Transparent Music Wave Super sort of Review
I have been tinkering and toying with my system for many years... as I suppose most of you have. In its current iteration I love the way it sounds. Audio Research VSi 60 Driving a pair of Wilson Audio Sophia (Series 1). Multiple DACs that I like to switch in and out. My reference being an Audioquest Dragonfly (yes it sounds better in my system than the Meridian, Benchmark, and Musical Fidelity that I occasionally rotate in) A VPI Scout with JMW signature tonearm Ortophon 2M Black and a graham slee era gold phono stage.
Recently I spent a good amount of time wrestling with selling my VSi 60 for a high powered solid state setup. I love the sound of the AR but truth be told I thought it lacked the bass and dynamics that I was looking for when using it for Home Theater. I also felt that I was missing that musicality and tightness in the bottom end on electronic music, heavier rock, and big orchestral pieces. While I was wrestling with this I talked to one of the guys over at Transparent and he urged me to try out some of their cables before I changed my whole rig. You can probably see where this is going.
I was using Paul Speltz AntiCables(reference) and AntiICs in my system. Previously I had Audioquest, Nordost, Mogami, DNM, etc. I have been all over the map when it comes down to cables. I always felt like I was choosing what I wanted to sacrifice with a cable and honestly I felt that the AntiCables were the best thing I had heard and never gave it a second thought once I had them in my system(even though they were 1/4 the price of some of the other cables I have had in my system). That is until I tightened the binding posts over the Transparent Music Wave Super Speaker cables and Music Link Super ICs.
"WOW, cables can do that" My girlfriend exclaimed as the audiophile in me relentlessly A-B tested the AntiCables against the transparent. On the Black Keys El Camino (Vinyl 45RPM) The guitar crunch had more texture the vocal harmonies were more apparent but most of all the BASSSSSSS. The kick drums sounded three dimensional and real without ever bloating or freezing overpowering. The sound stage was also better defined. The AntiCables had a great wide open soundstage but it was much hazier.
On to one of my old reference recordings The Decemberists Her Majesty (Vinyl 33 1/3) The lead in to the album is meant to sound as if you are on an old ship sailing the seas. Chains clanked and boards creaked with more realism than they ever had before. Colin Meloy's voice was eerily three dimensional and had a height that was clearly distinguishable from his guitar. The speakers seemed to project him right into my living room sitting on a stool playing his guitar.
Switching to digital listening to Norah Jones' Come away with me (24/96 ALAC HDTracks) Norah's voice flowed out of the speakers like silk with a delicate texture. The usual sibilance that I hear on this album was gone and in it's place were clean extended highs with incredible definition and clarity. Again superior image specificity and bass were the name of the game with these cables. Really they bested the AntiCables in every category.
I know you will all say yeah of course the transparent was better they are WAY MORE. I have heard many different cables both more and less expensive in my system. Until now the AntiCables were the best I ever heard. Transparent made me a believer in "The Network". The sound in my system is unbelievable. I have gotten to audio nirvana.
