Ron’s New System

[Ron Resnick]

were all vocals in your system playing with sibilance?

No. I am really using "sibilance" here as a proxy for that residual 4 to 5 kHz edginess.

If I decide over time that I have overshot the mark I can always switch back, especially at under $100 for 47 feet.

 

[Al M.]

What if adding sibilance to the recording is endemic to most recording systems?

Most recordings should have a natural amount of sibilance, unless you are dealing with badly made pop recordings.

Classical music vocals are mostly very well recorded in that respect.

 

[AudioHR]

I think that Angela Cardas believes -- in her own home system -- that the Clear Reflection is a bit smoother than the Clear Beyond. The Pendragon panels don't need any assistance in the resolution or transparency departments.

Despite many members disagreeing I was not comfortable considering sound changes from swapping 1m interconnects between front-end components as being predictive of what changes to the 47' interconnect run would sound like.

So I had to make an Internet-researched guess.

Sibilance is definitely lower. I hear the change as a more balanced presentation, meaning a preferable tonal balance that does not draw my attention to treble frequencies.

Putting it differently, can't I just be happy with the sound now?

What a fascinating thread this has been!

Ron it sounds like you are liking what you have now and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for sharing your journey and being open to a ton of feedback, constructive and otherwise.

 

[morricab]

No.

Unless you switch to SETs and horns, some will always pester you.



Nah, of course you can be happy with your sound!!

I didn’t pester…ok maybe for SETs …but I happen to like planars a lot.

 

[Ron Resnick]

What a fascinating thread this has been!

Ron it sounds like you are liking what you have now and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for sharing your journey and being open to a ton of feedback, constructive and otherwise.

Thank you!

I am glad you are liking the thread!

Come over for a listen!

 

[PeterA]

Definitely.

When you listen to a record, and the record is a recording of somebody singing into a microphone, and the electronic recording process records sibilance which is exaggerated compared to what you would have heard if you had been listening to that person live and unamplified in person, what do you want your audio system to do with that exaggerated sibilance?

see Bonzo‘s answer to this.

 

[Rexp]

I would like to see a new video of Eleanor Rigby since I wasn't a fan of your first one.

 

[PeterA]

I would like to see a new video of Eleanor Rigby since I wasn't a fan of your first one.

Could someone tell me where to find the first one?

 

[Rexp]

Could someone tell me where to find the first one?

 

[MRJAZZ]

That would be a fair allegation of potential bias. But if I can hear the reduction in exaggerated sibilance and change in tonal balance, I think any audiophile would be able to hear it.

I have to be in just the right frame of mind with the right amount of patience to perform a procedure like the cable snaking. I had a window of time yesterday to do it.

I'm not a cable denier; I'm not a cable skeptic. As I've written in detail elsewhere I just think it's very difficult to predict in advance which cable a particular audiophile is going to prefer between any two particular components in his/her own particular system.

When the owner of a cable company says on a public video that she personally prefers, in her own personal system, one of her products which costs I think 1/4 of the cost of her top-of-the-line product I think it's a preference worth listening to. I am still using Cardas Clear Beyond interconnect everywhere else.

Through a lot of Internet research I don't think I have ever seen a comment, ever, anywhere, that a Cardas cable contributed to unnatural brightness on a system. So for these admittedly non-experience-based reasons -- and the fact that I could custom-order it without rhodium -- I thought the Clear Reflection was worth try.

Be careful of "First Impressions" on any new ( unused, with 0 hours of previous burn in) cable. The Cardas may indeed be exactly what the doctor ordered....I use various Cardas products , and with excellent results.
However they will change somewhat with additional play time.... I suspect as they "burn in" they will open up more...with increased air, and a sense of detail.....this added "air" and detail may also bring back some of the sibilance....and than again, perhaps not.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Be careful of "First Impressions" on any new ( unused, with 0 hours of previous burn in) cable. The Cardas may indeed be exactly what the doctor ordered....I use various Cardas products , and with excellent results.
However they will change somewhat with additional play time.... I suspect as they "burn in" they will open up more...with increased air, and a sense of detail.....this added "air" and detail may also bring back some of the sibilance....and than again, perhaps not.

Very good advice, thank you!

In the cold light of day it would be good if the new cables opened up a bit. I am losing "air." I think the new cables in brand new condition may have overshot the "smoothing" mark.

Have you found that your new Cardas cables sound different after a while?

 

[morricab]

Very good advice, thank you!

In the cold light of day it would be good if the new cables opened up a bit. I am losing "air." I think the new cables in brand new condition may have overshot the "smoothing" mark.

Have you found that your new Cardas cables sound different after a while?

Uhoh…maybe the measured roll off was real…

 

[Ron Resnick]

Most recordings should have a natural amount of sibilance, unless you are dealing with badly made pop recordings.

Oh, I still hear sibilance. But it no longer sounds exaggerated or distracting or wince-inducing to me. It sounds more like a natural, unamplified amount of sibilance.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Uhoh…maybe the measured roll off was real…

Time will tell. No matter what I much prefer the new sound. All I am saying is if the cables open up a little bit from here that's fine too. A different perceived tonal balance will affect the perception of the energy level of the treble frequencies and, consequently, the perception of "air."

Apparently Cardas themselves considers their cables to need some breaking in. There is a discussion about this on their website.

To answer your question all of the roll-off was measured and posted before these new cables and tube changes. I have not done a new frequency response chart since I installed the new 47 foot long interconnects.

The treble response now sounds more like Don's system. I actually think the Magnepan ribbon tweeter is very possibly the finest tweeter in existence. Don's system never had the slight treble emphasis -- or a exaggerated sibilance -- I heard in mine until the new Clear Reflection cables.

 

[bonzo75]

Natural sibilant sound system

 

[morricab]

Time will tell. No matter what I much prefer the new sound. All I am saying is if the cables open up a little bit from here that's fine too. A different perceived tonal balance will affect the perception of the energy level of the treble frequencies and, consequently, the perception of "air."

Apparently Cardas themselves considers their cables to need some breaking in. There is a discussion about this on their website.

To answer your question all of the roll-off was measured and posted before these new cables and tube changes. I have not done a new frequency response chart since I installed the new 47 foot long interconnects.

The treble response now sounds more like Don's system. I actually think the Magnepan ribbon tweeter is very possibly the finest tweeter in existence. Don's system never had the slight treble emphasis -- or a exaggerated sibilance -- I heard in mine until the new Clear Reflection cables.

I guess my point was more that the cables or tubes or both were causing distortion that resulted in a brighter presentation, including exaggerated sibilance, that would not show up in a frequency response plot. You are now perhaps closer to hearing what the speakers true response is like. Probably a measurement won’t reveal any significant FR difference from before.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I guess my point was more that the cables or tubes or both were causing distortion that resulted in a brighter presentation, including exaggerated sibilance

You may very well be right. I don't personally think of it in distortion terms, but that may just be semantics.

that would not show up in a frequency response plot.

I agree.

You are now perhaps closer to hearing what the speakers true response is like.

Hopefully, but I was always believing your review that there is a natural resonance at 4 to 5kHz in the RD75.

Probably a measurement won’t reveal any significant FR difference from before.

I agree.

 

[morricab]

You may very well be right. I don't personally think of it in distortion terms, but that may just be semantics.


I


hopefully, but I was always believing your review that there is a natural resonance ar 4 to 5 kHz in the RD75.

I agree.

Well there is a resonance….BG even recommended a circuit to tame it…I assume Gryphon addressed it at least somewhat; however, in mine there was still a bit of zing even with the circuit.

 

[Kcin]

Time will tell. No matter what I much prefer the new sound. All I am saying is if the cables open up a little bit from here that's fine too. A different perceived tonal balance will affect the perception of the energy level of the treble frequencies and, consequently, the perception of "air."

Apparently Cardas themselves considers their cables to need some breaking in. There is a discussion about this on their website.

To answer your question all of the roll-off was measured and posted before these new cables and tube changes. I have not done a new frequency response chart since I installed the new 47 foot long interconnects.

The treble response now sounds more like Don's system. I actually think the Magnepan ribbon tweeter is very possibly the finest tweeter in existence. Don's system never had the slight treble emphasis -- or a exaggerated sibilance -- I heard in mine until the new Clear Reflection cables.

At least in my experience the Clear Beyond RCA cables I have need about 2 1/2 days on the cooker to sound right.

Out of the box they were totally unlistenable ... When I first trialed them -- I was given a brand new in a box pair. I could not imagine using them and I returned them.

Sometime later my dealer said they were broken in and after about a day in my set up they were a revelation.

The Clear Beyond is the only Cardas interconnect that I like-- I have 3 pairs in my system. I keep some Nordost Valhallas as well for check points and tests. I can recommend the Inakustik cables as well as some of the models I have had here are quite good ---neutral.

 

[Ron Resnick]

At least in my experience the Clear Beyond RCA cables I have need about 2 1/2 days on the cooker to sound right.

Out of the box they were totally unlistenable ... When I first trialed them -- I was given a brand new in a box pair. I could not imagine using them and I returned them.

In what sonic ways did you find them unlistenable?

The Clear Beyond is the only Cardas interconnect that I like-- I have 3 pairs in my system. I keep some Nordost Valhallas as well for check points and tests. I can recommend the Inakustik cables as well as some of the models I have had here are quite good ---neutral.

All interconnects in the front-end of the system still are Clear Beyond.

Did you ever happen to try Clear Reflection?