Interesting thoughts about cables

[LeRoy]

This new DAC made to most significant difference, (i.e. overall improvement), to my system that I've heard in a long time -- far more difference than I expected. Would a $350 pair of cables make such a difference? I'm skeptical but open minded: anybody want to lend me a pair to put up against my Blue Jeans? (I'm not going to buy any on spec.)

Bill, I agree that the source, DAC, CDP, etc., makes the most significant and most audible difference in the audio chain. Somewhat recently a friend loaned me his new Vincent DAC-1 and even though I found it hard to accept the clicking relay issue there was no denying once past that issue the SQ on the DAC is/was truly outstanding.

But here's the thing, in the system set up I was using Toslink, Analog I.C's, 2 WW power cords, and 2 Signal cable power cords. Utilizing the HHB CDR-850 as a transport, Vincent DAC, Qinpu integrated, Dali Ikon 2, and my fancy speaker wire. Simply by changing the order of which PC went to a particular piece of electronics and leaving everything else alone I could get 4 very distinct presentations. The price of the cabling or pc was made irrelevant since the result I liked the best was based on the sequence of the PC placement and the corresponding IC or toslink on the unit it was paired with. One presentation was just awful, one was crappy, one was listenable, and one was just the ticket ---the one that knocked my socks off.

Last night I took my G.F. DAC-11 to my local audio dealer's home for a listen. My buddy likes to make his own cables so he recently made a coax (WW or VDL) with JPS locking terminals. His home made cable is a match with the G.F. but not with his Benchmark DAC. On the other hand, my Darwin Cable Coax is a match with the Benchmark but the Darwin does not match up well with the G.F. DAC and Belles amplification. The Darwin does match up well with my Parasound amps and GF DAC.

I could go on and on about my cable swapping/matching discoveries but will spare all of you the horror. In the end, for me at least, the cable applies the finishing touch on the musical presentation.

Correction: I did use the Qinpu Integrated with the Vincent, however, the Qinpu does not have a removable power cord. I mostly used the Parasound Zamp and Zpre with the Vincent and all the cable and power cord matching that followed that config.