Oh yes X2! As I won't hear one for myself I'd love to read a fair review on it! I know they are different beasts but I'd like to see it compared to ATCs integrated. It's the only one around that price level, of those I've heard, that I rate very highly and I have a suspicion the latest Claymore may be the one to raise the bar.
"hello and thanks for sending the LS-XXV speaker cables for review. I must tell you, as a "certified cable nut", I am mightily impressed. I have run the gamut of speaker cables over the past four years. Some were in the same price range as the LS-XXV, some slightly below including your own TQ Black, and a couple of pair at or above the same price range. My initial impressions of the LS-XXV is they have not only bested your own TQ Black by a significant margin but are superior in every way to the Shunyata Black Mambas that were my reference speaker cables for almost two years.
Out of the gate, I have never heard my Spendor A6 reproduce the level, depth and detail of bass, acoustic and electric. They continue to amaze in this regard.
Percussion instruments are rendered with equal attention to both cymbal and snare. I find many times, these instruments compete for attention. Not so with the LS-XXV. Even delicate cymbals come through clearly, even when there is a bit more aggressive drum line occurring simultaneously. The cables don't flatten performance, far from it. Differences are just portrayed as they seem to me they were intended, with shading and nuance appropriate to the instrument. I'll try to describe this more fully later this week but I thought I owed initial impressions to Colin and Alan who were kind enough to send the cables for a listen.
Vocals might be a little more forward than I am used to, even on my Spendors which have a reputation for excellence in this region. Not necessarily forward in a bad way though. Van Morrison can be a little hard to understand (like Dylan) occasionally. Not with the LS-XXV. What used to be hard to understand passages are coming through with a clarity I have not experienced much.
My wife knew I was listening to different cables last weekend. With no coaching her comment was "it sounds like you turned up the volume without turning up the volume."
I'll post some additional thoughts with some more detailed references to tunes and albums auditioned this weekend, probably Sunday. I'll be first in line to purchase a pair of the LS-XXV."
Colin and Alan, thank you for the
opportunity to audition Elsdon Wonfor Audio’s LS-XXV speaker cables for review.
I must tell you, as a "certified cable nut", I am mightily impressed.
I have run the gamut of speaker cables
over the past four years. Some were in the same price range as the LS-XXV, some
slightly below including Colin’s own TQ Black, and a couple of pair at or above
the same price range. My initial
impressions of the LS-XXV are they have not only bested Colin’s TQ Black by a
significant margin but are superior in every way to the Shunyata Black Mambas
that were my reference speaker cables for almost two years.
Two weeks ago….Out of the gate, I have never heard my Spendor A6 reproduce the
level, depth and detail of bass, acoustic and electric. They continue to amaze
in this regard.
Percussion instruments are rendered with equal attention to both cymbal and
snare. I find many times, these instruments compete for attention. Not so with
the LS-XXV. Delicate cymbals come
through clearly, even when there is a bit more aggressive drum line occurring
simultaneously. The cables don't flatten performance, far from it. Differences are portrayed as they were
intended by the artist, with shading and nuance appropriate to the instrument
and performance. I'll try to describe this more fully later this week but I
thought I owed initial impressions to Colin and Alan who were kind enough to
send the cables for a listen.
Vocals might be a little more forward than I am used to, even on my Spendors,
which have a reputation for excellence in this region. Not necessarily forward
in a bad way though. Van Morrison can be
a little hard to understand (like Dylan) occasionally. Not with the LS-XXV! What used to be hard to understand passages
are coming through with a clarity I have not experienced.
My wife knew I was listening to different cables last weekend. With no coaching
her comment was "it sounds like you turned up the volume without turning
up the volume." Her comment,
unsolicited and with no coaching whatsoever, describes the amazing detail and
coherence of these speaker cables.
I'll post some additional thoughts with some more detailed references to tunes
and albums auditioned this weekend, after more listening, more music.
Other components, and I classify speaker
cables like the LX-XXV as components, during my listening sessions:
Spendor A6, Primaluna Dialogue Premium
(Gold Lion KT-88 and 12au7), Wyred4Sound DAC1-LE, Mac Mini and connective
cabling (Tara Labs, Silnote Audio,
AudioQuest).
Last weekend…..I compared my extended
listening notes this past weekend to my initial impressions. The LS-XXV continue to impress and
deliver. Deliver what you may ask? This is where it becomes difficult to
describe.
Coherence, detail, subtlety and power but
as a whole and complete performance. No
instrument is ignored or voice lost among others. Coherence and detail are noted in just about
every song and reference cut I listened to in any music genre, at least those
where I do 99.9% of my listening.
David Bromberg – Wood
Brian Bromberg’s double bass plucking
and playing are amazing, delivered with proper timbre, something many cables
will deliver. But unlike other speaker
cables, I kept wondering, how low will
it go? Piano and percussion live together, not live as in live
performance, but live together as a happy couple. Randy Waldman’s piano, David Bromberg’s drums
and Brian Bromberg’s bass come together “as one” on track #4, Speak Low.
Solo violin is perfect pitch as are other instruments presented as a whole
but separate.
Cantate Domino – Oscar Motet Choir, Alf
Linder, Organ
One of my favorite reference cuts, the
Spendor A6 don’t honor the lowest octave of Alf Linder’s organ but I can “see”
the church and time delay of a spacious cathedral. Brass
is clean but brassy.
The choir, singing in languages I don’t speak seem to be
understandable.
I can go on and on…..Loggins and
Messina, On Stage, House at Pooh Corner, more detail emerges from the guitar
“E-String” and vocal nuance.
Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones, Train in
the Distance, more detail…..period.
“Coherence, detail, subtlety and power but
as a whole and complete performance. No
instrument is ignored or voice lost among others.” That just about wraps it up.
I'll
be first in line to purchase a pair of the LS-XXV.
Comments
Colin, what say do you have over which products get reviews?
If you did, which of the new products would you most like reviewed?
I know they are different beasts but I'd like to see it compared to ATCs integrated. It's the only one around that price level, of those I've heard, that I rate very highly and I have a suspicion the latest Claymore may be the one to raise the bar.
Out of the gate, I have never heard my Spendor A6 reproduce the level, depth and detail of bass, acoustic and electric. They continue to amaze in this regard.
Percussion instruments are rendered with equal attention to both cymbal and snare. I find many times, these instruments compete for attention. Not so with the LS-XXV. Even delicate cymbals come through clearly, even when there is a bit more aggressive drum line occurring simultaneously. The cables don't flatten performance, far from it. Differences are just portrayed as they seem to me they were intended, with shading and nuance appropriate to the instrument. I'll try to describe this more fully later this week but I thought I owed initial impressions to Colin and Alan who were kind enough to send the cables for a listen.
Vocals might be a little more forward than I am used to, even on my Spendors which have a reputation for excellence in this region. Not necessarily forward in a bad way though. Van Morrison can be a little hard to understand (like Dylan) occasionally. Not with the LS-XXV. What used to be hard to understand passages are coming through with a clarity I have not experienced much.
My wife knew I was listening to different cables last weekend. With no coaching her comment was "it sounds like you turned up the volume without turning up the volume."
I'll post some additional thoughts with some more detailed references to tunes and albums auditioned this weekend, probably Sunday. I'll be first in line to purchase a pair of the LS-XXV."
Colin and Alan, thank you for the opportunity to audition Elsdon Wonfor Audio’s LS-XXV speaker cables for review. I must tell you, as a "certified cable nut", I am mightily impressed. I have run the gamut of speaker cables over the past four years. Some were in the same price range as the LS-XXV, some slightly below including Colin’s own TQ Black, and a couple of pair at or above the same price range. My initial impressions of the LS-XXV are they have not only bested Colin’s TQ Black by a significant margin but are superior in every way to the Shunyata Black Mambas that were my reference speaker cables for almost two years.
Two weeks ago….Out of the gate, I have never heard my Spendor A6 reproduce the level, depth and detail of bass, acoustic and electric. They continue to amaze in this regard.
Percussion instruments are rendered with equal attention to both cymbal and snare. I find many times, these instruments compete for attention. Not so with the LS-XXV. Delicate cymbals come through clearly, even when there is a bit more aggressive drum line occurring simultaneously. The cables don't flatten performance, far from it. Differences are portrayed as they were intended by the artist, with shading and nuance appropriate to the instrument and performance. I'll try to describe this more fully later this week but I thought I owed initial impressions to Colin and Alan who were kind enough to send the cables for a listen.
Vocals might be a little more forward than I am used to, even on my Spendors, which have a reputation for excellence in this region. Not necessarily forward in a bad way though. Van Morrison can be a little hard to understand (like Dylan) occasionally. Not with the LS-XXV! What used to be hard to understand passages are coming through with a clarity I have not experienced.
My wife knew I was listening to different cables last weekend. With no coaching her comment was "it sounds like you turned up the volume without turning up the volume." Her comment, unsolicited and with no coaching whatsoever, describes the amazing detail and coherence of these speaker cables.
I'll post some additional thoughts with some more detailed references to tunes and albums auditioned this weekend, after more listening, more music.
Other components, and I classify speaker cables like the LX-XXV as components, during my listening sessions:
Spendor A6, Primaluna Dialogue Premium (Gold Lion KT-88 and 12au7), Wyred4Sound DAC1-LE, Mac Mini and connective cabling (Tara Labs, Silnote Audio, AudioQuest).
Last weekend…..I compared my extended listening notes this past weekend to my initial impressions. The LS-XXV continue to impress and deliver. Deliver what you may ask? This is where it becomes difficult to describe.
Coherence, detail, subtlety and power but as a whole and complete performance. No instrument is ignored or voice lost among others. Coherence and detail are noted in just about every song and reference cut I listened to in any music genre, at least those where I do 99.9% of my listening.
David Bromberg – Wood
Brian Bromberg’s double bass plucking and playing are amazing, delivered with proper timbre, something many cables will deliver. But unlike other speaker cables, I kept wondering, how low will it go? Piano and percussion live together, not live as in live performance, but live together as a happy couple. Randy Waldman’s piano, David Bromberg’s drums and Brian Bromberg’s bass come together “as one” on track #4, Speak Low.
Vilda Frang – Mozart Violin Concertos No1, 5 & Sinfonia Concertante
Solo violin is perfect pitch as are other instruments presented as a whole but separate.
Cantate Domino – Oscar Motet Choir, Alf Linder, Organ
One of my favorite reference cuts, the Spendor A6 don’t honor the lowest octave of Alf Linder’s organ but I can “see” the church and time delay of a spacious cathedral. Brass is clean but brassy.
The choir, singing in languages I don’t speak seem to be understandable.
I can go on and on…..Loggins and Messina, On Stage, House at Pooh Corner, more detail emerges from the guitar “E-String” and vocal nuance.
Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones, Train in the Distance, more detail…..period.
“Coherence, detail, subtlety and power but as a whole and complete performance. No instrument is ignored or voice lost among others.” That just about wraps it up.
I'll be first in line to purchase a pair of the LS-XXV.
With kind regards,
MikeT.
Proclaim Audio