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Feedback & Reviews |
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The shimmering, transparent sound of pure silver.
What the customers/ reviewers say: Here's a selection of feedback from people who have purchased or reviewed our pure silver cables (most recent first). Reviews are high-lighted in yellow... February 2012 [Ultimate
Silver Stream USB cable] "Dear
Alister,
January 2012 [Silver Dream Mark 2 Sennheiser headphone upgrade cable]: "Hello Alister I'm looking forward to receiving them [Ultimate Silver Dream RCA interconnects] and discovering how they affect my listening pleasure! The silver (for Sennheiser) headphone cable I bought from you a while back certainly revealed more music than my system had been able to deliver before.
Kind regards
Simon Ward"
AND...
[Silver Dream interconnects]
"Dear Alister.
Hope you can read my English writing.
I have used the Artisan cables in my
system for about 3 weeks now. I use them between my great Wired 4 sound dac
and my high end Gryphon Diablo amp.
The bass goes deep and are very tight. The
middle are open, transparent and dynamic. Both men and female singers sounds
very natural.
The treble is very open, with a lot of
air. And best of all, there are no hardness or sharpness at all ! Very nice.
At this price, I think they are
outstanding ! Cannot ask for much more.
Highly recommended ! Love these cables.
Thanks, and many regards
Harry Johansen"
December 2011 [Ultimate Silver Dream
interconnects] "Hi Alister AND...
[Ultimate Silver Dream interconnects and speaker cables]
"Hi Alister. The cables arrived in
Canberra last Tuesday. I picked them up on Wednesday and have been running
them in continuously since then (around 92 hrs at present).
In summary, I love them! Openness,
transparency and micro-detail which has had me hearing subtleties in the mix
and nuances in recordings I have been listening to for 30 years. Vocals really
soar, the soundstage is enlarged vertically in particular. My previous PNF
speaker cables and interconnect were very good for the money but the USDs take
the music to another level again. It is interesting how the USDs emphasise
different elements of the music...
BTW, I have a MARANTZ KI Signature Pearl
CD player, modded Atoll power amp, modded Shanling pre-amp and Merlin Audio
TSM monitor speakers. It is a very revealing and neutral combo but tends
towards being slightly light on 'punch'.
Overall, the word 'stunning' has come to
mind repeatedly in the past 4 days.
Thanks for everthing from start to finish...
Cheers mate,
Matt"
October 2011
"Alister,
The (Ultimate Silver w/ Cardas plug) interconnects are first class and
your customer service ranks with the best based on my experiences of
over thirty years around quality audio gear. I would wholeheartedly
recommend your Ultimate Silver interconnects to any audiophile seeking
a high value, high performance product.
Best Regards, Geoff Trout"
September 2011
[Silver Dream XLR
interconnects] "Your cables are
the only analogue interconnect in the system....from the Uther to the Nuforce.
So far, I am loving them. At 20% of what I paid for my KCAG's years
ago.....you rock.
A nice review of the Artisan Silver Phono Stage [Discontinued product] at "Soundstage! Network": "Right from the get-go, the Artisan belied its size by laying down bass that was strong, rhythmic, tuneful, and tight...I often found my foot and head bobbing in time. When I played music that highlights complex time signatures or is built on a strong rhythmic pulse, the Silver kept time beautifully, delivering the full flow of the music right on time for dinner.... With the Silver MC’s good extension at both ends of the audioband and its clear, robust midrange, well-recorded acoustic jazz, chamber music, and acoustic folk and pop all came off rather well. This was perhaps the Silver’s greatest strength: a tonal consistency and overall coherence that sang right along with the music. The Silver’s sound was very natural and unforced -- there were no obvious tonal aberrations or frequency-response bumps that spotlit instruments in a certain way or highlighted specific frequency ranges. This is a good thing in any phono stage, and somewhat unexpected in one so reasonably priced... As I write this, I’m listening to Tears for Fears’ The Seeds of Love (Fontana 838730), one of my all-time favorite pop records. The CD is rather steely, but the vinyl sounds fantastic through the Artisan, as have many more LPs from my collection. Without comparison to phono stages costing many times the MC’s price, the Artisan’s enticing blend of tonal and frequency coherence, good extension at both ends of the audioband, and a bubbling, snappy rhythmic capability might get me thinking I’m pretty satisfied. If something like the crisp and brisk, direct and forthright sound of older Naim products speaks to you, then you’ll really like the Artisan Silver MC. I think the Artisan would pair nicely with something like a Rega P3 or Pro-Ject turntable, and an MC cartridge such as a Dynavector 20X2, an Ortofon Blue, or a myriad of others. It would be a killer upgrade for those who have good-quality integrated amplifiers and who use the afterthought built-in phono setting. My point here is that those who play LPs but don’t want to sink a lot of money into associated equipment now have a great starting/stopping point. If the Artisan Silver MC doesn’t pull the carpet out from under truly high-end phono stages, it’s still a solid, robust performer, and I’ve heard more expensive phono stages that can’t better it. All this for 305 bucks? Fuhgettaboudit. I don’t think I’ve heard the Silver MC’s equal for anywhere close to that amount. To better it, you’d need to move higher up the price ladder." Full review here.
AND...
Now you needn't just take my word for it: The Centrance DACmini [Discontinued product] is a killer component! Great review from Hi-fi World magazine - click here to read.
August 2011 [Silver Dream Mark 2 Headphone Upgrade Cable] "Hi Alister,
The Silver Dream Mark 2 headphone cable
you send me at August,8th arrived to Portugal at August,10th by 10 o'clock.
Terrific service.
The Cable construction is suberb.
At the very first beginning I felt
immediately the potential of the cable in comparation with the stock cable.
All the spectrum of the music much more there.
After about 100 hours of burn-in the cable
gives me all the plaiser that I'm looking for...music with
transparence,information and balance. Beautiful product. Congratulations.
I'm using it with the following system:
-Primaluna Prologue Eight Tube CD Player
-Graham Slee Solo SRPG II headphone
amplifier
-HD 650 headphones
-Giant Killer interconnect.
I'm very happy and always open to ear
something from you concerning improvement in this area.
All the best.
José Frangolho"
AND... [Ultimate Silver Dream interconnects] "Hi Alister.
Thank you for my second pair of
ultimate silver dream cables. I've used this set to connect up my quad
pre-power amps and what a differance they have made yet again. They do
exactly what you say on the web site. I was using good quality cables
before which cost more than your cables but all i can say is that the
ultimate silver dream cables have blown my other cables out of the water.
The improvement is unbelievable. The sound from my rogers studio 1's has
so much improved. Cheers Ady."
AND...
[Ultimate Silver Dream RCA
interconnects]
"Hi Alister AND... ["Ultimate Silver Dream SE" interconnects] "Alister, After a couple of months' listening, I am very pleased with the results with your interconnects. I use them to connect a Da Vinci turntable/Thales tonearm/Soundsmith strain gauge cartridge to connect to the Soundsmith pre-amp. They have corrected an over-brightness with the former cables and basically disappeared into the system....
Best Regards, Simon"
[Ultimate Silver Dream speaker cables] "Hi Alister, I've had the cables in my system for 200 hours now (I know exactly as my preamp has an hours counter) and I am very pleased. They are excellent, giving me more of the same as the interconnects. I'm particularly impressed with a new level of transparency and clarity. As with the interconnects, I love the musicality and tonal balance produced. Out of interest I found the circa 100 hours mark to be the point at which things really started to get good... Many thanks and Best Regards, Howard"
June 2011 Tony Bolton has given the Artisan Silver MC Phono Stage [Discontinued product] a very nice review in July 2011's edition of Hi-fi World magazine. Click here for the full review. AND...
[Silver Dream 5-pin DIN to 2
RCAs interconnect] "Hi
Alister, Hope you are well.
Right I've had the silver DIN
interconnect in my system for a while now so they should be more or less
burned in. My impressions are that the difference I immediately encountered
on the balanced interconnects was not as apparent. In no way did I feel that
the sound had worsened just that there wasn't so much difference. I
therefore just ABd with my previous DIN Anticable interconnect, something I
didn't even bother with the XLRs, I knew immediately the sound was better...
Overall, I'd say the silver
interconnects pretty much do everything the website says. I like the
description "shimmering". The sound is livelier, more musical and sweeter.
The tonal balance is spot on for me. I also agree that ropey recordings
aren't as bad with these interconnects in place.
I am now seriously tempted by the
summer sale and just wanted to confirm that this would apply to the speaker
cables I inquired about...
Kind regards,
Howard"
AND... "Dear Alister, I should have emailed you earlier in how much I have enjoyed the first interconnects you made for me. They are just wonderful, in all of the most musical areas. When I got your email today with the 20% sale I just could not resist. Please apply the SUM 20 to the order I just placed. I'll bet I order another pair before the end of August. All the best, and thanks for such a superior product at a really wonderful price. Sincerely David Worth." AND... [Ultimate Silver Dream interconnects] "Hello Alister,
firstly
thankyou for your prompt service in supplying my U S D cables.It's been
a few weeks since delivery and I've now accumulated some 48 hours of
use. I must say at this point how important it was reading about
'burning in' the cables, on hearing them initially the sound was very
bright with a definite lack of real base. So much so that the beat
to the music seemed to be provided by symbols more than bass, and
after two days of intensive use I was seriously thinking they might
be returned. Detail and clarity were obviously present but the tonal
balance was positively lacking. Now for the good news, after
approximately one week of use the bass started to come through, and
the treble lost its harshness and prominence to become sweet and
much more relaxed. At this point the attention was rightfully drawn
to the wonderful clarity of voices, and lyrics I could now
understand for the first time on more involved tracks. As of
present I am now 'seeing' a very precise soundstage that was not
there at the beginning, which after some 48hours of use is still
improving. Very fine cables in my bi-amped and bi-wired system, and
NO they will not be sent back.
Many thanks, Pete S."
May 2011
[Ultimate Silver Dream Speaker
Cables] "Hello alister
Received speaker cable on Friday,sounds very good the mid range is much more clean sounding with more detail.Hearing back ground sounds which are more defined and audible now.Some discs which were bad recordings with harshness are now more enjoyable to listen to,and the cables are not fully broken in I am expecting more detail to improve as the cables get used more...Thank you petro" AND... "Thank you Alistair for
a wonderful product, April 2011 "Due to
excellent results in my big hifi-rig at home, I have just ordered another cable
from you...I'm looking forward to a complete connection from source to amp with
your cables! They're really good... March 2011
"Hello Alister,
Your two pairs of xlr ultimate silver
dream interconnects have convinced me to no end. I use them from my cd player
to my pre amp and from there to my poweramp (all Primare). I consider myself
extremely lucky to have come across reviews on the internet. I prefer your
cables to the very expensive MIT cables. I noticed cleaner bass response. I
can now sit closer to the back wall in my listening room and the sound remains
uncongested. I can 'see' further into the music. Sounds previously not quite
distinguishable become true to life/live instruments. This is all very nice of
course but now the downside: I fear my present speakercables will have to go.
I would like to order a pair of ultimate silver dream cables (2x2metres) to
feed my audio physic tempos. No more copper for me; artisan silver rules!
kind regards, peter fennis"
AND...
[Ultimate Silver Dream speaker cables]
"Hi Alister
I just wanted to let you know that I'm
very pleased with the speaker cable I purchased. Your products and service are
terrific, keep up the good work!
Thanks
Geoff"
AND... [Ultimate Silver Dream XLR interconnects and Ultimate Silver Dream speaker cables] "Hi Alister, The cables have made a huge difference in the system; the sound is exactly how it should sound I am very happy with my purchase. Kind Regards Vanny Sherry" February 2011 [Silver Dream USB cable added to a system already containing all silver interconnects] "Hi Alister, Last night I had my first listen with the USB cable. From the first note it was so obvious that my skepticism that there could be any truly audible differences between USB cables was entirely unfounded. I was blown away actually. I thought "I'm not even going to bother A/B'ing this with my old cable as the difference is so major that there's no point A/B'ing to confirm what I already know." Absolutely everything has improved very noticeably. Was I ever missing out on much unrealized potential of my system. My system already sounded great, but this cable has really lifted everything to a whole new level and I am shocked quite frankly. I really wasn't expecting this.
Thank
you! January 2011 "Hello Alister, Thanks for giving me the privilege of buying your cable. It is now fully 'run in'. Well how shall I describe it? Easy! Although not cheap its one of the greatest hi-fi bargains out there. An audio equivalent of the Nissan Skyline. All the performance for a quarter of the cost of anything near it. The cable brings with it an ease of sound, tangible weight and extended clarity. No harshness just a beautiful sweet righteousness. I have been a hi-fi nut for more than 30 years and in that time I have used many many cables. Your cables are right up there with the Valhallas and AN Silvers of this world. Thank you once again. Best Regards, Andy Dziegiel (Artisan Silver Cables 'No Brainer' Fan) P.s When funds allow I will look to purchase some speaker cable..." AND... "I've now listened to these fairly
extensively and will be keeping them. At first listen they seemed "soft".
After a short listen that impression was gone. They allow a lot more of the
"texture" of the music through. CD's are much more listenable with new nuances
presenting themselves. SACD's have added warmth compared to my previous cables
with no loss of detail. The cables are a bargain in my opinion."
"Alister,
Having let the cables settle, I can say
I am extremely pleased that I went ahead with the Ultimate Silver Dream
balanced XLR interconnects.
Sometimes when you compare components
the differences are subtle and you have to swap many times and do very
extended listening to hear the difference. That was not the case this time,
there is a very noticeable difference between your cables and the Kimber
KCAG balanced cables they replace.
Very initially it seems the KCAGs are
more detailed but then you quickly realize they are just forward in the mid
and upper range. You can say they are a bit brittle or harsh. Your cables
are in fact more detailed but beautifully sweet and pure. They have lots of
attack but are not "in your face".
The bass again is different. The KCAGs
superficially sound to have more bass but what they do is smear the base
notes together. The Ultimate Silver Dreams go as deep but are more detailed
so you hear the individual notes. This detail extends across the whole range
so you hear a lot more micro dynamics which makes the music sound more real.
I also found while the sound stage of
the KCAGs is broad and instruments placed across it, they blend one into the
next. The Ultimates create an inky black silence on to which the instruments
are then placed so there is space around them. It's like going from 2D to
3D, the room just got larger.
So once again the Ultimates have really
delivered the goods. Great product at a great price.
Regards, Peter" AND... "Hi Alister, November 2010 [Sennheiser Silver Dream Mark 2 Headphone Upgrade cable and Ultimate Silver Dream RCA interconnects]: "Hi Alister, ...now my promised final thoughts as follows: I make it short and simple - I have now an audiophile system which I never believed possible for so little money.
...the HD650 sound improved as well but I am not
able to describe it to you, with my eye's closed
: the sonic experience is more like a life event,
Sincerely,
October
2010:
Our 30 day no quibble refund in action: This
customer returned his cables for a full refund, because the tonal balance
didn't quite suit his particular sytem. He did however have the following very kind
words to say:
"Hi Alister -
Many thanks for sending me so promptly, the balanced version of the Ultimate
Silver Dream interconnect- it was a delight to receive such an obviously well
designed and crafted product...
The Ultimate Silver Dream is the
most accomplished silver cable I've heard...
I have no doubt this is a brilliant cable
and in terms of value is worth many times it's asking price.
AND...
This
customer has wired his whole system up with silver - to stunning effect:
[Interconnects: XLR balanced
Ultimate Silver Dream, RCA Ultimate Silver Dream, Ultimate Silver Dream SE.
Speaker cables: Ultimate Silver Dream]:
"Alister I now have all of the cables installed and burnt in. The sound is
absolutely magical, it is so natural, it seems to float free of the speakers,
whatever I play from classical, to jazz to rock it all sounds so good it puts a
smile on your face.
Vocals and strings in particular sound
so lifelike its uncanny, Replacing the Musical Fidelity cable XLR cable is
without a doubt the biggest improvement, which shows that the Kimber KCAG and
Monocle X cables are not bad at all, just that your cables are that much
better, and happen to be an absolute bargain as well. I have to admit using a
silver cable for the connection between the DAC I use for my Sky box and the
amp is perhaps a little indulgent, but football commentary has never sounded
so good!
So I now have all of my interconnects and
speakers using your excellent Ultimate Silver Dreams, and all are in my opinion
stunning, and represent exceptional value for money. So I could not be happier,
I now realise just how good the Musical Fidelity KW25 CD, M3 amp and the PMC
Ob1is are, your cables are allowing all of them to perform at their very best.
So a big thanks from me. By the way the attenuators from Russ Andrews do mean
that everything now is able to be played without fear of literally blowing the
roof off!
AND... "Hi Alister,
I have been using my new Ultimate Silver
Dream interconnects now for almost a month and I have to say I am very
pleased.
I have them connected between my Linn
Majik CD and my Akurate Control Pre Amp and they certainly make a big
difference.
The sound is cleaner, clearer, and more
detailed with improvements across all the frequency ranges.
One thing I would say to any other
purchasers is give them time to burn in, and of equal importance your ears
time to adjust.
These are not leads to be appraised in a
five minute listening test, to do so would be doing them an injustice.
Until they are burned in they can sound too
clean and clinical, but as burn in progresses this gives way to a very smooth
and detailed sound, allowing any system to reveal its best.
Thanks again from one very satisfied
customer.
Best regards
John."
September 2010: [Silver Dream Mark 2 Sennheiser Headphone Upgrade Cable]: "Hi Alister, here comes the deserved part 2 for "Artisan Silver Cables" Mark 2 "Silver Dream": It is truly a dream like experience and always fun to listen to. After about 105 hrs. it was like somebody is opening the curtain, just very stage like. Remember I've been to many live performances. Because I had to change something on my set I had to take it off power, that was after about 150/160 hrs. and when I started, so to speak, new again, there was again an improvement in the transparency, which I did not expect. Now I am at about 200 hrs., I just finished listening to Verdi's Falstaff, a Decca Recording from 1964 a known excellent recording, Digital Remastered in 1989 and just amazing, with the Mark2 on my KI Pearl set-up better than many SACD recordings of today. Nevertheless I feel that the total sound picture will still be better after 300 hrs. burn/play in. That would be nothing unusual for very good Hi-Fi equipment. You have a real winner her that is my humble opinion... Sincerely from Hamburg johnhdr" AND... [Ultimate Silver Dream SE interconnects] "Hi Alister, My Ultimate SE is now burnt in and I am extremely pleased with it. I am using it between CD player (Densen Beat 400 plus) and Audio Note M3 preamp. I already have some fairly high end interconnects, Nordost Valhalla and Cut loose Silver Spine and on CD player to preamp the Silver Dream Ultimate works the best. I will be trying it on my Vinyl front end Nottingham Analogue Hyper space deck, their Anna space arm, Lyra Delos cartridge into a Unison Research valve phone stage via an Audio Note step up transformer... ...I will shortly be placing an order for at least one more set of Silver Dream to use between pre and power amps. Thank you for producing an excellent product at a sensible price.
Best wishes
Terry Hughes" August 2010:
[Ultimate Silver Dream interconnects]
"Hello Alistar,
During last weekend I had the chance of critical listening of the new cables,
and my verdict is: beyond expectations. I placed them between Meridian 508.24
CD player and Conrad-Johnson Premier 17LS preamp. They are smooth, transparent
and detailed through the whole frequency spectrum... Very good sound stage.
You know, I usually don't play very loud, but this cables made me want to turn
the volume up.
Thanks, all the best,
Sergio"
AND...
[Silver Dream RCA interconnects]
"Hi Alister,
Got the Silver Dream a week ago, been
listening to A LOT of music everyday!
It's still getting better everyday and as
with the xlr interconnects the SD fits very well. In my system, you have
another winner!...
BR
Pedro Romão" AND...
[Sennheiser Silver Dream
Mark 2 Headphone Upgrade cable]
"...All comments and links on your site, explaining the "Pure Silver"
advantage are tru and my non-professional comments are not needed because I
could not add anything more, except, it works excellent.
Because of this very
satisfying experience I ordered today your "RCA Ultimate Silver Dream",
despite the fact that I use already very decent RCA cables and listen to my
music over 90% via Sennheiser HD650, now with
Mark 2 "Silver Dream" and dream my time away.
Alister, I hope this was not too long
but this is how I started with this beautiful experience.
Thank you very much,
kind regards,
johnhdr"
July 2010: [Ultimate Silver Dream] "Plugged in the new Ultimate Silver Dreams between our DAC and amp and compared to the Nordost Baldur’s we had before .. wanted to say the change in sound was very noticeable and much improved. My wife and I did a quick test with Roger Waters ‘Watching TV’ off "Amused to Death" and this seems to be improved across the whole range of instruments... I’m really exceedingly impressed by this for the money, a serious improvement and such an increase in clarity - brilliant! I want to say thanks for providing such a great product. Equally thanks to Chris for the recommendation, he did say it’d be one of the best tips he could give me and he’s right!!... Dr Jim Freer" June 2010:
[Ultimate Silver
Dream XLR]
"...I'm really satisfied with
the sound. There is more of everything! AND... “Hello Alister, I have my Ultimate Silver Dream SE now for some month and I have to say, I love them. One pair is running with my Sennheiser HD800 and Earmax Anniversary and the other pair with Unison Research Performance, Tom Evans Groove SRX, Clearaudio turntable and SF Guarneri Memento. In both I had Supra Sword interconnects and in both it is the same conclusion. The Ultimate is more clear, more detailed, more space between instruments, sweeter voices, very natural. In the highs, there is no comparison. When I change from Supra to Ultimate then I see what distortion I had. With the Ultimate everything is perfectly compact. And the clearness, with the Ultimate you only hear the music. With the supra where so many things I didn´t hear. Really, really good job!!! And your service was exceptional. We changed from the normal ultimate to the SE and it was quick easy and simply a pleasure!! Thank you Alister. Wishes from Spain - Agustin “ AND...
"Hello Alister,
May 2010: For those who doubt that the quality of the cables used in a high-end hi-fi system can fundamentally affect the end performance of the system, don't just take our word for it; read what Kevin Galluci of UltraAudio.com has to say in his new review of the Ultimate Silver Dream interconnects: "What first caught my attention was how clear these interconnects sounded...I could really hear the notes decay...Music seemed to flow through these interconnects unimpeded...There’s a lot going on in this song, and the Ultimate Silver Dreams sorted it all out with great precision. Instruments were presented in their own individual spaces, with air around each...There was a natural sense of realism to the midrange...everything was vividly lifelike... Silver is expensive; to move up to silver interconnects, you usually have to spend a lot of money...I believe the Ultimate Silver Dream is superb for the price, and a real bargain for anyone looking to get into silver cables" Full review here.
AND May 2010: Amine Slimani has now reviewed the recently launched Mark 2 Sennheiser cable for Head-fi.org. As you can see, he rather liked it! "With
a transparent component like the Mark2 cable, it is hard to go into the
classical bass/mids/highs description. While the Mark2 extends the frequency
response in both the low end and extreme highs, it doesn’t have a sonic
signature of its own. While I have found in the past that the Mark1 cable was notably faster than the Moon Audio Blue Dragon and the Stefan Audio Art Equinox Cables, I have found that it was surpassed by the Mark 2 cable as well the RAL Cable in transient speed. What it means for the Mark2 cable is that sounds appear and disappear instantly...What it means is that all natural (unamplified) instruments will sound like they are supposed to, provided the upstream components (especially the DAC) are up to the task... Overall the Mark2 silver dream “de-veils” the HD-650 by offering a cleaner and clearer window to the representation....The Mark2 cable preserves the natural warmth of the recording without adding or subtracting anything...you can not only clearly hear the fundamental of the note being played but also all the overtones...Going from the stock cable to the Mark2 cable, you get a more complete and richer representation.... Surprisingly these differences are not only heard in my reference system. Even on the cheap Audio-gd FUN DAC/Headphone amp combo, the improvement going from the stock cable and the Mark2 cable are easily audible... The Mark 2 cable improves the layering of the soundstage and provides a much more precise imaging than the common copper based cables...The dynamic range of the Mark2 cable is amazing: it retains the low level information when playing loud material; it can go from whisper levels to explosive levels in an instant and at very low listening levels, the details are not obscured or muffled like it is the case with the stock cable...The reason the HD-650 sound clearer with the Mark 2 cable is simple, it is because all the low level details are there in spades... This wasn’t only noticeable with a selection of high quality music but it was also noticeable when using the HD-650 for listening casually to movies or series. With the Mark 2 cable, you get all the little details that fool you into being actually there..." Full review here
April 2010 - [Ultimate Silver Dream and Silver Dream interconnects]:
"Henry
from Canada
AND Latest quote from a satisfied customer on the new Mark 2 Sennheiser Headphone cable: "Hi Alister...Now for the update on your Mark 2 Sennheiser headphone cord; WOW! What a difference; I have been using this new cable for a few days now with amazing results. The sound through my Lehmann headphone amp is much “Louder” (which probably means that more of the signal is getting through), clearer, more detailed, more spacious, more extended you name it – there are VAST improvements in every single area. What an upgrade to my Sennheiser HD650s! Thank you once again for producing such an excellent product. The 3 metre length is also now perfect...With best regards, Leslie"
A comprehensive write-up of the Ultimate Silver Dream interconnect cables by a customer - click here to read
March 2010 -
"Hi Alister...Regarding
the USD speaker cables, last night I was noticing how smooth they are getting,
smooth in a good way, almost all brightness is gone. Strange thing is they
sounded much smoother then just the day before...The sound is really getting
amazing now; all the detail and clarity is there but now the brightness is gone.
They are really morphing into everything I was hoping for. I love clarity,
detail, and articulation, but sometimes to get that things end up too bright.
Not so with these cables, they have all the clarity and detail but are not at
all bright. They really are just like the USD IC's this way. I'm very pleased
and I know they are going to keep refining, keep getting better.
AND...
"Hi Alister,
AND... "Hi Alister, I am still very very happy with the 3 ICs that I purchased from you. I seriously doubt that I’ll ever have to upgrade those cables ever again. Thank you!!" AND... "Hello Alister
I connected the silver dream to my DAC and into my Ray Samuels Headphone Amp.
Right out of the box without break in I what I heard was a significant improvement
on all levels of the sound. Just re-read 6moons review of the silver dream and
it's all true. Some things like the 'emotional involvement with the music'
cannot be put into words. You have to experience it yourself. That is a major
improvement with the silver dream. Thank you."
AND...
"Alister, AND...
"Hi Alister
Been Listening
to your Ultimate
Silver Dream cables for a few weeks now and they are fab. Once you get
through initial break in period, they out-classed my yter interconnect, also
compared them with atlas mavros interconnects and i think your cables are
superior in bass definition and top end smoothness these cables are good,
very good,my system is marantz SA7-S1 CD, Luxman 550AU11 Integrated Amp,and
Monitor Audio PL200 Speakers, now I need to save for ultimate silver dream
speaker cables and digital interconnect. Thanks
Alex"
January 2010 - the New Year starts with more great feedback, the first of which rams home the amazing value we offer over other cables made of exotic materials:
"Alister,
I received the cables some days ago. I let them burn in for about three days (definitely they need to burn in!). Then I started listening them. But before I wish to let you know against which cables I confronted them: - AudioQuest Sky (silver, about € 2500); - Stealth PGS Gold (gold, about € 1000); - my beloved Acoustic System Liveline (various metals, about € 700). What can I say? Your cables are simply “right”: they do everything very well. I am not able to spot a weekness. They do everything better than the other (excellent) cables. Even better than my preferred set, the Liveline. Same liveliness but better timbre, more smoothness, total assence of glare and haze, very relaxing sound, warmth and detail, astounding bass, best mid heard in my life, airy and extended highs. Astounding 3 D soundstage. So, with some sadness, I had to remove the Liveline from my first source assigning them to the second. Well done Alister! Best Wishes Stefano Amico" AND...
"Alister,
I have about +50 hrs usage on my Ultimate
Silver Dream cables now. They run between a Leben valve phono stage and a
Plinius preamp and replace a well regarded pair of cables costing 2.5 times
the price. I have found a significant improvement in sound quality making
listening to music a more enjoyable experience. I would not hesitate to
recommend these cables.
Many thanks, Paul." AND... "Thanks Alister,
happy new year to you too!
As you can probably infer from the fact
that I am ordering a 2nd set of cables, I am extremely pleased with your ICs.
When describing the differences relative to my old ICs, I have been accused of
using "high end" language; this is a very unfair accusation of course because
the difference is really as impactful as a hammer blow compared to a timid
whisper...
Regards,
Moritz"
AND... "...After repositioning my speakers
(that had to be done!), I began evaluating your speaker cables (and
interconnects as well) again. This time I immediately started to wonder the
natural, full bodied presentation of my rig. Even the sound was impressively
detailed I detected no glare, edginess, brightness often associated to silver
cables. No, not at all. Also 3D was nothing but excellent. After this
experience I went back to my former reference cables and although they are
quite good I found them too edgy and thin sounding!!... December 2009 Very nice review in Hi-fi World magazine - click here Latest customer feedback nicely describes how silver improves on copper (we couldn't have put it better ourselves!):
"Alister,
I ran your cable on my Hagerman Fry
Cleaner, an excellent break in device, for 4 days. My system is connected with
Wireworld Eclipse copper balanced interconnects and Wireworld Silver Eclipse
bi wire speaker cables. The 2 meter length connects the pre amp to the
amplifiers. I replaced the Wireworld with your cable and listened for a few
hours. The improvements included firmer bass, although it was not quite as
deep as the copper but more transparent, the real improvement was in the mid
range and treble. Vocals such as
Sarah Brightman, I love her, and Thomas Hampson did not have the slight
etch in the upper octaves when they hit those high notes, the
treble response in large orchestral massed string passages lost the
slight grain that copper produces. The overall sound was more transparent...
Best Regards,
Marty Thomas"
AND... "Hi Alistair, ...Silver Dream ics are making
wonders in my system - very smooth, extended, open, transparent, quick,
detailed and natural!! I have such a great expectations towards your speaker
cables.... AND... "Hi just to let you know interconnects arrived – and are all broken in. I have tended in the past to be a cable sceptic – your product has brought that to a firm stop... Cheers Dr. James McEwan"
November 2009: Brilliant new comprehensive review of the Ultimate Silver Dream interconnects (and the original Mark I Sennheiser Headphone Upgrade Cable), by Amine Slimani at Head-fi.org. Link to the full review here.
[Ultimate Silver Dreams] :
"I am more than pleased with the performance. I am glad I took the
decision to go for the Ultimate. After a long burning period it was well
worth waiting for the subtle nuances and cohesion that this interconnect
brings to my system. I am using the Ultimate interconnect between my
valve pre and my solid state mono blocks. Here, I am experiencing
authority, transparency and cohesion. The bass is taut and solid with
enough air and space in the mids and the treble is simply sublime. What
more can I ask for...
Noel Arthurs"
October 2009: We have just had a highly complementary full 3-page review on the very popular and respected 6moons.com web site - in which our "Silver Dream" interconnects are very favourably compared to Kimber's £1800+ Select KS-1030 interconnects! Naturally we're very pleased about this. To read the full review, click here
[Ultimate Silver
Dreams]
"Hello Alister And here's some feedback on our iPod/ portable audio stereo mini-jack to RCA cable:
"Hello Alister,
I just received the cable and connected
it to my set-up.
Upon very first listen, the
presentation was indeed shimmering -- crisp, clean and clear in addition to
being spacious and articulate. Compared to the Analysis Plus i-Pod cable I
was using, I got the impression of your cable being slightly lighter on the
balance but I know I would need to give it a few more days for the cable to
settle and fully bloom.
Overall, I am very impressed from the
start. I am using vintage
Western Electric solid core copper cables for my speaker connections
and your cable adds a very nice and well-illuminated addition to the sonic
presentation...my set-up now sounds more "liberated" due to the overall
clarity and crispness whereas previously I sensed a slightly "bogged down"
presentation with the weightier but slightly murkier sounding Analysis Plus
cable...
Cheers,
Kenny"
September 2009:
[Ultimate Silver Dreams]
"...Anyway, I have been listening to them a fair bit (although I am sure they
will continue to "burn in" - I don't like that term, but you know what I
mean). Have been very impressed by the naturalness
of the
tone with great improved bass extension. You would be interested to know that
I run a full Nordost Frey cable loom at the moment and have inserted my new
cable from my McIntosh pre to power - this has brought around the
aforementioned improvements...
Anyway,
keep up the good work and thanks.
Bill
Malcolm"
August 2009: Latest comments from three more very satisfied customers:
"I purchased a pair of Ultimate Silver Dream interconnect cables recently and
as I was looking for them to have the maximum effect and I have a complex
system with an outboard electronic cross-over I placed the pair between
it and the pre-amp replacing KCAG. I had not intended to make any judgements
until the cable had been thoroughly run in but one thing was immediately
apparent I had to turn the volume down 2 notches for the same record clearly
more signal was getting transmitted....
In one fell swoop your cable with its amazing increase in clarity and
information revealed the deficiencies of the current cabling.that had not been
heard before. Clearly when funds permit I must replace the cable (KCAG and
Nordost) between crossover and power amps
Thank you for producing such a wonderful cable but one that cruelly exposes
the limitations of others and I look forward to being able to have the
complete system so wired when I am convinced from what I have heard so far
your cables will move the sound quality up to completely new level
L Camy"
AND... "Hello Alister,
I have the cables in my system for a
couple of days now and I guess you would like to know how they sound :-)
I hear clear improvements in 3 areas (but
they are probably related to each other):
1) Bass is a lot tighter (faster). Before,
the bass tended to be a bit bloomy.
2) Instruments and voices are much better
placed/positioned. In the past they seem to be smeared around a bit in space
but now you can really pinpoint where the instrument/voice is.
3) A lot more detail. I hear a lot more
small details that were hard to notice in the past (reverberation, echos,
fading of the instruments/vocals, etc., things that make the sound that more
natural, can now clearly be heard).
Needless to say I'm very happy with the
cables. I consider this a huge improvement of my system for a very modest
price. Replacing a component in my system to have this big an improvement
would cost me considerably more than the cables have cost me. Again, I'm a
very happy customer :-)
Best regards,
Koen"
AND... "Hi Alister... This morning the XLR terminated “Ultimate Silver Dream” cables were returned after having been sent off immediately for DCT treatment. Whilst they have only been in the system for a matter of hours, already the results are excellent; wider soundstage, more ‘space’ around the voices and both the top and bottom ends are now starting to smooth out and extend very nicely. It is very early days, and the cables will need many many more hours to “burn in” properly, however, I am so impressed that I have just ordered another pair of your “Ultimate Silver Dream” cables with RCA connectors to replace a pair of Russ Andrews’ KCAG cables linked to my headphone amplifier. Thank you for not only meeting, but exceeding my high expectations. Keep up the good work... With best regards Leslie P.S. My Audio system comprises; DCS Verdi, Elgar, Purcell and Verona linked in to Bryston 7BSST mono block power amps feeding ATC SCM 50 speakers." AND... More from Leslie (thank you Leslie!): "Hi Alister, After a lengthy listening session, some more “comments” regarding the XLR “Ultimate Silver Dream” cables: It is now much easier to identify individual instruments, there is more ‘space’ around each instrument, there is more top end detail – without adding ‘tizz’ or fatigue, the midrange opens out extremely well, and the bass has become more extended yet remaining in proportion to the sound as a whole. In short an excellent value-for-money upgrade for my high end system. I look forward to adding more of your wonderful cables into my system to improve the sonic qualities even further. With best regards Leslie" July 2009: New "Silver Dream" review: Matej Isak, editor and chief reviewer of that wonderful resource for audiophiles, MonoAndStereo.com , has reviewed our "Silver Dream" interconnects very favourably. Matej was clearly impressed with our high performance-to-cost ratio... "... fairly priced products with heart and devotion incorporated into them." "Having a silver interconnect for 220eur (£189) seemed like a fantasy in the past." "Artisan crafted cables helped restore that mesmerizing journey vividly and with few, or better to say no complaints for the given price."
"Artisan crafted
some darn fine and affordable cables." David Clark of the online hi-fi magazine Positive Feedback has just written some more on our "Silver Dream" interconnects (June 2009): "I just can't get over how wonderful these cables are. They have none of the dreaded 'silver' glare and yet possess all the harmonic 'rightness' silver can bring to the table. These are simply amazingly good for so little cash."
Here's what Dave Clark of the online hi-fi magazine Positive Feedback had to say about our cables, during a recent review of Red Wine Audio's Isabellina DAC: "Your choice of interconnect cables might also be an issue in that even Red Wine suggests one avoid "darker" cables with the Isabellina to avoid potential "sonic" issues. I tried several here and settled on some new ones from England—the Artisan Silver Cables. Yeah, adding a touch of silver to the mix made the Isabellina sing a slightly different tune—a tune that possessed a bit more light, more sparkle… a bit more more! Not that the other cables did not, no they worked quite well too, it was just that pairing the Isabellina with the $2500 Kubala-Sosna Emotions was not how I saw the DAC being used out in the real-world. The Artisan Silver Cables ... showed themselves to be a real-world beater …sweet, musical, and oh-so naturally… well, nice! Yeah, the Artisan Silver Cables are something that any serious music lover should put on a short list of cables to audition if price is an issue… as is attaining sheer musical enjoyment (I will have more on these wonderful cables soon)." Click here to read the full review.
The latest glowing customer comments (June 2009):
"Hi Alister,
Based on the subject header, I assume you
know my reaction to the Artisan Silver Cables. They truly make my system sound
wonderful. In comparison to my previous cables (Van den Hul
D102 MkIII) the sound is much more open and detailed. When I was doing some
comparisons, the Van den Hul seemed to "smear" some of the information whereas
it was much better defined with the Artisan. One thing I was bit surprised
with the silver cables was the bass information. It was much better defined
than with the Van den Hul which seemed kind of bloated and boomy in
comparison. I didn't think this (meaning bass) was a particular strength with
silver cables. Apparently I was wrong. Vocals were also much clearer and the
reverberation/echo of the recording room was equally enhanced as was the
trailing off of notes, be it human voices or instruments.
All in all, I am extremely happy with my
purchase of the Artisan Silver Cables...and this won't be my last purchase. In
the near future I'll probably be purchasing a 1 metre length of Artisan Silver
Cables (perhaps it might even be your new Ultimate Silver Dream) which will be
going from my D/A converter to my amp (the current half metre lead is going
from my SACD player to my amp).
Thanks for a such great product...
Bob Barnard"
AND...
"I run a tube gear, a Maxwell Audio
custom design SE 300B 6w/ch, and preamp. The silver dream interconnects are
excellent cables. In my system, all the improvements Artisan noted are
present. The extended highs are focus with air , the bass is tight, full
and clear, and the voice is real with presence. My system is reproducing
remarkable music.
A Happy customer,
Maurice"
These four are NEW CUSTOMER FEEDBACK RECENTLY IN (May 2009) "Hi Alister, as promised, I’m writing to let you know that I’m extremely happy with the Artisan Silver Cables. I’ve been playing them for over 150 hours now and I must say that they are really awesome. It gives a very wide soundstage and boy, I’m beginning to hear notes from some symphonies that I didn’t know they were there. There is more space between instruments and this was so evident in pieces like Mahler Symphony No. 4 and Moussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. I even got a friend over and conducted a blind test on him. He picked the Artisan Cables over my old pair of cables citing exactly the same reasons. Just for your record, I hooked the Marantz SACD 15S2 player to my BelCanto Design 300i Integrated Amps, and the speakers are Usher 815E. The Artisan Cables replaced my 7-year old Synergistic Research Interconnects. They will remain in my system for a very long time. So that leads me to ask: When are you going to produce speaker cables? Warmest regards, Ricky"
AND...
"Hi Alister
I received my cable last friday and have been listning.
And I must say that Your cable is a true bargain.
Comparing "Silver Dream" with the YTER cables in my
system (Red Wine Audio + Podium Sound) is like opening a window on a sunny
day. Your cable sound more open, sweet and natural in every area. No sharp
edges at all. Pure music pleasure at it´s best. I´m not going to use YTER
after this. I will sure tell my fellow danes about this fantastic cables.
Your cables rock!!!
Thank You so much for making such fine cables :-)
Best regards
Jesper"
AND... "I've had a chance to listen to your balanced cables on my system which
consists of a Classe CDP 202 cd player, CP 500 pre-amp and CA 5200 power amp.
My overall impression is that that voices (particularly female) are clearer and
more isolated in the space between the speakers (B&W 803Ds). I've also noticed
that individual instruments such as cymbals are more clearly defined - I expect
that's what's called more "space" round individual instruments. All in all a
worthwhile improvement in the overall sound of my system. As you advised they
did take a while to break in but once that was completed switching back to the
old cables clearly revealed how good your cables are.
AND... "I'm enjoying my new cables. I bought them for my new OPPO BDP 83 because I have to use the multi-channel analogue out (rather than the HDMI) and they work way better than anything I had on hand." Roger Bridis
"...Only 11 hours continuous
running and they are sounding amazingly good. Peter W "...from what I've heard so far, your cables have to be one of the bargains of the century...
I think I know roughly how much the materials you are
using cost; in which case, I applaud you for keeping your mark-up so reasonable
and you deserve to sell as many of these cables as you can make. Chris Redmond (was reviewer on Dagogo.com, now working for 6moons.com) "I purchased one set of cables. Upon hearing them, I ordered 3 more sets. They are excellent sounding cables. I have used silver cables for 5 years from other vendors - paying much more." Audiogon user "Hondo" - see comment on Audiogon here
Comments from Matej Isak (editor of MonoandStereo.com), on his Twitter page: "Artisan Cables arrived from UK. Nice and effective!" (9:52PM March 29th) "Artisan and balanced? Great! Waiting to connect my Burmester with them anytime soon. Some doubt in XLR balanced cabled. I'm fanatic bout it!" (12:54PM April 5th) Matej's review of the Silver dream RCA interconnects here. "Just tried the lead on my CD player and wow!! the difference is immediately obvious. You can here into the music more and stop listening to whats wrong and just enjoy the music - thanks!" John R "The search is over, I've tried various from QED, VDH, etc, but these are on another level." Mike V "Spent 100s messing about with expensive hi-end cables but never got it quite right - these just MAKE MUSIC! thanks guys." Richard S "I bought an Artisan cable to replace a QED Quenex One between my Meridian 506 CD player and Musical fidilty X-Cans V3, driving Sennheiser HD-650s. The sound was much more open yet smoother & more liquid. No downsides! Really good value for the improvement made. I was considering expensive mods for the X-Can - but now no need. Brilliant." Dave H
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