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Break In Experiences with Anti-Cables level 2.1 speaker cables?

Just looking for any other user info on Anti-Cables level 2.1 speaker cables
Too cut a long story short, all of my previous speaker cables were always bought used so I guess already well broken in. After buying a short pair of anticables used for my ht rig and hearing very good improvement I stumped up for a pair of brand new direct from Anticables 15ft level 2.1 speaker cables
These replaced a set of AudioQuest cables
At first I really heard no difference so just though oh well, not a lot of money spent so no big deal.
However as the week progressed they changed, oh how they changed!
Horrible...
Vocals have faded into the background, low to mid bass is now bloated and booming and just, well horrible is best description.
I am sincerely hoping this is just a phase in the "break in" process and this will clear and all will be at least as good as previous.
As a simple near solid copper wire I truly did not expect such a startling change.
Nothing else has been changed in my setup at all, just the addition of these cables.
Does anybody else have experience with these cables and their break in process?
128x128uberwaltz
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uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
@almarg
your supposition is correct
the sub is still in the loop and connected in exactly the way you describe.
now I did turn the sub off and heard no real improvement but of course the cables were still connected to the sub as this was something I did not even consider.
it will be an interesting test tonight when back from the daily grind to disconnect the sub entirely and see if any audible difference.
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lak
4,624 posts
 
+1 jayctoy and williewonka
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
Took the sub out of the loop entirely by disconnecting its feed cables from the BAT power amp.
This actually left the sound to be somewhat thin and hollow BUT with still a mushy boomy bass.
Reconnected the sub and fleshed out but still with the bloated lower bass although after a few more hours of playing it may be a little better.
I have plenty of time yet before the 30 days are up so I may as well keep burning them in and see if anything changes for the better.
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Although it may not help your problem, instead of connecting the sub’s negative input terminals to the amp’s negative output terminals, try connecting the sub’s negative input terminals to a chassis screw (or screws) on the amp. That is what REL recommends, for example, when connecting their subs at speaker-level to amps that have balanced or bridged outputs.

There is a slight possibility that doing so could result in significant hum, depending on the internal grounding configuration of the amp. But assuming hum doesn’t occur that approach would be preferable to grounding the full amplitude signals that are present on the amp’s negative output terminals through an unknown and possibly very low impedance in the sub. Which, depending on the internal grounding configuration of the sub and the amp, could conceivably result in damage to both components, eventually if not sooner.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

williewonka
3,075 posts
 
Just took a look at a few other forums on the Anticables products and it would appear that they do have a high capacitance as Almarg suspected. Nice catch Al :-)

High current solid state designs do not like high capacitance speaker cables, it caused the amp to osculate and can actually be driven to destruction. Happened to a friends Ayre amp. (ouch!)

The BAT VK600SE amp looks like a high current design, so i would play it safe and return them for something more suitable.

Look for cables with a capacitance of around 30pF/meter - the Van den hul D352 comes to mind.

My Naim amp has the same problem - but the Van den Hul D352 worked great with it

Regards...


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