RCA interconnect recommendation


Would like recommendations for interconnects for both analog and digital side to an integrated Rogue Cronus amp from a Nottingham/EAR 834P on one side and an Antelope Zodiac DAC on the other side. What should I be looking at and what kind of budget should I set. I'm thinking up to $500  for a pair but have no idea. Thanks for all advice.

smaarch1

@stuartk ...This may make it more difficult to choose between the Silver and Copper cables.  We'll see. . . 

Good point and agree with your suggestion.  It can be system dependent, and results can vary.  While I have both in other brands I went from silver back to occ copper. Silver was great in my former system, not the case in a newer setup, fwiw. Just gotta try it and see. What works well in one persons setup might not in others.  

@decooney:

 

Agreed !  

 

The Coppers are due to arrive this Thursday. 

 

Another wrinkle-- unfortunately, The Cable Co. only had one pair of the Coppers  in their lending library and the Schiit Lokius requires two pair of ICs ( I locate it between DAC and integrated). This means I'll have to compare the Silvers and Coppers without the benefit of being able to tweak the sound with the Lokius. So, from my point of view, this will be a less-than-ideal test but it's the best I can do. 

 

 

 

 

@stuartk fwiw I obsessively test both inter-mixed and identical cables end-to-end from sources, to preamps, to amps.  In different types and orders too. While each cable is "not supposed to have a signature" according to some folks self guided rules... imo they ALL leave a signature good, neutral, or bad. Each pair of cables, including the in/out on the Lokius itself, and downstream cables of different types, will all impact the results somehow. Try different combinations and orders of what you have for now. It can be fun.    

You can try putting your best pair first in order and down-order from there.  Or, can even reverse the order of quality for a different affect.  I'm doing this now in a fairly transparent all tube system (tube DAC, tube Preamp, tube Monos amps), with same brand OFC copper IC pairs first up front, OCC copper IC pairs downstream in reverse quality order.  Sometimes my full loom of all OCC or all silver end-to-end is not the best.   The "blend" of the two types and orders can also produce a rewarding result too. Try it with whatever you got.   Best of Luck.    

 

@stuartk comparing cables without EQ in the chain and without tweaking the sound with an EQ is less than ideal test? 
I think you have it backwards.