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Submitted by
aBe
a AudioPhile
from Date Reviewed: November 15, 2007
Strengths: Clear, clean, airy, excellent soundstage, bassWeaknesses: N.O.N.EBottom Line: To those who are skeptical about the effect of interconnects, cables etc - Give DH Labs Air Matrix Interconnect a try.
This is a terrific value interconnect - clear, airy, it gives a wide soundstage, sense of space and live ambiance to your music. I'm rediscovering my CDs and LPs !
Purchased At: KL
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
pbubny
a Audio Enthusiast
from Date Reviewed: December 6, 2004
Strengths: Extraordinary value, outstanding performance for the moneyWeaknesses: For $195 a pair, none.Bottom Line: A very long search involving several makes and models of ICs ended with the Air Matrixes, which I have installed between my CD player and preamp, and preamp and amp. The level of resolution, musicality, and involvement they deliver is very hard to beat unless you spend considerably more. (Example: I wouldn't say these are quite the equal of my friend's Kimber KS-1130s--but those cost $1,250 per pair.) These get the frequency balance right--neither too bright nor too dark--along with the PRAT (pace, rhythm and timing). They also convey a much deeper soundstage than the lower-cost BL-1s (which would be giant killers but for that two-dimensional 'stage). Bottom line is that they get themselves out of the way, allowing to focus on the music and not the cables.
Price Paid:
$195.00
Purchased At: Hi-Fi Farm
Similar Products Used: Kimber (PBJ, Hero), AudioQuest (Ruby, Quartz), Alphacore (MIcro Purl, TQ2), XLO, Better Cables, Monster M1000i, Mapleshade Clearview, homemade silver cables
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Submitted by
bbolival
a Audio Enthusiast
from Stanford CA USADate Reviewed: November 24, 2002
Strengths: Smooth, Clear, Airy, Nice Soundstage...Weaknesses: N-O-N-EBottom Line: The Air Matrix is the real thing! Previously I had my Marantz 6000 OSE connected to my Arcam Diva AVR 100 via a pair of burned-in Monster MK II 400s, and the sound came out harsh. Enter the new Air Matrix, I attached it straight out from the box and the music became smoother, clearer, and enjoyable. The difference was CERTAINLY DISCERNABLE. I've had it on my system for over a month now, and as time passed by, I noticed that the sound became airier and the soundstage wider. What can I say? My ears are happy ;-). Thanks Jeff of Value-Audio for the recommendation.
Price Paid:
$156.00
Purchased At: www.value-audio.com
Similar Products Used: Monster Mk II 400
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Gary
a Casual Listener
from Sebastian, FloridaDate Reviewed: March 18, 2002
Strengths: Wonderful soundstaging and very vivid. A true value at $195.00 for 1m Pair.Weaknesses: High quality locking RCA plug is slightly oversized.Bottom Line: Wow, these cables make a differece. They came highly recommended by a friend and replaced Transparant cables' "Musiclink Superaudio" (over twice the price). I've heard good things about DH Labs and decided to give them a try. These cables sounded clean and wide open right out of the box. The exceptional depth was evident immediately, and backing vocals were more defined. I'm very impressed and these interconnects are staying in my system. Looking forward to trying the Silver Sonic Speaker cables next..
Price Paid:
$195.00
Purchased At: factory direct
Similar Products Used: Transparant, Anaylsis Plus, Monster Cable (Ugh..)
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Submitted by
Chuckd55
a Audio Enthusiast
from Date Reviewed: March 12, 2002
Strengths: Has locking RCA’s. They look impressive.Weaknesses: Offers no sound improvement over spaghetti wire I/C’s.Clamping RCA’s are too bulky to fit on my Adcom or Marantz CDR. No room to tighten the barrels.Bottom Line: I basically heard no difference between the Air Matrix and spaghetti wire I/C’s that I have. But if I was going to buy into the wire-can-make-a-difference idea I would say the Air Matrix is smoother than BL-1 or spaghetti I/C. BL-1 seeemed clearer and more detailed. But I could never really tell if there was any difference at at between the Air Matrix and even the spaghetti wire I/Cs (which sometimes sounded better than the Air Matrix to me).
The differences between I/C’s could make maybe a 1-2% effect on the sound. Whereas I would comparatively say speakers have a 100-200% effect on sound. Don’t ever expect the Air Matrix, or any I/C, to tame bright speakers.
Reality check. It’’s just a piece of wire. But because it’s outside the box, sales people can play on your mind that it could be better. The cheap wire in some speakers and amplifiers could also be fixed up too. You can bet Mfg’rs aren’t paying $200/meter for internal wire you can’t see. Some of the overblown descriptions I have read about wire relate more to a Nautilus 804 to 802 upgrade than a piece of wire. Think of the differences in how amplifiers sound. Divide that number by 10 and that’s the most optimistic affect I/C’s can have according to the “pro-cable” people I have asked. And most of the gain is in going from the $3.99 stuff to your basic $20 I/C. Ask at “cables and interconnects” at the “Dicussions” forum here at A/R if you need a second opinion. You can pay $200 and not obsess over I/C’s (at least until a better sales pitch comes along) or you could pay $3.99 at Circuit City and get something that sounds the same. Our hearing sensitivity has to cut out at some point. Is it so bad that that happens before we buy expensive I/C’s, not after? Still not convinced? Try these web sites:
http://www.verber.com/mark/cables.html
http://www.sundial.net/~rogerr/wire.htm
http://2eyespy.tripod.com/myaudioandhometheaterhomepage/id3.html
If you insist on buying into the I/C myth, or want to prove it to yourself (not a bad idea) DH Labs has the best quality for the lowest prices. I know of no other air dielectric I/C that is as high quality and lost cost as the DH Labs Air Matrix. But I think the Air Matrix offers nothing over the BL-1 except locking RCA's. My system: Marantz CDR-500/Adcom GFP-750/ M-F A3cr/ N804 speakers
Purchased At: Upscale Audio
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