Transparent Audio Cable
 

Call me crazy, but with all the recent posts being made about Transparent, I thought it just made sense that Transparent should have it's own thread. At least now all the information being dispensed would be centralized and easy to find.

Fellow AA comrades,

I ordered a set of Transparent Reference Balanced IC MM1s about a week ago, which came in two nights ago, courtesy of Larry Marcus of Paragon Sight & Sound. He also included set of Transparent Audio Music Wave Ultra spkr cable to demo along with the Reference ICs. In a word, wow! Didn't realize how much information I was missing out on. What good is reference quality gear if you never get to hear what it can do? I am a believer. These cables have literally transformed my system. It is so much more revealing, and resolving. The details are there where they weren't before. I had Analysis Plus Silver Ovals all around, which have served me well. But now, I'm effectively immersed in sound to a degree that I've never experienced before. I really can't believe it. It's revelatory. I'm being exposed to a complete experience; not just angelic highs, or seductive mids, or furniture moving bass. All of it is present in its proper relationships to the others. It's like being wrapped up in a warm blanket with just a slight chill in the air. It's emotional. The emotional connection - :tears: - that I'd been hunting for throughout my audio journey has finally been realized :D. I just can't stop listening. There's no going back now.

For a very long time, I'd been avoiding Transparent for a myriad of the popular reasons. But I can say that one of the major reasons for this new consideration was a candid conversation that I had with Peter McGrath, while he was here in NY. He simply said, give them a try. And boy, was he spot on. Thanks Peter.

I'm lookin' to up the ante by finding a set of Transparent Audio Reference MM1 spkr cables, and then upgrade them all to MM2 first chance I get. Toga is also encouraging me to replace all my current power cords with Transparent power cords. I can't wait to have the full suite of Transparent Audio cables. :thumbsup:

Has anyone else had similar experiences with Transparent?

You're crazy! Just messing' with you since you said call me crazy. I'm glad you found that sound you've been searching for, hi-end cables matched right with hi-end gear can really take your system to a whole new level. BIG congratulations!

You got me :roflmao:. Thanks for such kind words. I'm really without words to describe what I'm hearing these days. Once the cables were in, and I turn the system on, my mouth hit the floor :eek2:. Transparent is worthy - :bowdown: - of consideration for anyone attempting to get closer to the music.

Wow. Just checked out their site... I need to win the lottery for some of those Opus cables.

To be honest, I have yet to try any high end interconnects. Is it really worth it?

ABSOLUTELY!! I'm not a rich man, by any stretch of the imagination. I very seldom buy new. Why? Because most of the stuff I want is cost prohibitive. Not to mention, there are some excellent values on the used market. Had I not tried Transparent, I would not have believed my system could sound THIS good. What cables are you using now? What does your system consist of?

I've been using Transparent Super speaker cables and a mix of Transparent Super XLR interconnects as well as WireWorld Silver Eclipse and Gold Eclipse XLR's depending on length. I think they all do a great job, but I not sure which IC's I like better, yet. I do think there might be an undeniable synergy going on with the all Transparent loom even though it's not near the top of the line from Transparent Audio. I'd like to save up for some Platinum Eclipse IC's but that might take a while. :cry:

I am a big fan of what Transparent can do for your system. I am especially happy with the newer Powerlink MM2x power cords. Expensive, but worth the upgrade on my amps.

Jim

Hey Jim,

Can you tell me more about the sonic impact that the Powerlink MM2x made? Did u upgrade from another Transparent power cord? If so, which one, and how much of a difference did it make?

Yes, I upgraded from the Reference Powerlink on my amps. I am still using Reference level on all my other gear except for the amps. I think the MM2x's are much better than the MM2's. Clearer and better bass.

Jim

I have used Transparent cable, power cords and line conditioning products as a reference for many years now. They are without a doubt the very best of anything I have tried and I have tried most for extended amounts of time. I have mixes of other cables around to make sure my products synergize with other cable brands but I always go back to the Transparent as my reference. They should have a thread indeed...

Really? I feel like the kid on Christmas eve. I can't wait to get back home to my system when I'm out, and I can't wait to turn my whole system over to Transparent.

Thanks for the feedback. If you really think Transparent needs its own thread, pls PM Masterlu (Ivan) to say so. I sent my request yesterday. Perhaps if we get enough who ask, he'll grant it.

Hey Bretdago,

Have you any experience with Shunyata power cords? What power cords have you tried? Can you detail the differences you've between what you've used and Transparent for me, pls? I hope to be adding some TA power cords some time real soon.

I have heard the Shunyata power cords and associated speaker and interconnect cable with my amplifiers at a store and I thought they were very good. I cannot directly compare the two as the systems excluding amplifiers were completely different. I have had power cords from several of the top tier companies; I think listing them in direct comparison would be in poor taste as they all were respectively good in their own way. I want to point out that cable synergy is very important. If you are using all Shunyata interconnect and speaker cable then I believe you should use their power cords. Companies typically only voice their products together and not with another companies products. For the record I have listened to systems from MIT. Kimber, Cardas, Nordost, Straitwire, and ZenSati. The synergy when used together is very clear, and believe it or not they are all very very different in their presentation. It would be kind of cool for a reviewer perhaps to round up systems from let’s say 10 different cable manufacturers, in a controlled system with controlled software, play each system for a week and make a chart of maybe 10 different criterion stating the strengths and weaknesses from each particular company. I think then as a consumer we could ascertain from the chart what the flavor of each system is and whether it would integrate well with our own?

Thanks for the input. I concur with your assessment, and appreciate your input.

Another Transparent devotee here. I started with Plus, then Super, and now I'm at Ultra MM2 level with respect to interconnects and speaker cables. I have Reference Powerlink - RPL - with the latest mm2x power technology throughout my system (I'm scared to listen to the top of heap Reference MM2 power cable that my dealer tries to get me to take home - cost 2x RPL). Reference digital aes/ebu rounds out my addiction. Kudos to you for jumping in at Reference level. :thumbsup: Everytime I jumped up to a new level, my system revealed the improvements. I look forward to joining you with Reference IC and speaker cables someday. Transparent rocks.

Hi j3brow,

I'm a little late to the party in actuality. I've discovered that there are basically two camps when it comes to Transparent: those that hate them, and those that love them. For many years I was influenced by the former. I'm sad to say I never even gave them a chance. But most recently, my audio fairy godfather (Larry Marcus of Paragon Sight & Sound), and Peter McGrath both strongly compelled me to simply try them. And I'm glad I did. I have never had such an emotional connection :tears: to the music in my system as I did once I added the Transparent cabling. I went in being predisposed to hate them. But man, I was completely unprepared for what happened. I love these cables, and can't wait to upgrade them all to Reference XL MM2. Can you tell me more about the your experience with their power cords? Those are on the wish list, too.

thesaint519,

Congrats on the new cables. What SCs and Ics were you running before your new Transparent?

Thanks,
Bob

Hi Bob,

I was using Analysis Plus Silver Oval ICs and Big Silver Oval spkr cable. Transparent is leagues beyond anything I've owned to include MIT Oracle V2.1 cabling.

I want to upgrade in my speaker and interconnect cables. Currently, I have like Transparent super as speaker cables and transparent musiclink as interconnect. My speakers are Wilson Audio Watt Puppy 8 (front) and Wilson Audio Cub (and surround). I own a Meridian 861v6 as a processor and a McIntosh MC 207 as an amplifier. What cables transparent line would bring greater benefit to me? (I want to upgrade my interconnect cables and my front speaker cables at this moment)

I jumped in at the Reference MM1 level, with the intention to update them to MM2 before upgrading them to XLs. I was told, by people greatly respect, that the Ultra MM2s would be the lowest model on the totem poll I should go for the gear i have. Your gear is similar to mine. Therefore, I'd say the Ultra MM2s is at least where you should start.

Thank you very much, saint. My current financial moment don't allow me to get reference series cables. I could buy only the reference speaker cables with the amount I spent. I chose to improve my interconnect cables together with the speaker cables because I thought would better benefit than just upgrade the speaker cables. Do you think I chose the best solution?

I, too, am always concerned about how much I'm spending. With two small children, a mortgage, etc, I'm ever cognizant of what I can spend. That is why I've become an hunter of sorts. I'm always on the prowl for deals. I purchased used TA reference from Larry Marcus of Paragon Sight & Sound. And I agree with your approach of getting both ICs and spkr cables simultaneously. That is what I like to do. If the used reference cables are still to rich for your wallet, perhaps you can start with used TA Ultra MM1s. Thoughts?

It is difficult to find Transparent used cables here in Brazil. Here, the only way to get Transparent cables is with the local dealers and they charge three or four times more then US dealers. I´ll get my ultra cables in New York next month, but I´m not sure these cables are the best choice for my system. Your last posts made me more excited about this deal. Do you think I must consider other options?

Regards,

Renato

I've tried several of the industry's best audio cable including MIT Oracle V2.1s. Transparent is the only cable that transformed my system. For me, Transparent is the last stop for me. If you're looking to score some used TA Ultras, PM me. I may be able to help.

What would be your choice?

a) ultra rca interconnect (Blu-ray Denon A1UCD > Meridian 861) + ultra xlr interconnect (Meridian 861 > McIntosh MC 207) + ultra speaker cables (McIntosh MC 207 > Wilson Audio WattPuppy 8)
b) reference speaker cables (McIntosh MC 207 > Wilson Audio WattPuppy 8)

These choices will cost the same for me. I chose option a until now. However, I can still change the order until early August. Would you change?

I would choose based on what was most important to me. So if it were me, the reference speaker cable would be first on the list.

I've had a good bit of experience with Transparent cables, both in terms of synergy and 'mixed' levels. I've concluded that their products are best used in synergy. My current cables are Ultra MM2 from source to speaker.

So option A is my choice here. And you can later use the upgrade program for the speaker cables.


Hope this helps.

+1
I agree.

renabot77,


Don't forget about power cords as well. They really open up a system.

Forgive me. I didn't realize that choice A included a complete set of cables. If you have the option to run a complete set of TA cables, I, too, would agree that that is the best approach. And I feel confident that the transformation would prove substantial.

I agree.

Thank you, Steve. It was very helpful. I have transparent cables and they really changed my system. I'm using the upgrade program now to get ultra cables. I hope to get a substantial gain in audio quality with this change
:music:

Thank you for your help
:thumbsup:

I'm more confident now I'm doing the right choice. I will get reference cables one day. Thank you very much for your support. Your help is so welcome.
:thumbsup:

I can't wait to hear what your impressions will be after you've installed the new set of TA cables. Keep in mind, though, that if you cannot upgrade all the cables to reference at once, you'll be in the same position you're in now - except with Ultra MM2s. It's a nice problem to have. :)

I can´t wait either:scratch2:. About "nice problems" I would like to ask you this:
I have three sources for playing music: Meridian Soooloos MC200, Denon Universal Player A1UCD and Meridian 800 DVD player. I'm buying a pair and a half ultra rca musicwave cables to connect my Denon to my Meridian 861v6 (I bought 1 pair and a half cables to im to improve Trifield quality playing sacd). However, a friend of mine insists that I will have better results if I use my ultra cables to connect my MC200 to my v6. I already have ID40 card and use an ethernet cable to connect these two devices. This is considered the best connection possible for all persons I asked. What do you think?

Hi Renabot77,

You've got some world class gear. I've always been a HUGE fan of Meridian. In fact, I used to own some Meridian gear - the 596 DVD/CD player and the 568 Pre/Pro. Not sure why I sold it, now that I think about it. But anyway, it was awesome stuff. In relation to your question, I'm not that familiar with Meridian gear at this point. But I've got three questions:

1. What does Meridian recommend?
2. Why can't you connect both devices to the V6?
3. What do your ears tell you?

About the questions you made:
1. What does Meridian recommend?
Meridian and other friends of Meridian unplugged forum recommend ID40 connection. They say that connection reduces jitter when compared to analogue connection. This is a thing I don't understand well, but I respect and use the connection they recommend.

2. Why can't you connect both devices to the V6?
I can connect both. The question is which connection should I use for each device. I'm introducing great cables to my system and that's why I don't know where I should use them...

3. What do your ears tell you?
When my ultra cables arrive, I will perform many tests. I will tell you soon about them...

Perfect. How soon do you expect the new cables to arrive?