Review: Cabledyne Reference Silver Digital Coaxial

[Stereo-head]

Hello Friends,

A little while back I accepted Ed's (from Cabledyne Cables) offer to review their silver digital coaxial. I've been playing with it for for a little while and can now write my review about it. Here it goes:




The Cable


The Cabledyne Digital Silver Reference I received is a 1.5 meter sample, with BNC termination in source end, and silver-plated RCA in the receiving end. The cable looks very well made. There’s a marker at the end of the downstream termination indicating the cable direction flow. At the core there are two 6N 99.9999% purity single cast silver square conductors. This is very similar to the Ohno method, which extracts high purity silver, or copper, in single cast runs. These conductors are spiraled together along the length of the cable inside airtight tubing. Cabledyne states the square wire allows for better bandwidth transmission compared to regular round wire. Read: better, fuller sound. The outer layer is made of a braided iconel chromium alloy sheath. This sheath is exclusive to all current production Cabledyne cables. According to Cabledyne’s webpage, this metal sheath eliminates lossy dielectric materials and effectively blocks electromagnetic and electrostatic noise. The sheath is hard to the touch, but it is pretty flexible.


The Sound

I connected the cable between my Empirical Audio Synchro-Mesh recclocker and Peachtree Audio iDac. The RCA has a tight fit to it, a little too tight for my taste. When I first heard the cable, Bass, Clarity and Reach were amongst the first words I wrote down. I remember clearly that the cable impressed me in these three departments. However, when complex material was played at above average listening levels, the cable wasn't handling them to the best of capability. They seemed a little tied together. This kept on for quite a while (+ 50 hours). So I kept feeding it signal for 24 hours a day for 7 days. After that I went back to the cable and listened. The cable clearly showed signs of finally settling in. It had all the characteristics that I noted at first, but presented them in a more elegant nature. The cable, after breaking in, handled complex material at all levels with ease, each instruments presented with a reference level separation. The cable presents music in a big sound stage with extraordinary reach, without ever sounding lean or bright. When one thinks of silver we automatically expects a forward, edgy sound. We'd be wrong to expect that from this digital coax.The cable has a subtle nature, while also providing pinpoint precision and clarity. It’s definitely not a laid back cable, nor is it an edgy one, I believe it’s safe to say it presents music in a glorious clarity manner. Treble has great air, definition and reach without ever sounding bright. Mids are natural with texture and presence. While the cable handles itself gracefully in the upper spectrum, it doesn’t compromise bass. Bass is full, fast and extended, without ever contributing to bloat. The music overall has a welcome fullness to its presentation.
The cable’s noise floor presentation is also something to take note of. Sounds seem to pop out from a blacker background. This is very noticeable at all levels, but very much appreciated in low level listening sessions late at night, where sounds seem to pop out of the speakers with enough believability and presentation to satisfy the dynamics quench.

Final Thoughts

In the audio world we’ve come to know today, this cable would be right at home costing two, three or maybe four times as much. A lot of audiophiles would be ok with that. If you look at the cable’s blueprints you’d be pressed to say that the cable shows promise. 6N 99.9999% purity square monocrystal silver, sealed low dissipation Hyflon MFA air tubing, Iconel Chromium Alloy braided sheath. Then as soon as you audition the cable you’d pat yourself on the back for making right assertions because simply put, the cable rocks. I guess it’s obvious where I’m going with this. At $180.0/meter this digital cable is an outright steal, the type where you try not to laugh while whipping out your wallet. I could say that once you set its price in mind, it’s hard to find faults, but I believe that statement wouldn’t be accurate. The Cabledyne Silver Reference is a wonderful performer despite its price. The fact that it’s offered at such a good value is the cherry on top. Highly recommended!


Simon

[maxima]

Hello - I was wondering about this cable and was glad to read something about it. Thank you for the information.

If you don't mind me asking, how does the WW Starlight 6 compare with the Cabledyne you reviewed?

[Stereo-head]

Originally Posted by maxima

Hello - I was wondering about this cable and was glad to read something about it. Thank you for the information.

If you don't mind me asking, how does the WW Starlight 6 compare with the Cabledyne you reviewed?

The reason I didn't mention any comparison in my review was because there's a large price gap between both cables (75/ meter vs 180/meter). I believe a better match for the Cabledyne Silver Reference would be the Silver Starlight 7 (although I haven't auditioned that cable). At 75 dollars the Starlight 6 puts up a good fight, but the Cabledyne Silver Reference beats it. The Cabledyne has better clarity, bass, reach, and presence than the Starlight 6.

Simon

[jwhite613]

Simon... Thanks for the review. Well Done. Ed (Cabledyne) thanks for allowing AA members the opportunity to do this!

[digitalzed]

Very well reviewed, Simon. Nice job.

[Stereo-head]

Thanks guys I had a great time doing the review. And yes, thanks to Ed for the opportunity.

[maxima]

Originally Posted by Stereohead

The reason I didn't mention any comparison in my review was because there's a large price gap between both cables (75/ meter vs 180/meter). I believe a better match for the Cabledyne Silver Reference would be the Silver Starlight 7 (although I haven't auditioned that cable). At 75 dollars the Starlight 6 puts up a good fight, but the Cabledyne Silver Reference beats it. The Cabledyne has better clarity, bass, reach, and presence than the Starlight 6.

Simon

I certainly see your point about the relative costs. Thank you for the information.

[Cabledyne]

I was remiss in posting my appreciation for Simon's review. I originally thanked him personally via email and I should of posted it here.

"Thanks for a very comprehensive review of our digital cable and we appreciate the hours you put into this."

Ed Bowman