Green "bundle" of joy.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Alberto

I love your "cable lifters" - there's a product somewhere in there...

Alberto

Hmm, I didn't think of it but yeah, "Buddha" Brand cable lifters is an idea.

Thank you Alberto, Ivan.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by pitchperfect

Glad you received'em a-ok!

I like the depth of field in that photo. Or, as they say, nice bokeh.

Yes, perfect Matt. Thank you as always! I thought the photo would come out more interesting with a shallow depth of field so I grabbed my Canon 200mm L lens to get some bokeh going.

[Doug Lax]

So when will Florida or the Cape go green ?

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by Douglax

So when will Florida or the Cape go green ?

Uh, never...

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Yes, perfect Matt. Thank you as always! I thought the photo would come out more interesting with a shallow depth of field so I grabbed my Canon 200mm L lens to get some bokeh going.

Is that a Canon 200 L 1.8???

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Is that a Canon 200 L 1.8???

Who do you take me for? A big spender??? That lens was over $4k. I have the 200mm L F2.8.

[TommyC]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Is that a Canon 200 L 1.8???

Is there a 200L f/1.8? I thought it's either the f/2 or f/2.8. The f/2 is HUGE.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by TommyC

Is there a 200L f/1.8? I thought it's either the f/2 or f/2.8. The f/2 is HUGE.

[TommyC]

Has the f/1.8 model been discontinued? I couldn't find it on Canon USA website.

Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF Lens Lineup

[PHC1]

Ok, finally settled in to give the A23 cables a listen. The system has been on for the past 5 hours or so with the new cables. Just got through one of my late night favorites, Ken Peplowski and the New York Trio "Stardust" record. I know this one very well.









I don't like to listen to anything too complicated when listening to new stuff because if there is too much stuff going on, it is hard to concentrate and pick out the elements to evaluate. The nice simple jazz trio/quartet or similar works great for me.


I've been using my "go to" standards, the Transparent and my older Zebra cables that seemed to have worked with everything else so far. Nothing too fancy but they are both very musical and get 95% of the job done 100% of the time.

The A23 cables are definitely in another league in terms of synergy with my Shindo gear. While I instantly heard the more spacious soundstage before I could even zero in on the instruments, tonal balance and timbre, I noticed how I was drawn to the bass lines setting the rhythm like never before and immediately noticed an interesting phenomenon. If before, this particular record was very pleasant to listen to, I mean well recorded, good quality pressing, musical content that I enjoy, I don't think I've ever been as drawn in before. The best way I can desribe what I heard this evening is as follows.

Bear with me as this is something new to me and I have not quite experienced this before.... I've obviously heard the same instruments on the same record many, many times before, beyond a slight smoothing effect, softer, more delicate shimmer of the cymbals being brushed lightly, the slightly better articulation of the bass notes, the piano notes that seem to linger and decay just a tiny bit longer as the new ones take their place in the significance, hierarchy and progression of music, the reedy, more colorful and more emotional saxophone or clarinet, there was for once, a much more meaningful and interdependent relationship of all the instruments to each other.

For once I think I got much more of the meaning, emotion and message out of the same tracks of music on the same record! This kind of blows me away as it is not something I have picked up on before while auditioning cables of any kind. If before the instruments typically did not do much more than occupied same space and time in my room as they left the speakers, as impressive as they often were with various gear, they are now intertwined in a much more logical, organized and meaningful way that makes me understand the music much better. WOW, this is heavy stuff for sure!

I have to do much more listening obviously but I can tell you this already, don't buy these cables if you are looking to impress yourself with a new found level of some HIFI trickery, buy them if you want to hear your records for the first time like never before and want to lose yourself in your favorite music completely, because that's exactly what's happening to me right now! I have no idea how they work with other gear but there is some serious, serious synergy going on with my Shindo gear.

I seriously doubt that the cables themselves are responsible, no, I think Keith Aschenbrenner of Auditorium 23 simply came across the perfect balance or combination of materials that allow the Shindo gear to show it's true colors. I've already noticed how much of a difference the Shindo ICs made before, I've noticed how the RGPC power conditioner simply did not gel well with Shindo, they were much better straight into the wall for whatever reason. There is obviously something going on with Ken Shindo's products that is very different from the norm and I am not going to question it as I am beyond impressed and happy.

Back to listening! This is going to be one of those really late nights again!