Another set to consider, if you can find them used is Straight Wire Maestro II. New they are @$300 less than the Cardas Neutral Reference. They are well made (except the spades are easily bent), but in my solid-state system were pretty neutral, clear, had very good resolution, and did nothing to call attention to themselves. I think I was able to hear more what the rest of my system was doing than any limitations or colorations of the cable.