Ron Brenay
Reviewer
Associated Equipment
Rogue Audio Super 99 Magnum Preamplifier
Rogue Audio Stereo 100 Power Amplifier
Anthony Gallo 3.1 Loudspeakers (discontinued)
Pro-Ject RM-5 SE Turntable (discontinued)
Grado Sonata Platinum 1 Cartridge
Dynavector 20x2l Cartridge
Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
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Video Review
- D1 Specifications
- D2 Specifications
- DD Specifications
- D3 Specifications
- D4 Specifications
- SL Speaker Cable
RCA Plugs: Furutech FP-126(G) with UPOCC copper center pin
XLR Plugs: XLR Furutech FP-700 Series with gold plating
Signal Wire: Neotech 22 gauge EC-UPOCC cotton insulated wire
Ground WIres: Mil Spec 18 gauge silver plated copper with teflon insulation
These cables offer off-the-charts value for the money, you get OCC copper conductors from tip-to-tip in the signal path. This cable is very neutral, it has no “characteristic sound” that will color the music signal in any direction. It has surprising clarity and gives the sonic “images” focus, clarity, separation and detail. It adds no artifacts, harshness, sibilance or glare.
-www.zenwaveaudio.com
RCA Plugs: Furutech FP-101(G) with a special filament-spring type center
XLR Plugs: XLR Furutech FP-700 Series with gold plating
Signal Wire: Neotech 22 gauge EC-UPOCC cotton insulated wire
Ground Wires: Neotech 18 gauge UPOCC copper with teflon insulation
Everything the D1 cable is, with upgraded RCA plugs and ground wire. It has the same sonic characteristics as the D1 cable, but it does everything better. It has a more lively sound and greater detail, clarity and tone. This cable costs a lot more to build, but is a significant improvement over the D1.
-www.zenwaveaudio.com
RCA Plugs: Furutech FP-101(G) with a special filament-spring type center pin
XLR Plugs: XLR Furutech FP-700 Series with gold plating
Signal Wire: Duelund 1.0 silver with silk and oil insulation
Ground WIres: Neotech 18 gauge UPOCC copper with teflon insulation
For those who prefer the sound of the best quality silver wiring, Duelund delivers. This isn’t your typical silver wire, so forget about the characteristic sound of silver many people report from lower quality silver wire. This cable delivers on tone, there is a harmonic richness and vibrancy that only the best silver wire has. It is not cold, but rather has a warmth to it… but unlike a warm sounding copper wire, it does not sound closed-in and detail is not sacrificed. Compared to the D2 cable, the DD is not as neutral, but has a richness and warmth to the sound that most people will find beautiful.
-www.zenwaveaudio.com
RCA Plugs: Furutech FP-101(G) with a special filament-spring type center pin
XLR Plugs: XLR Furutech FP-700 Series with gold plating
Signal Wire: Neotech UPOCC Silver / Gold Alloy
Ground Wires: Neotech 18 gauge UPOCC copper with teflon insulation
This cable has all the positive attributes of UPOCC silver with a more realistic tone and warmth. Compared to the Duelund cable it is more accurate, precise, and neutral. There is more detail and the presentation is more forward and lit up. It is also not as forgiving or laid back vs the DD cable. A strong point with this cable is tone… UPOCC silver is amazingly accurate but the tone is a little on the thin side, the silver/gold alloy has a warm and amazingly realistic tone that is superior to any other wire I have used. Gauge for gauge this wire is double the price of Duelund silver, and many times the price of most wire on the market today. I was hesitant to even try this wire but I’m glad I did and the high price is justified, as this IC cable is truly amazing.
-www.zenwaveaudio.com
RCA Plugs: Mundorf/WTB Nexgen RCA plug with silver/gold alloy and platinum plating
XLR Furutech FP-600 Series with gold plated female and rhodium plated male
Signal Wire: Custom Neotech UPOCC Silver / Gold Alloy (OEM product, exact wire is not disclosed). 4 x 28 gauge wires per cable
Ground WIres: Neotech UPOCC silver with teflon insulation. 6 x 26 gauge wires per cable
This cable has all the positive attributes of UPOCC silver with a more realistic tone and warmth. Compared to the D3 cable it is even more accurate, precise, and neutral. There is more detail and the presentation is near perfect. It is also not as forgiving or laid back vs the D3 cable. A strong point with this cable is tone… UPOCC silver is amazingly accurate but the tone is a little on the thin side, the silver/gold alloy has a warm and amazingly realistic tone that is superior to any other wire I have used. Gauge for gauge this wire is double the price of Duelund silver, and many times the price of most wire on the market today.
-www.zenwaveaudio.com
SL Speaker Cables: UPOCC Copper Litz Construction
Gauges: 20, 17, 14, 11
These cables are made with Neotech’s UPOCC copper litz wire in 20g and 14g. The 14g wire is my OEM product. The 17 and 11 gauge cables are made using a 4 strand braid of the 20g and 14g wires respectively. The wires are constructed using 44g upocc copper wires that are individually insulated and braided around a flat film core. The 14g wire is made of about 1060 strands of the 44g wire. The wire is constructed in this way to eliminate skin effect, where the higher frequencies travel closer to the surface of the wire, and was originally used for RF transmission applications. This results in a clearer sound when used for audio, reducing the amount of warmth and coloration imparted by copper conductors. The result is a cable that performs at a higher level than most copper speaker cables, performing at a level closer to silver, but without the typical harshness and thin sound associated with lower quality silver wire. These cables consistently perform at a higher level vs 4N silver speaker cables and are more affordable for the same gauge. This makes these cables a very good value for the money and the next best thing to my upocc silver and silver/gold alloy cables.
-www.zenwaveaudio.com
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