Interconnect recommendations

danrv

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Hi

Have recently upgaded my speakers and speaker cable and would like to upgrade my QED Qunex 1 interconnect also. Looking at around £50-£60 mark. I'm pleased with the current sound but feel something like Atlas Equator Mk2 or Chord Chrimson Plus/Cobra would prehaps improve detail and stereo image.

Any help appreciated.

CA Azur 640C / Rotel RA-01 / Dali Lektor 2 / Atacama Nexus 6 spkr stands / QED Anniversary XT spkr cable / QED Qunex 1
 

SonofSun

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danrv:
Hi

Have recently upgaded my speakers and speaker cable and would like to upgrade my QED Qunex 1 interconnect also. Looking at around £50-£60 mark. I'm pleased with the current sound but feel something like Atlas Equator Mk2 or Chord Chrimson Plus/Cobra would prehaps improve detail and stereo image.

Any help appreciated.

CA Azur 640C / Rotel RA-01 / Dali Lektor 2 / Atacama Nexus 6 spkr stands / QED Anniversary XT spkr cable / QED Qunex 1

If you feel there will be an improvement, there most probably will.

Personally, I'd just keep what you have and spend the money on music, others will beg to differ.

Only my opinion.
 

datay

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Order the cable online (hificables do free delivery on everything), listen with it connected, send it back after 7 days if there is no difference or it's not worth bothering, keep it if you like it. You can then settle the matter for yourself. Unless you still need someone else to reassure you.
 

Gusboll

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Silver High Breed Quintessence are in your price range - contact Will there; he's very helpful and makes stonking cables imo.

Currently listening to: Sufja Stevens - The Age of Adz
 
T

the record spot

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The Quinex is fine for your needs, I use the Qunex 2, which I'd bought a few years ago and - as with most other copper interconnects I used (make that, with ALL of the others) up to the £70, there was no difference that you could audibly hear. The only cable that did, was Nordost's Blue Heaven, a silver based cable, which is generally brighter and which I found harsher to listen to. Too trebly. Other than that, there is nothing that a £70 cable could do that my £7.95 one didn't. You pays your money...
 

Inter_Voice

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Presently using Chord Odyssey 4 bi-wired spk cables and Chord Cobra II plus IC. Just ordered Van Damme IC and spk cables and will report if they are comparable with my Chord cables at fraction of their price. Stay tunned.
 

aliEnRIK

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Inter_Voice:Presently using Chord Odyssy bi-wired spk cables and Chord Cobra plus IC. Just ordered Van Damme IC and spk cables and will report if they are comparable with my Chord cables at fraction of their price.

Which VD cables?
 
A

Anonymous

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the record spot:The Quinex is fine for your needs, I use the Qunex 2, which I'd bought a few years ago and - as with most other copper interconnects I used (make that, with ALL of the others) up to the £70, there was no difference that you could audibly hear. The only cable that did, was Nordost's Blue Heaven, a silver based cable, which is generally brighter and which I found harsher to listen to. Too trebly. Other than that, there is nothing that a £70 cable could do that my £7.95 one didn't. You pays your money...

This.

You will have a noticeable and real improvement with detail and imaging by altering your speaker positioning than a using a different interconnect.
 

Inter_Voice

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danrv

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Thanks for the replies. I think I'll go for the hificables suggestion. I do rely on WHF reviews for all my kit and I hope I'll be hearing £50 worth of improvement. If not I can always send back and buy some music instead as suggested.
 
A

Anonymous

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Agree with the hificables suggestion seems like a no-brainer. Ebay is also a good route to go down providing you set a limit and spend wisely you can get some cracking deals, i have myslef in the past.
 
A

Anonymous

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I bought an Atlas Equator mkII from hificables which arrived the next day, which was impressive I thought! I used the cable to replace the QED Qunex 3 on my phono amp and I heard a definite improvement in realism and detail extraction. The Qunex had been a touch bright and thin but the Atlas just seemed to let more of the signal through without colouration.
 

idc

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Inter_Voice:aliEnRIK:
Inter_Voice:Presently using Chord Odyssy bi-wired spk cables and Chord Cobra plus IC. Just ordered Van Damme IC and spk cables and will report if they are comparable with my Chord cables at fraction of their price.

Which VD cables?

Both using UP LCOFC, see these link:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380274031564&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1561wt_970

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150500113506&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2200wt_1137

I made my own cables using the same parts as those ebay ones from Connect Audio. I actually bought the cable from them. That I was able to make cables which sounded as good as any other I have tried was the final reason why i stopped thinking cables could make any difference what-so-ever.....

4567230235_1cafc74f75.jpg
 

danrv

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I make the cables for my band's PA system and wouldn't hesitate in making a hi fi cable if I could source the components. Can I buy cut cable the same spec as Atlas,QED etc... use?
 

Inter_Voice

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Yesterday my Van Damme IC arrived but I am still awaiting for the speaker cables.

I did an AB test between the VD and my Chord Cobra Plus. My initial verdict is that the two cables perform neck to neck but Cobra wins by a small margin in overall performance (but not much). Cobra produces a bit more sound stage and a bit more transparent. VD however tunes down the high frequencies a little bit when compare to Cobra. I also found that the cable resistance of VD is higher than Cobra as I need to turn the volume up a small amount to maintain the same sound output level. Having said that if you are not performing an AB test you will not hear a great deal of difference between the two ICs. In conclusion considering the cost of VD cable which is only a fraction of Cobra I would certainly recommend it. As the VD is new and I am sure its performance will improve a bit more after burning in.

When I have my VD speaker cables I will make an AB test using my Chord Odyssey 4.
 

aliEnRIK

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Inter_Voice:
Yesterday my Van Damme IC arrived but I am still awaiting for the speaker cables.

I did an AB test between the VD and my Chord Cobra Plus. My initial verdict is that the two cables perform neck to neck but Cobra wins by a small margin in overall performance (but not much). Cobra produces a bit more sound stage and a bit more transparent. VD however tunes down the high frequencies a little bit when compare to Cobra. I also found that the cable resistance of VD is higher than Cobra as I need to turn the volume up a small amount to maintain the same sound output level. Having said that if you are not performing an AB test you will not hear a great deal of difference between the two ICs. In conclusion considering the cost of VD cable which is only a fraction of Cobra I would certainly recommend it. As the VD is new and I am sure its performance will improve a bit more after burning in.

When I have my VD speaker cables I will make an AB test using my Chord Odyssey 4.

It took mine a week or 2 to sound their best
 

Inter_Voice

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Inter_Voice:
Yesterday my Van Damme IC arrived but I am still awaiting for the speaker cables.

I did an AB test between the VD and my Chord Cobra Plus. My initial verdict is that the two cables perform neck to neck but Cobra wins by a small margin in overall performance (but not much). Cobra produces a bit more sound stage and a bit more transparent. VD however tunes down the high frequencies a little bit when compare to Cobra. I also found that the cable resistance of VD is higher than Cobra as I need to turn the volume up a small amount to maintain the same sound output level. Having said that if you are not performing an AB test you will not hear a great deal of difference between the two ICs. In conclusion considering the cost of VD cable which is only a fraction of Cobra I would certainly recommend it. As the VD is new and I am sure its performance will improve a bit more after burning in.

When I have my VD speaker cables I will make an AB test using my Chord Odyssey 4.

Today I have received my VD speaker cable. I spent some time silver soldered 8 number of Chord banana plugs to the cable ends and have a go for AB testing with my Chord Odyssey 4.

It is really beyond my expectation that the performance of this VD cable is so good !!! When compared with Odyssey it lacks a bit of separation and transparency when playing very complicated music such a Beethoven Symphony no. 9 the last movement but by not much. I believe it lost its battle due to single wiring in contact to Odyssey's bi-wiring arrangement. Overall the performance of VD is comparable in various aspects with that of Odyssey. I can say VD is particularly good at vocal play back and I found it is so natural and I can feel vacuum tube amplifier's tone. If you like vocals this cable can absolutely satisfy the need of your ears. I have decided to change my Odyssey 4 with this VD cable as I mostly listen to audiophile Jazz vocal SACDs and my ears told me that VD performs better.

I am now running in this VD speaker cable (and the VD IC) and after some time I am sure there will be further improvement.
 

danrv

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'It took mine a week or 2 to sound their best'

Curious as to how the sound improves with use. I can understand how speakers 'settle in' but not cables.

Anyway,looking forward to hearing the Equators which should arrive soon!
 

aliEnRIK

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danrv:
'It took mine a week or 2 to sound their best'

Curious as to how the sound improves with use. I can understand how speakers 'settle in' but not cables.

Anyway,looking forward to hearing the Equators which should arrive soon!

I have no real answers. Ive recently read about 'quantum tunneling' in cables - which means electricty changes pathways through the cable over time until its settled. Id assume this has something to do with it. Possibly also a reaction between the metal and whatever sheething it has. Perhaps the components acclimatise to it

Nearly all cables ive had have had a 'run in' time.I cant say for certain what it is, but im 100% convinced that they do audibly change what comes out the speaker

The weirdest experience I ever had was when I bought some second hand Van Den Hul teatrac (fully used). There was a horrible high pitched sibilance to everything coming out the tweeter. 3 days later it was gone. Never could get my heard around that (wasnt my ears getting used to it as id haeard the same cable on a higher grade of system than mine)
 
A

Anonymous

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aliEnRIK:danrv:
'It took mine a week or 2 to sound their best'

Curious as to how the sound improves with use. I can understand how speakers 'settle in' but not cables.

Anyway,looking forward to hearing the Equators which should arrive soon!

I have no real answers. Ive recently read about 'quantum tunneling' in cables - which means electricty changes pathways through the cable over time until its settled. Id assume this has something to do with it. Possibly also a reaction between the metal and whatever sheething it has. Perhaps the components acclimatise to it

Nearly all cables ive had have had a 'run in' time.I cant say for certain what it is, but im 100% convinced that they do audibly change what comes out the speaker

The weirdest experience I ever had was when I bought some second hand Van Den Hul teatrac (fully used). There was a horrible high pitched sibilance to everything coming out the tweeter. 3 days later it was gone. Never could get my heard around that (wasnt my ears getting used to it as id haeard the same cable on a higher grade of system than mine)

Cables can't and don't improve with use. The burn-in effect is wholly psychological.

Interesting that no-one, including magazines, retailers, manufacturers etc ever tests for this.
 

noddy1977

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Grottyash:aliEnRIK:danrv:

'It took mine a week or 2 to sound their best'

Curious as to how the sound improves with use. I can understand how speakers 'settle in' but not cables.

Anyway,looking forward to hearing the Equators which should arrive soon!

I have no real answers. Ive recently read about 'quantum tunneling' in cables - which means electricty changes pathways through the cable over time until its settled. Id assume this has something to do with it. Possibly also a reaction between the metal and whatever sheething it has. Perhaps the components acclimatise to it

Nearly all cables ive had have had a 'run in' time.I cant say for certain what it is, but im 100% convinced that they do audibly change what comes out the speaker

The weirdest experience I ever had was when I bought some second hand Van Den Hul teatrac (fully used). There was a horrible high pitched sibilance to everything coming out the tweeter. 3 days later it was gone. Never could get my heard around that (wasnt my ears getting used to it as id haeard the same cable on a higher grade of system than mine)

Cables can't and don't improve with use. The burn-in effect is wholly psychological.

Interesting that no-one, including magazines, retailers, manufacturers etc ever tests for this.

Full burn in takes about 500 hours of use, from experience first week cable seems lively and exciting second week not so good hard sounding and at times unbearable then on the 3rd week settles down sound opens up and finally towards the end of the 3rd week the bass extends, I've done this so many times now and has been the same each time, system is left on continuously for 3 weeks ie 500 hours!! I have about 7k worth of cable now in main system but it is the same in any cable I have and even equipment too takes time to burn in!! Even had a few new cars and the story is the same there too with factory sound systems.
 

danrv

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'Quantam tunneling' - that'll sound impressive in conversation!

Good point about testing 'burn in' in cables. Could easily be done with modern equipment.
 

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