Knocked off my feet

Siltech Empress Double Crown Royal Signature IC

OK, I get it. In fact, I got it immediately when I pressed play after gently installing the Siltech interconnects into my humble but accurate and musical system here at The Music Room.

What’s so amazing about my position here is I can hear equipment and experiment with gear I could never dream to afford. It’s obvious from the outside that some of the most expensive audiophile equipment seems to have a lot invested in the outward appearance.

But there’s always that question in my mind when I read about proprietary materials in high end cables or drivers, or some highly-engineered cabinet or driver arrangement — is the science at the richest end of the hobby actually better than that which resides in the range that the majority of us can afford?

This morning I have the extreme pleasure of receiving and carefully testing a number of excellent, very high dollar interconnect cables for consignment here at The Music Room.

And in the context of my having almost burned-in and gotten used to my new DH Labs Air Matrix interconnects on the system I’ve set up here at work, I was about knocked off my feet from the changes in sound after I installed the Siltechs.

Maybe knocked off my feet is the wrong image. More descriptively, I was embraced. 2-D became 3-D. A scene in front became an environment I inhabited.

Before installing the Siltechs, I queued up Janos Starker’s brilliant Virtuoso Music For Cello on Roon and re-familiarized myself with the soundstage and tone of my aforementioned fairly decent playback system.

When I made the switch… I’m just sitting here, mouth open. Just.. wow!! Everything about the music changed. Switch back to the Air Matrix, and I hear a tonally accurate presentation, but the realism and environment has collapsed in front of me a bit. Back to the Siltechs, and I’m stuck like a magnet to this music and beginning to picture the musicians at work.

Instantly, my system became reference. Instantly, I am there, on stage with Janos.

I have recorded many cellos and many pianos in my time as an engineer. With these cables in the line, my ears welcomed the presence of two real instruments into my consciousness and workspace. Without these cables, I had to mentally force my way into the music in front of me.

Most folks who discount the value of cables in achieving good sound simply do not have the opportunity to do what I just did. It’s a shame, because listening to one bar of music through a fully burned-in pair (fantastic benefit of buying used, by the way) of these Siltechs teaches you everything you need to know about the subject.

Yes, cables make an insane difference. Case closed!