I own the Au24 speaker cables as my reference, so I borrowed some of the interconnect to try, but it couldn't dethrone my reference, though it was very nice in its own right, maybe the best of the rest I've had in here. The cable I'm sold on is van den Hul "The First Ultimate", which uses neither silver nor copper but pure carbon conductors and is the most open, extended, uncolored, and fastest IC I've tried (but then I've not tried KCAG).
The reason I'm mentioning this is because you're already happy with an unshielded cable, and while TFU is not completely unshielded like the traditional Kimbers, it is not as well shielded or as low in resistance as typical metal cables (this is an unaviodable function of its metal-free, coaxial design, but it is not unusually capacitive). The downside of this unique design is that TFU is only made in lengths of 1.5M and under, only in single-ended form, and does not always work in silence if plugged into tubed components, particularly tubed power amps. (The very similar, though not quite equally pure and open sounding, vdH "The Second" uses a mix of metal shielding and twisted-pair carbon conductors, and is available in longer lengths and balanced configuration. I also use these in my system where required.) This cable is typically at its best advantage between sources and preamp, and close-proximity solid-state power amps.
But if you can live within those limitations, and you appreciate and can make problem-free use of the particular sonic advantages available in an IC without the heavy shielding, TFU is a relative bargain in my view. Only, don't expect it to sound like any metal cable you've ever heard, so it can take some getting used to -- bypass testing in my system was helpful in convincing me that this cable really was correct and my previous metal cables were wrong. At first, the lack of accustomed metal-cable colorations (in comparison, usually heard as a somewhat rolled-treble, spotlit presence-range, warmed-bass balance, with slightly "zingy" textures, pleasantly compressed dynamics, and a "reverb-y" smeared time response) can make you think TFU sounds a little tipped-up, "plastic-y", and oddly inert, but keep listening.
You'll probably find the top-octave soundstage is more wide-open than you've heard, and the bass, while not burnished with faux warmth, is more dynamic, palpable, and well-controlled. Textures should be virtually completely smooth unless you turn out to have a problem with environmental radiated fields, and the mids essentially totally uncolored, with a distinct lack of phasiness throughout. Low-level resolution and microdynamic expressiveness are outstanding, while macrodynamic peaks are unblunted. It's also a physically lightweight, simple-looking, thin and flexible cable, unlike metal ones pretty much impervious to bending, terminated with nicely narrow and smooth-inserting vdH gold-plated RCA's. And for what it's worth, doesn't require "break-in" if you're a believer in that for cables.
Anyway, a one-of-a-kind, idiosyncratic product. A little tougher to find and use perhaps, but definitely worth a listen for anyone interested, though certainly not everyone -- especially sonic romantics -- will like it the way I do. (There's more tech info and reviews available on the vdH Netherlands website than on the vdH USA distributor's. Also see Steve McCormack's comments on his SMc Audio site pertaining to his DNA amp mod upgrades using vdH carbon wire. BTW, The First Ultimate is equally suited for use as a similarly unique and superb S/PDIF digital IC.) Sorry for the review-length response -- I meant to review this here a long time ago but never did! :-)
The reason I'm mentioning this is because you're already happy with an unshielded cable, and while TFU is not completely unshielded like the traditional Kimbers, it is not as well shielded or as low in resistance as typical metal cables (this is an unaviodable function of its metal-free, coaxial design, but it is not unusually capacitive). The downside of this unique design is that TFU is only made in lengths of 1.5M and under, only in single-ended form, and does not always work in silence if plugged into tubed components, particularly tubed power amps. (The very similar, though not quite equally pure and open sounding, vdH "The Second" uses a mix of metal shielding and twisted-pair carbon conductors, and is available in longer lengths and balanced configuration. I also use these in my system where required.) This cable is typically at its best advantage between sources and preamp, and close-proximity solid-state power amps.
But if you can live within those limitations, and you appreciate and can make problem-free use of the particular sonic advantages available in an IC without the heavy shielding, TFU is a relative bargain in my view. Only, don't expect it to sound like any metal cable you've ever heard, so it can take some getting used to -- bypass testing in my system was helpful in convincing me that this cable really was correct and my previous metal cables were wrong. At first, the lack of accustomed metal-cable colorations (in comparison, usually heard as a somewhat rolled-treble, spotlit presence-range, warmed-bass balance, with slightly "zingy" textures, pleasantly compressed dynamics, and a "reverb-y" smeared time response) can make you think TFU sounds a little tipped-up, "plastic-y", and oddly inert, but keep listening.
You'll probably find the top-octave soundstage is more wide-open than you've heard, and the bass, while not burnished with faux warmth, is more dynamic, palpable, and well-controlled. Textures should be virtually completely smooth unless you turn out to have a problem with environmental radiated fields, and the mids essentially totally uncolored, with a distinct lack of phasiness throughout. Low-level resolution and microdynamic expressiveness are outstanding, while macrodynamic peaks are unblunted. It's also a physically lightweight, simple-looking, thin and flexible cable, unlike metal ones pretty much impervious to bending, terminated with nicely narrow and smooth-inserting vdH gold-plated RCA's. And for what it's worth, doesn't require "break-in" if you're a believer in that for cables.
Anyway, a one-of-a-kind, idiosyncratic product. A little tougher to find and use perhaps, but definitely worth a listen for anyone interested, though certainly not everyone -- especially sonic romantics -- will like it the way I do. (There's more tech info and reviews available on the vdH Netherlands website than on the vdH USA distributor's. Also see Steve McCormack's comments on his SMc Audio site pertaining to his DNA amp mod upgrades using vdH carbon wire. BTW, The First Ultimate is equally suited for use as a similarly unique and superb S/PDIF digital IC.) Sorry for the review-length response -- I meant to review this here a long time ago but never did! :-)