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Review: Acoustic Zen Absolute Interconnect

Category: Cables

I was looking forward to audtioning Robert Lee's new highest reference Acoustic Zen interconnects & speaker wires which he calls the Absolute. They represent his latest thinking regarding the state of the art in his house of wires. About two years ago I had gone through a lengthy audtion process, which included five highly regarded sets of wires from well known companies, untill I decided to replace all my wires with AZ Silver reference II & Matrix reference II and Satori speaker wire. I'm a great fan of AZ for two major reasons;1) They offer great "bang for the buck" out standing performance for the cost ratio.2) They have,for me, a wonderful combination of tight/powerful bass,great details,transparency,dynamics,natural timbres, along with being musical and a smooth "sense" of ease. The process of audtioning the Absolute began with inserting a Absolute interconnect between my DAC and PRE-AMP along with putting the Absolute speaker wire in. Since I bi-amp there are four sets of interconnects so I put the Absolute interconnect at the front of the system. Well, it turned out to be a very gratifying experience! It not only tremendously improved the above stated virtues but added the following;1) A giant soundstage with excellent layering of players in a sense of real space.2)A sriking sense of air/three-dimensionality around everyone in the soundstage.3)Much improved/natural timbres.4)The new cables added that wonderful "organic/musicality" that I think we all strive for in our systems. It strongly reminded me of the experience I had when I audtioned my Pass Labs-350.5 to my then current amp an Edge NL-10. The Edge, which is still a great amp with many reference level characteristics, just kinda sounded sterile compared with the musicality of the 350.5. I know thats a very subjective way of explaining my experience, but its hard to use objective language at times to explain why a component just sounds more like the experience of real music. These wires are not inexpensive(2000.00 for the interconnects and 2800.00 for the speakers wires) but offer so much without any apparent shoutcomings that I think they are very fairly priced and compete with many reference level wires at a much lower price.So I think Mr. Lee has done it again, great sound at a reasonable price! As a final note I want to mention, even though we all know it all ready, that important factor of system matching and synergy long with your personnal taste make home audtioning a must for us serious audiophiles! I highly recommend you try these wires out if your a fan of AZ or looking to upgrade you wires in your sytem.

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teajay
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Rsbeck, I would say that yes, in at least some (or sadly many?) cases, the advertised virtues of some component or device may not be real. In this I am making no pre-judgement about the particular device discussed here. But when I go to a dealer, audition a system, swap in a vaunted component, with a pedigree a mile long, and start scratching my head in perplexity about unrealized expectations, most invariably the consultant states that: "this component is oh so good that I have to go through a long mental-breakin-period to 'learn' to like it, and eventually to adore and worship the very ground where it rests!"
Isn't this a failure of a marketing-induced 'placebo effect' of some sort? [chuckle]
For some reasons, cable manufacturers web sites are particularly prone to pyndaric flights of quasi-lyrical techno-fancy., AZ not being the most audacious of the lot by any stretch of the imagination. At least it does not make claims of proprietary metallurgic processes which fly against principles of basic physical chemistry, as I have very recently learned from at least one even more highly pedigreed brand. But that's for another topic, and perhaps for another thread.
nicksgem10s
98 posts
 
Thanks for the review Teajay. I am a fan of Acoustic Zen cables. I had the Silver Reference II in my system as my reference for most of a year. I am also a big Audioquest fan and replaced my AZ Silver Ref II with the Audioquest Sky. If I get the chance to audition the Absolute in the future I would love to. Thanks again for your opinions of the cable in your system.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Nicksgem10s, how would you characterize the audible difference between AZ Silver Ref 2 and Audioquest Sky? Thanks, Guido
nicksgem10s
98 posts
 
Guido,
I am not going to bore you with descriptive audiophile terms, only can tell you I heard an immediate improvement in bass as well as high frequencies. The highs are a little smoother than with the AZ Silver Ref 2. I still really like AZ products. The Audioquest Sky just has great synergy in my system. It is the best sounding interconnect I have had in my system so far. Hope this helps.
igor01
2 posts
 
Just to add my 2 cents about Acoustic zen absolute cables, and cables in general. I think that all of the previous posters here had gone a long (or short) way to improve or let say making sound right his (her) system trying various cables. Personally I tried, used and changed at least seven or eight different brands of cables, from the middle to the top end of the production. The acoustic zen cables were the last and most impressive of all. The only other cables that I remind in a positive way were the Cardas golden cross balanced and (still in use in HT system) PS audio X stream statement power cable. Now I'm asking myself if it was worth to spend so much for the Absolute and Gargantua power cables and the answer is ABSOLUTEly yes. Is it worth to spend so much on the Absolute balanced interconnection? YES! This cables are really from another Planet as the absolute Power cables. Now, having switched from Krakatoa PC and Silver Reference interconnect a question arises, are this cables really so bad, or is the Absolute a non explanable wodoo. Not a simple answer, and because of this so many posters loose some time and nerves, trying to explain in words things that can not been explained. Personally I think that the Absolute are a culmination of the work (art) of Mr. Lee and that looking at this in a price/performance comparison could be described in this simple example: Acoustic zen silver reference Vs Nordost Valhalla. The winner in my personal system is Acoustic zen. Acoustic zen Absolute vs ?. Simply there is nothing like the Absolute on the market today. For the non belivers, please try for yourself as I did and share your thinking with us , the belivers.
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