A word of warning

[Bigman80]

As most of you know, im a vinyl lover. Not had much time for digital formats at all. So this week, I sent my FB-OTP to Firebottle to be brought up to the latest spec. Loading plug capability, MM/MC switch. As mine was the prototype it doesn't have any of these functions. This leaves me unable to play any vinyl. 😱

Ive also borrowed some IXOS speaker cable from alan to see what its like.

Out of interest I plugged my laptop into my pre amp and played a few HD FLAC files. I listened with the Fisual Hollywood Speaker cables in and felt unimpressed by the digital format. Brittle, sharp, harsh and completely unsatisfactory.

Feeling a bit bored and inquisitive I fitted the IXOS. Now I feel a bit of a tit. I am really enjoying the sound from the laptop into the FB monoblocks. So I dragged an old DVD player out id bought from Sainsburys​ many years ago. And..........Wow ! It sounds great. Believing id just become used to the digital sound I put the Fisuals back in and.......nope. all that harshness and glassy digital sound made me want to turn it off immediately. I am now wondering why the F@ck I didnt try different speaker cables when I had my beautiful Sony X555ES CDP !!!!!

So for those who claim cables, RCA plugs, or speaker cables dont make a difference, you are wrong. Very wrong.

So the point of this thread is.......try different cables before you sell anything. It may just make all the difference.

I dont think the Fisuals are a bad cable bit I think they were a bad match for the speakers I have.

PS, I dont regret selling anything because I have the best setup I could wish for now. :)

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[karma67]

except for the cd player :)
i did mention in the fisual thread they sound harsh.they lasted 2 hrs in my system before i put the van damme hifi cables back in. give them a try mate,good honest quality copper cable.:cool:

[struth]

not really used the ones i made so cant comment. might never now.

[Bigman80]

except for the cd player :)
i did mention in the fisual thread they sound harsh.they lasted 2 hrs in my system before i put the van damme hifi cables back in. give them a try mate,good honest quality copper cable.:cool:
Lol, maybe a little but its being used by someone who'll appreciate it more.

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[Stryder5]

As most of you know, im a vinyl lover. Not had much time for digital formats at all. So this week, I sent my FB-OTP to Firebottle to be brought up to the latest spec. Loading plug capability, MM/MC switch. As mine was the prototype it doesn't have any of these functions. This leaves me unable to play any vinyl. ��

Ive also borrowed some IXOS speaker cable from alan to see what its like.

Out of interest I plugged my laptop into my pre amp and played a few HD FLAC files. I listened with the Fisual Hollywood Speaker cables in and felt unimpressed by the digital format. Brittle, sharp, harsh and completely unsatisfactory.

Feeling a bit bored and inquisitive I fitted the IXOS. Now I feel a bit of a tit. I am really enjoying the sound from the laptop into the FB monoblocks. So I dragged an old DVD player out id bought from Sainsburys​ many years ago. And..........Wow ! It sounds great. Believing id just become used to the digital sound I put the Fisuals back in and.......nope. all that harshness and glassy digital sound made me want to turn it off immediately. I am now wondering why the F@ck I didnt try different speaker cables when I had my beautiful Sony X555ES CDP !!!!!

So for those who claim cables, RCA plugs, or speaker cables dont make a difference, you are wrong. Very wrong.

So the point of this thread is.......try different cables before you sell anything. It may just make all the difference.

I dont think the Fisuals are a bad cable bit I think they were a bad match for the speakers I have.

PS, I dont regret selling anything because I have the best setup I could wish for now. :)

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

I think you have hit the nail on the head Oliver about matching or synergy, I had many speaker cables before the Fisuals, but most sounded dull and kinda bloated by comparison, digital or analogue source. The Fisuals sounded good with my Tannoys, but really sing with the Ruarks

[Bigman80]

I think you have hit the nail on the head Oliver about matching or synergy, I had many speaker cables before the Fisuals, but most sounded dull and kinda bloated by comparison, digital or analogue source. The Fisuals sounded good with my Tannoys, but really sing with the Ruarks
Definitely need to be matched to the system. They are a bit too bright for my Jap speakers.

I think you have hit the nail on the head Oliver about matching or synergy, I had many speaker cables before the Fisuals, but most sounded dull and kinda bloated by comparison, digital or analogue source. The Fisuals sounded good with my Tannoys, but really sing with the Ruarks


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[Stryder5]

Definitely need to be matched to the system. They are a bit too bright for my Jap speakers.



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And you like bright��

[Bigman80]

I do.

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[karma67]

Lol, maybe a little but its being used by someone who'll appreciate it more.

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Top man! :cool:

[Zoidburg]

I tried the fisual cables and couldn't live them either, exactly the same experience as you in terms of what I heard.

[Bigman80]

Seems a bit unanimous really.

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[danilo]

No idea what that Brand is.
But certainly Curious. So what is the theory behind the unpleasant sounds.
Given that Speaker wires really only have One general variable: resistance.
Too high.. Too low Or?

[Bigman80]

Im not sure of the science behind a cable but theres a definite change, a change even the most stubborn of nay sayers couldn't deny.

Maybe its quality of Copper? No idea

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[struth]

They have capacitance too.

[Pharos]

And isn't this a perfect manifestation of the problem of objectivism and subjectivism?

I lean towards the former with its strict matrices of truths, but cannot deny this sort of phenomenon, which it would also be unscientific to do.

So, to the dogmatic objectivists I say, we need more science on the phenomenon; whether or not it is in the external reality, and when we have understood and eliminated that, on the internal functions in the psychology.

[Hudz]

As most of you know, im a vinyl lover. Not had much time for digital formats at all. So this week, I sent my FB-OTP to Firebottle to be brought up to the latest spec. Loading plug capability, MM/MC switch. As mine was the prototype it doesn't have any of these functions. This leaves me unable to play any vinyl. ��

Ive also borrowed some IXOS speaker cable from alan to see what its like.

Out of interest I plugged my laptop into my pre amp and played a few HD FLAC files. I listened with the Fisual Hollywood Speaker cables in and felt unimpressed by the digital format. Brittle, sharp, harsh and completely unsatisfactory.

Feeling a bit bored and inquisitive I fitted the IXOS. Now I feel a bit of a tit. I am really enjoying the sound from the laptop into the FB monoblocks. So I dragged an old DVD player out id bought from Sainsburys​ many years ago. And..........Wow ! It sounds great. Believing id just become used to the digital sound I put the Fisuals back in and.......nope. all that harshness and glassy digital sound made me want to turn it off immediately. I am now wondering why the F@ck I didnt try different speaker cables when I had my beautiful Sony X555ES CDP !!!!!

So for those who claim cables, RCA plugs, or speaker cables dont make a difference, you are wrong. Very wrong.

So the point of this thread is.......try different cables before you sell anything. It may just make all the difference.

I dont think the Fisuals are a bad cable bit I think they were a bad match for the speakers I have.

PS, I dont regret selling anything because I have the best setup I could wish for now. :)

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

;) :) glad that worked out for you, I had to move my Fisual to my AV setup, initially impressive but way too harsh long term.

[struth]

Which one is the otp stage?

[farflungstar]

It's about synergy and what is at either end of a cable. Of course any cable placed between a wall socket and a light bulb will pass current and light the bulb - but when carrying voltages sometimes less than a few microvolts it's a different ballgame.

Recently I bought some very well respected interconnects and didn't like their effect the moment they went in but I persevered, tweaking my system to try and get it to gel with the cables - a subsequent rack change meant they were too short and I moved them on and replaced them with something not so well respected here but which my gut said would be a good choice. Plugged in the difference was astonishing, not quite so spacious but wonderfully even, controlled and 'musical'.

Both sets of cables have ruler flat responses and only vary in materials and grounding - but my system is my system and the second set just fits better - synergy.

For this reason there is no such thing as the best cable in the world.

[struth]

It's about synergy and what is at either end of a cable. Of course any cable placed between a wall socket and a light bulb will pass current and light the bulb - but when carrying voltages sometimes less than a few microvolts it's a different ballgame.

Recently I bought some very well respected interconnects and didn't like their effect the moment they went in but I persevered, tweaking my system to try and get it to gel with the cables - a subsequent rack change meant they were too short and I moved them on and replaced them with something not so well respected here but which my gut said would be a good choice. Plugged in the difference was astonishing, not quite so spacious but wonderfully even, controlled and 'musical'.

Both sets of cables have ruler flat responses and only vary in materials and grounding - but my system is my system and the second set just fits better - synergy.

For this reason there is no such thing as the best cable in the world.

good point. Ive had similar, and in the end its what works for the stuff youve got. Ive heard speakers in my system that sounded terrible but in another room sounded great

[RothwellAudio]

Given that Speaker wires really only have One general variable: resistance.
Too high.. Too low Or?

Im not sure of the science behind a cable but theres a definite change, a change even the most stubborn of nay sayers couldn't deny.
Maybe its quality of Copper? No idea

They have capacitance too.

So, to the dogmatic objectivists I say, we need more science on the phenomenon; whether or not it is in the external reality, and when we have understood and eliminated that, on the internal functions in the psychology.

I was reading an article by Cyril Bateman recently about speaker cables. He had decided to do some serious measurements and set up a test rig which included a dummy loudspeaker load which was an accurate model of a real loudspeaker (with crossover) rather than a simple eight ohm load. Two amplifiers blew up when dissipating only 2.5 watts in the load!!
The cable's characteristic impedance combined with the reactive load sent the amplifier into oscillation well above the audio band. Yes, at audio frequencies the speaker cable should be a very simple piece of wire but at much higher frequencies it all becomes a lot more complicated. To me this is an argument for limiting the bandwidth of amplifiers rather than striving for a bandwidth of hundreds of kilohertz which only works nicely into a purely resistive eight ohm load.
Anyway, the point is that speaker cables do have real and measurable effects. Unfortunately they're not simple and predictable effects with universal applicablity, ie they depend on the amp and speakers.
I'll post a link to the article if I can find it.

[RothwellAudio]

Found the link
http://www.waynekirkwood.com/images/pdf/Cyril_Bateman/Bateman_Speaker_Amp_Interaction.pdf

The link was originally posted here on AOS by Light Dependent Resistor, so thanks for that.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi Andrew
A pleasure.

Cheers / Chris

[Barry]

It's about synergy and what is at either end of a cable. Of course any cable placed between a wall socket and a light bulb will pass current and light the bulb - but when carrying voltages sometimes less than a few microvolts it's a different ballgame.

Recently I bought some very well respected interconnects and didn't like their effect the moment they went in but I persevered, tweaking my system to try and get it to gel with the cables - a subsequent rack change meant they were too short and I moved them on and replaced them with something not so well respected here but which my gut said would be a good choice. Plugged in the difference was astonishing, not quite so spacious but wonderfully even, controlled and 'musical'.

Both sets of cables have ruler flat responses and only vary in materials and grounding - but my system is my system and the second set just fits better - synergy.

For this reason there is no such thing as the best cable in the world.

That can be sufficient for the cables to display different sonic properties.

[Bigman80]

Which one is the otp stage?
Its Alans new Firebottle phono stage. Its made from a donor unit from asia which alan then modifies (adds fairy dust I think) and makes it outstanding.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170503/2c68020e628db120318bfd98b9c670a8.jpg

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[struth]

Looks great. if Alan has sorted it sure it is too