Acoustic Zen Matrix..for me???

You might want to go with a balanced cable. I've tried both rca and xlr with my arc amp and found the xlr was noticably better. ARC recommends this as well. I use a vt100m2 and a bat vk-5i. I've also used/owned the arc ref1 and the ls5mkII with this amp.

I tried the az silver ref ic and thought it was one of the better ic's I've heard. Great harmonic content, no silver harshness, very good transparency and easy to listen to. I did however feel that it was overpriced for it's level of performance.

I didn't hear them a/b, but I did compare both to the same reference cables, and I felt the az and the ht pro silway II were about the same distance off. I would personally just buy an ht pro silway II. If you can find one cheap, you might also try some ARC linklitz cable. Those lose out a little on the transparency, but they are very warm and have a great midrange with arc electronics.

The satori speaker cables are excellent and imho the audio buy of the century. Unless you want to pay for a 3000+ retail speaker cable, I would go no further. I found them to be very close to the best speaker cables out there.

So, buy some ht prosilway II, and some satori's !

Hi John .... I was considering Balanced but my other ic are RCA to RCA and I was told that may not be too good.....

comments?

The idea behind that advice is that running balanced end to end will lower the noise floor overall. This is probably true with all components that are designed as balanced circuits from end to end.

Most of the time I really don't hear that much of an improvment of balanced verses single ended. I usually try both when I have a choice. Balanced verses single ended really is component dependent. Sometimes I hear an improvement, but most times the difference is too small to be concerned with.

I've used a variety of preamps and cables with the vt100m2, and I do hear a marked improvmement running a balanced cable from pre to amp. A long ic is also better served with a balanced cable because of it's noise cancelling characteristics.

I think the Silver Ref is better than the Matrix, but it should be at half the price, more open better detail etc.. I think the Silver Ref is at a much higher level than Pro Silway 2, Matrix is even much better than Pro Silway 2 in my system. I have owned them all at the same time and compared them directly. Just because Zen's designer used to work for HT and the cables both utilize zero crystal design doesn't mean they sound the same. In my opinion the Zen cables are the best I have tried at any price including very expensive stuff.

Whoever tells you the Acoustic Zen and the Harmonic Tech sounds the same, should get there ears cleaned out.The two cables are quite different.I have compared a New Silver(when I say new I mean the one shipping from AZ the last few weeks, Robert lee has been changing the Silver drastically), to the Nordost Valhalla.The Zen steeped all over the nordost.The Harmonic is not even in the same league.The topology of the cable is completely different.AS for the Satori Ejlif is 100% accurate in his statements.As for the connector type, theoretically the XLR would be the best choice, however if you asks around the audio industry , everyone will tell you Rca is the better sounding connector.