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Jeffrey Fiori(Before the Indra: dedicated ground added) Let me begin by saying I honestly did not expect much from a dedicated ground. My intuition told me this can't make that much of a difference. I began by playing a Cal Collins cd, 'Interplay', Concord 4137-2. A CD I am very familiar with. My reaction was "jaw dropping". I was stunned. ------Warmer, more base, a lot warmer, fuller. I had to listen to 3 songs before I could even write a note on what I was hearing. By song #3" People Will Say", the cymbals on Jake Hannas' drums were clean and clear. I could hear the pick hit the strings on Herb Ellis' guitar. The notes are separated, not blended together. On the guitar duel on song 4 "That's Your Head", You can pick out the 2 guys. They have a separate position on stage. WAY more analog sounding. Warm, smooth. Never heard the voice in intro to song 6-"I Got It Bad" sound so natural and smooth. Very easy to listen to. No fatigue. I have the urge to turn up the volume, and I never listen loud. Played Coleman Hawkins "Soul" , Prestige 096-2 The soundstage depth is so real. Hawkins sax on song 1, "Soul Blues" is clean with no edge. The high notes here will make you cringe. Not now. Just smooth and clear. Kenny Burrell's pick hits the guitar strings. After one hour, I think it has gotten better. after 2 better yet. Day 2: Played The LA 4, 'Zaca', Concord, 4130. Song 1, "Zaca", You can heard the hollow body of Laurindo Almeida's accoustic guitar. The clapping is real. The music is taking place in front of me. More detail. Even the cat has positioned herself in front of the speakers in the middle! Again, I swear it's better than day 1. Song 2-"You Can't Go Home Again". Bud Shank, alto sax, starts, very real. Drum hits are real, you can hear the heads as Hamilton hits. Song 3 "A Child is Born", Base and guitar start out together, base is tight, mids from Almeida's guitar are incredible. Song 4----I can not take the time to write. must listen, too much detail. Played Inya, "A Day Without Rain" Repise. 47426. song 10 'one by one'. I always go to this one when I make a change because it's very hard to resolve the background violins. Not now. They are very clear. Great. I have played a lot more this past week, and the results have been the same, HUGE stage, detail, and depth. The space seems to be the biggest improvement. I don't know the right words, 'reflections, ambiance, what ever, It's all good because I want to listen more. I must say, this seems to be one of the biggest single improvements to my system yet. Who'd thought... (Hybrid MLTs and Cloude Nine cords added) Hooked up the Mlt's, plugged in the cloud 9, must write! Played Cal Collins, Herb Elllis, 'Interplay' CD. Concord 4137, track 4, That's your Head. Huge sound stage-----It fills the whole front of my room, and deep. I am amazed at the "size" of the performance. It's as if I am in the bar room in front of the stage. It fills the space in front of me. THE BASE. A lot more base, and it's tight. Ray Brown plays base on this CD so you know it's the best, and it's the best I have heard Brown. When Cal Collins and Herb Ellis break into a guitar dual, I started to laugh out loud. The highs are much better too as Jake Hanna's cymbals are crisp and clear with less edge. This rocks. The improvement is on a level with Indra interconnects. Now I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would like to stay up late and listen... (Indra, two pairs) I listen mostly to classic jazz from the 50's 60's and some newer. I listen at low levels. It has required some effort to put a system together that produces all the dynamics of this music at lower levels. My criteria is simple, if I'm listening longer and louder, I'm headed in the right direction. The results that follow are in the right direction. I've listened now to the Indra on 3 systems. In each case I compared the Audio Magic illusion, Stealth PGS-3D, and the Indra. The systems and results are as follows. System 1
...Played Zoot Sims/Jimmy Rowles, " Warm Tenor", Pablo 2310. Audio Magic Illusion: Not much music coming through. What did come through become fatiguing after about 15 min. The highs were rolled off. Had an edge. PGS-3D: ' Liquid' is introduced for the first time. Highs now present. The midrange is pleasing, no grit. Took this low-fi system from unlistenable to rather pleasing. The low end improved a little bit but is weak. Sound stage got wider but is not very deep. Drum sticks are present for the first time. The piano now sounds like music. Indra: Cymbals are here! Breath from sax is present. Piano resonates! Some base is coming through. I'm hearing instruments for the first time. Less digital edge. Drum sticks are hitting the drum head. Music for the first time with this system. I get the feeling the cable ' fixed' some problems with the electronics, and left me with their limitations, but presented them in a way that made the system listenable and somewhat enjoyable. Saying a lot considering what we started with. System 2:
Played Sergio Salvatore/John Patitucci, "Always a Beginning", Concord Jazz 4704 Cables compared were between dac and pre-amp Of course I am now listening to way more of everything. This made switching cables more interesting, especially as noted for Indra below. Audio Magic Illusion: Highs rolled off, what is present made me want to do something else after about 10 min. had an edge. This system put the base back in although it is boomy, not tight. PGS-3D: Highs coming though now. Piano makes me smile. Quite pleasing. Biggest difference seems to be the mids to highs. I listen the entire CD without wanting to turn it off. Indra: 2 things have arrived. The music, and the room the music was made in. For the first time I am presented with a music hall (room) in addition to the music. I can more easily forget about my listening room. The piano has volume. The base is now tight. Highs are crisp, clean and powerful but not harsh. The drum head is felt with each hit of the stick. I am excited! Downside: Music sounds a little like reverberation units we had in our cars as teenagers----which delayed the sound to the rear speaker and gave you a sense of a big space. It quickly became fatiguing back then. This did not fatigue, but was not something I would say was good either. System 3 Same as above but the B&K's were removed for VAC Signature mono blocks. (Note: The difference in amps is staggering. More of everything with way less edge. More separation between instruments. More base. Soundstage is deep and wide. Music seems slower (not a bad thing, as in wrong timing, but good in that I'm enjoying it more.)---this seems odd. Once again I switch between the 3 cables. Cindy is present for a comparison session and her comments are included.) Played Sergio Salvatore "Always a Beginning". Concord Jazz 4704 Audio Magic Illusion: Music is dry. The piano sounds muffled. I am aware I am listening to HiFi. Base is somewhat boomy. Highs are rolled off. Not much space between instruments, after only 4 minutes it became irritating, causing me to lower the volume. At the lower volume, it lacked dynamics. I did not make me want to listen to more than one song. {I don't want to sound completely negative about these cables, I liked them with my old Conrad Johnson electronics, but they're not working for me now} Cindy: Lacks vibrancy, pizzazz. PGS-3D: Warm, more liquid, midrange (piano) is no longer muffled. Base is tighter. Midrange is glorious. Drum head i presented as a head, (skin) Music has a volume, way more detail. Still sounds HiFi.(note: I may be spoiled, I have heard the Indra already) Cindy: Wider sound stage, distinct instruments, more crispness of sound, especially the piano. Indra: More base, way more. The room is brought in for the first time. (as in system 2 only more so) The effect is "you're there" (no longer HiFi): greater cymbals, and snare drum. The two are noticed as distinct for the first time. The subtle scat voice in the background on one song came out with the PGS, is now awesome with the Indra. Not out of place, just distinct. Able to play this cable at low volumes with no loss of anything. Don't want to turn it off. Cindy: Everything is up a level. The scat voice that was not identifiable before as a voice, is now distinguished as a voice. vibrancy all the way though. Back to PGS-3D: Depth of soundstage shrinks, dryer, flatter, HiFi again, Base is not as tight. Cindy: less pizzazz, umth---You could turn it off and that would be fine as opposed to Indra--Now you want to hear the end of it (the CD) Back to Indra: Everything is up a notch. Liquid less edge, A triangle is struck and sounds real. I want to keep listening. Base has a resonating volume, it's coming from a wood instrument. The subtle scat voice in the background has a position in the soundstage. Cindy: It's right here. Vibrancy, wider notes. I think the best thing about the Indra is it's ability to get me to forget I'm in my listening room. I'm there! (after Srajan's first review) The "three-dimensional space exploded" is probably Indra's most poignant quality. "also removed electronic tension and effort" is also true.-----that said, the lack tension and effort was truer for the cryoed cable vs. the non cryoed pair I had. I suspect Indra responds well to the process. As for the "reported lack of advantages when inserting a second Indra", ????? where did this come from. Not me. My second pair made about as much of an improvement as the first. I can't remember if it was a little more or a little less improvement, --I did not make a note---but the point is moot. It was big. I will try removing a pair again, when I get the time, just to see. But the fact that I have not had ANY inclination to do so, proves my point. Last Saturday a non- audiophile friend stopped by for a chat and asked to hear something. We played side one of Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jean Sibelius, symphony No. 5, E flat. Gary's face went blank when the music started. He sat right down and did not move until the side was done.---Let me tell you that Gary considers his ears to be damaged from 25 years of flying airplanes. He is a captain for American Airlines. But the music gave him goosebumps. He played trombone in orchestra in high school. He kept locating the different positions of each section in the orchestra. Maybe his ears are not that bad. Or maybe Indra is that good. The non-audiophiles are the best judges. (production Indra versus beta: first pair with STEALTH connectors) I must say, I was quite surprised at the improvement the new connectors make. I wrote the following notes the first day. Day 1 -no break-in. Played Ray Brown Trio, 'Soular Energy', Concord 4268. MORE detail, noticed immediately. song 1 Exactly like you---Strings on Brown's base have more detail. They are vibrant. You can hear the wood. The piano starts with a better tone. The notes are more alive. The brushes on King's drum are more there. All this increased detail, with, most important, less edge, it's smoother. Harris' piano on #2 'Cry Me a River', is more of the same. The notes last longer in space. They fill the room better, the sounds seems to fade behind me, like it does live. At this point I switched back to the pair of Indra with the Cardas connectors.------Not as smooth, less detail. Less involving. This is NOT a subtle difference. I switch back to new connectors...I won't be going back. Played Louie Belson's 'Big Band Explosion', "The Art of The Chart", on Concord 4800-2 Song #2, The intimacy of the Blues. The horns here are my usual test for 'edge'----NONE here, gone, a big difference Sense that first day I have played many cd's that I am familiar with. They all sound new, fresh. I now hear things for the first time. Similar to hearing the Indra in the system for the first time. This is clearly the next level. I have also switched back to the Cardas connectors with the same result as above. As you know, this is between the Bremen DAC, and the Vac preamp. Congratulations, this is a hit. Once again I am amazed at what is locked up in this system. I had a few non-audiophile friends over to listen the other day (actually all my friends are non-audiophiles) and they said it sounded better than live. I was thrilled at the comment. (second pair upgraded) ...I was so excited that I changed my afternoon to install them and give a listen. I must say my expectations were sky high. I started with everything cold. I was a bit disappointed at first. ----let me clarify----it was immediately way better than the Audio magic illusions I have been listening to for a month. More base, much of the openness in the midrange was back, along with the highs. This I could remember from a month ago---it's amazing how little we forget once we have heard something. This may be why it is impossible to go backwards in this hobby. Now of course this is stone cold. Within 5 and then again at 10 minutes in things started to improve. As one would expect. Gene Harris' piano on #6 Solar Energy, the Ray Brown Trio came back with the magic I had become used to. The base started to tighten, I was hearing all sorts of things that had been missing for weeks.----It was a great experiment to listen 'back' with the Audio Magic while you had the Indra. That said, I must say, the improvement right out of the box was not as great as with the stealth connector 1 meter Indra. The good news is, cold, with no break-in, these new connectors sound almost as good as the fully broken in pair with the Cardas connectors (which took 100-150 hrs to break-in. maybe more as I broke them in on a second system and then noticed a continued improvement as they settled in on my main system.) I will of course, make notes as I break them in... I have been listening the last few days, somewhat in disbelief, it seems too good to be true. The sound is WAY better than it was, and i only have 20-25 hrs. in. As I listen I sometimes find myself laughing for no particular reason. I started to notice that as a got up from my listening chair during a song, the sound remained true. The "sweet spot" had increased! Then as I moved about the room, I noticed the whole room was a sweet spot. The experience was like that of live music in that you are not limited to one particular chair. Musicians do not play to only one chair. They play to the whole room. Audio, it seems it plagued with the problem of a 'sweet spot'. Not now!--- I can walk around and enjoy from many places in the room. That alone is worth it. And the sound------Way better in all ways , laughably so. I'm amazed, and still not broken in yet. Thank you very much for taking this system to a new level. I am hearing things I have not heard before. It's very interesting that this particular upgrade has upped my enjoyment so much and at the same time (or at this time), I find the specifics do not seem as important as before. Anyway-----enough rambling--I'll talk to you soon. ( and provide some specifics) I imagine you can tell I like this :-). (after two weeks listening to two pairs of Indra, both with the STEALTH connectors) : ...These new stealth connectors on the long Indra have exceeded my expectations, and my expectations were high. I now have heard the new connectors on both the short and long Indra. I must say the connectors have made a bigger improvement than the Indra itself! The effect was even greater on the long Indra than the short. (maybe this is due to the cumulative effect) As I mentioned before, the soundstage increased. The 'sweet spot' expanded to most of the room. On recording after recording the
effect was the same. Increased dynamics, more low level
retrieval of information. I kept hearing things that were not
apparent before. (beta testing continues) I have just inserted the Varidig with the BNC connector and will let you know what I find. Next will be the Sextet. I very much look forward to hearing and comparing both... I have started to listen the Sextet. It is VERY good. I'll put together the details shortly. Stay tuned. Jeff F.
Nov 2004 system:
Hugh MandesonThen came the Indra It has been my very great pleasure to know the designer and to be using Stealth cables since about 1997. I believe I’ve owned or heard every model he has produced since then from the original Fine Line to the current and truly awesome PGS Gold 3D. I’ve been a fan of recorded music a very long time, I got my first taste of an audiophile music system in 1973 and was bit hard by the audio bug, I’ve had some kind of system of my own since then and usually some good stuff, I m real lucky on used gear and I’ve had some gems. I received my degree in audio engineering and record mastering in 1983. Now I use my main system for audio production; mixing and mastering. I believe it to be up to mastering lab standards, but I have a big edge using Stealth Audio Cables. I’ve owned and listened to many cables over the years. Now only Stealth give me what I want. Every year Serguei has sent me something new to listen to and without a doubt every year he completely blows my mind. This man knows something or is damn lucky because his cables take music to a higher level. I think he knows something, understands something that most other designers have no clue about. His first cable was the FLR. The Cross Wrapped Silver that followed just demolishes the FLR, and then the M7 was a real breakthrough, a serious breakthrough that brought the space and dimension I never thought possible. The PGS followed and indeed were superior, in many ways the quality was fantastic. The M-21 raised the bar and definitely revealed more detail and space, certainly beyond what44.1k/16bit could offer, the limit had been hit in my humble opinion and I thought I was satisfied. Silly me. Well, I upgraded my turntable finally and also began recording at88.2k/24bit, I needed more resolution, the PGS 3D was just that, another level of resolution. Here was space, depth, and dimension beyond my expectation, far beyond. It was truly startling and another breakthrough in cables. Nothing else was close. The 50/50 cable seems quite close to the PGS 3D but has a different tonal character and I use it on another small tube amp based system that often glues guests to the chair. On my large main system the PGS-3D was perfect. Many musicians shook their heads and expressed their love for the sound. I have a friend who has been doing live sound and designing electronics for over 40 years. He never believed cables mattered; well he’s changed his tune on that after a listen or two. I’ve had to remix just about everything once these where in the system. Drums are just out of this world! I’ve gotten very careful with reverbs too, they have to be right on or immediately sound fake. Then came the Indra. Serguei first told me about the Indra upon finding this very special wire. Always a skeptic but trusting him at this point I of course asked to audition these when it was ready. It’s been in the system now about 6weeks and it’s never coming out! On first listen one is always kind’a off balance, it takes the brain a few moments to adjust and then relative comparisons can be made. The Indra is quite different in that sense; it changes EVERYTHING. It has no distinct character of its own at all. You hear every bit of the source and your electronics, in your face. The music sounds completely unbound, completely physical and apart from the speakers, right in the air. Images appear solidly both in front of and behind your speakers as well as beyond and above them. To say these are detailed is wrong. Better to say that these obscure no detail whatsoever!. Unless you have the finest sources, components, and speakers these cables could ruin your perception of your system, drive you into upgrades to try to keep up with these amazing cables. The 3-d-ness of the PGS-3d has not only been exceeded, it has been blown away. I was really stuck by how much more portrayal of height there is and not only depth but also I swear you hear the air behind the instrument bodies! Voices especially have a spooky disembodied presence, like hearing the microphone feed direct in real time, that ‘oomph that gets lost in the recording chain. I’m a big fan of “classic” two microphone recordings, and to say the Indra brings you right into the performance is an understatement. The performance comes to you and envelopes you in a way that is almost paranormal. I love it! What really blows me away though is how multi-track mono (studio) recordings sound. My god you can hear every element as clear as if in the room with you. Every microphone, every reverb, breathes, room ambiance, tapping feet, utterly beyond my experience, completely beyond anything I’ve been able to hear before. These cables are absolutely scary; it’s foolish to talk about how the bass or the highs ‘sound’, there is no sound other than the signal you give it. You’ll have no idea how much is in a recording until you hear it through an Indra. Words cannot describe what you cannot hear and the Indra is beyond description. I invited my audio designer friend over and played them a fantastic John Renborn LP, "A Maid in Bedlam" well Geoff is not often speechless but all he could do was shake his head and groove on the music. He gave me the highest compliment I’ve heard from him (“I’ve never heard James’(Bongiorno) amps sound better , he said.) You have to know him to understand that he’s been designing tube amps since he was 14. My solid-state amps were a liability to him (although he had modified them for me) but it was the Indra that did it, he heard it before with thePGS-3D and said it was good but with only the change of the Indra he was blown away. He even made me remove them so he could see and touch them. I was already sold but Geoff is my sounding board, and mentor, He was ready to buy a pair! I can now listen to my 1st generation 88.2k/24 bit orchestra recordings and be brought to ecstasy. I literally cried the first time I played it with the Indra in the system. So good, so so good. Even television audio is enhanced and I’m watching more of the Jazz channel lately. It is a pleasure and if you believe that the better it sounds the higher the enjoyment, get ready for real musical BLISS. Keep the Kleenex handy. Please take my word for it, the Indra is as good as it gets. It is positively supernatural. What it does for music is take it to the highest level, where the technology becomes invisible, it disappears and there is only the sound, the music, and all of its soul. It’s about art and communication. The Indra takes the art of musical communication and puts it into orbit. Serguei has taken the art of the audio cable all the way to Pluto in my opinion. My highest and most heartfelt recommendation; The Indra is the King of all audio cables! Hugh Mandeson, Music Lover and Audio Engineer, Santa Barbara Sound and Recording. P.S.
Notes from the past. Let me tell you a bit about the 50-50 cables. I first
listened to them attached to my DAC to the preamp. I had been
using the PGS 3D Gold
signature there from CES. When I saw the smaller PGS' I wondered
what was up. the fact is they indeed have a more open image then
does the Signature! It is subtle but with my system easily
audible. Next I tried the M-21. This is so close to the PGS but
has less of a sonic signature, in fact possibly the most
transparent interconnect I've ever heard. The PGS delivers more
very low level ambiance and also is a bit more "3D" in
the image. Some folks may think it sounds recessed (as do the
M-7s) but it is actually preserving more spatial and low level
information. A few more hours of listening and then comparing
vinyl to CD I finally placed the PGS 3D signature on the phono
preamp and the M-21 on the CD. The slight extra resolution of the
PGS is lost in the 16 bit of the CD and so now my phono sounds
unbelievable, just incredible and the DAC is awesome through the
M-21. Then I went for the most important cable in the system, from
the preamp to the biamp (crossover) module. I had been using a
"gold" IC, smoothed out any harshness of the silver
cables everywhere else. Well swapping that with a PGS 3D really
blew my mind. Not only do these conquer space but it reveals the
spaces within the space. Remarkable, so natural sounding.
Incredible detail, a considerable upgrade using just these two
cables. I then tried the
50/50 cable. Wow, this should be a fantastic seller for you. First
off it sounds louder than any other cable. How this can be I know
not but it sounds louder. Fantastic space, detail, and quickness.
It adds "meat" to the individual instruments,
palpability deluxe! What killed me though was the bass. The bass
was to die for! Not just the low bass and actually the mid bass is
what came alive. Not just in clarity and presentation but a
suppleness and fullness of tone that is addictive. Honestly I hear
increased bass dynamics using this cable.; Possibly it is due to
replacing the circuit breaker last week but I was stunned. I never
heard such bass in my room. I could eat it with a spoon! However
extended listening reveals some flaws. Despite the massive
luscious bass it has a boost in the presence region 5k-7k that I
find irritating. It kind of sounds like an old large condenser mic
including the proximity boost. It is hard to find material that
makes this obvious but I have one track of a female vocalist with
the most sibilance I've ever heard and it is unbearable through
the 50/50 (to me, in my particular system, coming out of a Conrad
Johnson Premier 17ls tubed preamp). When I listened to a lot of 2
microphone acoustic recordings (Opus 3 & MALabs stuff) the
image is also very strange. Things are too close and too wide and
bit too tall. Now this is me being ultra critical, most people are
going to be blown away. Just a fantastic sounding cable anyone
will Love unless they are into image as much as I am. Returning
the PGS 3D and the M-21 on the DAC is just so natural and
realistic sounding. Just a hair less dynamic, I am so very very
pleased with these. Maybe the 50/50 needs more break in but I
prefer the PGS 3D. I am still using M-7s from the crossover to the
power amps. The 50/50 and M-21 are too short unless I redo the
entire cabinet. I tried a few combinations, so tempting to try the
2m PGS 3D, it will reach the bass amp. I just have to be careful
with money. I am so happy with these two, M-21 & PGS 3D that
it is enough for me now. Hell, it is now honestly the best sound
system I've ever heard. Next year I will replace the two end of
line cables to PGS 3D without a doubt. However I may try it this
weekend and I may go for it now if I can't help myself. I think it
would be best to get another pair of power cables (an M-21 and an
M-7 signature) and add those to my power amps. So I believe I
would like to keep the 20in M-21 and the 1M PGS Gold plus get the
2 power cables I mention for this trade if that is okay with you.
However I will keep an open mind and listen some more this
weekend. Plus I guess I need to hammer out an exact dollar figure
on the system and RAID tower, and freight so I will work on that
today. We shall talk about finalizing the trade soon, this week. I
may stick to your original offer of 3 cables and resell one but I
now have an "extra" GOLD 1m & M-7 signature 1M
cables. Many possibilities. I wanted to get back to you and tell
you how fabulous these cables are, the M-21 is a stunner, the PGS
gold has no peer, and the 50/50 just kicks ass, Krell lovers
should be flabbergasted... ·
Charles Chen
Stealth 50-50 Evaluation: I attached my own opinion (in parenthesis) on top of my frind's opinion in the following text regarding the GS50-50 cable. We believe it is a very competent cable, but not a good fit for our systems.
Positive Points
1) Quiet background (I agree) 2) Very well behaved through entire sound spectrum. (I agree) 3) Very good resolution & focus. (I agree) 4) Very good side-side, front-back soundstage, including rear soundstage width. (I agree) 5) Good punch in mid bass. (I semi-agree. It doesn't stand out much for me.) 6) Good size of sound, but not top-notch. (I agree) 7) Can be useful in taming a bright and forward solid state system. (I agree)
Negative Points
1) The overall sound is not lively enough and a bit too dark. (I agree) 2) Leading edge of sound too soft, lacking attack & excitement. (I agree. The attack on piano is too soft for my taste too.) 3) Doesn’t “let the notes go” and sounds a bit “tight”. (I semi-agree. Even after 100 hrs, still sound a bit tight) 4) The softness imparts a filmy / veiled sound. (I semi-agree. I also think its is an unpleasant quality) 5) Soundstage and midrange too recessed. (I agree. It is too distant for my liking) 6) Midrange lack bloom, body and presence. Midrange also slightly tilted upward but still acceptable. (I agree completely. The vocals do not separate toward the front with enough contrast.) 7) Soundstage height is not impressive. (I did not notice, but in retrospect, probably agree) 8) Does not have ultimate high end and low end extension. Also not enough bass quantity. (I agree. Bass extension, control and musicality on Eagles Tequila Sunrise can not compare to NBS Statement II) 9) Piano and cymbal decay too quickly and sound different from silver or copper cables (unnatural?). Also, cymbal does not crash, splash and soar. (I agree, but not sure if its unnatural, just “different”—and I don’t like it.) 10) Doesn’t sound expansive with large scale music. (I agree. It doesn’t have the huge, sweeping, holographic feel). 11) Separation of instruments in space is not top-notch (I don’t agree, but do believe that separation on NBS and Audio Note is better).
Compared to NBS Monitor I & Statement II: The sound of NBS is more open, more dynamic, bigger and more robust. There is a sweeping, holographic feel on top of a very solid bass foundation. NBS has more of a midrange presence, and bass extension / control / tunefulness that is far more preferable to us than that of the 50-50. The high end extension on the Statement II is a bit rolled off compared to Monitor I and AN-Vz, but is better than the 50-50. The Monitor is slight more neutral than Statement II, and offer better high-end extension, and a slightly more linear sound. The Monitor I also compares to 50-50 in a similar manner with a bigger, more dynamic, more open and more robust sound.
Compared to Audio Note AN-Vz: The offers a cleaner, more crisp, more airy sound that is huge, effortless and elegant. The AN-Vz produces a high that crashes and soars. It can be a bit unforgiving on bad recordings. Its bass extension is not as deep as NBS, but it is rather competent , being deeper and more tuneful than the 50-50. The midrange, like the 50-50, has a very slight upper tilt, but it is different in that it sounds closer, more textured and more intimate with more body and separation. Its midrange presence is similar to the NBS Monitor I, but with a more elegant and liquid sound. The overall sound is a bit thinner and brighter than the NBS Monitor I.
Ozhan Otalay
It is unfair to compare cables before burn in, but the enthusiasm does not let me wait. I want to share my firsts impressions of STEALTH Ultimate Ribbons. First we opened the package and installed one cable to the right channel only, left channel was originally running by MIT 750 CVT (around 900$ retail) We made one channel testing. First my friend said that the MIT cable is better, after 5 minute of listening, he yielded. Stealth URs clearly became more transparent; cellos, violins became more apparent with full detail and presence, he and other audiophile friend accepted immediately. MIT connected speaker became so dull as if somebody put a thin curtain over it. We also expected the Stealth cable to be immediately softer, milder and silky - but it wasn't. Then I came home and connected one UR cable to the right channel for another quick testing again. (Bi-amping mode, STEALTH UR connected to mid/tweeters only, not to the bass). The other channel was connected by 70 cm Transparent cable, taken from Wilson Watt/Puppy's internal wiring. I don't know what level of cable is it, Reference or Ultra, no idea, but it is a very good cable, the best match to my system so far. So at the beginning, there was no major difference, even with two speakers running, it was difficult to tell UR cables from the Transparent, but after half an hour listening, focus of the speakers moved to the Stealth connected speaker as if this speaker had more mids/treble. With each channel running seperately, Stealth was more silent, upper frequencies were cleaner than the Transparent, but expected softness was still not there. I connected both channels with the UR cables and kept my equipments running with burn in CD full night and listened again (after 7 hours burn-in). The expected softness became apparent in the morning. Especially upper frequencies were silky smooth and clean - better than I've ever heard in my system before... After more break in, it became clear that the Stealth UR cables made really big improvements in mid/high frequencies. As it was predicted human (female) vocals became smoother and more natural. Especially the big difference for me was in the upper frequencies. Treble became so clean with lots of air, definition of notes such increased that any third person may clearly hear the improvement, not only me. The differrence can be compared to HDCD versus "normal" CD. Most of Jack Luissier records are recorded in HDCD format, (Satie/Ravel - definitley audiophile) and their unique upper frequencies were noticeably superior to "regular" CDs, but with URs, some of my "regular" CDs were also playing like Luissier. The UR cables are great, and I am going to keep them!... Another point is, if I have such an improvement from a 60 cm cable, I might also have big improvement if I replace the original signal/spkeaker cables of my Cary's with Stealth wire. I guess I will try doing that... System:
Of course you may put my opinion and email on the WEB site. Ozhan ATALAY oatalay@teknolojiholding.com Regarding to the Hybrid MTL cable, I would like to share my comments with you.
Cable has very good and careful workmanship. But the inner colours of orange and green makes the cable very cheap and simple looking . I would use red and gray instead. My cables before were UR biwire, one set to bass, other set to treble and an UR jumper from treble to mid, the new MTL is tri-wire, means there is no jumper, 4 connectors are eliminated and internal wiring of Avantgarde is also eliminated. (That was the only reason I changed my already good sounding UR) So the impacts are double, one is the new cable itself, another is above mentioned elimination.
CON's
·
TESTIMONIAL by Tom Patton ... I must have died, and I'm
now in audiophile heaven! All STEALTH cables I have are
spectacularly good! I'd say the Premier speaker cables are better
than the Audio Magic Spellcaster II in EVERY way--but I'm not good
at distinguishing ways, I just feel an overall effect of being
much closer to the music (literally, the musicians, I suppose). My
wife said "It's even more like having the piano right
there." (referring to a solo classical pianist playing Liszt.)
There is certainly more detail, in every part of the frequency
range, and a particular sweetness to the treble. Nick
Gowan of True Sound said my Quads turned out especially well
in regard to the highs, the best he'd ever managed. I now believe
him, but it took the Premier cables to show me. The first Stealth cables I heard in my system were interconnects: two Fineline Reference (FLR) pairs and two cross-wrapped copper (CWC) pairs. My system has two positions for interconnects: from CD source to preamp and from preamp to power amp. I tried all possible combinations of cables from the FLR and CWC pairs in these two positions, and each made my system sound a lot more vivid and detailed than it ever had before. But I ended up keeping the two CWC pairs. They gave me an incredible background of silence, and the feeling that I was hearing the ambiance of the recording venue in extraordinary detail. A lot of people, on hearing my system for the first time, say, "It sounds like the musicians are right there!" The CWC cables greatly enhanced that effect. My previous interconnects were AudioQuest Diamond, MIT CVT Terminator, and some I braided myself using Kimber AGSS wire, which were sonically similar to Kimber KCAG. I then added Stealth Premier speaker cables. The cables they replaced were pretty decent ones I made myself, using a lot of expensive Kimber AGSS multistranded silver and AGSC solid silver. Those homemade cables were clearly superior, in my system, to the MIT CVT Terminator cables I had in the system for several years. They were inferior to a set of Audio Magic Spellcasters that I used for a short period. But the Stealth Premiers were an order of magnitude better than all these other cables, in every way: vividness, "palpability" of vocalists and instruments, detail, transparency, solidity of sound stage, and especially dynamics, both quiet and loud. My guess is that all these improvements have a single generic cause: the signal sustains a lot less damage than before, as it moves from the musical source through the audio chain to the loudspeakers and my ears. Some day I may want to test that theory. But it would be just to satisfy my curiosity, for I couldn't be happier with the complement of Stealth cables I now have.
Wrong, I've just become happier!
I've just replaced three of my power cords with Stealth power
cords, two of them the high current model. Soon after power cords
became a "flavor of the month", I bought six Classe
cords, then two Cardas models, and then started making my own,
using high-quality silver-plated wire. (I sold five of these to
one of Vancouver's high end audio dealers.) The Stealth AC
cords were better than any of my previous kinds, simply
letting more of the music through. Listening to bowed bass, I
heard the bow bite into the strings, and the woody resonance of
the instrument's body, like never before. It was very close to as
good as live. I did a comparison between Premier and Ultimate Ribbon speaker cables (one more time) yesterday: the same four CD cuts in the same order on each. I definitely like the UR better. In the old days, reviewers for The Absolute Sound used to talk about Yin and Yang, meaning something like light and dark (or dark and light?), and whether a given component was one or the other. I think the Premiers are shaded toward the dark while the UR's are lighter. But not "bright" in any bad, fatiguing sense... Having now tried two Stealth speaker cables, Premier and Ultimate Ribbon (UR), and two competitive interconnects, cross-wrapped copper (CWC) and cross-wrapped ribbon (CWR), I can say a bit more about which sound "warm", which "cool", and so on. Not that I'd put it in just those terms. But with the UR speaker cables constant, the difference between CWC and CWR is (i) that CWR is "voiced higher", as I find myself wanting to say, and (ii) that CWR occasionally makes a level of detail prominent that (even) CWC can't match. I say "prominent" because with CWC it's plainly also there, just not as striking. ... I got an even better insight into Stealth wires last night. I have two near-identical Shallco passive preamplifiers, built around dual mono "true stepped ladder" attenuator switches of the highest quality and using Holco and Audio Note Tantalum resistors (the best "sounding" resistors there are)up there with the best. I have Litz wire in one of the passive preamps (similar or identical to the wire used in the Stealth CWC). In the other, I have 32 gauge high purity round silver, as used in the Stealth cross-wrapped silver (CWS) interconnects. Only a few inches of wire added to the signal path, but what a difference in sound it makes! I haven't decided which I like best, and maybe I never will, since it seems to depend on the recording. I tested my wife on it blind, and she definitely liked one better on two musical selections and definitely liked the other better on two others. There was no hesitation on any of the four. If nothing else, it got me over the idea that even as simple a preamp as these Shallcos of mine can be "neutral". Both are better on detail, transparency, and noise floor than my CAT SL-1 III, despite its having a factory-simplified signal path. (Various switches removed from the signal path.) But both use wire, and wire just isn't "neutral". STEALTH 99.99% pure GOLD interconnects - the vehicles of sonic joy! The Gold interconnects are magnificent! The best (from STEALTH and anywhere else) I've heard yet. Their "voice" is quite different from the SCR I've been using. But while I'd call the "voice" of the previous CWC DARKER compare to SCR, I'd call the gold "voice" simply FULLER. I was aware of the bass more, and there was a softness and sweet purity to the sound, but this wasn't due to a subtle loss of detail, for there was rather a GAIN in detail, across the whole frequency range, as far as I could tell. One thing that struck me was the impression of "separate but together"--or maybe it should be "together but separate", since what I want to emphasize is the way an individual instrument stood out, while being musically RELATED to another instrument on the other side of the soundstage. (I was listening to a small jazz group accompanying a feme vocalist when this struck me.) Maybe this could just be called good soundstage presentation, but there was a unity of separate parts that was impressive and pleasing. Another thing that struck me was the superior dynamics, which were already good with the SCR's. Things "jumped out" at me in a quiet way, if that makes any sense. Another thing to say is that the gold seemed to bring me closer to the musical event. So much, for the moment, about the gold. Except to ask you why you came to suspect that gold would be worth a try? And maybe the same question, why IS it so good? When I changed back from the gold to my old SCR's (unbalanced 1M, to be absolutely clear), the SCR's sounded "thin" by comparison. I've already said, however, that the opposite to "thin" isn't "thick", or even "dense" (which I might say about CWC), but rather "full". More was there, with the gold, but in "uncrowded" fashion, and not in the least "homogenized". (None of STEALTH cables would I describe in that way.) I next went back to the gold for a while, and then made a final change to the balanced SCRs. I expected the gold to be "a hard act to follow", as they say, and was ready to hear the balanced cables sounding "thin: as my old shorter, unbalanced SCR's did. But the nicest surprise of the evening was that they didn't! I'd say I lost relatively little of the quality of the gold when I switched to the 9' balanced SCR's. I was especially glad about this since these are what I'll be using for quite some time to come, I'm sure. I'm not sure how much to credit the balanced configuration and how much the thinner ribbon, or how much credit goes to XLR versus RCA connectors. One way or another, these new long SCR cables sounded remarkably good. In particular, they certainly didn't sound "thin", and a LOT of fine detail came through. So thanks so much for sending me these vehicles of sonic joy! I have auditioned all (or almost all) STEALTH cables, and my general advice on Stealth cables is: order different types, more than you plan to use, and try them out thoroughly; keep the ones that please you the most (there is no problem to return what you like least). If you have comments, or further questions, please feel free to hit me with them. Tom Patton
___________________________________ Stealth Varidig versus Illuminations D-60 (a short review) by Boris Afanasiev, boraf@lamar.ColoState.EDU Varidig. Well, in short, it has returned to me the pleasure of listening to music. Here's is how it happened. Several weeks ago, I upgraded from
my Luminous Audio Allegro (a very good budget digital cable, $90
value), to an Illuminations D-60 ($350 retail) based on glowing
D-60 reviews. At first, I was pleasantly surprised how much more So, thank you very much, Serguei, and congratulations: your Varidig cable has bettered the famous Illuminations D-60, which has been praised by many audiophiles. My D-60 is now up for sale. Equipment used:
_____________________ Stealth Varidig versus Illuminations Orchid, STEALTH SCR versus Audioquest Opal X-3's I was glad to participate in the beta test program for the STEALTH Varidig digital cable. I was using a highly rated balanced Kimber/Illuminations Orchid cable with my Muse 5 transport and Classe DAC-1 and although the sound was very smooth, I was not getting the dynamics/soundstaging that I had hoped for. When I installed the Varidig silver cable, my system came alive, not only were the vocals smooth and soft, but the dynamics were fantastic. The sound staging and instrumental separation was a night and day improvement making listening a real pleasure. I was so impressed with the Varidig cable, that I had to try STEALTH SCR Silver Ribbon Interconnects which needless to say, were also a dramatic improvement over my Audioquest Opal X-3's. I replaced the AQ Opal's between my Classe DAC-1 and my Sonic Frontiers SFL2 preamp and the detail really improved. I heard backgound vocals and instruments that I had never heard before on CD's that I had played over 50 times! Anyhow, I'm a true believer in STEALTH cables and would be happy to tell anyone that your cables are the best buy on the market, proving that true audiophile quality is in the listening and not the cost! My system is:
PS. The new Fine Silver Ribbon speaker cables for the treble/midrange sound great and I can't wait for the Premier speaker cables for the bass! Keep up the great cabling! Best Success! Feel free to use me as a reference Kent Keyser kkeyser@sdccd.cc.ca.us ______________________ STEALTH CWS cables versus KImber KCAG, MIT 330 and AudioQuest ( Jim Gaffney, Roscommon Audio/Video roscommon@home.com) I have already established that STEALTH CWS cross wrapped silver interconnects are quite special. Initially they sounded lean, edgy with little bass extension. After about 100 hours of break in, I started the evaluation with chamber music to get a read on tonal accuracy. Immediately there was a holographic sound stage, with more depth, width and height. The Kimber KCAG's sound stage sounded much flatter and compressed. The cross wrapped silver made the cello richer, more full bodied with a delectable timbre that suggested an immediacy of instrumentation I have never experienced before. The cross wrapped silver simply had more "air" to seize an over worked cliche'. The bottom line: STEALTH Cross Wrapped silver interconnects removed the "veil" that existed between the KCAG and the music. I also had several pairs of Mit 330, and audio Quest interconnects, but they were not really in the same class sonically as STEALTH cross wrapped silver therefore I did not do a direct comparison. I have lived with these latter cables for months and recognize they are very good, with great body and detail. But they simply could not compete with STEALTH cross wrapped silver. Well done! P.S. I have noticed that STEALTH cross wrapped silver interconnects sound even better approaching 200 hours of use! Equipment used:
the CWS cables are "incredible" when I first installed them. I can't image that they will get better with use. Far better than anything I have ever used. The difference is like night and day. _______________________________ STEALTH CWS versus Transparent Ultra interconencts ( by Makoto Kobayashi mzk20@amdahl.com ) I had received three calbes (Varidig AES/EBU digital cable, a pair of CWS Cross wrapped silver interconnect cables, and a pair of SCR Silver Ribbon interconnect cables). I did extensive listening with the cables. I started with the Varidig digital cable between the Waida 20 and the 27. My first impression of the Varidig is that it sounded louder than a Japanese 6N cable with BNC terminals. Then, I realized that with Varidig, high frequencies and low frequencies were more extended. By the way, Wireword Gold Starlight (old model) made little difference compare to the Japanese cable. Next, leaving the Varidig, I replaced the Transparent Ultra between my Spectral DMC 20 pre and the DMA 180 amp with STEALTH Cross wrapped (I also tried removing the DMC 20 from the signal path and used the digital attenuator of the Wadia 27, which is quite good; The Cross wrapped cables were used between the Wadia 27 and the crossover (designed by Demian Matin and made by Entec). The Cross wrapped sounds very good; neutral in one word. By comparison Transparent Ultra lost some high end frequency. With the Cross wrapped, it sounded quietter on the backgorund, and stereo image was more natural and better focused. Then, I tried the Stealth Silver Ribbon. The Ribbon sounded more high-end and low-end frequencies, but less focused and less quiet than the Cross wrapped. The Ribbon sounded more bass heavy, but not as tight as the Cross wrapped. In one word, the Cross wrapped is excellent. I would like to congratulate you for this cable. The Varidig digital cable is also very good, although it doesn't make as noticeable improvement as the Cross wrapped does. I must note that is valid for the equipment I used. Different evaluation results may be reached with different equipment, as usual. My current system consists of:
CDs used for this evaluation are:
Makoto Kobayashi mzk20@amdahl.com ______________ STEALTH SCR versus Transparent Ultra and Audio Reference w/XL interconencts (by Greg Graff ggraff@webtv.net ) ... Thanks for the oppotunity to try both STEALTH CWS and SCR interconnect. The following is my assessment of SCR (silver ribbon), its the one that sounded best in my system. As an introduction here is my current system:
I have a long narrow room (13X33) with various sound pannels and other damping for a semi Live end/dead end. When properly tuned, the system is capable of projecting a true three dimensional sound stage with each instrument having its own three dimensional space. The easiest way to describe the differences between STEALTH SCR interconnect and the Transparent Ultra is to imagine the difference between great transistor and tube amps. Stealth wire is very detailed, with very solid/deep base and better transparency. The Transparent is more rounded with less detail and looser base. The Transparent has a more tube like midrange with slightly less high end extension. But it is able to project a three dimensional image significantly better than STEALTH. My system is unique because I have NEVER heard one capable of reproducing space in the sound stage as well as mine. My audiophile friends also have never heard one either. For the cost difference ($950 for the Transparent versus current $430 for the STEALTH SCR) the vast majority of systems would be better off using STEALTH cables. Of an interesting note, on Linda Ronstadt "Sentimental Mood" I could actually hear the skin of the snare drum on STEALTH wire. I had never heard that before... I have since spent the last three nights audiioning the new STEALTH 99.999% Gold interconnect wire and here is what I have found. I placed the Stealth Gold interconnects between my pre amp and power amp. Music includes analogue and digital- specifically Burmiester II CD (Stevie Ray Vauhn's Tin Pan Alley), Engina Watercolors, Vollenwider White Winds (CD and analogue), Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon, Harry James- Still Harry, Linda Ronstadt with Nelson Riddle and the Classic Recordings remix of Reiner's Scheherazade. The Interlink House gold interconnects do some thing better than I have ever heard from another interconnect. Its midrange is liquid and provides the best reproduction of harmonic structure in this range that I have ever heard. You can catch the subtle nuances of strings vibrating as they are being bowed or strummed. Its upper midrange provides bite without brittleness. The lower midrange is slightly lean, giving a more realistic presentation to woodwinds and cellos. The soundstage is first rate with very good depth and width only falling short of the Tranparent in the ability to project a true holographic image. Even then, its just short of the Transparent's ability in this area. The wire is extremely transparent with good focus and detail. I am in a quandry about the latter. Since it is so sweet in the upper midrange, I feel as though I am missing the leading edge transient. But then I hear some things in the harmonic structure I have never heard - even with the Transparent. Leaves me wondering if this isn't like comparing good tube and transistor equipment. Where the wire falls down compared to my reference (come on now I'm comparing the STEALTH wire versus $2,000/meter wire after all) is in the area of dynamics and base reproduction. The Interlink House wire is somewhat soft in the botton octave, not going as deep and tight as the Transparent. The Interlink House wire also does not resolve microdynamics as well as the Transparent. Gradients between ppp or fff are not as distinct. Overall, this is a very good wire that should be auditioned by anyone put off by the high price tags of the "name" interconnects. On a price/performance measure, I believe that this is a real winner. Greg Graff ggraff@webtv.net _______________________ STREALTH SCR versus Alpha Core Sapphire: I WILL BE KEEPING STREALTH SCR. It has less bass initially, but then you realize it is less congested in the mid bass, but it goes subterranean. The mids are just illuminated and the highs have no steel. Just great. So I will be trying more in the system slowly to see if the system as a whole improves or if the combo Alpha Core Sapphire (pre-amp), and the SCR are synergistic match of differing advantages. Yet again, a winner from STEALTH! Robin Wyatt, robin.wyatt@tradition-ny.com _________________ STEALTH UR, FLR, CWS and Premier cables versus Kimber KCAG and AGSS silver interconencts and speaker cables. ...I recieved the Stealth Ultimate
Ribbon silver speaker cable
and CWS
interconnects (which I ordered after being really impressed with
the Stealth Premier loudspeaker cables and Fineline Reference
incorconnects I ordered before. I listened to my system and really
did not want to hook up the silver speaker cable because I really
liked the STEALTH Premier copper speaker cable. Also I thought
they were just starting to break in, too. Oh well, what the hell!
- I decided to A & B them even if the silvers were going up
against the coppers with out the chance of being broken in. I
decided to play a LP called Midnight Sugar by three blind mice.
First I played it with coppers and it sounded great. Then I
switched to the UR silver speaker cables and listened to the LP
again. Oh wow! They sounded cleaner on the top end, more detailed,
just more live. What can I say but thank you so much for the great
designs. Now I can't wait to order STEALTH power cables... Ken Randazzo razzo124@email.msn.com ___________________ STEALTH UR and CWS versus Nordost Solarwind (silver-plated), many copper cables I am using a true bi-wire pair (4 cables each side) of UR and a pair of balanced CWS (cross-wrapped-silver) to replace the Nordost Solar-wind cables (bi-wire + XLR interconnects). The cables were purchased direct from stealthaudiocables.com which I came across from its EBAY auctions. What it strikes me is not the much more extension of treble or bass, it is just like the UR/CWS combination removes a dirty window in front of me and let me visualize the music like I am almost able to touch it. Suddenly the soundstage does not only have width, it has depth and height. I can hear the changing of breath of the saxophone player which I did not realize it was there --- there is just much more information than before. The music is played in an easy & effortless manner that I believe I am hearing the true sound of my CD player & amplifier & speaker, without any coloration from the cables. No comparison between Solarwind & the pure silver cables. Pure silver cables are in a class of its own, they would beat any silver-plated ones no doubt. They are very expensive, but I feel the price performance ratio is acceptable considering the sound improvement. Bad points: I hope Stealth cables have model names on the cables. Also the UR cables are so thick that I have to hook up the left speaker cables to the right output terminals of my amp (and reverse the CD output) so that I can avoid bending the speaker cables at the amp side. Also only silver spades are available, but I prefer silver banana ones. Good thing though is I believe the spades are made of pure silver as they are so soft that they can be bent easily. Also these cables need run-in. More time I use it, I can hear even more. I am using Wadia 850 via CWS to Mark Levinson 331 via bi-wired UR to Apogee Stages. Now my Apogee can go down to about 30++ Hz clean & clear (better than adding a Sunfire Junior). Kenny Hui HuiKenny@attglobal.net _______________________________ ...I am glad to report that, after more than 2 months of breaking in, your Ultimate Ribbon loudspeaker silver speaker cables are the overall winner as compared with my previous NBS cables! The most obvious improvement is the bass extension. It went deep down and with more details. I could feel the vibration of the hands beating the drums. The effect is more live-like! For the mid and high frequencies, the difference is not that great. Overall, your cables sound more clean and natural! I have no regret at all buying your cables. If I may add my comment about the Ultimate Ribbon silver speaker cables, it also gives better scale and wider sound stage. I have the feeling that your silver cables still have room to improve with longer time of breaking-in. ... Received the STEALTH 99.999% GOLD interconnect cables today. My first impression was that they were very well made. Workmanship was first class! When plugged to my system, Wow! I could instantly notice the improvement in the vocal, ie. more nuances and vividness. They certainly do not sound "soft" to me, except the bass is not that tight yet. What can I say? I am already in love with these cables before they break-in. Congratulations to you for making these an excellent product! My current system is:
I do not use a preamp at the moment. I got better results by connecting the CD Player directly to the power amp. I do not mind at all using me as a reference. Kua Soo Chong kuasc@mbox5.singnet.com.sg _______________________________ ... I couldn't help myself and swapped in the STEALTH Ultimate Ribbons in my tube system, and the Varidig and - Oh, my God! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. This was amazing! I didn't budge for about an hour, really really nice. I might leave this as it is. The Ultimate Ribbon sure is something special and made an enormous improvement on that system, Like I said, I was transfixed. The detail they convey is remarkable and their quickness and extension awesome. The center image is more than amazing it is magic, you feel like you can reach out and touch the musicians! It has such power to the bass, and the highs really sound pristine. The mids do not suffer, I can hear the fineness of clarity and freedom of the high end, female vocals just float like silvery clouds. The bass is stupendous, has a whole different character and too I can detect a quietness or blackness between the notes when separated from the highs. The URs are so fantastic, I mean they're worth the entire system! Thank you so much for this opportunity to remove all doubt about which of STEALTH speaker cables I like! ... One of these days you have to tell me about the theories behind the AC cords. This M(agnificent)-7 AC power cable (installed on My Cal Alpha tube DAC), how can a power cable make so much difference? I swear not only has the main peak levels increased, but the surround levels, especially in the rear; even the center level became higher without my touching the preamp volume control. Something really happened to the bass, like it moved into the room itself and became deeper and both more focused and wider spatially. I could hear my subwoofer work harder... Hugh Mandeson human@digcomputers.com _____________________________ STEALTH Ultimate Ribbons versus Transparent and MIT 750 CVT speaker cables (by Ozhan ATALAY oatalay@teknolojiholding.com) ... It is unfair to compare cables before burn in, but the enthusiasm does not let me wait. I want to share my firsts impressions of STEALTH Ultimate Ribbons. First we opened the package and installed one cable to the right channel only, left channel was originally running by MIT 750 CVT (around 900$ retail) We made one channel testing. First my friend said that the MIT cable is better, after 5 minute of listening, he yielded. Stealth URs clearly became more transparent; cellos, violins became more apparent with full detail and presence, he and other audiophile friend accepted immediately. MIT connected speaker became so dull as if somebody put a thin curtain over it. We also expected the Stealth cable to be immediately softer, milder and silky - but it wasn't. Then I came home and connected one UR cable to the right channel for another quick testing again. (Bi-amping mode, STEALTH UR connected to mid/tweeters only, not to the bass). The other channel was connected by 70 cm Transparent cable, taken from Wilson Watt/Puppy's internal wiring. I don't know what level of cable is it, Reference or Ultra, no idea, but it is a very good cable, the best match to my system so far. So at the beginning, there was no major difference, even with two speakers running, it was difficult to tell UR cables from the Transparent, but after half an hour listening, focus of the speakers moved to the Stealth connected speaker as if this speaker had more mids/treble. With each channel running seperately, Stealth was more silent, upper frequencies were cleaner than the Transparent, but expected softness was still not there. I connected both channels with the UR cables and kept my equipments running with burn in CD full night and listened again (after 7 hours burn-in). The expected softness became apparent in the morning. Especially upper frequencies were silky smooth and clean - better than I've ever heard in my system before... After more break in, it became clear that the Stealth UR cables made really big improvements in mid/high frequencies. As it was predicted human (female) vocals became smoother and more natural. Especially the big difference for me was in the upper frequencies. Treble became so clean with lots of air, definition of notes such increased that any third person may clearly hear the improvement, not only me. The differrence can be compared to HDCD versus "normal" CD. Most of Jack Luissier records are recorded in HDCD format, (Satie/Ravel - definitley audiophile) and their unique upper frequencies were noticeably superior to "regular" CDs, but with URs, some of my "regular" CDs were also playing like Luissier. The UR cables are great, and I am going to keep them!... Another point is, if I have such an improvement from a 60 cm cable, I might also have big improvement if I replace the original signal/spkeaker cables of my Cary's with Stealth wire. I guess I will try doing that... System:
Of course you may put my opinion and email on the WEB site. Ozhan ATALAY oatalay@teknolojiholding.com ___________________ Stealth Ultimate Ribbon versus XLO's Ref 2 type 5a and Pure Silver Sound's Sextet (by Eiichi Mimura, emimura@mbk.sphere.ne.jp ) So far I've tried three kind of speaker cables: XLO's Ref 2 type 5a, Pure Silver Sound's Sextet, and Stealth's Ultimate Ribbon (UR). XLO's bass range is tight, but XLO treble is rather harsh. I felt some artificial hardness in the upper region with XLO. So I switched to Pure Silver Sound. They are a lot cheaper than XLO, but the sound quality is much better than XLO's. I was quite content with them until I heard STERALTH UR. The UR are simply a different class of cables. Even before any burn-in, they sounded better than XLO or SSS. The UR are the smoothest sounding cables I've ever heard. They removed all unpleasant edginess from the treble range. Yet, the UR extensions of upper and lower frequencies are superb too. I can hear fundamental more clearly than before. Their resolution is excellent too. I can hear the very tiny tinkling of the triangle more distinctly than ever. One thing I like a lot about UR is they achieve the superb resolution and excellent extension without artificially stressed any range at all. To sum up, UR has the most natural, yet the most lovely sound which I find too hard to resist. I'm looking forward to receiving the UR jumpers for my Wilson Audio's System 5.1 speakers which I recently ordered. My AV system:
Eiichi Mimura, Tokyo, Japan. emimura@mbk.sphere.ne.jp __________________________ STEALTH CWS versus Audio Note Silver (by Vade Forrester, vforrester@satx.rr.com ) ..I must say that STEALTH CWS are fine cables. At first, I had trouble distinguishing them from the Audio Note silver cables I have been using. But listening to a variety of CDs soon pointed up differences. At this stage of break-in, the Audio Note cables have more bass extension (one of their strengths), and sound flatter through the midrange. Highs are similar, although your cables have a bit of a mid-high edge... All these things improved with more break-in: I burned in the cables for 48 hours, and gave them a more intense audition. Some things were obviously different: the mid-high edge was gone, and the lows were considerably more extended, surpassing the Audio Note (Pure silver) cables as it was predicted. I realize that this is still a quick impression, and that further burn-in could improve things more. The differences I noted required some very concentrated listening to discern. Considering that standard CWS cables cost 1/3 the price of the Audio Notes, it's clear STEALTH offers a much better value. Vade Forrester, vforrester@satx.rr.com Equipment used in test:
Room is 21X23X12 with carpeted concrete slab floor, shelves of records and CDs around the walls, no designated acoustic treatment like Room Tunes. The system has proved sufficiently revealing to distinguish between cables from different manufacturers many times. Vade Forrester, vforrester@satx.rr.com _______________________ ... I had a long session last evening with the Premier speaker cables, and the CWC interconnects (replacing Monster 1000M), and the improvement was absolutely remarkable! In the mid-range it was quite startling. I had always felt that Elizabeth Schwarzkopf's recording of Strauss' Four Last Songs did not live up to its much vaunted reputation. The voice always seemed to be 'covered' or distantly miked. With the new cables, the voice suddenly took front & centre stage, full of bloom and a feeling of involved ecstasy and shading that had previously been missing. The old recordings, Caruso, Gigli, McCormack, also underwent a magical transformation that revealed the timbre and shading of the voice. Surprising, indeed, as some of these recordings date back to 1910. The instruments in the orchestra, both string and wind, showed a similar improvement, the cellos and double bass in particular. I think that this benefits the speakers as the Quads could always use a little more weight "down there". Of course, the chief benefit from all of this is that I can't wait to get a number of records on to the turntable and disc player. If anything, the phonograph records benefit from the new level of reproduction as much as, if not more than, the CD's. Ken Dix.
______________________ ...The STEALTH Premier and CWS cables arrived and they are stunning. I have broken them in for about 20 hours and they sound wonderful. You guys really have a good product. Usually products like STEALTH sell themselves. My components are:
I also have my room well treated
with accoustical treatments. Since my upgrade to your cables this
system really sounds nice. ___________ ... The speaker, interconnects and power cables from STEALTH made a major improvement to the sound of my system. In particular with the Premier speaker cables, the soundstage is wider and deeper and the instruments are clearly defined in that space. On one recording, Coltrane and Adderley are on the right and always seemed to be in the same place. Actually the tenor sax is to the right of the alto and I can hear clearly the difference in the 2 saxes. In complex chamber music, the different voices can be clearly differentiated! The timbre of instruments is better, dynamics are improved - all much closer to the real thing! I am very pleased with the Stealth Effect in my system: the cables are great, look good and are well made. I had to raise the Linn LP12 another 1" (it was already raised 1") to allow for the STEALTH phono cable thickness. I would much rather have the correct shielding than a thinner cable. Thanks a lot. Peter Holmes, Canada _____________________ ... I received the STEALTH Premier speaker cables. Smooth and dynamic sound, I like it. Thank you so much. Kazuhiko Murakami, Japan _______________ STEALTH HAC versus Synergistic, Audioquest, and Marigo power cables ( by Albert Smith, zues34smith@hotmail.com) I recently replaced my Synergistic, Audioquest, and Marigo power cables with the Stealth "HAC" cords. Prior to the change I have experienced numerous problems with ground hum. I tried cheater plugs, power conditioners, ferrite rings, and other methods to rid my system of the noise. The moment I plugged in the HAC cords the hum was gone. I lack the technical knowledge to articulate why this may have occurred, but this all comes down to the end result, the sound! Without the background hash everything I listened to including music, and home theater just sounded cleaner, with a blacker more silent background. If the other Stealth products excel like the power cords, I will cable my entire system with them. My current system is as follows:
____________________________ ... I have the STEALTH HAC cables plugged in my speakers and DAC and they definitely improved the sound quality. The speakers sound more open and louder than the standard power cord it comes with. It sounds funny that a power cord can improve the sound quality in your components, but IT'S TRUE!! That's why I'm buying another pair of these power cords! Eddie edpwond@home.com Here's the equipment used:
_____________ ... I received the STEALTH HAC A/C cable, it is the best I have ever used, it made a very noticeble improvement in my system, more air around instruments and voices, better midrange and bass. Thanks so much. Mario mario@medallionltd.com __________________ .. I recently installed a HAC
cord in my VSP Labs Power Amp. Wow, what a difference! I also
installed one of STEALTH FAC cords in my conrad-johnson
preamp--a very good cord for a very good preamp...With the STEALTH
M-7 power cord installed in my PSE Studio IV Power Amplifier
(100 wpc, rated Stereophile Class C, retailed for about $1000...a
well-regarded amplifier ): I had expected some improvement, but
nothing like this. The bass is stronger and much tighter; midrange
and highs are much clearer and more detailed. Since the Studio IV
was Stereophile Class C before, it may now well be worthy of a
Class B rating. _________________ ...I tried STEALTH HAC cords last night and they sound real good. I'm going to have to break them in a bit, but I'm very surprise at their price/sound. No way I'm going to return them!! Elbert Lee elbert@great-world.com ________________ ... The FAC power Cable made a dramatic improvement in high-end sweetness, dimensionality, imaging and bass. I was shocked at the impact, as was my wife - she asked when I played "SuperFly", if I'd gotten a 'better cd'. I hadn't. Just STEALTH AC cord. GREAT product. Real sound improvement. System:
Feel free to use this. TedHNY@mediaone.net ____________ I received the Stealth FAC power cord last night and anxiously hooked up the cord to my new EVS Millennium DAC (17 perfect 5s in audioreview) and turned the unit on. Without even letting the tube gear warm up, I thought about giving it a quick try to see if I noticed anything different. The results were amazing in my system as the mids are now a lot cleaner and the instruments seemed to open up. The DAC has now reached its full potential. I have never experimented with power cords before, but for the price (or several dollars more) I find the Stealth FAC hard to beat. Mark Balchik mbalchik@framatech.com _______________________________ ...Now the cables are sufficiently
broken in, I'd like to report back with my impressions of the
Stealth power cords and the balanced silver cross-wrapped
interconnects which I ordered a little while ago. ______________________________________________________________ Here's my short review of STEALTH FR (Fine Ribbon) speaker cables (8 ft length). "What's the best cable?" You would ask that question yourself often if you are an audiophile. I also do the same. I have been being an audiophile for about 12 years and realized that my preference of cables were the cables did nothing to the other audio chains such as poweramp, preamp, speakers, and sources. The first impression of the STEALTH speaker cables are fast enough not to loose the realities of musicality but not too fast to be bright. The speed of piano sound is correct and clear so you can hear the harmonics very well. I have ignored a 4D recording sampler from Deutsche Grammaphon (439 597-2 ) for many years since the sound was unnatural with cables that I have used before STEALTH. But it came alive with STEALTH! There is remarkable improvement in dimensionality so the violin was so vivid as virtual reality. The voice is tight and well focused as well. Overall sound presentation is articulated with excellent palpability. The high top is open wide to give ambience as well. The bass is also acceptable, tight and firm. Since the images are well focused, the sound stages are bit forwarded but there is still natural depth in each instrument. In brief, there's no competitor for STEALTH FR under $2000.00. I am well used to with the sound of Siltech speaker cables that cost $7000.00 but I don't think there's a $6000.00 sonic difference even thought I still can see the superiorities in musicality and neutrality from the Siltech. Highly recommended. System:
Joonhyouk Choi. My e-mail address is sonicprizm@yahoo.com Homepage: www.rpgkorea.com (under construction) ----------------------- ...Stealth cables are wonderful! I hooked up the Fine Ribbon speaker cables, full-range, to my large 15 inch Tannoys, and there is no question I prefer silver here. It only took me about one note to figure that out... The power cord really seemed to do the trick (remember, I now have the Stealth Fine Ribbon speaker cable from the Threshold amp to the 10" Tannoys in that system; the Stealth crosswrapped silver, unshielded, cables from the Lexicon CP3+ to the Threshold amp; and now the power cord with the Threshold). I was just floored by the sound--I can tell things still need to break in, but just starting out, before break-in, it was unbelievable. With respect to the power cord, I can't think of a better way to spend $$ to improve sound quality! - Kay, Biohazard2100784@aol.com _______________ STEALTH FLR versus Audioquest Turquoise and Tara Labs Quantum II (by Mark Weber, markw@libertybay.com) ... As to the sonic qualities of the STEALTH Fineline Reference interconnect cables, I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but, when I connected the Fineline MKII Coaxial cable between my DVD and preamp and the Fineline Reference interconnects between my preamp and amplifiers the soundstage seemed to become wider and deeper, the imaging improved, and the mids and highs became cleaner and more detailed. I had previously used Audioquest Turquoise and Tara Labs Quantum II interconnects, and the Audioquest digital coaxial cable. The Finelines just blow them away. An absolute steal for the money. My System:
Mark Weber, markw@libertybay.com ____________________ As an Electrical Engineer, I am usually pretty skeptical of improvement claims made by wires and other tweaks. I had tried MIT and Canare cables and could not really hear the difference. While surfing Ebay, I came upon an unknown brand (Fineline MK II ) of digital cable going for $50 as a promotion. I figure at $50, I don't have much to lose so I bought it. I don't believe in spending much for cables and usually buy used. The cable construction quality was pretty good with good soldering workmanship and high quality RCA connectors. A Pioneer Elite DV09 was used to evaluate the Canare and Fineline MK II cables since the DV09 has two digital coax RCA outputs which made A/B testing very easy. The DV09 was connected to an EAD Signature Preamp/Processor. Krell 250M mono blocks were used to drive a pair of Mirage M3Si speakers. Yes, I know these speakers are old but they still sound pretty good. The M3Si will be replaced with Revel Studio in a couple of weeks if the stock market doesn't crash. The speaker and other interconnects cables are Tara Labs Master Generation II. Let's get to the sound - the first thing I noticed with the Fineline MK II cable listening to Diana Krall and Sarah McLachlan was that there was more detail but not harsh and larger sound stage with more depth, the bass was also tighter. I replaced the Canre with an MIT cable - don't remember the model but it cost was around $100 a couple of years ago. Again, the Fineline MK II cable sounded better to me. I didn't have to strain to hear the difference. My wife also hear the improvement. One weekend I took the Fineline MK II cable over to my dad's house to compare it with his Audio Alchemy digital cable. Anyways, to make a long story short, I came home without the Fineline MK II cable. The CD, DVD, and LD players are now all connected with Audiofine digital cables. I am sure there are better digital cables but it's going to cost several times more. Judged on perfomance to price ratio, I don't think there is anything better. Highly recommended! _______________ ...I just installed STEALTH Fineline
MKII Deluxe silver (BNC terminated) in between my Theta DaVid
transport, Audio Alchemy DTI Pro 32, and then, between the AA and
my Theta Pro Basic IIA.This replaced expensive AT&T glass
interconnects, (3 years use, and found no better). Robin Wyatt, Happy Customer. robin.wyatt@tradition-ny.com ______ ...Got the Fineline MKII cable
today... it BLEW MY SOCKS OFF~! I would not have believed it, I
was using an optical cable, which I though was excellent, but the
digital cable just cleaned things up so much I just kept turning
the volume up because it was so clean and lacked the harshness at
the top end. It's so clean on the high end, it seems weak on
highs, however, it's just because it's so clean. Thank you very
much, John Here's a list of my equipment:
Brian Demeter, bdemeter@fast.net _________ ... I have ave
Feneline MK II it between a Proceed PCD and a Theta DS Pro Basic.
Sounds great.
I wouldn't mind having my comments
and e-mail address on the Interlink House WEB site. ________________ ... After using your Fineline MKII digital and ETS analogue cables for the past 6-7 weeks, I am happy to report that these are the finest cables to ever grace my system (or my friends). The sheer sweetness, detail, naturalness, and ease of presentation just blew away all previous cables in my system. That is how to make one happy customer - excellent service!!! Best money I have ever spent on audio in my life! Kevin Boxma, kboxma@accglobal.net ; You are most welcome to use my comments, name, and associated equipment list:
______________ ..Doing some late night listening when I wondered what the Fineline MKII cable sounds like all by itself. Originally had it with a AA DTI v2 and a 1 meter Nordost Moonglo between transport and dac. WOW is all I can say. Can't wait to hear STEALTH analog stuff. Hope you can ship next day air. See ya later and thanks. Bret _____________________ ...I purchased and received rapidly the STEALTH Fineline MKII digital cable. It replaced a fairly high-end XLO digital cable I had been using from my CD player to my Parasound DAC. The Fineline MK II cable is much more substantial in size and has excellent connectors. The sound was at least as good if not a little more detailed. Serguei was true to his word in the transaction, quick to reply to e-mail queries, and very accommodating to last minute requests. CB Gaines. ____________________________ ...I am most impressed with the clarity and immediacy of STEALTH ETS interconnects. A very revealing and noticeable improvement over the much more expensive "name brand" cables I had been using in my system. I have auditioned and purchased many interconnects over the last 15-20 years and your cables are some of the best I have heard. Build quality is excellent. A solid value! My system consists of:
Other interconnects I have used in this system for periods include Musetex, WireWorld Eclipse and MIT. I have extensively auditioned Klyne, Kimber, and tried many others... Mark Mark Latkowski MLatkowski@peoplepc.com ________________ ... I hooked STEALTH ETS cables between by CAL Sigma II D/A and Counter Point SA-7 pre, Hard to believe they made that much of a difference. Those MosterCables I paid $40.00 for are junk compared to these things! Wes Jenkins standard@borg.com _____________ ... I had STEALTH cables about a
month now. These cables compare to the best on the market. Great
price. Great service. Recommend to everyone who loves music to
give these a try. You will not be disappointed. RDSFRAN@AOL.COM ... I got STEALTH FLA (ETS with silver RCAs) interconnects. After a couple of hours of listening, I have to buy another pair like it: it 's like having a whole different audio system all together. More apparent sound stage, smoother from low to high frequencies, tighter and more define bass, more extend highs, better definitition of each instrument, most of all more realistics. Nichol Huynh, nghiep@juno.com I use:
- ___________________ ...The cables (ETS) are fantastic. I hooked the up. The change was significant. At least a 20 to 40 % change. Very good products at a fair price. David Griffin David_Griffin@mckgenmed.com _____________
I have no problem with you using
me as a reference. ________ . …Got the STEALTH ETS interconnects today. they sound great out of the box. Even the girlfriend said they make a difference, and that is quite a complament! I bought a few more tonight on the 1 hour auction on audiogon. I tried your inexpensive ones on me system at work and will give the new ones a try on the home set-up. Steve Monroemed@aol.com _____________________ ...the
interconects (Fineline Reference analog and the Varidig digital )
are fine. I have auditioned over a dozen AES/EBU intetconects and
I rate STEALTH cables as a very good product and a steal for the
money; use my name (as a reference for the new customers)
_______________ ...Received STEALTH FLR cables, thank you very much. I offer the initial following comments: Overall: an OUTSTANDING value. A refined sound, no perceptible grain; again, the tonal purity is outstanding. I am very pleased and I suspect the cables will improve as they age and are broken in: I am very pleased with the product; On a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being the best):
Rob Cherry. __________________ ... The FLR cables arrived... They're definitely better sounding cables than what I had before, with a much quieter background and more definition to individual instruments. Thanks a lot, Matthew Burns Cornell University
Dept. of Geological Sciences ... I am very pleased with the
results of the STEALTH cable. I am presently waiting to hear how
they ultimately will sound. Steve Bindeman ... I got it hooked up last night,
and it works great. Thanks. John Hu ... The sound now is much more natural. Thanks. Alex ... STEALTH cables work
great!!!Thanks, Keith McVicar kmcvicar@mail1.nai.net kmcvicar@mail1.nai.net ... Great cables & super smooth transaction - even foreign going - PROFESSIONAL !!! jun_abe@da2.so-net.ne.jp ... Excellent Service, Highly Recommended, GREAT Cables!, fordgilbreath@earthlink.net ... Beautiful cable and great correspondences...2 thumbs up! earima@prodigy.net ... Excellent service, high quality cable, excellent value. tmudd@san.rr.com ... High-quality power cord. Rapid shipping. Buy with confidence! pissdoc@usxchange.net ... Excellent cable. Top quality. Sounds great. Recommended. trekbrew@altavista.com ... Great product. Would'nt hesitate to deal with again kevin_haskins@hotmail.com ... Extremely quick shipping, very pleasant to deal with, cable is very high quality mk4tt@aol.com ... Nice Cable, Great Build Quality. I Recommend! stephen@jeffcoat.com ... GREAT CABLE!!! fast delivery ,great bargain,hugh sound improvement kkagawa@earthlink.net ... Great cables, A+++ would love to do business again bbroda@execpc.com ... Nice quality cables as advertised.Would deal again. Thanks!!! hillyau@netzero.net ... Cables accurately described and worked fine. Timely delivery. A++ tomj@picusnet.com ... Nice quality cables. Fast shipping. Smooth Transaction!!! murozono@rr.iij4u.or.jp ... High quality product. Excellent Communications. Highly recommended. lukeskywalker@england.com ... Nice Cable and Fast Shipment... analyst1@abac.com ... Nice quality cables as advertised. Fast shipping. Would deal again. Thanks!!! hwmok23@ctimail3.com ... Very nice communication and an excellent digital cable alek001@hotmail.com ... These cables are really good! Very good seller too! mburns@geology.cornell.edu ... Great cables. Highly Recommended. Thanks. izzydens@pcbank.net ... Nice quality cables as advertised. Fast transaction. Recommended. paulzac@ismi.net ... So far, I've purchased 2 pwr cords & 2 pairs of interconnects. Good stuff! garyshufelt@aol.com Date: Jul-26-00 ... A GREAT SELLER priority mailed and the cables are better than my audioquest farley98@hotmail.com Date: Jul-28-00 ... Great product! Shipped Immediately! Completely satisfied sarcese@barneldesign.com Date: Aug-01-00 ... Very nice product and fast service. Thanks! galenv@earthlink.net Date: Aug-08-00 ... Cables recieved. Nice blue color! Very happy. jimmyhawkclan@mailcity.com Date: Aug-10-00 ... Great communiator. Great product. Wonderful to deal with toshiyukiarai@msn.com Date: Aug-13-00 ... Nice cables. Good communications.Thanks frontrowcn@aol.com Date: Aug-16-00 ... Beautiful fine quality cables, great communications. teojs@singnet.com.sg Date: Aug-16-00 ... Nice product at a good price. Shipped right away. Great seller ranthor1@aol.com Date: Aug-16-00 ... Cables looked great! ncoronel@cisco.com Date: Aug-18-00 ... Excellent products! richt19@netzero.net Date: Aug-18-00
FROM AudiogoN ...Great cables. Highly recommend. Gets better everyday. As good as Cardas Reference 4-12-00 by Rd Very professional & courteous. Delivered as promised. Excellent product. 3-27-00 by Ozfly ... Great Cables, Perfect building and great sounding. Very honest person too 3-20-00 by Oatalay ... I have I/C's spk cable and digital cables. All compete with mega buck brands. 3-4-00 by Audiodude1 ... Very honest man. I purchased the digital cable and sounds great. 2-18-00 by Marcy ...Excellent transaction, great interconnect for the money, thanks 2-7-00 by Kozmikus ... Great cables. Fast delivery. Very well versed in silver wire... 1-8-00 by Bruren7 ... The MK2 Digital was superior to my Kimber mega$$$ TGDL. I have replaced all my cables with STEALTH Fineline. Simply amazing. 1-8-00 by Razzo1-8-00 by Razzo .. Great to deal with, quality product ,highly recommended 11-16-99 by Borax56 ... The Fineline MKII digital cable is a must for your link between transport and dac. 11-14-99 by South43 ... Very quick and accommodating. Delivered rapidly. Answered promptly. Great stuff. 11-10-99 by Cbgaines ... Cables Sound Great. A Must Have. 10-26-99 by Mrdigital Larry CloettaSome random initial thoughts on the phono cable and the Indra (based on the initial listening session): System:
The system is very fast and open with good tonal balance. I had been using a Tom Evans interconnect between the turntable and the phono stage, as this was the best I had been able to find previously, and by a fairly wide margin. I had previously used Harmonic Technology Silver Phono cable, which also had an 'outboard' configurable grounding system, which seemed to make no difference whatsoever no matter how I configured it, so I just left it all disconnected. I then moved up to Nirvana SX LTD which was supposedly designed as a phono cable. It was a step up from the HT, with more warmth, extension and harmonic development. It was also very quiet, more so than the HT. I then moved up to a pair of Ensemble cables which I would characterize as an improved version of the Nirvana. It was also very quiet, with exactly the same tonal characteristics as the Nirvana, but with greater detail retrieval, greater extension and better resolution. Then I had moved to a pair of Transparent Reference XL phono cables, which was more of a lateral move. It was perhaps better than the Ensemble in some ways and inferior in others. A little punchier, but it had a very obvious mid bass emphasis. Had some good qualities, but was probably the most obviously colored of anything used up until that time. Then moved to a pair of Tom Evans cables, which we have been using exclusively as a phono cable for the last year and a half. Unassuming looking cable which was a huge step above anything else used up until that time. Made the Transparent seem slow as molasses and about the same sonic color. Completely neutral with great speed, openness, extension, dynamics and very realistic bass and treble response. Also just as quiet as anything else used previously. It's the cable he develops the electronics with, and it's something he has made up for that purpose. It wasn't actually marketed by the electronics company, but by the prior distributor. The electronics company itself was ambivalent about marketing cable. I liked it better than anything else I had tried ( and I had tried both the M21 Silver and the PGS3D as a phono cable)--but only when used as a phono cable. Elsewhere in the system I had better results with the Stealth. Substituting the Stealth 50/50 phono cable for the Tom Evans cable: Serguei, thank you. I hate evaluating cable, as a general rule. It usually takes me weeks of going back and forth, and constant worrying about whether or not the cable is broken in yet, or whether or not I have let it settle in long enough without moving it, that the dielectric is or is not disturbed. Or whether or not I have it off the carpet far enough or too much static electricity is built up on the jacket (this is a very low humidity area). I really like the Tom Evans cable in this application, because it is so fast, just like the electronics, and, to date it has been the only cable which didn't seem to be holding the electronics back. It was obvious instantly that your phono cable, right out of the box, was equal to or better than the Tom Evans in every way, though to be fair, it is considerably more expensive than the Tom Evans. The Tom Evans was hugely better than the Transparent, and there may be as large a margin between yours and the Tom Evans as there was between the Tom Evans and everything else I'm not going to have to spend weeks trying to be sure I have made a complete and accurate assessment. The first thing I noticed was that either your grounding scheme, or the shielding works. This is the quietest phono cable I have used, by a significant margin, and I really didn't feel I had any problem in that area. In fact most visitors usually had remarked how quiet the phono section was (The Tom Evans phono stage is pretty much dead quiet anyway) Now it's obviously quieter, something which I was struck by immediately, even though I wasn't expecting it, or looking for it. I should also probably mention that I haven't always found your regular interconnects to be quieter than the things they replaced. The Ensemble and the Nirvana are both quieter than the M21 or PGS3D, but the Stealth were better in every other way. If total quiet was the most important thing I wanted out of life, I would go sit in the library. Very nice to have it in a phono cable though. Sonically, I'm not going to go into a full review, because I lack reviewing skills, but it seemed to be an improvement in every way over the cable I was using. It was just as fast as the Tom Evans, but with greater resolution (which I would not have thought possible) and more 'body' by which I guess I mean greater harmonic development. A clearer window, over what was already a very clear window. Again, I would not have guessed that this much improvement was possible. All in all, the phono cable was probably the biggest jump forward of any wire substitution I have ever made. Lovely to listen to- a very engaging, neutral, fast yet full bodied piece of work. Bravo! And thanks. When I put the Indra into the system, between the phono preamp and the preamplifier it was more of the same. I'll not go into a lot of description at this time, because my experience pretty much mirrors things which have been written elsewhere. Everything just got better. Again, better in ways and amounts I may not have been expecting, because things improved in areas where I didn't think I had that much room for improvement. As others have said, it's just a clearer window that lets more in. Maybe it's not a clearer window, maybe it's an open window. The predominant thing I found was that the music just sounded 'bigger' and more realistic, more fully developed. It's hard to describe. I hesitate to say it had more "presence" because I already had plenty of that, plus that tends to convey the idea that something is slightly 'tipped up' which wasn't the case. Completely neutral, wonderful dynamics, wonderful and realistic body to voices and instruments. The best way I could describe it to myself will make no sense to anyone else, I'm sure, because it's not an accepted audiophile concept. The notes just sounded like they were 'wider'. There was just more of the note there, and I'm not talking about duration. Again, I'm not going to have to take weeks debating with myself about the merits of the Indra, as I have in the past, even with really top notch cables. It has made a large difference. So, again, Bravo. And thanks. Having said that, from a purely evaluative standpoint, the phono cable actually made more of a difference in this system than the Indra did, for what that's worth. This may be totally system dependent, or it may be due to the fact that I put the phono cable in first, or it may be due to the fact that I lack reviewing skills, though that hasn't stopped a lot of the people who write for Stereophile. Anyway, great stuff, all around. As a side note, when Terry Cain was here this weekend, he said that our listening room was one of the best he had ever heard, acoustically, perhaps the best. He may have just been being kind, but it made us feel pretty good nonetheless. The only reason I mention this is that the room definitely isn't muddy sounding and it's pretty good for evaluating equipment. Best Wishes, Larry Cloetta Avantgarde Audio Jackson Hole, WY 83002 (307)734-9149 ________________
Jeffrey Fiori(Before the Indra: dedicated ground added) Let me begin by saying I honestly did not expect much. My intuition told me this can't make that much of a difference. I began by playing a Cal Collins cd, 'Interplay', Concord 4137-2. A cd I am very familiar with. My reaction was "jaw dropping". I was stunned. ------Warmer, more base, a lot warmer, fuller. I had to listen to 3 songs before I could even write a note on what I was hearing. By song #3" People Will Say", the cymbals on Jake Hannas' drums were clean and clear. I could hear the pick hit the strings on Herb Ellis' guitar. The notes are separated, not blended together. On the guitar duel on song 4 "That's Your Head", You can pick out the 2 guys. They have a separate position on stage. WAY more analog sounding. Warm, smooth. Never heard the voice in intro to song 6-"I Got It Bad" sound so natural and smooth. Very easy to listen to. No fatigue. I have the urge to turn up the volume, and I never listen loud. Played Coleman Hawkins "Soul" , Prestige 096-2 The soundstage depth is so real. Hawkins sax on song 1, "Soul Blues" is clean with no edge. The high notes here will make you cringe. Not now. Just smooth and clear. Kenny Burrell's pick hits the guitar strings. After one hour, I think it has gotten better. after 2 better yet. Day 2: Played The LA 4, 'Zaca', Concord, 4130. Song 1, "Zaca", You can heard the hollow body of Laurindo Almeida's accoustic guitar. The clapping is real. The music is taking place in front of me. More detail. Even the cat has positioned herself in front of the speakers in the middle! Again, I swear it's better than day 1. Song 2-"You Can't Go Home Again". Bud Shank, alto sax, starts, very real. Drum hits are real, you can hear the heads as Hamilton hits. Song 3 "A Child is Born", Base and guitar start out together, base is tight, mids from Almeida's guitar are incredible. Song 4----I can not take the time to write. must listen, too much detail. Played Inya, "A Day Without Rain" Repise. 47426. song 10 'one by one'. I always go to this one when I make a change because it's very hard to resolve the background violins. Not now. They are very clear. Great. I have played a lot more this past week, and the results have been the same, HUGE stage, detail, and depth. The space seems to be the biggest improvement. I don't know the right words, 'reflections, ambiance, what ever, It's all good because I want to listen more. I must say, this seems to be one of the biggest single improvements to my system yet. Who'd thought... (Hybrid MLTs and Cloude Nine cords added) Hooked up the Mlt's, plugged in the cloud 9, must write! Played Cal Collins, Herb Elllis, 'Interplay' CD. Concord 4137, track 4, That's your Head. Huge sound stage-----It fills the whole front of my room, and deep. I am amazed at the "size" of the performance. It's as if I am in the bar room in front of the stage. It fills the space in front of me. THE BASE. A lot more base, and it's tight. Ray Brown plays base on this CD so you know it's the best, and it's the best I have heard Brown. When Cal Collins and Herb Ellis break into a guitar dual, I started to laugh out loud. The highs are much better too as Jake Hanna's cymbals are crisp and clear with less edge. This rocks. The improvement is on a level with Indra interconnects. Now I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would like to stay up late and listen... (Indra, two pairs) I listen mostly to classic jazz from the 50's 60's and some newer. I listen at low levels. It has required some effort to put a system together that produces all the dynamics of this music at lower levels. My criteria is simple, if I'm listening longer and louder, I'm headed in the right direction. The results that follow are in the right direction. I've listened now to the Indra on 3 systems. In each case I compared the Audio Magic illusion, Stealth PGS-3D, and the Indra. The systems and results are as follows. System 1
...Played Zoot Sims/Jimmy Rowles, " Warm Tenor", Pablo 2310. Audio Magic Illusion: Not much music coming through. What did come through become fatiguing after about 15 min. The highs were rolled off. Had an edge. PGS-3D: ' Liquid' is introduced for the first time. Highs now present. The midrange is pleasing, no grit. Took this low-fi system from unlistenable to rather pleasing. The low end improved a little bit but is weak. Sound stage got wider but is not very deep. Drum sticks are present for the first time. The piano now sounds like music. Indra: Cymbals are here! Breath from sax is present. Piano resonates! Some base is coming through. I'm hearing instruments for the first time. Less digital edge. Drum sticks are hitting the drum head. Music for the first time with this system. I get the feeling the cable ' fixed' some problems with the electronics, and left me with their limitations, but presented them in a way that made the system listenable and somewhat enjoyable. Saying a lot considering what we started with. System 2:
Played Sergio Salvatore/John Patitucci, "Always a Beginning", Concord Jazz 4704 Cables compared were between dac and pre-amp Of course I am now listening to way more of everything. This made switching cables more interesting, especially as noted for Indra below. Audio Magic Illusion: Highs rolled off, what is present made me want to do something else after about 10 min. had an edge. This system put the base back in although it is boomy, not tight. PGS-3D: Highs coming though now. Piano makes me smile. Quite pleasing. Biggest difference seems to be the mids to highs. I listen the entire CD without wanting to turn it off. Indra: 2 things have arrived. The music, and the room the music was made in. For the first time I am presented with a music hall (room) in addition to the music. I can more easily forget about my listening room. The piano has volume. The base is now tight. Highs are crisp, clean and powerful but not harsh. The drum head is felt with each hit of the stick. I am excited! Downside: Music sounds a little like reverberation units we had in our cars as teenagers----which delayed the sound to the rear speaker and gave you a sense of a big space. It quickly became fatiguing back then. This did not fatigue, but was not something I would say was good either. System 3 Same as above but the B&K's were removed for VAC Signature mono blocks. (Note: The difference in amps is staggering. More of everything with way less edge. More separation between instruments. More base. Soundstage is deep and wide. Music seems slower (not a bad thing, as in wrong timing, but good in that I'm enjoying it more.)---this seems odd. Once again I switch between the 3 cables. Cindy is present for a comparison session and her comments are included.) Played Sergio Salvatore "Always a Beginning". Concord Jazz 4704 Audio Magic Illusion: Music is dry. The piano sounds muffled. I am aware I am listening to HiFi. Base is somewhat boomy. Highs are rolled off. Not much space between instruments, after only 4 minutes it became irritating, causing me to lower the volume. At the lower volume, it lacked dynamics. I did not make me want to listen to more than one song. {I don't want to sound completely negative about these cables, I liked them with my old Conrad Johnson electronics, but they're not working for me now} Cindy: Lacks vibrancy, pizzazz. PGS-3D: Warm, more liquid, midrange (piano) is no longer muffled. Base is tighter. Midrange is glorious. Drum head i presented as a head, (skin) Music has a volume, way more detail. Still sounds HiFi.(note: I may be spoiled, I have heard the Indra already) Cindy: Wider sound stage, distinct instruments, more crispness of sound, especially the piano. Indra: More base, way more. The room is brought in for the first time. (as in system 2 only more so) The effect is "you're there" (no longer HiFi): greater cymbals, and snare drum. The two are noticed as distinct for the first time. The subtle scat voice in the background on one song came out with the PGS, is now awesome with the Indra. Not out of place, just distinct. Able to play this cable at low volumes with no loss of anything. Don't want to turn it off. Cindy: Everything is up a level. The scat voice that was not identifiable before as a voice, is now distinguished as a voice. vibrancy all the way though. Back to PGS-3D: Depth of soundstage shrinks, dryer, flatter, HiFi again, Base is not as tight. Cindy: less pizzazz, umth---You could turn it off and that would be fine as opposed to Indra--Now you want to hear the end of it (the CD) Back to Indra: Everything is up a notch. Liquid less edge, A triangle is struck and sounds real. I want to keep listening. Base has a resonating volume, it's coming from a wood instrument. The subtle scat voice in the background has a position in the soundstage. Cindy: It's right here. Vibrancy, wider notes. I think the best thing about the Indra is it's ability to get me to forget I'm in my listening room. I'm there! (after Srajan's first review) The "three-dimensional space exploded" is probably Indra's most poignant quality. "also removed electronic tension and effort" is also true.-----that said, the lack tension and effort was truer for the cryoed cable vs. the non cryoed pair I had. I suspect Indra responds well to the process. As for the "reported lack of advantages when inserting a second Indra", ????? where did this come from. Not me. My second pair made about as much of an improvement as the first. I can't remember if it was a little more or a little less improvement, --I did not make a note---but the point is moot. It was big. I will try removing a pair again, when I get the time, just to see. But the fact that I have not had ANY inclination to do so, proves my point. Last Saturday a non- audiophile friend stopped by for a chat and asked to hear something. We played side one of Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jean Sibelius, symphony No. 5, E flat. Gary's face went blank when the music started. He sat right down and did not move until the side was done.---Let me tell you that Gary considers his ears to be damaged from 25 years of flying airplanes. He is a captain for American Airlines. But the music gave him goosebumps. He played trombone in orchestra in high school. He kept locating the different positions of each section in the orchestra. Maybe his ears are not that bad. Or maybe Indra is that good. The non-audiophiles are the best judges. (production Indra versus beta: first pair with STEALTH connectors) I must say, I was quite surprised at the improvement the new connectors make. I wrote the following notes the first day. Day 1 -no break-in. Played Ray Brown Trio, 'Soular Energy', Concord 4268. MORE detail, noticed immediately. song 1 Exactly like you---Strings on Brown's base have more detail. They are vibrant. You can hear the wood. The piano starts with a better tone. The notes are more alive. The brushes on King's drum are more there. All this increased detail, with, most important, less edge, it's smoother. Harris' piano on #2 'Cry Me a River', is more of the same. The notes last longer in space. They fill the room better, the sounds seems to fade behind me, like it does live. At this point I switched back to the pair of Indra with the Cardas connectors.------Not as smooth, less detail. Less involving. This is NOT a subtle difference. I switch back to new connectors...I won't be going back. Played Louie Belson's 'Big Band Explosion', "The Art of The Chart", on Concord 4800-2 Song #2, The intimacy of the Blues. The horns here are my usual test for 'edge'----NONE here, gone, a big difference Sense that first day I have played many cd's that I am familiar with. They all sound new, fresh. I now hear things for the first time. Similar to hearing the Indra in the system for the first time. This is clearly the next level. I have also switched back to the Cardas connectors with the same result as above. As you know, this is between the Bremen DAC, and the Vac preamp. Congratulations, this is a hit. Once again I am amazed at what is locked up in this system. I had a few non-audiophile friends over to listen the other day (actually all my friends are non-audiophiles) and they said it sounded better than live. I was thrilled at the comment. (second pair upgraded) ...I was so excited that I changed my afternoon to install them and give a listen. I must say my expectations were sky high. I started with everything cold. I was a bit disappointed at first. ----let me clarify----it was immediately way better than the Audio magic illusions I have been listening to for a month. More base, much of the openness in the midrange was back, along with the highs. This I could remember from a month ago---it's amazing how little we forget once we have heard something. This may be why it is impossible to go backwards in this hobby. Now of course this is stone cold. Within 5 and then again at 10 minutes in things started to improve. As one would expect. Gene Harris' piano on #6 Solar Energy, the Ray Brown Trio came back with the magic I had become used to. The base started to tighten, I was hearing all sorts of things that had been missing for weeks.----It was a great experiment to listen 'back' with the Audio Magic while you had the Indra. That said, I must say, the improvement right out of the box was not as great as with the stealth connector 1 meter Indra. The good news is, cold, with no break-in, these new connectors sound almost as good as the fully broken in pair with the Cardas connectors (which took 100-150 hrs to break-in. maybe more as I broke them in on a second system and then noticed a continued improvement as they settled in on my main system.) I will of course, make notes as I break them in... I have been listening the last few days, somewhat in disbelief, it seems too good to be true. The sound is WAY better than it was, and i only have 20-25 hrs. in. As I listen I sometimes find myself laughing for no particular reason. I started to notice that as a got up from my listening chair during a song, the sound remained true. The "sweet spot" had increased! Then as I moved about the room, I noticed the whole room was a sweet spot. The experience was like that of live music in that you are not limited to one particular chair. Musicians do not play to only one chair. They play to the whole room. Audio, it seems it plagued with the problem of a 'sweet spot'. Not now!--- I can walk around and enjoy from many places in the room. That alone is worth it. And the sound------Way better in all ways , laughably so. I'm amazed, and still not broken in yet. Thank you very much for taking this system to a new level. I am hearing things I have not heard before. It's very interesting that this particular upgrade has upped my enjoyment so much and at the same time (or at this time), I find the specifics do not seem as important as before. Anyway-----enough rambling--I'll talk to you soon. ( and provide some specifics) I imagine you can tell I like this :-). (after two weeks listening to two pairs of Indra, both with the STEALTH connectors) : ...These new stealth connectors on the long Indra have exceeded my expectations, and my expectations were high. I now have heard the new connectors on both the short and long Indra. I must say the connectors have made a bigger improvement than the Indra itself! The effect was even greater on the long Indra than the short. (maybe this is due to the cumulative effect) As I mentioned before, the soundstage increased. The 'sweet spot' expanded to most of the room. On recording after recording the effect was the same.
Increased dynamics, more low level retrieval of information.
I kept hearing things that were not apparent before. (beta testing continues) I have just inserted the
Varidig with the BNC connector and will let you know what I find.
Next will be the Sextet. I very much look forward to hearing
and comparing both. Jeff Jim HinesWell, I’ve finally found time to offer my impressions of the Indra and Sextet. I apologize for taking so long, but I’ve made several significant changes to my system since your cables arrived and, aside from audio, my life has been much busier. Fact is, I’ve had the review written for some time in my mind, but am only now able to put it in writing. Before I begin, a caveat. My going in position in writing these reviews was and is that the reviews are for you. I know you’ve received reviews from many others, so I didn’t write this for someone unfamiliar with my equipment or for publication. In short, I tried to get right to the heart of the matter vs. using a bunch of “audiophool” language and hyperbole to describe what I did or did not hear. What you’ll read below is my honest opinion of the cables, the good and the bad. There is no embellishment, nor are any punches pulled. Having said that, I thought your cables were wonderful, and represent the best of their specific types I’ve ever heard in my system or anyone else’s. That being the case, I suspect some of what I say will sound somewhat exaggerated. I won’t defend what I’ve written except to say this: what follows is what I and my wife heard, and it represents our best effort to describe our reactions to the cables being added to our system. The Stealth Audio Cables Indra Interconnect Differences noted: - First and foremost, the sound is liquid. It’s obvious I’m not missing anything, but something is added. I wish I knew what it was, because I’d seek it out and “add” it to everything in my system. Music flows – no, it gushes – from the speakers in a very smooth but powerful way. It may seem I’m contradicting myself, but I don’t know any other way to say it. It’s soothing and involving, yet so enveloping. Before the Indra my system was good; now it’s wonderful, musical, involving, clear, etc. The ICs did all that. Honestly. My wife will tell you the same thing. - Secondly, layers of music once hidden are clearly evident now, so much so that I’ve spent a great deal of time re-listening to CDs I thought I knew better than the musicians. We’ve all been so bombarded with the “lifting of veils” and “rediscovering collections” reviewer comments that they mean little now, but for the first time I’ve discovered something that did it for me. I believe there are many “veil producing” products, but I can’t believe there are many – or any – that remove them so completely as the Indra. Rest assured, the Indra most definitely produces as much depth and clarity in the recording as the source and speakers will allow. Period. - Lastly, for the first time I believe I’m hearing my components, both the good and the bad. Much to the chagrin of my wife, your cables have resulted in my spending copious amounts of time and money trying to find accompanying cables and equipment that measure up to the quality and performance of the Indra. To date I’ve found nothing comparable, but that won’t stop me from looking. I don’t believe there’s a direct correlation between the cost of a component or cable and it’s performance, but so far the “value” products and “name” products (read expensive) have all fallen short of the Indra. I’ll probably never be able to afford $20k amplifiers or $5k speaker cables, but I don’t think it would make any difference. I don’t care what you charge for the Indra, they’re worth every penny. In my humble opinion, they’re one of a kind, the best of the best. The Stealth Audio Cables Varidig Sextet This review will be shorter for a couple of reasons, the biggest being that the cable didn’t have as significant an impact on my system. However, as previously stated, to date the Sextet is the best digital cable I’ve ever used. First, I listened to the Varidig to get a feel for the type digital cable you manufacture and to have “sibling” to which to compare the Sextet. I felt the Varidig was a fairly neutral cable and didn’t do a lot wrong, but didn’t add a lot either. That can be good or bad, depending on what you’re trying to hide or cover-up on your system. As I have little to cover-up, I found the cable pleasant and could have lived happily with it were it not for the Sextet. In my opinion, in my system, the pairing of the Sextet and Indra is a match made in heaven. I don’t know what caused the synergy between the two or how twisting 6 strands of the same cable together can make such a difference, but it did. Perhaps the NextGen connector had something to do with it. I’ve heard good things about them, and have read of definite improvements noted by non-industry people who’ve tried them. Combined with the Sextet, the positives of the Indra were magnified. The midrange became fuller and sweeter, and the highs took on a “twinkle” that is hard to describe and hard to live without. Everything sounded better Best regards, Jim Stealth Audio Cables Indra Review Introduction At first glance, I would probably be the last guy anyone would ask to be a part of their high-end audio beta program. I don’t have years of experience in high-end audio, have never been a part of the business and only began putting together my first high-end system less than a year ago. What I bring to the table is this: - Years of traveling around the world, in the process catching live performances in countless theaters, auditoriums, bars, dives, honky-tonks, blues bars and jazz joints. I know what music is supposed to sound like, and consequently have a pretty good idea of what people (including me) want their systems to produce. I only began putting a system together because I’m nearing retirement and no longer wish to travel as often to enjoy music. The obvious answer was to bring the music to me. - A very critical nature, with an eye (and ear) for detail. I was a military fighter pilot, and have hundreds of instructor hours in various types of jet aircraft. By virtue of my chosen profession, I HAVE to be critical and non-accepting of anything less than perfection. Failing to strive for perfection is de-facto acceptance of mediocrity. If something isn’t right, I’ll know it, and will not hesitate to point it out. - A gift of a wife. My wife grew up with music and went to college on a music scholarship. She started playing piano when she was 6 years old and was going to gigs with her Father by the time she was in middle school. She’s had the opportunity to play with Maynard Ferguson and Thelonious Monk, among others. She knows and loves her music. While I may - and I emphasize the word “may” - pick-up a slight nuance or change that might otherwise go unnoticed, her knowledge, experience and training has given her an insight into music I’ll never have. If the system doesn’t present the tonal quality and unique timbre of the instruments correctly, she knows it, and together I believe we are a capable, competent analytical team. The Indra The first time I played a song for my wife after placing the Indra in the system, she looked at me with eyes as big as saucers. After a few moments, she managed only one word; “Wow.” It takes something pretty extraordinary to turn someone with her background and experience into little more than a mumbling vegetable. Here’s what the Indra did. An Explosion of Music the music flowed so freely, so uninhibited and the soundstage became so large, the music seems to take on a whole ‘nother dimension. Though it may seem I’m describing something “unnatural” and distracting, nothing could be further from the truth. It is, in fact, MORE natural than anything I’ve ever heard. The Indra took my modest system and turned it into a world-class performer in the time it took to install them. The music seems to fill my room in the same manner it would if the musicians were there. As “live” as “live” can get without paying for an in-home performance. Removal of Barriers It’s not about what the cable adds. It isn’t even about what it DOESN’T add. It’s about what it REMOVES! Never before have I heard music flow so smoothly, so effortlessly from speakers of any type or manufacturing origin. With the exception of acoustic performances, I’ve never heard live music sound so natural and open. The Indra frees the music from the tangled web of electronic limits and mechanized barriers. It’s liberating, to the music and to the listener, and is so liquid you may want to keep a towel handy. It’s obvious I’m not missing anything, but it’s as though something is added. I wish I knew what it was, because I’d seek it out and “add” it to everything in my system. . Maybe this is explains the “sparkle” I hear. Maybe it’s the sound of nothing. I honestly believe the Indra is better than oft-mentioned goal of “no wire” because the absence of wire doesn’t remove the negative effect other components have on the music. From my experience, the Indra does just that. The music flows so smoothly - and yet so powerfully and unfettered - from the speakers The Music The music is the music. By that I mean a bass guitar sounds like a bass guitar, a violin sounds like a violin, and snare drum sounds like a snare drum. No additives, no omissions. I’ve never heard a piano sound more realistic on any system. Attack and decay are precisely portrayed. The tonal accuracy is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Bass is tight and defined, but not artificially so. It’s just accurate. Not to belabor the point, but what the Indra does besides give you the sound of “real” instruments is give it to you without any semblance of electronic layering or digital additive. The difference this makes has to be heard to be believed. Layers of complex pieces become so much clearer, so much more obvious, and yet more musical at the same time. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Kind of like getting better gas mileage the faster you drive. But it’s true. Conclusion The Indra allows me to experience the music in a way impossible outside of a live venue. Yes, the music flows as easily as it does from the instrument itself, but becomes more substantial, sucking you in and surrounding you in a blanket of wonderfully pure sound. I’ve heard good music reproduction and am a very exacting, meticulous person. The Indra doesn’t make bad recordings sound good, but it will make good recordings sound great, and great recordings are surreal I believe I’m hearing my components for the first time, both the good and the bad. Much to the chagrin of my wife, my exposure to the Indra has resulted in my spending copious amounts of time and money trying to find accompanying cables and equipment measuring up to the quality and performance of the Indra. I’m afraid it’s a fool’s errand. Remember…my system was good to begin with. I knew there were minor flaws and was in the process of addressing them when I heard about the Indra. As much as anything else, the Indra allowed me to address the REAL flaws in my system, the first being the interconnects they replaced. Only then could I hear what was really going on with my system and take the necessary steps to address its shortcomings. To my knowledge, for the first time a cable truly has the same affect on every system, whether you’ve spent $5.000 or $500,000 (to varying degrees, of course). This is the only cable I’ve used that hasn’t turned out to be a tuning device or tone control. The Indra is easily the best cable I’ve ever tried, and is in fact the best component of any kind I’ve ever heard. Though “bass-ackwards” (as my grandmother used to say), I can now envision someone being so affected by the Indra that they would actually try to build a system around an interconnect. The Indra is that good, that superior to anything else on the market. It is a truly revolutionary product. Jim Hugh MandesonThen came the Indra It has been my very great pleasure to know the designer and to be using Stealth cables since about 1997. I believe I’ve owned or heard every model he has produced since then from the original Fine Line to the current and truly awesome PGS Gold 3D. I’ve been a fan of recorded music a very long time, I got my first taste of an audiophile music system in 1973 and was bit hard by the audio bug, I’ve had some kind of system of my own since then and usually some good stuff, I m real lucky on used gear and I’ve had some gems. I received my degree in audio engineering and record mastering in 1983. Now I use my main system for audio production; mixing and mastering. I believe it to be up to mastering lab standards, but I have a big edge using Stealth Audio Cables. I’ve owned and listened to many cables over the years. Now only Stealth give me what I want. Every year Serguei has sent me something new to listen to and without a doubt every year he completely blows my mind. This man knows something or is damn lucky because his cables take music to a higher level. I think he knows something, understands something that most other designers have no clue about. His first cable was the FLR. The Cross Wrapped Silver that followed just demolishes the FLR, and then the M7 was a real breakthrough, a serious breakthrough that brought the space and dimension I never thought possible. The PGS followed and indeed were superior, in many ways the quality was fantastic. The M-21 raised the bar and definitely revealed more detail and space, certainly beyond what44.1k/16bit could offer, the limit had been hit in my humble opinion and I thought I was satisfied. Silly me. Well, I upgraded my turntable finally and also began recording at88.2k/24bit, I needed more resolution, the PGS 3D was just that, another level of resolution. Here was space, depth, and dimension beyond my expectation, far beyond. It was truly startling and another breakthrough in cables. Nothing else was close. The 50/50 cable seems quite close to the PGS 3D but has a different tonal character and I use it on another small tube amp based system that often glues guests to the chair. On my large main system the PGS-3D was perfect. Many musicians shook their heads and expressed their love for the sound. I have a friend who has been doing live sound and designing electronics for over 40 years. He never believed cables mattered; well he’s changed his tune on that after a listen or two. I’ve had to remix just about everything once these where in the system. Drums are just out of this world! I’ve gotten very careful with reverbs too, they have to be right on or immediately sound fake. Then came the Indra. Serguei first told me about the Indra upon finding this very special wire. Always a skeptic but trusting him at this point I of course asked to audition these when it was ready. It’s been in the system now about 6weeks and it’s never coming out! On first listen one is always kind'a off balance, it takes the brain a few moments to adjust and then relative comparisons can be made. The Indra is quite different in that sense; it changes EVERYTHING. It has no distinct character of its own at all. You hear every bit of the source and your electronics, in your face. The music sounds completely unbound, completely physical and apart from the speakers, right in the air. Images appear solidly both in front of and behind your speakers as well as beyond and above them. To say these are detailed is wrong. Better to say that these obscure no detail whatsoever!. Unless you have the finest sources, components, and speakers these cables could ruin your perception of your system, drive you into upgrades to try to keep up with these amazing cables. The 3-d-ness of the PGS-3d has not only been exceeded, it has been blown away. I was really stuck by how much more portrayal of height there is and not only depth but also I swear you hear the air behind the instrument bodies! Voices especially have a spooky disembodied presence, like hearing the microphone feed direct in real time, that ‘oomph that gets lost in the recording chain. I’m a big fan of “classic” two microphone recordings, and to say the Indra brings you right into the performance is an understatement. The performance comes to you and envelopes you in a way that is almost paranormal. I love it! What really blows me away though is how multi-track mono (studio) recordings sound. My god you can hear every element as clear as if in the room with you. Every microphone, every reverb, breathes, room ambiance, tapping feet, utterly beyond my experience, completely beyond anything I’ve been able to hear before. These cables are absolutely scary; it’s foolish to talk about how the bass or the highs ‘sound’, there is no sound other than the signal you give it. You’ll have no idea how much is in a recording until you hear it through an Indra. Words cannot describe what you cannot hear and the Indra is beyond description. I invited my audio designer friend over and played them a fantastic John Renborn LP, "A Maid in Bedlam" well Geoff is not often speechless but all he could do was shake his head and groove on the music. He gave me the highest compliment I’ve heard from him (“I’ve never heard James’ (Bongiorno) amps sound better , he said.) You have to know him to understand that he’s been designing tube amps since he was 14. My solid-state amps were a liability to him (although he had modified them for me) but it was the Indra that did it, he heard it before with thePGS-3D and said it was good but with only the change of the Indra he was blown away. He even made me remove them so he could see and touch them. I was already sold but Geoff is my sounding board, and mentor, He was ready to buy a pair! I can now listen to my 1st generation 88.2k/24 bit orchestra recordings and be brought to ecstasy. I literally cried the first time I played it with the Indra in the system. So good, so so good. Even television audio is enhanced and I’m watching more of the Jazz channel lately. It is a pleasure and if you believe that the better it sounds the higher the enjoyment, get ready for real musical BLISS. Keep the Kleenex handy. Please take my word for it, the Indra is as good as it gets. It is positively supernatural. What it does for music is take it to the highest level, where the technology becomes invisible, it disappears and there is only the sound, the music, and all of its soul. It’s about art and communication. The Indra takes the art of musical communication and puts it into orbit. Serguei has taken the art of the audio cable all the way to Pluto in my opinion. My highest and most heartfelt recommendation; The Indra is the King of all audio cables! Hugh Mandeson Music Lover and Audio Engineer Santa Barbara Sound and Recording.
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