Review #70 - Cables Invictus Speaker Reference and XLR - Ricable Review
Antonio G.
Sources: Lumin D2 streamer
Amplifier: Hegel P30 preamplifier; Hegel H30 power amplifier
Acoustic Speakers: Usher TD-20
Other: Hegel D30 DAC; QNAP TS-251 NAS with Roon
The following review of Invictus Speaker Reference and XLR cables is the result of the "Ricable Review" initiative. Ricable Review is the program designed by Ricable, created to collect feedback from audiophiles, in order to bring about continuous improvement of the products in the catalog. Last but not least, those who join the program receive a certificate at home, with the purpose of certifying how the customer has become to all intents and purposes part of the " Ricable" family.
The following Feedback was created on the basis of a predefined questionnaire to which the user returned their impressions, in a manner completely free. We thank Antonio for his time.
Always looking to improve the system after having used many more or less expensive branded cables or even built by engineers with excellent skills, I was left with this Ricable in my head and finally I tried... starting with the cables Speaker from which I had a result far beyond expectations and which prompted me to also try the connection cables and...
and aesthetics of the product?
Arrived (very fast like Amazon prime), I noted beautiful packaging, the cables are also very well constructed and have excellent connectors, heavy just the right amount of weight they have a fair amount of flexibility, the appearance albeit of a cable is nevertheless very well done, the terminations are accurate and the terminals -- in my case I asked for the spades on the amp side and the bananas on the speaker side -- are of high quality.
And so, on a Sunday, we begin the test, convinced of my cables Speaker I put under these Invictus with the firm conviction that within a short time I would return them, availing myself of the Ricable policy that allows returns. I then replace my bidirectional cables (of which I have extensively sung their praises for the past year or more...), then turn on the system strictly starting with the sources, then the preamp and last the power amp, then select my reference records Talkin' 'bout You by Diane Schuur, Festival by Lee Ritenour, A te by Fiorella Mannoia and Musica Nuda...
Schuur begins and as soon as it starts the first sensation is that the power of the extension is greater, almost as if I had turned up the volume too much...the first few minutes go by and dismay combined with doubt crowds into my mind, I convince myself that I have been suggestible, so I stop everything and go to lunch, but with a portion of my brain I stay thinking, as soon as I can I go back to the system it is 3 pm:30 ... we are in the hour of afternoon silence, I wait for 4:00 p.m., at 4:01 p.m. the volume is from after an hour of listening, things are getting better and better, the sound is getting more and more real, pleasant, flowing, in short, an unexpected wonder ... and the mind already begins to speculate ... what if I also take the interconnect cables between preamp and power amp and between source and preamp? But then I say to myself, "Wait until you're easy to fall in love and then think again." So I look for flaws, maybe a certain edginess? But it is noticeable at times and seems less and less present... The days alternate and the defect seems to disappear while the sound acquires a new dimension, deep, complete with really total silences and full, very full, no roughness... to the point that I convince myself that it is useless to change the interconnects... But where do we put the doubt? In the meantime I try again to put the old cables Speaker and the whole thing returns to an almost sloppy "flatness" situation...
listening impressions?
So, after ten days, I start again with the comparisons and the result is always in absolute favor of the Invictus cables and so I trigger the decision to order the interconnect cables, as soon as they arrive (48 hours scarce) I put them under and off I turn the whole thing on and... another jump on the couch! What the heck, I think, possible these cables are yet another improvement? But then why didn't I decide to make this purchase sooner? Maybe I would have saved myself so many more changes...well, I can't know that, but surely the music has changed, now when I turn on the system and start listening, every record is different, more beautiful, more complete, more harmonious; mind you, poorly recorded records are uglier than before...you can hear all the production errors...but for that you need a miracle and this Ricable can't do it, but I'm certainly thinking about the power cords, who knows if they can give some further boost or if I've reached the top?
Your conclusions.
Follow my next reviews because I have an idea that with the power cords, assuming I decide to get them, I will give you a complete new review, assuming Ricable decides to publish this one which perhaps does not quite follow the required pattern but which is the result of the enthusiasm that these cords have generated in an audiophile now used to looking for subtle differences, and who instead has been confronted with a really important difference!
What did you like?
- Musicality
- Timbral coherence
- Return policy
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What would you improve?
- Nothing to report
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