Hi Gammajo, I'm not laughing. I have a minimalist CD-only system that costs around 5 grand. My analog IC's are balanced Mapleshades Excalibur ribbons (VERY happy with them), but tried a 3' pair of Dayton balanced mic cables for a temporary fix once. I got them from Parts Express for what? $30?? I can't quite say they were any BETTER than the Mapleshades, but I was slackjawed at just how freakin CLOSE they came to equalling them...! $30 vs $360...hmmm. In the end I chose the Mapleshade, but just BARELY.
Dont laugh
I have a respectable system and have been using several different balanced IC's in the $500+ range, but I was getting a small bit of noise, so I borrowed a 10 foot Stagg mic cable from the local guitar store, just to see if the the issue was in the cable or in my equipment. With the mic cable the noise went completely away. But I could not believe the improvement in sound. The highs more natural and the low and mid bass more weighty and articulate. So I ordered Stagg's one meter mic cable XMC1XX which they list as their audiophile grade with Neutrik connectors at a cost of $30 a piece. I put them in and crossed my fingers. What I heard was wonderful. I listened at high volume for three hours last night with no fatigue, yet all the detail and sparkle was there. Best I can tell from the diagram on the package the IC uses OFCopper, surrounded by air tubes, wrapped in a copper shielding. Give them a try against your best and see what you think. By coincidence this week Jim Smith of Get Better Sound mentioned using mic cable that he liked better than a $10,000 IC that he had.
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- 25 posts total
- 25 posts total