recommends for interconnects?


Looking to replace old (and tired) MIT shotgun XLR interconnects between Mac 402 amp and Levinson pre and CD player.

there are so many cables and reviews and opinions out there. Looking for similar or slight improvement in sound, but under a few hundred dollars. Is that even possible?   1 meter with XLR terminating both ends.....

Ideas and thoughts much appreciated.

david

 

derbim

Like others are saying, for a few hundred… No but there are some exceptions in the many hundreds to 2K range which are well worth looking at. I have chased specs and materials with interconnects running 2.5k-3k and speaker cable up to about 4k but I have changed direction recently. Auditorium A23 got me looking around and I found Luna cables from Canada. Using a Neo-vintage tinned copper and all natural dielectrics, I have found that it really puts you back in touch with the organic nature of music. Mauve balanced interconnects use actual NOS western electric wire and are quite amazing. Retail is around 1500 but if you look around rarely you can find a pair in the $800-$900 range on the used market. Well worth looking at their offerings starting with Orange and going up as high as Rouge. 

i would think between mac ss workhorse amp and levinson front end a tonally balanced, neutral cable would work well, maybe even one a little yin leaning

kimber or upper wireworld or medium grade nordost should work well, dh labs silver would be a nice pretty cost effective option

Product specs say your Mac 402 is a fully balanced amp. If your Levinson pre is also fully balanced you can use microphone cables and save a lot of $$$. I use  XLR Mogami W2549 balanced microphone cable between my pre and amp with excellent results. Any EM interference/noise, coloration, cancels out if your gear supports the balanced standard (AES 48). If your pre is not a balanced design then you are left to expensive ICs for tonal controls. Look at my system for details.

 

Audioquest Thunderbird!!!  Not cheap, but absolutely excellent.  Happy listening.