Gabriel Gold IC's are they really this good?

Well Budburma, I don't think the Raptures and Revelations exhibited the differences in my system that they did in yours. To me they were different but not dramatically so. This is probably due to differences in our systems. Frankly, I could live with either one with no problem.

rja care to elaborate on the differences that you heard between the two cables in your set-up.I found the Raptures to have a bit more more detail with greater depth and staging.I also thought that the music took on much greater realism.I didn't think this possible after owning the Revelation,but it is so.They are definately in the same family which is great so they didn't lose any of the characteristics I love.I would compare the two in car terms as the Revelations being a BMW 328 and the Raptures being a BMW M3.You got a lot more under the hood and the suspension to do something with it.
I like you also use the Revelation speaker too so I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
bob

Hey Rja-

Good for you and your wallet! For me the differences were not subtle...and mostly in the vein that Bobf mentions.... but that what makes a horse race.

As a matter of fact, I preferred a mixture of the Extreme and the Revelation to all Revelations. In a nutshell, I love the delicacy and detail of the Rev's, but missed the soul of the Extremes. It was like the difference between listening with your heart versus your mind. I also think the sounstage is bigger with the Extremes and that's something I really enjoy. The Raptures brought it all home in spades (like the familiarity of the musty smell of your granddad's sweater in the fall...comfy and rich with closed-eyed memory and emotion...but I digress) along with the sonic improvements I mention above.

Same family, as Bobf says, but a different animal...and evolutionary leap...a genetic shift instead of the normal drift...don't get me started on intelligent design; after all, i am inertia man!....but i digress (again!).

Bobf-

I have the Raptures in my main chain and a pair of Edens to my headphone amp and a pair of Extremes to my Squezebox. I would love to have all Raptures, but just can't swing it right now. I do prefer the Edens a bit over the Extremes as they offer the same soulful and natural presentation without the bloom....All the attributes are still there; detail, extension, control, pace, clarity and spatial presentation, but with enough less bloom that it seems to be a quieter background. Definitely a killer bargain and great cable. If you like a bit of midrange bloom or your system veers to the clinical, the Extreme may be your best choice.

No telling really, as rja's experience reveals. Listen and learn and let your your ears be your guide. (might just save you some money!) some ears, like spock's, really point the way (might just save you some time!) and other's just keep hungering....especially as they fall into the aging category....wearing slippers and a bathrobe....and an old sweater....

BMW 3 series? Zippy! Maybe the 5 series?....no m's in the 7 series, although i saw an m6 on the highway that had me drooling on my tie. Audio is definitely a less expensive hobby; at least that's what I keep telling my wife!

Gotta run, enjoy the tunes!

Bobf & Budburma,
I think the Raptures are exceptional ICs. Hopefully I didn't imply that they were anything but. However, the differences they exhibited in my system just didn't seem to be as dramatic as you two experienced. In my system the differences were more subtle.
The Revelation ICs have been in my system for about a year while the Raptures (which I think were brand new) were in for 2 weeks. Could there be a break-in issue? Steve did say 250-300 hours so I was just on the edge of that.
I've never been a sound-staging fanatic. The accuracy of the voices and instruments has always interested me more. And the never ending quest to attenuate or eliminate that nasty digital edge that too many CDs possess.

And the never ending quest to attenuate or eliminate that nasty digital edge that too many CDs possess.

Rja

You won't find the cure for this in cables. The only 'REAL' cure is vinyl...

Cheers,
John