Mrtennis:
Your threads do seem to attract attention.
I was emailing with a buddy that I met here at Audiogon and the subject turned towards my dad, who will probably only be with us for a few more weeks or days. My dad fixed electronics and operated a store in Brooklyn from right after the war (1945) until he got sick in 1977. Back then, when a tube blew or a power cord needed replacing ... you just replaced it. The tubes that you used, were the ones that the supply house had or better still, were running a special on, as it kept the repair cost down. My dad preferred "cheetah" power cords (the cloth jacket type whose threads were woven to look like a cheetah's fur) as they would diffuse the heat better, but they typically only found their way onto steam irons (for obvious reasons).
My dad and I would get into discussions about the new technology ... 8 track tapes; cassettes; quadrophonic; hi-powered amps ... because he couldn't understand why the need for all this new stuff. He was a mono and tube man and few things sounded better to him than a Grundig console that he had in his store.
In re-reading your threads, maybe the answer to what you are after is in restoring some prime vintage equipment and using interconnects and power cords that interfere with the vintage sound as little as possible.
I have read so many theories as to why power cords and ICs do what they do. I am not sure if I believe all of it ... so much of it is either theoretical only and not audible or only truly noticeable when someone calls attention to it. Ozfly did a good job in summing up a lot of what you'll read. I do recognize though that the final effect is different with different equipment. Since I prefer a warmish and moderately detailed sound I have made out well with Signal Cable ICs & PCs; Better Cables ICs; and Cardas ICs and PCs. I deliberately mix "copper only" IC's & cables with silver/copper hybrids as that gives me the warmth/moderate detailed sound that I like. My systems do a good job of putting me to sleep ... but, I always thought that was because I was tired, though.
Maybe rather than flavor the sound of your system, stick with vintage ...
which got the mids right, the bass warm, and left out the highs.
Regards, Rich
Your threads do seem to attract attention.
I was emailing with a buddy that I met here at Audiogon and the subject turned towards my dad, who will probably only be with us for a few more weeks or days. My dad fixed electronics and operated a store in Brooklyn from right after the war (1945) until he got sick in 1977. Back then, when a tube blew or a power cord needed replacing ... you just replaced it. The tubes that you used, were the ones that the supply house had or better still, were running a special on, as it kept the repair cost down. My dad preferred "cheetah" power cords (the cloth jacket type whose threads were woven to look like a cheetah's fur) as they would diffuse the heat better, but they typically only found their way onto steam irons (for obvious reasons).
My dad and I would get into discussions about the new technology ... 8 track tapes; cassettes; quadrophonic; hi-powered amps ... because he couldn't understand why the need for all this new stuff. He was a mono and tube man and few things sounded better to him than a Grundig console that he had in his store.
In re-reading your threads, maybe the answer to what you are after is in restoring some prime vintage equipment and using interconnects and power cords that interfere with the vintage sound as little as possible.
I have read so many theories as to why power cords and ICs do what they do. I am not sure if I believe all of it ... so much of it is either theoretical only and not audible or only truly noticeable when someone calls attention to it. Ozfly did a good job in summing up a lot of what you'll read. I do recognize though that the final effect is different with different equipment. Since I prefer a warmish and moderately detailed sound I have made out well with Signal Cable ICs & PCs; Better Cables ICs; and Cardas ICs and PCs. I deliberately mix "copper only" IC's & cables with silver/copper hybrids as that gives me the warmth/moderate detailed sound that I like. My systems do a good job of putting me to sleep ... but, I always thought that was because I was tired, though.
Maybe rather than flavor the sound of your system, stick with vintage ...
which got the mids right, the bass warm, and left out the highs.
Regards, Rich