Transparent Audio IC's and Speaker Cable

Thanks for the responses guys. I really like the sound of Transparents so I plan on sticking with them. However, if I get a chance to listen to some other brands of cable, I will do so, and who knows, maybe I'll find something I like better. I do plan on upgrading the CD player, but not for awhile, because i'm saving up to get something in the 1.5k range (possibly a used Arcam 23FMJ, or maybe a DAC). Plus the isolation shelf I made really breathed new life into the Cambridge. JFrech, unfortuneatly I live in government housing, and can't mess w/ the wiring. At least I don't think I can. I will eventually upgrade to Super or possibly Ultra level speaker cables but I just don't feel like spending more than $300 bucks right now. That's enough to upgrade to an Ultra IC or Plus speaker cable. I'm leaning towards either improving the IC now, or just saving until I have $500 to get a used pair of super speaker wires. But that's hard to do when I'm also eyeing a nice new Taylor acoustic guitar. Why did I have to pick not one, but two expensive hobbies?

Regards,
Gil

Hey Gil, I also have GAS (guitar aquisition syndrom)and the desire for a killer rig. A: get the taylor first. B: listen to it a lot C: listen to your transparent cables. By the time you get through C i bet the transparent are up for sale. I compared Supers to Harmonic Tech Truthlinks with pro-9 biwired speaker cables used in both cases (VTL tube amp and pre, dunlavy athenas and an ARC CD-2. The supers had an apealing midrange warmth, no top end and a bloated lower end. The truthlinks were a whole lot more neutral and realistic.

There are suposedly a lot better cables out there compared to the truthlink (i'm way to lazy to look) but the pro-9 seem to hold their own in the cable bashings. The ht are going for $150 to $200/m for the ic with the cheaper cost more prevalent on this site and the pro-9 are about $500.00 for 8Ft. Try the ht, you can always sell em again

PA,
I have super ic and speaker wire and I'm over all pretty happy. I am like one of the other respondents too lazy to look elsewhere. I'm a big fan of the Ultra speaker cable, I would recomend waiting and skipping the super and jump to the ultras, huge difference in perform.. cost too.
My 2 cents.
M

Transparent Ultra IC's have a pushed-up midrange, a bloated bass, and rolled-off highs that lack detail and are not clean. This was the result discovered in a comparison with Audioquest Python, which is $500 a meter. I think Transparent is extremely overpriced, over rated, and they can keep their idiotic networks.

Poor Airman, I agree with you I also enjoy the transparent sound, at least at the musicwave level and above.I started with DH-Labs Air matrix I/Cs and Q-10 speaker cable. Demoed the Transparent I/C and was blown away! No comparison at least in my system. Then I found a the speaker cable used on-line and WOW,what a differance. I am using Music link plus I/C between a MF A3CD and a MF A300 int amp.with music wave plus bi-wire speaker cable to BW N805s. What I hear is a tight clean bass, smooth not harsh high end,an awsome sound stage, and plenty of detail. Transparent products are pricey but IMHO, well worth the cost. Fr