MIT Tube Cables and Solid State Amps?

Hi RSA i use all Classe components including the CA-300 and have found MIT cables to be a poor match for all the Classe equipment. Personaly i find properly designed Silver to be FAR SUPERIOR (IC's,Dig,Spk) than MIT. After hearing the difference i GAVE my MIT to a friend for FREE. BTW the spk's are Aerial 10t and also use one of the better PC's on your CA-300 you will be suprised. PC's have made an improvement on every component. MIT is a poor match for your CA-300 unless you want to be even more laid back or your speakers are Brite. Happy New Year ---------> Mike

Pops, it's interesting that you find the shotgun to be transparent and the other MIT products to be on the thick side. A case of over-engineering? No real point here, I just find the contrasting effect to be interesting.

Yeah sounds weird Jim but I did pretty extensive comparisons and that's what I hear. Like I mentioned above I haven't heard every cable but I've heard and owned alot from Tara, Kimber, Monster, Straightwire, and Audioquest and probably a few more I've forgotten. Anyway, I enjoy your takes on ML - I've considered taking the plunge several times but I'm concerned about my room and the back wave, and although I enjoy some quiet acoustic music I'm basically a rocker. The openess and clarity are absolutely addicting. Just screwing around the other day at a dealer I heard a Classe 101 with MIT wire driving ML Arerius with I believe a Theta front end and almost pulled out my freakin checkbook!

Hi, Pops. Cables and IC's are one of the most frustrating and time consuming parts of the chain to zero in on. I'm getting ready to step up from my current AQ combo and am not really looking forward to the process. In fact, I'm trying to develop a more objective process and set of criteria to help me get the decision right -- hopefully no second guessing and no regrets after the deal goes down. I'm comfortable with just listening to other components with familiar music, taking a more subjective approach, but I think cables/IC's need a more "systematic" approach to keep from driving myself crazy. It's a short drive, as is. Your experience with MIT woke me up to the fact that while it's often true that "stereotypes are earned" in the audio world, there can be significant differences within an individual manufacturer's line that suit different tastes and applications. Yeah, I am pretty much hooked on the CLS's right now. I've done the Maggie and Apogee thing over the years, so esl's were destined to be the next step. I'll bet that the Classe/Aerius combo sounded good. Never heard them together, but I would think that any Classe amp would be a good match. These are one of the ss amps, along with the Meitner's and McCormack's, that I really like even after going over to the tube side. Maybe you should keep that checkbook at the ready. The ML hybrids (the bigger the better) won't rock as deep as some dynamic speakers, but they sure don't suck and do it better on a wider range of material than full range esl's. Don't think that the bigger full ranges are limited to quiet, low level stuff, either. Blues are fantastic and certain rock can be swell. The HF sounds of electric guitars is pure magic on ribbons (and esl's), and the hybrids can handle almost anything very well, (although lacking the ultimate transparency of full ranges). Strange as it may sound, the CLS's do Hendrix better almost anything I've heard. Blues, too. John Lee Hooker is literally in the room with me. Mid-bass is exceptional in its accuracy and tonal "rightiousness". What I'm finding more and more is that source material is the biggest factor in my listening experience these days -- especially recording quality. In fact, lately I've been using my worst sounding CD's along with the good ones in evaluating equipment. I ramble... Happy New Year.

Jim, thanks for the response, I agree about cables it is frustrating at times and if your not really in the change/upgrade cable mode a real pain in the ass. I'll tell you what got me back on MIT. I was using Tara Master ic's, pretty happy with em but got a case of audionervosa/bored-osa, and pulled out an old pair of MIT music links prenetwork ic's that I used 10 years ago. They were hooked up to a VCR at the time. I dropped them in and I couldn't believe my ears! Top to bottom coherence and focus improved more than a litte. So I demo'ed several types and really dug the shotguns. I use them with CJ pre and Classe amp, nice, smooth and plenty revealing for me. Hey to each his/her own. The only person you really have to impress is yourself - you have to live with the system!