+ 1 with PHOTON46
The takeaway: system synergy matters ....big-time ( an alchemy of the electronics paired up with cables (power/IC/speaker) and with your speakers)
In this context:
(1) consider re-evaluating your source as the first step in cutting out the "hardness"
(2) revaluate the system synergy as a whole: it may be more than just a non-optimal fit with the speaker cables alone.
(3) budgets matter .... sure .... but there is also an inescapable truism in this hobby: you get what you pay for. IMO with the Densen kit and Neat speakers, I would look at the LFD hybrid speaker cables and LFD ICs. (I personally demoed a dealer system with DENSEN/NAIM/ NEAT/LFD mix and match alternatives)
Google them : I believe Gene Rubin Audio carries them
w/o prejudice to the former, I've had the VDH d352 hybrids with very mixed results. I sold them: these worked "meh? to Okay" in my experiences with lower rung kit like NAD (had them hooked up to a NAD kit in a prior "B" system); but quality gear like your DENSEN and NEAT crave much better quality cables to perform.
They did not perform to my expectations in my hi-end A system and were smoked by the NORDOST FREYs. The difference was not subtle.
You have to go way higher in the VDH chain to get quality performance in your system IMO.
The takeaway: system synergy matters ....big-time ( an alchemy of the electronics paired up with cables (power/IC/speaker) and with your speakers)
In this context:
(1) consider re-evaluating your source as the first step in cutting out the "hardness"
(2) revaluate the system synergy as a whole: it may be more than just a non-optimal fit with the speaker cables alone.
(3) budgets matter .... sure .... but there is also an inescapable truism in this hobby: you get what you pay for. IMO with the Densen kit and Neat speakers, I would look at the LFD hybrid speaker cables and LFD ICs. (I personally demoed a dealer system with DENSEN/NAIM/ NEAT/LFD mix and match alternatives)
Google them : I believe Gene Rubin Audio carries them
w/o prejudice to the former, I've had the VDH d352 hybrids with very mixed results. I sold them: these worked "meh? to Okay" in my experiences with lower rung kit like NAD (had them hooked up to a NAD kit in a prior "B" system); but quality gear like your DENSEN and NEAT crave much better quality cables to perform.
They did not perform to my expectations in my hi-end A system and were smoked by the NORDOST FREYs. The difference was not subtle.
You have to go way higher in the VDH chain to get quality performance in your system IMO.