Anyone compared Tara Labs to another brand? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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Mr Peabody
05-19-2010, 04:50 PM
I recently picked up an entry level pair of Tara Labs speaker cables and plan to do some comparison to my entry Transparent. I was wanting to get some feedback to compare notes to. So if any experience with Tara what was your outcome with them?

frenchmon
05-19-2010, 05:00 PM
I recently picked up an entry level pair of Tara Labs speaker cables and plan to do some comparison to my entry Transparent. I was wanting to get some feedback to compare notes to. So if any experience with Tara what was your outcome with them?

I think Wylie has...you may wnat to check with him for his opinion.

frenchmon

JohnMichael
05-19-2010, 06:25 PM
I purchased some Tara Labs speaker cables on vacation while in Burlington, Vermont. Not germane to the topic at hand. The Tara Labs cables in the system I was using at the time had a forward upper midrange/low treble that became fatiguing. I do like solid core cables but I prefer my AudioQuest cables over the Tara cables.

Hyfi
05-20-2010, 03:42 AM
I have lots of Tara ICs as well as Prism Bi-Wire Speaker cables. They replaced generic cable with improvement but that was years ago and they were replaced with Synergistic but I still have them.

I did compare several ICs to Kimber PBJs which I found to be no big deal. Never did a shootout between the Prism and Synergistics.

They are made well of what appears to be quality components.

Mr Peabody
05-20-2010, 03:46 AM
Thanks. I picked these up on a deal to use on my mom"s system. I should have probably checked before buying, a accented mid or low high may not be good with Klipsch, even if Forte. I haven't had a chance to play with them yet.

Hyfi
05-20-2010, 05:23 AM
Thanks. I picked these up on a deal to use on my mom"s system. I should have probably checked before buying, a accented mid or low high may not be good with Klipsch, even if Forte. I haven't had a chance to play with them yet.

Which ones, you never did say?

frenchmon
05-20-2010, 07:06 PM
Yeah,,,with Klipsch you had better get a warmer cable. I have a pair of Klipsch KM 4's which are they same speaker as the KG 4's but only sold to the military. I would go with a warmer cable. IF they where not so big I would bring them over to your place to see how they stack up to your Heresy's. When we where at the Sound Room...they had their Klipsch mated with Audioquest which I believe is a little on the warm side.

frenchmon

Mr Peabody
05-20-2010, 07:30 PM
Hyfi, which what?

Hyfi
05-21-2010, 03:39 AM
Hyfi, which what?


I recently picked up an entry level pair of Tara Labs speaker cables

Their lines have changed so today's entry level is not the same as just a few years ago. I didn't even see the Prism listed on their site yesterday when I looked. Didn't see much of any entry level priced cables unless I missed something.

Mr Peabody
05-21-2010, 03:18 PM
Hyfi, they are Prism Nexa. If they are older it may be why I got a deal. They were new in package though.

Mr Peabody
05-21-2010, 07:19 PM
Ug! It's been crazy so I have not listened to the Tara Labs yet. So I say forget it and go to my mom's to hook up her system. Can you believe I get cable in hand go to hook it to the
L54 and the stupid thing don't accept spades. So wanting to get her sound it's off to BB. Can you believe they carry no terminated cables? The largest wire on the shelf was 16 gauge and it's nearly $1 a foot. It almost makes higher end cables look like a good deal :) Even with the cheezy wire the system didn't sound bad. I'd like to spend some more time with it though.

musselshell
06-08-2010, 12:21 AM
I used Tara Labs interconnects (Air series) 5 years ago...They were definitely too forward in the upper mids and highs. Fatiguing...They could compensate a very slow system...maybe. Mine wasn't and it was pretty harsh.
On of the best sounding american brands on the market (they do not sound american...) might be Harmonic Technology. Soft and dynamic, detailed...natural. Like the best Van Den Huls, with more matter...

Mr Peabody
06-08-2010, 02:31 PM
Just curious, what is an American sound? I'm sincerely interested in what other's impression or stereotype of us might be. I mean, we typically speak in terms of "Japanese" or "British" so what's, our, sound?

Personally, with brands like Conrad Johnson or Thiel on one hand and Krell or Klipsch on the other I tend to think of us covering the spectrum. :)

musselshell
06-08-2010, 07:46 PM
Just curious, what is an American sound? I'm sincerely interested in what other's impression or stereotype of us might be. I mean, we typically speak in terms of "Japanese" or "British" so what's, our, sound?

Personally, with brands like Conrad Johnson or Thiel on one hand and Krell or Klipsch on the other I tend to think of us covering the spectrum. :)

Of course that kind of consideration is always somewhat caricatural (stereotype for true)...Bue seen (heard) from here, american sound may be perceived in...cables, more than with electronics and/or speakers. The latter are more diverse. You're right when you say US brand tend to cover the spectrum. But sometimes they tend to show it so obviously that the whole sound presentation may turn to a technical demonstration...in the case of Pass Labs or Krell for instance...less true of Conrad Johnson or Bel Canto, more on the charming sides of things. Well...that was probably more relevant 10 or 20 years ago...if it has ever been!
:)

Mr Peabody
06-08-2010, 07:57 PM
Sounds like you know your gear. CJ I think is moving in a good direction their gear still has excellent midrange and pace while extending the highs and tightening up the bass.