fatherly, as it's got to take a village to raise an audiophile. And I can always benefit from parental wisdom.
Thank you all, indeed. It's been most educational.
Howard |
Thanks again for all of the input. I'm going to try out the AU24's next. I'm not too harried about this process, given that I really like the cables I currently use. I just thought it would be fun to try out some others, and I'm always up for that "Who woulda thunk it?" experience. That's exactly what occurred for me when I first heard the SET/Klipsch pairing, and I've never found a setup that I like more.
Thank you again for the suggestions. Bob, maybe I'll have to give the Belden's a try as well.
All the best,
Howard |
Robert,
You're supposed to make me feel better, not show photos of a drumset that looks like Bobby Brady's wet dream! I don't have photos of my kit, but if you could imagine a 35 year old Rogers set that my father passed along to me after he stopped playing, with a host of Zildjian's, some additional Pearl toms, an Axis double pedal, and my prized possession, an 8" x 14" Brady She-Oak snare drum. Talk about tonal spectrums, that snare drum has it in spades!
By the looks of that kit, you must like Simon Phillips as well. He is a drum monster. I've always preferred him and Mark Bryzecki (sp) when it comes to rock drumming, and ironically they both play on Pete Townshend's "All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes" album. For total world drum domination, I have to go with Dennis Chambers. As a drummer friend of mine says, "Many drummers do things that I can't do, but Dennis Chambers plays things that I can't even decipher."
Great suggestions on the cables. I've not heard Nirvana IC's, Islandear (Great user name, by the way). Yet another one to add to the list!
All the best,
Howard |
Just to update this post, I tried an AU24 in my systems. It was an excellent cable. In fact, for the first hour or two, I was sure that I would keep it. By the fourth hour, however, the music no longer engaged me. I was getting bored, in other words.
With the Au24, I could hear some mid-bass frequencies that I was not hearing with the Verastarr cables. The AU24 sounded slightly fuller and warmer. However, with the AU24, the musicians sounded like they had moved from 5 feet away to the other side of a large room. And the AU24's did not have the clarity or attack that the Verastarr cables do, at least not in the two systems that we are using. My wife and I both liked them initially--by a very slight margin--but as I said above, we were bored after several hours of listening.
I'll see if I can find some of the PAD Musaeus cables, and maybe the Empress Cables by Michael Wolff, as they are getting some good reviews as well. I think we are ultimately partial to the clarity of the silver sound.
Thank you all again for your input.
All the best,
Howard (& my wife Gina, whose sharp ears pick out all of the nuances so well) |
Thank you for the suggestion, S23chang. I'll look into those as well. |
I'm waiting....
Where's my demo pair, Mike????
If I like them, you can tell the next person in line to forget it, because I'm keeping them! I'm going to eventually spend bigger bucks just to try some other cables out, but thus far, I have not found an IC that I like better than the Verastarr.
Thanks for the offer, Mike. Can't wait to hear them.
In the interest of full disclosure, my family name is Verastarr. OK, just kidding... |
When I first heard the Verastarr cables, I thought they were a little bright, perhaps slightly edgy. But copper was my reference, so the silver cables were at first like driving a rental car compared to my own. However, I didn't want to take the Verastarr's out because I was hearing more of the music, and the performers felt closer. Also, they were new, and really took some time to break in. But they did break in, and I replaced my amp tubes with NOS, and I'll have to be surprised to find something better.
I'm still happy to try some others--and will--but the Verastarr's are one stellar product. |
The competition is getting fierce! I've been listening to a pair of the Z-squared Au/Au cables for the past week. They were thin and bright at first, but now that they are opening up (40 hours or more), I have to say that they are extraordinary cables. They have the accuracy and detail of silver, with more body to the notes, and less edge to them. They are not overly smooth or warm. Rather, they are ultra engaging, and I have to stop every few words while I'm typing because the music is grabbing my attention.
I look forward to trying out the new Verastarr cables, Mike. It has been difficult to find a cable that tops the Silver Reference in my system. I've sent you my address.
All the best,
Howard |
Mike,
Thank you for sending along the copper prototypes. I've been listening to them all week. They are wonderful in our SET/horn system. They are just a hair less lively than the silver cables, but they are more emotional. In fact, I've been brought to tears several times this week while listening to the music, and for me there is nothing more powerful.
These cables have no personality, and work well in our fairly small, bright-sounding room. These are the first copper cables that I've heard that have the clarity of silver, but have no edge (silver) or veil (copper) that other cables have had in our system.
I'm curious to hear what other A'gon members think of them. Another outstanding product to add to your excellent lineup.
All the best,
Howard |
