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Warm, rich sounding interconnects?

My system is in flux at the moment with a Wadia Intuition 01 as preamp/amp/DAC bookshelf Tyler speakers and (horror of horrors) an iPhone with an Auris bluetooth connection for the current audio source. Since bluetooth at best sounds somewhat thin and tilted up on higher frequencies, it doesn’t play necessarily well with the Wadia which is great sounding overall but also can be on the revealing side.

I know I should get a better source - but even so I’ll always want the option of wireless in various situations. I’ve owned Purist Audio Museaus’s (rev-c’s) in the past, which would be perfect, but sadly sold them on A-gon some time ago. Those are hard to find and the newer Purist cables are brighter sounding.

So in a nutshell I’m looking for interconnects which will deepen and darken the sound for my current setup - and new/used for under $400. Any ideas?
monsignor
psag
518 posts
 
I don't see how cables could sound warm or rich, unless they are distorting or rolling off the signal being fed to them. Better to find neutral cables, and you can always add a tubed component or two for 'midrange liquidity'.
monsignor OP
18 posts
 
Almarg - Yes I'm using the Auris blueMe (double entendre for sure).  I didn't realize that it had a low impedance - how would that affect the sound?  

I've tried both optical and interconnect, and for me the analog has a more natural sound.  My assumption was that the Auris wouldn't have the DAC in the path of the analog being an inexpensive device - but I have no idea.  In fact the WADIA DOES convert analog to digital but does an amazing job of keeping the analog very analog sounding.

But unlike with other sources the analog sounds tilted up in the high's and I assumed that was the blue-tooth since that's what it's know for, but maybe the lack of impedance also has something to do with it.  

The optical sounds a bit warmer and actually more detailed, but the analog sounds a bit airier and more natural.  So it seemed like the interconnects could be the problem.  The Museaus's were shrill and unfocused, and I've replaced them with AQ Cinnamons which are better but could still use some weight and warmth.  

Thanks for your in-depth look at my setup!
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Thanks for the additional background, Monsignor.
I didn’t realize that it had a low impedance - how would that affect the sound?
Compared to output impedances that are considerably higher (as is especially common among tube-based preamps and source components) it will to some degree lessen sensitivity to cable differences, and also to sonic effects that might otherwise result from interactions between that output impedance and amplifier input impedance. So to at least a small degree it works in the direction of improving the accuracy and neutrality with which signals are conveyed from the bluMe to the Wadia.
My assumption was that the Auris wouldn’t have the DAC in the path of the analog being an inexpensive device - but I have no idea.
Since Bluetooth conveys information in digital form it is the analog output of the bluMe rather than the optical output that would have the bluMe’s internal DAC (digital to analog converter) in the signal path. However, although optical interfaces are digital they have tradeoffs and potential downsides of their own, so the only meaningful way to compare the two approaches is to try them both, as you’ve done.

In any event, I would still suspect that trying to use a cable to compensate for the shortcomings of a $169 component providing DAC functionality as well as Bluetooth functionality, and having low output impedance, is not likely to be fruitful. And I would consider the relevance of cable recommendations which are provided based on experience with very different and presumably higher quality applications to be questionable at best.

Good luck, however you decide to proceed. Regards,
-- Al

czarivey
5,935 posts
 

I finally found all possible justifications to the labor, raw materials estimates wires vs. other thingies.

It all merges into the meaning of toy vs. tool or instrument. In the toy department (for children) everything is inflated because of "mama buy me this" market factor (MBMT) is always present so mathematically (what I like most alas from any science behind) it looks as follows:

(Raw materials + Labor) * MBMT.

Note that in wires reaching the price of new car right multiplier always approaches to unity while MBMT approaches to infinity -- no need of knowing any electrical or performance properties as they easily factor out!

The value of MBMT usually contains tons of propaganda and advertisement -- which IS actually LABOR oriented to drain funds of baby boomer's foolish children.

Bypassing all science behind on how good or bad wires sound (do they sound at all?), the most honest value to the product belongs to Mogami and most of pro-audio brands. Mogami Silver series (ones preferred by me) provide better electrical contact than gold according to per-unit resistance/impedance. They run in the range of $25/m pair.

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