“OK...if you read my review of the most excellent Pro-Ject X1 turntable (thank yew to both of you!), that review was with the stock cable. Have to say, that cable wasn't bad. Looked a lot like Kimber's Tonik, but it isn't. It's just plain tinned copper. Nothing fancy. But I couldn't catch it out in any coloration, and it sounded fine. But since the rest of my system is cabled with Pangea Premier (or SE), the OCD part of my brain started whispering.
So I ordered this cable. Out of the box, its construction quality was certainly a LOT more impressive than the stock cable's! Looked a lot like my regular SE Premier cables. Installed it, gave it a listen. Here's where it gets weird. 1st several times, no hum. But after about the 5th listening session, it developed a ground loop hum. This was easily fixed by lifting the ground at the preamp end. But why did it wait to do that? I don't know, but I suspect that a dielectric formed in the shielding, which the ground wire is integrated with in this design, thus creating an eventual ground loop hum which would explain why lifting the ground wire got rid of it. Weird.
The sound? While not a night and day difference, I get the impression of more vividness, over all. I've had NO inclination to reinstall the stock cable. So if you install this, and get a ground loop hum, just float the ground. This really bugged the OCD part of my brain at 1st, but I've gotten used to it. So now my whole signal chain is Premier SE, or Cardas. This does seem to help to get the harmonics right.”
“Outstanding quality. It made a huge difference in the sound. I'm hearing things on my albums I haven't heard before. The low end is more defined and the highs seem crisper and smooth, not harsh”
“It is a fine cable. I am upgrading the total signal path from the tome arm of my turntable all the way to the speakers. Sound quality has markedly improved making listening all that much more enjoyable.”
