22 hours ago, THOMO said:

Some of those expensive cables are guilty of manipulating the sound somehow to make them sound a bit different from the norm.Which some people will then convince themselves is better. Jorma Prime is a good example of that.A really weird sounding cable that somehow sounds a bit phasey .Some people think they are great!Perhaps a bit phasey sounding is what they like?

I have sat through many hours of comparing expensive cables [not owned by me] and come to the conclusion a good honest cable is a good honest cable and price does not really reflect quality.The Vermouth Audio Red Velvet speaker cables out of Bali are as good as anything I have heard.And by high end standards not very expensive.

A journey involving cables and interconnections is undeniably fascinating. It brings to mind our earlier days at Simply HiFi, where Wynn strongly believed in the positive impact of cables on the sonic experience, while Pierre passionately disagreed with this view. The concepts of right and wrong are often shaped by our subjective and ambiguous perceptions.

 

In my experience, the Red Velvet speaker cables offer impressive performance. I've used them for several years with my Magico S5 speakers, but when I had the opportunity to try Zensati, I found it to be a more suitable match for my system. I previously had the Vermouth Audio Red Velvet listed for $300, which was eventually sold to an audiophile in Melbourne.

 

To ensure a fair evaluation, it's essential to conduct these assessments on a resolving setup while being mindful of potential biases in human perception. Achieving alignment and coherence among all components is crucial for obtaining the most accurate results.

 

Jorma cables have earned a strong reputation and respect within the industry, especially among seasoned professionals. With Marten speakers now owning the brand, they have integrated Jorma cables into their flagship high-end models. While I haven't had the chance to test them myself, their background in material engineering suggests a deep understanding of what they are doing.

Price rises for Magico speakers in the US market have been announced, commencing for orders placed after 30 June. So @AccMagi7s your investment is increasing in value!

I have a young assesor to provide me with feedback. Even he gave it a thumbs up!

 

2 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

I have a young assesor to provide me with feedback. Even he gave it a thumbs up!

 

Just checking out his inheritance Chanh 😎

21 minutes ago, Mendes said:

Just checking out his inheritance Chanh 😎

That's right, and to extend on that point. With this level of gear you need to think about those things, and insurance, and security, etc. Let's say with $1M+ worth of stuff in that room the home and contents insurer needs to know about. AAMI is the only insurer I could find who would insure my audio stuff.

4 minutes ago, brodricj said:

That's right, and to extend on that point. With this level of gear you need to think about those things, and insurance, and security, etc. Let's say with $1M+ worth of stuff in that room the home and contents insurer needs to know about. AAMI is the only insurer I could find who would insure my audio stuff.

The good news is that everything is so heavy that stealing anything would be extremely challenging.

Fire would be the main risk I suspect, but absolutely take your point 👍

Edited June 7, 2025Jun 7 by Mendes
spelling

3 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

I have a young assesor to provide me with feedback. Even he gave it a thumbs up!

I'd be avoiding the Beef Wellington if one day he offered to cook you lunch.

10 minutes ago, Mendes said:

..Fire would be the main risk I suspect, but absolutely take your point 👍

I'm insured for accidental damage as well. I'm blowing the roof off at home at the moment playing my usual trance rubbish. I sense a claim for accidental glass damage is approaching.

I think @AccMagi7s ought to change the title of his system showcase topic. We have migrated way past DIY server developments and are now cruising in the stratosphere on the edge of HiFi audio outer space.

23 minutes ago, Mendes said:

The good news is that everything is so heavy that stealing anything would be extremely challenging...

I'd have a crack at the Siltech Royal Double Crown speaker cables, far less of a challenge than the M7's.

I just got back from my chiropractic appointment this morning, and I've been seeing my chiropractor twice a week. Thankfully, I have health insurance to help cover the costs. This all started when I began purchasing high-end audio electronics, and my doctor kindly advised me to avoid buying such heavy, non-standardised items if I wanted to reduce my visits from weekly to every two weeks. I'm starting to see the wisdom in that suggestion!

I think it’s time for me to lighten my load, so I’m planning to sell my Accuphase DAC and CD transport to make way for the MSB Cascade system soon. This will definitely help with the weight whenever I need to move it!

 

On another note, I paid a premium for content insurance, which includes four hidden CCTV cameras in the room. It’s always interesting to watch how my guests behave in my absence! 😊

 

1 hour ago, brodricj said:

I think @AccMagi7s ought to change the title of his system showcase topic. We have migrated way past DIY server developments and are now cruising in the stratosphere on the edge of HiFi audio outer space.

How do I do that??

1 hour ago, brodricj said:

That's right, and to extend on that point. With this level of gear you need to think about those things, and insurance, and security, etc. Let's say with $1M+ worth of stuff in that room the home and contents insurer needs to know about. AAMI is the only insurer I could find who would insure my audio stuff.

I word of warning. I would be very wary of AAMI insurance. Had bad experiences with them in the past. I now use a broker for all my insurance and they don't consider them a premium insurer. YMMV , you do get what you pat for. Regards.

12 minutes ago, Lazz said:

I word of warning. I would be very wary of AAMI insurance. Had bad experiences with them in the past. I now use a broker for all my insurance and they don't consider them a premium insurer. YMMV , you do get what you pat for. Regards.

Ihave a broker for my consultancy PI and PL. He also manages this content portfolio for me. It is a phone call away, and I have been their very loyal client since. 

 

No consumer insurer understands the ridiculousness of being audiophiles!

Edited June 7, 2025Jun 7 by AccMagi7s

4 hours ago, Lazz said:

I word of warning. I would be very wary of AAMI insurance. Had bad experiences with them in the past. I now use a broker for all my insurance and they don't consider them a premium insurer. YMMV , you do get what you pat for. Regards.

AAMI has a reputation for doing everything they can to not pay out and panel shops have warned me to avoid them as they're also the worst to deal with on top of trying to get money out of them.

 

I use Shannon's and they have been always great to deal with and they have always paid without issue when I've needed to make a claim.

When I brought up my system they didn't even blink an eye and were happy to insure it with my contents.

The past few days have been nothing short of heartbreaking. My family feels like they are slowly losing me, and I can’t help but feel trapped in this room, surviving on inadequate meals. It’s strange—I find myself no longer craving food unless my spouse brings it to me. It’s as if my desire for nourishment has faded, bound to the four walls surrounding me, deepening my sense of isolation.

The M7 arrived sounding very solid and broken-in to me, they should be acclimatized in the room now. We should double check the torque on the tie rods before embarking on critical listening. A decision is going to have to be made on speaker cables, the M7 are probably ready for that step. I'll come up on Tuesday (if that's OK?) and we can deal with the tie rods and I'll leave my Crystal Cable Ultra Diamond speaker cables for a week. They are not double Crown performance standard (or price!), but they are from the same stable so would be a good reference point as an entry level cable that might come in to consideration. Although they are on a Mk2 version now. Compared to the Siltech which you have on loan.

I'll also bring my Bladelius integrated and you can have that for a week. You might be surprised how good it is with the M7 if you crank up the bias from where I have it set for M3. If you like what you hear the Oden Class A Mk2 + optional DAC module should come in to consideration to replace the Gryphon + Accuphase and pass on the MSB Cascade. That would be a major upgrade, and at no cost.

2 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

I find myself no longer craving food unless my spouse brings it to me. It’s as if my desire for nourishment has faded,

 

This is a common property also of (video) gaming addiction. I've certainly experienced this both in relation to video gaming and long immersive listening sessions, and I'm sure many others here have, too. It's attendant to "flow experience" and/or hyperfocus. Flow would be my preference out of those two: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

If you're dosing too hard, perhaps make a conscious choice of a long walk each day and structured family interactions 🙂

The M7s require a repositioning, but this task cannot be completed independently. The tilting angle must be adjusted slightly in a retrograde direction, and the vertical alignment should be precisely upright. Furthermore, they need to be relocated both backward and 5 cm apart from one another. Apart from these adjustments, the soundstage and imagining are not overly conspicuous from the outset, @brodricj. 

This track sounded absolutely fantastic! Every little detail was profoundly and precisely positioned on the stage. It felt like they were matching toward me from the listening chair.

 

Source QoBuz direct. 

26 minutes ago, AccMagi7s said:

This track sounded absolutely fantastic! Every little detail was profoundly and precisely positioned on the stage. It felt like they were matching toward me from the listening chair.

I'm playing it now, through the magic of Spotify. I might try the free Qobuz subscription when my N1T comes.

3 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

The past few days have been nothing short of heartbreaking. My family feels like they are slowly losing me, and I can’t help but feel trapped in this room, surviving on inadequate meals.

If they try to speed up the "losing you" process and you find a beef Wellington served for your Sunday lunch...well, enough said.

22 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

....which includes four hidden CCTV cameras in the room. It’s always interesting to watch how my guests behave in my absence! 😊

You might be advised to tread cautiously with this. Have a look at the Surveillance Devices Act 1998, particularly section 6 of the Act and what are lawful uses of optical surveillance devices recording private activities. Surveillance cameras on private property to protect owners from theft or trespass is lawful (section 6 (3)(b)(iii)), and I do the same. But in this situation an audiophile checking out the system obviously has consent so trespass is not at issue. So there must be a genuine concern that the audiophile who is not trespassing might be inclined to knock off your stuff for (discrete) surveillance cameras to be allowed. That might be a hard argument to make. An obligation then arises (section 6, 3(a)) regarding implied consent. If there is implied consent to be recorded privately then that's OK. That is why there should be a CCTV recording sign at the entrance door, because that gets you over the implied consent requirement (unless the audiophile visitor is legally blind).

So to summarize, best advised that a CCTV warning sign should be on display. Or tell anybody who goes in that room that CCTV is installed. The law requires it.

For those who have previously expressed interest in cable lifters, I am pleased to announce the availability of my latest innovation. These cable lifters represent the pinnacle of my research and development efforts.

 

In the past, I have had the pleasure of deploying Shunyata cable lifters, which have consistently enhanced the sound quality of my systems. However, these new cable lifters take this performance to an entirely new level. They are my proprietary design, patented for your exclusive use.

 

I am offering a competitive price of $99 per cable lifter, with a minimum order quantity of four. For bulk orders, I am happy to provide further discounts.

 

 

21 minutes ago, brodricj said:

You might be advised to tread cautiously with this. Have a look at the Surveillance Devices Act 1998, particularly section 6 of the Act and what are lawful uses of optical surveillance devices recording private activities. Surveillance cameras on private property to protect owners from theft or trespass is lawful (section 6 (3)(b)(iii)), and I do the same. But in this situation an audiophile checking out the system obviously has consent so trespass is not at issue. So there must be a genuine concern that the audiophile who is not trespassing might be inclined to knock off your stuff for (discrete) surveillance cameras to be allowed. That might be a hard argument to make. An obligation then arises (section 6, 3(a)) regarding implied consent. If there is implied consent to be recorded privately then that's OK. That is why there should be a CCTV recording sign at the entrance door, because that gets you over the implied consent requirement (unless the audiophile visitor is legally blind).

So to summarize, best advised that a CCTV warning sign should be on display. Or tell anybody who goes in that room that CCTV is installed. The law requires it.

The CCTV stickers are prominently displayed at the front of the premises. Despite their visibility, it appears that you may have overlooked them.