Hidiamond vs Hifidelity interconnects

Bigkidz, where in the NYC area are you from? I live not to far from Giants Stadium.

Let me give you some background of my system;

Speakers: B&W 802D

Amps: Veritas Mono Blocks by Merrill Audio

Source: exaSound e20 MK III .082 Clock with a Paul Hynes Power Supply and a dedicated Mac Mini Quad Core-16GB RAM-128GB SSD just for OS-Boot Camped ML and W8/Pure Music, A+ and J River-USB only to DAC-Thunderbolt to external HD for music files

Interconnect and Speaker Cables: High Fidelity Cables CT-1E and a CT-1 Jumper for Bi-Wire

Power Cables: Triode Wire Labs Ten Plus

Vibration Control: Stillpoints Ultra SS under the B&W 802D and Veritas amps, plus a Synergistic Research Tranquility Base with Stillpoints Ultra Mini under everything else resting on the Tranquility Base.

I DO NOT use equipment as tone controls. I strive to find what I call Extended PRAT (PRRAATTTED). Pace, Rhythm, Resolution, Attack, Air, Timing, Tone, Transparency, Extension, and Dynamics.

As I said in a post above, I do not find the HD Cables to be "emotionally involving". Nor did anyone who tried them in any of the Audio Clubs I belong to.

As to your above "What I called "wood" sound others call flesh, emotion, etc."
I have just upgraded my CT-1 to the CT-1E ( it has less then 24 hours of play) and I can already say it is worth the extra money. Right now I am "bopping" to the "Gene Harris Quartet" in DSD and I feel like they are live in my room. That is emotionally connected. And the CT-E is giving it to me in spades right out of the box. I can not wait to hear how much better it will sound as the burn-in proceeds.
Keep in mind I am benefiting from having the CT-1 in my system for so long before the CT-1E.

ditto re the gain, the HFC CT1E in fact has upped the volume by nearly a full db in my system. Compared to the HD8 it has definitely more air and resolution, no contras.

Any hints as to when a balanced cable might be available?

HiFial,
I would say after 30 plus years of playing in this great hobby, my system is also very resolving and bordering on live sounding. With my DCS front end and Pass Labs combined I need a very phase coherent cable that has no tendencies at all and that is where all other cables have failed in my system. I also tried the D7 speakers cables and at $1300 for a 2 meter set I thought they were very good sounding but the D8 speaker cables are a complete different level; not sure why. I also run a full loom of HD cables and have P4 power cables throughout the system rather than mixing and matching cables. I did have some of the second tier cables by HD and thought they were very good for the money but the HD top cables are a complete different level than their second tier cables, as I assume this is true with other top cable manufacturers. I am not sure what HFC speaker cables cost but at $2300 the D8 is the best speaker cable I have heard in my system over the last
30 years with a bass energy that takes my speakers down a full octave. The P4 power cables also are the best I have heard and at $1800 they cost almost 1/3 of the cost of my previous power cables. I did find adding the P4 to complete the loom made a huge difference with the overall sound because other power cables that I tried with the HD speaker cables and interconnects were getting exposed. I not saying what you heard in your system was not what you heard but now that I am using the top HD cables and P4 power cables combined, the real emotion is there and with other cables is was only close.
I totally agree that disconnecting any cable can really hurt the sound of that cable for many hours after reconnection and perhaps even more so on the HFC because of their design but I do not understand how any cables hooked up after you take the HF cables off would benefit; could you please explain?

Hi Paz307. Could you tell me which HFC you had tried in you system and did you try them all at the same time? Also for how long were they in your system without being moved and about how many hours of play time were on them in your system? Your answers would help in answering you.

"I totally agree that disconnecting any cable can really hurt the sound of that cable for many hours after reconnection and perhaps even more so on the HFC because of their design but I do not understand how any cables hooked up after you take the HF cables off would benefit; could you please explain?"

Let me have some time to put my thoughts to words on this. But Rick can do a much better job then I will be able to.

On the HD cables. My disappointment and gripe is that so many on the HD thread here on Audiogon praised the D3 Power Cord using the virtues that you and Bigkidz express for the D4 PC and HD8 SC.
I am glad to hear that the higher end HD cables live up to the praise. But from my experience the mid point to three quarters point in a line should give one most of the bang (85-95%) for the $$$. When I bought the P3 it was at the top to just one below just after that. The D7 is one from the top (though I do like the D7 out of all the other HD I had in my system). The HD interconnect I had D2 XLR was one from the top. So seeing how for the most part all my HD were one from the top in the line I should have had 90%-95% of the top in the line.
By the way the price of $1,800 for a D4 is for a 1 Meter. I think most people would use a 1.5 to 2 MT at $2000-$2200. Not a huge amount but when most of us need several PC it adds up.