savoy014

Introduction Oyaide has just released a new line of AC and IEC plugs. It's been more than a decade since they launched their original lineup of premium AC and IEC plugs, so it is nice to see that they are not resting on their laurels. The three model lineup consists of the AP/C-004, 037 and the 029. Sharp eyed readers will notice that two models models has been omitted, the 046 and 079. So, that leaves you with the two choices of plating, silver / rhodium, and platinum / palladium. Here is a quick comparison table :- Model  Blade Material       Plating 029      Brass                     None 037      Phosphor Bronze  Silver / Rhodium 004      Beryllium Copper  Platinum / Palladium Oyaide and their local dealer X-Audio were kind enough to supply me with their new plugs, as well as the original versions for comparison purposes, and enough bulk cable (Oyaid...

Have you ever wondered what are the effects of your USB cable length on sonics ? Let's find out. I assembled three audiophile USB cables in different lengths. 1. Curious Cable (1.2m and 0.2m) 2. Wireworld Platinum Starlight Series 6 (2m and 5m) 3. Blackcat Cable Indigo Prototype (1m and 0.5m) Since my Melco NAS is placed a distance away from my DAC, I tested the Curious Cable and Blackcat Cable Indigo Prototype by hooking up my Melco NAS via a 2m WIreworld Platinum Starlight Series 2m cable to a SOtM tx-USBultra USB hub / regenerator, and then the cable in question to my Totaldac DAC. For the Wireworld, both cables were long enough to reach my DAC, and I ran the cables directly from the NAS to DAC (the Melco has a USB port). Listening to the various cables on test, it was hard to believe that length had such a great effect - not quite the results I was expecting. In the case of the Curious Cable, the 0.2m cable had drier and smaller images, while the 1.2m had a fuller sound with th...

Introduction Acrolink's new Mexcel range of power cords landed in Singapore last month. Is it time to break the piggy bank ? Readers may want to take a moment to read my previous review of the Mexcel 9500 and 7500 power cords here .  For the unfamiliar, the Mexcel series is the flagship range of cables for Acrolink. Mexcel cables are particularly popular in Asia where they enjoy considerable popularity amongst audiophiles that demand the highest levels of performance.  Description The Mexcel power cord range was originally m ade up of three models, the PC6100, 7100 and 9100. The second generation introduced a fourth member, the PC5100 as an entry level model. At the moment, only the two power cords on review here have been released in the fourth generation lineup of Mexcel power cables. Mexcel power cords have a mind of their own. They do not take kindly to manipulation or threatening instructions. Their girth and stiffness are not the worst in class, but a little bit of effor...

Introduction Here is a special edition of the ever popular Acrolink 7N-4030 power cable. This has been one of my favourite cables over the years. You may want to have a look at my earlier posts on the 6N-4030 and the 7N-4030II . Description The Anniversario is available both in factory terminated version (the Anniversario CB) and off-the-reel. A smaller gauge version is also available in the form of the 7N-PC4020 Anniversario. The Anniversario continues to use 7N DUCC copper conductors. However,  this model uses larger diameter copper strands but with less strand count compared to the it's predecessor ( 50 strands of 0.37 mm diameter copper  vs. 100 strands of 0.26 mm diameter). The outer copper foil shield gets a drain wire which permits you to ground the shield if desired.  The black jacket of the 7N-4030II had a rubbery feel to it, and the very fragile wording reminded me of some of my NOS vacuum tubes - a touch and that was the end of the print ! I much prefer the ne...

PURE ART INDIGO XLR Interconnects Zoltán Matrix Conductor InterPole Matrix shield Low Density Microporous ePTFE Insulator Nylon Multifilament Jacket OYAIDE “FOCUS 1” XLRs Handcrafted by Chris Sommovigo in his Yoshihama workshop in Yugawara, JAPAN http://www.blackcatcable.com Indigo RCA Cables: 1.0mpr : $11,499.95 (+ $2,000 per additional 1/2m pair) Indigo XLR Cables: 1.0mpr : $12,499.95 (+2,000 per additional 1/2m pair) Indigo Speaker Cables:   1.5mpr / Standard : $11,499.95 (+ $2,000 per additional 1/2m pair) 1.5mpr / Shotgun : $17,499.95 (+ $2,000 per additional 1/2m pair) 1.5mpr / Shotgun BiWire : $17,499.95 (+ $2,000 per additional 1/2m pair) Nothing like some tantalizing pictures to get your heart pumping and blood flowing right ? Here are some really nice pictures from Chris Sommovigo of Black Cat Cable.

Introduction A very long time ago when I was a wee little audiophile, there lived a cable designer. His name was Chris Sommovigo and he designed a really famous digital cable that become the go-to cable for SPDIF use - The Illuminati D-60.  Now, wee little audiophiles don't have a lot of money, especially ones that did not have a part-time job, nor rich parents. Hence, I never got that D-60, and after much sleepless nights worrying about signal reflections as a result of impedance mismatches, I took the cheap way out and purchased some 75 ohm coaxial cable used for TV aerial use and soldered some RCA connectors on them.  Illuminati eventually got acquired by Kimber cable, and Chris ended up starting a few other companies such as Stereovox and Black Cat Cable.  I finished school, got a job and can thankfully now afford some audiophile toys for myself from tome to time. Recently, Black Cat Cable offered a limited run of a modestly priced RCA cable, "The Tube" with the very ...

Introduction Italian hand-made things are beautiful - artistic, and made with passion and flair. You may not necessarily agree with their aesthetics, but they invariably make a statement ! Neutral Cable are a Rome based company that makes their cables by hand. The cable on test here is the USB Reference I (Improved) and is their flagship USB cable. The conductors used for data are made of teflon insulated 7N purity solid core silver wires. Meanwhile, the power supply conductors are shielded and spaced from the data cables to avoid interference. The new improved version promises better separation between instruments, better dynamics and articulation of low frequencies compared to the USB Reference. My review sample came in a nice velvet case. The 1.2m cable was sheathed in a nice bright yellow jacket and was neatly and well-made with a single USB head (Neutral Cable's website mentions that a double-head type cable can be made upon request).  The USB Reference I is Neutral Cable'...

Introduction Couldn't get enough of Sablon Audio's products after reading my earlier review of the Corona Reserva power cord and Panatela Reserva speaker cable (click here for review) ? Here comes the interconnects ! To be continued ...

Introduction I asked Mark Coles of Sablon Audio to tell me a bit more about his company, his design philosophies and sonic goals. Here is his response in verbatim, "Sablon Audio started five years ago, when its founder Mark Coles reached the stage in life where he believed he could make better high end cables than the numerous examples he had bought over his audiophile 'career'. Sablon's ambition is to give best of breed performance across all cable applications at a much lower price point than its peers, by removing the distributor function and selling either directly or via enthusiast dealers. The name 'Sablon' comes from the French word for 'sand', a happy memory of my childhood growing up on the beautiful beaches of a small island called Jersey. The product naming hierarchy is based around cigars since others had beaten me to 'wine' themes! The Panatela range covers the signal cables, whilst Corona is used for the thicker power cables. The l...