Price Paid:  $50.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
Purchased the XLO ER-5 for use between a new DVD player and the amp. After completing the manufactures recommended 24 to 36 hour cable burn-in, I still found the XLO's to lack any adequate midrange. All voices had a nasal quality to them. More importantly, it seemed also unable to blend efectively any movie dialoge with background sound effects. The dialoge was too soft and the sound effects too loud. To see if this was a characteristic of my DVD player or the particular DVD, I swapped my Harmonic Technology Truthlinks with the XLO's. Now everything was what it supposed to be. It surely showed the deficiencies of the XLO's. I do know the Truthlinks cost more, but I don't think I was getting an adequate audio value for the money spent on the XLO ER-5's. Even if it was only $50.
The compromise was not worth it.

Strengths:
Not sure

Weaknesses:
Lacks coherence and proper midrange

Similar Products Used:
Harmonic Technology Truthlinks, Nordost Blue Heavens

Price Paid:  $40.00 from audioadvisor.com

Summary:
I agree with the reviewer below. This is a very clear, accurate cable. The bass got tighter and more defined.

Unlike the reviewer below however, I did no break in.
I listened to it right away and compared it to the products I've used. The change was noticeable right away. It is much more musically involving than the products mentioned above. More detailed. This cable made me smile because I knew right that I've found the right cable. I was getting tired of trying interconnects and want to just forget it and enjoy my audio system.

I would rate the interconnects I've tried as follows:

Kimber PBJ - 1 star - Too bright and way too expensive

Monster Interlink 250/400 - 3 stars - Not as detailed as the others, bass a bit muddy

WireWorld Solstice - 4 stars - This is actually a very good cable. But it's missing something the XLO has. A soul.
It gets 4 stars coz of value. It's only $15.

My Gear:
NAD C370 Int Amp
NAD C420 Tuner
NAD C541 CD Player
Vienna Acoustics Bach Speakers
Kimber 4TC Speaker Cables
XLO ER-5 Interconnects :-)

Strengths:
musical, more defined bass

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
WireWorld Solstice 3, Kimber PBJ, Monster Interlink 250 and 400

Summary:
Audio System:
Philips/Magnavox 825
XLO/VDO ER-5
Harmon Kardon HK6500
Original Monster 10ga biwired, braided
Energy C-2 on sand-filled Target stands

Just replaced the cables on my primary source, a Philips/Magnavox 825 DVD Player. Replaced a one meter pair of Monster Interlink 400 with a half meter of XLO/VDO ER-5.

Please note that I did no listening whatsoever until the cables had burned in for 36 hours solid. I am a skeptic as to tweaks like this actually working and so burned the cables in by connenting my tuner directly to my tape deck, running the signal through the meters and changing stations every so often. I did this to avoid the psycho-acoustic aesthetic of familiarity which I believe is about 90 percent of the burn in phenomenon. After 36 hours of this “silent” burn-in I plugged them in for a listen.

The change was quite noticable.

Compared to the Interlink 400 (a review of which I am also posting--take a look, it’s not as negative as you might think), the ER-5 is more open; has greater clarity; tighter deeper bass; and much, much improved dynamic range. Everything just sounded better, more natural, open, and dynamically expressive. My wife called it “a night and day difference,” and went on to say, “that $40 wire actually makes your new speakers worth it.” Thus giving the ER-5 that all-important high SAR.

The only other cable I was considering was Tributries DCA-100 but then I read the reviews here and the XLO white papers.

Forty dollars very well spent, and a 6 out of 5.

Strengths:
clear, dynamically expressive, tight bass

Weaknesses:
local dealers scarce

Similar Products Used:
high quality mass market and Monster Interlink 400,100

Summary:
I have used these for at least 6 months now. I use them as interconnects between my Parasound HCA-2205 and my Parasound AVC-2500.

So far I have found no reason to replace them. They perform admirably for such a budget interconnect. The sound I hear from my PSB Gold i speakers is incredible. I believe I am hearing exactly what I am supposed to with these cables. I do not appreciate any loss of detail, artificial warmth or softness. The music arrives uncolored and neutral. Bass extension is good, bass is tight. Midrange is clear, and overall not too forward or bright.

Highly recommended. These cables will let you hear the music as it is intended. Compare favorably with more costly cables.

Strengths:
Performance for Price, neutrality

Weaknesses:
none so far

Summary:
System:
Onkyo DX-C330 CD
Marantz PM-68 Pre/Main
Van Den Hul CS-122 hybrid Speaker Cable
PSB Stratus Gold Speakers

I really like this cable. As compared to the XLO Audio-Twinax and ER-4, and some lower end Transparent, I found this cable to compete quite well. It has a very detailed sound and delivers the lower (