Purist Audio, Venustas or Aqueous

Boa2, thanks, I just read that other thread. I can only conclude that in my (very articulate) system, the Venustas probably sound just like the Aqueous does in your system.

I wouldn't know, other than to say that I thought the Venustas were extended and transparent until I heard the Aqueous.

so has one of you compared the Dominus PC to the Aqueous ? Since I've some money left not buying the Venustas ic en spkr I might spend it on the pc's. Same thing goes. I don't need more baseslam but I want the best overall performance and balance. What would it be ? Dominus pc of Aqueous pc ?

Raytebeest: I have not heard the Aqueous Anniv (AA) PC's but I have 7 Dominus B & C PCs throughout my system. The Dominus PCs regularly sell on A'gon in the $800-900 range for lengths of 1m, 1.5m and 2m. And considering this is $100-200 less than the new AA PCs being sold here, the price difference is minimal IF the Dominus is truly the performer. Only a direct comparison of the two at each component could answer that question for you. But I would not assume that the AA is your only option...just keep your eyes out for Dominus PCs here. The Opis PC might also be worthy of trial. A lot of people shift their components around and need a longer or shorter length.

As for sonic differences of AA and Venustas ICs and speaker cables, many A'gon threads have covered this subject. I find the AA more vivid and tonally rich but I would not describe them as any more transparent or extended than the Venustas. The Venustas has more of a mellow presentation vs. the out-into-the-room presentation of the AA. A direct comparison of these from my Manley DAC or Io phono stage to the Callisto was consistent with this observation. There's no right or wrong answer as you have to try them out for yourself in your system. otherwise you will forever be wondering if you made the "right" choice.

Nsgarch: I recently played again between the Dominus Phono vs. Venustas from my Clearaudio Accurate cartridge to Io. The Dominus brings on so much more midrange body to strings and voice. The Venustas is quite impressive, but once you hear the Dominus, you know why it is sooooooo much more $$.

Ray - I have done the comparison that you asked about (Purist AQ Anniversary vs Venustas)and here are my conclusions:
The Venustas gives a more "back of the hall" presentation than the Aq Anniv, which is more like being in the 5th row. The Venustas is a bit softer in transients throughout the music bandwidth, while the AQ Anniv is mellow in the midrange but has greater extensions at the frequency extremes. Neither cable suffers from brightness of any kind and both have very natural note decay. Both have great soundstaging when broken in - wide, tall, and deep. Both are excellent with ss as well as tube gear. The AQ Anniv is more prone to need to settle down for 3-4 hours after moving it than the Venustas, because of the combination Ferox/fluid. My preference with my system is/was the Aq Anniversary, but you certainly wouldn't regret going with either.