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'Sonic Art' High Definition Silver Audio Cable "Extra Transparency Right Through My Audio System, The Textures
of Different Vocals and Musical Instruments Have Greater Accuracy in their
Tonality"
A personal assessment by Alphonso Soosay Audio Recording Engineer, / Musician Preamble: Serious Hi-Fi and Home
Theatre is not just about listening and watching movies. It’s about
experiencing today’s digital picture and sound. Achieving the best possible
picture and sound means using the most advanced highest definition cable. Good cables actually tells the story of your high quality
playback source, and I am sure anyone will want to hear that real and full
story of what they have paid for. "The value of their audio and playback
source". First Impressions: First impressions are very favourable.
Sonic Art cables are beautifully built and quality finished, the company’s
attention to detail is obvious from a quick inspection of the
interconnect and speaker cables. I have always been searching for that missing
ingredient to improve my system and I have tried quite a number of different
speaker cables and interconnect cables over the years ECT. Monster / Ultra
Sonic / QED / Neoteric / TMC / MIT and Nordost. My
previous investment was last year when I purchased the "Straightwire" flat, a copper cable. Now, after using
this new Sonic-Art cable, I find it’s superior to everything so far I have
tried and it truly makes a difference to my audio system. Note: This was completely noticed after
the 8th day of burning-in and test. There was more transparency from
my audio system; actual tonal textures of different acoustic musical
instruments had greater accuracy in its tonality. As an audio recording engineer, I believe this is
because, the arrival point of time at various high frequencies, mid and low
frequencies were as even as possible. "Sonic Art" has now become
part of my high performance Hi-Fi System. This review is written not to compare which is a
better cable but to highlight its performance and express its feelings at the
time of listening, and at different times of daily review stage of the six
weeks. Some of you must have read reviews of Sonic Art
cables in i-Audio magazine Technical Investigation: Cables look like a very simple thing, actually it is
the important cord to a successful audio system. To create a really good audio
cable a manufacturer has to go through all the necessary characteristics to
begin with. Including the Geometry, choice of conductors (silver / copper
combination), choice of dielectrics, the wire and shielding configuration and
many more, obviously all this reflects at a higher cost. I have spent six weeks almost every evening,
listening, writing, re-listening, reflecting and re-writing this review.
While doing this and listening on pure direct mode, I became increasingly
aware of the returning images, with this CD 'A touch of Sonic Madness', they
were almost holographically accurate. The Difficult Chore: Reviewing cables is not as much fun as reviewing Hi-Fi speaker system, Stereo amplifiers or Multi-channel
amplifiers. Cables simply don’t have that meat and bone factor as a system component, it’s a chore, and only a straightforward simple
connection between outputs to input of components. That’s why testing cables
is one of the most difficult chores and the least liked. I enjoyed it because it was a challenge for me,
although it took lots of my time but I have gained more knowledge and
understanding of audio information through cables. This Sonic Art cable analysis started off with a
wide-range burning-in session producing some satisfying results within 8
days. The Burning-in Process Set-up: What was used as I kicked off the Burn-in Process
and Test: 1.
Generated
Pink and White noise at 70 dB and 80dB levels. 2.
The
Art of God (U4.01) Audio Test CD. It included: Dynamic test, Sustain &
Decay test, Staccato & Delay test, Timbre variation, Tonal balance,
Explosive full range, 20kHz Chimes & wind instruments, Acoustic Drums vs Bass, Depth contrast. 3.
The
Art of God (U4.02) Acoustic Instruments Burn-in CD. 4.
The
Art of God (U4.03) Acoustic Burn-in & Test DVD. 5.
Sonic
Spectacular Test CD "A Touch of Sonic Madness". 6.
96/24
Super Audio Test CD. / DVD Professional Test. 7.
Real
Time Spectrum Analyser "RTA-One" (with
line input). Burning-in audio cable is one of the most important
tasks reviewers undertake, as only when the cable is burnt-in, can reviewers
render a valid evaluation. Of course, the same applies to other users,
customers and retailers. This burning-in procedure is known to most people
who work in the electronic business as running in period for the dielectrics
to stabilise. When it comes to audio cables, the burning-in period
varies between 50 hours to about 100 hours of daily use. Quality cables seem
to burn-in quicker. With this new set of Sonic Art cables it took about 50
hours to burn-in, about 8 days at 7 hours per day of use. On the 8th
day, both of this new Sonic Art cable had completed the burning-in process.
CD playback result was instantly heard with my acoustic instruments test
disc. What fascinated me first was the incredible proximity of the sound, It
was instantaneous and full of life, and literally made me
gasp. I also realised that the tonality was
consistently balanced across the frequency spectrum. Overall, it created
lower noise, less distortion, higher and wider bandwidth and faster
transmission speed. Real Time Spectrum Analyser was
also used to monitor every stage of the test. At this stage, Sonic Art cables
reached its full cable performance and in total, it did required 50 hours of
burning-in time with my method. I noted that Sonic Art
cables has to run in the direction of the current flow as indicated on
the cable. Review Process: Listening to CD’s, had that little extra silkiness
to an extend that the highs, mid & low frequencies appeared to have a
uniform speed and arrival time, what this means is that, it was producing a
much more stable performance over the entire bandwidth, particularly
listening to well recorded recordings. Listening to "Steely Dan"
and "Eagles" the Bass was punchy and surprisingly weighty, acoustic
Snare and kick-Drum thumped with a gusty clean realism. Acoustic guitars had
improved transparent mid-range. Acoustic Piano had timbre accuracy and vocals
were expressive and well projected. The most excellent burnt-in audio cable actually
acts as a reliable means of access for sonic signals to travel, with razor
sharp speed, from one audio source to another. On the 10th day, I noticed the
extra silence from the speakers, this was done with
my ears up against my Marble NOrh speakers (Scanspeak Components) with no music playback. With
previous cables used I did notice very low hissing sound, now with this Sonic
Art cables its like the audio system was not
switched on at all. This is great news. So I decided to listen to classical music, the
instrumental definition and separation came as a greeting offer. The Sonic
Art cables created a sound fairness to classical music. Last night, 3rd week I played back
some acoustic Piano pieces from "Chesky’s"
SACD. It was a sensational change as I could hear that richness of acoustic
musical instrument. I sat on my sofa (sweet spot) and I could visualise the Piano in front of me as I could hear that
placement of the Piano notes within the soundstage. For example, the higher
notes were just to the right, the mid-range notes more to the centre and just
to the left, the lower octave notes to the left as they were placed on the
Piano. The Piano sounded smooth, very realistic and natural, especially the
lower mid-range down to the lowest Bass notes. Every note from the lowest
octave, to the highest octave were smooth and in perfect balance. The following day I was listening to this new talent
from With Sony SACD player used, I could hear the
difference from CD’s and SACD’s, it was
significantly more obvious, what transpired from Sonic Art cable was the
purest full frequency output. Vocals were extremely expressive and well
projected. It also improved the sense of openness. Bass guitar was effective
and surprisingly deep. Acoustic Piano had timbrel
accuracy. The dynamic range had that extra clarity. In whole it allowed ultra
sonic frequencies of new digital formats to be delivered with accuracy. With Jazz music, the mid-range was more balanced as
there was a better bite to acoustic guitar and acoustic drums. The result is
a vastly improved listening experience that allowed me to hear my audio
equipment as it was meant to perform. At the time of this test a friend was with me, he
could not help but be surprised how the switching of a cable brought new life
to my system. This evening, I am looking forward to listen for more accurate
acoustic sounds of music with my audio system at home. Sonic Art Cable Hook-Up: Interconnect cables
were connected between my Sony DVD /SACD, and an integrated Denon amplifier AVC-A1 SR, then Sony CD player with Denon Pre-amp with mono block power amplifiers. Speaker cables
were connected between power amplifiers and speakers. Three different types
of power amplifier were used for the test. "Denon"
170 watts (RMS) power amplifier / "Le Amp" mono block 100 watts
(RMS) power amplifier / and a borrowed "Audio Lab" 8000A 200 watts
(RMS) power amplifier with "N0rh" Marble 9.0 speakers, I also tried
the middle size "N0rh" Ceramic 4.0 speakers for the test. Both the
speakers seem to tell the story. Smart Combinations: The cable making industry is full of smart first
impression designs that look better than they should sound, and for a moment
I wondered whether this Sonic Art cable was just another 'look good' Gimmick.
I must say that the results of Sonic Art cables were surprising. In terms of
Technology and Engineering, it is the state of the art cable. Generally,
audio recording engineers, are given a chance to audition new cables, and
while high-quality cable housings do matter, one has to consider other
important key factors. Factors such as the combination of copper/silver and
its formation, the design, quality of dielectric used, type of engineered
conductor that keeps the eddy current to a minimum, balance of resistance and
capacitance, Plating process and others. The Plan: 6 weeks ago I personally received Interconnects,
& Speaker cables from the owner of Sonic Art for me to test with my audio
system. They looked great, impressive, so the following day I replaced my
"Flat-line" with Sonic Art Silver Line Interconnects & EBONY
speaker cables. To my surprise I found the cables to be a little unkind,
I could hear distortion at high levels, within the 10kHz area. I knew where
the problem was, so I started with my burning-in sessions straightaway. Within 8 days (50 hours) after the burning-in
session was completed. What a surprise, I noticed no more noticeable
distortion at high frequencies, Bass was warmer and full bodied, smoother
higher bandwidth, and faster transmission. It was so transparent that sometimes I begin to hear
the limitations of some of the components in my system. In other words it
actually hides nothing. Even when playing various normal CD’s I could hear
the difference so clearly. I am thrilled with the improvements over what was
a much more expensive cable. In actual fact it was a great deal clearer and
cleaner. It improved the sense of forwardness and without any loss of the
crucial mid-range frequencies. Looks like Sonic Art is the kind of cable component
that other cable manufacturers will dread and 'Hi-Fi'
men will have need of. Quality Engineering: After running it through several tests, (after
burn-in periods) I concluded that Sonic Art must be using the latest
technology in cable engineering, this is because it
delivers a superior, balanced frequency sound reproduction quality. It has
the capability to create all of the tonal quantity of the final mix. In other
words, this cable closely reproduces original waveforms, producing a clearer,
more natural sound that captures the musical tones and emotional impact of
the source material with outstanding realism. It portrayed such a neutral,
yet detailed sound balanced presentation that I just sat back and enjoyed the
music and all that special dynamic effects on CD’s, SACD’s
and DVD’s. Music Experience: While listening to SACD music and DVD live music
concerts, I must declare that it was a musical experience. It was smooth and
sweet sounding which any audiophile will love. While sitting in my Home
Theatre / Music Room I could feel as though I was in the front row of a Live
Concert performance, or sitting in the Multi-Channel Recording studio control
room listening to the final mix. I could feel the lowest low frequencies and
hear the highest high frequencies of various musical instruments, also,
backing singers and lead vocals of female and male sounded very clean and
detailed as if they were right in front of me. Check out "Steely
Dan", "Eagles", "Diana Krall"
and "Bee Gees" on DVD. Aaron Neville, Michael Buble,
and many more on CD. Just for your information. I must say that, Hi-Fi, Home Theatre, Multi-Channel Recording Studio, TV
Studios and Live Reinforcement music industry have been waiting for this kind
of significantly upgraded cable technology. Technology which not only
provides finer and more faithful sound reproduction at home, but also helps
with a more accurate monitoring situation in Multi-channel Recording studios,
& TV studio’s all over the world. Home Theatre Experience: With live music concerts similar to
"Eagles", "Steely Dan", "Bee Gees" and watching
action "DVD Movies". The centre speaker managed to fill the centre
sound space almost flawlessly. It exhilarated with better details of vocals,
dialogue and musical instruments. I could hear that lifelike sparkle with
every shattering glass, It appeared to have that uniformed full-range
frequency, speed of arrival time, It means that, it produces a much more
stable performance over the entire bandwidth and is very clean. The top end
was bright and open with imaging comparable with expensive imported cables at
twice the price. While watching action-packed DVD movies, this Sonic
Art cable exhibited better audio clarity without that sense of harshness or
brittleness. As the movie progressed I came to appreciate just how smooth and
clean this set of cables were. It was like being in
the Cinema. This thrilled me with excitement of home theatre experience. It
was simply amazing to hear when something as simple as a cable can limit or
change how well a good system can perform. A good contrast between these
Sonic Art cables and others anywhere near their price range is an eye opener
for the music industry. Approach: Experienced reviewers approach all new products with
skepticism until tested. That’s because there is too many brands on the
market that claim that their latest cables are the best. Experienced readers are aware that products don’t
always perform as well as the marketing agency’s advertising-writers would
have us believe. Less experienced individuals may accept
advertising-writers review, this is because they are less experience, and
have no idea what to look for. But that’s the chance they take. Do they have
a choice? Yes, they can check out reviews with Hi-Fi
& Home Theatre magazine’s also they could review
and see for themselves the cables at their local Hi-Fi
and Home Theatre suppliers. Analyze Sonic
Art: From day one, I used my Real Time Spectrum Analyser to conduct various frequency analyses through
filters of single octave and level checks in dB. This was helpful. I also made use of my two God given responsive
device, which are everlastingly attached to the sides of my head, to see if
this new Sonic Art cable lives up to my expectations. This process is called
observation and it is the cornerstone of science. Information gathered by
assessment is known as practical evidence. The opinions expressed about sound quality are mine
alone and may be useful as a listening guide, but you should listen for
yourself and make up your own minds about the accuracy of this new design
cables and its quality of this type in the audio market. Test: I linked the Sonic Art Silver analogue interconnect
cable through my audio system, this was between my
"Sony" DVD / SACD player / Sony CD player and "Denon" AVC-A1 SR. The following day I only used the
pre-amp of the "Denon" AVC-A1 SR and
then, all the way through my "Le Amp" mono-block power amplifier,
using the "Sonic Art" Ebony 8 core speaker cables connected to my
"N0rh" marble 9.0 speakers. (Scanspeak
Components) On the 4th week of everyday meting
out my audio system using different formats (CD, SACD, DVD, DAT, VHS and Cassette)
as playback sources, I noticed that the imaging was outstanding, which
suggest excellent phase response. The images were life-size and not volume
dependent. These Sonic Art cables have a very good focus and great depth of
field. The speed, bass impact and dynamics exceeded what I thought my system
was capable of. There are other ways to hear what the Sonic Art
cables did. Firstly I chose a full range male voice of John Farnham and Michael Buble and
listened while switching the two interconnects in and out. With Sonic Art the
voices were always firmer, better defined harmonically and spatially, and
easier to distinguish musically. Secondly to appreciate the Sonic Art cable
was to listen to music of great size and complexity, such as Richard Strauss
"Don Quixote" OP 35. Much improved details were heard, hearing more
of what was going on within the orchestra. I was stirred by this listening
session; I also noticed that the audible improvements were proportional in
receiving frequencies. Switching to the Sonic Art cables was like switching
from a decent 100watt amp to a 200watt noticeably brighter with a punch. In
terms of dynamics and presentation, everything just opened up and came alive. On the 6th week, my predictable
analysis says, Sonic Art cables created performance better than some of the
more expensive cables in which I have tested in previous years. Music Listening Session: It took time to set-up a cable comparison system,
with all that shifting, fiddle, connecting, shifting
and reconnecting, to me it was really worth all that time taken. The results
of my lengthy cable auditions were, cleaner and more forward presentation,
sounded like levels were about 2 dB higher, crisper highs, Bass was tight and
fast and also a more close proximity wider mid-range. I was taken back as I
played back track after track, trying to pinpoint my preference with various
popular Singers and Jazz Artists. On the other hand, playing recordings that
were on the warm side of neutral gave a more listeners experience. Then the
following day, playing back the "Beatles" recordings really
captured the early 60’s sound quality of recordings. The CD’s had a serious
vocal presence when played through the Marble N0rh Speakers, but the
"Sonic Art" cables lifted the entire experience to a more enjoyable
level. Early singers like Cliff Richard, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Shirley Bassey’s, Tom
Jones, and even John Farnham’s voice had that much
more breath. This was definitely a point for
"Sonic Art" cables, playing through the Sony DVD/CD/ SACD player. I also tested the borrowed Pioneer DVD SACD at the
equivalence, the idea was to see if there was any difference in sound
qualities, and to my surprise the Pioneer sounded comparable to the Sony when
playing back CD’s & SACD’s. The explanation of
this is, the Pioneer DVD player uses the same Sony
chip set to decode DSD material. This Sonic Art cable was indeed very obvious in my
listening tests. High, Mid and Bass control was remarkable as the cable took
complete command of the speakers. Listening to Christopher Rouse, "Percussion
Ensemble" a feast of drums, each of the musical instruments possessing
its own unique signature, the speed with which they present their attack and
just as important the way the sounds decay back to silence. Purely stunning
to listen to. On my listening review, I used the direct-mode,
Stereo and Multi-channel music recordings to evaluate the sound of the
cables. I also listened to, and watched a variety of Movies and Live Concerts
with this Sonic Art cable as the supply link from DVD player to my Denon AVC-A1 SR amplifier and then to my marble N0rh
speakers (Scanspeak drivers). It performed
brilliantly in every situation. There was a sense of clarity and ease to the natural
sounds that other cables could not quite match. The sound was smooth and
musical up to the very highest levels whether listening to music CD, watching
action Movies or Live Concerts with DVD. On my 30th day of listening, Sonic Art
cables created the truth of timbre with Acoustic Drums. The world's best
drummer will sound dreadful, if your audio system is not up to a standard,
which enables you to hear each strike on the drum skins. Being an ex-drummer,
I could hear the way the sound of different drums decay within the
drum-shell, and also having the sense of hearing the poles apart
timbres of the various drums. There was a great deal of dynamic power
contained within this wide bandwidth. It allowed ultra sonic frequencies of
new Digital format such as SACD and DVD-A to be delivered with precision. Value: When using other popular cables in this price range
it fashioned good quality sound for the money. But Sonic Art provided that
little more of everything for a little less money spent. The overall music
difference was, improved sense of openness, I could hear certain low-level of
musical instruments in the mix (more detail) that was missing on previous
cable tests. I also noticed it allowed my Denon
audio system, to breathe life into my N0rh marble speakers better. Good cables make a great difference, don’t let
anyone fool you. The trick is finding a cable that fits your system without
costing twice your front end. I listen frequently to Jazz, Pop, Country Rock,
Acoustic Fusion, some Acid Jazz, Rock and Classical at times, so acoustic
presentation, truth of timbre, and clarity is vital. Vocals were also
surprisingly accurate. I get to hear all of this with the help of using Sonic
Art. Interconnect and speaker cables, it has really helped me to show off my
high quality audio system. One thing is for sure, anyone who claims that cables
are just cables should seriously listen to Sonic Art. The differences can be
quite startling. These cables produced a clean, strong deep Bass with nice
airy highs. These are reasonably priced, and the type of cables I would use,
Sonic Art is highly recommended to anyone who loves their CD music, DVD live
concerts and DVD movies. This cable was amazing, the
low-end frequency was sure deeper, richer with tighter tonal clarity. The
mid-range was outstanding. I could hear more detail, never heard before on my
audio system. The high-end frequencies extended more than ever before and
what pure, nice airy highs. My main speakers have never sounded so superb
before. Certainly my audio system is a modest one by most audio standards,
but the performance was improved further by using high quality interconnect
and audio speaker cables. Centre Channel: The centre channel speaker is to provide good
imaging and accurate sound localisation. It is also
the most important loudspeaker in anyone’s home theatre system. It must
reproduce vocals, dialogue and other complex music information accurately.
The Sonic Art cables presented it superbly with improved presence, dialogue
strides through smoother and accurately locked to my big screen. It also
improved the sense of openness. The other thing that impressed me most was
the dynamics. Transients came across with speed and punch whenever the music
demanded. The centre channel speaker should be of a higher
sonic quality or at least as good as your front speakers. Sonic Art delivered
that cinematic sound in a creditable way, even on certain mixes when it got
complex, the Sonic Art managed to stay composed and in control. My centre
speaker managed to fill the centre sound space almost flawlessly. Details
like the sound of air-bubbles from the sinking vessel "Titanic"
were expertly resolves with warmness and plenty of punch. Dialogue was projected in such a way that individual
words were clearer in their direction and that the right emphasis was placed on
dialogue where voices on DVD were modulated. Again it did a superb job of
locking the dialogue to the act on my big screen. With music, "Blues Company" had some
terrific harmonies, interesting to hear the way my system resolves that
massed voices. I could actually distinguish from one voice to another. You don’t have to look at expensive imported cables
for that right answer. There is no shortage of Australian made cables of
world class. Sonic Art seem to sound great with Classical music,
proving it’s capability of presenting complicated works by massed orchestras,
with presence and clean dynamics. I personally feel it is really important to
sense that realistic musicality. Verdict: Improvement in the sound field was noticed with the
'switching of cables' test. Sonic Art had that great overall feel of a
logical sound field. For most individuals, buying their initial Sonic Art
cables can be a life changing experience. As they will get pleasure from
knowing that their complete audio system has been engineered to achieve best
possible performance, free from compatibility problems. Looking at Sonic Art’s web-page you will also
discover pleasure from knowing that Sonic Art is a company of individuals who
care about both the design and construction of their products, while sharing
their love of music with the world. It looks like the history of Sonic Art is
of technical achievement in the field of audio cable reproduction, it has
transmitted benefits of many years of knowledge and experience in
professional audio and industrial products, to the business of making the
most accurate interconnect and speaker audio cables. Give them a try and you
won’t regret it. After the burning-in process, I have no criticism to
this Sonic Art audible performance. It is relatively simple to set up and
use, and once configured (in the direction of current flow), the silver-line
inter-connects should be left permanently in any pre-amp and power-amp link,
also the Ebony speaker cables locked to the speakers in use. It was interesting to hear the change in sounds week
after week's review. Now, its time to end this review, as I believe that this
Sonic Art cable has reached its entire performance. My Analysis for Sonic Art Cable designer: After all that burn-in, test and listening sessions
for the past six weeks, I must say that your cables were just smoother, and
more wide-ranging in the overall frequencies while at the same time having
more punch, (deepness and solidness) in the low-mids
and Bass. Also, it was easier to listen to your cables at very high volumes
(90 to 95 dB) and for longer periods without feeling fatigue. This was when
listening to Dave Matthews band "Crash". As the sixth week came, I
noticed that my audio system was even warmer, relaxed when needed with DVD live
concerts and clean, forcefulness when needed with DVD ‘DTS’ action pack
movies. I was also able to playback all kinds of CD music from Jazz, Pop,
Acid Jazz Rock, Country & Western, Classical’s
and even Heavy-metal Rock. One thing was very noticeable. It made whichever
component it was connected to sound more accurate, lively, involving and more
positive of itself. In actual fact, now Sonic Art sounds to me like a
Hybrid cable design that gives all the benefits of silver (dynamic high
frequencies) and all of the benefits of copper (deep, tight Bass response).
Your audio cables seem to allow SACD music through with deep, sparkling
dynamics; I am also impressed with the accurate Bass frequency reproduction. The dynamic range and extra clarity generated by Sonic-Art
Silver-analogue interconnect and Ebony 8-core speaker
cables was a remarkable achievement. It’s a state-of-the-art cable for
any person who wants the best in audio, they will experience a level that not
a lot of cables can offer and made in Set-up: Audio
cables tested in this review were: 1)
Sonic Art Silver LINE RCA Interconnect. 2)
Sonic Art Ebony 8-core Variocore speaker
cables. For
enquires go online, www.sonicartaudio.com Associated
audio equipment used: 1)
"Denon" AVC-A1 SR, 170 watts (RMS) per
channel. 2)
"Le Amp" Mono block 100 watts (RMS) power amp. 3)
"Audio Lab" 8000A, 200 watts (RMS) per channel power amp. 4)
"Sony" DVD/SACD player. 5)
"Pioneer" DVD/SACD player. 6)
"Sony" CD player. 7)
"Sony" DAT player. 8)
"Sony" Cassette player. 9)
"Panasonic" Hi-Fi, S-Vhs
recorder. 10)
"N0rh" Marble 9.0 speakers. (Scanspeak
Components). 11)
"N0rh" Ceramic 4.0 speakers (Vifa
Components).
Alphonso Soosay Audio
Recording Engineer / Musician. |
