Request to Mani

[Scroobius]

Hey Mani - I was just thinking why not share your experiences of lacquered copper cables on the blog?
Paul

[manisandher]

Yep, will do... when I have a bit more time.

Mani.

[manisandher]

A while ago, I switched all my ICs to 'cheap' anti-cables (http://www.anticables.com/anti-ic.html). And I have to say the results were remarkable. There was a clarity with these cables that my other cables (ranging from cheap 'n' cheerful to pretty expensive) just couldn't match.

And this has been the situation right up until 0.9z-7-4.

In the release notes for 0.9z-7-4, Peter says:

From off its introduction Peak Extension was the means to solve distortion which "officially" was only measurable outside the audio band. Now not activating Peak Extension operates without this distortion.
Do notice that the distortion implied a clear difference in "sound", but that it was very hard to not find this distortion to work out better (sound wise) than without it; it was merely the other way around. So, this "feature" (that assumed) has been eliminated now, but for those used to have the distortion in for the better, it could be made a real feature (no matter how strange). So please report if you think it is annoying that this distortion is out of the way now (we are serious).

[The highlight is mine.]

I have to say that ever since I stopped using Peak Extension, I started finding the sound way too 'forward' and 'sharp'. But I've found it hard reverting back to PE, for psychological reasons more than anything else, I think. So just yesterday, I decided to try some of my old ICs again. And overall, I prefer the sound of the pair of silver ICs that Gerd gave me with the Sauermann amps and PE disengaged. I'm certainly not saying that these ICs are better than the anti-cables, but just that with my current set-up they seem to give a more balanced sound.

Interested in other people's experiences/thoughts.

Mani.

[Scroobius]

I posted my experiences before but to recap I found that lacquered copper wire was much better than my previous expensive copper wire for speaker ic's giving a very clear and neutral sound.

I then borrowed a friends very expensive silver cables and they were clearly better than the lacquered copper wires but I had some reservations I thought there was a slight edge to the sound (maybe).

I then installed bybee's onto the terminals of the speaker drive units and that resulted in a very big fundamental improvement - like the improvement due to silver cables but more.

And then the really interesting thing - with the bybee's installed I then listened to lacquered cable versus silver cable and could not hear any difference.

It certainly sounded to my ears that the bybee's addressed a fundamental problem that silver wires only partially address.

P

 

[Nick]

My 10 cents....

First anti cables.

I followed the same cable construction as Paul for bi wiring my speakers with enamelled copper wires.

The results are remarkable, the sound is very smooth but with all available detail passing through. Without a doubt the best speaker cable I have ever had in my system by a considerable distance. The cables took a day to build ( I used an electric drill to twist them  ) and cost about £25 for 4 runs of 6 m length lol !

Second comment is about the effect of REMOVING my old cables.

Oh boy, I have been trying to track down the weirdest noise problem in my system for 18 months (it was so bad that playing XXHE at -144db volume I could hear distorted music playing even with my DAC section not powered up).  In the name of diagnostics much of my system has been swooped for upgraded components but still no fix that was UNTIL I removed the old speaker cables and put anti cables into the system. Now the system has no noise problem what so ever . In then end it seems that the cause was my old hybrid copper / carbon construction speaker cables that were in some way interacting with my system / general environment and the result was the noise problem.

For both of the above reasons, I and a BIG fan of anti cables.

Nick.

[juanpmar]

Hi Nick, have you ever tried the Zero-Autoformers from Anticables?, I remember using it some years ago with big Sound Lab electrostatic speakers. Those Autoformers helped to drive that speakers easily making the bass tighter and the highs smoother. I think that I still have them in some place...many time since I don´t use it, since I changed the speakers and amps. Just curious if you or Paul have tried it.

http://www.anticables.com/products.html

http://www.zeroimpedance.com/story.html

Best regards,
Juan

[Jud]

I imagine these cables share some of the construction and audio characteristics you liked about the lacquered copper and Anti-Cables:

http://omegamikro.com/

I have been using their cables in various applications for about 20 years and have never been less than very happy, sometimes pretty close to amazed.  I've never heard anything close to the price that can touch them.  They also offer a less expensive line under the name Mapleshade.  Some of you may recognize that name as responsible for some of the best-engineered CDs available.  The recordings are done with equipment (including all cables, of course) designed, built, and/or modified by the principals in Omega Mikro.

For anyone who would like to save a bit on the price, they offer materials for DIY.

[Nick]

Hi Nick, have you ever tried the Zero-Autoformers from Anticables?, I remember using it some years ago with big Sound Lab electrostatic speakers. Those Autoformers helped to drive that speakers easily making the bass tighter and the highs smoother. I think that I still have them in some place...many time since I don´t use it, since I changed the speakers and amps. Just curious if you or Paul have tried it.

http://www.anticables.com/products.html


http://www.zeroimpedance.com/story.html

Best regards,
Juan

Juan hi,

I had looked at them on the webs site before and wondered if they may sound good. Was there any particular reason that you took them out of your system ?

Best,

Nick.

[juanpmar]

Juan hi,

I had looked at them on the webs site before and wondered if they may sound good. Was there any particular reason that you took them out of your system ?

Best,

Nick.

Hi Nick,

I used the Autoformers with the Sound Lab A1, big electrostatic speakers (http://www.allegrosound.com/Soundlab_A-1.html) with very low impedance but to tell you the truth the amps I had at that time, a pair of Wolcott monoblocks, were perfect to drive that kind of speakers with difficult loads, so I only used the Autoformers for a short time and in my case I couldn´t see an improvement in SQ due, as I say, to the amps I had. The Avantgarde Duos probably don´t need autoformers, but I don´t know very well your speakers.

Best regards,
Juan

[Nick]

Juan hi,

Those Soundlabs are LARGE 

Quote from the Soundlab link you posted

" A-1's are notoriously-difficult to drive, requiring massive voltage-swing and rock-solid stability into nearly a dead short above 20kHz; few amplifiers at any price are up to the task."

Now that is what I call a load for any amp 

My Duos are quite an easy load particularly for a solid state amp like gain clones to drive. The subs are active as well which helps even more. I guess the matching transformers might help with lower power valve amps particularly if there are not suitable output transformer tap impedances on the amp for the speaker load the valve amp is driving.

Best regards,

Nick.