Purist Audio vs Cardas vs Transparent vs Audioquest

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Serge.......How will the testing and comparison actually be done, one cable set at a time, physically installing the cables back and forth, or some method that will allow for immediate A/B comparisons?

Dan, I don't believe in immediate A/B comparisons because there is no way to switch the cables fast enough to make a difference anyway. All that cable swapping makes you break concentration and since most people shut the gear off, introduces cooling periods which can and do affect the sound.

Instead, I will do this how I've been doing it for years. I've selected various recordings that will showcase individual strengths, bass depth, articulation, speed, midrange and highs purity, overall imaging, focus, depth and width of soundstage and palpability/3 dimensionality. I take notes on paper with these various tracks, listen some more without taking notes and then move on to the next set.

Once that is done, I will usually spend a few days just listening to various recordings to judge the overall performance or "listenability" of each cable, how well it synergizes with the system or doesn't. I get used to the "cable sound" and when I swap them, it is readily apparent as I go back through my listening sessions that something is either better, the same or worse.

There are certain traits of a cable that immediately jump out at you and persist through the listening sessions.

The quick A/B tests will only give you a brief glimpse and for the most part only confuses.

[Uberbrown]

So when can we expect this shootout to take place? Do you have any listening impressions of any of them already, or are you waiting until they all come in?

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Uberbrown

So when can we expect this shootout to take place? Do you have any listening impressions of any of them already, or are you waiting until they all come in?

Patience my friend.. Listening to the Purist Audio Venusta Ferox filled cables all day today. For the difference in various Purist Audio cables go here: http://www.puristaudiodesign.com/faq.htm#q4

[PHC1]

Well, the Audioquest has been eliminated from the shootout. Keep in mind that synergy is different for different systems.

In my system, the AQ just doesn't fit in. It has a persistent upper midrange leanness to it that turns me off. The bass is good but not great, midrange is actually not bad, highs are not in the same league as the other cables, missing some glow and shimmer replacing it with a metallic flavor and glassiness, opposite of the effect that defines the cables that are extended yet refined sounding. Detail retrieval is pretty impressive.

Overall the cable sounds more analytical and hyper detailed on most recordings, acquitting itself nicely with male and some female vocals but just not fitting in with most other instruments.

The usual audiophile Diva's all sing with their usual pizzaz with these cables until they start hitting the upper notes and the stringed instruments and brass sections have an artificial sounding edge and a little too much bite for my taste. Piano recordings have a "cooling" effect in the upper registers and there is a little too much zing from acoustic strings.

I can see these cables possibly working with some very mellow sounding systems but not in mine. As I took notes, I kept coming back to the same feeling of persistent leanness and the desire to keep turning the volume down. The Wilson speakers just don't take very well to these kind of cables.

[TommyC]

Very nice review! That's see which cable will be the next one to go.

[PHC1]

Well, I am done evaluating the Cardas Golden Reference in my system.

It's been a while since I've had the Cardas cables in my system. Many years ago I used to use the Golden Cross and thought they were great cables to take the edge off digital playback with a warmish overall tonality a relaxed top end. Many systems could have used that cable back in the day.

The Golden Reference is definitely a more "neutral" sounding cable. I still couldn't help to notice the "house sound" or similarities of the Golden Reference to the older Cardas cables. The slight rounding and smoothing of the leading edge of transients, the greater emphasis on "decay" and trailing edge of transients. Quite the opposite of the AQ cables I had in my system and compared them to.

Bass was very well resolved, textured and organic sounding if not the last word in slam and depth, again, probably due to the rounding off the leading edge of transients. The rimshots were slightly softer sounding, a bit "muted", acoustic bass/double bass instruments were reproduced with enough resolution to follow the individual notes without clumping them together but there was a bit of blurring of the individual notes down low.

Midrange is probably the strongest point of these cables, conveying the emotional content of vocals and capturing the subtle details of the vocal changes that make singers more "human". The stringed instruments also benefited from the all important midrange as did the piano recordings, coming across as pure in tone and having a sparkle that had some nice golden overtones and an emphasis on the subtle decay information as it faded into the silence of the black background. Gone was the upper midrange leanness that existed with AQ cables and replaced with a touch of lower mid warmth, highlighting the male vocals and the power of a deeper, huskier voice of many male singers.

Highs were quite nice with these cables, enough energy was passed on to the speakers where the sonic signature remained open, transparent and crystal clear but without an over emphasis that often makes the system sound a bit over the edge in perceived resolution, edginess and aggression. The overall response up top was delicate enough to give the system a golden shimmer from the high hats, with enough bite from the horn sections up top but just enough to make the instruments sound natural without artificial "coldness" or "aggressiveness". Delicate and smooth with enough detail would sum it up nicely. Compared to the more energetic top end of AQ's, the Cardas made many recordings a bit more enjoyable and relaxed without rolling the highs off to a point of boredom or a sense of missing top octave air.

Soundstage was just as generous as the other cables in this shootout but Cardas did manage to portray a very palpable presentation and placement of instruments/layering front to back as well as side to side.

Resolving but smooth enough to take the edge off, neutral and transparent enough to capture the detail and subtle acoustic cues from live recordings and the space they were recorded in, conveying much of the emotional content of the recorded vocals and instruments, these Cardas cables re-created a very believable soundstage with neutrality that let the music flow in a very organic way, allowing one to relax and listen without too much attention to any particular aspect of your playback system.

I'd say that their "Neutrality with a golden sprinkle of warmth in the lower mids and a more delicate top end" let me enjoy my system quite a bit more than the AQ cables. In their price range, they should be a "must audition" cable.

[jetblack]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Keep in mind that synergy is different for different systems.

Serge, that's what we should all keep in mind when performing a comparison test, or reviewing the comparison tests of others. Thanks for the input. I wish I had the 'luxury' of comparing cables.

For my system (and it's synergy), I notice a big difference when listening to Chris Botti & his horn, or the use of chimes in a song.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by jetblack

Serge, that's what we should all keep in mind when performing a comparison test, or reviewing the comparison tests of others. Thanks for the input. I wish I had the 'luxury' of comparing cables.

You can audition as many cables as you want from the cable company.

www.fatwyre.com

[klipschfan]

Nice review...

Heres hoping Stereophile will be calling you about an opening........

Serious, you should become the Official AA reviewer and review one of the "line" products each month.

Job well done!.

[PHC1]

Next up are the Purist Audio Venusta ICs.