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Audioquest Firebird Zero

I've tried several speaker cables over the past year; Shunyata Alpha and Sigma, Wireworld Silver Eclipse series 7, Audioquest Oak and Redwood, Audience Au24 SX, and I own Clarus Crimson speaker cables. I prefer the Clarus over all of the aforementioned speaker cables. I've had the Audioquest Firebird Zero speaker cables on loan for three days. My initial thoughts were everything is a little clearer through them compared to my Clarus Crimson. Not a night and day difference, but definitely clearer. The Clarus are slightly more 3-dimensional to my ears. My wife on the other hand just keeps saying the AQ sounds sharper, clearer, there are less impurities in the music. I'm not sure what she means by impurities, but she keeps repeating it. Maybe she means a darker background? My plan was to have a home audition of the Thunderbird Zero speaker cables, but they had banana plugs on the amplifier end and I can't use them. I took the Firebirds with the logic that if I can't hear a difference between them and my current cables I didn't need to have a home audition of the Thunderbirds. $14K for an eight foot pair of speaker cables is freaking crazy and sad! It would be easy for me to dismiss it  because there isn't a night and day difference, but once you hear the difference it's very hard to ignore. Financially I just can't justify spending $14K on speaker cables and hope to hear the AQ Thunderbirds sometime next week. Once again I'm reminded that absolutely everything makes a difference. For those that can easily afford $14K, $20K or more speaker cables I understand, because cables can be equivalent to a component change. Does it ever end?
ricred1
meuch
3 posts
 
Update - I tried William Tell Silver, They had very wide image, and were more open on top than my old Aspens, but overall really did not compliment my McIntosh c2600, Levinson 335 and Logan 13As to my or wife's ears.  The lower mids were a bit thin (lacked male vocal fullness) and upper mids could be sharp if saxophone was hot in mix.  I tried both Nordost Tyr2 and AQ Earth Interconnects to no avail.  I tried pair of Wildwood spkr cables and seemed more musical, balanced and sorted throughout Midrange.  Firebirds may have worked better, but can't afford them.  Horses for courses I suppose.  
gdnrbob
4,410 posts
 
@OP,
Interesting. I have no experience with any of your equipment, so I can't comment. But, I would call Johnny again with your impressions. Given his knowledge of equipment, I am sure he would have some suggestions.
All I can say is when I listened to the William Tell's with the Vandy VLR's, Belles integrated, and Aurender N100, it was a serious upgrade from the lower grade AQ cables (GO-4?).
As far as 'Horses for courses', I think so much of this hobby is not only system dependent, but 'listener dependent', though if both you and your wife felt a similar discord, then there must be something not clicking.
Whether it is the cables or something upstream or a combination of both is the question.
Bob
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
I use the copper bi wire WT's on my Quatro's and LOVE them.  Transformative is a word that a few who know my system have used.  Highly musical and never thin.  Some equipment that is highly revealing can possibly sound 'thin' in the mids.  I have had that with some 'silver' in my system or with gear that is considered 'fast' etc...  What's thin to one may not be to others etc..  we all hear differently.  Sorry it didn't workout, but I would call Johnny again.  Let us know what you find out.
eziggy
137 posts
 
I would imagine there should be a big difference between using just the Zero cable vs. adding the bass cable. You are essentially adding more copper and splitting bass from Treble/Mids.

While I liked the Thunderbird Zero cables, I always wondered how much better it would be with the Bass cable since they were designed to be used together.  It's a bummer for people who cannot bi-wire their speakers.
earthtones
104 posts
 
I compared WT Copper Zero vs Silver Zero biwired in my Vandersteen setup over the course of a few weeks. I kept returning to the Coppers because they seemed a little smoother and the Silvers I thought had a slight edge to them. However, I’m absolutely convinced that they were simply revealing an upstream problem, in the case harshness in my preamp. When I swapped in a better preamp, that harshness went away and I gained with superior resolution in the Silvers. So I believe your system quality should be commensurate for best results.
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