I am looking to update all of my cables this year and am curious if there are any recommended brands for MSB users?
I’m using Audioquest Firebird cables to connect my Cascade to my amp. It’s hard to point to specific improvements because I got the specifically for the Cascade, but they certainly are passing on every thing the Cascade outputs.
I hope some other customers will chime in, because we don’t have any specific recommendations. As a manufacturer we go through a lot of brands and are constantly changing. We always encourage you to AB and get a Demo before buying anything! Cables are often used to fine tune a system to your own preferences so this can be a very personal decision. But in the end, please let us know what you decide on!
I use skogrand cables pretty much everywhere, and when original demoed the brand they were one range above entry level so they don’t have to be top of the range to get great results, I was originally using some Shunyata sigma cables which were also good but ultimately not as smooth and relaxed so went with the skogrand loom, so many months later I accidentally broke a spade on the skogrand speaker cables and had 2 choices, return to manufacture for repair or fix myself🤷‍♂️ fix myself I did, I am lucky in Australia to be able to get bocchino plugs and connectors which have gold and palladium generally as options and the result was better than factory, so I terminated all my xlr and speaker cables with bocchino connectors, so my point is a silver cable you use after you get your new dac or any component for argument sake can be calmed down a little by adding a gold connector, then the opposite for a cable you may find a little too relaxed, it’s a fun exercise experimenting with different plugs to fine tune to personal preferences, it’s certainly cheaper than replacing cables more than is needed. Cheers
I’m using STEALTH Sakra V17 LE XLRs from Reference DAC to S202 Amp, an impressive result, a component like improvement.
STEALTH Cloud Grande (DAC) and Dream 2020 (S202) as power cords feeding MSB units. They replaced AQ Dragon PCs.
STEALTH Double Tune USB + Ethernet Ultra, Pink Faun Ethernet and Iconoclast AES/EBU as digital cables. They replaced Network Acoustics, AQ and Sablon cables
STEALTH Dream V18 as speaker cables. They replaced AQ William Tell Silver+Bass combo.
I currently have some (for me) very expensive Synergistic Research cables in my system. I was lucky to be at the London show to help my friend Paul, who is the MSB distributor for the U.K., and I have ended up borrowing the cables we used there. I still have them and I’ll probably be sorry to see them go eventually. But I am keeping (buying) one of them, which is the Galileo SX USB cable, that I am now using from the source (a Pink Faun 2.16 streamer) into the Pro USB ISL > Premier DAC. Quite a difference with my previous Wireworld 7 Platinum USB cable (which was very good for its price). So for now I run the SR SRX mains cable into the Premier DAC, and a pair of SR SRX XLRs as well. Mains cable into my MSB S202 is the Jorma Origo. Previously I was using all Jorma cables (XLR were/are Jorma Trinity). The Synergistic Research cables are clearly superior to the Jorma, and I am actually loving them. My current speakers cables are the U.K. made Townshend Fractal 1 (which are truly superb). However at the end of the month I am off to Budapest to visit Zoltan Bay (I own a pair of Bayz speakers) and he is working on his own line of cables, which means I will bring some samples back home to England to try in my system (and I expect a great synergy with my speakers). Will keep you updated
I use Nordost Odin2 for internconnects and speaker cables. For power cords only Shunyata Omega. I also love Transparent Audio’s products but had to give them up because I changed audio gear so often I grew tired of sending them back for recalibration.
Eric
What is the full system sir ?
I tried Nordost’s, Kimber and AudioQuest speaker cables, my préférence was the AQ ones, I started with Thunderbird but after listening to the Dragons on another system I decided to upgrade mine.
In terms of interconnects I went trough a bit of testing and switched to the AQ Dragons and AQ Angel (for the subwoofer aspects)
Power is AQ Dragon for everything but the Ethernet filter which is Tornado and everything is connected to a Niagra 3000
I’ve never gone over the cabling/Power in my system. This thread has motivated me to do that. Here goes, for anyone who might be interested.
The stereo part of my audio system revolves around a Cascade and two M500s, and Magico M6s.
Each M500 is on its own AQ Niagara 7000, using the high power receptacle. These receptacles are designed for amplifiers and have no isolation transformer, but are capable of supplying 90 amps for up to 25ms. The M500s are connected to the Niagara 7000s with Clarus Crimson power cables (with an adapter).
Each of the Niagara 7000s is plugged into its own home run 20amp, 120V receptacle. The home runs are wired with 12AWG wire. Each Niagara is connected to its receptacle with an AQ Hurricane power cable. I know that many people would use a heaver gauge wire and do 240V for the home runs, but I feel 12AWG 120V is more than sufficient and is a better choice… but that is a discussion for another time :-).
The Cascade is connected to the M500s with AQ Firebird cables.
The M500 is connected to the M6 with an AQ Dragon Zero cable.
There are other pieces of equipment, pre-amps, surround amps spread out on the Niagara 7000s (there is also a Niagara 3000 for the Phono preamp) with various AQ and Clarus cables, using the low-power outlets (which the Niagara uses isolation transformers for).
The Cascade Render is attached to the ethernet via an Activ Audio filter. The Cascade USB is via ProUSB fiber.
As far as the results, everyone, including me :-), who listens to it comments on its detail, clarity and quietness, even when it is played at “rock” concert level.
I have one friend who spent over 20 years doing audio engineering in and setting up recording studios and venues (and still teaches seminars in recording studio operations) who is blown away by the detail and quietness.
I know that there is quite a mix of cables and that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but my system grew incrementally. The most significant change, by far, in the sound quality of my system was when I added the Cascade. A lot of the things in my system are there because I was in a belt and suspenders mode of adding anything that “might” reduce noise/distortion.
But, honestly, if I redid the system from scratch I think I could downgrade a lot of the cabling and power. This is just a gut feel, but i think that the Cascade + 2 M500s + M6s are providing almost all the audio quality I am hearing.
Dan
I am assuming the dual 7000’s are a function of room layout?
I wanted each amp to be on its own home run.
I could easily plug both amps into one 7000, and its power outlet are isolated from each other. But my strategy at the time was belt and suspenders.
Dan
nothing wrong with that strategy