View Full Version : Tellerium Q Black speaker cable - revisited
Have some Tellerium Q Black speaker cable in my system for the last few weeks and thought I'd post a few words on how I've been getting on with it. :)
You might remember me posting about a Dac bake off I held at mine recently, where a couple of the guys brought their kit over and we had a session listening to and comparing Dacs?
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18278&page=51
Some "controversial" conclusions came from that, but one of the biggest surprises for everyone present was the immediate and obvious improvement swapping out my Mogami speaker cable for some Tellerium Q Black cable one of the guys brought over.
All three of us just looked at each other in surprise when the TQ was plumbed in - wow!
Sounding like I'd just upgraded my speakers (seriously), there was more of a difference between the cables than all the dacs.
My Rega speakers just came alive; the hifi tickboxes were all improved but the biggest thing was that the system just got out of the way...
It was just the music, the performance...HOW the guitar was played, the singer really believing what they were singing about...that kind of thing.
If I had to sum it up before I was listening to a very good recording of people playing music, with the TQ in place it sounded far more real..a tangible sense of real people playing along with each other in a believable space.
I knew exactly what I needed to get for my system, so I started saving!
Having had the TQ in place for a few weeks now I feel I'm able to make a few informed comments on its performance.
Fresh out of the box it was not as good as I remember from the Dac comparison. Wasn't really surprised though as any cable I've had from new took a while to start sounding like it should.
Even from new though it was better than my Mogami, it just didn't do its magic like I'd heard before.
This cable really needs a couple of weeks before it opens up.
A mate who pops over regularly commented that my system sounded different every time he heard it. I trust his ears and on a recent visit he was gobsmacked by how "real" it was now sounding.
Have to agree, the magic is back and then some. :thumbsup:
Absolute pin sharp focus and a depiction of a room acoustic that is bordering on spooky. Completely believable life size music; all about HOW the music is played, the performance, all the emotion behind it.
You feel the POINT of whats being played, not just the noise it makes coming from the speakers.
Ok it's not the cheapest cable in the world, but its VALUE in my system is, frankly, astonishing.
It wasn't just "different" to what I had before, it was a clear level better than my Mogami, and that cable was recommended for my RS3's.
This cable is really something special, cant recommend it highly enough.
I got mine from here:
http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/speaker-cables/425-tellurium-q-black-speaker-cable.html
Delighted you are pleased with the Blacks Gaz :)
My first TQ speaker cable was the Blue and that really did knock my socks off straight out of the box. Awesome bass punch and top end clarity, it was a total joy to listen to. Based solely upon that favourable impresssion and the premise that the range was better as you climbed it, I decided to give the Blacks a go and it was a completely different story for me. Bass was slow and ponderous, midband was rather indistinct and muddy compared to the Blues, the treble was muted although the upper treble did convey a lot more detail and ambience than the Blue did.
I was in no hurry to condemn them so I embarked on waiting patiently to see if the sound 'unfolded' after some running hours. At 50 hours the bass lightened up an bit and I mean a bit. At 100 hours there was no difference and thereafter their character never really changed to be honest. I must have racked up at least 400+ hours and my nagging doubts never did go away, so when I saw a length of Blue going cheap on ebay I didn't hesitate in snapping them up.
They arrived at the same time as I was evaluating a set of high end interconnects and the dynamics, speed and sheer resolution came shining through with this particular combo and the by-product of that event was I needed to upgrade my interconnects after hearing what I did :eyebrows: The irony is I had to sell some cables to fund another pair of interconnects and I fired up the Randall Research cables before posting them off to make sure they worked fine and a really sweet sound flowed out of my speakers. Bugger :eek:
Never mind, I have a pair of interconnects arrive today which have a lot of potential to sound superb :eyebrows:
good reading Frank, better check your Signature btw ;)
Ali Tait
11-10-2012, 14:32
If anyone is looking for TQ Black, a mate is selling a 2m pair for 110 quid plus postage. A good price methinks.
Delighted you are pleased with the Blacks Gaz :)
My first TQ speaker cable was the Blue and that really did knock my socks off straight out of the box. Awesome bass punch and top end clarity, it was a total joy to listen to. Based solely upon that favourable impresssion and the premise that the range was better as you climbed it, I decided to give the Blacks a go and it was a completely different story for me. Bass was slow and ponderous, midband was rather indistinct and muddy compared to the Blues, the treble was muted although the upper treble did convey a lot more detail and ambience than the Blue did.
I was in no hurry to condemn them so I embarked on waiting patiently to see if the sound 'unfolded' after some running hours. At 50 hours the bass lightened up an bit and I mean a bit. At 100 hours there was no difference and thereafter their character never really changed to be honest. I must have racked up at least 400+ hours and my nagging doubts never did go away, so when I saw a length of Blue going cheap on ebay I didn't hesitate in snapping them up.
They arrived at the same time as I was evaluating a set of high end interconnects and the dynamics, speed and sheer resolution came shining through with this particular combo and the by-product of that event was I needed to upgrade my interconnects after hearing what I did :eyebrows: The irony is I had to sell some cables to fund another pair of interconnects and I fired up the Randall Research cables before posting them off to make sure they worked fine and a really sweet sound flowed out of my speakers. Bugger :eek:
Never mind, I have a pair of interconnects arrive today which have a lot of potential to sound superb :eyebrows:
Mmmmm............interesting l had a TQ Black (new l think) set loaned to me from this parish, and they sounded really superb and incredibly smooth, l had them for around a week, but David (MCRU) recommended l held on to them longer " as they have a long break in period", which being an impatient person declined his suggestion, anyway things that bugged were the bass thump and not the most emotional connection to the music......but some of the good things they were bloody good it has to be said, maybe l should try a run in pair of Blacks, or if the Blue " has great bass punch" l should give these ago?:doh:
Yup, long break in period....
In my experience they REALLY need a at least couple of weeks under their belt to come on song.
realysm42
11-10-2012, 17:08
To me my TQ stuff sounded good out of the box, or atleast you could hear what it was trying to do, but still sounded a bit "rough". When they ran in, that vanished I was left with all the good stuff :D
Give at least one of them a go!
icehockeyboy
11-10-2012, 18:31
Delighted you are pleased with the Blacks Gaz :)
My first TQ speaker cable was the Blue and that really did knock my socks off straight out of the box. Awesome bass punch and top end clarity, it was a total joy to listen to. Based solely upon that favourable impresssion and the premise that the range was better as you climbed it, I decided to give the Blacks a go and it was a completely different story for me. Bass was slow and ponderous, midband was rather indistinct and muddy compared to the Blues, the treble was muted although the upper treble did convey a lot more detail and ambience than the Blue did.
I was in no hurry to condemn them so I embarked on waiting patiently to see if the sound 'unfolded' after some running hours. At 50 hours the bass lightened up an bit and I mean a bit. At 100 hours there was no difference and thereafter their character never really changed to be honest. I must have racked up at least 400+ hours and my nagging doubts never did go away, so when I saw a length of Blue going cheap on ebay I didn't hesitate in snapping them up.
They arrived at the same time as I was evaluating a set of high end interconnects and the dynamics, speed and sheer resolution came shining through with this particular combo and the by-product of that event was I needed to upgrade my interconnects after hearing what I did :eyebrows: The irony is I had to sell some cables to fund another pair of interconnects and I fired up the Randall Research cables before posting them off to make sure they worked fine and a really sweet sound flowed out of my speakers. Bugger :eek:
Never mind, I have a pair of interconnects arrive today which have a lot of potential to sound superb :eyebrows:
Frank, did I imagine you posting here that after a period of time the Blacks did come on song, and were Blue beaters? (Paraphrased that last bit!) :scratch:
Frank, did I imagine you posting here that after a period of time the Blacks did come on song, and were Blue beaters? (Paraphrased that last bit!) :scratch:
Nope, never, methinks you imagined it Craig.
I clearly remember posting my reservations when I got the Blacks and HOPING a burn-in period would improve their performance for me in my system . I posted again about a week and a half later that 50 hours had accrued yet they weren't ringing my bells.
I really don't want to wee on anyone's own findings with the Blacks because it is obvious some folks are getting better results in their own system with their own hearing perceptions. I have simply decided they were not for me and have returned back to the Blue variant.
system synergy, time of day, whether you've been for a poo that day...all factors that affect the sound :)
Ali Tait
11-10-2012, 19:20
I'm using both now- blue on the bass up to 200Hz, black from 200 up on the Visaton full range drivers.
icehockeyboy
11-10-2012, 19:31
Sorry Frank, wishful thinking here maybe! :rolleyes:
jandl100
14-10-2012, 10:11
I had the Blacks for a while - enjoyed the "hifi sound" for the first week or so, then went back to my Cable Talk 3 with a musical sigh of relief.
I recently tried some £600+ rrp Coherent Maestro .... Tony knows his cables, ime .... but no, it's back to the Talk 3 for me. :)
System synergy has a lot to do with it, I am sure.
this isn't the same as the old Cable Talk 3 Jerry?
I had CT3 and CT4, but that was years ago?
Is it new cable?
jandl100
14-10-2012, 11:48
I'm pretty sure it's a new cable - there's an old one called (confusingly) the 3.1 - I think the 3 is much newer.
Or I might be completely wrong! :)
I'm pretty sure it's a new cable - there's an old one called (confusingly) the 3.1 - I think the 3 is much newer.
Or I might be completely wrong! :)
I asked this question a few months ago and it is a new product and not the same as the old Talk 3.
jandl100
14-10-2012, 12:09
Thnx, Martin - I thought so!
I'm pretty sure it's a new cable - there's an old one called (confusingly) the 3.1 - I think the 3 is much newer.
Or I might be completely wrong! :)
The 3.1 was one of my first hifi upgrades. Changed from 89 strand to cable talk 3.1, both from Richer Sounds. Much better bass from the 3.1.
For me, the TQ Ultra Blacks were immediately better than my previous Kimber Select KS-3035 at considerably lower cost. They only got better after that, opening up and settling down nicely after about 50 hours. I use the TQ UB jumpers, too. I'm very happy with them, not feeling that they are deficient in any way.
jandl100
15-10-2012, 10:46
Werll -- damp string would be better than Kimber Select -- Select must be the best cure for insomnia that I've ever come across! :lol:
be interesting to try Jerry's Cable Talk 3 though....not curious?
;)
Not really, Gary, I'm done with cables for the time being. The TQ UBs are fab in my system.
be interesting to try Jerry's Cable Talk 3 though....not curious?
;)
stop messing with cables and enjoy the music, where does it all end :ner:
just...suggesting..it for others :)
Not really, Gary, I'm done with cables for the time being. The TQ UBs are fab in my system.
And in mine too Martin, though I have the Blacks not the UB's. (one day...lol)
fantastic stuff.
Heard the TQ Black interconnects at the weekend there at a get together at mine.
...think I need to get saving again, thanks for that Ali (again!) :rolleyes:
:lol:
Ali Tait
15-10-2012, 13:40
Aye nae bother. Get saving!
brian2957
15-10-2012, 13:56
Didn't think the Regas were too far off them . IMO of course.
They weren't a million miles off tbh.
Think we need a post match analysis :)
I'd be interested to know what improvements were noted moving from Belkin AV53001 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Belkin-AV53001-Speaker-Cable-4M-Wire-12-FTHigh-End-OXYGEN-FREE-QUAD-SHEILDING-/200668042714?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item2eb8bf55da&_uhb=1) speaker cables to either TQ Blue or Black from anyone who has gone down this route... :)
icehockeyboy
15-10-2012, 14:31
I'd be interested to know what improvements were noted moving from Belkin AV53001 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Belkin-AV53001-Speaker-Cable-4M-Wire-12-FTHigh-End-OXYGEN-FREE-QUAD-SHEILDING-/200668042714?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item2eb8bf55da&_uhb=1) speaker cables to either TQ Blue or Black from anyone who has gone down this route... :)
I thought I already did? If not in this thread it's somewhere on here!
The difference between the Belks and the Blues we to my ears amazing, and again, to my ears the supposed step up to the Blacks were not quite as apparent, ask Frank (Effem) for his thought s on this too.
If you are pondering whether to trade up from the Belks, I'd say go for the Blues!
Cheers Craig, I must have missed that :eyebrows:
Heard the TQ Black interconnects at the weekend there at a get together at mine.
You should seriously consider the Yannis 223.5 silver interconnects, in that case. They have the measure of the TQs - but they are for well sorted systems only (as are the TQ Blacks, really).
brian2957
15-10-2012, 14:59
Working mate.
I'd be interested to know what improvements were noted moving from Belkin AV53001 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Belkin-AV53001-Speaker-Cable-4M-Wire-12-FTHigh-End-OXYGEN-FREE-QUAD-SHEILDING-/200668042714?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item2eb8bf55da&_uhb=1) speaker cables to either TQ Blue or Black from anyone who has gone down this route... :)
The belikns were very undetailed. The Tellurium Black major on detail. I've had both. The difference in price was very apparent in the difference in sound quality, ie you get what you pay for.
ie you get what you pay for.
Well, I won't be buying the TQ Black because everything I've read about them to date suggests that they are not worth the extra over the Blues. Incidentally, the Belkin's were close to the price of TQ Blue originally, hence my enquiry. They are 20 quid now coz Belkin no longer manufacture them and I would not accuse them of lacking detail, quite the opposite in fact...
icehockeyboy
15-10-2012, 16:07
Well, I won't be buying the TQ Black because everything I've read about them to date suggests that they are not worth the extra over the Blues. Incidentally, the Belkin's were close to the price of TQ Blue originally, hence my enquiry. They are 20 quid now coz Belkin no longer manufacture them and I would not accuse them of lacking detail, quite the opposite in fact...
Lacking detail? Are you sure your ears don't need syringeing? :lol:
Whilst not the last word in detail retrieval, I don't think you can accuse them of lacking it. :scratch:
Sorry, this should have quoted Clap, not synsei.
It's not me suggesting they are lacking in detail Craig ;)
I've been very, very happy with the Belkin's for a long while now and it is only since the TQ Blue came along that I've been getting that nagging itch to give 'em a try. I would like to listen to them before I commit however... :cool:
Lacking detail? Are you sure your ears don't need syringeing? :lol:
Whilst not the last word in detail retrieval, I don't think you can accuse them of lacking it. :scratch:
Sorry, this should have quoted Clap, not synsei.
I am on a lengthy path where speaker cables are concerned.
Started with some nordost flatline - nice and detailed but no bass.
Belkin - no detail, poor.
Chord Epic - beter than the previous 2 but too bright sounding in my system
TQ balck - no brightness, not a lot of bass (until I got a power inspired mains regenerator), seemed to filter some of the frequencies
Analysis Plus Bog Silver Oval - best of the lot, seismic bass and good detail. No Brightnes.
Must be a system synergy thing... :scratch:
icehockeyboy
15-10-2012, 16:23
It's not me suggesting they are lacking in detail Craig ;)
I've been very, very happy with the Belkin's for a long while now and it is only since the TQ Blue came along that I've been getting that nagging itch to give 'em a try. I would like to listen to them before I commit however... :cool:
You don't need your ears syringeing, but your eyes may need help, didn't you see the last line of my reply? :)
You don't need your ears syringeing, but your eyes may need help, didn't you see the last line of my reply? :)
Nah, it got lost in the 'edit'... hehe
icehockeyboy
15-10-2012, 16:32
I've just received Jandls Epiphany Atratus ic's, and that effect I got when I replaced the Belkin with the Blues, I'm getting it again!
I may not be going back to Blue..............time will tell! ;)
I sent a PM to Oliver today as I am keen to try the Atratus IC's too. If all turns out well I could be Belkin-less in a few months... ;)
I went from the Belkin to the TQ Blue and it really did impress - big time and that's no easy matter. Based upon that shock and awe with the Blue I then moved up to the TQ Black, which didn't impress me at all. I have gone back the Blue now and although I am £80-odd poorer as a result from this backwards step I am sticking with the Blue thank you very much :eyebrows:
Well, the good news is that a 3m pair of TQ Blues are on their merry way to Synsei towers for appraisal, courtesy of all-round good guy, Dave Brooks. If I like them they are destined to be an early Christmas prezzy from my wonderful other half ;)
Well, the good news is that a 3m pair of TQ Blues are on their merry way to Synsei towers for appraisal, courtesy of all-round good guy, Dave Brooks. If I like them they are destined to be an early Christmas prezzy from my wonderful other half ;)
Top man Brooky is- let us know how you get on with the Blues Dave.:)
Top man Brooky is- let us know how you get on with the Blues Dave.:)
I most certainly will Andy, I'm really looking forward to hearing them tbh. I've been so impressed with what the Belkin's have given me for the 20 quid I paid for them, they really are a no brainer for anyone on a budget. Even if I like the TQ Blues I will keep the Belkin's as they are the first, true audiophile cables I've owned (the Cable Talk 3.1's I owned previously were totally dead sounding in comparison, compressing the life and soul out of the music).
Shortly I will have a new amp to play with as well. I may be buying Mark's (Reid) Extron if I like what it does in my system, and he assures me I will. He's not been wrong so far, after all I did buy his DR5 and you'd need to prise that from my cold, dead hands if you wanted it ;)
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