Sakura Systems OTA Cable Kit

RedKiwi: Both of the IC's that I was using before are solid core (pretty sure that the Mapleshade is, though I can barely see the wire itself, and I know that the Homegrown Audio's are). Are you using analog IC's made from the 47 Labs kit as well or the speaker cable only at this point? I am going to try using one of the 47 Labs IC's as a digital cable once my DAC arrives back from Bel Canto and currently have 47 Labs IC's installed with the speaker cable (thought that I would let it all run in together to get it over with).

Hi Dekay. I am using the 47Labs for interconnect and speaker cables. I couldn't stand the idea of running them in separately either. I no longer use any digital interconnects and only need a stereo pair of ICs and a stereo pair of speaker cables in either of my systems. I have not used solid core cables for a while, except that the cables I have been using each use several or many solid cores separately insulated. Given I am getting quite excited by these 47Labs cables I feel I need a reality check with a good solid core cable in case it is just my system context that is causing me to like single solid core cables now, when I did not before.

The impact of twisting the cables is an interesting point. I first ran them untwisted, and the sound was a bit vague, so I twisted them together loosely and the sound tightened up a bit. Later the system was sounding a bit thinned and congested and flattened, and so following Ken's advice I untwisted them again and the sound was better. It is hard to know where the sound of these cables will end up but I feel untwisted is probably going to be better. Very hard to know since moving the cables results in more burn-in.

I emailed Yoshi of Sakura Systems on the twisting issue but his reply was non-committal.

By the way, I didn't have any of the problems you encountered with threading the cables into the ground connectors - which is a little bit odd because we must have ordered the cables at about the same time. I just held my mouth right and gave the cable a shove and it went in.

RedKiwi: I shoved the cable so hard the first eight attempts that I still do not have any feeling in the tips of my thumb and index finger and this was a couple of days ago. I started out with the speaker cable and then later added the IC's. My problem is that I am coming from solid core silver IC's which can be very addictive and much prefered the sound of the HG's to the newly installed 47 Labs IC. This happens every time that I switch to a copper cable and it usually takes a few days to wear off. I do like the the sound of copper IC's, but the change is always rather drastic. I have the speaker cable running through the front wall (the one behind the speakers:-) through four separate holes spaced 10" apart (finally got the electronics moved to the hallway closet) and do not have the energy to try twisted pairs at this point as it would require too much work. I will leave the cables as four isolated runs for the next three weeks, but am interested in what you come up with using twisted pairs as I can always try this out after the cables are run in.

Well blow the feathers off m'Kiwi and call it a Wallaby! Listening to the system the last fewdays has been like watching a new flower open up to the sunshine. There have been times when I have been close to ditching these cables and going back to my Coincident and Wireworlds for some decent sound. But in the last four days the sound has been circling 'round perfection in the mids and tops, and in the last day they have been zeroing in. The last day the cavalry has begun to emerge on the horizon - we now have some decent bass emerging! I got so excited I just had to take a reality check and put the Coincident ICs back in place (which had been kept percolating on another system), and.... YUCK! The 47 Labs is so much more vibrant, resolving, natural...

I reckon these cables are getting near to reasonably run in at last. I will come back when I am more sure that the sound has stabilised. But I don't feel nearly so stupid now.

Redkiwi, you lone ranger! Do you have the OTAs between your TT and the phono stage as well? This is the one connection I can imagine where a thin cable might work superbly. Based on your positive experience, I am going to try to convince the European distributor of 47 Labs to sell me a 25cm run of four for my TT setup: I am not daring enough to hook them up throughout the whole system like you. At least, not until you have some realistic bass steadily coming out of your speakers. (FYI, be careful about publicly criticizing the Coincident IC: I just received maximum negative points for hinting they are a bit dry and unnatural on voices in a different thread.)