XLR interconnect shootout of 14 cables over 6 weeks

[dentlfly]

i have been auditioning xlr IC's for about 6 weeks now. it has been quite a process. fun and ear opening. i read as many reviews as i could and then borrowed cables from the cable company and a few dealers. the list i tried include:

group 1: audio quest water
Nordost heimdall 2 and tyr 2. this group from local dealer
group 2: cardas clear
cardas reflection
synergistic research atmosphere level 3
silent source
group 3: wire world gold and platinum eclipse 7
kimber ks-1116
kimber ks-1036(rca version of xlr ks-1136)
MIT sl-matrix 50
group 4: nordost valhalla 2
ww platinum eclipse 7 again
MIT oracle matrix 50 revision 2

i auditioned in groups and tried to pick a winner before moving to next group. at first i really liked the nordost try 2 but local dealer would not leave with me so i had to remember the sonic signature. group 2 the cardas clear won. very easy listening cable. good bass extension. but ultimately not enough mid and high detail. group 3 initially mit but after burning in seemed to mellow out maybe too much. kimber and ww platinum close but kimber had an edginess and brightness to high's. ww platinum very nice overall but a bit less articulate in mid and highs; some sounds seemed less airy and not so well defined. group 4 i borrowed again the ww platinum out of all cables in groups 1-3 to pick a winner from group 4 since ww platinum lower price point and wanted to compare side by side and not have to remember. i listened to around 12 different cd's that i know pretty well including bob james and earl klugh, earl klugh alone(late night guitar is awesome), diana krall, loggins and messina, pink floyd, duet, cat stevens, grateful dead, nancy wilson, grover washington, norah jones, and several others. the ww was the first to get eliminated; it didn't seem to have the airy detail around instruments but was still a very nice sounding cable. so 2 remain. i went back and forth over the course of 2 days(the local dealer allowed me to borrow the valhalla 2 by leaving him deposit of 1/2 the cable; crazy but i wanted to make sure i heard this well reviewed cable). valhalla 2 had almost too much detail in high's on a lot of recordings and not much low end. sounded thin. the amount of detail almost got tiring and fatiguing. the MIT oracle 50.2 was in a different league. it had just the right amount of detail without being edgy or bright. it had a warmth similar to the cardas clear(maybe due to both being all copper). the bass was very articulate and in control. the mids and vocals just sounded amazing. but the 3 dimensional holographic image was immediately heard the instant the music started. it was like no other cable i auditioned. the soundstage was impressively wide but many others were as well including nordost, ww platinum. but everytime i put mit back in i just sat back in chair with a big grin on my face. i really wanted to like the nordost better(such great reviews especially in TAS annual review issue) but in my system and my ears the MIT oracle matrix 50.2 was the clear winner. i ended up purchasing that cable yesterday and i expect it will remain in my system indefinitely; it sounds that good!! thanks for listening and hope this might help others in their search.

ed

 

[ack]

Great read, I am sure it will help quite a few people. Enjoy!

 

[steve williams]

It was very enlightening for me Ed. Thanks

 

[dentlfly]

sorry forgot to list my setup

 

[mikey8811]

How did the Cardas Clear Reflection differ from the Clear?

 

[still-one]

Ed
Where were these IC's used in your system? Between amps and pre, or between components and pre?

 

[dentlfly]

the IC used between my plinius hiato(an integrated amp at 300 per side; very tube like sound but detailed) and my oppo 105D. mikey the clear reflection was not in the same league as the cardas clear. the clear had much greater bass, wider soundstage and a more wholesome presence. a very laid back cable. very easy listening. the clear reflection just wasn't enough in any area. hope that helps.

ed

 

[robb]

I suggest next time you include Transparent Cables in your reviews. The Reference level is cheaper than the Valhallas and way more balanced throughout the audio spectrum.

 

[cyclopse]

i have been auditioning xlr IC's for about 6 weeks now. it has been quite a process. fun and ear opening. i read as many reviews as i could and then borrowed cables from the cable company and a few dealers. the list i tried include:

group 1: audio quest water
Nordost heimdall 2 and tyr 2. this group from local dealer
group 2: cardas clear
cardas reflection
synergistic research atmosphere level 3
silent source
group 3: wire world gold and platinum eclipse 7
kimber ks-1116
kimber ks-1036(rca version of xlr ks-1136)
MIT sl-matrix 50
group 4: nordost valhalla 2
ww platinum eclipse 7 again
MIT oracle matrix 50 revision 2

i auditioned in groups and tried to pick a winner before moving to next group. at first i really liked the nordost try 2 but local dealer would not leave with me so i had to remember the sonic signature. group 2 the cardas clear won. very easy listening cable. good bass extension. but ultimately not enough mid and high detail. group 3 initially mit but after burning in seemed to mellow out maybe too much. kimber and ww platinum close but kimber had an edginess and brightness to high's. ww platinum very nice overall but a bit less articulate in mid and highs; some sounds seemed less airy and not so well defined. group 4 i borrowed again the ww platinum out of all cables in groups 1-3 to pick a winner from group 4 since ww platinum lower price point and wanted to compare side by side and not have to remember. i listened to around 12 different cd's that i know pretty well including bob james and earl klugh, earl klugh alone(late night guitar is awesome), diana krall, loggins and messina, pink floyd, duet, cat stevens, grateful dead, nancy wilson, grover washington, norah jones, and several others. the ww was the first to get eliminated; it didn't seem to have the airy detail around instruments but was still a very nice sounding cable. so 2 remain. i went back and forth over the course of 2 days(the local dealer allowed me to borrow the valhalla 2 by leaving him deposit of 1/2 the cable; crazy but i wanted to make sure i heard this well reviewed cable). valhalla 2 had almost too much detail in high's on a lot of recordings and not much low end. sounded thin. the amount of detail almost got tiring and fatiguing. the MIT oracle 50.2 was in a different league. it had just the right amount of detail without being edgy or bright. it had a warmth similar to the cardas clear(maybe due to both being all copper). the bass was very articulate and in control. the mids and vocals just sounded amazing. but the 3 dimensional holographic image was immediately heard the instant the music started. it was like no other cable i auditioned. the soundstage was impressively wide but many others were as well including nordost, ww platinum. but everytime i put mit back in i just sat back in chair with a big grin on my face. i really wanted to like the nordost better(such great reviews especially in TAS annual review issue) but in my system and my ears the MIT oracle matrix 50.2 was the clear winner. i ended up purchasing that cable yesterday and i expect it will remain in my system indefinitely; it sounds that good!! thanks for listening and hope this might help others in their search.

ed

This mirrors my own findings with Nordost Valhalla. You loose some bass weight and the treble is emphasised. I like what it does as a digital interconnect but not for interconnects.

 

[LL21]

This mirrors my own findings with Nordost Valhalla. You loose some bass weight and the treble is emphasised. I like what it does as a digital interconnect but not for interconnects.

That is very interesting, as i have never had that much experience with Nordost...but i felt the same as above on their cables after a few brief listenings....but i actually own their Valhalla digicable, having preferred it to Cardas Neutral and the original TA Ref digicable in my own system. Now, i use it with the Oppo since Zanden has its own i2s cable which links Transport and DAC.

 

[witchdoctor]

Hey dentfly, I just wanted to say thanks for taking one for the team and posting. I'll have to check out those MIT's, thanks

 

[Velocitymj]

Excellent review, but you didn't you didn't write anything about the synergistic research atmosphere level 3
I'm curious to know what your impression of those are/were.
I'm considering their element line of interconnects at the moment.
Thank you.

 

[dentlfly]

the synergistic research were a contender but you have to plug a separate wire into cable and into power outlet; too much cabling going on; and they were not in the same league as the mit matrix oracle. i did not test any transparent cables as i could not get any on loan. the mit sound is awesome; at least in my system. and you can find them occasionally on the gon. good luck

 

[witchdoctor]

Thanks for posting your shootout dentifly, excellent

 

[Lee]

This is a very interesting comparison but I am a bit baffled as I have had no luck at all with MIT cable in the past. In fact, in my systems it has been among the worst performing. Maybe I need to try it again.

 

[witchdoctor]

This is a very interesting comparison but I am a bit baffled as I have had no luck at all with MIT cable in the past. In fact, in my systems it has been among the worst performing. Maybe I need to try it again.

I think cables cables can be synergistic with your components too.

 

[Lee]

I think cables cables can be synergistic with your components too.

Yes, that has also been true in my experience.

 

[Leif S]

This is a very interesting comparison but I am a bit baffled as I have had no luck at all with MIT cable in the past. In fact, in my systems it has been among the worst performing. Maybe I need to try it again.

Hi Lee,

Hopefully I can post this without getting my head chewed off lol. Both Transparent and MIT are filter cables. They are not neutral at all. So it really depends on the sonic signatures of the electronics and the speakers as well as the other cables you are using. If your electronics or speakers are bright, these type of cables may work very well. Just depends what you are trying to achieve. I can't run those on our speakers at all. Sucks all the life out of them. But on some systems they may be the bomb.

 

[LL21]

Hi Lee,

Hopefully I can post this without getting my head chewed off lol. Both Transparent and MIT are filter cables. They are not neutral at all. So it really depends on the sonic signatures of the electronics and the speakers as well as the other cables you are using. If your electronics or speakers are bright, these type of cables may work very well. Just depends what you are trying to achieve. I can't run those on our speakers at all. Sucks all the life out of them. But on some systems they may be the bomb.

interesting...I was under the impression TA calibrates each 'filter/network box' to the equipment being used on either end of the cable. Did they do this for you as part of your testing their cables? Most curious as there are a lot of manufacturers who use their cables (Wilson, CJ, Rockport for starters)...not only in their systems but actually in their speakers (without networks for the in-speaker part)...but still, it seems Wilson and Rockport having used TA inside and using (often in Wilson's case and almost exclusively in Rockports case) must mean something positive? Curious as to whether TA have calibrated a loom of cables for you to compare with Masterbuilt or others?

not here to be in any way controversial or confrontational...just interested in learning about other's experiences.

 

[microstrip]

Hi Lee,

Hopefully I can post this without getting my head chewed off lol. Both Transparent and MIT are filter cables. They are not neutral at all. So it really depends on the sonic signatures of the electronics and the speakers as well as the other cables you are using. If your electronics or speakers are bright, these type of cables may work very well. Just depends what you are trying to achieve. I can't run those on our speakers at all. Sucks all the life out of them. But on some systems they may be the bomb.

LeifS,

I must disagree with your view on Transparent and MIT cables. I can easily accept that do they not sound good with your speakers - there are not universal cables or truths in the high-end - but considering that these cables should be mainly used to tame bright systems is unfair. I have used them in neutral systems with great success. The networks are tuned well above 100 kHz and the sound of these cables is not only due to their networks, but to complex balance of all other typical cable parameters. In the same way you do not comment on technical aspects of your cables, Transparent and other cable manufacturers also do not explain it all.

Most people have the wrong idea about these cables because they do not follow Transparent rules - the speaker cables should not be used unless you use the source to preamplifier cable. And as LLoyd said, proper tuning is a must.

Many other cables can suck the life of certain systems and we (at less me and most WBF readers, probably not you) do not know why. But curiously many people feels compelled to debate network cables with authority.