Acoustic Zen Satori VS Analysis Plus Oval 9

I have finally come to the realization that it is time for me to upgrade my speaker cables. Since the late 1990's, I have been using the same AUDIOQUEST Crystal Hyperlitz Bi-Wire Speaker Cables for my main speakers, Vandersteen Model 3's. While never being convinced that these cables could convey the best bass response these speakers are capable of, I remain impressed by other facets of their sonic blueprint. Nevertheless, I feel that I can put it off no longer; it is my opinion that my system will sound significantly better if I were to upgrade my speaker cables. Perhaps I am wrong.

At this point, I seek your comments and suggestions.

After doing some browsing on various audio websites, I feel that the ANALYSIS PLUS Oval 8 Solo Crystal or AUDIO ZEN Satori Shotgun speaker cables would be a good match for my system. It is very possible that these cables are too good for my system but unfortunately, I do not have an inexhaustible supply of money to really "do it right".

Please give me suggestions regarding the various ANALYSIS PLUS and AUDIO ZEN cables. I am also considering KIMBER (12TC) or (8TC) and SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH cables. I suspect I will continue to use Bi-Wire speaker cables although I would like your opinion on that issue as well.

My Equipment:

Krell KRC-3 preamp
Ayre V-6xe (L-R & Center channel amplifiers)
Benchmark DAC-1
B&K Reference 50 (SS Processor)
B&K Ex-442m (Rear speaker amplifiers)
Oppo-83SE (DVD, CD)
Cardas Reference IC's
Audio Zen Silver Reference II IC's
Auido Zen WOW IC's
Kimber KS-1011 IC's
Vandersteen Model 3
Vandersteen Model 1b

Thanks,

Regarding my old Vandersteen Model 3 speakers, I am close to opting on a custom bi-wire cable configuration of (Kimber 12TC - for the bottom end) and (Kimber 8TC - for the high). However, ... with a very limited budget doubt tends to linger in the back of my mind, could I get more "bang for the buck" by giving up entirely on the notion of bi-wiring?

I could use the money I have for this project on a single pair of higher quality cables rather than incurring the added expense of two sets of cables per side, as in the bi-wire configuration. Are the sonic benefits of bi-wiring worth the added expense for the Vandersteen Model 3 speakers?

Perhaps a single pair of say Analysis Plus Oval 9s or AZ Satori speaker cables would deliver superior sound when compared with, shall we say lesser quality bi-wired speaker cables.

Let me know your thoughts on this issue and if you have other speaker cable recommendations, configuration options and/or specific manufacturers that I should consider. The manufacturers I have looked at thus far are (Kimber Kable, Anti-Cables, Synergistic Research, Analysis Plus, and Acoustic Zen).

I did receive the following advice regarding the Acoustic Zen speaker cables:
"Acoustic Zen does make some fine cables, but should not be on the short list for Vandersteen's. They tend to be just a bit unfocused and soft in the highs, and a bit pitch indefinite in the bass."

This came from a retailer so I am not sure how much credence to give it. Do you concur with this assessment? I use Acoustic Zen interconnects and digital cables extensively in my system and I love them. I very much appreciate your valued input.

I found that the new Analysis Plus Oval 9 Black Mesh speaker cables on balance overall bested my Acoustic Zen Satori in my system. In the midrange, the Oval 9 sounded a little richer and warmer and slightly more natural and organic to me. Both have impressive bass, and I am not sure which win's out there.

As you all probably know, there is always a trade off. The Oval 9 lost just a little shimmer in the highs compared to the Satori which overall sounded slightly more alive. However, the Oval nine synergistically complemented my Zu Druid speakers (which needed a little more midrange warmth in my system) quit well.

The best cable of course, is the one that balances the sound in your system just right, and the Satori is still one of best cables around and may sound better in other systems. The Satori to me sounded a smidge warmer than the fast slightly hard sounding Anti-Cable and both the Oval 9 and Satori sound much more open than some lower rung MIT cable I once owned that seemed to deaden the sound.

A friend who also owns ultra expensive Transparent Ultra XL cables feels that the newer Oval 9 comes very close to sounding as good as them, and that the higher cost of the transparent, to him anyway, doesn't justify the slight increase in performance.

By the way, my friend with the Transparent Ultra XL cables said he thought they were ever so slightly warmer and more "Transparent" than the Analysis Plus Black Oval 9. To me, that is not necessarily a good thing for my system, as the Oval 9 cabes already seem to blend just right synergistically although I wouldn't know for sure if the Transparent cables would be better or worse for me until I hear them in my system.

For the record, it seems in general within a broad range of quality components, that the most important factor for me anyway to call a component 'better' is how a component sonically and synergistically balances out the net sound of my system - and the quality of the components itself is secondary. After all, lemonade that is sour (poor net sound), will still be sour even with the best lemons (best components).

However, having the proper sonic balance with a higher quality component is a wonderful thing. For this reason though, I am very wary when someone says something is better without qualilfying the components that it works with, or better yet, providing a comparison of how the sound of the component compared with others, and in what relative direction it moved the sound.

To qualify a prior statement, when I said the Oval 9 had slightly less shimmer than the Satori, I was not implying that the Oval nine lacked shimmer. They have plenty of that. The highs with the oval nine not only sounded open and nicely detailed to me, they seemed to cast an overall more natural sounding balance in the highs - which in my system which needed just a little more warmth, sounded more right to me than the Satori. I strongly suspect, that someone wanting a little more openness, detail and natural shimmer from a system whose net sound is a little too warm, may prefer the extra sparkle from the wonderful and warm sounding Acoustic Zen Satori speaker cables.

Also, when my friend with the Transparent Cables told me that he felt that were slightly warmer and more transparent yet than the Oval Nine, he meant "better" by a very small margin. He also has slightly bright speakers ("Onix Reference Floor Standers), so to him, naturally a little warmer means a little better. As mentioned, he felt that such a small improvement in sound did not justify the price difference between the Oval 9 and the Transparent.