Acoustic Zen Silver Bytes digital cable

Another MC2 fan here. I've used about five or six different digital cables and the AZ is the one I've stuck with. Many of the others I've owned sounded closed-in by comparison. Only the Virtual Dynamics Nite was comparable in terms of soundstage size and free flowing dynamics.

You should be able to find a used one meter MC2 for around $160-180 on Audiogon.

thanks for opinions. I will try to check out both the MC2 and Silver Bytes and see which one makes more sense in my system, although I am pretty sure as you all pointed out, MC2 is superior. Just didn't want to spend that much on one digital cable, but may reconsider. What is it about this latest buzz on 1.5m legth for digital cables giving better performance than 1m? Is 1.5m really an improvement over the same cable in 1m length? Or is it just hype? do you know? I've read this whole theory about it. just wanted to know if I should get 1.5m instead of 1m.

It's not really recent hype, it's been discussed for a few years. While I have owned digital cables in 1.5 meter length, I've never compared a one meter versus a one and a half meter cable of the same brand so I don't have an opinion on this theory.

Don't mean to complicate things but recently I saw an A'goner here selling a Silver Byte and in the ad claimed that Acoustic Zen told him/her that when using RCA connectors the Silver Byte was superior to the MC2 which was really designed for balanced use? Have any of you guys heard this?

I'm curious about this because I'm thinking of trying an AZ Silver Byte also.

Tooter,

That's a first for me. I've never heard that one. One way to find out is to contact Robert Lee at Acoustic Zen.

InfoZen@AcousticZen.com

One thing to consider though. A couple years ago, I bought a BAT VK3i to pair with my BAT VK200. I was at the time and still am using exclusively Acoustic Zen interconnects, but they were all single ended. On the advice of Victor Khomenko of Balanced Audio Technology I bought a balanced version of the Matrix Ref II to run in between the VK3i and VK200. When I compared the sound when switching between an RCA Matrix Ref II and a balanced version I could hear no difference at all.

If you peruse the discussion forums you'll find examples of people realizing huge sonic gains when connecting gear designed to be used in balanced configuration, so I was shocked I detected no difference. When I mentioned this in the forums someone remarked that it's possible the Acoustic Zen Matrix II with XLR termination wasn't a true balanced design. I never confirmed this either way, but it is something to consider when someone says that the MC2 was designed to be used as a balanced connection. It would be best to ask AZ directly.

Good luck!