New Mark Grant G1000HD Precision cables

[Stratmangler]

Are the G1000HDs a pseudo balanced construction ?

Chris

[Dave Cawley]

Are the G1000HDs a pseudo balanced construction ?

No, but they are doubled screened, so all that inaudible stuff in the air gets shut out, this reduces the susceptibility of intermod and can often give a clearer sound. Coincidently I'm make a set for a customer, but using way more expensive connectors. Although potentially I'm a competitor, Mark Grant is one of the honest cable manufacturers out there!

Regards

Dave

[Stratmangler]

No, but they are doubled screened, so all that inaudible stuff in the air gets shut out, this reduces the susceptibility of intermod and can often give a clearer sound. Coincidently I'm make a set for a customer, but using way more expensive connectors. Although potentially I'm a competitor, Mark Grant is one of the honest cable manufacturers out there!

Regards

Dave

Thanks Dave. I spotted the braided screen, so I thought that there would be superior RF rejection and what have you taking place.

Chris

[Rare Bird]

Marco: when you recommend Mark Grant interconnects, which cables do you recommend as i noticed Canare! now Canare are another companies product??

[Marco]

Hi Andre,

Canare/Belden I believe supply the cable and connectors (as they do in many well-known 'high-end' cable manufacturer's products), but the G1000HDs are branded as Mark's own design, and he's paid for the privilege

What's interesting is that I've bought the exact same interconnects (the £20 ones Mark sells, not the G1000HDs) from Blue Jeans in America, where I first discovered Belden cables (see here: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/audio/index.htm), and yet the ones Mark sells on his site for £20 sound much better!

This for me proves that much of the performance of a good cable (read as: transparent as possible) is down to how carefully all the component parts are assembled. I think that Mark's got this down to a fine art, and sonically it shows.

Coincidently I'm make a set for a customer, but using way more expensive connectors.

Fair enough, Dave - but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll sound any better. For example, I don't think that WBTs are worth the money. They're good, but in many ways unnecessarily over-engineered. Sometimes 'flashy' connectors are just an excuse to justify expensive cable products, or pander to the sensibilities of badge-snob audiophiles

This is why I (and AoS) love 'honest' products like those of Mark Grant, as they cut through the bullshit so that you only pay for what really matters.

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

Thanks for clearing that up..All my mains cables are actually sheilded Belden/wattgate/MK 'Toughplug' & i'm very happy with em..

[Dave Cawley]

Hi Marco

They are not WBT, or flashy, you really should know me better that that! Engineering and quality costs money, and in this case the customer is more than happy to pay over 3 times the price for a marginal improvement. I'm not looking for approval or endorsement, just agreeing with Mark Grant that the use of double screened cable is often advantageous.

Regards

Dave

[Marco]

Dave, I wasn't referring specifically to anything you've made, but rather that expensive connectors are often not much more than 'audiophile jewellery'.

A valid case in point, matey:

and in this case the customer is more than happy to pay over 3 times the price for a marginal improvement.

I certainly wouldn't be, but good luck to him or her. I completely agree that engineering and quality costs money, but I'll only pay for it when it directly translates into seriously improved performance, not merely a marginal improvement.

Otherwise, what's the point?

SPPV comes first and foremost - always!

Marco.

[Dave Cawley]

SPPV comes first and foremost - always!

In your view, but other have a right to feel differently. For a wealthy person it really doesn't matter! If you compare my cable at 3 times the price of Mark's with the £12K Nordost, then I win!

But Marco, let other people enjoy the music!!

Regards

Dave

[Marco]

Hi Dave,

SPPV comes first and foremost - always!

In your view, but other have a right to feel differently.

Of course - I have no problem with that

For a wealthy person it really doesn't matter!

Well, most wealthy people I know stay that way from being as tight as a gnat's arse!

So..... I'd feel confident that if it were demonstrated to them that 'Cable A' with shiny 'fancy-dancy' connectors (at three times the price) was only marginally better than 'Cable B', which featured 'more than adequate' high quality connectors, they'd go with the latter option because in general wealthy people don't give their money away very easily.

It's the fact they mistakenly believe that the 'fancy-dancy' connectors make a huge difference (by being brainwashed through marketing hype or pseudo science) that generally justifies the cost for them. Remove that notion from the equation and watch how quickly they change their minds!

I think you misunderstand why I'm into SPPV, Dave. It's not because I can't afford to buy pretty much what I want when it comes to hi-fi (trust me I can) - it's because I like to be a bit cleverer about how and where I spend my money. I just resent paying over the odds when it's not really necessary.

I can assure you that my principles wouldn't change even if I were a multi-millionaire. I would still scrutinise everything to the nth degree and seek maximum sonic/musical return on any hi-fi investment I make. Gauche and rather vulgar footballer's wives, etc, may be different - and of course good luck to them.

If you compare my cable at 3 times the price of Mark's with the £12K Nordost, then I win!

LOL- indeed! But let's face it, only a total cock jockey would spend £12k on a cable

Perhaps what we should do then is conduct a head-to-head comparison between your cable and Mark's? I'd be more than happy to perform such a test and report the outcome. I will simply tell it how I hear it. If some of your target customers are here on AoS, then I'm sure they would find the result most interesting.

But Marco, let other people enjoy the music!!

My expressing my opinion is not stopping anyone from enjoying their music.

Marco.