Reviews

Andy Schaub reports on the computer based audio system, we helped him put together Andy Schaub, Positive Feedback, Issue 49

Headfonia, a great website I was just made aware of, says in one of their recent reviews,

I don’t have any relation to CryoParts, but the SCSCag wire is the best silver interconnect wire that I’ve tested, giving a very wide soundstage, very high transparency to the source, without sounding thin or dry like some other silver wires.

John Brazier from Positive Feedback reviews the Sonicweld Diverter and the Locus Design Nucleus USB cable

Read Michael Mercer of Positive Feedback's review of the Styleaudio Topaz and the Locus Design Polestar USB cable!

Read Dave Clark of Positive Feedback's review of the CryoParts USB cable, the Pop Pulse USB/SPDIF device and the Locus Design Axis USB cable!

Dave Clark of Positive Feedback just finished up doing a mini-review of the CryoParts USB Cable and the PC Link II, Check it out!

Dagago's new issue has Bill Epstein using out CryoParts/Vampire cable to good effect. Link to full review.

Here is a sample:

I began to play the same albums again, and I found myself hearing the Aqvox Phono 2 CI for the first time. Out of an eerily silent background came all the positive attributes I had noticed before; but the grain and over-etched contrasts were gone. Looking back at my listening notes for these sessions, there aren’t any references to detail, imaging or transients but instead, references to the naturalness of Sarah’s voice, the incredible technique and melodic line of Ray Brown, ‘not a hair out of place in the arrangements of Ernie Wilkins’ and ‘listen to those muted trumpets’. I noted how the tone of the CSO Woodwinds blended with the rhythmic, almost percussive scoring of the Stravinsky and was struck by the contrast between Mark Knopfler’s voice, then and now, from Across The River in 1969 to Donkey Town, 35 years later.

Some time ago, we sent the NE Wisconsin Audio Society two power cords, one cryo treated, one not. These were very basic power cords, constructed from CryoMax, a Marinco 5266 and a Schurter 4781. They were constructed indentically, the only difference being that one was cryo'd. Here's what they heard:

"I can say with confidence that there is improvement with the Cryo'd PC."

"On Friday evening Foodman & Squiddy set about to resolve the issues of cryo vs. non-cryo power cords from Cryo-parts. This was not an evaluation of the power cords, per say, just the differences between cryo & non-cryo. The process we used to evaluate was to first insert the non-cryo treated power cord into the system. We chose the pre-amp to swap cords with. With the system well warmed up, we spent about 90 minutes listening to a wide range of LPs. At the end of that time, we felt that we had a reasonable handle on the sound and character of the system with the non-treated cord in place. At this point, the cryo treated cord replaced the non-treated cord. One thing we noticed on some of the cuts we listened to earlier was a glare or harshness on upper register notes that were played aggressively. With the treated cord, this went away. On all the different selections we played, with the treated cord in place, there was a lower noise floor. This resulted in more low level detail being revealed. Paul seem to be a bit more sensitive to sound stage issues: he thought that the presentation was somewhat more forward with the treated cord. Another aspect of the treated cord was that there seemed to be more separation between the various elements in the sound stage; the sound stage was not any larger, just the elements within the sound stage had more 'air' around them. At the end of our evaluation, we agreed that cryo-treatment is probably a good thing. I don't think that a longer evaluation would have produced different results, but they might have been a bit more insightful. A longer evaluation would have allowed us to audition the treated cord in other parts of the system, and would have allowed the cord to settle in a bit. Foodman and I would both encourage other members to audition some cryo treated cords and post their experiences.