Sample Test - Audioquest Rocket 88 - Driade Flow - Art Speak Solid Core Silver

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Review can be found here. Just like the lossless wav-samples: Dutch: www.alpha-audio.nl/review/review-driade-flow-luidsprekerkabel/ English: alpha-audio.net/review/review-driade-flow-luidsprekerkabel/

[@elderinmoi1571]

Great video. So awesome that the music just goes on without interruption even though you changed cables in the process. Makes it much easier to compare and is shure more work in editing 😀

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@JDG1971]

I myself use the Cooper-Silver-Gold Siltech conducters-> by Siltech Netherlands. Thank you for the video. Always beautiful. Greetings from the Netherlands Limburg Maastricht. And above all keep going. We love High-end audio and of course also High-end home cinema.👌👍✌😉

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@zerotoxico]

To my ears its sounded like this, Audioquest - airy presentation with good instrument separation and a bit rolled of top end. Dirade flow - detail presentation with really good stereo image more natural sound. Art speak silver - good strong solid bass. I preferd the audioquest and dirade flow in this setup. Thank you fore this video :)

[@mattmarceau8156]

My golden ears must be broken. Listening to this on LS50 metas with Hegel doing preamp/streaming/DAC duties along with a purifi power amp. Audioquest Rocket 44 cables, I can tell nearly no difference...

[@barchetype6430]

Why does the rocket sound so dead?

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Well... You conclude. :-)

[@barchetype6430]

@@TheAlphaAudio The silver cables sound best to me. More alive, clear, with spot on tone and texture. The audioquest would sound better to the inexperienced ear because the sound would feel "cleaner". But in reality it has no decay nor texture at all. It is dead. And I can feel smearing in the lower mids. Meanwhile the Driade flow is the best pairing with this speaker. It has less texture than the silver, but it has a purity and cohesiveness in the midrange that complements well with the speakers and helps with their shortcomings in the vocals. It probably does great with Ribbon speakers as well, maybe one of the best cables for Magnepan. And it isn't too expensive. It lets everything through and helps control the ambiance without touching anything (the silver doesn't touch anything as well, but it might be too rough with these particular speakers for most people. But otherwise, say, with tubes and high efficiency speakers, it would be a monster).

[@barchetype6430]

@@TheAlphaAudio By the way, you are based in the Netherlands, right? You should check out this DAC from down the road www.ecdesigns.nl/en/blog/powerdac-r

[@MrComand3r]

I like the Dríade here. Too bad not commonly found in the US Market. AQ 88 seem ok I suppose??

[@aussie8114]

Have you ever experimented using a graphic equaliser or is that considered audiophile sacrilege. When I set up my system about 5 years ago I decided I wanted tone control so that cds I had that were recorded less than ideal would be more listenable. My research found a couple of equalisers that were considered the best but they were thousands of dollars. Further research led me to the Technics spectrum equaliser. I had one shipped across from Britain to Australia for $250 in mint condition including postage and I have been super happy with it. So impressed I bought a second one in case this one dies. They’re about 20 years old I think. No added noise and if anything the soundstage improved to my ears. Sure I’m more a stereophile than an audiophile but I’m still pretty fussy. Now I can use up to half a dozen EQ pre sets depending on the album or bypass it. It’s connected up to the amps zone pre out and goes back into one of the amps inputs. The analog cables are good quality.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

I don't really like processing. But I can imagine it can be of great help. In studio's they do use equalizers. And I use it for voice-over work as well sometimes (not all mics are equal...).

[@yippie6862]

I own the Rocket 88's. However, I've never heard of the other two brands and do not know their cost. I definitely hear clear differences between all three cables. In my opinion; The Rockets seem the most restricted and veiled. Not in a really bad way as this can have its benefits. It can smooth over poor recordings and make for easier long listening sessions. The Driade cables lifts most of that veil that the Rockets have. They seem to be the most neutral of the three. They probably won't cover up problems in poor recordings or equipment like the Rockets can. The Art Speak lifts the veil even further, but to the point where it's too much for my ears. It's too bright and also very exuberant in its sound. It's an exciting type of sound, but I think would be tiring in the long run. Even though it seems to have the most clarity, the brightness and exuberance is a sort of coloration onto itself. Depending on price and availability where I live I may have to look into these Driade Flow speaker cables. I think they are aptly named. The signal seems to flow easier and more freely than with my Rocket 88's.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Driade is - in the Netherlands - the same price as the Rocket. Art Speak is half the price.

[@amigoz3201]

I’m testing rocket 88 with proac d20r, after few days burn in i really like them very much, btw after focal sopra no1 i tested d20r, and did not returned to focal dealer anymore... btw great channel, oh man i so wanted no to like rocket 88 as they are lit bit expensive :) btw rocket 33 did not liked at all (there was no soul in vocal) absolutely different cables!

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@amigoz3201 thanks man!

[@yippie6862]

@@amigoz3201 I actually had the Rocket 44's briefly but returned them. I then bought the 88's as I thought it would be a bigger upgrade. Honestly, I'm not sure which one I like better. The DBS system seems to do something to the sound on the 88's. Almost seems like it softens the sound or subdues it. I think the 44s and 88s are essentially very similarly made other than the DBS. But yes either one is a great cable. BTW, I also used to use the 88's with Proacs. I agree, I like Proac more than most Focal speakers for the exception of the Sopra's here. I'm using Harbeth now.

[@amigoz3201]

@@yippie6862 in my room harbeth was not so great, so proac at the moment is doing not only audiophile music but i can enjoy now electronic music very nicely :))) what i learned room size for speakers is very important, if speaker to big for your room just forget and let it go away, otherwise will be fight with acoustic treatment demons :D

[@michaela.5363]

And here I am rocking cheap Blue Jeans cables

[@jmtennapel]

Wat niet goed te horen is via KZbin is hoe diep het stereobeeld is, dus de plaatsing van instrumenten. Ik heb het idee dat bij de Driade Flow het beeld veel dieper is, is dat correct? De Flow is fantastisch! Stemmen (Opéra), koper (Tango), het klinkt zo natuurlijk en met veel meer detail dan de andere twee kabels. Ik denk dat veel mensen instinctief de voorkeur geven aan de Art Speak omdat het zo'n mooi vol geluid geeft, maar als ik vergelijk met de Flow loopt het beeld een beetje dicht. De Art Speak geeft een randje aan de stem in Opéra die ik in het vergelijk minder mooi vindt. Best bijzonder dat kabels zo veel verschil maken. De Audioquest klinkt bijna blikkerig in het vergelijk.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Ik ben as we speak de lossless wav-files aan het uploaden naar de alpha-audio cloud. Die kan je dus snel downloaden. De Driade is inderdaad dieper en strakker qua stereobeeld. Klopt als een bus. Ik vind hem ook natuurlijker. Vergeet niet dat de AQ Rocket 88 al 12 jaar op de markt is. Er zal - gok ik - heel snel een opvolger van komen.

[@r423fplip]

Do the cables have the same resistance ?

[@mobeau]

Your sound demonstrations are excellent. What preamp did you use? Thank you.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks! Pass-Labs XP-12. And for the microphones a Grace Design M108.

[@Nardii1]

Art speak solid core silver is de beste 4:35 is goed te horen beter stereobeeld !

[@theflyingdutchman7127]

Ik vind de arts speak kabel de beste , de Audioquest de minste , hebben jullie de Aurender A30 op de koffie ?, fijne demo weer , ik waardeer jullie inzet ten zeerste 👍👍

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Jep... Bezig met de A30. Dank voor je aardige woorden.

[@theflyingdutchman7127]

TheAlphaAudio ja ik kan buiten critich ook nog wel eens aardig zijn 😂 weten jullie dat er van Aurender nu ook een nieuweling is in de vorm van de N20

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Jep... Weten we. Was Benieuwd naar de A30. Even kijken hoe deze t.o.v Bartok speelt.

[@theflyingdutchman7127]

TheAlphaAudio het wordt nog gekker er is nu ook een N30 met separate voeding effe Google , ga morgen met more music contacten , ben in de race voor een nieuwe streamer

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@theflyingdutchman7127 probeer ook zeker de dCS

[@ΠιερΕξαρχακος]

From here I would say Rocket has more control and attack and sounds more balanced. I choose Driad though cause seems more colorful and .. organic ? The Art is a no to me on this set up and from here

[@kvrhifi]

As per my experience solid core cables sounds weird. Even not great in sounds quality improvements. I tried Kimber Carbon cables . I can’t stop appreciating them .. because they improved sound quality rather just here and there some change. If possible Please get hands on kimber kable Carbon series

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Kimber shouldn't be a problem to get a review sample from. Thanks for the feedback.

[@christopherbeddoe406]

Lol. I'm listening on some cheap wireless earbuds. No way these things could resolve the slight differences between high end Audio cables. I like thecway you laid out the video though.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

The differences we capture will stay the same. But yes... You do need some resolution. :-)

[@r423fplip]

You won't hear a difference. Even headphone upgrade cables make no difference. But if you want to make your system look good then buy some.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@r423fplip Lets agree to disagree.

[@Cestmoi50]

@@r423fplip either you're deaf or use poor poor equipment, difference are not day and night but they are definately there.

[@larsv6144]

Art Speak Silver cable slightly to bright for the Sopra No1. AQ Rocket 88 poor controlled bass... too muddy. Driade Flow best allround match for this set up.

[@Burevestnik9M730]

No difference between the cables. Focals are voiced with Transparent cables.

[@MrComand3r]

Agree. These focals seem really good.

[@Burevestnik9M730]

Music is too slow for comparison. Mahler's Fifth would be the best test.

[@Mamuka_Chkheidze]

ნუ იტყუებთ საკუთარ თავს. ექსპერიმენტი არაკორექტულია, რადგან ერთი და იგივე მუსიკალური მონაკვეთები უნდა ჟღერდეს სხვადასხვა კაბელებით. ერთი და იგივე მონაკვეთები

[@TheAlphaAudio]

OK...

[@stratenboek]

რაზე ლაპარაკობ ახლა?

[@Mamuka_Chkheidze]

@@stratenboek კითხვა ვერ გავიგე?

[@dextermorgan1]

@@Mamuka_Chkheidze Well, you write in noodles so it's hard to take your comment seriously.

[@Mamuka_Chkheidze]

@@dextermorgan1 ჩემი მშობლიური ენა "ლაფშაა". შენი ენა შექმნილი არ იყო, ჩემ ენაზე კლასიკური ნაწარმოებები რომ იწერებოდა