- Update and short reviews -
So all cables I bought from eBay have come in and below is what I’d rate/ rank them in my system. They are all EAS/ABU digital XLR and 1meter-ish long.
5th place is my analog XLR MIT Trminator Mi-330. I didn’t think that digital cable can make that much diff so i freshly start off with what I already have in my closet and the result was, hmm, ok! The analog cable that I have has a very good shielding itself so It sounds acceptable, I guess. I did enjoy it for a short while, but I didn’t know better. —— I rate it at 3/10.
4th place is the Mogami 3080, blue color, $20. Made in Japan. Rainwater Company hand made them here in US; nice and shinny solder joints. The rubbery body does feel nice to the hand. Yet the conductors are fairly small, no greater than 26-awg? This cable is good and I do see why ppl like and recommend them, but when I compared with others, it quickly shows its limitations. It’s a decent cable though so I do recommend for Hi-Fi folks but, as for me, I will not put it back in my main or 2nd system.— I rate it at 4/10
3rd place is the Canare D206, $20. Very nice, thick and sturdy built and also in blue color. The conductors are est at 22-awg?This is a digital cable that I dearly recommend as best bang for buck. It’s crisp clean dynamic and (some what) accurate. Its high does extend and didn’t crumple up like the Mogami did. Its bass is slightly fuller than Mogami and its midrange is nearly identical. Excellent cable for$20— I rate it 5/10
2nd place is the Wireworld Starlight 7, $87. This cable is in red color and has very unique internal structural design. Company pattened. Conductors are flat and tiny, 26-awg. Soldering job is just everage. Flux needs to be cleaned off. As for performance, I love how this cable delivered. Its character is very similar to the Canare D206 but slightly better and it has something that both Mogami and Canare didn’t, dark/ black back ground and “high end”sound. Bass and midrange just aren’t fuller but more round. Its high is also my fav- nicely extended with tad of sweetness. It’s revealing with nice tone. Excellent performer. I could listen hours and hours with this digital cable and I sure did.
—I rate it 6/10.
1st place is the Transparent Premium Digital Link, $200. This is the only cable that has gray tech-flex snake skin. It’s has nothing to do with sound character but it’s worth to mention. While the positive conductor is thick, 20-awg? The negative on pin 3 is fairly thin, 24-awg? Solder joints isnt excellent with excessive of flux residue. Not sure how shielding is laying out but it’s full of copper- nice. This digital cable is warm but yet its high is nicely extended. Smooth and musical are its straits. Out of all, this is the only cable that has the most magical & high end sound. This one cable let me hear the music for hours. Sadly, I could not find cheap for great sound but had to go to hundreds $$$ Used high end audio market is so well priced. I, again, failed to find best sound for cheap.
As for now, I think my search for an entry level digital AES/ABU cable ends here — I rate it 7/10.
Thank you everyone for suggesting and sharing.
(Listen: Jacques Loussier, The Very Best of Play Bach)
