Master Built-What are Owners Hearing That They Didn't Hear With Other Cables

[Steve Williams]

Can we get back to what people are hearing with these cables in their systems please.

agreed

There were cries for proof which has been offered and now there are still screams from him and yes I agree when you say he has no idea what they are talking about. If so, "prove them wrong" otherwise we will be on topic and discussing what owners are hearing

 

[Steve Williams]

as a reminder this was the OP

I thought I would start a thread here asking for comments from existing MB owners as to what differences they heard in their systems after installing MB cables

 

[amirm]

Read the OP. Have you heard the cables?

Yes. I noted this before. http://audiosciencereview.com/forum...eikert-vac-amplifiers-masterbuilt-cables.400/

But no, I don't agree with anything you say about their sound.

 

[Steve Williams]

you're not an owner and have heard these cables at an audio show where you liked them

there's no more to to be said. You made your comment. Now move on until you've had them in your system and have had a chance to compare them to what you were using you have nothing more to add

 

[NorthStar]

Prices are on their website.

http://www.masterbuiltaudio.com/purple-line-audio-cable

http://www.masterbuiltaudio.com/reference-line-audio-cables

http://www.masterbuiltaudio.com/signature-line-audio-cables

http://www.masterbuiltaudio.com/ultra-line-audio-cables

The power cords seem to be reasonable to me. Thx Ray.
_______

P.S. I apologize; after reading few more posts, I agree with Steve, and Leif; this is basically an owner's thread with their personal listening experiences.
I've reread Steve's first post, and it is very clear. It's up to Steve.
_______

If someone wants to start another thread, or if there is one already for non-owners, and interested future prospectors with questions, comments, exploration in learning and discovering more, I'm sure we can all contribute beneficially for our audio knowledge with the help of Leif and his close associates.

This is my final post in this thread, and again my honest apologies to you Steve, and to Leif as well. And thank you Leif for the time you took on that latest explanation. I feel to quote you and start another thread; for all explorations. I'll see what the next 24 hours or more do, and I just might do that.
I even think that there is already an MB thread, for everyone. And I say this with gracious respect and desire to learn in the very best way possible.

 

[microstrip]

Yes. I noted this before.
(...)
But no, I don't agree with anything you say about their sound.

It is a question of audiophile semantics but I do not consider that someone who only has listened to a cable in a show has properly listened to it or is able to comment on its sound (or absence of sound ). YMMV.

 

[amirm]

you're not an owner and have heard these cables at an audio show where you liked them

I didn't say I liked the cables. I like the end results of the entire system+music played which I credit to everything but the cables. I am not like you where you hear Jim's system and think the take home lesson is to spend $100K on cables.

there's no more to to be said. You made your comment. Now move on until you've had them in your system and have had a chance to compare them to what you were using you have nothing more to add

A post was made by Leif. Insults thrown by both of you regarding my knowledge of the topic. I am simultaneously dared to comment. Now you are telling me to get lost.

But sure. I will create a new thread and share my thoughts there if I think it is worth the hassle I will receive there from you just the same.

 

[Leif S]

I didn't say I liked the cables. I like the end results of the entire system+music played which I credit to everything but the cables. I am not like you where you hear Jim's system and think the take home lesson is to spend $100K on cables.


A post was made by Leif. Insults thrown by both of you regarding my knowledge of the topic. I am simultaneously dared to comment. Now you are telling me to get lost.

But sure. I will create a new thread and share my thoughts there if I think it is worth the hassle I will receive there from you just the same.

The fact that you give credit to everything but the cables just answered everything I needed to know.

 

[Steve Williams]

The fact that you give credit to everything but the cables just answered everything I needed to know.

How true

Amir that was about the most lame ass comment you've made. You liked the system but didn't like the cables.

 

[amirm]

The fact that you give credit to everything but the cables just answered everything I needed to know.

Know what? I listened to your system at RMAF with a different brand of cables: http://audiosciencereview.com/forum...016-von-schweikert-audio-skogrand-cables.826/

And this is what I said about them: "They played LP and tape, and I could not look up their titles. But both formats sounded excellent."

So maybe I am hearing the sound of your speakers and content instead of what cable you used.

 

[amirm]

How true

Amir that was about the most lame ass comment you've made. You liked the system but didn't like the cables.

What, you want me to say how pretty they were??? There was nothing to like or not like about cables.

What I comment at the show has to do with the end product of music+system. You cannot separate anything beyond that. And certainly not attribute anything to cables unless an AB test is performed where only ears are the judge. I am confident Leif would not sign up for that test any more than you would despite the company saying they have run "A/B/X" tests that have validated them. That is what is lame.

 

[Steve Williams]

I believe this was the thread you originally referred to

http://audiosciencereview.com/forum...eikert-vac-amplifiers-masterbuilt-cables.400/

 

[Leif S]

What, you want me to say how pretty they were??? There was nothing to like or not like about cables.

What I comment at the show has to do with the end product of music+system. You cannot separate anything beyond that. And certainly not attribute anything to cables unless an AB test is performed where only ears are the judge. I am confident Leif would not sign up for that test any more than you would despite the company saying they have run "A/B/X" tests that have validated them. That is what is lame.

You can't be serious??? We've done the test amir. And it doesn't matter because as far as I know everyone who has these cables are extremely pleased. That's what is important to me!

 

[Folsom]

ABX test are faulty in how they're usually run, so I wouldn't engage in one either. They're also useless to a developer for the same faulty reasons. I get tired of them being talked about because every "smart" person loves to bring it up but they can never explain countless reasons for why we have conflicting everything with them - showing us that the biggest inconsistency is the relevance of ABX testing as we know it in audio. The only possible excuse these people have is that everyone is basically retarded - how pathetic.

Even if a product was entirely placebo, people forget that placebos often work so it's a non-issue. If belief was all you had, and it brought you happiness, who gives a f***.

 

[kernelbob]

I was the first person outside of the MasterBuilt engineering team to have heard the effect of adding a single pair of Ultra interconnects in my system. I was at Axpona when the VSA VR100XS system was being displayed. During a break, one of the MB engineers arrived and asked Albert if he would audition a prototype pair of XLR cables that they (MB) had been working on. Albert said that he didn't have a balanced system set up at the moment. He then turned to me and asked if I would be willing to audition the cables for a few weeks and give my impressions. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

At the time, I was using MasterBuilt Signature iC, SC, and powercords and was very satisfied with their performance. On returning from the show, I installed the ICs between my DAC and preamp. When I played the first piece of music, I was absolutely amazed at the transformation in the sound. The key attributes where this cable excelled were as follows.

There were additional fine details that present along with all the detail that I was hearing before. For example, during even the most dynamic piano recordings there was an additional "filigree" of complex textures in the piano's sound that made the reproduced piano sound much more realistic.

During quiet passages, the amount of information retrieved/retained in the signal was obviously much better. Hall ambience similarly took on more complexity, richness, and sense of a real acoustic space.

Oddly, even with such a major change in the system's quality, there was no skewing of the frequency balance, other than the bass being more extended to deeper regions and being more dynamic and harmonically complex.

Imaging, both laterally and front-to-back was improved along with that better defined recording venue acoustic signature recovery. Also, the sound height improved with the whole presentation being more immersive.

This occurred while my VR100XS system was being built. On hearing the dramatic improvement in the system's sound, I called Albert and asked if there was any way that Ultra cabling could be installed in my VR100 towers. It turns out that MB only had Ultra developed at that point for interconnects. I asked Albert to see what was possible with MB regarding Ultra speaker cabling possibilites. It turned out that it would take another year for MB to finalize Ultra speaker cables. During that development period we put the completion of my VR100's on hold, but now I have that first pair of speakers with internal Ultra wiring.

I also have a full loom of Ultra interconnects and speaker cables. I'm still using and continue to be very happy with a full set of MasterBuilt Signature power cords. I'll hear the Ultra powercords at Axpona in a couple of months. Once you hear the impact of the Ultra technology in a system, it's not easy to go without it. Back when I had to return those first pair of Ultra cables that I auditioned, it took months before I could get used to my system sans-Ultra.

Best,
Robert

 

[Leif S]

I was the first person outside of the MasterBuilt engineering team to have heard the effect of adding a single pair of Ultra interconnects in my system. I was at Axpona when the VSA VR100XS system was being displayed. During a break, one of the MB engineers arrived and asked Albert if he would audition a prototype pair of XLR cables that they (MB) had been working on. Albert said that he didn't have a balanced system set up at the moment. He then turned to me and asked if I would be willing to audition the cables for a few weeks and give my impressions. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

At the time, I was using MasterBuilt Signature iC, SC, and powercords and was very satisfied with their performance. On returning from the show, I installed the ICs between my DAC and preamp. When I played the first piece of music, I was absolutely amazed at the transformation in the sound. The key attributes where this cable excelled were as follows.

There were additional fine details that present along with all the detail that I was hearing before. For example, during even the most dynamic piano recordings there was an additional "filigree" of complex textures in the piano's sound that made the reproduced piano sound much more realistic.

During quiet passages, the amount of information retrieved/retained in the signal was obviously much better. Hall ambience similarly took on more complexity, richness, and sense of a real acoustic space.

Oddly, even with such a major change in the system's quality, there was no skewing of the frequency balance, other than the bass being more extended to deeper regions and being more dynamic and harmonically complex.

Imaging, both laterally and front-to-back was improved along with that better defined recording venue acoustic signature recovery. Also, the sound height improved with the whole presentation being more immersive.

This occurred while my VR100XS system was being built. On hearing the dramatic improvement in the system's sound, I called Albert and asked if there was any way that Ultra cabling could be installed in my VR100 towers. It turns out that MB only had Ultra developed at that point for interconnects. I asked Albert to see what was possible with MB regarding Ultra speaker cabling possibilites. It turned out that it would take another year for MB to finalize Ultra speaker cables. During that development period we put the completion of my VR100's on hold, but now I have that first pair of speakers with internal Ultra wiring.

I also have a full loom of Ultra interconnects and speaker cables. I'm still using and continue to be very happy with a full set of MasterBuilt Signature power cords. I'll hear them at Axpona in a couple of months. Once you hear the impact of the Ultra technology in a system, it's not easy to go without it. Back when I had to return those first pair of Ultra cables that I auditioned, it took months before I could get used to my system sans-Ultra.

Best,
Robert

I can't believe how much time has passed us by since then. Look forward to seeing you at Axpona.

 

[Steve Williams]

Once you hear the impact of the Ultra technology in a system, it's not easy to go without it. Back when I had to return those first pair of Ultra cables that I auditioned, it took months before I could get used to my system sans-Ultra.

I totally agree as I had that done to my system with a pair of Ultra PC's on my amplifier which I thought were mine only to have Leif take them as they were his which he loaned to me until mine got built. Unfortunately he needed his before mine were built and it was separation anxiety for me. I didn't listen as long or as often until mine were finally in. I too have a full loom of Ultra other than one long interconnect between my preamp and my amp. I believe when that is added there will be a huge improvement.

there was no skewing of the frequency balance, other than the bass being more extended to deeper regions and being more dynamic and harmonically complex.

When I first discussed this cable what stuck me the most was how very neutral it is. There is nothing that screams out at you. Everything sounds the way it should. As for the bass I was astonished how there was such an audible improvement in my system which boasts all of 32 wpc Class A

Timber, which for me is the most important attribute, was spot on to my ears.

How does one explain the marked apparent increase in volume until one can hear the demo. There is such a crystal clarity in everything I hear which is like some sort of sheen or haze removed from what I have heard before. I find that songs to which I have heard the lyrics countless times before now make every word discernible even with big changes in the volume. I don't know the first thing about the science of these cables but here is for me what I found worthy of comment.....MB took 8 years of R&D with countless beta versions studied until they brought to market 4 lines of cable which haven't changed since their business launched. Those of us who own them are truly happy that in our systems we consider them "lifers". You just never see any MB cable for sale as owners all seem to share the same experience

 

[thedudeabides]

What, you want me to say how pretty they were??? There was nothing to like or not like about cables.

With all due respect, why do you continue to be a troll on this thread?

You offer no apparent value regarding the cable "sound" absent one brief encounter at a show. That's the threads purpose.

And we all know what how valid "show" reviews / impressions are? In one word, not much in a best case scenario. Fairly useless is the typical response given what you hear is a "system" sound and not the individual elements that make up the system.

Please go away.

 

[es347]

..you may as well be asking for herpes to go away

 

[Mike Lavigne]

..you may as well be asking for herpes to go away

that pretty much says it all.

although maybe that's not being fair to herpes.