Last update and post on AP "Crystal" OCC interconnects and lesson’s learned.
Heads up, these specific OCC copper cables may cause you to completely re-evaluate other pieces of your gear after 60 days of use, burn-in, and using these ICs end-to-end now throughout my entire two channel audio system.
Yes, the Analysis Plus Crystal Solos open up pandoras box. Both good and bad come with them, whatever the source and recording is.
These Crystal Sol IC cables and the partner Crystal Digi Coax cable from AP forced me to go back and completely re-evaluate and re-tube my tube preamp and the re-tube the input tubes on my mono tube amplifiers.
Once opening the floodgates with the crystal (OCC copper) AP interconnect cables, watch out what you ask for as it all comes through with larger sound. Sure, burn in helps over time but it does not tame or mask any garbage recordings coming through like some thick OFC copper cables can do. These cables do what they are supposed to do, if you let them. Takes patience. Can be rewarding once you figure out how all the different pieces are working together (good or bad) end-to-end from source>cables>audio components>speaker cables>speakers.
Solution:
Re-tubed preamp with more lush tubes.
Re-tubed monoblock amps with more lush input tubes.
Result:
No edge, no harshness, larger soundstage, more musical midrange, no loss of upper end detail - yes, it’s possible. Now I can listen to most everything streamed (fair to good recordings) in Redbook CD lossless format. And, of course any great recording on CD or Streaming sounds great all of the time. Piano sounds like piano. Guitar sounds like guitars should. Voices are improved and it catches you by surprise some times when running these end-to-end throughout your system.