There are numerous ongoing debates on:
- solid core vs strand
- burn in vs no burn in
- silver vs copper vs plated copper vs whatever exotic metal
IMHO, these topics should be in their own threads.
Regarding to the material used and how it is constructed, I think it is simply a business issue to Frank regardless to whatever his target market is. If the cable is not the same material/construction as the advertisement, he will loose his customers and get bad rep very quickly. Eventually he can be out of business because no business can last long by cheating customers. I believe Frank knows. Jase brought up a few things that seemed to indicate "not as advertised". Frank will need to answer or to address them for his own good.
As for this thread, Frank generously offers the community a free demo of his cable and is probably very interested in our feedback from the listening tests. I think everyone gets his cable should do the due diligent to spend some hours to listen and give Frank some feedback. Keep an open mind and tell Frank your honest comments. My 2 cents.
- solid core vs strand
- burn in vs no burn in
- silver vs copper vs plated copper vs whatever exotic metal
IMHO, these topics should be in their own threads.
Regarding to the material used and how it is constructed, I think it is simply a business issue to Frank regardless to whatever his target market is. If the cable is not the same material/construction as the advertisement, he will loose his customers and get bad rep very quickly. Eventually he can be out of business because no business can last long by cheating customers. I believe Frank knows. Jase brought up a few things that seemed to indicate "not as advertised". Frank will need to answer or to address them for his own good.
As for this thread, Frank generously offers the community a free demo of his cable and is probably very interested in our feedback from the listening tests. I think everyone gets his cable should do the due diligent to spend some hours to listen and give Frank some feedback. Keep an open mind and tell Frank your honest comments. My 2 cents.
Hello everyone...
I go away for 1 day and look what happens! Man, tough crowd!
As Fred pointed out, I've got a lot of serious issues to tackle when I return. Unfortunately, I'm still in the US until the end of January.
Andrea,
Finally! Thank you for your patience and for the great idea. After all your input, I look forward to hearing your opinion.
Jase, Andrea, anyone...If you were to redo the BK Mars, what would you use?
As for the actual braiding style, this method seems to work much better with interconnects rather than speaker cables.
Too tired...write more tomorrow.
Frank
I go away for 1 day and look what happens! Man, tough crowd!
As Fred pointed out, I've got a lot of serious issues to tackle when I return. Unfortunately, I'm still in the US until the end of January.
Andrea,
Finally! Thank you for your patience and for the great idea. After all your input, I look forward to hearing your opinion.
Jase, Andrea, anyone...If you were to redo the BK Mars, what would you use?
As for the actual braiding style, this method seems to work much better with interconnects rather than speaker cables.
Too tired...write more tomorrow.
Frank
I've got the cables with me (still packed). 😎 I hope I manage to connect them this afternoon..
I admit feeling a bit emotional about this 🙂
I admit feeling a bit emotional about this 🙂
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Well, with all the flak they recently took, I was expeting rather little...
And thus I've been all the more surprised. Cables were, first of all, well (safely) packed externally, and furthermore they had an unexpected professional looking inner package. So much for the little unimportant things that matter 🙂
The sound is convincing! Full, extended, present yet controlled extremes, fluid unaggressive midrange, warm in tonality... I'll say more later... I must run to the cinema now 🙂
And thus I've been all the more surprised. Cables were, first of all, well (safely) packed externally, and furthermore they had an unexpected professional looking inner package. So much for the little unimportant things that matter 🙂
The sound is convincing! Full, extended, present yet controlled extremes, fluid unaggressive midrange, warm in tonality... I'll say more later... I must run to the cinema now 🙂
So...
The Mars is very interesting. It's pleasant to handle, flexible; plugs grip well (this was expected); and...it kind of seems longer than 1m, which I thought it were 🙂
Sound (including sonic color) resembles the Audioquest King Cobra, rather than the VDH The Bay C5 (two interconnects I've used recently). I think I described it well in the previous post 🙂
In sum, I'd be happy with it even if it had been a purchase... I have bought worse on ebay...even when the sellers claimed a degree of excellence for their jewels 🙂
The treble is (as it was said) indeed slightly tilted up, but it's pleasant as it is... maybe with burn in it'll become more even. I guess that if the wire was silver plated / teflon wire, with this geometry it would have been too bright and aggressive. I'm surprised that a supposedly generic wire can sound so good.
Thank you very much, Frank! 😎
The Mars is very interesting. It's pleasant to handle, flexible; plugs grip well (this was expected); and...it kind of seems longer than 1m, which I thought it were 🙂
Sound (including sonic color) resembles the Audioquest King Cobra, rather than the VDH The Bay C5 (two interconnects I've used recently). I think I described it well in the previous post 🙂
In sum, I'd be happy with it even if it had been a purchase... I have bought worse on ebay...even when the sellers claimed a degree of excellence for their jewels 🙂
The treble is (as it was said) indeed slightly tilted up, but it's pleasant as it is... maybe with burn in it'll become more even. I guess that if the wire was silver plated / teflon wire, with this geometry it would have been too bright and aggressive. I'm surprised that a supposedly generic wire can sound so good.
Thank you very much, Frank! 😎
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Joined 2002
oh yeah so maybe you need a new set so the treble can be tilted downward ?
What kinda ridicules comment is that ?
I'd say what kind of ridiculous comment is yours? I mean, have you never heard an interconnect having a slight imbalance at the top or bottom? 😕🙂
I will say that burning them in has definitely improved them; now the treble feels perfectly aligned with the midrange, plus the midrange has improved in tonal naturaless and sweetness, plus the bass seems to have become completely under control. Very nice, I say. 🙂
Looks like you're talking with yourself. 😛 j/k
I'm very curious about this burn-in myth. I also often hear that after some time cables do sound different but then I often ask myself does this burn-in really change molecules inside cable or we just get used to this sound and then we say that cable burned-in? 😀
I'm very curious about this burn-in myth. I also often hear that after some time cables do sound different but then I often ask myself does this burn-in really change molecules inside cable or we just get used to this sound and then we say that cable burned-in? 😀
It's a myth only if you can't (or don't want to) hear it... For me the changes are important. 😉🙂
Like I said, I do hear changes. But I'm asking myself if it's only that we get used to this sound signature or something does really happen?
It would be really interested to buy two same cables and let one to burn-in for a week or two and then blind test them if there is any audible difference.
It would be really interested to buy two same cables and let one to burn-in for a week or two and then blind test them if there is any audible difference.
Anyway the King cobra sounded warmer/bolder and had a slightly more assertive treble, as I recall (I tried out the King Cobra only recently, so I haven't built up a completely clear idea of how it sounds yet).
At any rate, the Mars seems to just let the music flow..
At any rate, the Mars seems to just let the music flow..
Well, I go by impressions... the cable, the first time I heard it, immediately gave me this impression: "promising".
Now if I turn my system on and start to listen, I immediately get the impression: "sweeet".
Note that I don't listen to music much these days, as I'm out all day 🙂 Isn't it proof enough!? 😎
Well it is a proof but then again is it possible that you got used to that "promising" sound and now you hear it as "sweet" because you like what you hear? 😀
Anyway, we're way offtopic. I just wanted to share my thinking. 😀
Anyway, we're way offtopic. I just wanted to share my thinking. 😀
I have the reference of the sound of other cables. When I reacted like "promising" it's because I heard the cable had promise, but it didn't quite sound right. Then I let the music play... and day by day my first impression in the morning 🙂 changed slightly... now it sounds quite right.
It is my experience that nothing really sounds "quite right" before a certain amount of burn in, excepting perhaps DAC chips and such. To me, this is equally valid for transducers and electronics. 🙂
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It is my experience that those small annoying things only gets worse
You dont really get used to artefacts
To some extend yes, but theres a limit
And this limit may be different fore all of us
As human beings we are very different, and on that point too
Its been stated and proven that musicians and very "musical" people do have very different hearing than "normal"
Its not possible to make "fits all" standard conclusion
Another point that might get me hung is that its not just about "burning in"
Any cable needs some time to settle in, once its connected, even if its a readily burned in one
I never believe much in this kind of tests
But, they often do hold some valueable information, if you read between the lines
Thats how I have always been reading listening tests, very critical and "reading between the lines"
Apart from the psycological aspect, obligation
Frank seems like a nice guy, so who wouldnt want to treat him fair
You dont really get used to artefacts
To some extend yes, but theres a limit
And this limit may be different fore all of us
As human beings we are very different, and on that point too
Its been stated and proven that musicians and very "musical" people do have very different hearing than "normal"
Its not possible to make "fits all" standard conclusion
Another point that might get me hung is that its not just about "burning in"
Any cable needs some time to settle in, once its connected, even if its a readily burned in one
I never believe much in this kind of tests
But, they often do hold some valueable information, if you read between the lines
Thats how I have always been reading listening tests, very critical and "reading between the lines"
Apart from the psycological aspect, obligation
Frank seems like a nice guy, so who wouldnt want to treat him fair
Yeah, but when you start with "promising", burn in makes things always better.
With experience you learn to distinguish between what's going to improve and what isn't...
With experience you learn to distinguish between what's going to improve and what isn't...
True; i.e. burn in must be repeated to an extent every time you connect a cable. I've experienced that, too. Something like that happens with transducers, as well.
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