Price Paid:  $115.00 from OZ Enterprises

Summary:
I'm posting this after only a few hours of listening to my system with these cables. I am comparing to the Monster Cables Interlink 400 that have been in my system for ages. The differences are subtle but essential to me. First off, I'm certain that the highs are smoother with the Emberglows. I thought it was either the CD,Amp or speakers that were producing overly bright highs but apparently not. The highs are more mellow and in my system, that's a definite GOOD thing. I don't want to shut the music off after an hour because my ears ring. The detail is still there but without harshness. One more thing I've noticed is that bass extension is also improved. This is more subtle but It's there. For the same volume setting, the low frequencies have more punch. The mids seem to be about equal to the Monsters. Perhaps a little less forward. These are the differences I noticed after a few hours of listening only. More listening will probably make me appreciate these interconnects even more. I must admit that when I received the cables, I was shocked at how thin they were. The RCA terminations are of very good quality but the cable itself is very slender compared to all the Monster stuff that I am used to. I guess good things do come in small packages. If I was to describe these cables in 2 words I would say : "Clear and Smooth". That being said, I don't believe any audiophile cable in the market today can completely change the sound of your system. They CAN make a difference though. By the way, some may find the following info useful. I have a NAD C370 integrated with and old Pioneer CD (due for change) and Athena AS-F2 speakers. For this review, I listened to diversified material. Diana Krall, Seal, Intermix, The Orb.

Strengths:
Highs devoid of harshness (Amen), Lots of punch in the lows. Lots of detail also. They match my system perfectly.

Weaknesses:
Not really a weakness but just a warning. If your used to big cables, you will be shocked by the small size of these. They are not pretty. Don't look at them, plug them in and LISTEN.

Similar Products Used:
Monster Cable Interlink 300, 400

Price Paid:  $85.00 from Response Audio

Summary:
A noticable difference and for the better at that! If you have your average $30-$0 cables, this is about the best affordable upgrade you can ask for. I upgraded to these cables from the Audio Quest cables I had laying around from a CD player purchase some time ago. The difference was instantly noticable. Here is my set up and what I noticed. Hope it helps with your decision. Okay, I have a Rotel 1055 AV receiver and a Rotel 1077 CD player with B&W CM2s and a B&W ASW0675 subwoofer (I have other speakers for the 5.1 system, but let's just concentrate on music for now). I like the sound of my system for music, but occasionally would notice some harshness on highs - especially violin or horns (I listen to a fair amount of Bach and jazz of all sorts) and banjo ( I also listen to some bluegrass). I thought some of this harshness was just part of my system, but the Emberglows completely smoothed it out for me. Really - it was quite noticable and passed the ultimate test - the wife noticed it to. However, for what the Emberglows give me, the Foxfires do even more and I am going with those as the interconnects between my CD player and receiver. However, there is quite a price difference with the Foxfires (about $190 vs $85), but I really can't say enough good things about the Foxfire for my particular system and needs. However, the Emberglows are staying and I am actually using them as the interconnect between my Comcast Cable box and my AV receiver. Non-digital channels do not come through on the optical out of my cable box, so these cables are doing heavy duty on most of my TV watching. I really do notice an overall improvement in TV sound with the Emberglows! I'm a big hockey fan, so here goes a somewhat sarcastic audiophile-esque impression of my review of the Emberglows in their new role: Red Wings vs Wild with the new Emberglows was a wholy satisfying experience, despite the 1-1 tie and stifling trap defense of the talentless Wild. The hiss of Yzerman's skates as he pulled up after crossing the blue line gave a far more distinct velvety tone with a more natural decay and echo than I have ever heard outside of the Joe Louis arena. As Chris Chelios checked an unsuspecting Wild forward headlong into the boards, I was just as surprised myself by the tight yet warm bass response with full detail on the fading boomy echo of the spacious auditorium. Crowd noises were distinct and discernable with a warm and natural midrange response, especially in booing a bad call. During fights, crowd noises did not become muddled and individual curses and hoots came through with amazing clarity. Referee whistles were clear and bright, yet absent of any harshness. Stick sounds were clear and bright with a touch of woodiness in Brett Hull's more traditional stick, though more ringy and bell like with other players who used titanium shaft sticks. Passes throughout the rink clearly represented the rink space through a more expansive and articulate sound stage. Though it was not heard often in this game, the goal horn was perhaps the most impressive demonstration of the Emberglows as they faithfully recreated the complex harmonics and dissonance of the horn whilst allowing the teams congratulatory hoots to pass clearly through.

Strengths:
Great great cable for the money. Will enhance and smooth out your sound. I honestly thought interconnect hoopla was hogwash until I heard these cables and some costing much more. For the price (everyone says this I know), you can't do better and it inexpensive enough for anyone to treat themselves to a fun and worthy upgrade to your system.

Weaknesses:
Zilch.

Similar Products Used:
Clarity Foxfire, AudioQuest.

Price Paid:  $140.00 from OZ Enterprises

Summary:
Fantastic! This interconnect sounds MUCH better than anything interconnect I've heard in the 0-$200CND price range. I'm not kidding. The sound clarity, the speed of the bass, the crispness of the highs and the soundstaging were all emphasized when I plugged them into my system. This is a worthy upgrade for any decent stereo system. Check the full Clarity Labs line of products at http://www.ozenterprises.net

Strengths:
Warm, crisp and smooth sound.

Weaknesses:
None for this price.

Similar Products Used:
QED Qunex 1, 2, 4S, Silver Spiral AudioQuest Copperhead, Diamondback JPSLabs Ultraconductor Ultralink Audiophile XLO (don't remember the model)

Price Paid:  $0.00 from response audio

Summary:
these are great cables for the money. if there is a point of diminishing returns this is it already at under $100. the first time i plugged them in i noticed a considerable increase in bass tightness and detail. the mids are laid back but detailed, highs are airy and smooooooth. i would suggest these to anybody, i am an audio enthusiast even though i appreciate high quality equipment, however i can tell you from listening to many systems from $1000 to $50,000 that there is a lot more usable technology in the starter hi-fi. hey, we live in a day in age where sometimes you pay more and get less. this is not the case with these. if you have the dough for a boulder or meridian amp dont assume you have to spend $4000 on a pair of interconnects!! way more musical than audio magic, audio quest, synergistic rearch, kimber. best of all they dont promise to be a end all cable and Bill at Response audio was really good to work with. system: anthem pva-2 anthem tlp-1 music hall cd-25 paradigm 9 audio magic x-stream 9 ga. clarity audio emberglow

Strengths:
really well controlled bass, airy highs,clear and musical

Weaknesses:
mids a little cloudy,but only had these for a week.

Similar Products Used:
kimber,audio magic,monster,audioquest, synergistic research, ect.

Price Paid:  $90.00 from OZ Enterprises

Summary:
After hearing this cable at a friends, I decided to get a pair for myself, having found that it easily sounded as good or better than anything in its price range. When I plugged it into my own system, my jaw dropped and the hairs on my arms stood up. I could not believe how great a difference they made. The name says it all in itself, crystal clear and warm like the glow of an ember. I had borrowed a QED Qunex 4, which is about 50% more expensive, before getting my Emberglow and I thought the Emberglow was much better. If you're not looking to spend alot on cables but want something that will make a worthwhile difference, this is the cable that should be at the top of your list.

Strengths:
Warm, clear sound that is just so pleasant to listen to.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
QED Ultralink JPS Labs Audioquest XLO