To Hans Wetzel,
I saw your review of Rogue Audio's Sphinx. I was quite amazed when doing an audition of it in my country. It's quite nice when listening with Sonus Faber Venere 1.5s and Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 loudspeakers. I was planning to set up my hi-fi system in the following way: Rogue Audio Sphinx, Rega Apollo-R CD player, Rega RP6 with Exact MM cartridge, and Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 speakers. I listen to all types of music, whether it's vocal, jazz, rock, classical, pop, etc.
My question is which brand and model of speaker cables, RCA interconnects, power cables, and power conditioner will best suit this hi-fi setup? Any other suggestions or further advice would be appreciated. Thanks for replying.
Regards,
Kumar
That's a great setup, Kumar. I can imagine that the Sphinx and Veneres will do well with one another. As for cables, it really depends what you're looking for. Many folks use cables as tone controls, to tailor the sound they're getting from their system. For instance, there are some brands that are known for having a lot of bass, or perhaps tipped-up highs, and they are purposely designed that way. In a given setup, that potentially works well. The issue, though, is that it's fundamentally non-neutral, and not true to the source material. In the long term, I think having a nice set of neutral cables would be a great investment for you. While there are probably a number of other brands that make equally good stuff, the brands that immediately come to mind are: AudioQuest, DH Labs, and Analysis Plus. The brand that I happen to use is Dynamique Audio, based out of the UK. These handmade cables use copious amounts of high-purity conductors, high-quality brand-name connectors, and sound terrific. Whichever brand you go with, I would suggest starting with speaker cables and interconnects only. While some people have success with power cables and line conditioners, I don't think it's a pressing need for you. Should you feel compelled, though, you can always explore that avenue going forward. . . . Hans Wetzel
