Feedback 2010
(newest first):
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,
so clear, transparant, so life like that I dont feel I
use my Headphone, example: (1984 CD Linda Ronstadt with Nelson Riddle "Lush Life") I feel very fortunate to have found this experience for me. And finding your "Silver Dream" started it all. Many thanks and much success to you.
Sincerely, johnhdr"
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.
Kind Regards
Nigel"
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!
David
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!
thanks
best regards
Francesco"
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,
I just want to let you know that the cables sound wonderful and I prefer them to the Crystal Cable "Standard" version, which are about 3 times as expensive. The Artisans sound more open and they match very nicely with the Ray Samuels F117 NH phono stage, which itself is an outstanding phono stage and a downright steal at its asking price... I find your cables to have plenty of "weight" and transparency... at least in my system. I will be keeping them!
Best, Glenn"
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.
However, by comparison to the stock cable it is apparent that the bloated mid-bass is gone and that the high frequencies are a lot cleaner through the Mark 2 cables. What the Mark2 allows to do, in comparison with the stock cable, is a finer and more precise reading on the true harmonic structure of different instruments and voices...
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
I bought the Silver dream interconnects because from these feedbacks here and other reviews.
WoW !!! The Silver dream out performed my Cardas goldden Reference and Acoustic Zen Absolute interconnects.
The Silver dream give me bigger sound stage, more clear. I love them so much. 3 weeks later, I ordered
a pair of Ultimate silver dream int cables for my source again, and they totally transformed my system.
I am using Mark Levinson transport, Sonic Frontier DAC2 MKII, Audio Research LS25 pr-amp, Simaudio W5 power amp
and B&W matrix 801 serie 3 speakers.
Now I am ordering the Silver dream speaker cables and jumpers to replace my golden Ref speaker cables.
I will leave more feedback how they sound in my system in a few months.
Thanks Alister !!!"
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.
Best regards,
Ted"
AND...
"Hi Alister,
I know it's still very early and these speaker cables have a long way to go until fully broken-in but I have been enjoying them so much last night and today that I just had to tell you. Last night I was noticing how good things are starting to sound. And right now I just put on some music and am so impressed. The differences I've been noticing have mainly been in increased clarity and resolution. And I love this new clarity. Last night I was also noticing greater depth and dimensionality, and as you know, my speakers do not usually excel in these areas. The USD cables are showing me what my amps and speakers are capable of. These speakers are better then I thought.
Best Regards,
Ted"
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,
I have had the 2 Ultimate Silver Dream interconnects in my system for 2 weeks now going from my Leema Antilla CD player to MFA passive pre amp to Bryston 4BSST power amp to Wilson Benesch speakers. As you know the Silver Dream Ultimates were an upgrade from the Silver Dream interconnects I bought a year ago. I hear already what I would describe as going from a 2.5D sound to 3D or holographic sound. There is more space or air between instruments and my room just got a whole lot bigger. The bass is as deep but more controlled and tighter than before, this is good in case that's not clear. Top end has gained little more weight, but in my system, its the mid band that seems most improved so far. Voices and instruments just sound more real. When listening to CDs I have heard many many times before, I now find I am surprised by passages that sound so much better. There's more detail, I often hear things I hadn't heard before. The sound is compelling. Overall these are stunning cables. I am very glad I made the decision to upgrade. And the best bit is that I know they are going to get even better over time. I should add that the Silver Dreams are still excellent cables, if you remember I much preferred them to my Chord Chorus and Kimber KCAG interconnects. So the Silver Dreams will find a good home in other part of my system.
Thanks again Alister, its great that there people out their producing great products at realistic prices. I hope you go from strength to strength.
Best wishes, Peter"
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!!...
Now I'm satisfied - and my rig plays music better than ever. Thanks, Alister! Very simple formula that really works!!
Best regards,
Jouni"