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Need to finally replace my 8TC, but with what?

I've been a happy user of 8TCs in my system for going on at least 15 years now. I occasionally have had other speaker cables in my system, and when I picked the 8TC back then I had tried a whole bunch. Like many of the reviews, I found the 8TC to provide a natural, seamless, spacious quality that kept me very pleased for quite a while.

Well, time marches on, and I need help replacing these. I had great luck here in the past getting recommendations for ICs, so I'm hoping anyone out there familiar with Shahinian Diapasons (not many, I know) can help again.

As good as the 8TCs are, they have a soft quality in the upper bass through the extreme low end that reduces the transparency and articulation in that range. Truth be told, that sense of needing a slight wiping with Windex exists across the whole range, although it is most apparent in the bass region.

My speakers are bi-wired, and I had a chance to try Goertz Alpha Cores on the bottom and top. The improvement in clarity and articulation when connected to the low end was obvious and immediate, but it was a poor match for the tops.

Since the Diapasons are bi-wired, and I do not want to get into mixing and matching different cables top to bottom, I need something that is like 8TCs run through a 93% alcohol scrub. Same spaciousness and musicality but more transparent, articulate, and incisive. Moderate price point makes it better.
tonyptony
friz1313's avatar
friz1313
76 posts
 
Having been a Kimber fan, I had used the 8TCs for a number of years and agree with you and the reviewers on their performance, especially at that price range. Last year I moved up to the Monocles and have been happy as a clam since.

The Monocles definitely are more open and transparent, with more of a 3D sound and extension, both bass & treble. I've heard them in a $15K system and the sound was phenomenal. I've heard $50K systems not sound as good.

The 8TCs while very good, do soften the sound a bit. Which with a lot of systems is actually a good thing. Since speakers cables were the only thing I changed in my system last year, it was a pretty clear improvement. The only possible downside is because they are more revealing, a bad record will sound bad, where the 8TCs softness, would help offset it.

On the flipside, good recordings sound really good! And the new "colorless" 8TCs do sound better than the old ones. Hopefully you have a local dealer who would let you compare the 2, and others head to head so you can make the best decision for yourself.

Best wishes.
tonyptony OP
617 posts
 
Thanks Fritz. The Monocles are a little pricey for me right now. Maybe I'll have to see if I can find any used.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
Hi Tonyptony, I was in exactly in your position. I had 8tc which i'd used satisfactorily & wanted to upgrade, but didn't have the budget to step up to Monocle wire, so I opted for a Double Run of 12TC terminated with WBT 0645 bananas. Some may say that's overkill, but hey, it sounds damn good (and still cheaper than Monocle!). And a double run of that chunky cable certainly makes a statement as well..
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Yeah, I agree with the Kimber guys here: If you like the overall sound but want more transparency and bass control, migrate to the new clear/white version with better dielectric and lower the resistance with more metal--like go to 12tc or two runs of the new 8tc.

Just about any review you read of the old or new TC series indicates that you have to spend big bucks (> $1500) to get appreciably better. I think reducing resistance to an absolute minimum is paramount to get better bass control.

Another alternative would be some used (out-of-production) PS Audio XStream Statement Bi-wire. They should be in your price range. The bass run is something like 6 or 8 ga. I use them on my Mirage M5si, which tended to sound a bit thick and dark, and they improved the transparency and speed significantly. The only thing about them is that at nearly 2" diameter and a weight of two pounds per foot, they're a bit unwieldy.
tonyptony OP
617 posts
 
Thanks Johnny. I'm still weighing my options, but if I can get some of the newer TC (used) at a good price I might give it a shot. If it doesn't work out I'll be able to resell them with little (if any) loss on the deal. I think there's a good reason why the TC design has been around for 20 years or so now. It does a great job at making music, IMHO.

The PS Audio cable reminded me of the experiments my audiophool friends and I tried in the 80s. We borrowed every high end cable we could get our hands on and tried to make every wacky design we could think of (we almost all worked for the same electronics design company). One of the guys at work found out they were disposing of heavy duty arc welding cable. It had to be 0000 at least. Weighed a ton. We figured out how to put spades on it and use it as speaker cable. It wasn't as good as we'd hoped, and just trying to route it through my living room was a laugh. :-)
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