Mark Grant HDX1 anybody?

[Sovereign]

Mark Grant, well known on this forum, has launched a new cable; the HDX1.
I have been a big fan of previous MG cables and their price bracket are always low which is always welcomed and comforting.
For some time I have used both Mark Grant HD1500 and Klotz MC 500 which seem to work seamlessly together. I would be keen to try the the MG HDX1 at some point.
Has anyone trailed this cable in its development or purchased it off the shelf?

[YNWaN]

I saw the announcement of its release and did think it looked (and sounded) excellent - I've no first hand experience of it yet though.

[The Black Adder]

I have one in my system as we speak.

I'm very impressed and the connectors are really nice too!

[Sovereign]

I have one in my system as we speak.

I'm very impressed and the connectors are really nice too!

Great, how do they compare to the old HD range?

[The Black Adder]

Hi James.

I've not had them in long but up to now I find them to be more fluid, less restrained than the previous cable. The bass is certainly improved in dynamics too.

I know that the cable has undergone some changes (no idea what) and the new plugs are great with the ground conductor being a phosphor bronze type of which I know nothing about.. lol The plugs are kind of a cross between a very decent plug, nicely shaped metal bodies and an ETI type with the cental pin being hollow.

So yes, for the price they are a total bargain.

[YNWaN]

On Mark's website it says the cables are made from a higher grade of copper than the previous ones - not much other than that though (oh, it might say they are double shielded too).

[Ammonite Audio]

Interesting. I've been looking for alternatives to the excellent but horribly stiff Epiphany Acoustics Atratus III cables in my system. At this price there's no reason not to give Mark's new cables a go.

[YNWaN]

I suppose the Atratus III is quite stiff - don't have any issue with mine, though there is a lot of space behind my gear. If you end up selling yours let me know please as a friend is looking for one.

[Ammonite Audio]

I suppose the Atratus III is quite stiff - don't have any issue with mine, though there is a lot of space behind my gear. If you end up selling yours let me know please as a friend is looking for one.

I've just ordered one. If it's as good as the Atratus III (I have two sets), I'll be in touch.

[Sovereign]

I've just ordered one. If it's as good as the Atratus III (I have two sets), I'll be in touch.

Good stuff, I plan to order one myself but right now I'm in the middle of building another amp, so not much time for comparisons

[bronzeage]

Well, I thought I would give them a go, as I was always very fond of the HD1500 (my first 'proper' interconnect). Comparison is relative to that.

First impressions are that the sound is more refined, smoother if you will. At lower levels, this can come across as being a bit less 'exciting', but as the volume goes up, the benefits become very apparent - there is a much better natural balance in the treble, less shrill is the best way I can put it, such that you can turn the volume up a lot more without it being painful to the ears. Imaging and resolution all good and present, there is no feeling that anything is missing or out of sorts.

For the money asked, absolutely a no-brainer, the build quality is really excellent as well, does not come across remotely as being 'home-made', quite the opposite.

If you have an really brilliant source that has no faults (that bother you), you might prefer something more transparent, like RFC Venus - I find that better with my (highly modified) CD player, but I prefer the MG with my DAC. Big difference in price of course, due to the top of the line Furutech connectors on the Venus.

I have tried many, many interconnects, they all sound different in one way or another, but a lot of the really expensive well known names just don't cut it in terms of sound-per-pound (or even sound in some cases!), but I can't see anybody being disappointed in that regards here.

Worth a try in your system, if you are in the market for an interconnect - no need to go overboard with these things.

[pankon]

I installed two pairs of HDX1, one from CD (Marantz CD6005) to preamp (Croft Micro25R) and one from preamp to power amps (Croft Series7R mono blocks). Still in the burn-in phase, as the cables have approx. 10 hours or so on them. They sound quite very open and transparent, although one might say they are a bit 'aggressive' at high frequencies. But honestly, it is too soon to pass judgement. According to Mark, they need a couple of weeks to settle. So, simply disregard my comment for now.
I will report back after some time with a more informed opinion.

[theriskdude]

Any update to this lately Panos ?

Mike

[pankon]

Any update to this lately Panos ?

Mike

Hi Mike,

i have not made a direct comparison of the HDX1 interconnects with my Atlas Titan interconnects, but the overall impression is quite good.

Cheers,
P.