Hshpiro - regarding the VD cables. Long story. In order to explain I have to first say that I tried countless cables in my system before settling on Audio Note Kondo KSL-LP (which is the newer doubled version of the old Kondo AN-Vz between my source and my preamp), NBS Statement between my preamp and amp and Audio Note Kondo KSL for my speakers. Given that my speakers are tri-wire, its a royal pain in the rear to get the perfect cable in there. I went with countless brands - using jumpers between the three sets of posts - and even at one time went to the extent of using three different brands at the same time - Cardas Golden Cross for the bass driver, Kimber Select 3035 for the mids and Audioquest Sterling for the highs. While this was certainly interesting, since each of those cables exhibit rather strong qualities in the areas I placed them... it was damn expensive to keep three "top of the line" cables laying on the floor scaring my wife - The expense was in my relationship more so than the dollars spent. :) It sounded okay but didn't have the greatest coherence. Guess it was like an allstar team - individuals who perform well on their own but lack the team work required to really make a smash.
Ultimately, upon the advice of a reviewer for Ultimate Audio Magazine I tried a set of Audio Note Kondo KSL speaker cables and they were good. While they didn't knock you over with their sound, they were crystal clear - pristine - with no nasties - and didn't seem to compress the sound at all.
So given that the speaker cables were a pain in the rear, I "settled" for the Audio Notes and never looked back. While they do have a certain sonic signature, it is difficult to identify, making them rather neutral and a good cable to work with.
I got the VD cables when I read the "buzz" - I had my system right where I wanted it but felt like playing around and checking out the new guy on the block. I purchased a pair of the VD Signature interconnects used. At about the same time, Joe at JC Audio actually loaned me what was once the top of the line Signature VD power cord as well as a low end VD cord.
With the VD cables in my system, the first thing I noticed was the added "sledge hammer" bass and a "gimmicky" sound quality. I had worked very hard to make my system as organic as I could with the cables I owned (and NOS tubes I selected) but for whatever reason the VD and the NBS didn't mesh well together. It brought on a harshness to the sound so I pulled out the NBS and inserted the Kondo and the sound was more livable but still not right. I felt that the harmonics were inaccurate in my system and the bass was overloaded. The highs were shimmery & like a school of fish I could never predict where they were going next. It was a bit more coherent in that setup but certainly not an improvement over where I was before VD.
Even though my experience with the VD cables wasn't all that spectacular, I cannot say its a bad cable. In fact, they have qualities which would be pretty good in the right system.
Basically - my goal with my system has been to produce something I think sounds natural. Real. With a pace as close to the smoooothness of good analog. Subtle and delicate with finesse. Relaxing and comforting. Soothing and persistently Dreamy - yet still able to kick ass when the time was right...While I only spent 72 hours with the VD in my home and even less time listening to them, I heard the VD as a pretty dynamic cable which was more ready to kick ass than it was to give me a kiss on the cheek...but I must say, in a nice way of course, that problems I found in the cables were more in regard to my preferences & system than to the cables themselves.
I sent the Signature power cord back to JC Audio and sold the interconnects three days later. But.. I kept the low end cable and ripped it open to find out what Rick does inside there to make them tick.
Another thing I didn't mention is that the VD power cords replaced a pair of more refined yet anything but transparent Shunyata King Cobra V1 power cord and an ElectraGlide FatMan K. The Shunyata ads a surreal quality to the digital front end and the Electraglide adds a vividness to the texture and a smooth seamless intensity to the dynamics. Whether or not the VD's were broken in, I do not know but they certainly lacked the refinement of these two cables.
Anyhow...its getting late so gotta shut this one down.
With the VD cables in my system, my system became someone elses system - the sound might have been right for someone else, it just wasn't right for me.
