Talon Raven-C Owners please help


I have in my home right now a pair of Talon Raven-C speakers. I need some help with speaker cables. I tried my DIY cables that were recommended to me to use with my Pass Labs X-250 amp. I had comapred them to the Audience, Shunyata and Acoustic Zen Hologram mono speaker cables. They sounded better that the Audience and Shunyata at the time with my B&W matrix 803 speakers and were the equal of the AZ so I saved some money then. Now they seem to make the Talons sound too crisp/clear so I am afraid of long term listening fatigue. My friend lent me a pair of Analysis Plus Oval 9s and they seem to be overall smoother, more relaxed and more bass slam, but maybe rolled off the highs a little (for the better to my ears so far).

What are you using for ICs and speaker cables on your Talons and what have you compared them too. I am also intersted in knowing if you are using a tube amp and preamp that may also help to smooth out the sound.

Thanks and Happy Listening.
bigkidz
HI Peter-

As you know, I have the Raven 2002's with CMRC crossover upgrade, so my tweeter is slightly different then yours. I drive them with a Pass X-250 amp as you do.

I am using the Shunyata Lyra spkr cable & Aries intercons, having replaced Analysis Plus Oval 9's and Copper Oval's. The Shunyatas & AP's seem to have similar basic sound characteristics to my ears - very neutral in general. But the Lyras provide noticeably greater speed, articulation, treble energy and details then the AP's, while maintaining mid-bass depth and smoothness. There is NO distinct brightness or edginess. Bass response and extension were quite good with both, as you have noted, though the Shunyatas exhibit tighter & more focused bass - of a more 'sophisticated' level, though a word like 'polite' is not really applicable. Keep in mind that I traded the AP's on the Lyras, so I didn't have enough time with both in the system to do complete comparisons before having to ship the AP's to the dealer.

I DO know that Grant from Shunyata has mentioned that their intercons, etc. do NOT respond well to cable cookers, due to the true litz design. The design also contributes to a pretty lengthy break-in period, so do not judge them too quickly. My Lyras went through some pretty wild mood swings before settling down.

I know that you have already auditioned the Lyras, but that was with a different setup, so you may want to try them again. Could I do it all over again, I would consider trying one of the higher versions of the Shunyata Constellation series cables - the Phoenix or Andromeda, as they are progressively thicker gauge and should have a bit warmer mid-bass. The Ravens could use a little of that.

I have also heard that the AZ Holograms & Satoris are quite good with Talons.
I'm using Talon Khorus with a Gamut SS amp, but never found them too hot on top. Had Analysis Plus Silvers for a while, and found them lacking drive--have used a lot of others including Satoris and Wireworld Silver Eclipse 3 and Talon Ghost cable (designed by the same person who designed the Shunyatas) which I really liked for the money (used). Actually, all were quite good.
Now using HMS Gran Finales throughout, which are the best I've heard so far in my system (and I think I'm done). The music passes through the mids with such ease and grace, the bass is robust and the highs shimmer with no harshness or glare. Highly recommended.
Richard-

I believe you are right about the Ghost cable - it was a predecessor to the Shunyatas, and was designed by the lead engineer and co-founder of Talon, Tierry Budge (though I don't think he is still with Talon).

That is one reason I was elated when I bought my Ravens and found out that my just-delivered Lyras were designed by the same guy who created my Talons. They 'should' be a perfect match, though I have no proof that other cables would not work better.

Hey, its all a crap-shoot til you try it in your own system anyway.
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