Shunyata cables vs Nordost Frey

Other cable you can consider would be the Audience AU24.

I auditioned the nordost frey interconnects and speaker as well as Shunyata Aries interconnects and Gemini and Andromeda speaker cable.

Of the speaker cable I liked the Andromeda the best, The build quality of Shunyata Helix cables is stunning. I found the Shunyata very balanced top to bottom with great detail. The Frey was also well balanced but I found both Shunyata's slightly more musical and balanced. I think the three were all great though. I ended up with the Gemini as I could not justify the cost difference with my speakers. I have spent time with the Utopia Diva and I would put the Andromeda high on my list.

As for interconnects I really liked the Frey for its detail but found in picked up a little noise on my preamp. The Shunyata Aries is a very balanced interconnect but perhaps not a revealing as the Frey. A recent upgrade in my listening room required a change in placement and I tried a 3m version of the Blue Marble Audio silver interconnect. Had all the balance of the Shunyata, the detail and clarity of the Frey and a bass extension and tightness that I have not heard before. I love the BMA and plan on trying it on my sources. My system is not currently updated so as of now I use the BMA between the Belles 21A and Ref. 150A. I also found the BMA worked well with the Shunyata. I did not audition the higher end Shunyata interconnects.

what kind of sound are you looking for.....because I know the properties of all the Nordost cables?

Albert's comments are spot on. Likewise to my ears the Shunyata cables sound more natural. I would up the ante and suggest their Antares interconnects if you can swing it. The Altair and Antares ICs may be one of the best kept secrets in the current crop of cables. They have that magic combination of speed and phase coherency while delivering a deep tonal palette across the frequency spectrum. The Nordost I've heard have excellent quickness and clarity though they tend to be a bit harmonically thin - this may work better in some systems than others. Imo, the story remains the same with the speaker cables.

Good luck with your cable choices.

Tim

PS - try a set of Stillpoints under that Ayre CD player.

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