Analytical, revealing COPPER w/

"However, I have heard XLO sound thin and bright on equipment that is not so laid back."

John,

That is very interesting. I had owned the original XLO Reference Series (green & purple) with Solid State Gear and it worked very well and a similiar sound. I definitely agree that it is revealing of what is put through it though.

Thanks for the good points.. Always good to hear about other experiences..

Cheers,

Chris

Chris,

How about with Theil, Wilson or other speakers that are more revealing?

That is why they make so many flavors anyway.

Cheers,
John

"How about with Theil, Wilson or other speakers that are more revealing?"

That would be interesting as I have not owned a pair of Theils or Wilsons. However, when I referenced owning the Reference Type 5 Speaker Wire and the Reference 1 Interconnects above. My system did consist of a YBA Integre and JM Lab speakers. This system of mine was very detail oriented and not as smooth as my current system but the XLO was by far the best of breed of any of the wires I had tried with that setup. Also, keep in mind I mainly listen to Rock & Roll which is rarely recorded perfectly. (Wires used with that setup were various models of AudioQuest, Cardas, YBA Diamond, Tara, XLO, and Kimber)

Regardless, I do see and understand your point and agree that the SIG 2 Wires are definitely not the cables for every application.

Having run a High End Audio Store for several years right out of college enabled me the luxury to try an obsessive amount of gear and cables in my home over the years. Not to mention, Audiogon has just made things super easy to try things by buying and selling gear. What I am getting at is that I have heard the majority of what is out there. I guess it all boils down to personal preference and system synergy.

I have enjoyed corresponding with you in this post..

Respectfully,

Chris

I second the XLO.
Extremely fast, detailed, and will not high any flaws. It's almost silver like.

Scar

Having tried the XLO Signature 2 balanced cable just lately, I can attest to most of the comments here. Jmcgrogan2 had summed up the characteristics of the cable nicely. I am not sure if these cables are actually adding anything into the signal path. *just kidding* I had previously thought I was getting all the speed, detail and dynamics I can get with Nordost Frey but the XLO was even more dynamic and quicker. Finer details I have never heard before come popping out of nowhere. The mids are more prominent and fuller in comparison to the Nordost Frey. Not only that, the bass slam of the Signature 2 was the most astounding thing that I had ever experienced in my system. I didn't expect one cable can affect the bass so drastically.

If one desires to add some speed and dynamics coupled with incredible bass slam to his/her system, the XLO Signature 2 is a worthy consideration. Or maybe I should rephrase my sentence> If one desires to pass down the full information from the source to the preamp right down to the power amp, the XLO is it. I am still not sure if it's right to characterize any cable as dynamic or fast or having great soundstage and depth etc. since they can't be adding anything into the signal path? Sometimes it's just difficult to describe on the sonics of cables due to this fact. Having said that, the XLO is definitely worth considering if dynamics, speed and bass slam are the traits one is seeking.

Of course there are many other excellent options available in the market, but this XLO cable had definitely struck a nice balance in my system suited to my listening preferences. Cables can be so intriguing.