mcintosh & big $ interconnects

ive done alot of blind testing the last few days & ive come to a verdict.

cables do make a difference,ive yet to hear a difference in speaker wires but with interconnects there is a difference.

i put the audioquest cables in the mvp831 cdp & the loaner cables ( acoustic zen ) in the mvp841 & the difference was very little but its there.

im off to listen some more,im excited about finally hearing somthing.

i have now come to a decision,there is differences in some cables but with my gear the differences are so small that i cant justify the cost for such a small difference.

im not even sure if there was any improvements but there was differences that were more like very fine adjustments of the tone controls.

i can however see where cables would make a much bigger impact on SET rigs or rigs where the preamp has no tone controls.

im real glad i had the chance to borrow some nice gear from a very thoughtful & generous member(thanks dave)but after the blind testing i think my cash could be better spent trying out different dac's.

mike.

Hi Bigjoe, nice system you've got, finally became a Mac owner myself - 46 years old go figure. I got the 501's and using big $ cables (bought used btw). Using MIT 350 SG EVO and 350 reference and the sound is phenomenal, driven by a CJ premier 14. Using MIT Magnum 2's for speaker. Haven't compared any other cables, have always been extremely satisfied with MIT in my systems. Don't I get a Macintosh keychain or something since I'm in the club : -)

I think the biggest change happens when you go from the usual off-the-shelf consumer cables to almost any name-brand (cardas, acoustic zen,etc.) interconnect. This was the only really noticable change in my system.

Yes, there are subtle differences between cables that one can hear when switching from one to the other in the same shoot-out.

Based on those perceived differences one can make a choice; however I think that quality of CD, time of day(or evening) and the type of music vary so much that I think we are all putting too much into the constant of cables.

Perhaps it can only take a slightly better bottle of wine to achieve audio nirvana.

I've recently begun exploring whether or not interconnect cables make a difference. The problem is that a lot of audophile alterations are subtle and can be very difficult to distinquish. Even moving the speakers an inch apart can have a dramatic effect ... over time ... but seem only to have a minimal impact on the quality and spatial dynamics when first moved. Testing components requires a lot of patience and some knowledge of room acoustics and speaker placement. You can get really bad gear sounding better just by taking the time to test speaker position without toe in.

The same "subtle" but "dramatic" effect applies to interconnects. The best approach I've stumbled across is to connect my preamp to my amp with a pair of crappy out-of-the-box interconnects and then swap out various ranges of low priced to moderately priced "quality" interconnects between the CD player and the preamp (you could do the same thing with an integrated and CD player). This removes all possible gear in between the source and target giving an enhanced impact during the testing work (be sure to disconnect any DAC or other digital enhancing/scrubbing gear). Pick 5 or six pieces of music that you are NOT familiar with (even better with pieces you don't like at all). Listen to about 60 seconds of each track you've selected to avoid ear fatigue and have at it.

I look for treble that is clear and distinguished without being harsh or biting, bass that is "fast" and tight and not muddy or overbearing (bass should also be fully seperated from all the other instruments for maximum impact when it counts), mids (for me the most important quality) should be "juicy" and fully distinguished from hi and lo end instruments. Being able to distinguish the midrange instrument's highs and lows seperated from the competing frequencies of the other instruments is vital. The mid-range low end should be especially prominent and enhance the majesty and impact of the bass and kick drums. Finally the sound stage should expand ... solo vocals more forward, chorus and backup farther back or left and right, and instrument postions (forward, rear, left, right, center) more finely distinquished. The greater the seperation of the instruments the more integrated the musical presentation and the more information your ears get to chew on.

Test Volume: Should be loud enough to get the combined instrumentation "moving air" with good bass distinction. Use the same volume setting at each listen. Too soft or too loud can color the test impression.

Once you've found a cable that exhibits a clearly defined, though subtle enhancement, give the system (still in test mode) some more gas and observe where it goes. Then play some stuff you really love and see if it has more life.