I’ve been running the Silver Star 75 for a couple of weeks now. Well, almost exactly 2 weeks.
“Two weeks? Hah! You hack! That cable is hardly broken in!” you say. To which I reply, “Wrong!” Thanks to the Audiodharma Cable Cooker, we were good to go in less than 3 days. Take that, ye foul unwashed beast!
Like the rather famous Black Cat Veloce that the Silver Star replaces, the new cable is a digital S/PDIF cable. It comes by default with BNC connectors on both ends and a pair of BNC-to-RCA adapters that can be used for those Neanderthals that are using RCA-only S/PDIF connections to and from their DACs. There are some significant benefits to a BNC-only connection that are beyond the scope of my ability to address here, so let me say this: Google is your friend.
In my system, the Silver Star 75 sits between an Alpha USB from Berkeley Audio and the Series 2 DAC from the same company, displacing the wonderful AES Litespd cable from WyWires that’s been my reference for the last several months. I’ve also been using it as a BNC-to-RCA cable connecting up my BNC-based S/PDIF converters (Analog Research Technologies Legato and the Alpha USB) into an RCA-based Burson Audio DA-160.
Let me say this: the Veloce was a great cable. If it had a fault — IF — it was in the lowest registers of the audio spectrum. That is, I felt that one could have asked for more slam — slam which the Litespd cable was able to dish up in spades.
Now, here’s the Silver Star 75 and all that is ancient history. With my reference system, I wasn’t able to tell the difference between the Silver Star and the Litespd with any level of reliability. At all. To me, it seemed that the new cable was in every way the equal of my reference cable. I want for naught! Treble? Clean, clear and extended. Mid Range? As liquid and immediate as ever. Bass? Big FAT Check! What’s not to like?
Is it the most resolving cable? The most nuanced? The most delicate in its presentation? I have no idea — but I do know this — it was very good! Good enough that I don’t care. I’m not looking for another digital cable! I’m done. Silver Star? Bought! Paid for. Kept. Mine, sucka, mine — and NO you can’t have one.
Not yet, at least. The cable will go on sale in January, I’m told. And yes, it’s a killer. As in, they could have called it ‘Mjölnir’ and attached a label that read: “keep away from giants — or else”.
Sorry. Was that too obscure? Google. Your friend. Yeah. Okay ….
And, if I may say…should you decide to get out of the audio review bloggabiz, you could easily move into political speech writing.
Heck, Romney could use you right now!
Evening PTA…I have a general question for you regarding cables. Have you had any experience comparing silver vs copper cables? I’ve heard anything ranging from “god awful harsh” to “the next best thing to being there”.
I’m currently running Nirvana SL and SX ltd (SL’s as interconnects and SX ltd for speaker cables) so I’m no prude when it comes to cabling that defies the laws of common sense.
Just wondering if you could add your candid observation.
I don’t have much experience with silver vs copper cables, honestly. I wish I had something intelligent to say. All my cables are copper, but I suppose silver would be fine too. I think that everything depends on implementation.
SilverStar replaced my Veloce here, I felt and a big increase in focus, pin-point precision. Slightly more detailed too. Very worth upgrading. And Veloce was detailed and had a good open soundstage, Silverstar is all that plus the focus. Highly recommended.