Reviews of $10k plus ics, speaker wires, and pcs

Mapman, I have heard the HFC top ics and speaker wires on five systems now and never quite heard what I have on my two systems but nevertheless always heard a great improvement.

In answer to your question about less expensive ics that work as well, all I really know is that they are clearly better than my Exemplar Portal LLC balanced ics, which in turn were better than everything else I have ever heard.

I hate to think of all the trial and error involved in really answering your question about synergy. I do think there is some truth to it, but not enough to wipe out the total effect. I had the Exemplars for a long time on three different speakers, four different amps, seven preamps, two phono cables, and in two different rooms, I never heard any others that ever equaled or surpassed the Exemplars. The Skogrand SC Air Reference speaker cables, however, got very close.

Of cours, these experiences are not the total population of trials but they are enough for me.

FOr me, so far, the DNM Reson ICs are the ones I like to work with in general, and use exclusively in my main rig currently.

These cost me generally between $100-$200 from a Canadian dealer that used to be on Ebay. They are hard to come by in the US it seems.

I like these in that they may not always sound best in any system, but tweaking to synergize with them if possible seems to pay the greatest dividends. They are not shielded however, so that must be taken into consideration when using. I am a big believer in minimizing common forms of noise and distortion as much as possible, especially when digital gear and large nearby power transformers are involved.

I owned the Valhalla loudspeakercable for 12 years of time. When the Odin came out I had a chnage to compare it with my own music with the Valhallla.

Odin had more authoritity, drive, decay and a more 'natural'invloving sound than the Valhalla. It cost a lot more.

I still think Nordost is imcomplete when you Judge a cable for all different parts there shouls be for the absolute sound.

I've heard Nordost High End wires once that I know of in a 6 digit tube amp dealer system with Magico Mini 2 speakers. It was very good sound in a smaller room with the Magicos, especially for classical music. but pop/rock genre left me somewhat cold for those $$$s. I expected perfection always with a system like that.

I sold Nordost for over 9 years of time. I sold a lot of Valhalla in the past as well.

The limitations are involvement in the mid freq. Not an intimate realistic proportion of instruments and voices.

Other brands also can give a wider and deeper stage.