Looking For a Digital Coaxial and have ££ ?

Yep, on some tracks I do wonder how on earth some instruments float above all the others - up a ladder maybe?

Real some way to go in that area here, mind you, some voices are getting close

 

to be honest the chord probably gives the immediate impression of more bass. There isnt actually more, its just the way it kinda thrusts everything at you. The cryo to all of us was more natural sounding and really draws you into the music.

Its a testament to how good the cable is, that we now all own one based on the strength of that bake off. My mate sold his chord signature and got one, another sold his kimber, and well i didnt have any digital cable to start with, so i started with it based on how impressed i was with it.

To be honest if your not wanting to spend mega bucks.. and you can use a soldering iron, missing link do their dark art cable as a kit for only £30 with eichmann plugs. They have so little effect on the impedance of the cable that they can be considered virtually non existent. The dark art comes amazingly close to the cryo ref for about a quarter of the cost.

 

Once you have heard some Virtual Dynamics cables, everything else is just ordinary wire by comparison. I've put them up against a good few of the other leading big name brands and none could touch them in any area of performance. What makes them tick is anyone's guess because the website has more psuedo science than you can shake a stick at, but great sounding they certainly are indeed, no matter how they achieve it.

 

Joe at Audio Boffs has a whole set of virtuals for sale if anyone is interested , we were chatting about them at the show, he prefers something else.

 

You have two speakers, that's for 'stereo'. Stereo implies a soundstage. It's obviously an illusion, but no more so than that that makes television or film appear to move or makes a pencil sketch of a face recognisable.

So if you're saying 'what is a soundstage' while promoting a type of speaker it's reasonable to infer that your speakers do not actually do a good job of producing the illusion. Which means they sound like a pair of speakers producing sounds. A harder sell, IMO. It might be worth doing some more setup work....

Paul

 

What kit do you use Paul?

 

Stereo creates a 'soundfield', the representation of sounds spread between two speakers.

All pairs of speakers will do this, regardless of design. Take a standmount and a floorstanding speaker, one on the left, the other on the right, play some music, there's a soundfield. Probably not balanced, but it will be there.

Soundstage is something entirely different, a phrase dreamt up to describe a - totally imaginary and completely illusionary IMO - 'three dimensional' presentation so beloved by reviewers and those who have forgotten what music sounds like.

Go to a live music event, see if you can spot the soundstage. Listen to a conversation in a hall, see if you can spot the 'three dimensionality'.

Just because someone - or a speaker designer - doesn't value 'soundstage', doesn't mean they, their set up or their speakers are in any way deficient. Quite often the opposite in my opinion.

 

That is a good point amongst several other excellent points. I am sometimes mystified by expressions such as "the closest reproduction of live listening experience" as the goal or test of good hi-fi. In my case that's not necessarily what I am after, a 'live' experience in my living room would be unwelcome! But - I do like a good soundstage even if some instruments are - as so eloquently put - 'up a ladder'. Detail and space I like - but I'm not after recreating the live experience.

 

Balls good post ( exactly my point ) Lark you can have the sound whizzing around your head if you like,but I would be more concerned with the tone or timbre and the dynamics of those sounds.

 

I think that's a novel usage of 'soundfield'. Surely the soundfield is a cause of the image?

Stereo can supply width and depth and sometimes a sensation of height. There's no magic here, just physics and the way the human brain works.

A system that doesn't do this when appropriate probably needs attention. IMHO. It's slightly odd to see 'coops' both deeply into audiophoolery and not doing 'soundstage'.

Paul

 

LOL - I agree with you actually - the tone, timbre etc all required, i dont want the sound whizzing round my head but i do like identifying where things are sometimes - even if they may be artificially placed in the sound mix. For eg I can't get on with any of the R vs L studio mastering we had in the 60's - excuse slightly OT but expecially from Italy (I like Italian Film music and on some recordings the placements are whacky). Buena Vista Socila Club a really interesting listening experience re placement

 

What do you mean 'audiophoolery' Paul?

 

Lark I remember borrowing the full DCS rig which alomst split the sound into 'layers' ( as well as the usual left to right )quite entertaining , but I am not sure the player made the instuments sound any more 'real'.

 

Have also heard a full DCS rig - however - Audio Synthesis Transcend and DAX Discrete (which is what use) a nicer listening experience. As I have said - in danger of sounding contradictory not after real - what I like is a satisfying illusion that replicates real instruments - I do hope this doesn't sound too much like bollocks, trying to explain something that is a tad ethereal here! And of course this is back to the fact that we are all individuals and like different things. I for one think horn speakers are the creation of the Devil and unlistenable, despite protestations from fans (run for cover)

 

I have heard some terrible horns, when they are bad they can be truly awful, fortunately the Cessaro's are the best loudspeakers I have ever heard (second best really because the large Cessaro Gamma's are unbelievable.)

 

Are you pretending naivete?

Audiophoolery ranges from imagery that extends through the room wall to next doors potting shed to valve amps and extravagant protruberant speakers. Lots of degrees....

Paul

 

Valve amps are 'audiophoolery'?

 

This is fantastic. One moment you are lambasting Coops for questioning the definition (existence?) of 'soundstage', the next you are describing just such phenomena as Audiophoolery.

Why not be honest Paul, and admit that you just wanted have a go at Coops? Does the man's bank balance offend you? Or do you simply have a hatred for anyone who uses valves and horns?

 

Well I for one am quite pleased my system-when called upon can indeed create the illusion of a space vastly larger than the room I'm listening in maybe thats audiofoolery or maybe just the use of good reverb and delay units by the engineer

 

I like your style 'balls', I thought Paul was just being a bit of an arse, what kind of gear do you use, if you ever fancy coming over to hear some horns and valves and other 'audiophoolery' you are most welcome, Keith.