2. cables
  3. 190557-139717

Upgrade Digital Cable Review

I always try and focus in on the weakest link in my overall system. Sometimes an upgrade at that point doesn't take a ton of cash. Knowing the weakest link is however can be an elusive assignment. This time I determined the digital interconnect between my DAC and CD transport got the attention. I had the 75 ohm Analyses Plus Black digital acquired on the cheap. So after having success with several down line tweaks from Mad Scientist in New Zealand, I decided to purchase their Black Magic ULTRA Digital cable. SUCCESS!! Big improvements...let me count the ways....first my wife from the kitchen says, "Hey there's more bass!" True enough but it was like also a half octave lower and more defined. But, before I bore you with audiophile superlatives, the entire presentation is impressively better. Do you ever make a change in your system and say, "WOW, now that helped everything?" Not 'clearer" but beyond that. The system has more depth, detail, more cohesiveness. Highly recommended! (Mad Scientist- New Zealand)

allears4u
timkeough1964's avatar
timkeough1964
13 posts
 

Wow! Those $700 cables really change those 1's and 0's! They add such color and clarity. With just a hint a timber to the mids  and an open and airy humongous sound stage. I got up the next morning and these cables made coffee and started breakfast. I can't wait till tomorrow. I'll try a new chord on my fridge so the food tastes more refined, with a hint of chocolate and mint. 

soix
9,456 posts
 

And here they are ^^^^.  Ignorance is bliss. 

ghasley
2,487 posts
 

Tim, not every cable change is for the better, however, they can and do sound quite different. Try not to forget that the cable passes the analog facsimile of a digital wavestream. 

zlone
645 posts
 

I tried a number of SPDIF cables for my previous streamer(s), and each one was different. Eventually settling on an OCC copper cable as my favorite. I agree that it it not intuitively obvious why they make a difference, but they certainly do.

I have recently upgraded my streamer to Innuos Zenith and so far I am just using the Transparent USB cable that the seller provided. I have yet to to try any other USB cables, and so I don't know how much of a difference they can make.

allears4u OP
134 posts
 

I think any $500 digital cable (well built and peer reviewed) probably would have performed significantly better than the $100 cable I had used, However, not being able to listen to 100's of cables, I took a leap and bought that Black Magic ULTRA from Mad Scientist (New Zealand). (I had previously bought little things which helped a lot) Since synergy is also a factor (one never knows until tried) my system just coincidentally loved their particular configuration The change isn't just a difference of frequency emphasis here or there, That's why I struggle to describe the nature of the improvements. The transformation is everywhere for the better. In fact. the bass increase has since early impressions cooled down and has achieved a tamer yet no less comprehensive deeper and more identifiable tone to each bass element as in Bass guitar or bass drum or electronic pulse, etc. The vocals are somehow sweeter and its like blanks or holes in the voice has filled in. Its intriguing one cable can take my little Raven tube amp and Klipsch Lascalas and reveal to me they have yet to show all they can do if provided with better source quality. Maybe that new DAC can wait a little longer....    

More to discover