character of a high end cable, smooth, detailed, excellent decay presentation of musical instruments, good bass support, silky highs

system dependent, long burn in time

I've been reading the post here for quite sometime and I about 4 months ago, I decided to give it a try. It took me 4 months to write about this product because I wanted to be fair and not just to conclusions right away. Guess what, after hundred hours of burn in, the cable finally paid off! And the best part of it, my friends & I concluded that this cable really did improve my system which was a Plinius driving a Dynaudio Contour 1.1.

I can also comment that this cable has worked wonders with: Sonus Faber, Merlin TSM-SE, EPOS and the Vienna Acoustics (confirme thru a friend). Unfort. it didn't work well with metal tweeter speaker like the JM Labs.

The improvement wrought about are really discernable & are mentioned above. SInce I'm an audio store in Philippines, I decided to apply for dealership since I was impress! Great product!

Similar Products Used:

MIT, Van Den Hul, XLO

Build Quality, Flexibility, Neutrality & Detail

T1 Spades are wonderful but huge

This is my first upgrade from an entry-level speaker cable. I was using Audioquest Type 4 which I think is a good value in it's price range. I obtained my cables from Delve Audio (www.Delveaudio.com). I was planning on buying silver cables, but after discussing my system set up, I went with the Analysis-Plus Oval Nine cables that Oliver recommended. I appreciate the advice because I could have spent a lot more money without really getting the results that I wanted. That said, the cables are wonderful. Open, detailed and neutral. I pulled a number of CDs from my collection and was pleased to hear details and notes emerging from music that I had not previously heard. The timber and texture of the music seems completely natural and correct.

One of the recent additions to my system is an SCE Harmonic Recovery System. I've been pleased with the gain in low-level detail and microdynamics. Now there is so much information coming through the new cables that I feel I am experiencing the full potential of the HRS unit for the first time. Soundstaging and imaging are improved and the amount of detail present, even at lower listening levels, is a revelation.

After reading about the T1 spade connectors and looking at the back of my HK receiver, I figured I would have to make some modifications to have them fit and I was right. I wanted to upgrade speaker cables before a new amplifier, so I was determined to make them fit on my present receiver. No complaints from me. The T1 spades design is well engineered and executed and I couldn't be happier with the results of this upgrade. Materials and build quality are first rate. I move my speakers into position when I want to listen to music and the flexibility of these cables makes it easy.


I feel the Analysis Oval 9 is a stellar performer for a modest price. Build quality is exemplary. Five stars for value and for overall performance.

System:

EAD CD-1000 CD Player
Harmon Kardon 3500 Receiver
SCE Harmonic Recovery System
Shahinian Obelisk Speakers
Kimber PBJ and Audioquest Topaz interconnects
Target Stands
Monster HTS-2000 Power conditioner

Similar Products Used:

None

Quality and value

None

The Oval 9 is a fantastic product! These sturdy speaker cables simply do their job efficiently, transferring the signal from the amp to the speakers. Neutral is the best way I can describe them. They just let the music come through. It's hard to describe, but the music just sounds more natural, lifelike, and involving since these went in my system. Details that were only hinted at previously, are coming through with improved clarity. Bass and treble extension also seems to be improved. I had been using a bi-wire double run of the Tara RCS 500 previously, and the single run of Oval 9 I have now, clearly out-performs it. The Master Gen2 and the Air2 also worked great in my system, but overall, I prefered the Oval 9.

What you get with the Oval 9 is a well engineered, well made product, with no tweaky network boxes or gadgetry. Regardless of how good your system is, you should give the Oval 9 a try before spending hundreds more on other "high end" cable. You might find that it's all the cable your likely to need.

I would also like to recommend www.delveaudio.com as a source for the Oval 9's. Oliver is commited to customer satisfaction, and will take good care of you. A real class act!

My System:

Arcam FMJ CD23
Bryston B60 integrated
B&W CDM 7SE loudspeakers
Luminous Audio Synchestra Signature interconnects
AP Oval 9 speaker cable
Target equipment rack
Room treatment by Michael Green
(Amp and speakers soon to be upgraded)

Similar Products Used:

Monster M2.4, several Tara Labs cables including Master G2, RSC Prime 500, and Air2, Transparent Music Link.

Tremendous detail; bass detail and control

None

I have upgraded cables over the past several years, starting with AudioQuest and going to Blue Heaven. The Blue Heaven was very fine, with excellent midrange and treble, tremendous detail, excellent in rendering timber.
I upgraded to Analysis Plus when I purchased a pair of Soliloquy 5.3 speakers. These speakers were lovely, and the makers had said that they had been tuned during development using Analysis Plus cable. This seemed a match made in heaven, so I tried the Analysis Plus.

I A/B'd the Nordost and Analysis Plus on the new speakers. I found the AP cables matched the Blue Heaven in midrange and treble perfection, and revealed bass detail and weight to a far greater extent. Male voice was especially rendered with greater richness and detail. Whole sound picture became fuller and closer to reality. Very, very pleased with the overall result.

These cables are also very flexible, which is very important to me as I move my speakers around a lot. The large heavy spade connectors are excellent and fit the Pass Aleph 3 and the Soliloquys quite well. Added benefit: the spades can be connected to the wire at a right angle, excellent for getting connected in the limited Aleph 3 space.

System:
EAD ultradisk 2000
Conrad-Johnson PFR
Pass Aleph 3
Soliloquy 5.3 speakers
Analysis Plus Oval-9 bi-wire

Similar Products Used:

AudioQuest F16, Wireworld Atlantis II, Nordost Blue Heaven I

Quality of Construction and overall build

Price

Normally, I don't do fancy cables. The manufacturer of my electronics doesn't recommend exotic cables and says that the gear is not load sensitive (for all practical,audible, purposes). I was content using the Kimber 4PR until there was nothing left in my system to upgrade and I decided to give this Analysis Plus a try; they looked a little different and everyone is talking about it.

I can't say that they really did anything. I don't mean to be a heretic and believe me I would have liked for them to win but nothing really changed in the sound, even after a seven day break-in, nearly continuous. I did some A/B ing after a week and really couldn't tell who was who. At best, they had slightly better control in the bass, and I mean slight. However, that could have been a matter of resistance alone, easily and more affordably cured by double a run of 4PR. I can't think of anything else in my system that would have not let me hear the difference. Like maybe the fact that my listening position is on the rear wall of the room, however even moving forward didn't change anything. The room is only 15'l by 11.5'w by 8'h and a dedicated listening room. I do have it acoustically treated with four 16" diameter by 3' high bass traps and four 2.5'w by 4'h by 6"thick fiberglass panels at the first reflection points and behind each speaker. There is also a fifth fiberglass panel dead center the stereo wall 4'h by 1.5'w by 12 inches thick. All spaced from the wall 8" to increase efficiency. The only conclusion I can come too is that the cable should not make a difference in the sound, for better or worse, and if it is then the electronics could be better. I know alot of people are going to shoot me for that one and I'm going to get hate emails. Now if its just a $500 integrated amp then ya, no one is expecting the world and the Analysis Plus may make a difference on that amplifier. But for $300 dollars I would go for an $800 integrated and a run of 4PR. Anyway, I'll send my specimen back and maybe buy a new CD transport or something.
I just can't say that the electrical characteristics of the cable, while real, are significant enough to make a difference. I mean, how many loudspeakers out there can reproduce a perfect square-wave, much less 8 foot of cable's ability to making a significant difference (Okay, a few electrostat owners exempt). And while resistance will affect our damping factor, and even to the point where its audible on some amps, it can be cured for less than $300 cables. Anyway, I may try the cables again another day. When I've had more time too look around.

System:

Yamaha CD-33 cd player (transport through Coaxial)
Audio by Van Alstine Fet/Valve 350hc power amplifier
Audio by Van Alstine Fet/Valve SL preamplifier
Audio by Van Alstine Fet/Valve DAC
Biro Technologies L/1 loudspeakers
Soundstyle 3-shelf Audio rack (welded, sand-filled)
Soundstyle speaker stands (Steel, Sand-filled)
Kimber 4PR

And another thing, my run of 4PR is 13 feet with unterminated ends. The Analysis Plus Oval 9 runs were 8 foot with terminated ends.

Similar Products Used:

Kimber, Synergistic Research and Monster

Neutrality, easy to work with, great spades

for the price none

This review Is on a 8' shotgun bi-wire pair of Oval 9s. I purchased theese partly on a recommendiation from Ian White of Soundstage, who thought they would be a good match for my speakers. All the good stuff has been said, I cannot add much except to say Ian was correct. Theese cables will embarass many of the megabuck cables, they are that good.
My system has never sounded better. Better can be had for a lot more green, a lot more.
My present system:

Gershman Avant Garde RX-20
Bag End Infra
Muse 160 amp
Muse 3 pre.
Cal CL-10
Oval 9s
Pure Silver Sound Int.
JPS Power AC and GPAs
PS Audio Powerplant 300

Similar Products Used:

JPS, Cardas, MIT, Audio magic, they are really not similar, just cost more.

Great Sound
Easy to work with

None compaired to other speaker cables I have tried

In the past few years I have bought several speaker cables and returned them within the trial period because they were either no better or a bit worse than my current set of cables that I ran shotgun bi-wire.

I purchased a pair of Oval 9's yesterday and I am happy to have found some cables that I won't be returning. This is the first set of cables I have tried that have been a clear improvement over my current set-up. The most noticable improvement is in the high frequency. Highs are smooth and clear. Good recordings sound really nice. Music that I would normally just listen to had me foot-tapping and head-swaying. Soundstage depth also became larger front to back and piano sounds really good. Everything sounds cleaner.

Mid bass became more focused as well. Deep bass did not seem to be improved upon, but I also went from a shotgun biwire run to a single non-biwire run of the Oval 9. The cables were new out of the box, so if they indeed need a break in as others have said, then I should be in for a real treat.

I just have to decide now if I should buy a pair of Oval 12's to run shotgun to the tweeters.

I am giving five stars for overall rating because these sound better than any other cable I have tried. (I have not tried any kilobuck cable, and I don't plan on it based on my fairly loose principals). Value rating compaired to other cables that I have tried is off the charts.

Equipment:
Audible Illusions Modulus 3A tube pre-amp.
Bryston 4B ST power amp.
California Audio Labs Icon Mark II Power Boss cd player.
Paradigm Reference 100 loud speakers.
Silver Audio Silver Bullet 4.0 and other various interconnects.

Similar Products Used:

Transparent Audio, Nordost Blue Heaven Rev 2, Audio Quest and others.

Good bass, good detail

poor imaging

The folks at Audio Advisor have been very patient with me. I tried the 12 gauge. It is too "thin" for me. The imaging was too flat and the detail seemed foggy. I then tied the Oval 9. It was better but is still kind of lacking. The bass was better and the detail cleared up. But the imaging was still kind of "Flat".


Anthem CD 1
Anthem Integrated 2
ProAc Studio 125
Quadlink 5C speaker cable

Similar Products Used:

Oval 12, Cardas

everything postive mention from other reviewers

none

Nothing to add to what has already been said. These are the best cables I have auditioned and owned!!! Also try the interconnects, absolutely incredible!!!! Just want to add one thing.


THESE CABLES REQUIRE A VERY LONG BURN-IN TIME. ONCE BROKE-IN THEY ARE THE BEST THAT I HAVE HEARD TO DATE and compete with much more expense cables costing over $1000. PLEASE ALLOW THESE CABLES TO BREAK-IN BEFORE POSTING NEGATIVE COMMENTS!!! YOU ARE DOING YOURSELF AND OTHERS AN INJUSTICE BY NOT ALLOWING PROPER BURN-IN. THESE CABLES CHANGE INCREDIBLY AROUND 70 TO 150 HOURS OF BURN-IN AND ONLY GET BETTER UPTO 200-250 HOURS. IF YOU WILL ALLOW FOR PROPER BURN-IN YOU WILL BE GREATLY REWARDED ESPECIALLY FOR THE PRICE PAID.
CHECK: WWW.ANALYSIS-PLUS.COM FOR PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS.

Similar Products Used:

tara rsc and cables costing over $2000

Strong bass; detail; basically honest cable

Am I the only poster who found these to be less than perfect cables?? Almost, it appears.
I'm a little surprised by the large number of favorable reviews. A lot of them seem to be saying almost the same thing as if they were written by the same person. Well maybe not, but a healthy dissent is good for balance.
I've always been a bit of a speaker cable skeptic, first because I never found any that I liked as much as what I've got; 2nd because I haven't dared to try some of the expensive stuff out there which may very well BE better than what I've got but ... too expensive. ***
Certainly the Ovals are good value, no debate about that. They are a heavy cable, a lot copper. In comparison to my Straightwire Rhapsodies, which are a very much older copper braided cable (which I snagged used for $100), I found a few shortcomings. The Oval 9s were forward sounding, giving less soundstage depth in my system. On some CDs massed trumpets were neither blatty nor round but pinched and a little harsh. On Stan Getz' "Big Band Bossanova" (Verve), the sound of his sax should be mellow and decadent and breathy, but it sounded sqwauky and thin; the various Latin percussion in the background did not sound quite so relaxed and reverberant and stage-rear as with the StraightWires. For bass, it's good through the Ovals probably because they are so thick gauge, therefore less resistant. ***
The problems I mentioned might be burn-in issues. I'm tired of spending time burning in copper cables, I wish the manufacturers would just do it at the factory... for what they bill you it's the least one could expect. All I know is that they "didn't sound as good" as my wires.

Similar Products Used:

Straighwire Rhapsody, Transparent Super, AQ Sterling