What is your experience with legacy CH Acoustic cables?

I agree that a really good pair of speaker cables will show exactly what an amp and speakers are capable of.Plus that will let you hear what is good and bad upstream so you can evaluate and address any issues.

 An additional thought I would offer beyond jtcf's post, the full loom of a cable manufacturer or model can provide a more consistent foundation to display the capability the system (i.e. amp, pre-amp, speakers, & source).  I'm also assuming that the cable manufacturer truly develops synergistic cables that are more than the sum of the parts.

My fifth experience w/ CH Acoustic cables (November):

As an audiophile, I let my ears be my guide.  Admittedly, I made this choice out of necessity.  I've found the science too difficult to decipher in this hobby.  In addition, I've found it difficult to find a solid source for science.  I want to be discerning, but there's so much MISINFORMATION and so many GLOWING reviews.  It's just tough...

Anyway, a good friend has attempted to convince me that the science of balanced vs. single ended connections (balanced as superior) is sound and undeniable.  In the past, I stuck with single ended because it worked, the stars didn't need to align, & it was one less variable in the pursuit of great sound.  

Well, after my October experiments, I had access to a balanced source, a balanced amp, & a great cable loom.  I decided now was the time to compare balanced vs. single ended connections.  

So.......it was an easy win for balanced connections.  The noise floor dropped, the outlines of sounds became easier to identify and locate, and more subtleties of music appeared. No negatives, only positives.

Some of you aren't surprised.  I was.  Believe it or not, I tried this experiment a few years ago with a different loom and heard no discernible improvement.  On reflection, I don't believe my system was fully balanced at the time, so maybe the stars weren't properly aligned to take advantage of the science.???

I owned a CH Acoustics X-20 power cord some years ago, bought after demoing many other power cords.  I chose it because it was very open sounding -- extremely clear and fast sounding, about as far removed from a tone control as one can get.  I seem to recall it needs to be plugged directly into an outlet, not a power conditioner, to sound its best -- at least that is what Craig Hampel recommended. I ended up buying it to power my transport.  Once I sold that and replaced it with a Mac mini, I also sold the CH Acoustics power cord.

If you are looking to add warmth or for enhanced bass, CH Acoustics isn't a great choice.

Mcondon: 

Thanks for sharing.  Truly, I appreciate your description of what the CH Acoustic cables are... and are not.  “Very open sounding— extremely clear and fast sounding, about as far removed from a tone control as one can get” are great descriptions.

After having contemplated your words and my experience a bit, I offer that the CH Acoustic cables let you HEAR YOUR SYSTEM...warts and all.  Admittedly, I’ve not heard any component sound BAD with these cables.  Simply, it’s EXTREMELY easy to hear the character of & differences between components.

Finally, I hope NEVER AGAIN to use my cable loom “to add warmth or for enhanced bass”.  I appreciate having one less variable to consider for system enhancement.  If I need more or different, I’ll get it from a new component....while enjoying the process.  :)