Gold interconnect comparison help

I just received a pre-production version of the Antipodes Reference from Mark to compare to my Antipodes Gold. More money, but more everything, particularly lower noise floor, more PRAT and dynamics. I remember the Jade Hybrid and the Antipodes Gold being close but different, but the Reference is definitely a step up on my Golds. It would be good to have some Hybrids here to compare them with. Not sure when it hits the market though, and I have to send these pre-pros back next week dammit.

how much the SRP? Worth the diff? How do you compare the antipode gold and jade hybrid? Thx

Glory & Jmcgrogan2...

What was the final verdict in your cable swapping comparison between the Jade Hybrid & the GG Rapture?

Jmcgrogan - what amp & preamp are you using with your Verity PO's
Also, where you balanced or single ended?

Pdreher, I am using a ARC Ref 3 and a BAT VK-75SE modified by Bob Backert of RHB Sound Dezign running fully balanced with my Verity PE's, not PO's.

As for my opinion, both cables are terrific, and bargains at their price point. The Rapture had better attack of the note, which gave it a stunning clarity quality, especially noticeable on percussion. The Hybrid had a more natural decay of the note, which created a deeper, more 3-D stage, which better allowed me to hear the size of the recording venue.

Tonally, they were both on the slightly warm side of neutral, with the Hybrid being a bit warmer, and the Rapture a bit closer to neutral. The slightly warmer Hybrid gave brass a wonderful burnish hue sound which sounded more accurate to me, but again, the clarity/speed of the Rapture made percussion sound more real.

Just for comparisons sake, I would say the Hybrid sounded closer to the PAD Dominus camp, while the Rapture sounded closer to a Stealth Indra. Two very different sounding cables that will both sound great with the right gear, and may even sound best when combined together someway.

As a note: I never listened to the Rapture throughout, since I run fully balanced and Gary (Glory) does not. I compared these two cables between my Walker Signature phono stage and my ARC Ref 3 preamp. I was still running through a 2 meter balanced Hybrid from preamp to amp with both cables.

Bottom line, both cables had stunning qualities. The Rapture is certainly much better than the previous GG cables I have heard (Extreme and Revelation). I could live happily with either cable, and not look back. I found myself amazed at how two cables could sound so different and yet sound so damn good. It left me scrathing my head I must admit. That's my $0.02, take it for what it's worth.

Cheers,
John

Wow, what a great response from John on the two cables. My Hybrid vs. Indra observations were parallel to John's Hybrid vs. Rapture. If the Hybrid had just a tiny bit more energy in the highest of the highs, I would consider it flawless....well of course until the Hybrid Mk II came out! 8-) And as John points out, it is very easy to bail out of the cable changing game once one of these lands in your system.