best match for digital player and solidstate amp

less depth in soundstage and less extension and air at high

This cable need over 100 hours for burning. sound is so polite at first but just wait. This cable is good for solidstate and digital source.for tubes you should match it with your system.I connected it between accuphase cdplayer and krell power amplifier with dynaudio speakers. this cable changed the sound more than i expected because it make sound very natural and unforce at mid and high.solid sound of krell and digital signature of sound change to very analog like sound. it render the sound with ease and give you human like sound

Similar Products Used:

accuphase xlr transparent music wave monster m950i

Clear. Detailed. Warm. Smooth. Open. Pleasant overall.

None for the money.

I love them and do not understand why others rated them so low. They are certainly not the best out there but are without a doubt fantastic ICs for the money. Used with: All Legacy-Audio speakers Sony NS999ES DVD/SACD Anthem AVM20 Anthem PVA7

Similar Products Used:

Discwasher. Monster. Kimber. Audioquest. XLO.

Very reasonably priced They add nothing....

...but they do go soft at both frequecy extremes,just a lack of energy,nothing nasty.

First off,it may be a tad unfair for me to review these cables after moving up(to XLO Reference),but I have done alot of listening around lately,hence the change in perspective. Those with Solid State systems will find these to be a fine match in a mid-priced set up.Tube folks,like myself,may find them a bit of a disapointment. The main reason is the lack of extension they provide,mainly in high frequencies(but also in low-end,but not to the same degree). Most solid state amps are way too bright.Most people wrongly equate this "brightness" with "detail"....and lots of folks wonder why they suffer from listening fatigue.It's the harshness of solid state highs that are giving them the headaches,literally.These cables can tame those highs,with very little loss of (real) detail. That said,the mids are pretty damn fine,and the sound is generally quite open,tho i wouldn't call it tranparent. For that reason,unlike a few other reviewers have said,these are some of the more forgiving I have heard,meaning they are less likely to expose system faults. Tube amp users will most likely find these cables way too soft....very warm and fuzzy(tho not really fuzzy,just soft at both ends). Extreme high-end SS users may not like them either,as thier equipment comes closer to warmer sounding tubes.....but then they wouldn't be shopping in this price range,cuz these are not expensive.They are great value,and rival many of equal price,but have limitations. Used with>>> ASL q1003/vintage Eico ST70 Arcam FMJ Triangle Celius XLO reference Speaker cables Prism lab Speaker cables Blue Circle AC conditioner Racked on granite.

Similar Products Used:

XLO Ref2(the winner!),Cardas,Audioquest(several models),and a bunch of others too dull to remember.

- minimum pick-up of noises (good shielding). - severe bending is possible.

- detail is music is completely gone. - depth in music is completely gone. - warm and unimpulsive character of bass - gives a boring sound

Directly after purchasing a Rotel pre-amp and power amp, I bought the v.d.Hul The Second interlink to connect the amps. I used them for about 6 months and all the time I was unhappy about my system. First, I thought the Rotels were the reason of my unhappiness, but only recently I became aware that the The Second interlink was the reason. I could not change the interlink in the store where I bought it, but an other store was willing to change it with a v.d. Hull Integration Hybrid (which has the same price). Now, I am happy. I installed another Integration Hybrid interlink between my phono pre-amp and Rotel pre-amp. A siltech remains my favorite to connect my SACD player.

Similar Products Used:

v.d. Hul Integration Hybrid; Siltech ST18G3

Detail and transparency

When I first bought the cable I tried to distinguish the qualities and character that I liked about the cable. Much as I tried, I couldn't pick one and I am no wiser now had I been 3 months ago.
Perhaps that is the essence of quality hifi where the cable is just there as a link that does not add any character to the what's coming out of the source.
However I can definitely praise the transparency of the cable. It brings out either the best in a system of the worst in a system. It is not a cable to be used if you want to fine tune your system. If it excellent provided your system is up to it or else it will reveal your system's weaknesses.
I personally found the cable to be extremely musical whatever music played. It brings life and a sense of space to the music where most cables would be struggling to produce, and it does not emphasis any parts of the music or any instruments. It really draws you into the music, it has the foot tapping factor, and best of all is it's value for money.

smooth tonality, very musical

huh?

Bought a pair of these used. I don't understand why anyone would ever sell them. What a musical cable! Smooth highs, sweet midrange, very low and well controlled bass, lots of air, wide soundstage and plenty of air around instruments. First cable I've used that does not emphasize any portion of the frequency spectrum. Good transient response, but without that razor's edge, in-your-face crap that some people believe represents real music. Dynamics may be ever so slightly compressed, but more music comes through instead of garbage to make your ears hurt. I use mine between CAL Audio Icon MkII Power Boss CD and Bryston BP-25 preamp, with Aragon 8008BB power amp and B&W 802's.

Similar Products Used:

Monster, Prisma, Kimber, MIT, Tara

focus, very natural, warm

speed, limited extension in the treble and bass

Very good, but limited treble and bass.

Similar Products Used:

combak CI230, HS101i, Golden Perfomance, Siltech SQ 38, straightwire enconreII

Full of detail and transparency, very good at low levels

not to be shortened

After discussing with my friend (owner of the a.m. HiFi Shop), we decided to give it a try, changing all my cables to one manufacturer. As my loudspeaker cables are already vdH Magnum Hybrid, I choosed The Second as (unbalanced) connectors between my tube Pre- and Main Amps. Before this, changing cables to improve sound quality sounded more like voodoo to me but after using The Second, I am really amazed.

Gone are the light hums coming out of my speakers every time my system was switched on and running. Also gone are noises sometimes I switched my gear off.
This cable works only as a link and does not add any sound to your system. Your music comes alive with this fine cable, showing very good rhythm, low accurate bass and high musicality combined with a very deep soundstage; different to other cables, even at low volume levels. I tried it also between my CD-player and Pre-Amp but here, I prefer vdH The First. I guess, maybe it's shielded character has something to do with the lesser transparency I heard.

Equipment used:
Cayin SC6L Single ended tube Pre
Cayin 9021 DEX Single ended tube Mains
Cary Audio CD 303 CD-Player
B&W CDM 1SE
vdH Magnum Hybrid, -The First, -The Second

Similar Products Used:

vdH The Source, Sil-Wire

Fantastic cable, very revealing. Greatly detailed. Should be avoided on bright systems though. I replaced my Cardas Quadlink 5C with these cables and it was well worth it. Compared to the cardas, the second are more clear and revealing and makes the bass tighter and more defined. Cuts down on the slight exagerated bass of the Cardas.

First of all the price above must be Canadian dollars. It can be had for much less. Balanced is more expensive though.
This is a great cable but it is a compromise to THE FIRST. VdH says it sounds the same but that is not true. This has a shield so it is less transparent. Same qualities but it has a darkish character, which can be desirable on some equipment. I also believe it is directional and needs a little burn in, contrary to VdH. Great bass, timbre, and perfect for digital systems or agressive power amps.

Try The First first. If it reacts to your gear badly, then try this.