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What Was Your Favorite “Game Changer” Moment?

I've been rebuilding and modifying my system since the summer of 2029. I have a pile of rejected cables and assorted gear to sell sometime soon. Several times I told myself that I was finally finished with upgrades, only to be tempted to try just one more thing. Happily, I stumbled upon an unexpected game changer in the past week. I purchased a used pair of Fusion Audio Romance 1 interconnects.

The reviews, some on this forum, suggested that this cable is “warm and romantic,” as the name implies. My biggest concern was that the top end might be somewhat muted. I have been using Shunyata Venom interconnects and speaker cables. They have plenty of top end sparkle that I didn’t want to lose. But I’m always in favor of curbing harshness.

Well, not to worry. The Fusion Audio interconnects did not just keep the high end sparkle, they extended it. And they did it in a very musically pleasing way. I played a native tropical bossa nova album, and the percussion instruments danced around in a stunning holographic fashion. On some other albums, I heard female vocals served with a sublime, expressive quality that surpasses anything that my system was capable of before.

I consider myself a “warm side of neutral” kind of listener. Fatiguing harshness has always been the obstacle to overcome. But I want the details at both ends of the spectrum. As for Fusion Audio cables, they are available at Audio Surroundings in Boca Raton, Florida. Here is the link: https://www.audiosurroundings.com/store.php?seller=Ericlove&navt1=263817&per=6&num=6&...

Does anyone know how to contact Eric Love, who was mentioned in numerous threads a few years ago as the maker of these cables? I would like to contact him.

Please share your favorite “game changer” moments with cables and other items. I'm still looking for the “magic” USB cable.

My system:

Exposure 3010S2D integrated amp
DynAudio floor standing speakers
Topping D70 DAC
Auralic Aries Femto music streamer with SBooster power supply
Kitsune modded Singxer SU-2 USB bridge
Netgear S8000 Network switch with streaming music preset
Cables and power cords by Shunyata, Lessloss, Wireworld, PS Audio, Chord Company, Fusion Audio


boakey39

Showing 6 responses by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Another total game changer was in college when I realized Ukraine was the key to winning Risk. You think I am kidding? Never once lost a game once I figured this one out.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Right. Been a very long time saying power cords and wire in general is every bit as much a "main component" as the usual stuff people consider main components. Every bit as important. You are hearing that now. I know, because you have what I have, and Ozzy, and we hear it. Not all components perform at this level. If they did there would be no doubt. But they don't. An awful lot frankly are not all that great. They have so many flaws, and this is so common, a guy can compare a lot of stuff and come away thinking it is all just different flavors so mix em up how you like. That is where "system dependent" comes from. It is BS but hard to show because so much is like that. Until you get something like you have now, so much better with so few faults. So now you know. Looking forward to reading your review. Sounds like it will be enlightening.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Et tu, chayro?

Same with me, twice! First, Robert Harley convinced me to dig my old Technics SL1700 out of storage. Bent cantilever had to be straightened, okay. Bearing was dry, whatever. No way it is gonna sound that good anyway, right? This is just to humour old Bob. Only "phono stage" I had was the one built into my 30 year old Kenwood integrated amp. Put on a record, blew my mind! Wife came home, not knowing what was playing said Wow that sounds great what is it?!    

Second game-changer, Definitive Audio had a LP12 in a Linn wall system on the side wall of their main listening room. Never heard a Linn so we dug around found a dirty old random record they had somewhere, total crap never heard of before. Put it on, walls melted away, huge sound stage, freaking unbelievable!

Sales rep says you like that listen to this. Pulls out a CD of Janis Ian Breaking Silence. One of the all-time best audiophile recordings guaranteed to make any system sound better all by itself. Puts it into this Mark Levinson transport that alone cost more than the whole Linn system. Plays it through monster ML mono-blocks into Wilson Watt-Puppy.

Cranks up Breaking Silence and within ten seconds I am like, "Crap. I have got to get a turntable." This system costs probably 5X the Linn. It is playing an absolutely superb recording that I love. And the little Linn is making it sound like crap.

Total game changer.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Actually now that I think about it this right here is my favorite game changer. The world wide web. Before this all we had was Stereophile on dead tree. Stereophile of course had massive publishing costs that had to be covered somehow. So they had to rely on advertisers which meant reaching a large audience, which in turn meant covering components and topics of interest to a large audience. All the market forces combined resulted in only being able to cover the larger manufacturers. Paper and printing costs money so editors had to, you know, edit and limit to only the most worthwhile content.  

Nowadays with the internet we have access to just about everything made anywhere in any volume and for any amount. We just have to search it out. Its also made it a lot easier to gain access to people with specialized skills and experience, to learn about new products and system improvement ideas.  

But its also made it so much more important to learn to be our own editor. To decide what is worth reading. And who to ignore. 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
This is like asking what is my favorite Porsche. Two answers. The best one is, "The one I’m driving" but "the newest one" will do just fine too.

The newest one for me is TDF, aka Rustoleum, aka Tetrault’s Secret Sauce.

Second newest is Schumann resonators. Talk about a game changer! WTF is going on here, anyway? Gonna buy some more soon as I finish this post.

My first biggest game changer was hearing the difference a good interconnect can make. Was 1992 and I was still using patch cords, lamp cord, and freebie rubber power cords. The store let me compare my patch cord to their $75 interconnect and the difference was so great, my patch cord sounded so bad, I thought I broke their amp.

The next biggest game changer was Robert Harley’s The Complete Guide to High End Audio. I had by this time assembled what I thought was a complete and very fine system. With CD. Because, yeah, got sucked into that one. But in the book Harley says the turntable is the heart of a high end system. WTF??! Really?

So the vintage 1976 Technics SL1700 was dug out of its cardboard box in the garage, cleaned up, connected to the phono stage in the 1974 Kenwood and.... damn. Seriously? WTF?!?!?! Wife agrees, way better than CD. Went to Definitive, their one Linn is connected to a little wall system. Literally against the wall. Somehow throws a sound stage extending back beyond the wall. Unbelievable. Then the salesman tries to impress me playing Janis Ian Breaking Silence on their flagship Levinson/Wilson system. CD. Easily ten times as costly a system. Could not have asked for a clearer demo of the superiority of vinyl. Total game changer. Mega, as Chris Harris would say.

Since then? Synergistic Atmosphere Level III Euphoria have redefined what wire can do. Springs have redefined what vibration control can do, and Townshend Pods have redefined what springs can do. Rubber bands are another game changer. But the biggest and best is as I was reminded just this last weekend the TDF Secret Sauce. Better even than the filters.

I know. Hard to believe. But true.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Good one. But you should hear the one he will have come out with in 2125. 


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