My dealer tells me Transparent will modify my Ultra IC to adapt to the balanced outputs of the Boulder. It already comes with adapters for the tonearm cable on the balanced inputs. Not that I’m planning to buy the Boulder but I’m glad to know I have that option.
Benchmark in NYC make balanced XLR’s to the same spec and quality as Mark Grant , I use them here . They are very good and at the very least a good starting point .
Transparent has been sold in Sweden for at least two decades.
/Peder🙂
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I have a Transparent AES/EBU 110ohm digital cable that I’ve used for a few digital interfaces that tend to use AES/EBU outputs. It seems to work just fine along with a Canare transformer to 75 ohm BNC, but I have nothing else to compare against.
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Gents.
I nearly threw in the towel when I couldn’t find any meaningful differences between the NACA5 and Signature XL after spending 3 hours listening to cables. I resorted to the same approach with the comparison, listening to a single track with the NACA5 before switching off the amp, swapping the cables, turning on the amp and listening to the same track at the same volume.
I repeated the above 2 to 3 times until I finally managed to hear a difference. Again music played an important role. The music used where I heard a difference.
Clarity and detail remain fairly similar between the 2 cables. Main difference lies in the tone of piano where it sounds more energetic and lit on the Signature XL. There is a smooth tube - like glow with piano on the Signature XL. The decay or sustain of notes linger in the air longer with the Signature XL than on the NACA5. In comparison piano sounds duller and slightly pale on the NACA5.
Apart from this difference, bass on the NACA5 sounds slightly looser and not as defined. The Signature XL’s bass is tighter and more defined.
Most music will sound almost the same with both cables if I don’t listen critically. The differences between the cables will only become more apparent with selective music, and in most instances the difference is not exactly night and day.
The NACA5 is still a good cable, no doubt about it. Great value for money sound for pound, especially since it was bundled free with the purchase of 202/200 about 11 years ago. Nevertheless the Signature XL still managed to improve upon it but make no mistake it doesn’t make the NACA5 sound poor.
I’d be keeping the Signature XL since I had paid for it. Apart from a slight advantage sound quality wise, the Signature XL is better built and easier to manage. Also, the NACA5 won’t work in the main system since the length is too short. Perhaps I should have kept the Chord Epic but that’s already history…
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Hi mwomwell, may I ask whether you have come to a more decisive conclusion on the difference between the Superlumina and Chord Signature XL?
Hi Ryder, not yet will have a play this morning if I get chance. Will let you know ASAP.
So as someone who’s recently added a 250 DR and an NDX2 to my system, would I see a bigger return from a hiline or replacing the interconnect between the pre and power amp with something like a Morgana cable?
I have no personal experience of the Morgana IC so would defer to others who have.
If I were you I think I’d be more inclined to pool my funds in to a replacement preamp like a NAC282, or even a NAC202 as a step.
I used a hi line for many years between a cdx and my 52. Later I used one between my Linn ads and the 52. I replaced with a morgana which I think is much better. I loved the hiline and found it better than the lavender, but the morgana made it seem rather thin and tizzy. I think morgana is cheaper.
I love the morgana cables, i use them between my 500 and 552, plus RCA to din from my rossini to 552.
Before i had highline and standard and found in both cases a nice improvement with the morgana, i also use the phantom speaker cable, again very good and all great value and i would say on par with the SL, but at a fraction of the cost.
But just try some as they offer a 30day free trial
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Hi Ryder just a quick update on the Chord Signature XL vs the SL speaker cables, the response from both the wife and the daughter was that they preferred the sound with the Chord cables fitted. I felt the SL cable may have been a little brighter but my hearing is rubbish anyway and who am I to contradict the family lol. Either way both cables sound pretty good but vfm the Chord speaker cables are better. So in conclusion to my cable investigations; SL speaker cable, SL Din to Din, Din to XLR, hi line and powerlines it looks like I am going to be saving some cash, just as well in these times.
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Hi mwomwell, thanks for the update which again is useful and much appreciated. Surely a valid point you made there. It’s surely wise to not spend during these times.
I surely wouldn’t want my system to sound any brighter especially with the Marten Duke 2 speakers which I recently bought. I just swapped the 282 with the 202 and although it managed to tone down the brightness a little, the sound had lost the illuminating glow of the 282.
Looks like the Chord Signature XL had proven to be a good and balanced sounding cable.
Your welcome let’s just enjoy our current systems. Keep safe.
I use all Oyaide XLR’s on my home theatre gear (Cary Audio), well built, and sound great to me. Offhand I am not sure which model it is, but the cable is light purple, and I think I paid 80-100 dollars (Canadian) for each pair. Highly recommend these.
I’m actually looking at the Oyaide Tunami Terzo. Not inexpensive however not crazy - I think around $400.
They also make an all silver cable which is their top of the line. I am not contemplating that one as, since it will be used with my Stax (a detail monster), I am afraid it will be a bit bright.
Those will work well, looks like they are almost the best ones they make. I think mine are the PA series, closer to the bottom of the ladder.
I made up my own balanced cables using Mogami cable and Neutrik XLRs. As I’m triamping the Neutriks had an additional benefit of a full rainbow range of colour-coding rings, though my choice was primarily because they are good plugs. Sourcing the cable in the limited total length I needed (as opposed to a full reel) took a bit of hunting but I did find a supplier. - I don’t know if easier in USA.
No idea how they compare to other cables, but I understand Mogami are about the most highly regarded in recording studios and other pro audio.
Thank you for the feedback on Mogami cables. These and Canare are easily available in the States.
I am looking to go in a different direction as I believe that some of the “better” cables should provide enhanced performance. From the sleuthing I have done I believe that, while both Mogami and Canare are extremely viable choices, their popularity is due to their use in studio situations. Many have commented that this is due to a favorable price performance ratio - something which is extremely important considering the large number of cables a studio requires for use.
While I am not leaning in the same direction as I went with employing Music and Sarum cables in my Naim system I am inclined to search out something which may provide a higher level of performance than studio grade cables.
I use Canare digital (BNC to BNC) and analogue (balanced XLR to XLR) on my Chord Electronics system. These are the best cables I have tried at home and I won’t be changing them. Of course, different system and different listener may report differently, but when my dealer demo’d Blu2 DAVE Etude with Chord Company cables, I decided they were not for me (they do change the sound slightly).
All I’d say if you have an opportunity to try Canare then it’s worth a go. I like to use cables supplied with kit, but Chord Electronics doesn’t supply or make firm recommendations. There are weird and wonderful cable systems made by 3rd parties for my setup, but as I’m delighted I’m sticking. I have an iFI USB cabling system, which measurably lowers the noise between Mac mini & Blu2, but I hear zero difference through speakers or headphone (Audeze) compared with a single QED USB reference. Biggest audible difference with cabling was to attach recommended split core ferrites to my digital cables.
Whether this is relevant in an all Naim system I do not know, but I’m happy not to have to pay £7,255 for my cables.
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