Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Silver Oval in my systems has the most state of the art soundstaging I have heard from any cable. I found it to be lacking in transparency and rhythm to a large degree. If you have a very bright system that needs to be tamed and place a high value on soundstage width this might be your cable. I don''t think it is a very bad cable, but you can do much better with Acoutic Zen Satori for the same price. I don''t mean to offend the rave reviews, but I didn''t see that there had been comparisons with either Harmonic Tech or Acoustic Zen which both better the Silver Oval

Strengths:
soundstage width, excellent build quality, very nice spade lugs, very easy to use

Weaknesses:
lacking top end transparency, pace rhythm and timing seem off to me with this cable.

Similar Products Used:
Audioquest, TARA Labs, Harmonic Tech, Nordost, Silversmith, Siltech, NBS, Acoustic Zen, Ensemble.

Price Paid:  $540.00 from Audiowaves

Summary:
At first I was sort of disapointed in the sound of this cable,but,patience is a virtue!You MUST let it burn-in for at least 200+hours before you can really expect it to show its full potential!At first it sounds fairly good out of the box,then it sounds worse-bright and thin,then it begins to sound really great!The air,imaging,and inner-detail are extraordinary after break-in!Vocals,especially female,are great!Top-end extension is excellent also.The only complaint I've I still have with this cable in my particular system,is a slight thinness and forward sound.I also use the LAT International SS-1000D cables in my system.The LATs are great cables also!In areas of midrange tonal accuracy,harmonic accuracy,bass extension,and overall frequency response smoothness and naturalness the LATs were slightly better than the silver ovals,but,in my particular set-up I felt that the silver ovals had slightly better top-end extension,image width,inner-detail,and better vocal articulation than the LATs.So I got an[expensive]idea:What if I run a pair of LATs AND a pair of Analysis-Plus silver ovals to my Paradigm Studio 100V2 loudspeakers to the same binding posts[Tweeter-midrange section]and keep the straps on the posts for the bass section,since I'm using powered HSU Research subwoofers and HSU subwoofer amps for the bass [91 hz.and below]anyway?Well,I did and its a match made in heaven in my particular system!Now I have a combination of exceptional clarity,top-end extension,vocal articulation,detail,harmonic accuracy,midrange and vocal body,upper bass power,and killer dynamics!WHAT A COMBO!In this set-up,each cable compiments the others strengths and eliminates all the minor weaknesses of each one!For some reason,the Analysis-Plus cables in particular,sound better and more dynamic,etc.,when either paired with another cable,or with two pairs of the silver ovals used together!I am EXTREMELY PLEASED with this combination and couldn't be happier!If anyone out there has had similar experiences with the silver oval working best paired up,or paired up with another brand of cable,let me know by E-mail as this is very odd!The silver oval AND the LATs are fairly huge steps above the Kimber 4TC and to a lesser degree above the Analysis-Plus oval 12.The silver ovals are Highly Recommended,but,be very patient with the burn-in time! My system consists of:Two pair of Paradigm Reference Studio/100v2 loudspeakers[EXCEPTIONAL LOUDSPEAKERS],two HSU Research HRSW12VA subwoofers with outboard amps with built-in crossovers set at 91hz @24 db/octave,high and low pass,Carver A-760x power amp,Carver CT-24 preamp,Sony ES CD changer,Music Hall MMF-5 turntable with a Goldring 1042 cartridge and a Monolithic Sound PS-1 phono stage,and LAT IC200 Mark II interconnects.

Strengths:
Clarity,top-end extension,imaging width,depth,female vocals,air,detail resolution,etc.

Weaknesses:
Slightly thin sounding,LONG BREAK-IN-+200hours,slightly forward sounding.

Similar Products Used:
LAT International SS-1000D,Monster cable XP,Kimber Kable 4TC,Analysis-Plus Oval 12,Radio Shack 14 gauge mega-cable flat,etc.

Price Paid:  $350.00 from online

Summary:
At first, I had these on backwards...the dealer who sold them to me as a demo had either mislabeled them, or, my system is extremely sensitive (I think the former).

When I had them on backwards, they were very laid back, overly smooth, lacked detail and transparency...

When I then tried them in reverse, they were entirely different. These cables added the transparency, eveness in timbre, and extension back into my system that was missing when I replaced the MIT w/ the van den hul. The van den hul was good, but was too rounded and had very slight congestion in the upper mid-range.

I am running a 6ft pair.
system:
Denon DCM 5000
Cal 2500 SSP
Sony S7700
Bryston 7B ST
Citation 5.1
PSB Stratus Goldi
MIT T3 digital cables
XLO digital cables
MIT MI 330

Strengths:
extension, air, timbre

Weaknesses:
seem a little fragile

Similar Products Used:
MIT T2 Bi-wire, Van den Hul D352 Double Bi-wire,

Price Paid:  $499.00

Summary:
The sound seems to be too rounded and the presentation seems to be too thin for my liking, also real high-end extension is missing. The sound stage is pretty decent.
Beaten hollow by the Nordost Blue heaven cables which were far more detailed & a crisp clean presentation w/ a solid midrange.
My system:
Sony XA3ES
Acoustic Zen Matrix reference cables
Axiom Passive preamp
Halcro dm58
Nordost Blue heaven / Silver Ovals
Talon Khorus

Strengths:
decent soundstage & smooths out the sound & flexible design

Weaknesses:
thin presentation, modest detail

Similar Products Used:
Nordost Blue heaven, Analysis-Oval 9, Cardas Golden reference etc

Summary:
I have just replaced Nordost Red Dawn speaker cable with the AP Silver Oval. The Nordost was twice as expensive. The AP does so many important things better than the Nordost in my system. I am genuinely surprised, even shocked, that a cable in this price range can sound this good. I don't know if it will work as well in every system, but it sure does the trick in mine. I have a very neutral, revealing system, so cable differences are easily apparent. And the AP is so 'skinny'. I was one of those people who assumed that thick, heavy cable was inherently superior; well, I guess not.
System:
Pass Labs Aleph 3
Sonic Frontiers Line-2
EAR 834P
Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1 (w/ Valvo NOS tubes)
Oracle Delphi Mk.V/Rega 900/Goldring Excel VX
Dynaudio 1.3 Mk.ll
Silver Audio 6.0 and 4.0 interconnects

Strengths:
Very musical, lots of detail, good soundstage, integrates music beautifully

Weaknesses:
not as extended top and bottom as some others