enbee23
20-03-2014, 23:47
I'm having a clearout of unused stuff, starting with speaker cables...
Cardas Quadlink 5C, 5.85m bi-wire pair. Factory terminated with spades, 2 into 4. Cardas blurb:
Cable construction is balanced quad-axial 12.5 AWG "Golden Section" "Constant Q" enameled multi-guage litz copper conductors with advanced Teflon/air insulation and a urethane jacket.
These fantastic cables have not been used since I moved house three years ago, they are too long for my current room and setup. I have used them with a variety of amps and speakers and found them to be completely unfussy, sounding excellent in every combination. I preferred them to some much more expensive and very well thought of alternatives. These are from the point in Cardas range of best cost/performance ratio, ie. just before the numbers get silly! I haven't been able to find current UK pricing but the USA price of these new is $1350 (£800). £450
LAT International SS-1000D, 4m pair. Expanding banana plugs and bare wire. Woven 10 gauge Silverfuse conductors with PTFE insulation and shielding inside a sturdy outer jacket. Made in the USA. Here is LAT's blurb:
EXPLANATION OF OUR PROPRIETARY SILVERFUSE CONDUCTOR MATERIAL: Silverfuse is a near alloy of silver and copper. IT IS NOT SILVER PLATED. Silver plating causes a dioding effect when signal is passed through resulting in brightness and distortion. Because silver plating has a bad reputation, some manufacturers try to disguise the fact by calling it silver coated, silver clad or silver copper hybrid. But they are all silver plated. Our Silverfuse process starts with six nines OFHC copper wire with a diameter that is slightly larger than the required size. It is then pulled through a trough of molten silver. The wire with a silver deposit, is then forced through a compacting process where it is subject to tremendous pressure. The silver and the high purity copper are fused together into a near alloy. The compacting fusion also reduces the wire diameter to the desired size. No dioding subsequently occurs with this process. The result provides for the benefits of silver; which are excellent definition and clarity, with the high purity copper benefits of warmth and mellowness.
I would agree with the last part, these cables sound lifelike, natural, full and clear. Not thin or etched and not dull and thick. LAT International are a long established company who don't seem to shout about themselves much but make good solid products. These cables are the same: they will give long term satisfaction rather than immediate "impressiveness" and are all the better for it! The current version of these costs £450. £230
Sterling Black Mamba SCL-01B, 2.5m pair. These are very well thought of thick multistrand copper cables, come with both spades and bananas. These look fantastic and are reputed to sound great too. I was going to put these in a second system that never happened, I've not heard them! The cables are unused and haven't even been taken out of the box. £50
Plus a few quid for insured shipping.
Cardas Quadlink 5C, 5.85m bi-wire pair. Factory terminated with spades, 2 into 4. Cardas blurb:
Cable construction is balanced quad-axial 12.5 AWG "Golden Section" "Constant Q" enameled multi-guage litz copper conductors with advanced Teflon/air insulation and a urethane jacket.
These fantastic cables have not been used since I moved house three years ago, they are too long for my current room and setup. I have used them with a variety of amps and speakers and found them to be completely unfussy, sounding excellent in every combination. I preferred them to some much more expensive and very well thought of alternatives. These are from the point in Cardas range of best cost/performance ratio, ie. just before the numbers get silly! I haven't been able to find current UK pricing but the USA price of these new is $1350 (£800). £450
LAT International SS-1000D, 4m pair. Expanding banana plugs and bare wire. Woven 10 gauge Silverfuse conductors with PTFE insulation and shielding inside a sturdy outer jacket. Made in the USA. Here is LAT's blurb:
EXPLANATION OF OUR PROPRIETARY SILVERFUSE CONDUCTOR MATERIAL: Silverfuse is a near alloy of silver and copper. IT IS NOT SILVER PLATED. Silver plating causes a dioding effect when signal is passed through resulting in brightness and distortion. Because silver plating has a bad reputation, some manufacturers try to disguise the fact by calling it silver coated, silver clad or silver copper hybrid. But they are all silver plated. Our Silverfuse process starts with six nines OFHC copper wire with a diameter that is slightly larger than the required size. It is then pulled through a trough of molten silver. The wire with a silver deposit, is then forced through a compacting process where it is subject to tremendous pressure. The silver and the high purity copper are fused together into a near alloy. The compacting fusion also reduces the wire diameter to the desired size. No dioding subsequently occurs with this process. The result provides for the benefits of silver; which are excellent definition and clarity, with the high purity copper benefits of warmth and mellowness.
I would agree with the last part, these cables sound lifelike, natural, full and clear. Not thin or etched and not dull and thick. LAT International are a long established company who don't seem to shout about themselves much but make good solid products. These cables are the same: they will give long term satisfaction rather than immediate "impressiveness" and are all the better for it! The current version of these costs £450. £230
Sterling Black Mamba SCL-01B, 2.5m pair. These are very well thought of thick multistrand copper cables, come with both spades and bananas. These look fantastic and are reputed to sound great too. I was going to put these in a second system that never happened, I've not heard them! The cables are unused and haven't even been taken out of the box. £50
Plus a few quid for insured shipping.