Sakura Systems OTA Cable Kit

It is somewhat strange to consider the sale of my NBS Statements to B white as objective proof of the success of an empirical cable experiment (a poet, empirical?:-), since the crucial thing to bear in mind is that with the NBS Statement AND the 47 labs OTA I have at my disposal TWO possibilities by means of which I am able to radically alter my relationship to music at will. Besides, the Statements are needed on account of the fact that I do not yet have enough OTA to outfit my entire system, and now must make do with an NBS/47 combination, with the OTA now carrying the signal from the PhonoCube to the STAX headphone unit, and the phono cable remaining NBS (before, during the 400 hour break-in, OTA was "performing solo" between a CD integrated and the STAX). Once the OTA kit comes from Japan (and the European 47 Labs distributor called me tonight to reassure me that it is indeed coming, thank you) you will bear witness to the results of far more radical and through-going OTA experiments, "incorporations" of OTA that will thoroughly invalidate the warranties of at least two of my components (Sead can probably guess one of these projects if he reflects back on the schematic of my power amp...). If the OTA fails to live up to its promise, imagine my despair at not being able to hook up my NBS Statements again to make contact with my "other enjoyment" because I sold the Statements to B white who is perversely enjoying them (along with his brand new Audiomeca Mephisto II) thousands of miles away from me in the USA. Nevertheless, I somehow have a hunch that I may want to sell the Statements after the OTA kit arrives (as a matter of fact, I DID sell off some NBS cables here in Germany after OTA arrived, but these were not Statements: just KS, Signature, Master, but still...); consequently, I will make a promise: if, in spite of my love for NBS, the 47 Labs OTA kit renders the NBS superfluous, I will e-mail B white (don't worry, I already have your e-mail address from our previous correspondence) my offer to sell him my Statements (there are 9 of them, but do not hold your breath, because the experiments will take some time ...). For all of you others, this excessive gesture is made out of pragmatic utilarianism to clear away any disruptive, impertinent posts that might upset the very normal, balanced field of exchanges by which we have tried to perfect our understanding of the OTA Cable Kit. To show you how much I want to submit once again to the rationality of facts, a few enquiries: 1.) oxidation on OTA, views? 2.) Caig Pro Contact and OTA? 3.) optimal contact surface area between OTA and the RCA input (reduce or increase, effect on sound, dekay please step in)? 4.) OTA and XLR, balanced format (anybody try it)? 5.) OTA and digital (again, dekay).

Slawney, fantastic reply! I look forward to the day when you offer your Statements up for sale - but agree with you on the virtues of having both. While I am waiting, I will be using OTA myself. The allure of the OTA (and the poetic effects it has on people) is too much to resist. :)

Bry

Slawney, if you're going to do a little cable survey, I would suggest throwing the AudioNote Kondo KSL spkr wires in the mix. I would be interested in your reactions as they, like the OTC, are thin conductor, bare wire approaches. Steve Klein, the US Distributor, is a stand up guy.

Hmmm, do you all think these guys are cryogenically freezing their cables?

Slawney, I would like to add one thing. I get the feeling that you are only using the OTC between the Phono/headphones (headphone amp, assumably) and/or between CD and headphone amp (w/headphones). Its been my experience that the use of cables in these applications is highly variant. For instance, from my TNT/Graham I run a Hovland phono cable and would never use NBS in a phono application, and especially with a head amp and the limited nature of headphones, or at least reach a conclusion in that context. Many times IC's that are stellar performers between source-to-pre-to-amp (the application I have been referring to)simply do not "carry" source signals well. Also, are you listening to the cables through your regular speakers? I am assuming so, because headphones just don't cut it in spatial qualities, the same spatial qialities that the NBS excels at.

Just curious; bounding the parameters, so to speak...

Asa,

The way I see it (forgive me my eventual ignorance that may result from the fact that I am not a native English speaker), you seem to be among the very few in this discussion enslaved by their own matrix, or better yet, the matrix of common mediocre thinking so much overly present in this hobby of ours today. In such case, implying others with some matrixes is.... well, hypocritical.

I know, it is hard to comprehend the logic behind it, it's price tag, it's simplicism and it's sound quality, especially considering the dogmatism of alike. It is perfectly ok and, fortunately, James can afford to have them both. Selling NBS Statement will not prove anything (okie, it would save him some $29.500 in total and would make his room visualy much nicer place to be in but that is not of relevance in this observation as even that would not prove if cable A is better than cable B if such thing as "better" by default exists at all). You may not be aware of it but just comparison of the two proves a lot, at least it does for me.

Best,
Sead

p.s. Do you prefer to value things by their weight or by the price? Or, perhaps by Stereophile rating?
...... I am kidding as I really could not care less which one of those you take as the most relevant criteria. :-))

James,

1.) oxidation on OTA, views?

It does oxidate, of course, at the ends. It is recommended to clean the ends every 4-6 months with either a specialized audiophile product for copper or just the plain baking soda. Some in excess of the cable just cut off the ends and terminate it again but in that case you should anticipate some extra lenght when making it. Baking soda is ok.

2.) Caig Pro Contact and OTA?

Not the gold one. Other one is fine.

3.) optimal contact surface area between OTA and the RCA input (reduce or increase, effect on sound, dekay please step in)?

Two twists are ok.

4.) OTA and XLR, balanced format (anybody try it)?

Haven't tried it.

5.) OTA and digital (again, dekay).

Yummy.

Best,
Sead