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I need your expert advise

I am relatively new in the high end stuff. In fact, I am really probably more in the mid-high end with my gear. Being a novice makes deciding on speaker cables a real challenge. There are so many, all with those glowing reviews. My current system is PSB Stratus Goldi speakers, NAD Silver S100 Preamp with companion S200 amp. I currently have a NAD 515 CD player (my next upgrade). What I need is your expert advise on speaker cables. I am searching for a 10ft external bi-wire set up. I am currently using Monster Z2. They are fair but I'm sure I am missing something by not having better speaker cable. Room size is very large with cathedral ceilings. Speaker cable budget is $500-$600. I am more than willing to buy bulk cable and terminate it myself to save some $. When you are new to this hobby and don't have all the years of trial and error experience on cables, it can really be tough to make a selection. My musical taste is mostly jazz: Pat Metheny, John Coltrane, Eric Alexander etc. I like a warm but dynamic sound with deep punchy bass, smooth mid and crisp highs. I can't handle a bright, sharp or edgy sound. I play it loud. I'm thinking perhaps Geortz M1 2, Analysis Plus, MIT t2, DH Labs Q10 but I am wide open to advise from those who have been there. Any suggestions for my set up would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
boski
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
I don't know anything about the Monster, but I do believe that the NAD CDP may be the present weak link. You can certainly do a lot better for $600 used (maybe even consider a used DAC; could get a Muse 2 and a decent digital cable for $600).
sean
6,231 posts
 
I had a NAD 515 changer for a while and sold it to a friend. It betters many "single disc" players that cost more money. It is not "revealing" or lively sounding, as it does have the "house NAD sound". It is pleasant, warm and smooth without being fatiguing in the least.

Having said that, going to a CAL Delta and the original CAL Sigma made a MONSTROUS change in my perception of cd's and cd players. MUCH more involving, musical, airy, spacial, etc... For the money, that set-up is REALLY hard to beat in my opinion.

As to speaker cables, i found the Goertz MI-2's and Analysis Plus Oval 9's to be on extreme opposite sides of the fence. The Goertz' were very musical and full bodied sounding and the AP's were VERY bright and tizzy sounding. Obviously, results and opinions vary on this one. Sean
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boski OP
8 posts
 
Thanks to all of you for your advise.
thsalmon
348 posts
 
I think you should do some serious listening to you system. Sometimes, the music is disappointing because the recording and mastering are poor. I've noticed that some tunes that I love sound just awful on my system. It's not my system's fault, because it is just revealing what is put into it. If you find a clear pattern of weakness in your system after some critical listening, then it is time to consider changes in components/cables or other tweaks.

I'm a strong believer in the "source is all important" school of audiophilia. When you think about it, there's nothing that a preamp, amp, cable or speaker can do to improve what is fed into it. You may be able to add different colorations, but that's about all a different cable, amp or speaker can do for you. What you ideally want is to is have your system "get out of the way" of the source component.

Trying to "tune" a system with cabling should be your final consideration. Decide what CD player, amp/preamp and speakers you like first. There's an incredible number of dogmatic cable gurus around, each one proclaiming that a certain cable will cure the problem in your system. Beware, switching cables endlessly is an exercise in futility. In my experience, you will probably notice more of a difference when switching interconnects rather than when changing speaker cables.

You should think about auditioning a new CD player or DAC before buying expensive cabling. Find a good dealer who will help you. Don't trade with dealers that want to sell you a box a force your out the door. Good dealers usually offer auditions of their equipment before the sale. Trying out cables on the used market is an excellent idea when you get to that point. No matter what the "experts" say, a given cable may sound quite different in one system in comparison to another. There's no substitute for listening and deciding what you like the most. Enjoy the music, don't drive yourself crazy worrying about the wires!

T.H.
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