Gabriel B.
Source: Lehmann Audio Black Cube, Marantz SA-KI Pearl Lite, Thorens TD-125 MK1 turntable with SME 3009 S2 tonearm and Benz Micro ACE L cartridge
DAC: Integrated
Amplification system: Integrated
Amplifier: Graaf GM50
Acoustic speakers: Aliante One Zeta Pininfarina
The following review of the cable Speaker Dedalus Speaker is the result of the initiative "Prova un Ricable", born, in collaboration with listening groups or Hi-Fi forums, to collect testimonials from users, in their own reference Hi-Fi system. from the actual listening experience of the users, in their own Hi-Fi system of reference.
The following Feedback has been realized on the basis of a predefined questionnaire to which the user has returned his impressions, in a way completely free.
We thank Gabriele for the time he has dedicated to us.
The cable arrived in a beautiful case and immediately looks well made and aesthetically appealing with the orange cotton-look outer sheath. I like very much the connectors but, besides the aesthetic side, they are sturdy, very heavy and, once inserted the banana plugs of the loudspeakers connectors, they have a firm and very stable grip, something that I have not often found when it happened that some banana plugs, inserting them, got squashed, resulting slow and I was forced to widen them again. I tend to move the speakers before and at the end of listening sessions and no longer have to worry about the pin slipping out and endangering the amp.
The cable is a generously sized bipolar cable but is very flexible. It is not possible to view the cable as it is 'closed' by the connectors. As the speakers are bi-wired, I asked Ricable to send me their jumpers, also from the Dedalus series and terminated with spades; these are also excellently made and the spades is heavy and robust.
The tests were carried out first of all on my main system, alternating different types of cable Speaker , conducted by four people at the same time and with blind listening, where one of us took turns replacing the cables, waiting a few minutes before listening, as it is a valve amp. CDs and vinyl were listened to.
The system consists of Graaf GM50 tube integrated amp, Aliante One Zeta Pininfarina loudspeakers, Marantz SA-KI Pearl Lite CD player, Thorens TD-125 MK1 turntable with SME 3009 S2 tonearm and Benz Micro ACE L\Denon DL-103R cartridge and DIY prephono with INTERCONNECT Kimber Kable cables and Wireworld power cables.
A short listening session has been made using as Amplifier a Unison Research Simply Two, but although the latter is very good, it doesn't interface well with the speakers, although the characteristics of the Dedalus have emerged also there and agree with the same results found with the Graaf.
After a few days of break-in, I started to listen with a critical and attentive ear.
I must point out that, unlike the solid state amplifiers I previously owned, now with the Graaf the differences, although subtle between various cables I tried, were always audible.
My reference cables, since years, are the AudioQuest Rocket 88, but I also own the Wireworld Mini Eclipse single wire with jumpers and the cheap AudioQuest FLX 14/4 and the Van Den Hul CS-122.
With the Ricable I have gained a lot in the low range, now more present but controlled, and above all the mid/high range and the high range are now more present, vivid and the scene much wider. The presence of harmonics makes the instruments more "real", helping the listening and the general pleasantness.
For the test I have used some Original Master Recording CDs and SACDs, as well as some test CDs that you often hear at Hi-Fi fairs, or Peter Gabriel's OVO bass range or Nora Jones' SACD to test female voices.
On vinyl the excellent Analogue Productions pressing of Take Five where the Ricable made the double bass sound well focused, harmonic and present. The same was true with a Bill Ewans LP, At Shelly's Manne-Hole, and some Hi-Q Records vinyl of classical and symphonic music to test the soundstage width and dynamics.
Did you find any?
As I said before, the Ricable have replaced the AudioQuest Rocket 88, which cost almost twice as much and were bi-wired with silver bananas; the latter are very silent, refined in the mid range, with a hyper controlled bass range and a deep soundstage. However, to my ear and to the ears of those present, they appeared too controlled, poor in harmonics and, above all, incredibly dark. Compared to the Ricable, we realized that we were listening to "part of the sound message", which lost musicality and, except for the voices that were very good and the refinement, the rest seemed lacking in everything.
The Wireworld Mini Eclipse single wire with jumpers are also very good cables, but unlike the Ricable 's, they didn't give that deep, controlled, extended bass range. They are much lighter. The high range sounded less articulate and beautiful.
The Van Den Hul CS-122 I keep in my drawer cannot be compared, too closed, dark and with bad focus. Rubbery bass range.
The AudioQuest FLX 14/4 are simple Speaker cables that I have not even compared, already at that time too poor in comparison with the AudioQuests.
I reiterate that the above is the result of several listening sessions carried out in different days and of tests made in the presence of other people who agreed with what stated above and, above all, at my home and on my system. Surely on other systems and other environments the judgements may not agree.
What did you like?
- Good workmanship, excellent bananas and spades. Flexible and beautiful cables
- The sound message is more complete
- Bass range coming down a lot more and the high range splendid
- Instrument harmonics now fill the room
- Serious company. From the first contacts helpful staff
What would you improve?
- Nothing, the curiosity remains to try out their top of the range products.
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