Please tutor me on some integrated amp basics.

Gentleman, nice to read the back and forth on cables since my last post from three of my favorite people on this site.

I’ve been in touch with both Magico and Luxman about cables. Magico says they’re using Audioquest cables at their current show in Canada to demos their A3’s. Perhaps they’re cryogenically treated and well suited to cold climates. Magic said the also use Nordost, MIT and Transparent cables at other shows and in their factory, Luxmans rep said he liked Audioquest and Nordost. The dealer who sold me the Luxman integrated said he recommended MIT’s among cables he didn’t carry at his store for Luxman’s.

Interestingly. Magico said they are currently demoing their A3’s with a Luxman 509x amp, only one step up from my 597ux Mark II. Wish I could have afforded it. Luxman independently informed me they are demoing their 509x with the Magico’s. Either they’ve formed an unholy cabal, or I’ve gotten lucky with my research and choices.

A couple of you on site have mentioned the Nordost’s are too bright, so I’ll rule them out, The Audioquest’s are available locally in Roanoke so maybe I can wrangle a demo. I also read the MIT’s are good only at their highest priced models, and I’ve read only positive things about the Transparent cables. The dealer who sold me the Luxman 507 also recommended the MIT’s among brands he didn’t carry at his store. So I can add at least three possible brands to my short list, straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak. Audioquest’s are the only ones I’ve ever heard demoed, actually when I first heard about expensive cables and questioned the local dealer if they were any better than zip cord. They were.

Next up is to look up prices, new and used, for them along with a couple others on my short list that you’ve recommended.

Glupson, you’re right about the two camps from what I’ve read so far. Some of those in either camp get so excited about wires you’d think they’re ready for a fist fight. Get a life instead is my recommendation. You mentioned you have Shunyata Venoms. Where do they come up with these names is what I’d like to know? I looked up the Audioquests to get a price and they listed twenty varieties of speaker wire alone, most with ridiculous names too. How many variations of wire can there be that one company can come up with?

I will keep in mind to look at each wires flexablity as they will have to bend a few times on the way to the speaker Good advice. I added your Zavfinos to the ever expanding long list. They might get lost in the shuffle though. I posted them at #106 so I wouldn’t be forgetting them.

You’re right, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life messing with this. I’m pretty content with a "semi-logical approach" as you say. I’m enjoying learning about cables now, but soon as I get some, that’s the end of it until the next go round in 2058. I expect I’ll have to call that one in. You also have to consider too, you can spend so much money on this stuff you couldn’t afford records or CD’s to listen to afterwards.

Appreciate your encouragement, sensible approach to cabling and making me laugh. Semi-logical, huh? You didn’t even intend that one.

Inna please don’t tell me there’s an even more complicated approach to choosing cables. I am going to look into that esoteric brand you mentioned, but couldn’t recall the name. It’s posted way higher on my list than Glupson’s Zavfinos in any event. He didn’t even like them well enough to purchase them, while you did invest in the model that you recommended.

Power cords, transformers and line conditioners are up next for research.

Ieales, If I find out that expensive cables purchased don’t sound significantly better than Bluejeans or Beldens I will be quite perturbed to say the least. Some of these wires are so expensive its ungodly. I mean I didn’t work and save my whole life to end up with ten feet of wire as the reward.

Anybody with any opinions (except Glupson) on the Audioquest, Transparent, MIT or other lines just mentioned, please chime in with your thoughts or experience with them. I’ll be carefully considering what you have to say before making a purchase. Thanks so much,

Mike

skyscraper,

Make sure you let us know once you make your choice. As things are now, I may follow your pick and..."I'll have what he is having". I am not kidding at all. And the sound? What the heck, it will be just fine for the Internet radio.

I will keep mum about the cables I have not heard, which is pretty much all of them. It is the concept I do talk about.

Unexpected names are part of the marketing. That is the easy part. However, once you start reading about suggestions what else you should spend money on to improve the sound, brace for impact and keep the PIN for your bank account safely with someone else. Cables are bread and butter stuff and, comparatively, not even that expensive.

Mike, that esoteric brand is Purist Audio Design, and the model I recommended was Neptune. I also said that lower model Poseidon should be excellent but that I had no experience with it.
Not only did I bought Neptune interconnects, I have no intention of replacing them in a foreseeable future since they work so well with both analog and digital.
No personal experience with Audioquest, MIT or Transparent. I do think though, from what I read, that one would have to go rather high in their line. But maybe this has changed, I don't know, on average cables are getting better, if you are lucky today you can get $3000 sound of the past for $1000 or so. Don't buy old used cables unless you know exactly what you are doing. Yes, there are old cables that are still very competitive. One of them I use, of course, as speaker cables - 20 years old Purist Audio Colossus fluid.

One of the brands mentioned a couple of posts earlier (Audio Sensitivity) has nice diagrams of their cables with labels for each part. Does anyone know what is special about "unbleached pure cotton" when placed in an audio cable? Is there a theory behind that? I am afraid to ask on one of the cable threads, I would like to get to #106, too.