Hi guys,
I strongly think that I should post a message this time, even the head line may seems an old story for audiophile like you guys. I have been thinking that those Interconnect / speaker cables mysteries were snake oil and how could a single 1m cable could change the sound of the whole system? It doesn't make any sense to me. Till yesterday I realised that I was Wrong, very Wrong. Here the story goes:---
My Set-up before transformation:
Power cord: Supra Lorad x 2
Source: Primare D20 MKII
Interconnect: QED Q3 Silver 30th Anniversary S.Edition (USD85)
Amplifier: Primare I20
Speaker Cable: QED Plus Copper Bi-wired
Speaker: ProAc Studio 125 Floor Stander
Room Size : H x W x L = 9' x 14' x 22'
Speaker distance fr. back wall : 42"
Speaker distance fr. side wall : 30"
Speaker apart : 8'
Listening Point : 10' fr. speakers
Comments / Dissatisfaction:
I believe that my set-up is consider decent and very satisfied the sounding in dealer place when I bought them. However, after installation at my listening room / living room (which showed almost perfect Golden Ratio 1:1.55:2.44, the overall sounds is decent but lacking in lower frequencies and violins sometime sounds scratching when play loud.
Went to few hi-fi shop for opinion, most of them pointed to me that the QED interconnect might be the source of the above problems. Their views: QED is a good value cable; they are punchy, very control in low frequencies, forward which suit rock kind music well. Unfortunately, I love warm, romantic sounds. They suggested I tried different i/c see any changes.
One of them (a very kind shop owner), keep asking me to take a Chinese DIY I/C (yes, guys, chinese DIY cable)back home and try out with no obligation. He asks me to return the cable with no charge if it sounds worse than QED Q3. For the past 2 years in audio, i never trust chinese made hifi and really doubt the quality of their stuff. But no cost involve, so i took the I/C (very well made dressing) home and swap the QED Q3 out. I really don't expect any improvement since the QED is at least a well known worldwide brand in hifi cables.
Holy s###. I am speechless when I start playing music after the swapping. I spent 4 hours listening to the new chinese made DIY I/C and concluded the following comparison:
Description:Chinese Original MA100 I/C(QED Q3 I/C)
Soundstage:instruments sound bigger more real (compressed)
Imaging: Precise (hardly locate, congested)
Bass:mush stronger bass-double bass sound confident (very control)
Details:heard so many extra things
Price:USD130 not cheap for a chinese diy cable (USD85)
Finally, the bass is back, thanks god. I heard so much more things that never heard before in the recording. I can tell which instrument is playing from the soundstage which I have difficulty to do so with the QED.
I really need to know, how come a Chinese Made DIY I/C (Original MA100) could sound so much better than a well known QED Q3 I/C??? Doesn't make sense but it really happened!!
Hope you guys could give you view in this.
I strongly think that I should post a message this time, even the head line may seems an old story for audiophile like you guys. I have been thinking that those Interconnect / speaker cables mysteries were snake oil and how could a single 1m cable could change the sound of the whole system? It doesn't make any sense to me. Till yesterday I realised that I was Wrong, very Wrong. Here the story goes:---
My Set-up before transformation:
Power cord: Supra Lorad x 2
Source: Primare D20 MKII
Interconnect: QED Q3 Silver 30th Anniversary S.Edition (USD85)
Amplifier: Primare I20
Speaker Cable: QED Plus Copper Bi-wired
Speaker: ProAc Studio 125 Floor Stander
Room Size : H x W x L = 9' x 14' x 22'
Speaker distance fr. back wall : 42"
Speaker distance fr. side wall : 30"
Speaker apart : 8'
Listening Point : 10' fr. speakers
Comments / Dissatisfaction:
I believe that my set-up is consider decent and very satisfied the sounding in dealer place when I bought them. However, after installation at my listening room / living room (which showed almost perfect Golden Ratio 1:1.55:2.44, the overall sounds is decent but lacking in lower frequencies and violins sometime sounds scratching when play loud.
Went to few hi-fi shop for opinion, most of them pointed to me that the QED interconnect might be the source of the above problems. Their views: QED is a good value cable; they are punchy, very control in low frequencies, forward which suit rock kind music well. Unfortunately, I love warm, romantic sounds. They suggested I tried different i/c see any changes.
One of them (a very kind shop owner), keep asking me to take a Chinese DIY I/C (yes, guys, chinese DIY cable)back home and try out with no obligation. He asks me to return the cable with no charge if it sounds worse than QED Q3. For the past 2 years in audio, i never trust chinese made hifi and really doubt the quality of their stuff. But no cost involve, so i took the I/C (very well made dressing) home and swap the QED Q3 out. I really don't expect any improvement since the QED is at least a well known worldwide brand in hifi cables.
Holy s###. I am speechless when I start playing music after the swapping. I spent 4 hours listening to the new chinese made DIY I/C and concluded the following comparison:
Description:Chinese Original MA100 I/C(QED Q3 I/C)
Soundstage:instruments sound bigger more real (compressed)
Imaging: Precise (hardly locate, congested)
Bass:mush stronger bass-double bass sound confident (very control)
Details:heard so many extra things
Price:USD130 not cheap for a chinese diy cable (USD85)
Finally, the bass is back, thanks god. I heard so much more things that never heard before in the recording. I can tell which instrument is playing from the soundstage which I have difficulty to do so with the QED.
I really need to know, how come a Chinese Made DIY I/C (Original MA100) could sound so much better than a well known QED Q3 I/C??? Doesn't make sense but it really happened!!
Hope you guys could give you view in this.
