Teel,
I just had an interesting experience comparing a set of standard anti-cable ics and a set of Audio Art IC-3, connecting my Oppo 980 to my receiver. Actually, both had been unused for maybe more than a year. I had recently gotten a new HDMI reciever and Oppo 980 universal player and was listening to some CDs via HDMI. Not being happy with the sound quality using HDMI, and having heard that there could be jitter problems with HDMI for CD playback, I wanted to connect the Oppo via the analog outputs. I had not used either of these ics for quite some time, so I was intersted to see which would sound better with the Oppo. Based, I guess, on recent opinion and recommendations here on agon, I was fully expecting the anti-ics to offer the best sound.
I first hooked up the anti-ics, then the Audio Art IC-3. With the anti-ics, I thought well it doesn't really sound much different than the HDMI sound. But then when I inserted the Audio Art, it was immediately superior to me in every way. The highs were definitely clearer, but not harsh in any way. And it seemed like the mid range was better and the bass was more solid. Soundstage and imaging seemed significantly more defined. I felt at that point, the sound with the Audio Art analog connection was superior to letting the reciever decode via HDMI.
BTW, I have just about broken in a set of Morrow SP2 speaker cables on the upper terminals of my main speakers, and they are outstandingly clear and defined.
Just MHO...
I just had an interesting experience comparing a set of standard anti-cable ics and a set of Audio Art IC-3, connecting my Oppo 980 to my receiver. Actually, both had been unused for maybe more than a year. I had recently gotten a new HDMI reciever and Oppo 980 universal player and was listening to some CDs via HDMI. Not being happy with the sound quality using HDMI, and having heard that there could be jitter problems with HDMI for CD playback, I wanted to connect the Oppo via the analog outputs. I had not used either of these ics for quite some time, so I was intersted to see which would sound better with the Oppo. Based, I guess, on recent opinion and recommendations here on agon, I was fully expecting the anti-ics to offer the best sound.
I first hooked up the anti-ics, then the Audio Art IC-3. With the anti-ics, I thought well it doesn't really sound much different than the HDMI sound. But then when I inserted the Audio Art, it was immediately superior to me in every way. The highs were definitely clearer, but not harsh in any way. And it seemed like the mid range was better and the bass was more solid. Soundstage and imaging seemed significantly more defined. I felt at that point, the sound with the Audio Art analog connection was superior to letting the reciever decode via HDMI.
BTW, I have just about broken in a set of Morrow SP2 speaker cables on the upper terminals of my main speakers, and they are outstandingly clear and defined.
Just MHO...