Atlas Equator MkIII interconnect

stevee1966

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I've got a Roksan Caspian M2 matching integrated amp and cd player, which are currently connected by a fairly cheap Gotham GAC-1 analogue interconnect.

Thinking of replacing this with an Atlas Equator MkIII. Will this be a worthwhile upgrade, or am i not likely to hear any significant improvement in the sound it generates ?

Thanks in advance for any input.
 

abacus

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Unless the cables are really cheap and poorly made, there will not be any difference in the sound between a cable costing £5 and one costing £500.

If you do decide to go with the more expensive option then make sure it is on a sale and return basis, so that you can return it when you find it makes no difference to the sound.

My recommendation as always is to ignore Hi Fi cable manufactures dealers and publications and pop down to your local music store to get what the professionals use. (Let’s face it the equipment the professionals use make even high end Hi Fi look like a wind up gramophone, so if their good enough for them)

Hope this helps

Bill
 

dsuciato

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To match the Caspian, at least you would have to go with Atlas Hyper Symetrical in my opinion. I'm using the Atlas Ascent & very happy with it.
 

radiorog

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Quite a few people here are sure that there is no difference in sq between various cables. They are, 100%.....wrong. I had some £30 ixos cables and went for some atlas questor, and anybody with working ears could tell the massively significant improvement in sound quality. So I would recommend atlas products totally. :)
 

stevee1966

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Just read the WHF review of the Gotham cable. Seems i may as well have a couple of empty tins of beans with some string in between.

Some of me wants to believe that a more expensive cable will give a better sound, but the majority thinks i'll hear no difference. I read some of the WHF reviews thinking "really ??? - how can a cable make that difference".
 

stevee1966

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On one hand we have the 'no difference in sound' and on the other i'm getting advice to spend more than i originally wanted to.

To me £70 on a cable is a lot of money if i'll hear no difference, and to spend even more can't be justified - but if it does improve sound quality then i'm more than happy to pay the extra. What to do ???
 

cheeseboy

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radiorog said:
Quite a few people here are sure that there is no difference in sq between various cables.

just to play devils advocate. *Nobody* here has ever said that. Some say that there are no differences, or no perceviable differences in certain cables (digital, power for example). There's a big marked difference between that and what you are claiming and it doesn't help anybody to claim the former as it's not correct.

radiorog said:
They are, 100%.....wrong.

wow, that's quite a statement to make, and regardless of whatever side of the fence, it's one you cannot back up.

radiorog said:
I had some £30 ixos cables and went for some atlas questor, and anybody with working ears could tell the massively significant improvement in sound quality. So I would recommend atlas products totally. :)

Ahh of course, the working ears quote, must be true ;p :)

To the op - if you can't get any cables to test, then maybe have a look on ebay or something for something second hand, that way you can hopfeully try out something more expensive and see if there are any differences for you. At least that way if you aren't particularly impressed you won't have spent as much money :)
 

grdunn123

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I think it's fair to say that the cable debate needs to be separated in to digital v analogue - there is more chance of hearing a difference between analogue cables although the upgrade is not going to be significant, e.g. it's not going to be the same as buying a new source, amp or speakers.

I would seek advice from a dealer and look for secondhand bargains on Ebay.
 

Big Chris

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Not heard the Equators myself, but I do like Atlas cables.

My experience with I/Cs is a bit like Goldilocks. When I got my stuff new a good few years back now, I got some VDH I/Cs free. Although the sound was a big step up over my previous midi system it wasn't long before I realised there was no life to the music. It was muddy and muffled.

I then took a punt on some used Kimber I/Cs off eBay. The difference was marked, a big improvement in the verve and energy of the tracks, but I felt like the sound had gone a little bit too far the other way, some of the heft was lost.

I used the Kimber cable for years before necessity required 2 matching pairs of interconnects. I wasn't gonna pay full price for another pair of Kimbers, but as luck would have it, there was an end of line sale on some Atlas cables.... So I took a punt and haven't looked back.

I've got my weight and punch back but without sacrificing any of the detail. The sound is natural and neutral and I don't think these Atlas cables will be going anywhere.

I'd definitely recommend a listen before splurging though.
 

stevee1966

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Sep 21, 2007
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Big Chris said:
Not heard the Equators myself, but I do like Atlas cables.

My experience with I/Cs is a bit like Goldilocks. When I got my stuff new a good few years back now, I got some VDH I/Cs free. Although the sound was a big step up over my previous midi system it wasn't long before I realised there was no life to the music. It was muddy and muffled.

I then took a punt on some used Kimber I/Cs off eBay. The difference was marked, a big improvement in the verve and energy of the tracks, but I felt like the sound had gone a little bit too far the other way, some of the heft was lost.

I used the Kimber cable for years before necessity required 2 matching pairs of interconnects. I wasn't gonna pay full price for another pair of Kimbers, but as luck would have it, there was an end of line sale on some Atlas cables.... So I took a punt and haven't looked back.

I've got my weight and punch back but without sacrificing any of the detail. The sound is natural and neutral and I don't think these Atlas cables will be going anywhere.

I'd definitely recommend a listen before splurging though.

If i went down the Atlas route (Equator MkIII, Hyper Integra, Hyper Symmetrical), would it be beneficial to match with new speaker cables, so Atlas Hyper 2.0 to replace my QED Silver Anniversary XT?
 

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