(2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Analog interconnects and speaker cables, digital interconnects, and power cords reviewed on the SoundStage! Network in 2009. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and are accurate at the time of the review.
The entries are shown alphabetically by company name.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Prices: $1250 per 1m pair with XLR connectors, $797 per 1m pair with RCA connectors (interconnects), $1554 per 8’ pair (speaker cables)
Website: www.audience-av.com
Vade said: Don’t rush out and buy Audience Au24 e interconnects and speaker cables based on this review. But if my review makes them sound appealing, you really ought to audition them in your system. You may be surprised at how much improvement they make. I was.
The gist: Don’t think cables make a difference? Listen to these.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Price:$239 per 1m pair
Website: www.audioartcable.com
Sid said: In these tough economic times, the IC-3SE’s reasonable price and stellar performance make it very easy to recommend.
The gist: He loved ’em for the price.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Price: $780 per 1m pair
Website: www.crystalcable.com
Colin said: The Bridge will very likely get you more from your existing cables, and will also likely serve as an excellent supercharger for those who already own Crystal Cable interconnects.
The gist: Whatever it is, it works.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Prices: Dreamline speaker ($18,750 per 3m pair), Dreamline digital ($10,250 per 4m cable)
Website: www.crystalcable.com
Jeff said: The Crystal Cable operation includes significant investment in R&D as well as advanced manufacturing techniques. The alloys of silver and gold that Crystal Cable uses in their Dreamline series are proprietary to them, and their technical explanations of why they use those materials in the forms they’ve chosen appear solid.
Read Ultra Audio’s TWBAS 2009: The Arrival and The Event.
The gist: No need to hide your cables any longer.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Price: $49.95 per 1m pair
Website: www.silversonic.com
Jarrett said: They’ve created in the Silver Sonic White Lightning, at $49.95/1m pair, an incredibly cost-effective interconnect that gives the developing audiophile on a modest budget a great upgrade from generic interconnects, and that will result in a greatly improved listening experience.
The gist: Do you need to spend more on interconnects?
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Prices: $7500 per 1m pair (Aeros Aurora-IC), $15,000 per 8’ pair (Aurora-SP)
Website: www.shunyata.com
Marc said: There is nothing these cables can’t do and nothing they do too extreme, providing a clear, resolved, and unforced view of the electronics, speakers, and music, one that doesn’t reach a tipping point or seemingly miss a sonic step.
The gist: The Quiet Company makes some noise.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Prices: $3600 per 1m pair (Tesla Apex interconnects), $2600 per 1m pair (Precision Reference interconnects), $6500 per 8’ pair (Tesla Apex speaker cables)
Website: www.synergisticresearch.com
Norm said: While no technology can ever be said to be fully perfected, the various Tesla Apex and Precision Reference cables I used are proof that Synergistic Research has taken what was, by all accounts, a very good set of products and propelled them into a whole new league.
Read the SoundStage! review.
Read the SoundStage! follow-up review.
Read the Ultra Audio review.
The gist: Three reviews, one conclusion: these cables rock.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Price: $550 per 1m cable
Website: www.synergisticresearch.com
Colin said: It’s not often that I hear audio cables that offer actual improvements in the sound. But from the moment I first heard it, I knew that Synergistic Research’s Tesla Tricon USB was the real deal, and an absolute must-have for those who’ve moved to a computer-based digital audio source -- without it, you’re hearing only a small fraction of your system’s performance capability.
The gist: OK, so they do make a difference.