Price Paid:  $129.00

Summary:
Before I bought the LA T International DI-20 MK II I read the reviews posted before this one. They sounded impressive to say the least. But I had pretty much had my heart set on a NBS cable since they have a reputation for top notch (although expensive) cables. If the LAT was supposed to be so good, I was going to put it up against an NBS. My budget was $1000.00 max; exactly the price for the NBS Monitor II, assuming no discount. My local NBS dealer loaned me one. He said while your at it try out the NBS Monitor O. I said forget about it I’m not paying $3000.00 for any cable. I took it anyway just to see what a $3000.00 digital interconnect sounds like. The Monitor II was a good cable; good sound stage presentation, good harmonic balance and focus. The Monitor O was decidedly better in all of the same respects. Definitely an excellent cable. But, guess what. Not only did the LAT better the Monitor II, but, it stood right up to the Monitor 0; unbelievable! They are both superior cables and are so similar in their presentations that my following comments apply to both of them. 1) Open, detailed, natural and dynamic are good descriptions of them. They add so many layers to the soundstage in terms of depth, detail and correctness. 2) Imaging is extraordinary. Complete coherence with image size remaining constant even through extreme swings of dynamics. The image was naturally defined with excellent air around the instruments within the soundstage. 3) Inner detail, when oh so subtle, was beautifully and completely extracted. This detail was presented with absolutely no aggressiveness, but rather with a definite "easiness" and “effortlessness.” 4) They are extremely neutral in their presentation with no emphasis in any frequency range. 5) There is warmth and body to the music without any coloration. These are with no doubts and no caveats, superb cables. While I would not rate the LAT above the NBS; I rate them even in performance, but, I got $3000.00 performance for $129.00!

Strengths:
Effortless and accurate presentation

Weaknesses:
Not a one

Similar Products Used:
NBS Monitor II and NBS Monitor O

Price Paid:  $130.00

Summary:
My friend has the LAT International Mark II, which he recently bought. He is absolutely ecstatic over it. He says he says it cleans out all traces of digital grunge, plus does other great things (or rather does nothing; lets the sound come through untouched with no impedance, no coloration). I have for some time suspected I might have a touch of grunge coming through my digital source components. My digital cable was the XLO Limited Edition. The XLO list price is $1100.00. I got it for $975.00. On my friends advice I decided to give the LA T a try. I got one on loan from LAT. (they charge your credit card, but if you don’t like their product, you return it within 45 days and they give you your full money back). I also thought I would test out a couple more while I was at it. I got the JPS Labs Superconductor #2 and the Kimber Illuminations Orchid from a dealer on loan. I had heard for quite some time that the Kimber Orchid was hands down the best digital cable. Well after listening to the LAT, I will tell you it is not. The LAT betters it in speed and musicality big time. It has a smoothness and low-level resolution that the other two lack to a very noticeable degree. Does it clean out digital grunge as my friend told me? Big time again! My suspicion was correct. The XLO was inserting, or not getting rid of, obvious digital grunge. I don’t know how I was able to listen to the XLO for all the time I have had it. The LAT also beats out the JPS and the Orchid in sound stage width and depth – like being in row 12 at a concert. Transparency, openness and tonal balance are other virtues where LAT excels and by a wide margin. Now, the XLO has got to go. I suppose I can sell it on the Internet, if not too many people read this review. And how about the price differences compared to the LAT ?!! XLO list price $1100. I believe the JPS list price is around $700.00, and the Kimber Orchid about $550.00.

Strengths:
Gets rid of digital grunge and hash. Smooth and transparent

Weaknesses:
Makes you cry (if you spent lot of money on an inferior one and now you’re stuck with it)

Similar Products Used:
JPS Labs Superconductor - Kimber Illuminations Orchid – XLO Limited Edition

Price Paid:  $99.00 from Lat International

Summary:
to make it short, this cable is superb, i was using the dh labs digital cable, but after going to the lat website and reading their "cable hype" section, i decided to try them, needless to say, i returned the dh labs. i would gladly do a comparison between the di-20 mk 2 and anything else out there.

Strengths:
very open, very detailed, especially on dts cd's

Weaknesses:
not enough distributors

Similar Products Used:
kimber, monster, tributaries, dh labs, etc.

Price Paid:  $99.00 from Dealer

Summary:
The first thing that suddenly hits you after burn-in, is that some thing in the music is missing. But no,…... shortly thereafter I realized that nothing in the music is missing. It was the grunge and digital hash that I had gotten used to that was missing. There was now a clarity and transparency that made vocals seem like the vocalist was right there in the room. If you turn out the lights and listen in the dark, it’s almost scary real! The Mark II is no slouch with instrumentals either. The resolution of detail brought out instrumental sounds I had never heard before on familiar CDs. When you combine the great voice and instrumental performance it gives in a CD like Beethoven’s ninth by Telarc, it is pure thrill to me. I have good ears, and so does my wife, although she is not much of an audiophile. At one point she came into the room and asked if these were the same CDs she had always heard me play. “I like them better now”. Also, the quality of construction is first class. They use their own special wire material they call silverfuse. I am not an engineer, I don’t understand the technical make-up of Silverfuse. If you want know what silverfuse is, go to their web site- they explain it, latinternational.com, but whatever it is it sure sounds great to me. The LAT cable replaced my $500.00 Nordost Silver Shadow – forever!

Strengths:
Great quality for low cost. Very transparent, like there is no cable there

Weaknesses:
None I could find

Similar Products Used:
Audioquest and Nordost Silver Shadow