Sean: It is a loose adaptation of a concept shared with me by Richard @ Vantage Audio. Their design (which I do not feel comfortable sharing) is of course much more refined than this "wing it" cable, but I really cannot thank Richard enough for his guidance on this project (I really enjoy his "out there" thinking). Oddly, I received an email which stated that other OTA user's had benefited by making the "Cold" lead a bit longer (just the opposite), but this did not pan out in my setup. Yes, I suspect that this is all system dependent and my intention was only to point out that one should not "limit" themselves when designing a cable. I don't feel that we really know enough about this "whole thing" to do so @ this stage in the game. Based on the EE comments that I have read @ AA the OTA cable should not function as it does, anyway, but it does in that it provides full frequency response from the LF's to the HF's (other 26 gage copper/Teflon cable that I have experimented with does not). Go figure. If three people were to "share" one of the kits @ $200 a pop, they would receive enough cable/RCA's to make up a single pair of 10' speaker cables and a set of 1.5 meter (or longer) analog IC's (each). I think that you would get a kick out of this product in one of your lower powered systems (don't know if I would want to pump 1000 watts through it though:-).
Someone should kick me in the keester
No matter how much I know and learn about audio, I can still be completely oblivious to some of the most basic things. Today I discovered a new dimension to that fact.
For quite a long time I've been complaining (privately) about the lack of detail, imaging, and overall clarity my system had, in spite of the quality of its components. I spent a bit of time swapping tubes, changing interconnects, and adjusting the speaker position without a great deal of success at cleaning up the sound or providing a solid soundstage to my satisfaction. While most of my friends couldn't hear the problems I described, I certainly did and it lead me to think that this might be as good as it gets.
A few weeks ago I decided to order some parts to build the Max Rochlin memorial digital cable, partly because I needed a project to keep me busy, and because it was the only cable in my system I had not yet replaced. I finally got around to building it this morning (for those that are thinking about trying it, it took me about an hour or so) and discovered after installing it that I had an entirely new audio system. The soundstage was right on the money and rock solid, the music was clean as a whistle (even through Moussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition), the bass tight, the midrange a thing of beauty, ... I could go on.
Anyway, it turns out that my suffering for the past year or so was due entirely to an inferior digital cable and nothing else. I had been very skeptical in the past about the differences a digital cable could make (bits is bits?), but I now stand both red faced and enlightened. I'm not entirely sure that I understand the physics behind the change I made, but it does seem that there are things about digital transmission that I need to brush up on.
Anyway, if confession is good for the soul, then let me be the first to give my spirit a lift :-).
For the record, the system is mostly CJ (17LS, Premier 12's, DA2-B DAC) with a Pioneer DVD as a transport.
-- Ken
For quite a long time I've been complaining (privately) about the lack of detail, imaging, and overall clarity my system had, in spite of the quality of its components. I spent a bit of time swapping tubes, changing interconnects, and adjusting the speaker position without a great deal of success at cleaning up the sound or providing a solid soundstage to my satisfaction. While most of my friends couldn't hear the problems I described, I certainly did and it lead me to think that this might be as good as it gets.
A few weeks ago I decided to order some parts to build the Max Rochlin memorial digital cable, partly because I needed a project to keep me busy, and because it was the only cable in my system I had not yet replaced. I finally got around to building it this morning (for those that are thinking about trying it, it took me about an hour or so) and discovered after installing it that I had an entirely new audio system. The soundstage was right on the money and rock solid, the music was clean as a whistle (even through Moussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition), the bass tight, the midrange a thing of beauty, ... I could go on.
Anyway, it turns out that my suffering for the past year or so was due entirely to an inferior digital cable and nothing else. I had been very skeptical in the past about the differences a digital cable could make (bits is bits?), but I now stand both red faced and enlightened. I'm not entirely sure that I understand the physics behind the change I made, but it does seem that there are things about digital transmission that I need to brush up on.
Anyway, if confession is good for the soul, then let me be the first to give my spirit a lift :-).
For the record, the system is mostly CJ (17LS, Premier 12's, DA2-B DAC) with a Pioneer DVD as a transport.
-- Ken
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- 18 posts total
- 18 posts total