Transparent , Kubala , Luminous , or RS Poiema

Well said. Dave_b, you deserved that, and then some.

Jafox, you say:

Yes until I finally learned that tuning a system through the use of non-linear cables, something that many people refer to as synergy, is not the way to assemble a music system.

Can you elaborate? You seem to be saying that linear cables are the key, but couldn't the same linear/non-linear argument be applied to other components? And how do you know which cables truly are linear (beside Joe Kubala saying that his are)? Which manufacturers don't make this claim? Are all the linear ones as expensive as K-S and Stealth?

Can you elaborate? You seem to be saying that linear cables are the key,

No, I am simply saying that compensating for a system's resultant tonality flaws is not best served by applying tonally colored (non-linear cables) to achieve a perceived synergy.

but couldn't the same linear/non-linear argument be applied to other components?

Absolutely. But with cables it is more evident, especially when many of the same type are in the system. An additive or subtractive signature becomes more and more evident as each one is inserted into the system. And this is easy to confirm by trying such an IC cable in the line-stage's tape loop.

And how do you know which cables truly are linear (beside Joe Kubala saying that his are)?

I am not going by what Joe told me, I am reporting what I heard in my own system as each of my cables was replaced one-by-one by a K-S cable. The listening session lasted nearly 5 hours. And after Joe left my home, still with his cables here, I was able to play for another week with these, and mine and several Purist cables that had arrived that week. Listening tests with the other cables later that week confirmed what I had observed when Joe was here - the cables I had been using did indeed have some serious colorations.

Which manufacturers don't make this claim?

Good point, and that is why I pay little or no attention to claims, and instead I audition such products in my own system.

Are all the linear ones as expensive as K-S and Stealth?

I never intended to imply the Stealth cables' sonic attributes here. I have not done the same kinds of tests with their ICs and Speaker cables yet. But from the few Stealth cables I have heard here, and have since purchased, they have become the benchmark for all other cables to compare. I do hope to hear these vs. the Jade cables soon. Initial impressions with these is that they are mighty good.

As for finding that tonally neutral cable that is not so expensive, this might not be so difficult. The problem here is that it is difficult if not impossible to retain all the rest of the strengths that come with the higher-priced cables. Again, frequency-response is only a fraction of the attributes to be evaluated here. The capabilities of the Io/Callisto/JL-3 electronics makes it immediately evident when a cable destroys the dynamics and dimensionality of the music. And the Stealth cables have made me very aware of the magic still lurking in these electronics. A good front end and revealing speakers helps. 8-)

Thanks.

I suggest that synergy may still be a factor in this way: depending on the components in one's system, the cables that "destroy the dynamics and dimensionality of the music" will not always be the same, nor will those that preserve those characteristics always be the same. I'm not certain of this, but I suspect it's true.

Drubin, I guess it comes down to how we define synergy and also how we avoid getting trapped into choosing components, particularly cables, for the sake of correcting other flaws in our system. How often do we see a forum here where someone is asking for a cable that has more bass or may bring more emotion to their otherwise uninvolving system. Such a priority seems a bit goofy....unless the cable they are currently using is severely flawed relative to the other elements in the system.

I've played with many line stages, phono stages and amps, all tubed gear here, to know that at least the NBS, K-S, Purist and now Stealth cables have a consistent "house" sound from component to component. The system reacts much the same way as to whether or not it is an IC or PC of the same brand/model.

Putting aside the tonality issues for which people seem to focus on to match cables and components, I have found that cables that excel to bring through the spatial and dynamic characteristics of the music are consistent with any component. I may notice varying degrees of tonal peaks and valleys between the cables, but decaying notes, placement of musicians on the stage, or the initial strike of a piano note is either clearly there or not with each cable. Perhaps my findings would be very different with ss gear but I highly doubt it.

The hybrid Counterpoint NPS400 amp that I use now and then as a backup amp reacts the same way to the above cables as do the Wolcott and CAT amps. And the CAT Ultimate II that I had on loan for a few months reacts the same way to cables as does the Aesthetix Io/Callisto. Drop in Dominus cables here and these preamps respond the same way: greater dynamic contrasts and low-end extension vs. the NBS Statement. You can still hear the significant differences between the CAT and the Aesthetix. The refined cables allow me to hear both of these components to new levels. But the cables do not influence which component I ultimately purchase as the set of pros/cons between the two preamps remains consistent no matter cable is used to compare the two.

Perhaps the question is not to search for a cable that has "more bass" or is more "involving," but rather a question of searching for a cable that allows low frequencies to pass as well as the mid-range (where the whole "involving” thing stems from) as compared to lesser cables.