Stage III Concepts Cables - Any Advice/Feedback/Thoughts is deeply appreciated.


I have a mixed loom of Stage III Concepts Cables on loan to me from a local dealer and need some help.  
There is hardly any user/owner/member/end used type of info out there so I wanted to reach out. 

Here is what I am demoing now and below is the why...

Stage III Concepts GRYPHON XLR 1.5m Interconnects   
Stage III Concepts MAGNUS 3.0m Speaker Cables
Stage III Concepts MINOTAUR 2.0m Power Cable
Stage III Concepts KRAKEN 1.5m Power Cable

Here is the why:

I received my new Magico S5 MK II Speakers 2 weeks ago upgraded from the original S5's.  
I wanted to upgrade my pre and amp but was waiting to hear my new S5 MK II's with my present gear first. 

Magico S5 MK II Speakers
Pass Labs X250.8 amp
Simaudio Moon Evolution P-8 pre
Bricasti M1SE w/built in ethernet media player
SGC sonicTransporter ethernet Roon server w/Uptone Audio JS-2 LPS
Kubala-Sosna Emotion Full Loom 

I loved my new speakers and so sold both my Pass X250.8 amp and my Simaudio P8 pre.
I bought Pass Labs XA-160.8 Monoblocks and was driving them direct with my Bricasti M1SE as pre/dac.

I was happy and while looking for a pre I stumbled into a local guy that had a Soulution 530 Integrated.
I thought you know what lets try it and if I like it then I will sell or trade my Pass mono's for a pre or use 530's preouts.

To make a long story longer I put it in my system and low and behold I like the Pass amps better. Maybe not a huge surprise as Pass gear is killer but then I phoned the local Soulution dealer to pick he brain. 

He told me the Pass amps should not sound better with S5 MK II's and it was due to the match of my Kubala-Sosna cables which work great with Pass, ARC, Ayre, Krell, etc. but Soulution is a different animal and needs a different cable. .
I thought OK here we go... Here comes the big old cable sales pitch but to be fair I called him. So I listened.

He loaned me the cables I have listed above to prove what he was saying was true.

You know what happened. Low and behold he was 100% right and they blew my mind. No snake oil but real results.  

They sound insane and actually really good with my Pass amps too but the match with Soulution is breath taking...

Now I see why the Soulution amps are darn expensive. They should recommended cables like Spectral and MIT does.  

So with so little info out there I wanted to ask for you guys for any and feedback, or opinions.

It is really expensive stuff and sure there is some savings because some is former gen cables and they are demo's but still its really expensive stuff so I just was hoping I could get some more info from you folks.

Sorry for long write up but wanted to share my thoughts and my situation and ask for some help on these.

Thanks 
       





128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xfsmithjack
ggc 
Welcome and thanks for your input. Great to hear from a Stage III owner. Not many out there is seems so thanks for the joining us. I appreciate it. 

That HB Cable Power Slave power distributor you have is amazing. Your a mad man. I love it. I would love one of those but that is def a bridge to far for me but good for you. 

Rather than some really expensive conditioner/distributor I am thinking outside the box and going to try something else.

My underground utilities transformer luckily is right in my front yard so the line from my house goes only about 50 feet to my front yard to the actual transformer. 

For my own over the top idea for power is this:

Dedicated 20 amp circuit for each individual component. One 2 outlet unit per component on its own 20 amp dedicated circuit with premium Romex copper wire, all housed in the own separate, dedicated audio circuit 100 amp service box and then providing it with a solid, not tubed but sold copper elliptical outside the wall of my box in my side yard - ERICO LPC704 CU SOLID GROUND ROD.

I will make sure each wire for each outlet is run as to not touch any other wire individually and is carefully routed to the back of my system to its own box. All terminated at the back of my system with  GTX-D NCF(R)
Furutech’s Ultimate AC Receptacle Series outlets. I am going to use 5 of these. 

It will actually be a lot cheaper than an expensive conditioner. Not saying it will be better than expensive conditioner but hate how most conditioners suck the life out of a system.

We will see how it goes but I am pretty excited. Many people say it makes a really big difference. Now if I had the money I would just get a HB Cable Power Slave power distributor and plug it into my current dedicated 20 amp circuit that is hooked into my houses box but I'm going old school and putting my electrician to work in the hope to improve my system. Again, prob over the top but if I am paying an electrician to come in and do work might as well get down and dirty and do it the right away :)
ebm

Yeah I was going to say. The F1 Really?? Come on man... lol

BTW, I came very close to owning an Audia Flight Strumento No 1 MKII.

Now you are talking turkey. That is a killer amp. I love their gear.

Came very close to pulling the trigger one. My buddy Paul is or was the USD. I live in MA and he is like a 1/2 from me. I bought my Pass 160.8 from a guy that Paul set me up with who sold them because he prefers the Strumento No 1 over them who actually I am selling them back to. Thats another story...lol 

Paul offered to bring the AF No1  to my house and the only reason I didn't demo it was because its like a 170 pounds and just too much to lug around.

Over a 130 I am just asking to blow out my back but that is prob the only reason one is not in my room.

They have awesome driver control like Soulution. I prefer that with a Magico driver. They like juice and to be controlled IMO or maybe that is just my taste. I think that is part of the reason I chose Solution over the Pass and why the guy who sold them to me prefer the AF Strumento. Got to grab hold of them their drivers and show em the way I say...

The Purist Dominus is an excellent cable and right there with Stage III no doubt. Those are dam good. I prob should have tried the No 4 but was stuck on the No1. 

I have owned a lot of electronics. I would take Audia Flight over Esoteric any day. I have not tried all their gear of course but owned the very C03 preamp and their very nice A03 but I liked the Pass Labs better. I liked the Simaudio Moon Evolution P-8 way better than the C03 and my Pass X350.5 and the X250.8 better than the A03 but I liked the A03. I found the Pass Labs XA-160.8 monoblocks and the Soulution to be on a total other level then the Esoteric gear and Audio Flight No 1 as well.

Now I did not hear the AF in my system but I was awed by how awesome it was. You can just tell when something is really good and when something is great. Greatness just separates itself. I am not good enough at describing what I mean other then to say that you know it when you hear it. Audio Flight did it, Pass Labs did it and so did Soulution. 

I mentioned earlier not sure if you saw it but my local dealer is also the Yipsilon dealer and I am on the list to demo the Phaethon. If it is as good as they say maybe the Soulution will be with me for only a short time but man right now it is the very best amp I have ever owned and calling it an amp I don't think is fair because it is the best preamp/amp combo I have ever owned and it has a legit reference phono stage. A lot of people take shots at this amp because its expensive and ugly and doesn't make many watts but man it is one dam good amp. The best I have ever owned but there needs to be an asterisk with that statement because it only became this great when I added the Stage III Concept Kraken Power cable. That part can not be left out. That cable transformed this amp. Perfect synergy IMO. That is why I am wondering what the Phaethon will sound like with the Kraken.        

  
Here is an audiophile idea close to the extreme. One pair of speakers, three integrated amps for different music and/or mood. Soulution 530, Gryphon Diablo 300 and Ypsilon Phaethon. Cabling as needed.
I like your electrical plan, should be excellent.