Tellurium Q Black and my first tweak in a year....

[Gerrardasnails]

I recently moved my speakers closer together (I was told to do so!) and soon realised that my thick Chord Epic speaker cable was a problem all coiled up. After some googling, I read about Tellurium Q Black (TQB) speaker cable and some reviews suggested that it beats the very good Epic. To fund my planned purchase, I sold my interconnect (Chord Signet) and replaced it with a Merlin Verdi and then plunged for the TQB. I picked up the cable from the post office yesterday and connected up immediately.

Well, I'm very pleased. Everything sounds better. All the attributes of the Epic cable are there but everything is cleaner still. It would have been interesting to hear the TQB with my old interconnect but I will probably get the matching Tellurium at some stage now - not that there is anything wrong with the Merlin. It really is amazing how this flat, plain looking cable can do what it does!

I was very happy with my system before and it's even better now and hasn't cost me anything. It makes me wonder what a DAC upgrade will bring to the party as I don't see how it could get much better - obviously I will have to try! I've been chewing over the Moon DACs (100D and 300D) and the Wyed 4 Sound DAC 1 and recently the Bel Canto DACs have caught my eye too.

 

[krish123]

hi m8, wat sound characteristics does your speaker cable have? im looking for a new speaker cable also, relatively warm sounding one. how much were these cables?

 

[CnoEvil]

I'm glad you are happy with the TQ.....imo this cable deserves to be better known.

Of the Dacs you mention, the only one I've heard is the Bel Canto, which should be on any shortlist in its price range.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

hi m8, wat sound characteristics does your speaker cable have? im looking for a new speaker cable also, relatively warm sounding one. how much were these cables?

It's not warm just very transparent and honest to the recording. I would say as neutral as I've heard.

It's just under £50 per metre.

 

[alan harknett]

:dance: base is extended mid range is presented slightly forward treble is open without it being harsh in anyway i for one have not heard a better cable at any price.

 

[krish123]

ah ok, can any1 suggest a cable that is pretty warm and smooth sounding?

 

[the record spot]

400-strand OFC copper will do you fine, I bought mine from Maplins at a cost of about £18 for 6 metres all in and will perform as well as anything more expensive. Online prices are cheaper.

 

[iceman16]

:cheers:

 

[CnoEvil]

ah ok, can any1 suggest a cable that is pretty warm and smooth sounding?

Either get some generic stuff as per RS's suggestion, or look to Van Damme or Van Den Hull.

 

[Anonymous]

I recently moved my speakers closer together (I was told to do so!)

I'd be interested to know how far they are apart now?

Thanks

 

[Gerrardasnails]

I recently moved my speakers closer together (I was told to do so!)

I'd be interested to know how far they are apart now?

Thanks

Sorry to disappoint but this instruction was from my other half so nothing to do with performance, just furniture!

They are now about 1.5m apart.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, how do they sound closer together?

Smart lady by the way, you make noises about buying new very expensive speaker cable and in a quite unrelated discussion........... How do they do that?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Thanks, how do they sound closer together?

Smart lady by the way, you make noises about buying new very expensive speaker cable and in a quite unrelated discussion........... How do they do that?

Too true!

I moved them a few weeks ago and I didn't notice any change in sound. They were about 2.75m apart before.

 

[alan harknett]

van den hul cs122 laid back warm sounding cable but some would too safe i swap between this and the tellurium from time to time. Two totally different presentations both are a joy to listen to IMO.

 

[visionary]

Thanks, how do they sound closer together?

Smart lady by the way, you make noises about buying new very expensive speaker cable and in a quite unrelated discussion........... How do they do that?

Too true! I moved them a few weeks ago and I didn't notice any change in sound. They were about 2.75m apart before.

I think I might regret asking but are you really saying you didn't notice any change in sound by nearly halving the distance between your speakers, yet you can tell the difference it made when you change some cables? :?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Thanks, how do they sound closer together?

Smart lady by the way, you make noises about buying new very expensive speaker cable and in a quite unrelated discussion........... How do they do that?

Too true! I moved them a few weeks ago and I didn't notice any change in sound. They were about 2.75m apart before.

I think I might regret asking but are you really saying you didn't notice any change in sound by nearly halving the distance between your speakers, yet you can tell the difference it made when you change some cables? :?

No, don't be silly. I've been lying all along.

 

[BenLaw]

This suggests to me you're not in the sweet spot with either distance. Does sound improve if you move towards the speakers? Is there scope to move them again or is this where aesthetics now require them to be?

 

[shooter]

Maybe the speakers are happy being 1.5 meters apart just as being 2.75 meters apart...

 

[BenLaw]

Not impossible, but (assuming the seating position has remained the same), IMO it's much less likely that it is equally in the sweet spot 1.5m v 2.75m than it is that it's equally out of the sweet spot. Especially when the system is apparently so sensitive to a change of cable.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

To clarify; I was being sarcastic in my last post.

I have had my speakers at the new distance for a couple of months now and the cable change was last week.

I didn't notice a difference (there may have been a slight one but as I had no choice it was not important) when narrowing the distance between my speakers.

I did notice a big difference swapping Chord Signet to £9.99 interconnect.

Changing again to Merlin Verdi improved but I didn't test against the Signet.

Speaker cable change improved things nicely.

Honestly.

 

[BenLaw]

I'm glad your new speaker cable is working out, and realised your earlier response was ironic

I'm still of the school of thought that speaker positioning is one of the biggest tweaks that can be performed (and for free!) so was wondering if it might be possible to make further improvement even on top of the SC upgrade. If the speakers are in their final position because of aesthetics then no point bothering, but if there is some scope for moving then it is worth some experimenting. I find moving towards and away from the speakers, ears at tweeter height, equal distance from both speakers, gives me a good idea of where the sweet spot is. In my current setup, this resulted in me moving the speakers closer to me and further apart from each other (ie closer to an equilateral triangle).

 

[Gerrardasnails]

I'm glad your new speaker cable is working out, and realised your earlier response was ironic

I'm still of the school of thought that speaker positioning is one of the biggest tweaks that can be performed (and for free!) so was wondering if it might be possible to make further improvement even on top of the SC upgrade. If the speakers are in their final position because of aesthetics then no point bothering, but if there is some scope for moving then it is worth some experimenting. I find moving towards and away from the speakers, ears at tweeter height, equal distance from both speakers, gives me a good idea of where the sweet spot is. In my current setup, this resulted in me moving the speakers closer to me and further apart from each other (ie closer to an equilateral triangle).

No, this is their resting place for now. To be honest, I rarely sit at the sweet spot for long periods.

 

[BenLaw]

Ah well, at least the move didn't lose anything and the SC has worked out for you

 

[shooter]

To be honest, I rarely sit at the sweet spot for long periods.

Same as that.

I have my speakers [mani] 12ft apart and slightly toed in. I find that a good copromise in my room which has various seating positions dotted about, dining table/chairs (furthest away) and 2 sofa's.

They have great off-axis dispersion and sound good anywere in the room.

 

[sheehanjuk]

I recently brought TQ Black speaker to upgrade from Chord Epic. What I noticed immediately is sound separation is alot clearer on Black. Thereby you heard different instruments/sounds alot clearer or didnt hear them before. The other aspect which seems improved is the soundstage or sound projection is maybe a better way of explaining, it just sounds like the stage has been opened up to twice the sound stage.. literally.

In conclusion I'm very happy I brought the TQ Black speaker cable, no doubt it's improved my sound, very happy with. I aim to get the TQ Black interconnectors next.

ps my space between speakers is 130cm.