We all know of the astronomical prices of audio interconnects and speaker cables and it is easy to be seduced.
Over the weekend my son has been in Scotland which has permitted me the rare opportunity to listen to the 'proper' stereo, not the Sonab toy in the dining room.
I had rediscovered
Tori Amos and chucked a couple of her CDs on, followed by a couple of
Fiona Apple ones and was struck with how tremendous they sounded (too used to listening to YouTube).
Then David Crosby's
"If Only I Could Remember My Name..." (bit too close for comfort, that title) and was again assailed by the clarity and depth, the music shimmering in the air and the soundstage precise yet expanded.
After several hours it suddenly struck me that I had bought and fitted new interconnects between the pre and power amps.
Never listened to the stereo after fitting them the forgot them.
I have long intended to do this but the last time I enquired, the Vanden Hul silver interconnects for the job were £180 each.
These were bought on eBay, from China, for the glorious sum of £12 including postage.
The magic was that they are XLR connectors and use a protocol inherent in the amplifiers to enhance the signal and diminish background noise.
Always quiet amps, the intertrack silences are now deep black, the high frequencies clearer with no hint of stridency and the bass deeper, richer and less 'plummy'
Seriously cheap fix.
Can't wait for him to go to France next month
