jtcf694 postsjtcf,
09-16-2019 3:07pm
Thank you for posting @decooney .I have no answers but I’m very interested in your impressions.I’m still letting my speaker cables and one ic break in.I’m hoping the sound opens up more but if not maybe a second ic (what brand to choose?) will do the trick.I’m hearing many details and layers but somehow at the same time it’s a little too dark and polite.
re: What brand/design/type to choose is personal taste IMO, depending on what you want to accomplish. I was in your shoes in a similar fashion. I knew my older cables from my former SS amps were soft (on purpose) and smooth but veiled over. I concluded this after trying some well known clear/open cables on demo with my current tube gear. The difference was not insignificant. I tend to favor a more lush sound but not at major expense of sound stage, clarity and depth. Maybe wanting my cake and eat it too -or- simply to find something "in between", 1/2 way - wishful thinking, maybe or maybe not. I kept reading about the the AP Crystal Solos after trying the regular ovals. Crystal Solo Ic Pair #1 worked well when placed at the source and paired with a softer cable downstream. However, I kept wondering if I was losing some sound stage or clarity as a result of having a mixed-matched pair of different types. Wanted to try two pairs of the same type. Sure enough. Everything seems to come at a compromise on my system one way or the other.
As to your Question, yes, I did go with a 2nd pair of Analysis Plus Crystal Solo 1.5M interconnects to run between my tube preamp to tube mono amplifiers. At first they were almost too open, too clear, too clean but was told to be patient, let them relax, settle (in theory). Now in to the 2nd week they are plenty open but softening up a tad but only after I’m running the gear nice and warm 4+ hours. Not sure if I’ll part with my former Cardas Parsec, as I can swap them back in for an even softer sound with a 60 second swap. So far, liking the 2nd pair of AP Crystal Solos for my tube system. Its definitely worth trying the same or mixing and matching as an experiment, YMMV. Good Luck. Feel free to send a PM on Agon if needed.