Going back to an old loom of Mapleshade cables did it for me. I had some equipment changes since taking them out and only tried them during a layoff period from work.
First up were the ICs and the improvement was abundantly clear for the better. Swapping in the speaker wire led to an improvement as well but not as dramatic. That led to the purchase of the next level up (Helix to Double Helix) and the improvement was on par with the IC swap.
I'm starting to think that something well made but simple is probably better than a complication of a proven idea. This type of thinking can be dangerous as I now have my eye on a gaincard amp (Clones 25i) for not much coin. If it proves out to be better than my present amp, it will only further strengthen my belief that not only is simpler, when well made, better, but that cost is not equal to performance.
If this all bears out, then I'll have to write an elegy for all my hard earned cash spent chasing the audio dragon.
All the best,
Nonoise
First up were the ICs and the improvement was abundantly clear for the better. Swapping in the speaker wire led to an improvement as well but not as dramatic. That led to the purchase of the next level up (Helix to Double Helix) and the improvement was on par with the IC swap.
I'm starting to think that something well made but simple is probably better than a complication of a proven idea. This type of thinking can be dangerous as I now have my eye on a gaincard amp (Clones 25i) for not much coin. If it proves out to be better than my present amp, it will only further strengthen my belief that not only is simpler, when well made, better, but that cost is not equal to performance.
If this all bears out, then I'll have to write an elegy for all my hard earned cash spent chasing the audio dragon.
All the best,
Nonoise