I usually post on AG when I have an issue or concern, so I’m happy for once it’s to praise a new product, in this case Audio Envy’s IC.
I use an ARC Classic 60 amp with a Herron 1A preamp. The AE cable went between these two.
I run an ARC Phono pre PH3se from my VPI prime as source. My speakers are Thiel CS2.4’s
Out of the box a bit bright, But after a few hours that just went to strait up transparent - I mean freaking crystal clear. No tonal aberrations. Smooth, with no etched highs. Voices sound right, Natural. Soundstage opened up, as you might expect when things get clearer.
The best part was how inexpensive they were. They made my Cardas Clear Light interconnects I was using sound clouded by contrast. The Cardas was about x3 the cost of the AE’s. BTW, this wasn’t “I think I hear differences”, this was “I’ll never use those Cardas in this system again, and where is my IPad, I need to order my next set!”
Bkeske it seems like you end up liking AE Cables, they are truly amazing Cables, Iam on my way to order 2 more pc, and one more phono Cable for my SME tt.
You know, my fault in a way, but I purchased my first two sets right at the same time as I improved my phono rig a lot. So, unfortunately all that sonic improvement happened at the same time when installing the new Audio Envy IC's. That said, after a couple weeks with all the new 'stuff' installed, everything did become more transparent overall. And can only imaging the AE IC's were the difference.
The new set will be going between my phono stage and preamp, so after today, will have a full AE cable 'chain' on my vinyl analog rig through to my amp.
For my digital rig, I chose to check-out Silnote for a digital cable from my CD player to DAC, and Silnote IC's from my DAC to preamp. Very pleased with those as well, but still have AE from my pre to amp in that chain.
This thread has been quite useful to me. I am doing some system upgrades and may well try some from Audio Envy as I will need new digital and interconnect cables.
Hi guys good to here the good news about AE cables , I went on a search for cables that could perform excellent at a price that wasn't to crazy , my last cables were from tullerium q at about $1600 for speaker cables and $1200 for rca $1000 for power cord s , I found AE then I started a thread hear on this site and I chatted with @ lalitk and I decided to try them , my sytem is full loom AE , I even compared the tullerium q silver diamond coaxial to AE coaxial $1500 to $150. AE is a special cable , the only piece in my system that doesn't have AE is my mcintosh c2200 tube preamp it likes the tullerium q black power cord better it's $1000 power cord but my amp is fine with the AE
I'm currently trying out AE
O’nestian 4:3
XLR between my Pass XP15 phono and my preamp. It is replacing a Morrow MA6 XLR, which I've enjoyed for a couple years and is quite a bit more expensive. Compared to the Morrow, the AE have notably more "air" and more extended decay to the cymbals, and TBH overall seem less "warm" and overall neutral compared to the Morrow. Will see how my ears react over the next couple weeks, sounds very good so far. Already have AN
O’nestian GL between my preamp and amp, those are there to stay.
Folks, you can count me as a fan of AE. I started with the 2p power cord which made an immediate improvement. I recently got their speaker cables, and the first words that came out of my mouth were also "Dang!"
I was a bit skeptical at first in the sense that I was expecting some changes but was not prepared for what I heard. The soundstage width and depth improved almost immediately. There is more flesh to the bones so to speak, instruments have more heft and better definition, and the sound is overall more, for a lack of better word, 'refined'.
My previous cables were the Clear Day Double Shotgun. While good for the price I paid, I always felt the were a bit too hot at the top, and made some organs like piano sound a bit tinny. I don't know if my cables were somehow broken, but boy the difference is very, very noticeable. I used to read cable reviews and always wondered if the authors were waxing a bit too much, but I'm definitely a believer now. I'm sure the more expensive cables from the likes of Nordost or Audioquest are better, but I don't know if anyone can compete at the price I paid for the AE cables.
After 45 hrs burn in of my AE pc it continues to open up more , tone is more balance sweeter and smooth, 100hrs is when they are maximize in their performance, this is according to Waltersalas (agon member) very knowledgeable audiophile, Iwas tempted to use cable cooker, decided not .
I appreciate the update. I know your predicament. I waited two full months for a Paul Hynes SR4T linear power supply to power my EtherREGEN - it arrived a week ago. It was worth the wait!
@pokey77 yeah man the waiting is a killer nowadays. had a bit of upside today; received a farad super 3 lps (my fourth one..) and their level 2 silver dc cable. My goodness the silver dc cable is such an audible improvement over the Gotham cable I got from Ghent Audio! I have two silver signature dc cables from audiosensibility otw as well and can't wait to see what those will bring to the table.
Will be interested to hear about your audiosensibility dc cables. I purchased the silver dc cable from Paul Hynes but have no experience with any other dc cables. You can IM me so we don't go off topic on this Audio Envy thread.
We all know your world revolves around Purist and Magico’s. Keeping an open mind in this hobby of ours can be quite rewarding. Try it sometimes, you may learn a thing or two 😊
Not a cable searcher here. But damage to my long Pre-Power IC necessitated a change. Stumbled across the AE threads on here which piqued my interest, in part due to claims of low capacitance being an advantage in long runs, mine being 25'. I'm floored. Was looking for a little better leading edge without losing listenability. Wasn't prepared for the increased truth of timbre, honesty of voices and the authenticity of horns that these cables brought forth. Honestly, I was just hoping I wouldn't lose bass, warmth and musicality. Sometimes increased resolution comes at the expense of the emotional connection. In this case however the emotional connection jumped out of the system. We hear music lovers sometimes use the wife as a barometer regarding sound quality, in part due to a lack of expectation bias on their part, possibly even a negative or neutral expectation bias due to concerns about fostering further expenditures. My wife has no analytical side as pertains to music, it's all about the connection. So yesterday she's asking me what was the last song she listened to the night previous, then tells her brother in law it's now her favorite song. Thing is, she's been hearing it for 30 years.
Got a pair of the speaker cables today. Very good detail and separation of instruments. There’s a nice clarity and openness that is noticed immediately. What’s nice about these is, as with the Silversmith Fidelium, you notice the change immediately when switching these in. I just ordered the power cord, because I imagine there’s an audible change to be had there, too. For the price, why not?
I received my Audio Envy package today. Set of speaker cables, xlr cables and an ocean 3p cord.
Disclaimer is I have not plugged them into the system yet.
First thing noticed is they're really light and flexible. The ocean 3p cord almost feels like a toy when compared to my other cords. One may wonder is there any shielding going on and is there a decent amount of conducting material inside. But of course these are all just physical perspectives and visual perception.
I will chime back in once more after I have placed them in the system and listened for a bit. If you're used to or prefer looking at audio jewellery or big chunky cords with fancy plugs and connectors, these may not be for you.
I just wanted to add how pleased I am with the O’nestian 4:3 XLR in lieu of the Morrow MA6 between my Pass Xp15 and pre amp. This is not a knock on the Morrow. It sounds smooth, full, inoffensive, but just lacks that treble extension and air that the AE has, and the Morrow is something like 3x the price. I'm a sucker for accurate ride cymbal decay (being a drummer) and the AE O’nestians just decay naturally. Keepers for sure. Anyone interested in a pair of Morrow MA6s? LOL.
When I tried the O' nestian 4:3 against my older version MA 4 xlr's between pre and amp, I loved the upper mid to top end extension as well, almost felt the cables were already burned in, but in the end the sacrifice of lower mid fullness and bass extension was to much to leave on the table, I gave them plenty of time to fill out but never happened for me. In the right setup as with all things they are fantastic cables with a no brainer price tag to boot!
I've had (nearly) all Audio Envy power cables, interconnects (including a couple of XLR cables), and speaker cables in my 2-channel system for about a year now. Just super pleased, and did not hesitate to generate a new order when the need recently came up.
I have recently added AE Phono Deluxe cable to my analog rig. The DIN connector (straight) is of decent quality and it fits snugly in my SME arm output socket. The shielding is spot on. The cable is very transparent and the sound is extended evenly across the spectrum. Nothing over the top, just right! No matter what I am listening to, the sense of ‘realism’ through this cable is simply unmistakable. All in all, a remarkable phono cable for the money!
I am looking to go all AE (RCA+Speakers) but I have to admit the comment about being less warm than Morrow is a concern. I am running SP4 speaker cables and a Ma3 between preamp and power amp and I would like a little more warmth. AE had been the plan but now I'm hesitant.
Not knowing your system, It would be hard to say if AE will give you the warmth you’re seeking....what you get with AE cables is better transients, timbre and openness in the music. The cables are very fast and transparent and they convey exactly what your components are capable of, no coloration whatsoever.
My system has plenty of warmth because of my choice of electronics. I couldn’t be any happier with my decision to go with AE cables.
If you’re still interested, I can only suggest you to contact AE for one on one consultation.
Received my first order - one P2 Ocean PC and one Mega M3 (grounded) PC. They arrived yesterday in pristine condition and appear to have outstanding build quality. I plugged them both into the wall in my office to start the burnin process. I had a chance today to put the M3 on my power amp straight to the wall, it had been plugged into the wall in my office for 22 hours. The M3 sounded good right out of the packaged but I'll reserve judgement until I get a week or two of burnin on it.
@lalitk I do definitely want clarity. Perhaps I’m incorrect but I associate clarity with “presence”. One thing I’d like my little congregation of equipment to do is to have that “in the room presence”. Like you’re in their room while they record.
Clarity is clean and clear. Being able to easily hear and delineate different threads or lines of music. Each individual voice in a chorus for example.
Presence is one aspect of clarity, primarily in the upper registers, and especially in the fine details of "ess" sounds, where it starts to verge into sibilance. But sibilance is all "sssss" and usually too much of it. Presence is sometimes used to mean closer to sibilance, but also more favorably in the sense of providing the fine details that tell you something is really there and not just a recording of something that was there. When this is really what you’re talking about we say palpable presence, to emphasize the feeling of really being there.
So palpable presence is more like what you mean. But then you said "in their room while they record" which that calls for a lot more than presence. Now you’re talking the Full Monty, not just palpable presence but now your room is gone and replaced with theirs. That calls for superb imaging and a seamlessly wide, deep, and enveloping sound stage. Something very hard to achieve with anything less than exceptionally deep smooth and articulate bass.
Which is odd, to find that presence is mostly upper register, but the highest form palpable presence also calls for the deepest bass. And yes it is odd. Oh well. Don’t make the rules. Merely report them.
Not sure if you’re asking about differences in sound but in any case you should use Ocean 3p (grounded) for integrated. The 2p is ungrounded and in grand scheme of things should be only used on a source component in conjunction with 3p.
Hi lalitk, thanks for the quick reply. I was actually wondering if there were sound differences between the two. What would happen if I was to use the 2p with my integrated?
btw, have you compared the sp6 speaker cables vs the sp9s?
I do not think the two cords are sonically different, they both possess exceptional tonality and transparency.
Explaining ‘what would happen’ is like taking a shot in the dark since I am not familiar with your audio system. Using a ungrounded power cord on a integrated is like using a cheater plug. Typically you do that to reduce hum from ground loops of connected equipment. Using a ungrounded PC on a integrated which draws the most current may become susceptible to RFI interference not to mention potential safety hazard (electric shock or fire).
I would consult with Captain at Audio Envy before you use 2p on a integrated. Sorry, I have not compared the sp6 vs sp9. His cables are so affordable, I would just get the latest SP9.
Ok appreciate it. Yeah, might as well buy both, they’re quite the deal. Went with the SP-9s earlier and they stack up well against stuff that’s much more from some big brands.
The great deal of overwhelmed positivity over these cables is a red flag to me. Use of extreme hyperbole over cables is concerning.
The fact is I discovered Audio Envy a few years ago in the market floor of an audio show, I forget which...possibly AXPONA? The low price of these modest, lightweight cables lured me over. I chatted with the owner for a bit. Thought what the hell, sounds like it would be a great phono interconnect and bought a set. When I put them in the system I don’t recall them wowing me, blowing my socks off, being a revelation, game-changer, "transparent" (as if there is any other kind) or anything of the like. I didn’t think they were bad. Since they seemed like a cheap, safe bet I got another set and a power cable too.
This thread has inspired me to critically test these cables. If this is social media marketing campaign they’re going to be sorry for drawing my attention. But if the hype is true than I’ll be added to the choir.
I've ordered 5 IC, 2 SC and 3PC after auditioning one AE Studio Prestige IC, Just the one IC connected to my 110db compression driver into waveguides elicited an easily heard improvement, especially transparency initially..
@madavid0,I do not even own a single Audio Envy product. But when I helped a friend setup a new system, we put these in his system. If any new person starts his "hifi journey", Audio Envy and Clear Days would be my starting point for them. These are really good cables.
The great deal of overwhelmed positivity over these cables is a red flag to me.
Going over this comment and reading about your latest posts makes me think that you are either an introvert or a person who has a lot of negative thoughts.
Below are your top threads:
Purifi Class D: Junk? Honest Amp Reviews: Impossible? Tonearms: Ripoff? Job amps: Suck? High End is Dead?
Whatever disappointments you might have had in the past, I hope life brings joy and positivity to you in the near future.
Negative topic headers is my brand, don’t worry about it.
My Yggdrasil has two sets of SE outputs which makes testing interconnects easy. In one group are "World’s Best Cables" interconnects. These are simply Mogami pro cables with nothing-special connectors. Running a quick test, switching back and forth between the two cables using a remote for my preamp, showed there WAS apparently a difference. The AE cables seemed to shift the soundstage making it a little wider. Sometimes, but not always, piano seemed more forward / louder.
That was just a quickie I’m doing a more thorough comparison
Well there's always someone who feels like investigating my posting history. Because of that I feel like I can't break the trend so it's basically become my brand.
Anyway to try and expose the apparent sound staging I listened to Factory Girl from Beggars Banquet by Rolling Stones. I picked this track because it has a strong spatial effect due to manipulating stereo. Listening to this I realized that the "shift" in soundstage I experienced is due to one of the cable sets being cross-wired. Honestly it doesn't look there's much a difference between the AE and Mogami cables in place. I'll need to test further, perhaps not with rapid A/B testing which might be messing up my audio perception.
I also have a set of Audio Sensibility cables connecting pre to amp. I'll figure out how to test those as well.
Source: custom audio server, linear power supply, Paul Pang v3 USB card + external battery supply. SSD power isolated with splitter cable to another battery. Windows 10, Fidelizer Pro, Roon. All fanless. CD player when the batteries are charging.
DAC: Schiit Yggdrasil Analog 2 + Unison USB (Supra USB cable and optical for CD player).
Pre: Yaqin B-2T + Herbie tube dampeners, all NOS. Both DAC and pre plugged into a Chinese balanced isolation transformer. Audio Sensibility power cables to devices, transformer is plugged into a Furutech outlet with a AE power cable.
Amp: VTV Purifi, currently burning in but I think it's about done. Old Odyssey Stratos standing by, Odyssey Kismet coming in. LessLoss level 1 power-filtering cable (not the C-Marc) with a LessLoss Firewall x64, plugged directly into a Furutech outlet.
We are blessed to have many outspoken clients and now
friends. I extend my gratitude to be a part
of their audio system and life.
Addressing directly to madavid0. Most thread comments are relevant to our current cable offerings. Which have evolved
from your/madavid0 claims of past purchased some years ago. I have read through your/madavid0 other posts and can appreciate your straight forward, no nonsense demeanor. However,
I appreciate the truth too. Perhaps take some time and reflect on what your
intentions are. Would your single experience be more
important than hundreds of satisfied listeners?
This is not a marketing
ploy. I would not spend the time, nor
the deep CIA level planning to implement such. I believe you’ll find these audiophiles have a solid history here and love talking about cool gear.
Perhaps our latest cable offerings can bring you up to par
with customers excitement. If not, perhaps what your ears sense or like, is not in accordance with AE fans or
myself, and that’s ok, because somebody out there makes a cable for
you to get excited about…. even if you have to go to japan...little joke;)
EVERYBODY THANKS AGAIN
FOR ALL THE SUPPORT😊. It truly is a blessing these days for a smaller
company to get any traction at all. Let’s
move forward that it’s not David’s wishes to disparage such for
entertainment.
@madavid0 -- I'm trying to understand the motivation behind your original post with respect to the 'red flag' comment. Are you implying that those who are smitten by AE cables are in fact shrills working on behalf of the captain who is orchestrating some sort of a clandestine operation? Or is it because you think that AE fans are novices who are particularly prone to irrational exuberance due to lack of experience?
It's always a good idea to backup your claims with some evidence before making these kinds of baseless accusations.
@arafiq Yes, I am implying that. Of course I could easily be wrong and it’s simply that it’s unrelated people participating in a feel-good groupthink exercise. No cables will have the amazing revelatory effects being described here, and also the almost unadulterated positivity, no one at all except for one person seems to be able to be mildly critical. Don’t worry I haven’t officially labeled the AE cables as "nothing special" yet, more testing is required.
Anyway, AE has nothing to worry about. People, especially in the lower budget spectrum, will already make up their minds about the cables being excellent because they prefer to believe they’ve found the "smart" buy, and all they need to see is most people on here praising it. The one or two mediocre reviews will just get dismissed.
I did the same thing with Anticables some years ago. I trialed a set of their top of the line 6.2 interconnects. Far more expensive than these AEs. I compared them against a set of old no-name cables using pro stock (I forget which) with big heavy connectors lying around the basement. At first the 6.2 was much worse, but after a good amount of burn-in they improved to...no difference at all. No matter how hard I listened I couldn’t tell any difference that wasn’t so minor that it couldn’t be chalked up to memory effects. So, I returned them. No harm no foul. Of course nobody wanted to hear my findings for the reasons stated above and I’m sure that thread hasn’t impacted the purchasing decision of a single person.
And I guess I’ll say that the versions of the cables I have are labeled "patent pending" and look different compared to what’s on the site. The interconnects look more like the phono cables without the grounding wires. I also note that prices have been greatly increased. Has the owner increased price to match the better performance? Or is it just bringing things more into line with expected audiophile margins?
“people who try a product and post an opinion that differs from audio forum users who report positive opinions are often criticized and/or accused of having inferior systems or listening skills. It creates an environment where dissenting opinion is discouraged, and it happens with more than a few products across categories.”
@tvad,
I completely agree and for the reason stated above I don’t post here anymore as much I used to. I have owned cable looms well into $40K range and much to my surprise, AE cables have bettered those supposedly high on performance top dollars cables in my system. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8046
I don’t think anyone has a problem with dissenting views here. @madavid0 has every right to test AE cables in his own system and share his views whether favorable or not. We’ve all been around the block a few times, and it should not come as a surprise that for some AE cables will simply be a bad match. It’s not going to change my adoration for the cables for my taste and in my system. There's a reason 'YMMV' is probably the most often used term here.
The problem is when people start engaging in conspiracy theories, or disparaging someone’s enthusiasm for a given product because they don’t have "discerning ears" or "revealing" systems. At this point, we are not simply discussing likes or dislikes but making some serious accusations and attacking the integrity of not only AE fans but the company itself. And if you are making such claims, it’s reasonable to ask for some basis.
David commenting that you know the intentions behind everybody's actions displays delusions of grandeur.
We are not novices. We love the sound of music better with these cables! If you can’t tell the difference between an Anti-Cable a Mogami or these. Then auditioning cables is not your forte…. Because all of those cables respond differently!
It seems you came here to take a dump, we are tired of smelling it, so please finish up and move along!
It's certainly true that on this forum from time to time a certain make or model rather rapidly develops a full head of steam and "takes off" in a more or less spectacular way. I won't mention the most obvious example, as that name doesn't need repeating, but the Kinki integrated also comes to mind. To what degree the love-fest is justified varies considerably, from not at all (most obvious), to perhaps (Kinki), to definitely (Audio Envy).
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