Purist Audio & Stereophile

I've never heard Purist Dominus (big caveat) but I've read numerous discussions that, despite being very good, they are very dark as well as warm. None of the others mentioned (Nordost, Synergistic, Harmonic Tech) are dark. Might this count as a negative in the eyes of reviewers and mags who are looking for neutral, coloration-free cables as a reference?

You know, I ran across something else that might be of some interest. There seem to be a number of our members who contact various cable companies (smaller ones if i remember correctly) and try to work deals. The deal comes in the form of: If you (the company) give me cables, either for free or at cost, I'll promote you through posts on Audiogon, Audio Asylum, etc, if you refuse, I'll slam you every chance I get. Some companies apparently give in. This is why it is so important (and this gets said over and over again) to listen for yourself and not rely exclusively on the opinions of others, no matter how sincere we sound.

I think cables that are considered "dark" are perceived as something they are not. To me, dark simply means that alot of that "noise hash" that you normally hear is simply not present. It does take getting used to though.

I have demo'd the PAD Museaus line and they were probably the quietest cable I have ever heard. Warm? Not sure, probably more in the camp of fullness.

Regards,

Dark to me means bass-heavy, sometimes to the point that midrange color gets lost and everything takes on a rather heavy dark shading, sopranos included. It can easily be heard via shifts in voice timbre. Warm usually equates to emphasis in the upper bass, low mids.

Flex, having heard the Dominus for a period of time I can say without reservation that your statement could not be more wrong. When I auditioned Dominus the bass was as tight and fast as I have ever heard. There was no bloat or bloom to it.

I have a friend who has speakers that I think have a somewhat bloated bass, he has used Purist cables almost exclusively for years. Every time I have heard his system after he has upgraded to a better Purist cable the bass is better, much more taut and explosive.

Dominus is the most neutral cable I have heard. I wish I could afford it, because I would gladly replace all of the Purist cables I own with Dominus. I wrote a review of my experience if you would like to read it.