New Zu Mission cable

Why are all the comparisons in this thread only within the same brand? Have none of you ever tried any other brand? How does Mission compare to other brands of cables that many of us have tried?
Thanks,
Art

Hi Art

I know for me the Zu Mission and WAX speaker cables I had were the most expensive cables I've ever had. Before them I had Monoprice speaker wire, Belden 5000UE and very old Cobalt speaker cable. I didn't think it was a fair/worthwile comparison since many members here have much more pricey cable than what I have and would like Zu Audio's stuff compared to the bigger more expensive brands.

I've seen several threads where all the commentators simply compare cables within the Zu line, rather than compare to other brands, which is necessary and interesting and NORMAL.

This is bizarre and has definitely scared me off of the Zu brand of cables for the moment. I'll just wait to see how this sorts out.

When you will take a look at the countless answers to the questions "how does brand Abracadabra compares to brand ching-ching cable?", you will very likely do exactly the same thing as those who ask such questions: buy the cable brand proposed in the smartest answer.
Then, 2-3 days, or 2-3 months, or 2-3 years later, or just after burn-in time, you will wonder if the brand evenbettercable is worth it. ANd it will twitch so much, so much, so much! that I guarantee you will buy a new set of cables again, and again, and again.
Usually, the opinion of a Zu cable follower (try facebook), is -in short- Zu "sounds" better to me than anything else, with my gear in my room.
The other brands believers will have another answer.
And some others will tell you to go and get that orange extension cord you know where.
As for me, I hope tomorrow the idea of getting a better cable won't twitch too much because I would like to really like the Zu idea of best cable at any price. If it twitches, I will try to let my old super ZuZu burn-in a bit more, at least 2 or 3 more hours. Seems that these days Zu is on a great mission. An American Audiophile Revolution.
Wouldn't be more fun to swap speakers instead of cables? Or move the speakers a few inches? This will have a greater impact on sound - no money back garanteed.

12-01-10: Artmaltman
Why are all the comparisons in this thread only within the same brand? Have none of you ever tried any other brand? How does Mission compare to other brands of cables that many of us have tried?
Thanks,
Art

Since the thread was about Zu Mission, many of us were responding with our best frame of reference--other Zu cables. It's particularly significant to Zu customers because the new Mission line covers maybe three of their former lines, seems to be considered better than their previous top line while costing much less.

In response to your question, I have used so many different cables it's hard to recount. My past speaker cables includ MIT 750, PS Audio XStream Reference Biwire, lower level Audio Magic, Monster M1000, Tara Labs, Belkin OCC PureAV Silver series, Cobalt, and StraightWire Ribbon 8. ICs include Kimber PBJ, Timbre, and several pairs of Hero, AudioQuest Blue Racer and Black Mamba, and some Tara Labs and Monster and StraightWire's original The Conductor.

The PS Audio Xstream Biwire had a list price of $1500 for an 8' pair, is 2" in diameter, and weighs 2 lbs. per foot. Unwieldy doesn't begin to describe it, but it's neutral, clean, fast, and weighty. Easily the best speaker cable I'd ever had, including a double run of the MIT 750H. I would say the Zu Libtec I got this past May is easily the equal in all ways to the PS Audio, but is even faster, more dimensional, more coherent and focused, more extended, all while having about a 2" bend radius and barely 1/2" in diameter.

So why wouldn't I be going nuts about it? I'm not hyped up on Internet buzz. My enthusiasm started from personal experience and is based entirely on putting the cables into my system after over 20 years of trying many brands of cables in various configurations and with different components.

Google for Kimber Hero and it's been the longstanding darling of budget high end, even being either component of the year or budget component of the year at bot TAS and Stereophile. And after 5 years of using Hero in my home theater system and another year in my analog-based 2-channel system, the Zu Wylde ICs are as extended while being faster, cleaner, and even more coherent.

I find the Zu's to generally be fast, clear, coherent, and yet full-bodied and extended. I was seriously considering getting a little subwoover for my 2-channel system ... until I swapped out the cables for Zu Libtec speaker cable, Wylde interconnect, and BoK power cable. My enthusiasm reflects the value I perceive that I got out of their cables.