2. cables
  3. 990492297

Sakura Systems OTA Cable Kit

Has anyone tried this "minimalist" cable kit? After receiving a recommendation from someone with similar musical values to myself, and whose ears I trust, I could not resist ordering one. I will report on how they sound in a few weeks, but am interested in others' opinions too.

For those that have not heard about them look at www.sakurasystems.com for an interesting read. The cable sounds as if it is very close to the specification of the conductors in Belden Cat5. So I may have spent around 100 times what the kit is worth. We shall see.

If you have not heard this cable, please don't bother posting your opinions of how it MUST sound here. Nor am I that interested in hearing how stupid I must be to order this kit - it's my money and you are free to make different decisions with yours. Sorry for this condition, but I am bored with those that have nothing positive to offer on this site, and post their opinions based on deductive logic rather than actual experience.
redkiwi
gregm
3,395 posts
 
Slawney, that's beautiful writing, if I may say so. BTW, another one (me) ready to take the 47 trip -- although I have "officially" put cables behind me... (with a set of modestly priced Bearlabs).
subaruguru
1,362 posts
 
"demiurgical divagations"?? Where the hell is that OED...and the magnifying glass?!
palmnell
22 posts
 
Slawney,

Would that I could have contained my unbridled passion for this cable and waited for the full blooming of its beauty.
Alas, impatience and a licentious desire for detail overcame me and in a moment (actually about 20 minutes) of vinyl weakness I made and installed the arm cables.

I knew that break in would take a lot longer than the IC's and the speaker cables. As you say we are dealing with .28mV
instead of 2 volts. But from the moment I fired up the turntable I knew I had made the right decision.

Compared to the standard Linn Ittok cable the OTA is an aural laxative. Detail floods down those tiny hoses. Sometimes it's too much detail at once, producing an overwhelming and slightly confused picture. I have faith that things will sort themselves out eventually. Although a friend who doesn't fully believe in cable break-in thinks I'm suffering from recto-cranial inversion.

This unchecked "wall of sound" is confirmed on my Stax SR5 phones. It occurs mainly when the source material either contains numerous instruments or doesn't have a well-defined mix. Small jazz ensembles, acoustic music and spaciously mixed records now have almost a holographic presentation and exquisite detail partcularly in distant cymbals. Bass has gained in extension and solidity. There's even more space between instruments. The drum kit on a lot of LP's is now on the patio, six feet behind the speakers.

The ride may be bumpy for the next 200 hours. 1600 hours if your inverse law happens to be correct. I really can't believe it will take that long though. But from the first 15 seconds I was sold again. This cable has what it takes to make me abandon any further search. How do you follow the sound of nothing ?
bwhite
807 posts
 
I am nearly ready to try this stuff...Can anyone draw a comparison between the Sakura OTA and say...Valhalla? NBS Statement? Omega Mikro? AudioNote Kondo?

If so, please share.
gregm
3,395 posts
 
Bwhite, I will be able to compare Valhallas -- in about a month's time though! Love to hear others' experience. Mine is a ss or tube-ss (change b/ween the two now) set-up.
More to discover