What compares favorably with Audioquest Niagras

Audioquest DBS 72v give you a stunning timing and one of the best blacks.

Other brands do n ot have these levels of black. It gives you a more 3 dimensional and physical stage.

I would stay with AQ. You may want to try a copper cable. For me, AQ silver usually sounds good going from a source to a preamp, but AQ copper is better between an amp and preamp. And the combo holds true when I swap components. I always prefer the silver/copper combo. I know other people get different results so I would definitely try it first, before you commit to a purchase.

It looks like we have similar taste in equipment. How do you like your Romulus? If I ever buy a new CD player, its on the top of my list to demo.

The problem in silver is that you need at least the Wild Blue Yonder to get a more warm mid freq. The quality of silver and thickness has a big influence on the sound silver can give.

It is difficult to find a cable which owns all parts for the absolute sound ( I call it total sound) in just one cable.

In most cases you need different brands to create all parts in a set.

When you listen at highend level the difference between the copper ( we compared the Colorado, niagra, sky and Wild Blue Yonder) and silver cables from Audioquest are very Obvious.

The better Silver cables like the Wild Blue Yonder give a more physical image. It even becomes more intimate. There is more decay and the stage is wider and deeper. Also in the low freq. you get a better timing and more authority.

The Wild Blue Yonder also can let you hear much better differences in heights of a recording.

Of course cables are all dependent on system synergy and personal tastes, so there really cannot be any blanket statement of "this one does it all."

That said, AQ are nice cables, but I've heard better in my system, even for less dough. With your Vandy and CJ gear, I'm not surprised that the Cardas cables sounded dull. The AQ will be livelier, but I think you may be better suited with some cables from Tara Labs or Stealth Audio. As always, YMMV.

You have to fit in cables very precise. But Audioquest can give you a higher endresult compared to most other competitors, when you have the demand to create all parts for the absolute sound.

For me it is very easy to hear the differences. I hear it in a few seconds. For most other people it is less easy. So what I do is telling people as easy as possible what the differences are. Often I sit behind the client.

It becomes very clear in what it does. When you focus on all parts for the absolute sound it is quite easy to win battles against other competitors. Often they are incomplete. I explain clients what is missing and it is even easy to understand why it is incomplete after adding those properties which are missing.