2. cables
  3. 1206032973

Reference level cables that are 10-years old? buy?

Would you buy 10-year old cables? I just found at a local audio store on consignment some old Synergistic Research cables. Upon some research online, they look like the referenre cables reviewed in 1998 in Stereophile. These were originally retailed at something like $6k, $7k each back then. I can have them at 80% off, so somewhere in the $1,200 range. Still expensive for cables, but what the heck.

I am intending to bring them home later today to audition in my system. My current cables include 10-year old MIT MI-330 Pro XLR, Transparent Ultra. The newest cables in my system are a pair of Cardas Golden Ref & Pure Note Paragon Enhanced.

These Synergistic Research cables would replace the MIT, Transparent, and Pure Note.

FrankC
gundam91
gundam91 OP
506 posts
 
Hi Justlisten,

These were sitting at the San Francisco store. They probably brought them over from Berkeley as they are in the process of moving to where dB Audio used to be or around that area.

FrankC
leica_man
153 posts
 
Let's see-the 10 year old Synergistic cables are non-active just like every other non-active cable currently on the market. The new Tesla cables are active, in and of itself a major advancement. However the new Tesla cables are in their fourth generation of active shielding, and other technologies like quantum tunneling, which is a breakthrough. Check out their website, try some cables, and then decide.
garebear
1,045 posts
 
Have you actually compared the Accelerators to the Absolute Reference Cables ?.....the dealers all say they are better, because they have to....I can read about it here on some of these threads that claim they are better but have YOU actually compared these cables.... I have....and I still have my Absolute Reference Cables throughout my entire system except for three Shunyata King Cobra V1's, which by the way I happen to enjoy over their ''newer'' models as well. Point being.....newer is NOT always a guarantee that is better.
rodman99999
5,983 posts
 
Have you asked the dealer if you can audition these in your system? They would take time to burn-in if they've been idle for that long, but it would still be worth the effort to try them. I'd otherwise have to agree that there are better/later cables available, even on AudiogoN in the classifieds, that you could have for the same money.
gundam91 OP
506 posts
 
Just picked up the cables from San Francisco. I was incorrect, and they are not 10 years old. They are version 2 of those cables, all with active shield. So, maybe 5 years old or less?

To be exact:
Absolute Reference X2 XLR (1m): I believe this retailed at more than $4k.
Designer's Reference X2 XLR (20ft): At this lenght, probably close to $10 originally.
Resolution Reference X2 speaker cables (10ft): $3200 retail?

The left side of my brain is asking what the heck am I doing spending this kind of money on cables...

FrankC
More to discover