Dave's IC's

[DaveC]

Hi Mike,

Yes, that's the plan... I want to offer a line of cables that are a significantly better value for the money than anyone else.

The Neotech EC-UPOCC copper wire is the key, even the Duelund 1.0 wire at $30/ft isn't as good IF your criteria is the most neutral cable possible. Subjective preferences may favor the Duelund, but for me it's a toss up.

I was checking out that wireworld cable and it uses UPOCC silver, so it's very likely it's a Neotech product or built from Neotech wire. I haven't mentioned this but...  I am going to offer a UPOCC silver IC cable for under $1k. The wire used will be another OEM product produced by Neotech for me.

And as far as "transform your system"... I would have thought that was surely an overstatement before I built these cables. 

[mfsoa]

XLR?

[sleepyguy24]

+1 on the XLR request.

[topround]

A friend build cables with the Neotec silver wire, I have not heard it  yet but claims it will compete with anything out there.
I was wondering why you did not offer a silver cable, being a neotec dealer you have direct access to this wire.
Glad to hear you will be making this

A friend builds power cords, he claims the strain he puts on the braid affects the sound and can be adjusted to suit a system.
I find this very interesting and will be looking into this.

So much good news about cables lately

mike

[DaveC]

I do currently offer a silver IC cable, the DD, which uses Duelund 1.0 signal wire.

The silver wire I am ordering will be better than anything Neotech currently offers... it doesn't exist yet so it's impossible to know for sure, but I'm betting it will be the best silver wire in the world. I think it will surpass the Duelund wire, and it will be less expensive as well.

The Neotech EC-UPOCC copper wire is, so far, the best wire I have ever used and it costs 1/10th the price of silver wire. IMO, this Neotech wire is just as good if not better than any silver wire currently out there. As far as my goal to offer people the best value for the money, making cables based on this wire is the best solution. When you compare the D2 vs the DD cable you will see

As far as XLR cables, I have had many requests and I will be offering an XLR option in the near future. It will use a run of the EC-UPOCC wire for the + and - legs, and 2 runs of the 18g teflon ground wire, either mil spec or UPOCC copper. The wires will be run in a 4 wire litz braid.

[DaveC]

I wanted to make a comment regarding Charles' impression of the soundstage of the D1 interconnects he has.

I have found the Neotech EC-UPOCC copper cables to be the most accurate wire I have ever tried and not just by a little bit. This results in the images being smaller and more focused, with more separation or "air" between them, and less fuzziness in the area between the sonic images.

Other wires can give the impression of a slightly larger soundstage, but it is at the expense of accuracy.

I'd also like to point out that the D2 and DD interconnects do not use UPOCC pins on the RCA plugs even though Furutech makes the same locking connectors with UPOCC pins. The D2 and DD use spring/filament type pins, which while made of brass, offer 95% of the sonic "purity" of UPOCC metal, but with a more lively presentation. 75% of the sonic differences between the D1 and D2 are a result of the connectors, the other 25% is a result of using UPOCC copper ground wires. For those who diy cables, the Furutech FP-101 connectors are really amazing... at $160/set they aren't cheap but they compare favorably to Neotech's top of the line RCAs that go for $300-400 per set.

Here is a quote by Dagogo reviewer Doug Schroeder in his review of Wireworld cables, which also use UPOCC conductors. He explains the character of UPOCC cables quite well imo.

"Over the years, I am coming to categorize cables as either "Intensifiers" or "Pacifiers". By that I mean the tendency of a certain brand of cable to emphasize detail, dynamics, and the boundaries of the sound space, or in the opposite not emphasize these in favor of what my ear hears as tonal coloration. Some cables I have reviewed which intensify are MIT Cable Technologies, Harmonic Technology, and Wireworld. Some which pacify are Jena Labs, Magnan Cables, and Tara Labs. There are trade offs with every cable; the audiophile needs to discover what they will trade off in the context of his own system. I have made the decision that I will trade off some warmth for detail. My method allows me to achieve warmth through the components, but I cannot capture enough detail to suit me using cables that too severely round down details. While I consider the "pacifier" cables above to have comparatively less intensity in general, I consider them very constructive toward building an otherwise highly pleasurable system. I did so, and I could do so again. However, my present preference is toward cables which reveal detail to a higher degree.

Delineating a bit more on the difference between two "intensifiers", a distinction can be made between MIT and Wireworld, both of which I have used extensively. I have described MIT products as having an ability to magnify the signal, to make the music seem more powerful. This is not surprising, as the cables are designed with networked boxes to effectuate Power Factor Correction (PFC). So, let us liken MIT products to a copying machine which expands the image by 10%. To my ear, MIT trades a touch of purity for a lot of intensity in terms of the scale of the music.

Conversely, Wireworld tends to work the opposite, condensing the image by the hypothetical 10%, so that while it sounds perceptually "smaller" than MIT, it's images and contrasts are more sharply defined. Wireworld is more absolutely clean than MIT and not as muscular sounding. Its soundstage is smaller and a bit more recessed. It makes voices and instruments sound proportionately correct to my ear almost always, whether listening to a studio solo or a band's live concert.

So, which has the better sound? That depends on one's perspective, whether you want a bigger, broader sonic panorama, or a tighter, sharper picture. When I want big and bodacious I go for MIT but when I want tight, ultra-clean and focused sound I reach for Wireworld."

http://dagogo.com/wireworld-platinum-eclipse-interconnects-and-gold-starlight-6-digital-cable-review

[DaveC]

If you don't have any Cassandra Wilson in your collection, you are really missing out. 

Thanks for the recommendation! 

I downloaded "Another Country" in HDTracks 24/92. Late last night I was intending to sample a track or two, but ended up letting the album play from start to finish.

The sound quality of this hi rez album is awesome, definitely a go-to for music that shows off your system. I will get more of her music for sure.

[topround]

The wireworld cable I heard had a HUGE soundstage AND tremendous focus, along with amazing tone and balance.
They may be using materials that are readily available but they learned a trick or two somewhere along the line.
I heard latest generation 7 platinum.
I am going to order one of their power cords to try.

[tmazz]

A sin we audiophiles allowed.

Actually, a sin we audiophile encouraged. 

[DaveC]

Hi Mike, don't get me wrong... I'm not saying having the best of both worlds isn't possible, but it takes some experimentation which is why I made the comments about the FP-101 RCA plugs I'm using with the D2 and DD IC cables. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me why a connector with a brass center pin outperforms a connector with a UPOCC center pin on my cables... but it does. Using Doug Schroeder's lingo, the FP-101 serves to magnify and intensify the signal and throws a larger soundstage. It does this without compromising on focus and clarity. Combining the FP-101 with the Neotech EC-UPOCC wire, which has the kind of character Doug describes in the Wireworld cables, makes for a cable that throws a big soundstage, has a lively and energetic presentation, but maintains clarity and focus as well.

The D1 is a great cable for the price, but the D2 really is in another league. While the D2 costs more than 2x the D1, they both represent similar value for the money, and if you're cabling a system that uses very high performing components the D2 is probably a better value despite it's much higher price. The few folks who have auditioned both cables ended up with the D2. The D2 was intended to be a "no compromise" cable, and I believe I have achieved that objective.

[DaveC]

I am ready to offer a cable tour, I posted a thread on AC and would like to offer it to AN members that are not on AC as well.

Would 1 meter long cables work for everyone?

I have 4 ICs I am offering now:

D1: Furutech FP-126 RCAs, Neotech EC-UPOCC copper signal wire, mil spec silver plated copper/teflon ground wires

D2: Furutech FP-101 RCAs, Neotech EC-UPOCC copper signal wire, Neotech UPOCC copper/teflon ground wires

D3: Furutech FP-101 RCAs, Neotech UPOCC SILVER signal wire, Neotech UPOCC copper/teflon ground wires

DD: Furutech FP-101 RCAs, Duelund 1.0 silver signal wire, Neotech UPOCC copper/teflon ground wires

The D3 isn't on my website (davescables.com) yet, it uses individually insulated Neotech UPOCC silver signal wires in a braided geometry to form an approximate 21 gauge wire. 

Please post here if you are interested in joining the tour. 

[Nick B]

Hi Dave,
I'd be interested. Am in So Utah close to Vegas.
Nick

[sleepyguy24]

Hi Dave

Please put my name down for the Dave's IC tour. I can test/review source (analog or digital) to preamp specific ICs easily. Preamp to amp it would be harder for me to test/review. I'm on the east coast specifically NY zip code 11803.

Just let me know if I can join and I'll PM you my information.

Thanks

[StereoNut]

Hi Dave

Please count me in too.  I can be part of the NYC/Long Island "leg" of the tour.  For starters, I believe SG24 lives pretty close to me...???

Thanks,
Bill

[bpape]

Have some folks here in St. Louis that would be interested.  Can we pass it around here in town when it gets here if we keep it short or we're last?

Bryan