Van Damme Silver Series Interconnect.

[icehockeyboy]

Does anyone have any experience of this cable?

If so, would you share your thoughts please?

Thanks!

[vouk]

Hi Craig,

Sorry, no experience with it as an interconnect; but, quite a few musicians that I know speak very highly of it as an instrument cable.
Cheers
J.

[icehockeyboy]

Cheers J.

I bought a cheaper set of Van Damme ic's recently and they are really good, so just wondered what benefits going up the range would bring.

Anyone else then?

[The Barbarian]

I used VD Ag plated cable.. sounds nice..

[Mark Grant]

Is it one of these Craig:

http://www.vdctrading.com/shop/van-damme-cable/audio/analogue-single-cable/van-damme-silver-series-session-grade-instrument/

They should all sound slightly different as they are designed with different capacitance to alter the sound.

[YNWaN]

Yeah, interesting how they effectively produce three different tone control cables.

[The Barbarian]

I would try the 55pF & 125pF see if you hear any top end difference for yourself

[icehockeyboy]

Is it one of these Craig:

http://www.vdctrading.com/shop/van-damme-cable/audio/analogue-single-cable/van-damme-silver-series-session-grade-instrument/

They should all sound slightly different as they are designed with different capacitance to alter the sound.

Dunno is the honest reply.

They all look the same!
And the ad doesn't seem to give info on which one it is!

[RichB]

My bro in law uses vandamme everything right throughout his studio set up... He's head of audio at a big games company, personally its too flat for my tatses...

[Techno Commander]

Used VD cable in multiple pro applications. Excellent cable for the money. Used one of their cables in my valve pre amp some years ago.

[icehockeyboy]

Thanks for the replies guys, as I mentioned , I already have a pair of their UPVC or whatever the model is ic's, but needed info on the silver series, which so far no one has heard/owned it seems.....:(

PS. As a non techie, what do the lo, flat, and hi cap markings refer to, on the link Mark added?

[icehockeyboy]

My bro in law uses vandamme everything right throughout his studio set up... He's head of audio at a big games company, personally its too flat for my tatses...

What are tatses?
A brand of amplifier? :)

[icehockeyboy]

Is it one of these Craig:

http://www.vdctrading.com/shop/van-damme-cable/audio/analogue-single-cable/van-damme-silver-series-session-grade-instrument/

They should all sound slightly different as they are designed with different capacitance to alter the sound.

Ah....indeed they are the lo cap ones, so what difference does that make?

[Stratmangler]

Ah....indeed they are the lo cap ones, so what difference does that make?

This is quite salient http://www.aqdi.com/cablecap.htm

[icehockeyboy]

This is quite salient http://www.aqdi.com/cablecap.htm

So the lo (west) cap ones are the ones to go for?

[Stratmangler]

So the lo (west) cap ones are the ones to go for?

They should affect the signal the least.
Whether or not you like the sound you get is a different thing altogether :eyebrows:

[Marco]

I wonder what the difference is between this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAN-DAMME-Audio-Twin-Interconnect-0-6m-Neutrik-Rean-Phono-RCA-Plugs-Fitted-/291027779335?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item43c29b7f07

...and this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380897353851?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

:scratch:

Marco.

[icehockeyboy]

I wonder what the difference is between this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAN-DAMME-Audio-Twin-Interconnect-0-6m-Neutrik-Rean-Phono-RCA-Plugs-Fitted-/291027779335?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item43c29b7f07

...and this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380897353851?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

:scratch:

Marco.

The silver is dearer, so it HAS to be better! :eyebrows:

[Spur07]

I wonder what the difference is between this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAN-DAMME-Audio-Twin-Interconnect-0-6m-Neutrik-Rean-Phono-RCA-Plugs-Fitted-/291027779335?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item43c29b7f07


When I first started building my system I went with this stuff, it's ok for entry level gear but ultimately veiled and a bit nasty in the upper frequencies. Moving to Cardas phono wire was a huge upgrade. I'm now using silver which is a different beast altogether.

[Barry]

I wonder what the difference is between this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAN-DAMME-Audio-Twin-Interconnect-0-6m-Neutrik-Rean-Phono-RCA-Plugs-Fitted-/291027779335?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item43c29b7f07

...and this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380897353851?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

:scratch:

Marco.

Well apart from the length and the RCA connectors, there doesn't seem to be much difference. But I assume you are referring to the cable itself.

Suspect there is no difference at all; Van Damme have simply changed the description printed on the cable.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I wonder what the difference is between this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAN-DAMME-Audio-Twin-Interconnect-0-6m-Neutrik-Rean-Phono-RCA-Plugs-Fitted-/291027779335?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item43c29b7f07

solid bare ultra pure linear crystal oxgen free copper 0.63mm centre condutors and 93% optical coverage braided LC-OFC screen


...and this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380897353851?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


Silver plated conductors have been inserted in to the central core.

[Marco]

So both are essentially the same cable, apart from one has silver-plated conductors?

Marco.

[Marco]

When I first started building my system I went with this stuff, it's ok for entry level gear but ultimately veiled and a bit nasty in the upper frequencies.

Thanks for that, Paul. It doesn't sound like something I'd want in my system. However, as I'd like to have a play with some Van Dammes, and compare them to the Gothams I'm currently using (as both cost less than I often spend on a bottle of wine...), I've just bagged a pair of these, for the princely sum of £15.99:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/836/clz7.jpg

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131182144538

It looks to be a bit different from the other Van Damme cables being mentioned (or perhaps not). Anyway, stand by for a VD vs. Gotham 'shoot-out'!! At these prices it's just a bit of fun :eyebrows:

Marco.

[Techno Commander]

This is the Van Damme spec sheet (http://www.vdctrading.com/content/VanDamme-Cable-Specifications/VanDamme-Instrument.pdf) for the silver plated cable (http://www.vdctrading.com/shop/van-damme-cable/audio/analogue-single-cable/van-damme-pro-grade-classic-xke-instrument/van-damme-pro-grade-classic-xke-instrument-cable-black-per-metre/).

[istari_knight]

I've got a metre of unused/unterminated Van Damme LC-OFC stuff if anyone wants to try it for the cost of postage ?

[The Barbarian]

Interesting Marco. Can you get them in black as i like them to look non flashy & the ability for me to wipe of the name so they are non descript..

[Marco]

The only black ones I know of, dude, are these (which I'm not sure are the same cables): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380897353851?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&clk_rvr_id=628807987253&afsrc=1

Marco.

[RichB]

What are tatses?
A brand of amplifier? :)
Fookin stupid tablet text thingie.

Meant tastes...

Mind you I was best way into a bottle of red when I wrote it....

[icehockeyboy]

Thanks for that, Paul. It doesn't sound like something I'd want in my system. However, as I'd like to have a play with some Van Dammes, and compare them to the Gothams I'm currently using (as both cost less than I often spend on a bottle of wine...), I've just bagged a pair of these, for the princely sum of £15.99:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/836/clz7.jpg

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131182144538

It looks to be a bit different from the other Van Damme cables being mentioned (or perhaps not). Anyway, stand by for a VD vs. Gotham 'shoot-out'!! At these prices it's just a bit of fun :eyebrows:

Marco.

I actually do have these in my system now, and you know what?
They are bloody good, no veils or anything like that to contend with! :)

It's basically because these are so good at a ridiculously low price that got me interested in the Silver Series.

The proper ones that is, not the black ones with the silver plated core.

[Marco]

Hi Craig,

I've been having a good listen to the Van Dammes vs, the Gothams, and whilst I haven't fully made my mind up yet, I'm leaning slightly towards the VDs...

I want to experiment more and take my time before coming to a conclusion, as I need to be sure which cables are going to be fitted with the Furutech plugs - and I don't want to make a mistake!

Give me until the middle of the week and I'll have a conclusive answer for you then :)

Marco.

[CageyH]

So, the kickboxer is winning?

I like the VD cables. Seems really good value for money.

[brian2957]

Which VD cables are we talking about here . Got a link chaps.

[Marco]

Hi Brian,

I'm talking about the white VDs shown in one of my earlier posts :)

Marco.

[brian2957]

Ta mate.

[Marco]

I have also just bought a pair of the VD 'Blacks': http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380897353851

...and will be comparing them to the 'Whites' I linked to earlier (both are of a different construction), with a view to deciding which one between them (or the Gothams) will be getting the Furutech treatment! :)

Marco.

[icehockeyboy]

Hi Craig,

I've been having a good listen to the Van Dammes vs, the Gothams, and whilst I haven't fully made my mind up yet, I'm leaning slightly towards the VDs...

I want to experiment more and take my time before coming to a conclusion, as I need to be sure which cables are going to be fitted with the Furutech plugs - and I don't want to make a mistake!

Give me until the middle of the week and I'll have a conclusive answer for you then :)

Marco.

Maybe you can start a 100 + page thread on the Van Dammes then? :eyebrows:

And I've noted that so far we are up to page 4 and still no one has posted anything about my original query! :scratch:

[NRG]

I've just ordered some bare Classic XKE patch cable(£3), will configure as Pseudo balanced and terminate with Eichmann's and compare. Did this years ago with Maplin Shark cable but they sounded dull as ditch water, the XKE seems to be very low capacitance so hopefully they will sound better :)

[Marco]

Maybe you can start a 100 + page thread on the Van Dammes then? :eyebrows:


Well, well, well... These Van Damme Ultra-Blacks are jolly good! :eek: Can't quite believe what I'm hearing with them at the moment: it sounds as if my system has been hard-wired to the studio mixing desk!! Detail retrieval, clarity, and overall musical insight with these is simply sensational...

Anyway, I need to get my head properly around what they're doing, and assess them against the VD Whites and Gothams, in order to decide which cables will be getting fitted with the Furutech plugs. At the moment, it looks like a no-brainer, but we'll see what some further listening to all sorts of different music brings, so stay tuned! :)

Marco.

[Ninanina]

but we'll see what some further listening to all sorts of different music brings, so stay tuned! :)

Now when I made a comment like that re: the SLIC cable I got totally slaughtered.... comments like: "why start the thread if you don't actually have anything constructive to say?" and ....: "are you deliberately winding people up with this 'show and tell' tease pantomime, or you genuinely don't realise how frustrating it is?"

However I don't expect for one minute Marco you will receive anything like the comments I had though.... it's all to do with 'respect' I think... and you have it and I obviously don't....... ;)

[icehockeyboy]

Well, well, well... These Van Damme Ultra-Blacks are jolly good! :eek: Can't quite believe what I'm hearing with them at the moment: it sounds as if my system has been hard-wired to the studio mixing desk!! Detail retrieval, clarity, and overall musical insight with these is simply sensational...

Anyway, I need to get my head properly around what they're doing, and assess them against the VD Whites and Gothams, in order to decide which cables will be getting fitted with the Furutech plugs. At the moment, it looks like a no-brainer, but we'll see what some further listening to all sorts of different music brings, so stay tuned! :)

Marco.

Great to hear that!
I can't wait for my Ultra Whites to be delivered!

It does throw me a little how you refer to the VD's that we both have already as Whites,it makes me think I've ordered a duplicate pair!
The ones we already have been using, are the LC OFC's aren't they? :)

Anyway, as I said, I am really now even more looking forwards to the postie delivering mine , hearing the praise you have heaped upon them!

[icehockeyboy]

Now when I made a comment like that re: the SLIC cable I got totally slaughtered.... comments like: "why start the thread if you don't actually have anything constructive to say?" and ....: "are you deliberately winding people up with this 'show and tell' tease pantomime, or you genuinely don't realise how frustrating it is?"

However I don't expect for one minute Marco you will receive anything like the comments I had though.... it's all to do with 'respect' I think... and you have it and I obviously don't....... ;)

But there's the difference, he already did say about their performance, in the first paragraph. :)

I'm hoping it's absolutely nothing to do with respecting someone or not. :scratch:

[Mr Kipling]

Well, well, well... These Van Damme Ultra-Blacks are jolly good! :eek: Can't quite believe what I'm hearing with them at the moment: it sounds as if my system has been hard-wired to the studio mixing desk!! Detail retrieval, clarity, and overall musical insight with these is simply sensational...

Anyway, I need to get my head properly around what they're doing, and assess them against the VD Whites and Gothams, in order to decide which cables will be getting fitted with the Furutech plugs. At the moment, it looks like a no-brainer, but we'll see what some further listening to all sorts of different music brings, so stay tuned! :)

Marco.

The differences are……… black & white, then…

[Marco]

"Stay tuned", Bev (I often use that term) is just a bit of fun, meaning that I'll be along soon to offer a more detailed account of my findings - no more, no less :)

Respect? I'm just a big dafteee :D

Marco.

[Ninanina]

But there's the difference, he already did say about their performance, in the first paragraph. :)

I'm hoping it's absolutely nothing to do with respecting someone or not. :scratch:

Actually it's EXACTLY the same sort of comment I made re: the SLIC.... I thought it was good but needed more time to finally decide.... see what I mean ??

[icehockeyboy]

The differences are……… black & white, then…

Ha ha!
That would be the case, if VD didn't make the identical ic with white sheathing! :)

[icehockeyboy]

Actually it's EXACTLY the same sort of comment I made re: the SLIC.... I thought it was good but needed more time to finally decide.... see what I mean ??

Sorry, I didn't realise that, I'd need to go back to your first page to look at your initial thoughts about the SLICS.

[Ninanina]

"Stay tuned", Bev (I often use that term) is just a bit of fun, meaning that I'll be along soon to offer a more detailed account of my findings - no more, no less :)

Respect? I'm just a big dafteee :D

Marco.

Like I said Marco it's almost the same comment I made, ie. "watch this space" and I got SLAUGHTERED for it. People called it some sort of "Striptease""""" or something !!

:confused:

[Marco]

Great to hear that!
I can't wait for my Ultra Whites to be delivered!

It does throw me a little how you refer to the VD's that we both have already as Whites,it makes me think I've ordered a duplicate pair!
The ones we already have been using, are the LC OFC's aren't they? :)

Anyway, as I said, I am really now even more looking forwards to the postie delivering mine , hearing the praise you have heaped upon them!

Hi Craig,

Yes, the ones we've been using are the LCOFCs - let's call them 'Creams' :)

The Whites you've ordered are identical to my Blacks (i.e. they contain the VD instrument cable with silver-plated conductors). I suspect you'll enjoy them! ;)

Marco.

[Marco]

The differences are……… black & white, then…

:lolsign: Quality!

In reality, however, not quite. No cables are going to cause such 'night & day' differences. The current sonic hierarchy, although, would probably be VD Ultra-Blacks > VD 'Creams' > Gothams, but we'll see how things pan out in the end :cool:

Marco.

[Mr Kipling]

What about the "Silver Series Session Grade" at £6/metre?

If it's good enough for Eric Clapton ----- it's good enough for me.

[Joe]

Now when I made a comment like that re: the SLIC cable I got totally slaughtered.... comments like: "why start the thread if you don't actually have anything constructive to say?" and ....: "are you deliberately winding people up with this 'show and tell' tease pantomime, or you genuinely don't realise how frustrating it is?"

However I don't expect for one minute Marco you will receive anything like the comments I had though.... it's all to do with 'respect' I think... and you have it and I obviously don't....... ;)

To be fair, Marco prefaced his 'stay tuned' with a rave review: 'Can't quite believe what I'm hearing with them at the moment: it sounds as if my system has been hard-wired to the studio mixing desk!! Detail retrieval, clarity, and overall musical insight with these is simply sensational...', while your SLIC review told us nothing at all about your perception of the cable, merely soliciting others' views: 'I would like to hear from people that have also purchased the SLIC cable and let me know what they think of it against their current cable, and to also let us know what their current cable is'.

So the difference isn't respect, it's about a review that contains an opinion versus one that doesn't.

[Ninanina]

To be fair, Marco prefaced his 'stay tuned' with a rave review: 'Can't quite believe what I'm hearing with them at the moment: it sounds as if my system has been hard-wired to the studio mixing desk!! Detail retrieval, clarity, and overall musical insight with these is simply sensational...', while your SLIC review told us nothing at all about your perception of the cable, merely soliciting others' views: 'I would like to hear from people that have also purchased the SLIC cable and let me know what they think of it against their current cable, and to also let us know what their current cable is'.

So the difference isn't respect, it's about a review that contains an opinion versus one that doesn't.

oops Sorry Joe you are incorrect

I mentioned what I CURRENTLY thought of the SLIC cable but said I will come back with further thoughts.... and I got SLAUGHTERED for that.... ;)

[Joe]

VD 'Creams'

Filth!

[Joe]

oops Sorry Joe you are incorrect

I mentioned what I CURRENTLY thought of the SLIC cable but said I will come back with further thoughts.... and I got SLAUGHTERED for that.... ;)

Fair enough. Are you keeping them, then?

[The Grand Wazoo]

VD 'Creams'
I believe the socially correct term nowadays is 'STD'.
....and a course of strong antibiotics might work better for you than a cream.

[Ninanina]

....and a course of strong antibiotics might work better for you than a cream.

:rfl::rfl:

you lot just crack me up.... :D:D

[Ninanina]

Fair enough. Are you keeping them, then?

Well I am doing my final A & B as we speak... but yes probably.... but as Marco said ... "stay tuned!"

[Joe]

Well I am doing my final A & B as we speak... but yes probably.... but as Marco said ... "stay tuned!"

Hooray! I await the final outcome with bated breath.

[Ninanina]

Hooray! I await the final outcome with bated breath.

Cheeky... ;)

[Marco]

What about the "Silver Series Session Grade" at £6/metre?

If it's good enough for Eric Clapton ----- it's good enough for me.

Yup - a salient point, amigo... I've now ordered some and will comment on its sonic performance when it arrives.

At the end of this experiment, folks, when I decide which cables I'll be keeping, I'll have a load of bargain-priced (and I mean BARGAIN PRICED) interconnects for sale in Private Exhibitions, so look out for those soon! :)

Marco.

[Marco]

I believe the socially correct term nowadays is 'STD'.
....and a course of strong antibiotics might work better for you than a cream.

Just spat out me coffee!!! :lol: :lol:

Such filth wasn't going through my mind when I wrote it, honest guv'... :eyebrows:

Marco.

[icehockeyboy]

What about the "Silver Series Session Grade" at £6/metre?

If it's good enough for Eric Clapton ----- it's good enough for me.

FINALLY!
After all this time someone actually mentions what the OP was all about!

Hooorayyyyyyuy! :dance:

[NRG]

I mentioned it in the other thread, with luck the postie should be dropping it off today or tomorrow...

[icehockeyboy]

I mentioned it in the other thread, with luck the postie should be dropping it off today or tomorrow...

Well that obviously doesn't count then does it? :lol:

[icehockeyboy]

Bugger!

That moment you walk in and find nothing on your door mat that might have contained some cables....! :(

Marco, did you buy your Ultra Blacks from A1 in Sheffield tha' knows?

Had a very long chat with the very helpful proprietor who informed me that it is only him that supples the aforementioned Black and Whites.

Obviously I moaned at him as I was promised that they'd be here today!
It seems he has a rather large number to make up.....I wonder how many orders are from here? :)

[NRG]

Well that obviously doesn't count then does it? :lol:

Well it seems as good a place as any to mention it :D

[Joe]

Had a very long chat with the very helpful proprietor who informed me that it is only him that supples the aforementioned Black and Whites.

Obviously I moaned at him as I was promised that they'd be here today!
It seems he has a rather large number to make up.....

It's a good excuse for being late sending your cables!

[Marco]

Marco, did you buy your Ultra Blacks from A1 in Sheffield tha' knows? <Snip> It seems he has a rather large number to make up.....I wonder how many orders are from here? :)

Yup, same chap! You might be surprised at the influence AoS has on these matters, so I wouldn't at all be surprised if us linking to his ad on ebay has generated some sales of his cables ;)

Marco.

[CageyH]

Unfortunately I won't be buying any as he posts to "worldwide", except for "Africa, Asia, Central America and Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, North America, Oceania, South East Asia, South America, PO Box" so pretty much just the UK then? :(

[The Grand Wazoo]

You could move to Iceland!

[icehockeyboy]

Wowzer!!!

I totally echo Marco's statement about the quality of the VD Ultras!

Now, a few posts ago I told you I hadn't received them, which I still haven't, so being me I drove up to Sheffield to get a pair!

Except I enquired if he had any ' better' plugs to put on them, he had some Audioquest ones which were about a fiver each, so off I went.

And they are amazing!

I have no idea if having the better plugs on them has made any difference as I didn't have an opportunity to listen to the standard ones, but if you are in the market for a high quality ic at a low standard QED type price, look no further than this.

I am now wondering what their speaker cable is like, after all at less a quarter of the cost of my TQ Blacks, it's got to be auditioned sometime soon.

Come on Marco, lest hear some more from you on them! :)

[brian2957]

Aye yer a patient soul Craig :lol:. I fitted better plugs to the Gothams and they improved by quite a bit over the originals .

[CageyH]

What does it say on the cable?
I want to see if I can buy the cable, and try some KLE Harmony plugs on them.

[icehockeyboy]

What does it say on the cable?
I want to see if I can buy the cable, and try some KLE Harmony plugs on them.

Dunno, it's now hidden! :)

[Marco]

Hey, Craig, glad that you like 'em!


Come on Marco, lest hear some more from you on them! :)

Will do. I'm waiting on a 1m pair arriving, so I can connect them between my preamp and power amp, as well as between my DAC and preamp (therefore having a full 'loom' of Ultra-Blacks) before finalising my opinion on them.

However, based on what I've heard so far, either those or the VD Silvers (if they're even better) will be getting fitted with Furutech plugs. The Ultra-Blacks, however, are undoubtedly a serious bargain and outperform interconnects I've used at 30 TIMES the price!!

Fitted with top-notch plugs, it's scary to think how good these will be........

Marco.

[icehockeyboy]

Hey, Craig, glad that you like 'em!




However, based on what I've heard so far, either those or the VD Silvers (if they're even better) will be getting fitted with Furutech plugs. The Ultra-Blacks, however, are undoubtedly a serious bargain and outperform interconnects I've used at 30 TIMES the price!!

Fitted with top-notch plugs, it's scary to think how good these will be........

Marco.

I believe I agree with you on the ic's many times the price.

The highest up the ladder I've ever been was a pair of £600 Black Rhodium Oratorio's, which I would say would come second in a head to head with these VD Ultras!

[CageyH]

Dunno, it's now hidden! :)

Spoilsport!
How am I supposed to listen to one (after suggesting that they may be quite good on the Gotham thread) if you guys don't help me?

:ner:

[Marco]

What does it say on the cable?


Hi Kevin,

It says: "Van Damme Pro Grade Classic XKE Instrument Cable 268-011-000 Ultra Pure Silver Plated OFC". Full details here: http://www.van-damme.com/19.html As you can see, it comes in a range of colours.

Apart from A1, you can also buy it as a single cable, in various lengths from here (with nice Neutrik plugs fitted): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Neutrik-Van-damme-single-RCA-phono-to-phono-cable-NYS373-NYS373-/131044818115

From the above website:


The benefit of UP SPOFC is that silver is approximately 5% less resistive than copper. In particular, this benefits the conductivity of the high frequencies, reducing attenuation. That is, the "sparkle" that is often lost when using cheaper, inferior cables.


That "sparkle" is immediately obvious, and the first thing you hear, when plugging them in - awesome! :)

Marco.

[CageyH]

:thumbsup:

[Marco]

No worries. Thought you'd like the info :)

Marco.

[CageyH]

Tempted to get some Neutrik Profi or KLE Silver Harmony plugs to see how these compare to my "Arkham Terminator" leads. The plugs cost much more than the cable though!
I think I'll call them the "Arkham Rambo"

[icehockeyboy]

http://www.thecableco.com/Product/RCA-300--Set-of-4-#

These are what are on mine.

[vinylspinner]

I have metres and metres of this cable, I say this cable as the code number is the same as posted by Marco in post 78, I used it to make up bass guitar cables, not tried it for audio use.

First two people to pm me can have a 1 mtr. un terminated set to try out.

cheers

Nigel

[vinylspinner]

Both pairs spoken for.

Nigel

[Marco]

Nice of you, Nigel, to help folks out :thumbsup:

Marco.

[Marco]

Next question is, will these babies (VD Silvers) be even better than the Ultra-Blacks?


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/845/enuz.jpg


...should be able to answer that one tomorrow!

Some more info here on the Wam: http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?84666-Van-Damme-Silver-Series-Special-55-Interconnects

Marco.

[NRG]

£140 !!!!! :stalks: The lo-cap is £6 / Meter and thats from ripoff eBay, I'm sure its a heck-of-a-lot cheaper bought direct and in bulk....mine should be here today so we'll see if the low cap is of benefit.

[Marco]

Indeed, Neal. The 0.5m pair I bought from ebay was £49.99, with some pretty decent lockable plugs fitted, as shown above. If I want a 1m pair, from the same guy, it won't be that much more... ;)

The £6 per metre offer on ebay is actually not bad. I reckon to get it any cheaper you'd have to buy a whole reel of the stuff. VDC Trading are selling it for £7.27 (ex VAT), and that's for a minimum quantity of 10m: http://www.vdctrading.com/shop/van-damme-cable/audio/analogue-single-cable/van-damme-silver-series-session-grade-instrument/van-damme-silver-series-session-grade-lo-cap-55pf-instrument-cable-per-metre/

Technical spec here: http://www.vdctrading.com/content/VanDamme-Cable-Specifications/VanDamme-Silverseries.pdf

If you scroll down to the bottom, on the spec page, there's an interesting article in Guitarist Review magazine, together with quotes from some 'famous folk' who use the cables :)

However, sonically, they'll have to go some to beat the Ultra-Blacks (listening to these it's difficult to imagine how things could get much better), so we'll see what happens!

Marco.

[jandl100]

Andy, where are you?!

Damn, I'll have to do it myself ..... :popcorn:

:eyebrows:

[icehockeyboy]

Pretty sure I'm right here......the ones shown on the wam are different to the ones I originally spoke about, and That Marco has.

Apart from that, I was playing music until the early hours with the new ic's.

They are stunning, and I won't be bothering trying anything else.


Well, not for a while! :)

[Marco]

Pretty sure I'm right here......the ones shown on the wam are different to the ones I originally spoke about, and That Marco has.


Dunno, Craig. You didn't actually identify the cables you were referring to when you started the thread. Could you post a link to the ones you initially had in mind, so we can compare them with the above Silvers? :)

I may also not move from using the Ultra-Blacks, but we shall see. Anyway, there is something I'd like to clear up (and incidentally, this is not directed at you)....

The whole object of the exercise was to try a FEW studio-style cables (i.e. more than one type, for the benefit of the blinkered and hard of thinking 'elsewhere'), from different manufacturers, and determine which ones, to my ears, were best - and then fit those with my chosen Furutech plugs, which is precisely what I'm in the process of doing.

First up were the Gothams, which in my system, bettered the (not exactly 'shabby') MGs I was previously using [which if you note have since been sold], and also every single other pair of interconnects I've used in my system to date, some costing nearly £900 a pair!! In the context of my system, bland, dull or lacking in resolution, the Gothams were not. Essentially, they were pretty neutral sounding (as per my perception of such), with little of an overt 'sonic signature', which is all I seek in signal cables.

Therefore, contrary to those 'elsewhere', who don't possess the mental capacity to follow things properly, I did not "make a big mistake" buying the Gothams: they were simply one set of cables selected for the current trial process.

Anyway, next up were the Van Damme 'Creams', which had slightly better overall clarity and midrange projection, but the difference over the Gothams was subtle.

Then came the VD Ultra-Blacks, which definitely moved things up to another level... Now we're talking fundamental sonic improvements across the board, notably in terms of high-frequency extension, translated audibly as a very noticeable and clearly defined 'treble sparkle', making all other cables I've heard sound rolled-off at the top end, which under any other circumstances wouldn't have been.

Just in case anyone's thinking differently, the VD Ultra-Blacks aren't in any way bright (if they sound that way, blame your system, not the cables), but they have an uncanny knack of teasing out musical information in recordings that most other cables miss, and framing voices and instruments in a beguiling crystalline clarity, which creates a sense of openness and realism when reproducing music, suggesting subjectively that they are manipulating the signal as little as it's possible for any cable to do - and *that* is precisely what I'm looking for!

I should receive the VD Silvers today, so we'll see whether those are better or not, then the 'winning' cables will be fitted with some sexy Furutech CF-126(R) plugs, the 'rejects' will be sold off very cheaply to some lucky AoS members, and my experiments will be over: 'job done'!

:exactly:

Marco.

[CageyH]

I think you should also try some Furutech cable.

[Marco]

It never ceases to amaze me the ingrained inability of 'some folk elsewhere' to read what's written in front of them or follow the correct sequence of events... One wonders whether they are afflicted with blindness or stupidity, or a combination of both? :doh:

Just to clarify, where I obtained the VD Silvers from is very clearly stated in the first paragraph of post #88 (and no, it is not Purite). Furthermore, the Van Damme cables were always in the equation, from the beginning for auditioning, along with the Gothams. How else could I conduct a group cable comparison with only one set of cables?? :mental:

The sheer idiocy of these folk is staggering... No wonder no-one with an ounce of intelligence takes anything they write remotely seriously.

Had I not heard the VD Ultra-Blacks, I could've very easily settled with the Gothams, and then further improved their performance with some Furutech plugs - and that's a fact!

Anyway, sounds like the postie has arrived with some goodies.... :yay:

Laters, muchachos!

Marco.

[NRG]

My cable has arrived, will try and make em up for this afternoon. The XKE patch cable also turned up, it's quite thin in comparison to the Instrument and Microphone XKE

[icehockeyboy]

Hi Marco, for whatever reason, sometimes my iPad won't play ball and copy!

But I'm sure the ones I'm talking about already have a pic posted somewhere in the thread.

The unterminated cable is the Silver Series Lo cap wire.


Just looked back at your post Marco, #86, they are the ones, but take a look at the ones linked to the Wam, they look nothing like these.

Edit to add... On second thoughts, I think it's the sheathing and plugs that made me think they are different.

I don't think they are now, but why such a hike in price?

[Marco]

I think you should also try some Furutech cable.

That's also in the equation ;) But it'll be a while before I get a chance to try it with some plugs. Jerry has also sent me some interconnects to audition, which I believe are examples from Reffc and Epiphany Acoustics, so those will get a fair hearing, too.

Marco.

[brian2957]

Busy boy then :) That should confuse a few people elsewhere :rolleyes:

[Marco]

Lol - if they had a brain cell between them, they might be dangerous!! :D

Going in with the Silvers now.......

Marco.

[jandl100]

Had I not heard the VD Ultra-Blacks, I could've very easily settled with the Gothams, and then further improved their performance with some Furutech plugs - and that's a fact!


Yep, a good component is a good component - just because there might be something you find that's preferable does not invalidate that judgement.

btw - I've a pair of VD UBs on the way, I'll get a listen to them at the weekend. :)

[Figlet108]

Right, I've also just bought 3m of this VD Silver Series (55pf) cable (268-900-055) (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAN-DAMME-SILVER-SERIES-SESSION-GRADE-INSTRUMENT-CABLE-Low-Cap-55-by-the-metre-/180723820731?pt=UK_Musical_Cables_Leads_Connectors&hash=item2a13faa8bb) to make up a full loom.

What recommendations are there for good but not stupid money plugs?

Also got 2 sets of RFC Mercury Mk2 cables ordered.

With a valve and SS setup including both moving coil and Quad electrostatic speakers it'll be interesting to try out the Gothams, VD Silvers and Mercury Mk2s on both systems and try and isolate system dependencies.

I don't see why Marco should have all the fun :)

[icehockeyboy]

http://www.thecableco.com/Product/RCA-300--Set-of-4-#

These are a fiver ish each.

Give A1 in Sheffield a call. 0114 321 0440.

[NRG]

http://www.thecableco.com/Product/RCA-300--Set-of-4-#

These are a fiver ish each.

Give A1 in Sheffield a call. 0114 321 0440.

Be careful those only take cables up to 7mm dia. The Lo-Cap Silvers come in at 8.5mm and if you add a bit of heat shrink will be 9mm or more...

I've made mine up now, the cable is quite easy to work with and took about ~40mins for the pair, reckon I could get that down to 30! ;) Anyhow they measure at 60pF with the Bullet plugs attached, the barrels only just fitting over the cable+heat shrink.

[Alp]

I use Van Damme speaker cables and these are very good and cost a fraction of the cables they replaced. Has anyone compared these Van Damme interconnects with the Mark Grant's G1500 or Yanni's Silver cables?

[Marco]

Going in with the Silvers now.......


Well, that was very interesting... I had a gut feeling it was going to be difficult improving on the Ultra-Blacks, and I was right! Whilst the Silvers are undoubtedly excellent cables in their own right - they have no real faults, as such - but the 'magic' in the music, present in spades with the UBs, was missing. Make no mistake, the Silvers are uber-detailed, revealing cables, and undoubtedly would work superbly in many applications, but in my system they created a somewhat cold and uninvolving sound...

With the Silvers, all hi-fi considerations seemed 'present and correct', but despite of that, I couldn't help but feel detached from performances, as my normally mellifluously musical sounding Sony CDP/DAC had suddenly lost its mojo, and whilst there was nothing technically wrong with the sound, I found myself quickly becoming disinterested listening to albums that usually have me enthralled.

Reverting to the Ultra-Blacks injected the sound with the musicality that was missing, and so I was 'back in the zone', as it were, enveloped by a lifelike snapshot of live music, instead of cocooned within a cardboard cut-out of such, with that top-end 'sparkle' and openness the UBs excel at, illuminating musical performances with vibrancy in an oh-so-entertaining way, where the Silvers rather 'sober' style of music-making had reduced them to merely monochromatic soundscapes.

Therefore, in conclusion, the Van Damme Silvers may be the ideal tonic for some systems, but they didn't quite hit the spot in mine. I'd say that they're best suited to people who listen to music with their head than their heart.

Today, the cables Jerry kindly loaned me will go in (I still need to open the bag and find out exactly what's in there), and we'll see whether any of those can knock the Ultra-Blacks off of their perch! :cool:

Marco.

[CageyH]

I didn't order any of the silver cable yet, but I did order some WBT style plugs.
I am hoping that the bits land by the weekend, so I have plenty of time to knock up the cables. It will be interesting to see if they do the same in a solid state based system. If I get two cables done, I'll have an entire Van Damme loom from the cartridge to the speakers - for now.

[icehockeyboy]

Excellent write up Marco!

And of course it save me the hassle/expense of buying the Silvers as well!
.

Not to mention that finally someone has answered my original question from 11 pages ago! :)

[Mr Kipling]

Who's going to tell Eric Clapton the news then?

[Joe]

Who's going to tell Eric Clapton the news then?

It's OK; Eric listens with his head rather than his heart.

[NRG]

And of course it save me the hassle/expense of buying the Silvers as well!


Why? :D They may suit your system better...gotta try these things for yourself. :)

I only had a short listen yesterday, hope to get more time today....

[icehockeyboy]

Why? :D They may suit your system better...gotta try these things for yourself. :)

I only had a short listen yesterday, hope to get more time today....

Nah....they might only be £40 ish, but I did mention numerous posts ago that my car is telling me I'm 55 days past my 'A' service, and the accountant (robbing git) wants a grand...... :(

[Marco]

Who's going to tell Eric Clapton the news then?

Hahaha... Indeed! Perhaps the Silvers make better guitar leads than hi-fi interconnects... ;)

Marco.

[Marco]

It will be interesting to see if they do the same in a solid state based system. If I get two cables done, I'll have an entire Van Damme loom from the cartridge to the speakers - for now.

Indeed... In terms of the first bit, don't be letting the blinkered bile of a clueless halfwit 'elsewhere' influence your thoughts! :nono:

Marco.

[pitadavespa]

Marco,

In order to (more) accurately compare the cables, shouldn't you use the same plugs in all of them?

Luis

[Marco]

Lol... You're absolutely right, of course, but sadly that's not practical, so I'll just have to do my best with what's available :)

Marco.

[pitadavespa]

:)

I understand, but, in the end, you may not end up with the best cable. ;)

[Marco]

Indeed, but there is no such thing: only 'my best', assessed within the context of my system :)

Taking your point further, however, the Gothams (for example) will be getting reassessed, with better plugs fitted, before they're dismissed, as in my system they get so much right, only ultimately being let down by a loss of clarity and 'sparkle', when compared with the VD Ultra-Blacks - and some of that that could be down to the plugs...

One thing I've discovered when experimenting with cables is that designs fitted with heavy plugs, containing a large amount of metal in their construction, invariably sound worse than those fitted with more lightweight plugs, with less overall metal content - or in some cases none, other than in the condutors themselves.

If one compares the Gothams, in that respect to the UBs (in stock form) there is quite a difference between the plugs fitted to both cables, and so I feel that this factor deserves some further exploration.

Marco.

[CageyH]

Indeed... In terms of the first bit, don't be letting the blinkered bile of a clueless halfwit 'elsewhere' influence your thoughts! :nono:

Marco.

I am pretty sure my thoughts are my own. The sound and characteristics are different in my experience.
You could argue that a cable is just a cable, but you have system matching to take into account.
I thought it would be good to try the Ultra Blacks a long time ago.
I am limiting my little experiment though.

[Marco]

I am pretty sure my thoughts are my own. The sound and characteristics are different in my experience.
You could argue that a cable is just a cable, but you have system matching to take into account.
I thought it would be good to try the Ultra Blacks a long time ago.
I am limiting my little experiment though.

That's good, because the valve factor thing is utter bollocks, spouted by someone with an obvious commercial agenda and bias in favour of SS designs, so in that respect, one can hardly take what he says too seriously.

In 30+ years of using all manner of hi-fi equipment, I've only owned TWO valve power amps (firstly, a Chinese-made Yaqin MC-100B, which got me into valves in the first place, and my current TD Copper amp) and ONE valve preamp (the modified Croft Charisma-X, I'm currently using) - all the other systems I've had (and as you can imagine, over a period of 30-odd years, there have been plenty) featured soild-state amplifiers of various types, and in my current system, NEVER have cable differences been so obvious and easy to spot!! ;)

Anyway, that aside, I look forward in due course to you sharing the results of your own cable experiments.

Marco.

[NRG]

This continues to be an interesting exercise for me having parked the 'ole cable bus years ago! I've now got a handle on the Silvers in my system vs the Kimber Silver streaks. The Kimbers portray a greater depth and width with much better instrument and vocal sepearation, they souns more 'natural, to me and thus are more engaging, they have a natural ease to the presentation.

In comparison the Silvers are more 'Hi-Fi', they seem louder, more in your face with a flat wall of sound that has lot of top end detail but proves to be fatiguing after a while. The Kimbers win quite easily IMHO, im actually surprised by the noticable differences between the cables.

Have I moved up another rung on the ladder? Are the Kimbers game changers? Should I watch out for that glass ceiling? LOL, only joking :D

BTW Both sets are fitted with Eichmann Bullets

[pitadavespa]

Indeed, but there is no such thing: only 'my best', assessed within the context of my own system :)

Taking your point further, however, the Gothams (for example) will be getting reassessed, with better plugs fitted, before they're dismissed, as in my system they get so much right, only ultimately being let down by a slight (and I mean slight) loss of clarity and 'sparkle', when compared with the VD Ultra-Blacks - and that could be down to the plugs...

One thing I've discovered when experimenting with cables is that designs fitted with heavy plugs, containing a large amount of metal in their construction, invariably sound worse than those fitted with more lightweight plugs, containing less overall metal content - or in some cases none, other than in the condutors themselves.

If one compares the Gothams, in that respect to the UBs (in stock form) there is quite a difference between the plugs fitted to both cables, and so I feel that this factor deserves some further exploration.

Marco.

I mentioned the best cable amongst the ones you are testing.

Indeed, more metal in the plugs means more capacitance. That's why some people use those cheap plastic (horrible?) ones and swear by them. ;)

[Marco]

Indeed, more metal in the plugs means more capacitance.

Is that the case? Well, I'm glad that there is a technical explanation for an effect I can clearly and repeatedly hear... ;)

Yes, I take your point about 'best', and agree. Thing is, life is full of instances where one must work within certain limitations, and testing interconnect cables is no exception.

Therefore, I'll simply do all that I can, in terms of accurately ascertaining which cables, out of those being tested, are in the end considered 'best' to my ears :)

Marco.

[Figlet108]

Thanks for plug suggestions folks.
I think I'm going to try and source some KLE Harmony Silver plugs for my experiments.

They are more than I was planning to spend but I've got sucked into the incredible amount of thought and engineering that's gone into these. The look awesome, so I hope they sound as good.

BTW, what's the cheapest place folks are sourcing these from these days?

Thanks.

[pitadavespa]

Is that the case? Well, I'm glad that there is a technical explanation for an effect I can clearly and repeatedly hear... ;)

Yes. The same way a 1.5mm speaker cable, for instance, has less capacitance then a 2.5mm or a 4mm one.
But it's just not the metal! The same cable with and without insulator changes its overall capacitance.
Why this all happens is already beyond my knowledge. :D


Yes, I take your point about 'best', and agree. Thing is, life is full of instances where one must work within certain limitations, and testing interconnect cables is no exception.

Therefore, I'll simply do all that I can, in terms of accurately ascertaining which cables, out of those being tested, are in the end considered 'best' to my ears :)

Marco.

You are buying and testing already terminated interconnects, not just the cable itself, so I guess your test is legitimate.
My question was only because you intend to change the plugs on the "better" one.


Marco, thank you for all your tests. ;)

[CageyH]

That's good, because the valve factor thing is utter bollocks, spouted by someone with an obvious commercial agenda and bias in favour of SS designs, so in that respect, one can hardly take what he says too seriously.

In 30+ years of using all manner of hi-fi equipment, I've only owned TWO valve power amps (firstly, a Chinese-made Yaqin MC-100B, which got me into valves in the first place, and my current TD Copper amp) and ONE valve preamp (the modified Croft Charisma-X, I'm currently using) - all the other systems I've had (and as you can imagine, over a period of 30-odd years, there have been plenty) featured soild-state amplifiers of various types, and in my current system, NEVER have cable differences been so obvious and easy to spot!! ;)

Anyway, that aside, I look forward in due course to you sharing the results of your own cable experiments.

Marco.

No sign of any of the bits yet, but rest assured, as soon as I have something to post about, I will.

[icehockeyboy]

No sign of any of the bits yet, but rest assured, as soon as I have something to post about, I will.

Well don't just sit there waiting man!

Do as I did, do a 100 mile return journey because you are far too Impatient to get them!!!! :eyebrows::lol:

[NRG]

Yes. The same way a 1.5mm speaker cable, for instance, has less capacitance then a 2.5mm or a 4mm one.
But it's just not the metal! The same cable with and without insulator changes its overall capacitance.
Why this all happens is already beyond my knowledge. :D



You are buying and testing already terminated interconnects, not just the cable itself, so I guess your test is legitimate.
My question was only because you intend to change the plugs on the "better" one.


Marco, thank you for all your tests. ;)

The amount of capacitance is pretty small TBH, IE: 4~6pf per plug, its not going to make a huge difference ;)

[CageyH]

Well don't just sit there waiting man!

Do as I did, do a 100 mile return journey because you are far too Impatient to get them!!!! :eyebrows::lol:

100 miles, pah. You are a lightweight! I reckon it will be 16 hours each way at 130 km/h.
Driving from Toulouse to Sheffield isn't really an option for £5 worth of cable.

If it were for some new speakers at a bargain price, then I would be tempted.

[Marco]

In comparison the Silvers are more 'Hi-Fi', they seem louder, more in your face with a flat wall of sound that has lot of top end detail but proves to be fatiguing after a while.

I would concur with your observations: essentially the Silvers are rather too 'hi-fi' sounding. The Ultra-Blacks convey just as much detail and clarity, but do so in a way which is more natural and musically cohesive.

Didn't get a chance yesterday to listen to the cables Jerry has sent me, but will do so today! :)

Marco.

[icehockeyboy]

Well I am absolutely LOVING my Ultras!

As I mentioned, I was a bit impatient so did around a 100 mile round journey to get them, but at least I got to meet Tim, who is one of the guys that makes them up.

When you buy something via eBay or wherever, it normally gives you no chance to talk to the person behind the 'shop' so it was good to meet Tim, and it's an actual shop, not a factory/back room!

They have a good range of kit in there, well worth a visit if you are ever in Sheffield, just off the Eccleshall Road.

[Alp]

Since I have not had a reply to my previous post, can I assume that no-one had compared the VD Ultra Blacks with the Mark Grant G1500HD or Yanni's Silver cables which I use now? With most of the Mark Grant cables, the cable is the same, but the price and (apparently, since I cannot bring myself to pay £200+ for an interconnect) the performance increase with the type of plug used. Has anyone purchased the VD cables with the Neutrik connectors rather than those from A1?

[Marco]

Since I have not had a reply to my previous post, can I assume that no-one had compared the VD Ultra Blacks with the Mark Grant G1500HD or Yanni's Silver cables which I use now?


No. I've owned and used all three cables in question, and therefore have compared them directly to each other in the same system. The fact that I'm currently using VD Ultra Blacks and have sold the other two, should tell you something...

If I have time to expand on that, I will do so, although I'm very busy at the moment. Failing that, Alastair, you are welcome to ring me for a chat about the matter. PM me, if you'd like my number, as quite often I don't have time to sit and type stuff on here :)

Marco.

[brian2957]

Just saw this Alistair . I was using a set of Yannis 223.5 interconnects fitted with his cheapest Rhodium locking plugs. . I have had the Van Damme Ultras plugged into my system for the last couple of days ( with cheap plugs ) and I've just plugged the Yannis cables back in an hour ago . The Van Damme cables are very good indeed , but I'm afraid I prefer the Yannis cables . The music has more emotion with the latter and that's what it's all about for me . Sorry to confuse the matter but as many state here it's my system and my ears . You may have a different experience using the Van Dammes in your system.
Incidentally I also use a Temple Audio amplifier , although it's just the Bantam Gold power amp.

[Marco]

That's interesting, Brian.

I kind of know where you're coming from, although for me I'm beginning to realise that solid-silver cables and/or plugs, sonically, aren't all they're cracked up to be. I'm focussing on other aspects of cable/plug design that I consider to be more important, and from now on have settled on using good old (high-quality) solid copper.

However, if you like the effect of solid-silver cables, IME, it doesn't get much better than using Yannis' ones, which are beautifully constructed and offer superb SPPV :)

Our of interest, which did you prefer between the Gothams (with stock plugs) and VD Ultra-Blacks?

Marco.

[brian2957]

Yup been an interesting few days Marco . Initially I preferred the Van Damme Ultras to the Gothams. However I reterminated the Gothams with Rhodium plated plugs and this opened them right up , so much so they sounded better than the Van Dammes. I reterminated the Van Dammes with the Rhodium plugs tonight but I haven't had a chance to have a good listen as I'm nightshift tonight . The Yannis cables may be beaten yet :eyebrows: I'll have a good listen over the next few days as I'm off . I may yet purchase something like the KLE Harmony plugs to level the playing field , as the plugs on the Yannis cable are very good indeed.
I've known for years that plugs can make a difference to the sound of cables , however I've been really surprised at how much a difference they can actually make .
I know what you mean regarding construction as I believe that quality of material and shielding are paramount in achievig good SQ . The quality of the plugs also plays a big part .
I'll be back :eyebrows:

[Alp]

Thanks very much Marco, that's enough for me.

[Alp]

Thank Brian. I use Yanni's cables (same ones as you) between my MB2 and my pre-amp and the G1500HD from the pre-amp to the monoblocks. I found Yanni's a bit bright at first but found they revealed a lot more high-frequency detail and, for some tracks, became very involving, almost holographic. It'll be interesting to findout what you found with the VDs and Rhodium plugs.

[Marco]

All interesting stuff, Brian!

Your experiences, in terms of the Gothams, will ensure that I listen to a pair with 'posh plugs' fitted before I dismiss them, because musically, they get a lot right in my system. It's just that the VD Ultra-Blacks smoke the stock Gothams on 'top-end sparkle' and sheer resolution, even when fitted with fairly basic plugs - and so I'll have to hear both cables upgraded with better plugs before I can arrive at any proper conclusions :)

I totally agree about plugs, which in my experience are one of the areas where genuine advances have been made in the high-end audio market, in the last 10 years or so. Folk who ignorantly dismiss the sonic advantages provided by some of the more innovatively designed RCA plugs available now, simply don't know what they're talking about. In my experience, a great cable (read as one which in use exhibits the least 'sonic signature'), is only as 'great' as the plugs it's terminated with allow it to be!

Furthermore, for me, the whole point of this exercise, and my experimenting with studio-quality cables, is not because they do anything particularly special, but because the better ones are constructed with high-quality materials, the likes of which when in used in 'audiophile branded' designs would cost MANY times more!!

Quite simply, the wire itself, when purchased outside of the hi-fi arena, is available at a fraction of the price, especially when you don't have to pay for a company's advertising or marketing costs and/or 'high-end badge status', and so the less the wire itself costs, the more I can spend on the best plugs to maximise the overall performance of the cables. Simples! Therefore, as ever with my hi-fi exploits, this exercise in finding the 'ultimate' interconnects for use in my system, is ALL ABOUT achieving the highest SPPV...!

It's the process that drives every aspect of my system building, and I've had great success so far by adopting that approach.

When my final choice of studio-grade cables are fitted with Furutech CF-126Rs (which I expect to have built for less than £200), I'll be taking them around various places to systems where their owners have spent many hundreds, and in some cases thousands of pounds on interconnects, just to see where the cables I've settled on using sit, sonically, in the grand scheme of things - and I expect the results of that process will be rather enlightening not just for me, but for the owners of said expensive cables.......

:trust: ;)

Marco.

[brian2957]

I've found that all these cables are excellent value for money Marco. If I was just getting into this mad hobby I think I would have been more than happy with any of them . The construction has also been superb for their low cost . They all look very similar in construction ( I forgot to throw Klotz AC110 - the cable Rega use for their Couple interconnects into the mix ) yet they all sound very different . Furthermore , they also seem to react very differently to plug upgrades. One could easily get confused :scratch:
I'll be holding on to these cables and taking them to the next get together of thescottishmafia. I feel I know all the guys quite well by now and I value their opinions . It should be pretty interesting as they don't ' mince ' their words :)
I look forward to your findings with the high end plugs fitted to the cables . It's all good fun mate.

[Marco]

Absolutely, Brian - and I look forward to the views of the Scottish Mafia in due course! :eyebrows:

For me, anything that exposes some of the rip-off prices in the 'high-end' cable industry and opens people's eyes/ears as to what's achievable by going down the 'self-bespoke design process', *has* to be a good thing.

The message? Don't just blindly drop yer hard-earned mullah on branded interconnects: think 'outside of the box' and create your very own 'giant killers'!!

:exactly:

Marco.

[Mark Grant]

Initially I preferred the Van Damme Ultras to the Gothams. However I reterminated the Gothams with Rhodium plated plugs and this opened them right up ,

If the Rhodium plugs are the ones you linked to from ebay in China a while ago that look similar to a bullet plug design with a metal body with huge cable entry, try them without the metal body fitted so you are just using the plastic contact part, sort of an Ultra minimalist plug :eyebrows:. You have to get creative with heatshrink to hold the cable in place.

[brian2957]

Yes understood Mark . Can you please tell me what the problem is with the metal casing . I'll give it a go , there's nothing to lose and I've got plenty if heatshrink to experiment with.

[Mark Grant]

There is no problem with the metal casing just that without it the capacitance of the connector halves ;) ( by my measurements)
Probably the nearest thing to no connector effects.

[brian2957]

OK that's interesting . Thanks Mark.

[NRG]

Yes it is as the barrels aren't connected to the return so they 'float' and if they aren't connected they have no affect on the plugs capacitance ;)

Many thanks to Nigel (vinylspinner) for the XKE Instrument cable donation its much appreciated. I've terminated it with the above $20 eBay Rhodium plugs.

First the plugs, they seem to be OK, certainly for the price, I wouldn't want to pay any more for them though. The Barrels are well made and the threads cleanly cut, the grub screws leave a little it be desired though as mine are a little loose in the threads. The main problem with the plugs is they don't grip that well compared to the Eichmanns. The return connection is a small narrow strip of metal with a dimple/bubble to make the connection...its not robust enough and there's no way to adjust it.

In comparison the Eichmanns use a solid sturdy metal pin with the head shape of a match so it makes solid contact each and every time.

The XKE cable and plugs measure at 105~107pf all up. Sound wise they do quite a good job, certainly much better than the Lo-Cap Silvers and a touch better IMHO than the Gotham/Eichmann combination but not by a huge amount. All of them are still bettered by my old pair of Kimber Silvers although the XKE gets close. This cable is very good for the money I don't think you can fault it TBH, I may try it with the Eichmanns just to make sure the difference is not down to the plugs.

[brian2957]

I thought they were pretty good for the money Neal . Based on your description of these plugs though I may have to invest in a set of the KLE plugs when funds become available .

[Marco]

Many thanks to Nigel (vinylspinner) for the XKE Instrument cable donation its much appreciated.


Indeed... I've received the same unterminated cable from Nigel - top man! :thumbsup:


The XKE cable and plugs measure at 105~107pf all up. Sound wise they do quite a good job, certainly much better than the Lo-Cap Silvers and a touch better IMHO than the Gotham/Eichmann combination but not by a huge amount. All of them are still bettered by my old pair of Kimber Silvers although the XKE gets close. This cable is very good for the money I don't think you can fault it TBH, I may try it with the Eichmanns just to make sure the difference is not down to the plugs.

Good stuff, Neal. The interesting thing is that, from being somewhat of a cable sceptic before, you're now reporting hearing all these differences... Out of interest, how much were the Kimber Silvers when new? :)

Marco.

[NRG]

Well I said I was ambivalent :) I've played with cables in the past, made a lot of DIY versions and had some commercial designs. I got to a point where anything that was so obviously different from what I felt was normal probably was 'broken' or deficient in some way and the real differences between a group of well balanced cables was subtle at best, hence settling on the Chord Sirens for many years.

Anyhow, I've found this all very interesting I must say and was surprised at how well the Kimbers sound in my current system. I can't recall what I paid for them, they where purchased in the late nineties and seemed reasonably priced back then...but now I see they're £350 :stalks: Not a price I would be prepared to pay today, I could happily live with the XKE Instrument cable given the price!

[Marco]

Lol... I know - I was being somewhat flippant :eyebrows:

For me, the following is the crux of the matter (along with the fact that, in audio, as your recent cable experiments have proved, one is continually on a learning curve):


Anyhow, I've found this all very interesting I must say and was surprised at how well the Kimbers sound in my current system. I can't recall what I paid for them, they where purchased in the late nineties and seemed reasonably priced back then...but now I see they're £350 Not a price I would be prepared to pay today, I could happily live with the XKE Instrument cable given the price!


...so essentially we have a situation whereby £25 cables (or whatever the bare XKE instrument cable cost, plus your plugs), are competing with £350 ones!

In terms of seeking to achieve the highest SPPV, in the interconnects world, I rest my case ;)

Marco.

[brian2957]

In the mid nineties the Kimber Silverstreaks were £125 for a half metre set.

[bronzeage]

Boy, it's been a long while since I could get to this website, but for now at least I can make some contribution that might be useful.

You see, like a few others, I have run the gauntlet of Van Damme (not the Ultra Black though), Atratus, MG1500, Pluto (MK1) and even Graham Slee Lautus.

All good cables at their respective price levels too, it has to be said. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be the Pluto, it just has the edge in overall clarity (assuming a clean signal is being fed in - I must have terrible mains, as the sound collapses in a heap without my Cratos power cables).

However, there is one cable that is leaps and bounds ahead of them, and I am suprised no mention has been made of it, as it comes from RFC - the Venus. The transparency of the cable is amazing, you can really tell the difference between sources and it's so obviously better than the rest, it's almost embarassing. However, it does cost ~£300 for a metre, mostly due to the Furutech connectors.

The new Mercury is meant to come quite close to the Venus, so if this Ultra Black interconnect then in turn comes close to that, it could be bargain of the century.

I'm not in a position to compare until mid-June, but I feel compelled to find out, and will report back then.

[Marco]

In the mid nineties the Kimber Silverstreaks were £125 for a half metre set.

Rip-off Russ, eh? :rolleyes:

Still, they cost £350 new today, so that's all that matters, whereas a set of VD UBs, with decent plugs, today costs around £30! ;)

Marco.

[Marco]

Boy, it's been a long while since I could get to this website, but for now at least I can make some contribution that might be useful.

You see, like a few others, I have run the gauntlet of Van Damme (not the Ultra Black though), Atratus, MG1500, Pluto (MK1) and even Graham Slee Lautus.

All good cables at their respective price levels too, it has to be said. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be the Pluto, it just has the edge in overall clarity (assuming a clean signal is being fed in - I must have terrible mains, as the sound collapses in a heap without my Cratos power cables).

However, there is one cable that is leaps and bounds ahead of them, and I am suprised no mention has been made of it, as it comes from RFC - the Venus. The transparency of the cable is amazing, you can really tell the difference between sources and it's so obviously better than the rest, it's almost embarassing. However, it does cost ~£300 for a metre, mostly due to the Furutech connectors.

The new Mercury is meant to come quite close to the Venus, so if this Ultra Black interconnect then in turn comes close to that, it could be bargain of the century.

I'm not in a position to compare until mid-June, but I feel compelled to find out, and will report back then.

Hi Marcus,

Thanks for your contribution - most interesting indeed, oh and welcome back! :)

I know of someone else (whose ears I trust) that uses RFC Venus cables, so I can appreciate where you're coming from. However, could much of the magic be coming from the Furutech connectors, and if so, what would a pair of VD Ultra-Blacks sound like fitted with the same plugs??

It gets more intriguing and exciting by the minute!!! :eek: :D

Marco.

[bronzeage]

A Venus vs SLIC shootout, now that would be interesting.
I wish I had the funds to find out, though I would rather not find out, if you know what I mean.

[NRG]

In the mid nineties the Kimber Silverstreaks were £125 for a half metre set.

I don't recall paying that much for them TBH, I may have got them on offer or be wrong about the price...

[choirboy]

A Venus vs SLIC shootout, now that would be interesting.

That would be excellent!

[brian2957]

I don't recall paying that much for them TBH, I may have got them on offer or be wrong about the price...
I owned a set myself Neal and I've got most of his catalogues from the early 90s .
Don't know if I should be admitting that :lol:

[NRG]

I owned a set myself Neal and I've got most of his catalogues from the early 90s .
Don't know if I should be admitting that :lol:

Now that *is* dedication or maybe...... :stalks: :D

[brian2957]

Nah , a reminder of past errors maybe :lol:. Some of his stuff is very good TBH but very overpriced.

[NRG]

:D I've just found the invoice, July 1999: £205 for 1m pair :doh: or £310 in todays money...so they've risen in price greater than inflation and I'm getting senile :scratch:

[Marco]

That would be excellent!

No reason why that can't happen at some point, or a Slic versus 'Van Damme (whatever wire) fitted with Furutech (or whatever) plugs'.

All this stuff needs to be out in the open and compared by different sets of ears in different systems, where personal bias, ego, friendships, brand loyalty, badge snobbery, petty agendas, worry about upsetting someone's delicate sensibilities and/or commercial interests, are left totally out of the equation.

I can assure you that all of the above applies to any cable comparisons I do! All I care about is what sounds best to my ears, in my system, which is *precisely* what I report on the forum. It's simply the way it's got to be. I then leave it to others to make up their minds for themselves, and decide if they want to try the same.

Marco.

[da2222]

No reason why that can't happen at some point, or a Slic versus 'Van Damme (whatever wire) fitted with Furutech (or whatever) plugs'.

All this stuff needs to be out in the open and compared by different sets of ears in different systems, where personal bias, ego, friendships, brand loyalty, badge snobbery, petty agendas, worry about upsetting someone's delicate sensibilities and/or commercial interests, are left totally out of the equation.



Marco.

I couldn't agree more Marco.

[brian2957]

:D I've just found the invoice, July 1999: £205 for 1m pair :doh: or £310 in todays money...so they've risen in price greater than inflation and I'm getting senile :scratch:

Aye me too matey :) . If your Silverstreaks are fitted with the Ultraplate phonos I would consider upgrading them as they let down what is a very good cable IMO.

[CageyH]

Rip-off Russ, eh? :rolleyes:

Still, they cost £350 new today, so that's all that matters, whereas a set of VD UBs, with decent plugs, today costs around £30! ;)

Marco.

I bet you are glad I mentioned them then.


And how do they compare to Van Damme Black Ultra?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Van-Damme-Black-Ultra-1-Metre-Pair-interconnect-Cables-RCA-To-RCA-Phono-NEW-/380897354418

I reckon you owe me a beer :eyebrows:

:ner:

:cool:

[NRG]

Aye me too matey :) . If your Silverstreaks are fitted with the Ultraplate phonos I would consider upgrading them as they let down what is a very good cable IMO.

No worries I fitted Eichmann's ;)

I'm going to also fit them to the XKE Instrument Ultra black cable and make up a DIY 'Kimber Siver streak' to compare....

[Marco]

I bet you are glad I mentioned them then.



I reckon you owe me a beer :eyebrows:

:ner:

:cool:

Lol - not sure the link you provided was the first time I was introduced to the UBs, but I'll give you the honour!!

:king:

Marco.

[Marco]

I'm going to also fit them to the XKE Instrument Ultra black cable and make up a DIY 'Kimber Siver streak' to compare....

That'll be interesting, so make sure you update us on the results!

Marco.

[CageyH]

Lol - not sure the link you provided was the first time I was introduced to the UBs, but I'll give you the honour!!

:king:

Marco.

:lolsign:

I still don't have anything resembling a DIY cable kit.
Snail mail really seems to be in full effect. It took over a week for the Pluto Mk2 that Paul from Reffc sent me for pre purchase trial to make it out of France.
I reckon I could have walked it back to Dursley quicker, and stopped in at my parents for a bacon sarnie.

[NRG]

I've now re-terminated the XKE Instrument cable with the Eichmanns. These have moved the XKE performance to within a cats whisker of the Kimber Silver Streaks in my system. The Kimbers resolve just that bit more information and then its only noticeable on certain material, given a blind test I doubt I could reliably tell them apart, an excellent result.

[Alp]

I recently bought three pairs of the Van Damme XKE Ultra Blacks with Neutrik connectors from ProAudio on Amazon and have been running them for about a week. They are simply superb, a huge all round improvement over the cables I had been using (Mark Grant G1500HD and Yannis 428 cables - which I had anyway to return for other reasons), all for the roughly cost of one of those cables. Thanks you to you all for the recommendation.

[icehockeyboy]

I've started a new thread, but I believe the ic's I have just bought from A1 Sounds in Sheffield are an incarnation on ones previously mentioned here.

[YNWaN]

Nice people at A1 - good taste in speakers too ;).

[icehockeyboy]

Nice people at A1 - good taste in speakers too ;).

Not only that, they let me use their loo as well! :D

[icehockeyboy]

They are stunning, and I won't be bothering trying anything else.


Well, not for a while! :)

Isn't it amazing what we say........ A few weeks down the line and I actually have the ones the OP here is about! :)

[icehockeyboy]

I'm not overly sure I agree with the people that have said the Silverquest Van Damme ic's are too hifi sounding, and I certainly haven't heard the traits a couple of others have posted about.

I am at this stage back onto using the Silvers, having reinstalled the Ultra's back in to see if I could hear if indeed they are superior to the Silvers.

I stick with my findings that the latter are still definitely worth the few quid extra.

System synergy? Dunno......might be..... :)

[potatoha]

I am at this stage back onto using the Silvers, having reinstalled the Ultra's back in to see if I could hear if indeed they are superior to the Silvers.
Could you elaborate in what areas the Silvers bettered the Ultras? Have you tried their low-cap version as well?

[icehockeyboy]

Could you elaborate in what areas the Silvers bettered the Ultras? Have you tried their low-cap version as well?

Basically, to my ears they have a slightly better top end, my way of coming to this conclusion may sound a bit odd, but basically, as a result of many years in the music world, radio, clubs and live gigs etc, has taken a toll on the upper frequencies of my hearing, so I sometimes have to turn my head to the right slightly, to sometimes detect things like the soft hits of a cymbal, and the brushes across a snare drum, the main difference between the UBW and Silver Quests were that I didn't need to do so much head turning to detect that stuff.

There, said it was odd didn't i!!!

And no, I haven't tried the lo cap version yet, it's tempting I have to say!

[potatoha]

Really interesting Craig. I would have thought higher capacitance in interconnects usually means less high frequency information, and if you want to hear more upper frequencies you would use cables with lower capacitance not high? I suppose you could try the locap version and inform us? ;)

[icehockeyboy]

Really interesting Craig. I would have thought higher capacitance in interconnects usually means less high frequency information, and if you want to hear more upper frequencies you would use cables with lower capacitance not high? I suppose you could try the locap version and inform us? ;)
Exactly what is said to the guys at A1 Sound!.....this is their description on their website.

'The main difference between the Flat-cap and the Hi-cap is the Flat-cap has a more neutral sound, but still retaining the dynamic range of the Hi-cap, it still manages to remove some of the top end harshness found in silver cables, but does not boost the lower dynamics as much as the Hi-cap does.

Their dynamic capability with out being too bright and harsh on the top end is thanks to Van Damme’s very clever use of the capacitance of the cable, by increasing the capacitance of the cable in turn increases the top end roll off of the higher frequencies, when the calculation is right the results are quite dramatic, the harsh brightness of silver can be controlled without loosing its vast dynamic range and articulate capability, an amazing side effect of this is the mid and low frequencies are emphasised more, thus increasing the whole dynamic effect'

[icehockeyboy]

I'm thinking that as the silver content is higher, that more than makes up for the hi cap rolling off the treble, and it probably rolls off a lot higher than I can hear anyway! :)

[icehockeyboy]

Had the chance to try some Flat Cap versions, thanks to those nice folk at A1 Sounds in Sheffield, just to make sure.....and I've kept them!

Mind you, and it's probs my hearing...I'm struggling to hear much of a difference, but based on the fact that these roll off later, that should help, so what I said earlier about my hearing still holds :(

[YNWaN]

Not all that relevant I'm afraid but I've just bought some Van Damme Black Tour Grade 2 x 4mm for the bass drivers of my speakers - it sure is a big chunk of cable!

[CageyH]

I just got some Studio 2 x 6mm.
Mahoosive!

[icehockeyboy]

I just got some Studio 2 x 6mm.
Mahoosive!

As indeed have I!

Bit o' blue for the lads Jean!

[NRG]

The capacitance is a red herring