One thing I have noted is that the differences between my two Pioneer Elite blu-ray players, the 09FD (Wolfson DAC) and 88FD (ESS Sabre DAC), are more apparent with the new setup. Before, the only thing that caught my ear was the 09 being more solid and weighty on the bottom; that was with Kimber 12TC and Venom HCs in place. Now, with Transparent Plus and Venom V10s and using the Santana: Greatest Hits Live at Montreaux blu-ray, the 88 is more open on top and a bit more forward, except for the bottom end; you could say it sounds a bit cleaner, even.

The 09, for its part, is noticeably more impactful and weighty on the bottom, and the difference is less subtle than before. The sound seems more laid-back overall, not quite as forward by comparison, though everything's still there. But Cindy Blackman's drum solo on the 09 was noticeably more powerful than on the 88; Benny Rietveld's bass solo sounded about the same in terms of articulation on both players, but with a bit more bottom, again, on the 09. I can't be 100% certain, but I attribute most of these differences to the Venom V10s.

Another episode occurred yesterday, as I put on one of my "demo" CDs, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performing an Aaron Copland program. What stood out was the audible increase in decay at the end of notes, and some low-level detail in spots which I don't remember hearing before.

Again, though I'm attributing this to the Venom v10s, I can't be sure the Transparent speaker cable isn't contributing. I've been too lazy and busy (yes, the combination) to put my Venom HC cords back into the system in an attempt to determine how much the V10s are contributing to the improvements. But in the store, when comparing the Transparent Plus to my Kimber 12TC, the only thing I noticed was the Plus seemed a bit smoother on top. Unfamiliar equipment in a different room. But based on that, I know that the speaker cables sounded quite similar, so I'm still going to put most of this improvement to the V10s. They appear to be finishing what the Transparent Premiums on my components started.

And I noticed just now, as Eliane Elias' Cross Currents CD plays behind me: the piano sounds more like a piano, more real.

I think it's time to just listen to the music and concern myself with equipment less, or not at all. At least, until I get back to playing LPs again.

Something to keep an eye on . . .

For the second time this month my Furman IT-Reference 15i shut off with no warning. Apparently the power cord sagged enough at the IT-Ref's output to disconnect it. The It Ref is connected to a Furman SPR-20i via one of the SPR's power amp inlets. This configuration has been stable since I got the IT Ref in January of last year. The power cord in question is a Shunyata Venom V10 NR. This one came with a yellow collar designed to enhance the grip. I removed that and the connection seemed a bit more stable when I plugged the V10 back in just now. But we'll see.

I'll also have to be careful when prowling around behind the system that I don't disturb any power cords, especially the stiffer ones such as my Transparent Premiums; I might cause something to come loose.

I'm thinking I'd be getting to the bottom of that situation sooner rather than later. Loose power cords possibly arcing and shutting components down is bad news. Hopefully you get that issue squared away before it causes a much more serious issue.

Yes. In fact, I was behind the system taking out some interconnects and later putting in the new ones to replace them on Saturday. That's probably when the "dislodge" happened. When I went to turn things on Sunday, I didn't notice the IT-Ref wasn't lit up and wondered what was up when my BD player didn't come on. Quick troubleshooting revealed the problem.

The moral may be that if I go behind the system to do anything, check the PC connections when I'm done, especially for the IT-Ref. Maybe better PC management would help, too.

I recently bought a Viborg MBU1501 power cable for my amplifier and I am very happy with the sound and build quality.

I never heard of them. But there are plenty of companies out there I'm not aware of; run across new ones every day. In what way(s) did your sound improve?