[Review] Zanash Cable revelation!

Zanash Cable revelation!

After being pointed to Zanash for some cable advice he kindly sent me one of his interconnects to audition. I promised to post my findings so here they are.

System: Iconaudio Sterio 40i, Akai cd93 reference master cdp, Gale something or other speaker cable Proac studio 140. I've only had the amp and speakers a couple of weeks so they are more than likely not full settled as yet.
I have to say that I really only tested the IC between the amp and cdp as I would have needed more IC to run from the TT and Phono.

To say there was a difference in performance would be a slight understatement. The old cable was some blue thing that the hairy hifi dude made me buy with the cd93 in 1990 or so. Zanash's silver and gold cable, as I've told him already, was a quantum leap for my system.

First impressions: Build Quality was as good as I have seen and better than the viper red cable the other hairy hifi dude had given me with the amp and tt. The cables are weighty and have a definite presence (and smell ).

Musically: this was yet another step in making the system transparent. The sound stage had become wider still and the music developed a clarity that hadn't been there previously.

Previously I'd found the first track off Khmer by Nils Petter Molvaer very bass heavy and boomy. Not so now with everything becoming tighter and more controlled in the bass department. This wasnt at the expense of midrange or treble though and Molvaer's top notes were sweet and controlled.

David Sylvian - Secrets of the beehive. Truely awsome album and with the new cable it was as though the musicians were placed around my room. Beautifully warm full sound stage.

I then tried something a little more complex with some Steve Reich. Again this dense rhythmic music was a pleasure to listen to whilst before I knew it was a little confused and muddy.

The only disc I had bother with was U2 - Achtung Baby. I find this a really difficult cd to listen to and the improvements gained by the new cable with this disc were minimal compaired to others.

This was all on Friday last and then Zanash pm'd me with details of cost. My reaction at this early stage was along the lines of 'feck sake are they made of pure unobtainium?'

It's Monday night now....I've listened to the AuAg cable solidly all weekend.........I cannot let it go back! This guy blows all the Hairy hifi guy's BS out of the water. I could go on and give you a disc by disc review as I've been at it all day today. Safe to say just take Zanash's word when he talks about cables.....he knows his onions.

I'll be having a couple more of these and some speaker cable in the near future.

Oh yea it does have it's own funky smell

 

Cheers......thats very kind of you to say. I'm not certain I can add anything to that, except the AuAg is very good but I still feel I can build a better cable. Though I did read an article some where by G Nalty I think that said something along the lines of.......as you try different conductor metalogies you can see a direct corrolation between sound quality and cost of the material .... now I would have scoffed at this as BS but now I'm not so certain. Still the hunt goes on for a cheaper metal than gold that will do the bizz..............

 

I have three of the AU/AG cables and hope to listen to the speaker cable soon. However, I agree about the smell. What's that all about?

The 2m XLR terminated cable is only starting to lose what can only be described as a 'strong presence' in my listening room (and you cannot see it!)

Souns quality, as I have said before, is superb.

 

I'm not using that sleeve again !!!!

Don't know why it smells like it does ? and the roll doesn't particularly, just when its cut and used ??

 

I have Zanash's speaker cables and you will like them too. They will reveal whats going on in your system. I'm saving up now for his modded dac or have the cd player modded. What we acheived one day with Zanash's cables and dac was the best i had ever heard. Instruments were their not just in hearing them it seemed as though you could actually see the shape and form.
Jimbo. ps did you get in touch with Cattylink Zanash?

 

Hi...no been busy ! but I will try again.

 

11pm and just back from trying to drown some kids in the lakes for three days. Z...I'll pm you tomorrow when I am more awake.

 

After reading all the good things that have been said about zanash's cables, I sent him a quick note a couple of weeks ago asking for more info. He answered all my questions, then really shocked me.... he offered to drive to my house to drop off a loan pair of his ag/au interconnects!

I plugged them in, between my Ear834 phono and my Glasshouse 300b and was shocked at how transparent they were. Previously I had been using various cheap n cheerful cables that I thought were "good enough for now", Zanash's cables showed how crap they were.

My brother had a listen and was also impressed.. so much so that he brought round his chord anthems to compare. Petes cable comprehensibly beat them too. More open yet no hardness, it sounded purer and imparted less of a character on the music. The chord cable sounded more "hifi", Petes just got out of the way and let the music do it's thing.

Needless to say I asked Zanash to make me some.... and my brother bought the demo pair.

Zanash personally delivered! the cables this morning and they trully are wonderful. I'm trying hard to think of a criticism..nope I can't. My system sounds better than I have ever heard it.
The 1st record I played was my 30+ year old copy of ziggy stardust that I have played to death and thought I knew inside out. wrong! I could hear drum rhythms that I had never noticed before, for example. Where previously they had been indistinct now it was obvious, but not in your face "detail" it was just clearer, faster tighter..but not lacking in power or weight. I could go on about how "expressive" voices were, or all the other reviewer guff, but I'll restrain myself.

I would like to publicly thank Zanash, not only for his cable, but for being so helpful. Thanks Pete=)

I know I have only touched on how good these.... I find it hard to put into words, you'll have to try some yourselves.....you wont regret it.

 

Thats ok my pleasure...........

We are only a 6 miles a part, it would have been churlish to do anything else, but thanks anyway. I'm pleased you like them.

 

any chance you can drop a quote for a biwire set 2.5m