Upgrade Interconnects/Cables or…?

@kennythekey "I’m sure I can get him to suggest what to use for the whole package and maybe this might be a loom of cables."

I’d recommend trying one component cable set at a time -vs- jumping over to a full loom all at once or you really won’t know where the weak links were prior. And remember, each of your components have different wiring inside so what really constitutes an end-to-end full loom anyhow.

Btw, I run Cross, Clear, and Clear Reflections in my Cardas sets of cables and the Cross work great for speakers as long as the upstream cables are decent. If your source, pre/amp cables are limited, the downstream Cross speaker cables may seem limiting at first. I don’t find that to be the case with good upstream cables.

You can move different type cables up/down the loom to experiment and realize differences. Maybe your contact friend can kindly let you borrow & demo some cables to try on loan, and this can be super helpful in finding a right mix for you and your ears in your system. What works in one system may not work well in another fwiw.

I appreciate all the positive comments from the community, and I’m not a stranger to the vast numbers of opinions in here and out there. So far, I have not spent a dime, and my system has a fresh sound with specific improvements that I was looking for. I know my room is not perfect, so what I just gained in one area slightly took away from another. Finding a balance that suits me best is what I’m doing right now and it’s free.

At this point of my life, I’m not in experimental mode, so those types of options are out. I have monoblocks, but my speaker cables are 12’ long due to previous amplification and a different imperfect room. Yea, I can cut them down and re-terminate them. My phono cable has a loose connector that I have to keep screwing with. It’s old! So, my system isn’t quite fine in all areas. If my choice was to upgrade my line stage, I would still have to deal with those cables or live with them. I have decided to deal with them, and get a fresh set. I have a fixed budget and I’m pretty sure my dealer will work with me to get there. After all that has been said and done here, this is my most comfortable option.

Thanks, everyone. Later.

Kenny

The value of a great dealer rules!

From the start, I had my speakers not far from the walls for 2 reasons. I am dealing with a front to back distance of 14 feet, plus I felt obliged to follow the rule of thirds (triangle) as the speaker manufacturer also illustrates how to set them up; Rule of 3, toe-in, and corners. However, my speakers did not sound best this way, and no corners to be had. They sounded best closer to the front wall, with rule of 3, and a very slight bit of toe-in. So, I started this post to get more air at me, and figured that might happen by upgrading my cables or line stage that were both very old.

I sent Jeff my dealer an email seeking his input about cables and letting him know what my budget was. Within 30 minutes I got a response. You all know that my room is not perfect and so does Jeff. Jeff told me to start by moving my speakers out into the room, so kudos to those who suggested this to me. I had mentioned to Jeff that Tommy the speaker manufacturer illustrates toe-in for the setup of the speakers. Jeff added, forget that, I never set them up that way. Instead, level your tonearm and adjust the VTA, so that the headshell is lower than the bearing and then work back up as desired. Jeff, never brought up the cables or purchasing anything from him.

This advice saved me $6,000. I am now working on the VTA adjustments to maximize the added air I now have. Is my sound perfect? No, I have an imperfect room. However, my system sounds great.

Later, I can think about replacing my shaky arm cable, and get shorter speaker ones.

Kenny

@kennythekey

I owned the Audible Illusions 3A with external LPS some years ago.  It was my first tube experience and I enjoyed it while I had it.  I let it go because of service lead time concerns. To be fair, the one repair issue I had was addressed quickly.  But AI is a one man shop and you might want to look into the experience others have had.  OTOH, it’s a wonderful preamp.  

cantorgate

Yes, I had read comments regarding the service and delivery side of AI that were not favorable. I think when you deal with a one man show company it’s going to be about timing. So, where was he when you stepped in or place in line. Then there’s the person’s social nature to deal with. Even of more concern, what if he just gives up or worse!? You call and nobody’s home.

I have had a number of dealings with one man shows and have to say luck’s been on my side. This includes my primary dealer. My main components, TW-Acustic, Tron Electric, and Horning Hybrid are all one man shows. The exception is Boulder Amplifiers, and I was looking to switch to AI. Now that you brought this to my attention about AI, in retrospect, I’m wondering if I’m not a little nuts taking such leaps of faith?

I appreciate the warning, and BTW, your system is really nice!

Kenny