$4800 interconnect - Transparent reference XL vs siltech princess (Part 1)
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- In this video, I will give my impression between 2 ~$5k cdn interconnect. I will be seperating the music clip to a second video incase of copyright issue.
Cables mentioned in this video are
Transparent Reference XL
Siltech Princess
Transparent Super MM1
Transparent musiclink
Please note I am exaggerating any issues I find in the interconnect as I am forcing myself to find a difference in both interconnects. They are both excellent cables. Price is ridiculous forsure.
I do want to add that my friend told me with his setup, Audio research LS16, Vt200, Mcintosh D150, Focal 1028 and transparent ultra speaker cables, he found the transparent reference XL too smooth and preferred the siltech over it.
Note : The transparent Ref XL cables apparently can be calibrated for my amps and speakers if I sent it in. My friend told me it was a big difference when he had his calibrated.
Thomas enjoy all your videos... you even keep focused during your siblings running around in the back ground from time to time.You have a great tolerance for your information you are explaining. All the best! Ray
I just figured it out! My problem is not my stereo, it's my lack of wealthy friends. 😁
Ah, you mean lack of wealthy STEREO friends!
@@ThomasAndStereo Each of my friends is individually MONO. Some are Left and some are Right.
I have to have 2 rich friends at a time - one Left and one Right and then it's never boring!
If I sold my amp I could then afford to buy that cable.
Does the super tame the highs more than the reference? I am looking into getting a super speaker cable.
Thomas you have some awesome friends, I wish my friends were into HiFi
Yes, it's great to have hifi friends so we can chat about it.
A $4800 cable with a built in passive filter... maybe? Because if its altering the signal audibly all by itself, that will make it a poor conductor.
Apart from the price, which is way out of my league, what effect is that weight of cable having on the rca socket? Does it start to deform the chassis of say a DAC over time? To me it looks like a lot of weight on a relatively small component.
Its not that heavy but it can be annoying sometimes these big cables when the component where I plug it to have limited clearance.
In the world of overkill, this is right at the top.
Yeah, I am not a big fan of spending crazy amount on cables.
The Transparent cable is the three old generations back. The latest is Generation 5 which is hugely improved over previous old versions.
Yup, my friend just got one gen 5 but the opus series XLR. Was supposed to drop by for a listen.
Were any of these cables compared by putting one cable on one side of the system and comparing the sound of one side versus the other? It should be done with a mono signal and immediately switched between left and right as many times as needed to reveal any differences and their characteristics, or if no difference can be discerned. Of course this needs to be done properly in a double blind situation.
If you just want to find out if there is actually a difference, do some null testing. If you can hear sound, it proves there is a difference. If you want to AB back and forth, doing it like you describe in your post isn't optimal. If you connect one of each, as you suggest, you won't be able to hear things like imaging and sound staging. A better way is to take a source that has 2 identical sets of outputs, and put a pair of cables on each one. Then connect them to 2 channels on your preamp. This way allows you to instant AB, and listen to the cables in pairs.
When I installed Siltech 550i in my system, the change was so dramatic that my mouth opened with amazement. I just got Siltech 550L. It’s revelation. My old speaker cables were Audioquest rocket 88. Detail retrieval, timber accuracy, separation, and imaging are all better. It took only few seconds to realize all that. For those who think cables don’t make difference and they all sound the same, you are probably right in most scenarios, because most people have a system that may not benefit from “expensive” cable. However, if you have a system that is an audiophile grade, try a real audiophile grade cables, it will produce much more refined sound. Be warned though, there are lots of cables that are duds.
Yup,I have a few other siltech. Siltech in general, I find they make the system more lively with better separation.
You sir, are a complete douche bag!
@@bryanp4827 And you Bill, are a rude idiot :-((
I don't think you have EVER heard Siltech cables.
Chill Bill - Chill. It’s only a cable, douche bag.
@@paulb.3227 I second that! I too moved from Audioquest to Siltech Forbes lake and the golden ridge. Completely changed my system, it came alive. And to top it all off a friend needed money so i bought his PAD Dominus speakers cables, I will NEVER EVER part with those cables.
Hi Thomas I would like an opinion about what would be generally better a middle price $450 rca interconnect or a $200 balanced interconnect
Thank you
In my case, If I were to spend $200 on a balanced interconnect, I would spend it on a local DIY one. I found someone who does a great job and we were doing AB test against $4000 interconnects, will do a video on it soon.
Thomas & Stereo hi I use QED genesis silver spiral on my front 3 channels for home cinema and QED silver spiral xt on back 4 channels, but can you have look at there supremus cable and tell me what you think. And yes I can tell difference on my cables compared to budget cables
Until I try it one day, I don't know how they will sound. It's one thing to look at data but I am more in the camp of must try to form an opinion.
Expensive tone controls. A few $ worth of capacitor, and/or inductor/resistor. The reason to bypass tone controls is because they degrade the sound. Why would anyone want a cable to work as tone controls to address other issues in the system? Keeping noise from entering (well shielded) and a good conductor wire makes for a "transparent" cable. Running the signal through any passive LCR filter is the opposite of transparent. If someone made the mistake of pairing a bright amp with very detailed speakers, then their system might not bite as much (with harsh highs) and such cables (tone controls to roll off the high frequencies) will likely make their system sound better. The only way to solve a problem is to get to the root. Cables that change the sound are doing a hack job at compensating for room or other problems in the system.
Have you heard of High Fidelity Cables - Reveal interconnect which are price at $999 but claims to be design to perform at Nordost level. Would love to see what you think about their claims
No, i Have never heard them. I have to hear it to know. Lots of time, I read so many reviews and when I get it home, it does not live up to the hype. However, many exceed my expectations.
What is your opinion of 550i vs 770i vs Princess vs Prince, in terms of bang for the buck? The speakers are focal scala
I never heard those buy my friend with the focal prefer his siltech speaker cable over his transparent cable.
@@ThomasAndStereo Interesting. I am not sure but I think that the wiring inside Focals (not sure which particular model) is Transparent, but I do not remember where I got that information. I don't know whether this is true or not. I know that Wilson Sophia, Sasha, Sabrina have Transparent wiring inside, maybe for neutrality reasons
Hi. Thosmas. Although i never compair with transparent reference cable. But i compair with the music link cable. Mine is way better and cheap and is more than 4 times cheaper. I used in rca and speaker cable. BUT YOU need to give some time to burn in.
Ah, the cable second time burn in question. All my audiophile friends are a big believer in it. Me, not that much but i met enough people telling me the same that i wonder. I am ok with first time burn in.
Btw,I just got my hand on a pair of interconnect that cost nothing but we were doing AB test against our $3k+ interconnects and it can compete. We were shock and blown away, will make a video on that no name brand interconnect in a few weeks
ThomasStereo sorry. 4 times is for speaker cable and rca is even more cheaper around US $400 at 1.5m on the best cable. But good luck with your cable.
Do you know what else tames harsh speakers ? Tone controls
Yes, that is one way to go but you might lose transparency.
Have you tried the Siltech My Little Pony XLR's?
? Nope.
Which brand should I buy for the studio audio system for my monitoring speaker, more professional _ ????
Siltech Classic series
Wouldn't it be better to get speakers who's sound you like rather than trying to fix it with interconnects?
Interconnect is for fine tuning. You will first get the speaker with the sound you like but it's never perfect so I use interconnects to adjust it.
Translation: wires and cables affect the signal passing
through them, add make a difference!
@@ThomasAndStereo I'll stick with pro level interconnects and use a little DSP to fix anything I find offensive.
They are more likely magnets used for filtering.
Very expensive magnet. One thing I just learned, the XL ref transparent can be calibrated for my amps and speakers. My friend had his calibrated and it made a big difference.
Nordost cables work, but the sceptics will never be able to afford them, so the slate them in hope that they will get the cables for dirt cheap.
Hi Thomas. First, I like you channel. Do people who buy this cable crap listen to and enjoy music or cables? If the sound changes radical in cables they are just bad!? What do you think is in a recording studio, sound changing cables? This has nothing to do with music. But I guess the audio hobby is about that kind of thing, not music? I make music, and i listen to music. In my small £6600 2ch system I use the Rapport Usher speaker cables and £80 interconnects, and I get tight, clear, lovely "3D" sound with no noise out of it. Enjoying the music hours after hours. Thats just amazing with the "cheap" cables!? Maby it's special HiFi air in my room, I don't know.
I think both. If you meet the kind of people who buy these kind of gear, they are pretty normal people who aspire to the same thing as every audiophiles and that is to built a system that moves them. Just that they have more disposible income.
I know for a fact that some of the best mastering engineers out there right now (Kevin Gray, Bernie Grundman, Ryan Smith, etc) do in fact have these kinds of cables in their mastering chain and monitoring setup. Kevin Gray's Cohearent Audio studio is wired with entirely Audioquest Wild Blue and Niagra cables which you would probably scoff at. Yet Kevin Gray is currently producing the best vinyl masterings in the world, and he has testified himself that upgrading the cables in his studio made a huge difference.
Best Hifi system for 500 bucks.. this would be a much more interesting on going youtube series :D
I think maybe 1000 bucks is the sweet spot. I have a friend who have multiple system at that price point. I have the video on budget speakers and will be doing more when I have time
Too many variables and tastes to consider. But something blanketly like $199 (sale) Jamo S803s with Jaquin few hundred dollar tube amp should mellow the top end and have enough bass to be satisfying with those possibly. Or on a short wall setup, cheapo klipsch R-51m for < $179(sale) with some $200 yaquin integrated, .. then use your cellphone and audio quest dragonfly combo to stream music, and maybe some used $40 bluray player with good dacs as spinner.
Won't get much more musical than this route.
Occasionally powered Boston on deftech small towers with built in powered subs can be had for under $250 on used market for more full range dynamics in medium sized spaces, as alternative.
All these should work best with tubes, maybe the right solid state integrated used if your careful...
Actually way to many choices n options to nail down for each individual and lifestyle. Might try a few things n see if a combo strikes you. But change 1 component at a time!
Serious Question - Why not balanced cables as the best possible reference? I assume you can't get the 'tweaked' sound from them? In reference to the upcoming sound sample, the TR XL was the absolute clear winner in this setup BTW. It actually blew me away. The nuance of everything especially in the voices gave me goosebumps over your cellphone recording through UA-cam. lol
Wouldn’t it be smarter to just open up the case of the last component in your signal path and see what cable they used to output the signal and then use that type of cable? The best that the signal will ever be is what is coming out of the last set of output connections. Any cable can only subtract. It cannot add by definition. It seems obvious to me that a cable company that does not understand how to pass 100% of a signal for 3 feet is either incompetent or mendacious.
Single ended cables will pick up noise. But the cable inside of your components are protected from radiation. But better shielding will make it better. if you have an outer shield that is only connected to one end, you will get more noise reduction.
1379 You are absolutely right, but you do have to add proper shielding to the (extension) cable , because the metal chassis blocks external noise from entering the case. Balanced interconnects filter out 100% of the noise , because one signal wire is inverted and then reversed and added to the + signal inside the receiving device. +noise plus -minus noise= zero noise. It doesn't get any better than common mode rejection, but I'm sure there are $20,000 balanced cables claiming to filter out noise. If more audiophile learned a bit about electronics, they wouldn't fall for all the snake oil out there.
Thomas you seem like a really nice guy, I feel bad for you being so duped in such a way. Tell you what, we can do a blind test between these cables and some #14 THHN copper wire that's been spun by a drill - and if you can spot the difference in cables I'll buy you your own set of these interconnects.
I guess my question for you is how many cables you have tried to be so confident there is no difference? I fail most cable test myself but I have try enough cables to know I can pass 30% of the time. Have you tried enough cables to know that everyone in the world will fail 100% of the time? Now, if your argument is it measurement shows otherwise, I have made a video on it. ua-cam.com/video/JjaF7r2acog/v-deo.html
@@ThomasAndStereo I know that the audio spectrum is so low in frequency that the effects of cable capacitance and size are negligible. I have challenged many cable cultists to the double blind test and the ones who take it fail. My suggestion for a better use of your money would be to focus on the room. The room is the most important component of your audio reproduction system. A room with non-parallel walls, floor and ceiling, and use proper traps to attenuate the frequencies that are bothersome. Then you could also rewire your electrical to be a balanced electrical supply. Reaching for an audible difference in cables is not doing the audio community a good service. I dare you to make a video where you see if you can notice a difference between regular $15 rca cables and the $4500 ones here. You won't be able to be subjective unless you use a double blind switching test.
@@KevinWorrell My issue with doing a double-blind test has been discussed already in the other video. Let's say we did it with 3 friends in 3 different systems. Is it enough data to conclude it represents all systems in this universe and those friends represent the billions of people on this earth. I did my undergraduate studies in Statistics and I am really careful when I make claims like that. Should money be spent on treating the room first? Sure, I have done it. Should money be spent on electrical outlets? Sure, I have done it and it is in this video. Do I recommend people looking into cables? Not at all, I tell people to spend money elsewhere to get a better return for their money. Do I believe cables can sound different, sure because I have experienced it. Do all cables sound different? Absolutely not.
Video on my room treatement
ua-cam.com/video/lJyaXdc6RX0/v-deo.html
Video on cables and my thoughts.
ua-cam.com/video/ItFctnwSmDU/v-deo.html
@@ThomasAndStereo ua-cam.com/video/BYTlN6wjcvQ/v-deo.html
@@KevinWorrell and yet a significant number of the people report otherwise. When observation does not match hypothesis, what are the correct steps to take if we follow the scientific method? Remember just because it sounds logical does not make a true. That is why we moved from philosophy where people debate about logic in the Greek era to science today where we don't just debate but follow the scientific method.
LOL! Barnum was right!
You need a pin mic cause many of your videos have you sounding far away and low volume. :)
Yup, got some now. Thanks.
?
I'm unclear, you borrowed these from a friend?
Yes
How much!!!
yeah, crazy, wait till you see I do a video on my other friend's system with $15k speaker cables and $8k power cables. Some time in Apr or May.
Thomas & Stereo Not saying cables don't make a difference. But think when cables get as expensive as the components then its getting a bit silly.
haha, I agree. I tell my friend to take that money and put it in the other equipment
Please help, thank you
"there's a sucker born every minute" I don't know who quoted this but they were right
It was P.T. Barnum and he was right
@@grabbing haha!
Thomas with MonitorAudio RX6 you will not learn much about better/more expensive cables. System sounds like its weakest element.
We eventually tried it on $10k+ speakers. Those interconnect ended up in a system that cost $100k+.
@@ThomasAndStereo For me never easy to asses in someone else system but I like you videos as I know you realize that and you try to be as objective as possible, knowing all limitations around you. Well done :) btw. Just got Transparent Ref XL AES/EBU and I am curious how it will compare to Transparent Ref.
Thanks. Wow, nice. My friend just bought the Opus interconnect, I am debating if I should make a video on it.
@@ThomasAndStereo You need to be brave to review Opus ;) My approach is to have a limit for a cable = 2k$ ,so I am buying used ones. There has to be a limit to this madness.
various grades of snakes oil and placebo effects
I guess you speak from experience?
@@ThomasAndStereo yes could never hear the difference in power cables,interconnects nor speaker cables, same for power conditioners,then you read up on engineering and see why...Thank god I didnt waste my money.
@@edwardbit8225 I guess you speak from experience or is it one of those I read it on the internet therefore it must be true?🤔
@@ThomasAndStereo borrowed cables etc and conditioners....no change in sound,even the wife agreed with me,lol.
@@edwardbit8225 let me guess, I borrowed one set of cables, it made no difference, therefore every cable in the universe must sound the same 🤔
Not a fan of Transparent audio cables. So dont assume that more expensive means better. Its about synergy and detail. Transparent sound vailed and lifeless to me. Careful by judging it by semblance if its in the recording then you are masking detail and sound. Its also dangerous to use cables to tune out harshness or other short comings in the system it self. To do so means it is coloring the sound AND masking detail.
it's not the most expensive cable but the right cable that is the key. In transparent defence, this one is not calibrated. It depends what speaker I use to choose the right cable.
Using cables as tone controls… nah… get some more neutral / better loudspeakers 💫
Thomas, I'm a bit confused... MANY skeptics responding have been saying that "high end cables" making a difference IS PURE SNAKE OIL, and bogus!!..??? I mean, they sound so adamant that WIRES ARE WIRES!!
Thomas, surely you agree , don't you?!!
Please, do the audio community a favor and DO set the record straight for your audience! Is there REALLY an audible difference in sound between cabling?? SAY IT AIN'T SO!
Thanks
Blind tests have been done on this subject. You can search them on the internet.
Unfortunately I will have to disappoint you that I am in the same camp as Paul McGowan, Steve G, Sean from Zero F and Ron from rew record day. We all hear a difference.
@@ThomasAndStereo exactly my point.. Cables DO make a difference. Always have...
.. unless of course your using Bose Lifestyle cubes. Then no, wires don't matter. Officially
If someone is using a $5000 cable to hide the true characteristics of the system, the entire approach is doomed.
Yes and no. I hate using things like tubes and cables to fix problems, but sometimes its justified. For example, you may like a really odd speaker, such as vintage horns. Speakers like that can have some pronounced strengths and weaknesses. So if you know if this is the speaker for you long term, I think its fair to use equipment that overcomes the speakers flaws.
If you're dealing with modern equipment with no big flaws, then I agree. Fix the problem, don't cover it up.
These cables are highly successful regarding the reason they were made, but won't improve a hifi system at all.
Total BS, even if I had it, I would not spend that !!!
If you want to raise your blood pressure even higher, check out my video on the $20k+ cable. ua-cam.com/video/ItFctnwSmDU/v-deo.html
Sir you can buy a entry audio system for the price of these cables..first have your ears tested before you entertain buying expensive gear.
So if I pass the test, I am allowed to buy expensive gear?
It's all bollocks
Correct
Cos you've not experienced the difference between shielded cables, it's all bollocks??
i really cant believe people in the 21st century still waste their money on this kinda "useless jewelry". when u got money sitting around and dont know what else to do it, donate it to a good charity or something.
Yeah I’m one of them, upgraded first speaker then digital (USB) cables followed by XLR and power cords. $20k they cost me and the jewellery considerably improved my system…and I still support the disadvantage in the community 👍
Total bullshit.
In what sense? Would appreciate a more intelligent comment.
@@ThomasAndStereo All of that snakeoil bullshit. How about using Cordial interconnects like us professionals do widely?
Take Cordial as reference and if cable measures or sounds even slightly different from Cordial you have problem.
The professionals choice:
www.cordial-cables.com/en
@@ThomasAndStereo There is nothing unintelligent on calling hoax as bullshit. Totally opposite.
It's hoaxes like these that give high-end audio a bad name.