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Can "worse" sound "better" ?

Greetings,

I recently retired and have been migrating my gear from two places of residence to my main house. Since I have a dedicated music room, moving forward, I will only use the main system. During this process, when mixing equipment, selecting which component to keep, I came across a strange situation, which I do not understand. Hopefully someone can help and shed some light on what's going on? 

I am perplexed by the sound difference when connecting my pre and power amps with my interconnects. I own: Nordost Freys (original, not Frey2), Van den Hul The Orchids and Van den Hul The Integration Hybrid.  The best sound gives The Integration Hybrid, which I believe is about a third of the price of the Nordost... The Orchid also doesn't sound as good as the cheaper Integration.  Why it is peculiar, is the fact that between any of my sources and the preamplifier the Freys and Orchid are significant better than the Integration... The Integration sound better only between the preamplifier and power amplifier.  Can anyone explain why? 

The sense of "better" I can describe as: a lot more air around the instruments, even those at the very back of the stage, more precise soundstage (you can hear the distances between orchestral rows, for example second violins and wood instruments, brass also exhibit space and air around them). 

My system:

Krell KSA 100 mk2  power amp 

Krell KAV-280P  preamp 

Dynaudio Contour 3.4 connected with Frey speaker cable

Sources:

Nottingham Analogue AceSpace + Space Arm + Ortofon Kontrapukt B; 

VPI Aries Scout, AT33;  Phono Stage: Trichord Delphini mk2 with separate power supply

Marantz SAKI Black Pearl  and also Arcam CD37 as a transport

Chord Electronics Hugo TT with linear power supply 

Cables : Nordost Frey speaker cables, Nordost Freys, Van den Hul Orchid and Van den Hul The Integration Hybrid mostly unbalanced

All audio equipment is connected to a dedicated and separate power line and the preamp and power amp is on a separate circuit, only for them. 

 

Have a great weekend everyone :) 

Steven

 

 

 

zbig06
ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,413 posts
 

If you have read a lot of comments on different cabling solutions you probably know you frequently hear... it depends. There are just so many variables. Especially on your vast array of components. 

The question you proposed is so complex, I recommend you start with ChatGPT or your AI of choice. It is really good with sonic characteristics and complex comparisons. I did so, and it proposes some very plausible reasons and factors... But I doesn't see any reason to reproduce it here. 

hjdca's avatar
hjdca
242 posts
 

It looks like two of the cables are constructed of silver plated OFC copper, and I am not sure about the integrated -  it looks to be both silver and copper strands along with zinc and good shielding.   So, it is different than the other two and the hybrid strands and the shielding might make a difference.  How they are wound is obviously different between the three of them.  Best to go with your ears.  For what it is worth -  I found this comment online from the Lenco Heaven Forum by jloveys - 

"To sum it all up, preamp output impedance contributes to the ability to hear differences in cables between preamps and power amps. A preamp with a high output impedance will give the user the greatest possibility to hear differences in cables. A preamp with a very low output impedance will make all cables sound essentially the same. To put it differently, a very low output impedance preamp will be immune to cable effects and a very high output impedance preamp will enable the audiophile to spend countless months and dollars searching out that elusive ’magic’ cable."

mapman's avatar
mapman
23,588 posts
 

The good news is you have lots of good options to explore.   The bad news is also that you have lots of options to explore so may take some time to settle on what’s best. 

zbig06 OP
7 posts
 

Appreciate  your responses so far. 

@ghdprentice :  of course I did. A suggestion given by AI was to do with triple shielding of the Van den Hul the Integration Hybrid,and  its low capacitance, therefore suppressing noise. Would this be as simple? Maybe. But then many of us would use measurements as a starting point for a system configuration. And in my 50+ years I never did. I always listened. 

I trust my ears,  and am not influenced by market price, so the Integration is in use. The music just sounds great.  

mihorn
908 posts
 

Yes. The cheaper/low quality cables and component can sound better than more expensive/better parts component. To all them, the good sound is trial and error experience with some luck. 

All audio cable and audio component companies don’t know how to make a good sound cable and component. Some times, good cables and component (only marginally better) are made by accident, not knowing how that happens. I’m sure the better sound from the worse cable, OP hears, is small difference from other expensive cables. Alex/Wavetouch audio

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