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HiFi Audio Equipment Discussion / Re: Triode Wire Labs
« on: June 13, 2017, 12:29:15 PM »
The speaker cables were of even higher performance than his powercords and to me, that's where the true 'best value' lies!
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HiFi Audio Equipment Discussion / Re: The power distributor thread
« on: June 13, 2017, 12:15:15 PM »
Thank you Watchdog for having us over and for your kind hospitality that evening 
I will give my impressions in the order of the AR rtp6, Furutech rtp6, DIY distro and finally the Orb Kamakura, as listening was done in that order. Prior to this visit, I had the luxury of using the Furutech rtp6 in my system for an extended duration and I was very pleased by its performance.
1. AR rtp6
Switching from the elite bac1500 to the AR rtp6, first impression was that of refinement. Everything felt more relaxed and natural and I preferred this a lot more than the elite bac1500. Background was very black and vocals had more presence. Detail retrieval was excellent.
2. Furutech rtp6
Going from the AR rtp6 to the Furutech rtp6 was a leap in the other direction. My heart sank as what I considered to be a very good performing distributor, was easily outclassed. Though the furu rtp6 had a fuller sound, it was muddy in comparison and lots of details were missing from the presentation.
3. DIY distributor
I initially had mixed feelings about this distributor. At first, I mistook the R1 for NCF receptacles and was very surprised at how 'dull' it sounds, lacking engagement (very laid back and thin). Was only after I commented that Watchdog said it was the R1 I was listening to
. It felt like a side-grade to the Furutech rtp6.
Swapping to the NCF receptacles provided an improvement in detail retrieval and musical engagement. Strings sounded livelier and the overall performance was elevated to 'good enough' for me. What I meant is although it didn't rival the AR rtp6, I could certainly live with this + the NCF receptacles
4. Orb Kamakura
Nothing could have prepared me for this. Watchdog was downplaying it, saying it has not been used for a long time/not burnt in etcetc
. I really didn't know what to expect because I've no experience with high end distributors. The strum of the guitar strings in the opening seconds was already a 'wow' for me 
As the music played, I felt drawn into the performance. The Orb Kamakura was rich, musical, sweet, smooth yet highly resolving. Felt like it checked all my boxes! Soundstage width and depth was huge, vocals were lustfully sweet, bass had authority and grip, highs were very extended.. This was clearly in a different league than all the other distributors and although I agree that it strays from the original performance, I would argue that it elevates it. I'm not a 'neutral/true to performance' kind of guy, preferring a more musical, sweet, organic yet natural kind of presentation.
Overall, this was the only distributor that gave me goosebumps! In fact, even as I'm typing this, it takes me back and I realised I am grinning goofily at my monitor Watchdog is right, I really loved the Orb and everything about it, just not the price tag.. 
I will give my impressions in the order of the AR rtp6, Furutech rtp6, DIY distro and finally the Orb Kamakura, as listening was done in that order. Prior to this visit, I had the luxury of using the Furutech rtp6 in my system for an extended duration and I was very pleased by its performance.
1. AR rtp6
Switching from the elite bac1500 to the AR rtp6, first impression was that of refinement. Everything felt more relaxed and natural and I preferred this a lot more than the elite bac1500. Background was very black and vocals had more presence. Detail retrieval was excellent.
2. Furutech rtp6
Going from the AR rtp6 to the Furutech rtp6 was a leap in the other direction. My heart sank as what I considered to be a very good performing distributor, was easily outclassed. Though the furu rtp6 had a fuller sound, it was muddy in comparison and lots of details were missing from the presentation.
3. DIY distributor
I initially had mixed feelings about this distributor. At first, I mistook the R1 for NCF receptacles and was very surprised at how 'dull' it sounds, lacking engagement (very laid back and thin). Was only after I commented that Watchdog said it was the R1 I was listening to
. It felt like a side-grade to the Furutech rtp6.Swapping to the NCF receptacles provided an improvement in detail retrieval and musical engagement. Strings sounded livelier and the overall performance was elevated to 'good enough' for me. What I meant is although it didn't rival the AR rtp6, I could certainly live with this + the NCF receptacles
4. Orb Kamakura
Nothing could have prepared me for this. Watchdog was downplaying it, saying it has not been used for a long time/not burnt in etcetc
. I really didn't know what to expect because I've no experience with high end distributors. The strum of the guitar strings in the opening seconds was already a 'wow' for me As the music played, I felt drawn into the performance. The Orb Kamakura was rich, musical, sweet, smooth yet highly resolving. Felt like it checked all my boxes! Soundstage width and depth was huge, vocals were lustfully sweet, bass had authority and grip, highs were very extended.. This was clearly in a different league than all the other distributors and although I agree that it strays from the original performance, I would argue that it elevates it. I'm not a 'neutral/true to performance' kind of guy, preferring a more musical, sweet, organic yet natural kind of presentation.Overall, this was the only distributor that gave me goosebumps! In fact, even as I'm typing this, it takes me back and I realised I am grinning goofily at my monitor
Watchdog is right, I really loved the Orb and everything about it, just not the price tag.. 3
HiFi Audio Equipment Discussion / Re: Neutral Cable Reference I Road Tour
« on: February 01, 2017, 06:23:33 PM »
First of all, I'd like to thank Watchdog for organising this tour and allowing me to spend a couple of weeks with Neutral Reference I USB cable.
The setup used for this evaluation consists of a SOtM sMS-200 (powered by the UltraCap LPS-1 from UpTone Audio) feeding the JOB INTegrated. Speakers are a pair of Aurum Cantus V3M. The size of my listening room is approximately 3m x 3.4m, but due to layout, my speakers are placed along the long side of the room. Listening distance is approximately 1.6m away (relatively near field). Music is played via a usb powered hdd attached directly to the sMS-200.
Impressions:
The built of the Neutral USB is excellent. The construction is sturdy and solid and despite having a solid core, was quite flexible and easy to route. The bright bumblebee yellow is also extremely eye-catching and certainly commanded one's gaze!
Having a name such as 'Neutral" is a little misleading as I do not find the Neutral USB to be neutral sounding (having a flat and reference-like sound). Au contraire, it was vivid and lively, yet retaining a smooth and silky signature. Vocal image is rather big and very slightly more forward sounding, which gives vocals intimacy. The smoothness of the vocals also made me forget that it's a silver cable in its core as there was no brightness/harshness at all. It also never sounded clinical, dry or lean, traits that often get associated with silver cables.
Apart from having an outstanding midrange, bass is also good. My speakers do not extend that low so I cannot accurately determine how low the Neutral USB extends, but it seemed to me that there was slightly more energy in the mid bass portion, making the bass slightly rounder and more 'fun' to listen to. Despite the slight bloom, bass was still punchy. However, due to my inadequate room treatment, the bloom at 60hz and 100hz is very noticeable and in my setup, worked against the Neutral USB instead of for it. YMMV.
The top end extension for the Neutral USB never gets sharp and is quite refined. My speakers have ribbon tweeters and incorrect pairing will easily result in ear-splitting treble, which I had in the past. I have since avoided silver cables like the plague, but the Neutral USB really showed that good silver cables aren't the bright, scary monsters that I thought they were. I would love it more if the treble was a tad sweeter and slightly more extended.
Soundstage width on the Neutral USB was wide and expansive, though I would prefer a little more depth. Again, this is personal preference as my listening distance is quite short, so cables that added depth are greatly appreciated.
Despite its smooth and lush signature, the Neutral USB is very transparent and has very good resolution. Background is pitch black and details come forth effortlessly. However, it did get slightly congested during complicated passages. Attack and transients were also not fast as I thought it would be (another silver characteristic assumption), and leading edges were slightly rounded. If you're looking for an explosive, fast and dynamic USB cable, this would not be the cable for you.
In conclusion, I feel that the Neutral USB is a pretty well balanced cable and very easy to listen to. A worthy contender if you're looking for a USB cable with intimate vocals and a smooth and silky tone, without too much warmness. It also made me more open to trying other high quality silver cables.
The setup used for this evaluation consists of a SOtM sMS-200 (powered by the UltraCap LPS-1 from UpTone Audio) feeding the JOB INTegrated. Speakers are a pair of Aurum Cantus V3M. The size of my listening room is approximately 3m x 3.4m, but due to layout, my speakers are placed along the long side of the room. Listening distance is approximately 1.6m away (relatively near field). Music is played via a usb powered hdd attached directly to the sMS-200.
Impressions:
The built of the Neutral USB is excellent. The construction is sturdy and solid and despite having a solid core, was quite flexible and easy to route. The bright bumblebee yellow is also extremely eye-catching and certainly commanded one's gaze!
Having a name such as 'Neutral" is a little misleading as I do not find the Neutral USB to be neutral sounding (having a flat and reference-like sound). Au contraire, it was vivid and lively, yet retaining a smooth and silky signature. Vocal image is rather big and very slightly more forward sounding, which gives vocals intimacy. The smoothness of the vocals also made me forget that it's a silver cable in its core as there was no brightness/harshness at all. It also never sounded clinical, dry or lean, traits that often get associated with silver cables.
Apart from having an outstanding midrange, bass is also good. My speakers do not extend that low so I cannot accurately determine how low the Neutral USB extends, but it seemed to me that there was slightly more energy in the mid bass portion, making the bass slightly rounder and more 'fun' to listen to. Despite the slight bloom, bass was still punchy. However, due to my inadequate room treatment, the bloom at 60hz and 100hz is very noticeable and in my setup, worked against the Neutral USB instead of for it. YMMV.
The top end extension for the Neutral USB never gets sharp and is quite refined. My speakers have ribbon tweeters and incorrect pairing will easily result in ear-splitting treble, which I had in the past. I have since avoided silver cables like the plague, but the Neutral USB really showed that good silver cables aren't the bright, scary monsters that I thought they were. I would love it more if the treble was a tad sweeter and slightly more extended.
Soundstage width on the Neutral USB was wide and expansive, though I would prefer a little more depth. Again, this is personal preference as my listening distance is quite short, so cables that added depth are greatly appreciated.
Despite its smooth and lush signature, the Neutral USB is very transparent and has very good resolution. Background is pitch black and details come forth effortlessly. However, it did get slightly congested during complicated passages. Attack and transients were also not fast as I thought it would be (another silver characteristic assumption), and leading edges were slightly rounded. If you're looking for an explosive, fast and dynamic USB cable, this would not be the cable for you.
In conclusion, I feel that the Neutral USB is a pretty well balanced cable and very easy to listen to. A worthy contender if you're looking for a USB cable with intimate vocals and a smooth and silky tone, without too much warmness. It also made me more open to trying other high quality silver cables.
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HiFi Audio Equipment Discussion / Re: Power cords
« on: October 11, 2016, 07:09:41 PM »
1. Can't comment much here since I'm using the Job Integrated which is a dac/pre/power combined into one! Though I do encounter more differences with my cord into the Job than for example, a cord into power conditioner.
2. In my own experience, a cord with thicker gauge often sounds fuller with more body and bass. Some do sound overly thick and congested, but the good ones often don't. Similar to Watchdog, thin cables didn't work out too well with me.
3. Not that I'm able to tell. I've heard silver cords that sound warm and full, and copper cords that sound bright and harsh, so now I don't really care what construction or material a cord is made out of, only whether it works in my system or not.
4. Have not had the chance to test longer cords vs shorter cords of the same model, but the default length for most of my cords are 5-6 feet.
2. In my own experience, a cord with thicker gauge often sounds fuller with more body and bass. Some do sound overly thick and congested, but the good ones often don't. Similar to Watchdog, thin cables didn't work out too well with me.
3. Not that I'm able to tell. I've heard silver cords that sound warm and full, and copper cords that sound bright and harsh, so now I don't really care what construction or material a cord is made out of, only whether it works in my system or not.
4. Have not had the chance to test longer cords vs shorter cords of the same model, but the default length for most of my cords are 5-6 feet.
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