Mark Grant XLR Canare L4E6S Star Quad Balanced Cable

[Marco]

Will do, Leo - looking forward to it

Marco.

[leo]

Will do, Leo - looking forward to it

Marco.

The Ushers can take lots of power but are not hard to drive, load wise shouldn't be a problem for the valve amp unless your wanting to blow the house roof off

[DSJR]

Marco, did you get a chance to chat to Mark G last weekend as threatened, about the XLR lead he made up for me. It's strong up top but my system can easily handle it 'cos it's so clean and like the 1000HD's, the clear bass extension and power is much appreciated..

Ooooh, what fun!!!

Wish I lived further north - Neil could come over and beat me up over some of the things I type here and Marco's Tannoys could blatter me into submission............

[MartinT]

Dave - tell me more. Did MG make up a special XLR cable using the 1000HD cable? That could sound quite different from the Canare version I have, although I didn't think there were enough cores in the 1000HD to use in balanced mode.

[Marco]

Marco, did you get a chance to chat to Mark G last weekend as threatened, about the XLR lead he made up for me. It's strong up top but my system can easily handle it 'cos it's so clean and like the 1000HD's, the clear bass extension and power is much appreciated..

Ooooh, what fun!!!

Wish I lived further north - Neil could come over and beat me up over some of the things I type here and Marco's Tannoys could blatter me into submission............

Hi Dave,

Ooops, soz, forgot about that mate!

We were probably too busy enjoying ourselves, eating drinking and tune-spinning.....

I think Mark, erm, 'quite liked' my system, though, and the effect his cables had in the overall presentation - I don't think he realised just how good his cables were, which just proved how bloody deaf those balloons at WTF were!!

Marco.

[DSJR]

Dave - tell me more. Did MG make up a special XLR cable using the 1000HD cable? That could sound quite different from the Canare version I have, although I didn't think there were enough cores in the 1000HD to use in balanced mode.

As you may know, Mark made up a set of 1000HD cables wired XLR to phono. This didn't work and confirmed what I thought might happen. I didn't want a refund, so bought a mains cable from him (tis good too ) and wasn't sure what to do with the balance..

Mark came back to me, suggesting that the standard XLR lead may not be much better than the already good home-made Beldens (type 9272) I was using, but told me that he has some mil-spec silver plated copper twin-core cables he could send me on SOR. This he did and they've had plenty of use since.....

Being silver plated, albeit of a good gauge , I wasn't sure what to expect, to be honest. I find it does to the XLR - phono lead what the 1000HD cables do to a good standard phono - phono cable. The treble is pin-sharp but very clear with timbral differences in cymbals and treble compression laid bare and I suspect that passive speakers with nasty crossovers may react too much to its starkness. The mid is sublime in portrayal of detail and reverb, the wonderful Spendor imagery being shown in all its glory here. Little things in the mix seem to be in better proportion - a bit like upgrading one's CD player - the Micro just seems to have come into its own, just when I think it could be slipping. As for the bass..... Spendors have never been renowned for quality of bass, as the boxes were designed for best midrange performance, but in my setup, the bass is tight and VERY deep and tuneful, changing with ease from track to track and disc to disc..

If Mark puts these cables into production (they can also be wired as phono to phono as all twin-core plus screen mic cables can), they'll have posher plugs fitted I suspect and will retail for around £100. Compared with other clean and utterly clear cables of this nature, you'd have to spend a good few hundred, possibly more, to get this clarity..

I hope this helps. I don't think my system is so odd-ball that the above findings are at odds with what anyone else will find, except to say that some passive speakers driven hard by solid state amps may find the presentation a bit OTT, when it's really a hard driven amp into a harsh crossover that could be the problem - (I don't mean to knock 'em, but the little Heco Celan's at £500pr are perfect examples of a potentially good speaker totally spoiled by severe nasties at the crossover point).

[MartinT]

Thanks. Very interested in trying a pair. I wonder if he'd be prepared to make me up a set?

[Spectral Morn]

Marco, did you get a chance to chat to Mark G last weekend as threatened, about the XLR lead he made up for me. It's strong up top but my system can easily handle it 'cos it's so clean and like the 1000HD's, the clear bass extension and power is much appreciated..

Ooooh, what fun!!!

Wish I lived further north - Neil could come over and beat me up over some of the things I type here and Marco's Tannoys could blatter me into submission............

Dave

I find some of the things you type frustratingly vague and incomplete..but at no time would I wish to beat you up.


Regards D S D L

[MartinT]

Mark came back to me, suggesting that the standard XLR lead may not be much better than the already good home-made Beldens (type 9272) I was using, but told me that he has some mil-spec silver plated copper twin-core cables he could send me on SOR. This he did and they've had plenty of use since.....

I've now spoken with Mark Grant and he is making me up an XLR set from the same cable. I look forward to trying them against my expensive Kimbers.

[Marco]

Hi Leo,

Read the thread in the Blank Canvas about my trip to Martin's, where all is revealed

Marco.