Today I took the time to begin using my collection of recently purchased
cables, mainly acquired from from AoS. One pair of Speaker cables have been imported from the US Mapleshade Clearview Double Helix (MCDH).
I have interconnects as well, but today was spent comparing speaker cables.
I have just recently began to spend time with my system as a vinyl replay set up.
I have traveled to a TT specialist to get the best out of the TT, Tonearm and Cartridge.
The mounting of the TT is a work in progress, at present it is on a,
'Slate Sub Sub Plinth', 'Cork Pads' sit on the Slate as feet for a,
'Phonotherm Board Sub Plinth', and then more 'Cork Pads' act as feet for the 'Isolation Feet', with the TT Plinth sitting directly into the
'Isolation Feet'.
In the past week, I have used my Turntable as a device to aid in a Phonostage Comparison session, and a TT vs CDP comparisn session.
I have gathered a good understanding of the TT's sound quality and some of the nuances it creates with different instruments and vocals.
This morning I turned the system on, and then went about preparing a dinner for the family in the afternoon. When the visitors were stuffed, I went about a initial listen,
I chose three Albums, One of which I am very familiar,
Jeff Wayne's 'war of the worlds' and one I recently acquired and regularly thoroughly enjoy on vinyl, after hammering it on CD, Alicia Keys 'songs in A minor' ,
and one a new comer to my collection, Christy Moore 'at the point live'.

I have the option to play with individual channel volume as I have a
Dual Mono Slagle AVC, and the 845 Monoblocks have Pot's built into each Output Module to allow volume to be controlled.
So rightly or wrongly each Speaker Cable being assessed was being played on a single speaker. As said a initial investigation.
The Cables on the trial besides the US Import 'MCDH', is my original cable from the 90's just recently relegated a grey sheathed Supra ( must be a trip down memory lane for a few).
Fisual Hollywood and Van Damme Pro 'Blue Sheath'.
All I can say is I was very impressed with the Fisual Hollywood, when it replaced the Supra, I felt it was a worthwhile upgrade and was satisfied with it, it was the cable in use at the recent Phonostage and CDP comparisons.
The Van Damme Pro is similar, there are slight differences but not enough to warrant it as a must have replacement.
When listening to the 'MCDH' there is a whole new presentation, a clarity, cleanliness,
separation, and opening within the spaces between instrument and vocals. The bass has a presence that is real and articulate, and a reverberance can be picked up in the notes.
The other cables sound subdued, veiled, with a unclean graininess in the highs, by comparison, the bass has a presence but is cohesive, undefined and not feeling like a long note with a decay.
Just a small ditty to offer as a comparison, on Side One of War of the Worlds, the Second Narration by Richard Burton is very Sibilant and it Hisses. This is heard using most devices I have hooked up to my past and present system. With the 'MCDH' this was evident but in a very refined manor, improved to the ear to a point of not being obvious.
The tone of R B's voice also took on a real in the room presence, this can only be described as having a sense of mass of space around him.
I look forward to hooking the 'MCDH' up in stereo for a period, and then bring the other cables into the set up in stereo, to gather a further insight to the strengths of each pair.
I will update on the outcome.
I have no doubt in my mind, the 'MCDT' cables are the best I can have on board to begin my Interconnect trials, when this is out of the way, bring on the mains cables.