Warmest interconnects and speaker wire?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by audiorocks, Oct 28, 2011.

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  1. audiorocks

    audiorocks Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    California
    I've connected a Pro-Ject Debut III turntable with built-in preamp directly to a pair of powered Audioengine 2A speakers and called it my alternate system. My main system is built for sound quality, I want this to be about fun. I'd like to make the sound as warm as possible without regard for detail. I think interconnects and speaker wire are the only way I can do that with this setup. What do you think?
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    No such thing as "warm" wire that I know of, at least I hope not. Neutral to bright is usually how it goes.. Or, grainy (cheap stuff) to smiley faced (really expensive stuff).. Nothing "warm" in there unless you think (like some audiophiles) that lack of midband equals warm or something.....
     
  3. audiorocks

    audiorocks Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    California


    Rats. Any advice on how to change the sound in the way I'm describing? Maybe I should have gotten a turntable without preamp so I could connect a warm preamp. The Pro-Ject one isn't defeatable. Oh, how about a warm cartridge?
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I don't know your speakers, sorry. Anyone else?

    You should borrow some actual verified "neutral" wire and see what it does. Maybe that's what you need. I suggest a loan from AUDIENCE or a company like that. Audience sent me a bunch of wire that I dug and it's really neutral, has no sonic signature that I can detect at all. Comes in handy when you really want to hear the sound of your electronic components and speakers without being fooled. It's not so good for adding flavor to your system though.
     
  5. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Cardas Golden Reference have a bit of a warm sound to them.
     
  6. Art K

    Art K Retired but not tired!

    Location:
    Corvallis, Oregon
    Gutwire interconnects are quite warm in the sense that highs are rolled off, midrange fairly neutral and low end emphasized. Their speaker cable is completely different.
     
  7. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Yikes, that sounds terrible!
     
  8. Art K

    Art K Retired but not tired!

    Location:
    Corvallis, Oregon
    It is, Steve. I passed on them after a home demo...without regret.

    Interestingly, their speaker cable is quite good.
     
  9. laughalot

    laughalot Forum Resident

    Maybe use a Tube bufffer betwen TT and Speakers
     
  10. darkmatter

    darkmatter Gort Astronomer Staff

    How much do you want to spend and what lengths do you need? Van Den Hul may have a cable in their range that is appropriate here, something like 'The Name'. To connect the two speakers together as an upgrade to the supplied cable something like 'The Bridge' as a start.

    In reality the best option for you; if you can is to visit your local HiFi dealer, with your kit, and a budget to explore various connection options, as you will know better than us what results you are after. :)
     
  11. beavy

    beavy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    The German Hifi Magazine Stereoplay adds the "sound character" to the tested cables.
    It's either - neutral
    - warm, Bass heavy or
    - analytical, precise

    In the "warm" category are for example the following cables:

    Speaker Cables
    Van den Hul Revelation Hybrid
    Fadel Art StreamFlex Plus
    Fadel Art StreamFlex Special
    MIT EXP 2
    Oehlbach Twin Mix Two
    Straight Wire Stage
    Straight Wire Octave II
    Van den Hul CS 122

    Interconnects:
    Transparent MusicLink Ultra
    Wire World Gold Eclipse III+
    Transparent MusicLink Super
    Transparent MusicLink Plus
    Oehlbach XXL Series 100
    Wire World Polaris III+
    Transparent MusicLink
    Audioquest Coral
    Wire World Oasis III+
    Straight Wire Chorus
     
  12. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    IMH you should get the majority of the sound character you want from your choice of speaker and acoustic environment. Since you ask though... An old (c1990) pair of AudioQuest... what were the brown ones called... Topaz? I have some sitting around here. Grainy, but some folks feel it is also warm and it does not suppress midband or have a "smiley-face" effect. No idea about their newer cables. A lowish end Grado cart might impart a lush sound. Gold? Don't know what they're selling for now.
     
    audioguy3107 likes this.
  13. Echo

    Echo Forum Resident

    Beavy,
    Using only Van den Hul cables in (and around) my audio gear, I am very interested in that article. Could you help me out with a link to that article of Stereoplay? (or did you use a hardcopy of that magazine?)
     
  14. beavy

    beavy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    Hi Echo,

    it was actually a hardcopy of the magazine from 02/2010.
    It's not really an article but a summary of tested cables ("Bestenliste").

    They do have a website www.stereoplay.de; look for Bestenlisten => Zubehör/Sonstiges => Lautsprecherkabel (speaker cables) and NF-Kabel (Cinch und XLR) (=Interconnects)

    BTW not every Van den Hul cable in the Bestenliste was characterized as warm; e.g. the D 300 Mk III Hybrid, The Bay C 5 Hybrid and The Well Hybrid are said to be neutral.......
     
  15. Baron Von Talbot

    Baron Von Talbot Well-Known Member

    Expect those cables to cost a lot, if you don#t know. i think getting a Tube Buffer like the Musical Fidelity X-10D will serve you way more than the character of an interconnect or speaker cable. You simply put the Tube Buffer between the Pre-out of the Project and from there into the speakers. Forget about expensive 'colored' cables at that level. Those buffers are easily found used for around 100 to 150 bucks..
     
  16. ponkine

    ponkine Senior Member

    Location:
    Villarrica, Chile
    Cool! my friend have these and he doesn't use them now. I'll borrow and I'll have a listen :righton:
     
  17. McGruder

    McGruder Eternal Musicphile

    Location:
    Maryland
    I concur with Golden Reference along with Golden Cross at a lower price for warmer presentation.
     
  18. audiorocks

    audiorocks Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    California
    How about switching from the Ortofon OM5e cartridge to the Shure M97xE? Is that an appropriate way to tune the sound in the way I want?
     
  19. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    If you want to go cheap, the Audioquest Black Mamba II interconnects that Audio Advisor sells are "warm." Also the PS Audio xStream Statement interconnects and speaker cable (no longer made, but if found are not that expensive) have tons of copper and are "warm" sounding.
     
  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Tons of copper = neutral.

    Some of you are so far off it makes my head hurt.. Or maybe I'm so far off it makes your head hurt..
     
  21. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    They don't sound "neutral" to me (or many others, almost any review I've read have called them "warm.") They have a rolled off top "sound."
     
  22. McGruder

    McGruder Eternal Musicphile

    Location:
    Maryland
    Well, I don't know what the Ortofon OM5E sounds like, but I do find the Shure M97xE to sound pretty neutral, save for a somewhat rolled off top end. If te M97xE is too warm, a Jico stylus replacement will liven things up and extend the treble.
     
  23. You can't go wrong with Cardas.
     
  24. Puma Cat

    Puma Cat Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Bay, CA
    I would agree that the Audio Advisor Black Mamba IIs are warm-sounding; I have three pair of them.

    GGKing,
    If I may make a recommendation, I'd recommend you consider Wireworld Equinox 6, very reasonable ICs at $199/meter. While I would not characterize them as "warm", they are very natural-sounding and smooth-sounding, and I think you would like that quality of them a lot.
     
  25. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    So we should be looking for 99.9% pure copper as a starting point?

    I know we get into different flavours depending on number of strands, how they're stranded, etc. There's even solid copper wire options!
     
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