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View Full Version : A cable review from Mike in Texas



Colin Wonfor
16-05-2017, 04:32
Colin and Alan, thank you for the opportunity to audition Elsdon Wonfor Audio’s LS-XXV speaker cables for review. I must tell you, as a "certified cable nut", I am mightily impressed. I have run the gamut of speaker cables over the past four years. Some were in the same price range as the LS-XXV, some slightly below including Colin’s own TQ Black, and a couple of pair at or above the same price range. My initial impressions of the LS-XXV are they have not only bested Colin’s TQ Black by a significant margin but are superior in every way to the Shunyata Black Mambas that were my reference speaker cables for almost two years.

Two weeks ago….Out of the gate, I have never heard my Spendor A6 reproduce the level, depth and detail of bass, acoustic and electric. They continue to amaze in this regard.

Percussion instruments are rendered with equal attention to both cymbal and snare. I find many times, these instruments compete for attention. Not so with the LS-XXV. Delicate cymbals come through clearly, even when there is a bit more aggressive drum line occurring simultaneously. The cables don't flatten performance, far from it. Differences are portrayed as they were intended by the artist, with shading and nuance appropriate to the instrument and performance. I'll try to describe this more fully later this week but I thought I owed initial impressions to Colin and Alan who were kind enough to send the cables for a listen.

Vocals might be a little more forward than I am used to, even on my Spendors, which have a reputation for excellence in this region. Not necessarily forward in a bad way though. Van Morrison can be a little hard to understand (like Dylan) occasionally. Not with the LS-XXV! What used to be hard to understand passages are coming through with a clarity I have not experienced.

My wife knew I was listening to different cables last weekend. With no coaching her comment was "it sounds like you turned up the volume without turning up the volume." Her comment, unsolicited and with no coaching whatsoever, describes the amazing detail and coherence of these speaker cables.

I'll post some additional thoughts with some more detailed references to tunes and albums auditioned this weekend, after more listening, more music.
Other components, and I classify speaker cables like the LX-XXV as components, during my listening sessions:
Spendor A6, Primaluna Dialogue Premium (Gold Lion KT-88 and 12au7), Wyred4Sound DAC1-LE, Mac Mini and connective cabling (Tara Labs, Silnote Audio, AudioQuest).

Last weekend…..I compared my extended listening notes this past weekend to my initial impressions. The LS-XXV continue to impress and deliver. Deliver what you may ask? This is where it becomes difficult to describe.

Coherence, detail, subtlety and power but as a whole and complete performance. No instrument is ignored or voice lost among others. Coherence and detail are noted in just about every song and reference cut I listened to in any music genre, at least those where I do 99.9% of my listening.

David Bromberg – Wood
Brian Bromberg’s double bass plucking and playing are amazing, delivered with proper timbre, something many cables will deliver. But unlike other speaker cables, I kept wondering, how low will it go? Piano and percussion live together, not live as in live performance, but live together as a happy couple. Randy Waldman’s piano, David Bromberg’s drums and Brian Bromberg’s bass come together “as one” on track #4, Speak Low.

Vilda Frang – Mozart Violin Concertos No1, 5 & Sinfonia Concertante
Solo violin is perfect pitch as are other instruments presented as a whole but separate.

Cantate Domino – Oscar Motet Choir, Alf Linder, Organ
One of my favorite reference cuts, the Spendor A6 don’t honor the lowest octave of Alf Linder’s organ but I can “see” the church and time delay of a spacious cathedral. Brass is clean but brassy.
The choir, singing in languages I don’t speak seem to be understandable.

I can go on and on…..Loggins and Messina, On Stage, House at Pooh Corner, more detail emerges from the guitar “E-String” and vocal nuance.
Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones, Train in the Distance, more detail…..period.

“Coherence, detail, subtlety and power but as a whole and complete performance. No instrument is ignored or voice lost among others.” That just about wraps it up.
I'll be first in line to purchase a pair of the LS-XXV.
With kind regards,
MikeT.
Proclaim Audio

Colin Wonfor
16-05-2017, 08:46
Now in Hifi Answers

http://www.hifianswers.com/2017/05/ewa-elsdon-wonfor-audio-ls-xxv-speaker-cables-test-review/