Transparent Reference XL or Nordost Valhalla

hi Danny, i owned an all-Transparent Ref.XL system for 3 years and enjoyed it. at that time it bettered all comers in the total package of speed, dynamics, detail, transparency, etc. then 2 years ago i started hearing better cables.....the best of which were the Transparent Opus mm and the Valhalla, both of which i now own. the Ref. XL is still a very good cable.....but there are now more than a few better ones, including the Valhalla; which is way more open, fast, detailed, dynamic, and transparent than the Ref.XL.

i also owned the 112 for a short time and it matched well with the Valhalla. the Valhalla can be too detailed and open for some speakers.....the result might be too lean or whitish sounding. so if you want to let us know what speakers you are using we could venture an educated guess on that issue.

i believe at this level of cables system synergy is very important and you need to listen and compare if possible before you buy.

Mikelavigne offers wise advice. I would take his last statement one step further and say that synergy is important at any level. There is absolutely no way to predict which cable will sound better to you in your system. You will have to try them.

Great advice guys, I really appreciate the input. I own a pair of B&W Nautilus 802.

Danny, the N802 would be on the lean side of neutral.....i would recommend auditioning the Valhalla before purchase. there might be other cable that would have a better balance in your system. if your source gear is "lean"....read "digital" sounding the balance might be strident or forward....it comes down to taste. in a vinyl system with a "rich" sounding cartridge it could be perfect.

be patient with the cable matching process for best results.