@frenchrooster No and yes.
Diamond is a bit dry in my system - with this comes a lot of punch forward. This is a real spectacle - and has some wow moments, as it really kicks a…
All is really tight („lacquered“ only a metaphor).
It is all a bit colder - really think in your full tube system it is the best you can get
If you have a chance - you should test the sigma … worth a try
So it can be colder but polished? Because in my understanding when it’s too polished it’s too warm, pointing into romantic sound.
Lost in translation… polished is not meant as warm.
I meant like „going over a surface with sand paper“. Compared to sigma the tones sound not as natural - best recognized with piano notes.
Maybe my term polished is wrong
I understand better now. Polished as a bit artificial?
French you really have to try the Neet-1008 too. At least if you like non-romantic😅
Maybe one day. Never say never.
And the shunyata as well - even if some say it is beaten by neotech (wich I someday will try as well) 
Yes! And don’t forget it beats the Shunyata Omega. The cheap one isn’t even in the game 
I know - you have told some times. 
I think what Lucifer has said is that Neotech might beat Sigma/Omeg but only if there’s little noise on the system. Trouble is I’m not sure how this can work? I think my system is pretty quiet. No neighbours and the connected power to the house goes via a dedicated transformer taking power from overhead HT cables. All this is capped off with a dedicated supply to the Naim kit. So I’m not overly flooded with stray wifi or electrical noise.
I spent the afternoon going back to Catsnake and the SMPS and the difference between that and Sigma is immense. I can’t believe how crude the Catsnake sounds by comparison and I thought the Catsnake was originally pretty smooth. Trouble is I don’t know what is doing what. The Sigma cable sounds very well balanced but then you have the two filter things attached that, I assume, are giving it this tremendously quiet, almost analogue type sound.
I’d personally love the Neotech to be better but somehow I doubt it will be even if the cable is as well balanced as the Sigma. I just think there would have been a wave of massive support for Neotech if it was that good. Plus there’s the gizmos on the Sigma that seem to be doing something.
As I’ve said the Sigma seems to create this beautifully wide and deep image that fills the whole room. Couple this with the most accurate instrument timbre that I’ve ever heard and absolutely impeccable timing and it becomes quite compelling despite the cost. For me it’s similar to going from a cheap moving magnet cartridge to a really good expensive moving coil, so even the extreme cost might makes some sort of sense?
I’m still playing with the SMPS and LPS. I just don’t understand what the hell is going on with these things and I can’t believe the difference. SMPS works much better than the LPS with CatSnake whilst the LPS works much better with the Sigma. All the flaws I find with using the LPS on the Catsnake (slow, too calm, poor high frequency detail) completely disappear when used with the Sigma???
As far as i understand it, and this is way beyond my own knowledge, you need a good network switch and a good clock (whatever that means) to mitigate the noise. Clean power is also important and once you get this good enough the Neotech beats the Omega. But as always, this has to be tested at home. I have had it in the system around 200h so it needs more time but it is much much better than the catsnake already. It was much better from the beginning. The catsnake does not play in this league at all. I don’t have a switch or an external clock so I’m simply comparing it to the catsnake. I’ll see if I can get an Omega to try in my system as is. But it’ll take some time since focus will be on my daughter graduating this week.
Yes, I get and understand the need for a good network switch and power supply and I already have these. However, I still wouldn’t bank on it being better. So much is dependent on the system being used as well. There are many on here that have used the best power supplies (Sean Jacob’s comes to mind) the best switches (PhoenixNet) and most expensive ethernet cables (possibly Chord Music) and for every person that really rate them there will be a person that doesn’t. The whole thing is one great big balancing act. That why I’m not saying the Neotech isn’t good. It maybe great in your system but in another system it simply may not work. Look at the fun Drago has had with Vodka and Diamond. I’m also sure that there is probably a 10p ethernet cable out there that smashes all other cables but we just haven’t found it yet! The only way to know is to try it but it’s a bit of a bugger to demo in the UK without committing the cash!
Yes everything in a system is a balancing act. Hope you get the opportunity to try the the Neotech one day.
It is a game to play with all the cables …
Really strange how catsnake works with smps - have both ee8 and catsnake… tempted to try, but do not want to fiddle again.
If catsnake is a bit dull and ee8/smps fast and transparent could this also be a kind of compensation? One compensating flaws of the other - in good words this is balancing.
Totally agree that there will be a really cheap cable outside which beats all others - needle in a hay…
Had a weak moment, as I was missing some voice and put the diamond back in.
Very short moment.
Bit brighter with diamond with female voice in some cases a bit more forward.
But in direct comparison with sigma voice is not held back - very similar now after it is run in. With sigma also more emotional now.
And all the rest is so much better than diamond. There is so much micro detail and texture.
Fully agree with geko - there is this magic with this cable.
Having played for a bit with CatSnake yesterday I could quite get the ‘magic’ going with the Shunyata and was not sure why. I had a look down the back of the Fraim and noticed the when the Catsnake was unplugged it had dropped down and was resting on my Superlumina to the ND. I moved it out of the way and checked the SL was swinging freely and sat down to play some music. Wow, stunning. Image width was around 35ft. Often overstated but the musicians really were in the room! It was sounding just beautiful. I still can’t get over just how good everything sounds with the Shunyata.
That’s always freaking me out.
Today brought the turntable back in the rack and while plugging in the snaic in the sc (snaic from prefix) I only touched the SL - always makes me think that I destroyed something.
Same with the 1mm pull out of the din socket… always think doing it wrong… but know exactly how it should be done, and that’s how I do it. 
it sounds great! 
