Today's Fresh Catch are the Acoustic Revive Single Core Interconnects. Some of you might remember that I wrote about the Single Core interconnects back in Issue 49 of Positive Feedback Online in their 1-meter length. I've been wanting to find a really nice interconnect that works well in long lengths so I could put my equipment rack on the sidewall, then run a long interconnect to the amplifier, like Jim Smith recommends. Getting an equipment rack out from between the speakers really just makes for a better sounding system most of the time. So everything I've tried in a long interconnect has been too bright, too dull, too noisy, or something else that didn't quite work out.
Until Yoshi San sent me a long 5-meter pair of the Acoustic Revive Single Core interconnects to try, that is (I think it's 5-meters, I'm going by memory here ... it's long!). They are the black RCA cables going into the back of the ASR Emitter II Exclusive Version Blue amplifier above. The white cables are the Sablon Audio component speaker cables, the silver cables are the captive power cables for the power supplies of the ASR Emitter II Exclusive Version Blue amplifier.
While I haven't moved my turntable and the ASR Basis Exclusive Phono Equalizer to the far sidewall yet, the Single Core interconnect is dead quiet and sounding mighty fine going from the ASR Basis Exclusive Phono Equalizer to the ASR Emitter II Exclusive Version Blue amplifier.
In the photo above you can also see the new Acoustic Revive cable risers (the lighter colored ones, the darker ones are the previous versions). The ASR Emitter II Exclusive Version Blue amplifier is sitting on an Acoustic Revive air bladder isolation platform (which in turn is sitting on a solid slab of American walnut). I'll have more to say about both of those new goodies in the future. Here's another view below of the cable interface on the back of the ASR Emitter II Exclusive Version Blue amplifier.
Speaking of the ASR electronics: I was sitting on the couch yesterday morning drinking a cup of coffee with my friend Cindy while we were listening to the LP Ray Charles and Betty Carter. Ray and Betty were singing Baby It's Cold Outside and it was sounding amazing. I told Cindy that the ASR gear was creating a bit of a personal crisis for me because it was sounding so good. The ASR doesn't sound that much like the single-ended-triode vacuum amplification I'm so fond of, but it plays music every bit as well, maybe better, and pretty much everything sounds great through it. Compared to vacuum tubes it's an alternate universe, but an extremely compelling one that once heard you may not want to ever leave. So be careful if you listen to the ASR because it can really hook you. I'm really, really, impressed with the ASR!
