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  3. 150109-24

Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval 8...OMG!!

I seriously can’t believe what these cables are doing to the sound in my rig.  I had them awhile ago and couldn’t justify the price (used) so I pulled back and returned them.  I grabbed them again yesterday since my local stereo shop still had them hanging there. 

Well let me say that I’ve always been a believer in cables making changes to the sound because I can hear it but I’ve never had speaker cables that changed the sound as dramatically as this.  The way it’s untangling the music, the way its making everything sound real, the way it’s full top to bottom without any harshness is pretty crazy.  

This is on a system that isn’t highly resolving yet all of these differences are completely noticeable.  I’m not talking about a little more resolution here, a little more top end sparkle there, fuller bass here...  I’m talking about did I just get a different amp, this can’t be the same dac, these can’t be the same speakers, kind of changes.

I’ve had this sound in my systems before but that was with higher end gear for sure... it makes me wonder how much I was leaving on the table without these cables in my rig at that time.


Have any of you had similar experiences with the Solo Crystal 8’s as well?  I’m thinking that these are end game cables for me.
128x128b_limo
decooney
2,116 posts
 
rodman999993,949 posts
09-01-2019 6:04am
..I believe silver(especially monocrystalline), being the best conducting metal extant, reveals more of what it’s presented, good or bad. iow: It(the conductor/interconnect/cable) gets blamed for what it’s fed(construction/dielectric are important, of course)...

Not sure which IC cable AP/Rob was referring to but said they have one with copper mains and a separate 3rd silver lead that gives yet another blend. Agree about source components. And,garbage in, garbage out too. I for one listen to a lot of old imperfect recordings, flaws and all. Playing the same blissful perfectly recorded tracks over too many times drives my wife nuts after testing ends. Back to music. LOL.

For years I ran some of the forgiving Cardas Golden Cross cables to help mask some of these bad recordings (with solid state gear) at a loss of the true sound stage, inner detail, and musicality now heard on some of the higher res remastered recordings. After 40+ years with SS gear (no more), past five years settled on a tube DAC, tube pre, tube mono blocks for part of it, and recently trying the Analysis Plus Crystal Solos between Pre-to-Amp has allowed the truth to come through as-is (good or bad). A nice balance so far. The 16-bit tube "ladder" DAC with the right interconnect cables has been interesting and super helpful too (tunable with tubes too), no longer listening to components and now listening to "music" again. Now the good cables allow one to hear what was always there, just had to let it come through :)



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rodman99999
6,163 posts
 
@decooney - "Now the good cables allow one to hear what was always there, just had to let it come through :)" Absolutely! Sounds as though we both value good sound staging. It’s surprising, that even in comparing some of those, "good cables", things can be left behind. ie: After some reading on the Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 7 interconnects, I thought I’d try a pair, to upgrade from Silver Audio Hyacinths(a few years back) . I’d enjoyed those(feeding my main amps), for almost a decade, by then. More defined(I could listen further into the mix), but- my sound stage narrowed, by about 5-6’. Before sending the audition pair back to The Cable Company(to allow further comparison), I ordered Synergistic’s Tesla Apex interconnects(their best, below bank-breaking, then). The same beautiful rendition as the Eclipse pair, BUT- my sound stage was back, in all it’s spaciousness. Ambient information seems some of the easiest, to be misplaced/distorted/destroyed, in any stage of our systems. ps: YEP- gotta love those tubes!
rodman99999
6,163 posts
 
Got away from the OP's original topic......SORRY!
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,277 posts
 
Rodman99999, no apology necessary!  You were still on topic in my mind. I enjoy your input on various threads!  Thanks!

I’ve always heard a difference in cables but when you start getting into some really great sounding cables, it’s probably hard to go back (I wouldn’t know yet, because I’m not going back!)

I agree that ambient detail and retrieval are coming through more clearly for me now as well.  What I love is how I noticed music flows together now and is easier to follow.  The bass is there in full effect and is well defined.  I actually purchased these cables instead of a nice sub because what these cables did overall for my system far exceeded what a sub did.  The highs are there... and for me, most importantly, the soundstage and holographic imaging just reels me in.  It’s actually hard to finish a post because the music commands my attention. I love it, and I love these cables!
rodman99999
6,163 posts
 
@b_limo - Thanks and you’re welcome. Aren’t experimentation & discovery, fun & rewarding?  NOPE- absolutely, no going back!   Happy Listening!
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