BEST DIGITAL AES/EBU CABLES - 2011

I have owned the Sextet (carbon fiber connectors) and currently own the Kubala Sosna Emotion, both 1.5m and balanced. Both are excellent cables, I wouldn't hesitate to use either long term.
The Kubala is very smooth and may not have the very best bass.
So choice would depend on application.
As always: YMMV

My search hasn't been as exhaustive as some of the others in this thread, but I have found the Argento cables very good. Their SMR sounds great in my system (sorry my systems page is pretty out of date for those checking).

Hi Ijarvile,

Since I wrote my review on the Sextet over six years ago I have continued to audition many other digital cables. The only ones I have not listened to that you have on your list are the Audio Nirvana and ASI Liveline, so I can't address how they compare to the Stealth Sextet.

I still have found the Sextet to be my favorite cable in my system. It just gets out of the "way" more then the other cables and lets the music flow out more naturally from my rig. I don't think the Sextet would improve a "bright/forward" sounding system, short of that I can't imagine that it would not have good synergy in most systems. If you wanted a cable with a very slight warmth added to the mix I would then suggest the Kubala Sosna that you have on your list.

Hi Teajay,

Great input and similar experiences that I have with Sextet and in the next few weeks I will have a chance to test Kubala-Sosna (I hope) and ASI Liveline AES/EBU cables.
I am a very interested to hear what are the differences between MIT Oracle MA-X and Sextet? I know that Sextet is the best I know ...so far as not been able review Kubala and Asi yet.
Please, if somebody has had a chance to do real comparison between MIT and Sextet, your input will be highly appreciated. I have heard extremely good reviews about MIT, that its delivers almost everything perfectly, but also downsides are that its not able deliver reality and be lively sounding as Sextet? Can someone comment on that?

Teajay, my system is pretty neutral sounding, and I think Sextet is a strongest contender at the moment, but like said Kubala and ASI on the way to my and my friend systems ...And I always appriciate audiophiles you are willing to share they experiences and recommendations on the way searching the perfect audio nirvana ;=)

- Ilkka -

It's been a while since I have had other digital cables but I spent a great deal of time auditioning prior to selecting the MA-X. For me, it was simply better at everything and the gap was not a small one. Both the Sextet and Emotion are very nice cables as is the Valhalla but none of them produced the level of detail and even more so, image placement, that the MA-X did. Some of the comments above describing the Sextet as musical, rich and full sounding is very much what I heard as well. It produced a massive stage in my system and is overall quite pleasant. The Emotion is very similar, slightly less detailed and less articulate in the lower registrars.

At this level it is important to spend time with these cables in your own system. I think you will find that they all have different character's so it becomes a subjective choice. I'm a detail freak....Spectral/MIT/Wilson/Berkeley so the MA-X fits my taste well. Others prefer some bloom and more warmth and could care less about getting exactly what was done on the recording. Many many flavors for many many tastes....