2. cables
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Speaker cable and brightness control

I'm not new to the Hi Fi world but have gradually developed a hearing issue over the last 10 years that makes me very sensitive to bright, medium to high volume sounds. I have used electrostats for the last 25+ years and it was explained in another forum how the diminishing impedance attendant with increasing frequency can accentuate the perceived "shrillness". This suggestion makes sense to me. So you have some idea of my starting point, my present system consists of the following: Shanling S100 solid state CD player, California Audio Lab tube based DAC, Rogue Audio Sphinx hybrid amp and bi-wired Martin Logan Odyssey speakers.

It was also pointed out that an amplifier with a tube based output stage could improve my situation and I believe that would probably help but, for the same reason that I'm sticking with my ML's, I really can't afford the expense.

This leads me to my question regarding speaker conductors. The varying opinions and arguments on this subject are wide and often contradictory with some saying that there is no difference between the various options, to one self proclaimed audiophile commenting that if you can't hear the difference, you should get out of the hobby. On one hand, I suspect that some differences are measurable but to say that they are so obvious that one should abandon the hobby if one is unable to tell the difference is absurd. In a previous post I pointed out that I seem to be one of those unable to detect differences after comparing a pair of borrowed $5000 cables to my own which would be considered adequate by most standards.

Disregarding these arguments, I would like to know if there are some general guidelines for objective and measurable qualities of speaker cables such as construction material, solid or wound, length, etc. that would give one a starting point in an attempt address individual listening tastes. In my case the goal would be toward reducing brilliance while maintaining detail. I suppose this would interpret to a warmer presentation which some refer to as vacuum tube sound. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
128x128broadstone

Showing 2 responses by broadstone

broadstone's avatar
broadstone OP
310 posts
 
Thanks again. I already listen at relatively low volumes and always have, especially given the type of music that I mostly listen to. Coincidentally, that is the precise advice given to me today by my local dealer and advisor. He said that trying to solve the issues re my hyperacusis by any other means than a reduction of volume, might not be a realistic goal.

I agree that the ML's could be a contributing cause primarily because of the diminishing impedance attending increasingly higher frequencies. For a while I was advertising a desire to trade them for more efficient ones but got little response.

I auditioned a pair of Canalis Anima bookshelf speakers with my Rogue Audio amp 5 weeks ago and was extremely impressed. With a $3200 price tag, though, they are a bit outside of my financial comfort zone right now, although I will probably buy a pair when I can. In the meantime I researched and purchased a pair of Jamo Concert Eights as a temporary fill in. They are much more efficient and also impressive. Listening to these at low volumes works very well; the detail is wonderful and the base is tight, tight.

I guess what I'm saying is that I agree with you and wish I had gotten/listened to this line of advice before I spent so much time and effort trying to solve the problem by throwing more components and accessories into my system. BTW, I bought the Odysseys 14 years ago which was before the development of my tinnitus / hyperacusis problem and I very much enjoyed them for many years.
broadstone's avatar
broadstone OP
310 posts
 
Thanks, all of you. I'll try to answer your questions as follows: the tubes in the CAL DAC are 12AX7's and the coax and interconnects are Straight Wire, all of which are 1 meter long and I have ordered a Canare cable at the advice of one member. I will be trying different tubes, Noromance, and have ordered the EECC83S's as well.

The speaker wires to the Odysseys have separate conductors and are wound terminating with bi-wire spades at the speakers. The ones to the Jamos consist of paired 18 gauge Radio Shack wound speaker wires. I doubled the 18's because they didn't have anything larger and with this configuration I could bi-wire if I decided to do so. . I'm not defending this approach but I was in a hurry to A/B compare the two speakers to see if the problem was similar in the more efficient Jamo Concert Eights; it is. For this experiment, btw, I used an Adcom speaker selector which I have left in the system for, at least, temporary use.

Even though I have the same issue with these more efficient bookshelf speakers, from a listening standpoint, they are better at presenting detail and tight bass at the lower volumes at which I'm now forced to listen. They remain connected at this point for my general listening.

I apologize if I seem a bit disconnected in my explanations but I started another very similar thread regarding a related issue and I'm overlapping some of the conversations.
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