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REVIEW: KLEI gZero20 Interconnect

I have just purchased these and can honestly say they leave me breathless.

How can a piece of wire be responsible for such remarkable improvements? Take a look at the review on the KLEI web site and there is a brief insight into the gZero Architecture.

Bottom line: the abilities of these interconnects are remarkable.

I've owned the gZero6's and tried the gZero10's, but the gZero20's are deservedly KLE Innovations pinnacle product.

Imaging, dynamics, clarity, hi-end and low end extension leave most other cables in their wake. You want PRAT, these IC's are about as good as you are going to experience.

Fist let me state that my system, albeit modestly priced, has some very high performance power cables that allow the components to excel in their performance. I also have the KLEI gZero6 speaker cables - which allows the amp to exert it's authority in controlling my very adept Gershman Acoustics Sonogram full range speakers.

So unless you have invested in the other cables in your system, you will not reap the full benefit these IC's have to offer

My casual listening is via streaming to my Schiit Bifrost DAC, which has it's own set of high performance power, USB and interconnects. With the gZero20's employed it was about as close to my analogue rig that I have ever come from a smoothness and warmth perspective, without compromising the crisp dynamic nature of this excellent little DAC.

Transferring these IC's to my analogue rig really demonstrated the extremely fine level of details these IC's are capable of conveying. But they also took the performance of the entire analogue side to a whole new level of - "belief".

The biggest improvements were in clarity, image and overall control. From and extremely well controlled and deeply extended bass performance, to the incredibly detailed, but smooth high-end vocal, strings and woodwind performances. But there was also a new warmth to the entire performance, that the gZero10 was a little short on.

What captured my attention from the get-go was the sense of "Space"...
- the extended space around performers
- the cavernous space of the venue and it's very detailed acoustics
- the placement of performers within the space

If you don't own any KLE Innovations IC's...
- the gZero3's are an excellent place to start
- the gZero6's are a considerable step up
- the gZero10's will have you going through your library
- but the gZero20's will make you forget all about time

It doesn't matter what level of resolution your components are capable of - these cables will have to thinking you've just completed a major component upgrade.

I do not hide the fact I am a huge fan of products from KLE Innovations - that is because...
- I've tried most of them
- not only do they ALL work extremely well
- they provide great value

They really are - that good!

Regards...
williewonka
yping
351 posts
 
I have the KLEI gZero20 ICs now and I find them to sound pretty magical. The interesting thing is that I find the reviews to be very accurate, even though the systems are very different, which I find to be a nice surprise :)

I have relegated the KLEI gZero6 ICs to another component and interestingly even though the 6 performed better than any other IC that I have used, the 20s were dramatically better than the 6s. I loved the 6s but I really love the 20s...

Thanks for your posting of the 6s and the 20s because I now have a modestly priced system that performs as good as, and even better than, a couple of my mates systems which are dramatically more expensive :)
williewonka OP
3,075 posts
 
Yping - I think you'll find the 20's will continue to get better over a few months of playing

Mine have been in the system for just over 7 months and I still find subtle improvements about every week.

As for your system sounding better than more expensive systems - some people might think you are overstating the benefits of these cables and that it is not possible to attain such dramatic improvements from mere "wire" - but as you pointed out, the reviews all state similar benefits and cover systems of many price points - so can we all be "selling land in Florida" ?

Components today contain excellent "parts", but often certain price point decisions leads to poor design choices that degrade their actual capabilities. What the gZero and zFLOW product range does is provide some "relief" to the effects of those design choices, which in turn allows the component to operate with more precision - allowing for a much improved performance.

One such issue effects the neutral side of a components circuitry. Having any "noise" on the neutral side of the circuit degrades overall performance. The gZero and zFLOW range of products assist in minimizing that noise resulting in the improvements, especially clarity, observed by most owners.

But, they also provide similar benefits to the more expensive product lines, because they also assist in mitigating much more subtle issues, especially those that pertain to extremely fine micro details that those products are capable of resolving.

One question - have you tried your cables on your friends more expensive systems? If so, what were the results.

Regards...
yping
351 posts
 
Williewonka, interesting, they have not asked and, with the 20s connected, I have very much been enjoying my system which is sounding great, really great... like real music :)
mordante
511 posts
 
In the future I might want to upgrade my current ICs Maybe I'll consider the KLEI ICs either the 3 or 6. Any IC beyond the 6 would probably be overkill for my modest system.
williewonka OP
3,075 posts
 
Mordante - what components and cables do you have?

The 6 IC is very good indeed - probably the best "bang for the buck" and the gZero2 SC is a perfect match for it.

I think the 10 is probably an IC KLEI could drop, because I think the 20 is a much better value and a perfect match for the 6 SC.

One thing I have come to appreciate with these cables - they have brought out the very best performance even from my more modest components...

e.g. my Schiit Bifrost + Uber Upgrade at around $550 exceeded my expectation by a considerable margin...
- it was extremely good with the gZero3's
- elevated to fantastic with the gZero6's
- but really excelled with the gZero20 and even the gFLOW - in both cases simply superb imaging and reproduction of live venue acoustics.

Just yesterday I was listening to a system in the $30+k range
- the CD player ($12k) was better fidelity wise - but the image was very confused
- the amp $3500) had an onboard DAC, but the Bifrost was much better across the board - which surprised me.
- the speakers were around $9k

The system as a whole also exhibited a very muddled and boomy bass and a confusing image, which was not the fault of the speakers, since I know their capabilities very well.

- I can only assume the "issues" had something to do with the cables.
- which were also very expansive at around $9k (power + speaker + IC's)

So as you can see - modest components can excel - with the right cables :-)

Hope this helps
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