|
Review 3 of 3
Price Paid:
$209.00
from Homegrown Audio Co. Summary:
Above price and review is for used cable with LOK RCA terminal upgrade.
My first foray into high end interconnect cables was the purchase of the Harmonic Technology Truth-Link cable. The Truth-Link, however, proved to be anything but "high" end. The sound was extremely dull and 4 weeks of burn-in turned out to be quite fruitless as the cable was getting duller with time.
With my dismal experience with copper cables, I wanted to try a much livelier cable and heard that silver cables can deliver in this aspect. Will I can honestly say that the Homegrown Audio Silver Lace definitely does deliver in this area. Unfortunately, it was a bit too much of a good thing. The sound was extremely detailed in the high frequencies, but was a bit too bright for me. What stood out the most, however, was the very forward presentation of the upper mid frequencies. The prominence of this frequency range overpowered the, otherwise, very good reproduction of the other frequency ranges. The bass was very tight and reasonably full. Unfortunately, the strong forward presentation of the upper mid range became too much to bear. Listening through the cables was exciting to begin with but was very fatiguing to listen to in the long run. It was as if I was sitting in the front row of a nightclub, about a few feet from the band. This might be thrilling for the first few songs, but can be quite tiring in the long haul.
I feel that this cable would be a good choice, if matched with the right system. If one has a laid back system, this cable could possibly put some added "spice" into the system, especially in the upper frequency range.
Minor complaints include the following:
- extremely difficult to use locking RCA terminals
- cable a bit stiff
- Rhodium plating, on the center contact pin, seems to come off quite easily.
It should be noted that the above minor complaints may not be realized in a new, unused cable.
Due to the potential of silver cables for great detailed sound, I ended up buying another silver cable; the Silver Audio Silver Bullets 4.0. This cable turned out to be an audiophile's dream - very neutral, highly detailed sound and outstanding bass. The locking RCA terminals are the smoothest that I've tried and, as an added bonus, the cable is extremely flexible as well.
At times, I miss the Silver Lace's bold, upfront presentation, but in the long haul, I feel that the Silver Bullets 4.0 is, musically, a more listenable cable. Strengths:
- Great detail in the high frequencies.
- Tight and reasonably full bass.
- Does not sound like the Harmonic Tech Truth-Link cable at all, which is a huge plus in my books.
Good cable for a laid back system. If your system needs a bit of oomph, I would highly recommend this cable as the risks are quite low. Unlike its competitor, Harmonic Technology, Homegrown Audio is a very decent and honest company to deal with. Tech advice is plentiful and returns are honoured without question. Weaknesses:
- marginally bright in the high frequencies
- forward presentation in the upper midrange making it fatiguing to listen to in the long run.
- a bit stiff
- quality of locking RCA terminals? Similar Products Used:
Ultralink Discovery, Harmonic Technology Truth-Link and Silver Audio Silver Bullets 4.0
| 
Other Ways to Shop
5 of 5
3 of 5
