Oliver's new interconnects

[brian2957]

I've had Olivers new interconnects in my system for the last few days and I'm posting my thoughts on them here . Firstly ,these interconnects were used in my system which contains a Goldring GL75 turntable , Firebottle OTP phono stage , a Korus music server / DAC3 French DAC , Croft pre and power amps , and a pair of Tannoy 637 speakers . I've had this system for quite a while now and I'm very familiar with its SQ . These interconnects will probably sound different in another system . I think Oliver would like them tried in a few different systems to gain as broad a spectrum of opinions as possible .
I know Oliver isn't really interested in feedback regarding build quality , but I must say that these interconnects are beautifully built and a credit to his skills as a cable maker .
Once plugged in between the DAC and amps the first thing I noticed was the sheer power which these interconnects conveyed . Initial impressions were that there was plenty of everything . Top end was smooth and detailed , the midrange , particularly voices , was very nice indeed , and bass was deep and tuneful . The timbre of instruments was very well conveyed and voices had a very nice , warm , texture to them . Drums also sounded like they should . I was also surprised at how high I could turn the volume without experiencing and harshness . These are indeed very smooth , yet powerful , sounding cables with a big soundstage and good back to front imaging .
I experienced the same sort of effect when using the turntable . There was plenty of detail from a relatively inexpensive Nagaoka MP110 MM cartridge and I'm pretty sure that excellent results will be obtained from a more expensive MM or MC cartridge .
One small caveat for me was that there was a very slight loss of '' airiness '' , however I'm pretty sure that this is more a symptom of my system rather than a problem with Olivers interconnects .
If your system sounds a bit bright , harsh , or lacking in detail , then I'm sure these interconnects would be an excellent choice . They're certainly well worth a listen IMO and Oliver is a very friendly helpful guy to deal with :)

Now posted to Jamie . I hope he enjoys them as much as I did :)

[brian2957]

:doh: Can a mod fix the title please . It should read '' Olivers new interconnects ''

Thanks .

[walpurgis]

Done!

[brian2957]

Thanks Geoff , you're a gent :)

[YNWaN]

Though it should really be Oliver’s ;).

[brian2957]

Thanks Mark :)

[struth]

I've had Olivers new interconnects in my system for the last few days and I'm posting my thoughts on them here . Firstly ,these interconnects were used in my system which contains a Goldring GL75 turntable , Firebottle OTP phono stage , a Korus music server / DAC3 French DAC , Croft pre and power amps , and a pair of Tannoy 637 speakers . I've had this system for quite a while now and I'm very familiar with its SQ . These interconnects will probably sound different in another system . I think Oliver would like them tried in a few different systems to gain as broad a spectrum of opinions as possible .
I know Oliver isn't really interested in feedback regarding build quality , but I must say that these interconnects are beautifully built and a credit to his skills as a cable maker .
Once plugged in between the DAC and amps the first thing I noticed was the sheer power which these interconnects conveyed . Initial impressions were that there was plenty of everything . Top end was smooth and detailed , the midrange , particularly voices , was very nice indeed , and bass was deep and tuneful . The timbre of instruments was very well conveyed and voices had a very nice , warm , texture to them . Drums also sounded like they should . I was also surprised at how high I could turn the volume without experiencing and harshness . These are indeed very smooth , yet powerful , sounding cables with a big soundstage and good back to front imaging .
I experienced the same sort of effect when using the turntable . There was plenty of detail from a relatively inexpensive Nagaoka MP110 MM cartridge and I'm pretty sure that excellent results will be obtained from a more expensive MM or MC cartridge .
One small caveat for me was that there was a very slight loss of '' airiness '' , however I'm pretty sure that this is more a symptom of my system rather than a problem with Olivers interconnects .
If your system sounds a bit bright , harsh , or lacking in detail , then I'm sure these interconnects would be an excellent choice . They're certainly well worth a listen IMO and Oliver is a very friendly helpful guy to deal with :)

Now posted to Jamie . I hope he enjoys them as much as I did :)

you insinuating:eyebrows:

glad u enjoyed em/ call them son of brian cables:D

[brian2957]

Nah mate . These interconnects stand on their own merit :)

[Marco]

Moved to Strokes of Genius, as it's essentially a review. Also, as somewhat of a pedant, I've added the required apostrophe to the thread title! ;)

Marco.

[brian2957]

Thanks Marco , appreciate the help :)

[Bigman80]

[emoji3].

Thanks for taking the time to give them a Thorough listening to Brian. I'm glad you likes them, obviously lol.

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[brian2957]

Liked them a lot mate . They're different from mine but they have different strengths . Horses for courses Oliver :)

[Bigman80]

Liked them a lot mate . They're different from mine but and they had different strengths . Horses for courses Oliver :)Absolutely mate. More horses the better!

[emoji16]

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[337alant]

Brian
Could I ask what is the make up of these lease, cable type & plugs and a photo would be good :)

Alan

[brian2957]

Sorry Alan , I don't know . these are Oliver's design not mine so you will have to ask him I'm afraid . I think the plug details are detailed earlier in this thread .

[Bigman80]

Brian
Could I ask what is the make up of these lease, cable type & plugs and a photo would be good :)

AlanTop secret I'm afraid Alan. If you want to try them, you can be added to the "feedback" group?


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[bronzeage]

OK, so I have been listening for the last few days, comparing to several other interconnects in the armoury.

First things, the build. The build is very good, very sold, nice sheath. The plugs remind of of the bullet type, easy to slide on and off, but not loose.

I thought it would be best to start with the new cable, without listening to what it sounded like with any other cable. Initital impressions were, hmm, it sounds clear, but certainly different to how I remembered (memory can play tricks on you though). As I started to crank up the volume, well, how can I say this? Not so good. Frankly, a little painful, a bit shrill for want of a better word, and the bass, well it was like somebody stripped a good portion of it out.

Still, I soldiered on - maybe my source did not suite? So I switched to TV input (into the DAC via optical). For listening to the news, people talking, general stuff, it was pretty good in an odd sort of way - voices stood out, and were easy to make out. I switched to Netflix, I am very familiar with the music at the beginning of 'Breaking Bad', it has a deep bass drop and specific detailing. Except, the bass drop was more of a .. plop. Again, the shrill sound with the volume pumped up.

Crumbs, I feel bad. I thought, have I done something wrong? I tried them in the opposite direction, but no change.
Maybe my ears were just having a bad day. I switched back to my regular interconnect. Ah. Everything I remember, came back as it was - the warmth, the bass, the imaging, the realism, everything.

So then I went back to the new cable again - nope, same as before. So I switched to what I would class as my second best cable. That was still a big step up from the 'Oliver', again the big difference being the amount bass, and the smoothness of the top end.

I can only conclude that this cable is just a bad match with my gear, and my preferences. What is kind of strange is how my findings are near enough the opposite of Brian's - I would say these are probably good for over bassy, over warm systems. We do share in common that they are good at digging out detail, although for me, it was surface detail, a bit like the sound coming out of TV speakers, compared to full sized speakers.

I feel bad. Very bad, but I am only giving my honest opinion as to how I hear it. Maybe I'm just an odd one out, time will tell.

Anyway, I appreciate the chance to try something new, no harm done.

On to Jerry !

[Bigman80]

OK, so I have been listening for the last few days, comparing to several other interconnects in the armoury.

First things, the build. The build is very good, very sold, nice sheath. The plugs remind of of the bullet type, easy to slide on and off, but not loose.

I thought it would be best to start with the new cable, without listening to what it sounded like with any other cable. Initital impressions were, hmm, it sounds clear, but certainly different to how I remembered (memory can play tricks on you though). As I started to crank up the volume, well, how can I say this? Not so good. Frankly, a little painful, a bit shrill for want of a better word, and the bass, well it was like somebody stripped a good portion of it out.

Still, I soldiered on - maybe my source did not suite? So I switched to TV input (into the DAC via optical). For listening to the news, people talking, general stuff, it was pretty good in an odd sort of way - voices stood out, and were easy to make out. I switched to Netflix, I am very familiar with the music at the beginning of 'Breaking Bad', it has a deep bass drop and specific detailing. Except, the bass drop was more of a .. plop. Again, the shrill sound with the volume pumped up.

Crumbs, I feel bad. I thought, have I done something wrong? I tried them in the opposite direction, but no change.
Maybe my ears were just having a bad day. I switched back to my regular interconnect. Ah. Everything I remember, came back as it was - the warmth, the bass, the imaging, the realism, everything.

So then I went back to the new cable again - nope, same as before. So I switched to what I would class as my second best cable. That was still a big step up from the 'Oliver', again the big difference being the amount bass, and the smoothness of the top end.

I can only conclude that this cable is just a bad match with my gear, and my preferences. What is kind of strange is how my findings are near enough the opposite of Brian's - I would say these are probably good for over bassy, over warm systems. We do share in common that they are good at digging out detail, although for me, it was surface detail, a bit like the sound coming out of TV speakers, compared to full sized speakers.

I feel bad. Very bad, but I am only giving my honest opinion as to how I hear it. Maybe I'm just an odd one out, time will tell.

Anyway, I appreciate the chance to try something new, no harm done.

On to Jerry !Hi Marcus,

Well to say I'm shocked is an understatement! But, you hear what you hear!!

Thanks for taking the time and sharing your thoughts. [emoji41]

Oliver.

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[bronzeage]

Hi Oliver

Yeah, I'm really sorry about how it turned out, nothing personal.
This kind of oddness can drive you nuts - for instance, the very same cable I use, sounded truly terrible on a Roksan Caspian M2 when I took to a dealer once during a demo. Plugged into a Rega Ellicit-R, in the same shop, it sounded spectacular. No idea how that could have been.

Certainly, other cables people here have raved about, I have not liked at all, and vice versa, my favourite, others don't like much.

Maybe one shoe can never fit them all, never seems to in the strange world of hi-fi.

[Bigman80]

Hi Oliver

Yeah, I'm really sorry about how it turned out, nothing personal.
This kind of oddness can drive you nuts - for instance, the very same cable I use, sounded truly terrible on a Roksan Caspian M2 when I took to a dealer once during a demo. Plugged into a Rega Ellicit-R, in the same shop, it sounded spectacular. No idea how that could have been.

Certainly, other cables people here have raved about, I have not liked at all, and vice versa, my favourite, others don't like much.

Maybe one shoe can never fit them all, never seems to in the strange world of hi-fi.Marcus, don't worry! Its valuable to get feedback from a wide range of folk and everyone is going to hear things in specific ways. The feedback is appreciated and I appreciate your honesty too. It's never easy writing reviews when you haven't had a great experience.







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[karma67]

Liked them a lot mate . They're different from mine but they have different strengths . Horses for courses Oliver :)

yep id agree with that,for me they just lacked the last bit of detail or airyness of the klotz cables

[Bigman80]

yep id agree with that,for me they just lacked the last bit of detail or airyness of the klotz cables

Cheers Jamie,

It's a funny old game. In my system, The Klotz are a really good cable but that airyness moves me a few seats back from the stage, with the New ones, i feel like i'm on the stage. It's just further evidence that everything makes a difference! At least everyone is agreeing that cables sound different :D

One thing that has come to mind is that i haven't tried them with a digital source so that's something for me to do. The feedback is very useful regardless of the Good/Bad/indifferent viewpoint.

There are some mission speakers that'll be here for a trial next week, not to mention a different cartridge so maybe that'll yield some further viewpoint

I am genuinly grateful for the time you guys have taken in having a listen and sending your feedback :)

[jandl100]

Playing now.

I went straight to my favourite test track - in at the deep end!
The ultimate test for me for transparency, resolution, speed, image focus.
Most cables fall flat, tbh, smear things over and get the old heave-ho pretty much immediately. It's a very demanding track in terms of subtlety.

So, Oliver's cables - I must confess I was surprised. Very good resolution, very good indeed. Fast, captures those leading edges of plucked strings nicely. Dynamic and lively, too. Quite well focused, but a bit broadened. Above all, an interesting listen.

A few tracks later, varied material ....

What's not to like?
- open, lively, detailed, dynamic. Bass is taut and powerful.
Tonally neutral - I don't hear any high frequency exaggeration or lean bass.
A very enjoyable listen.

Compared to my Siltech (£1k rrp :eek:) not quite as open or richly toned or precisely soundstaged or detailed.
Compared to my WireWorld (about £150?) not quite as fast or exciting or dynamic, although I suspect the WW overdoes it a bit - fun, though! Not quite as focused as the WW either, but still a lot better than many cables.
Compared to my Chord Silver Siren (my preference of the several Chords I have tried) - well, Oliver's cable is pretty much better all round, and I like Chord cables.

They match my preferences and tastes very well - just take the best I have heard in many respects and throw a light gauze over them and that's what I hear. Just a little less transparent and dynamic and spacious and open and focused than the best I have heard, but very good nonetheless.
Come to think of it, it's a very well balanced package of virtues - nothing is quite the best I heave heard, but everything is at least very good.

So, yes, I like them a lot, a fine cable. Whatever the magic flooby dust is that Oliver has used, it seems to work well. :)

I'll play with them a while longer, with a wider range of music, but I don't expect my views to change much.

[Bigman80]

Playing now.

I went straight to my favourite test track - in at the deep end!
The ultimate test for me for transparency, resolution, speed, image focus.
Most cables fall flat, tbh, smear things over and get the old heave-ho pretty much immediately. It's a very demanding track in terms of subtlety.

So, Oliver's cables - I must confess I was surprised. Very good resolution, very good indeed. Fast, captures those leading edges of plucked strings nicely. Dynamic and lively, too. Quite well focused, but a bit broadened. Above all, an interesting listen.

A few tracks later, varied material ....

What's not to like?
- open, lively, detailed, dynamic. Bass is taut and powerful.
Tonally neutral - I don't hear any high frequency exaggeration or lean bass.
A very enjoyable listen.

Compared to my Siltech (£1k rrp :eek:) not quite as open or richly toned or precisely soundstaged or detailed.
Compared to my WireWorld (about £150?) not quite as fast or exciting or dynamic, although I suspect the WW overdoes it a bit - fun, though! Not quite as focused as the WW either, but still a lot better than many cables.
Compared to my Chord Silver Siren (my preference of the several Chords I have tried) - well, Oliver's cable is pretty much better all round, and I like Chord cables.

They match my preferences and tastes very well - just take the best I have heard in many respects and throw a light gauze over them and that's what I hear. Just a little less transparent and dynamic and spacious and open and focused than the best I have heard, but very good nonetheless.
Come to think of it, it's a very well balanced package of virtues - nothing is quite the best I heave heard, but everything is at least very good.

So, yes, I like them a lot, a fine cable. Whatever the magic flooby dust is that Oliver has used, it seems to work well. :)

I'll play with them a while longer, with a wider range of music, but I don't expect my views to change much.Hi Jerry,

Thank you for your words and up against that level of cable your findings are very welcome! *Phew*

Your findings very much mirror mine in transparency and tight powerful bass.

Again, thank you for taking the time to have a listen and publish your thoughts. It much appreciated.

[emoji1]



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[Wakefield Turntables]

Well when they arrive at my den on delights they will be plotted against

1. Nordost Valhalla
2. Mike Grant silver and copper jobbies.
3. Yannis Tome highend exotica

And a few others, good luck!

[Bigman80]

Well when they arrive at my den on delights they will be plotted against

1. Nordost Valhalla
2. Mike Grant silver and copper jobbies.
3. Yannis Tome highend exotica

And a few others, good luck!Haha, well I am hopeful that they will give a good account of themselves. It's good to see where they stack against stiff opposition.

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