Full Loom – Incremental Gains

Hi Dave,

Yep, I've mirrored your experience EXACTLY! I have an active system with a pair of 500s, a 552, a CD555 fed by two 555PSUs etc, into a pair of beautiful SL2s. Like you, I bought the SL interconnect (immediately impressive upgrade on the HiLine), then the speaker leads (again an excellent upgrade), then an SL interconnect between SNaxo Supercap and 552PS (took a few days to start coming on song, but fine when it did).

Finally,  I bought four DIN/XLRs to complete the loom. What a disappointment! The sound, from being sublime, changed character and became a little hard and uncomfortable. More HiFi than music. Well, leave it alone, I thought. I know these things take a while to run in and I persevered, especially as a couple of others on the Forum using similar systems had said it's quite a long wait. I kept coming back to it, and yes, it got a bit better, but I just wasn't happy.

After four months of being disgruntled, I gave up. The sound was never as good as it had been, and I thought four months was quite long enough for a set of leads to burn in.

I sold the four leads, (they are much in demand) went back to the standard DIN/XLR connectors, and immediately the sound returned to being sublime, and has been ever since.

I don't know if other users of the DIN/XLR have had similar experiences to us. It'll be interesting to see.

hello,

I just added DIN/XLRs to my set up. For me, the impact was less than with the SL IC but both brought a positive change in my set-up and to my ears. I think the impact may be room and speaker dependent however......when I tried the SL speaker cables, I lost a lot in the lower frequencies. The SL speaker cables were not run in so we will try again when they are and see if the lower frequencies return. I did like what the SL speaker cables did in the mid range though. As always, try before you buy!

All the best, Scott.

Started my SL loom upgrade with the DIN/XLRs and was immediately pleased with the increase in clarity. Next, a month or two later I replaced my NACA5 with the SL speaker leads. Again a further improvement. Finally the SL interconnect replaced the HiLine between my CD555 (one PS) and my 552. Each brought an improvement to my ears and the complete loom has enhanced my enjoyment of my system. It just sounds right.  

I found the DIN/XLRs an excellent initial upgrade. 

Mike

As I only have a 272/250 I didn't need to consider the interconnect. I started with the speaker leads and then added the din to XLR. Initially the sound was a bit weird, with odd spatial effects and a lack of drive. It took a couple of months the bed in, and continued to improve for longer after that. Once the sound hit its stride it became a wonderful improvement. To me, the leads work beautifully together and I really believe there is a synergy, in my little system at least. And I only needed one wire - the cost of four in Mike's active system is a lot more scary. 

Similar here, although the order in which the leads are installed may have a bearing. Speakers gave the biggest difference. Interconnect the next. DIN-XLR the least. But they all made a difference and they all ran in. The sonics were so poor initially, particularly with speaker cable and (less) with interconnect that the brain could not possibly compensate. They definitely improved rather than me getting used to the sound. I was going to send the speaker cables back but the dealer said to give it another week. 

Harry,as you are aware I use the same dealer and currently have his SL speakers leads on demo waiting for my 6m pair to be deliverd/installed. I was much like you even though the  cables were run in I was advised it would take some time before they were at there best.

The dealer was correct after a few days they were  superb but the addition of the SL interconnect certainly brought the best out of the speaker cables that was more expense but in my opinion more than worth it.

That's you, Keith and me using Audience Bath. And probably more besides.

I hope they organise a factory tour soon, Helen and I would like another go.

Anyway, back on topic. They did turn out to be worth the effort, but there were times....  All forgotten now.

I don't have the SL speaker cable but have the IC and the XLRs. The iC came first and was an immediate winner and I have to say the XLRs were for me almost as impressive. My dealer came round with my newly DR'ed 500 and we first hooked it up with the standard XLRs and then after a few tracks subbed in the SL XLRs and I felt that there were substantial gains in transparency and sense of 'being there' so they were duly purchased ... felt like the new XLRs allowed the DR uplift (substantial!) to shine through

On another note I can't say that i've really been troubled by the run in of the 500DR or new XLRs - sure it all sounds better a month in but I haven't experienced the huge dips and wide swings in performance that have been so widely reported - maybe i've been lucky, have cloth ears or just happy to let things develop without worrying too much

While i am waiting for witchhat xlr/dins and interconnect i am curiously reading this topic, as a 272 user i will not invest further into my cd2x other than hiline at max,if i am not happy with witchhat interconnect

But seems like xlr/din cables have different opinions and they are the most expensive part

the question is the synergy? SL full loom is it a greater then sum of it parts or not?

I think to the question of some. There is clearly a synergy but I also think we have a diminishing impact to consider. I personally felt that the interconnect and the speaker cables have been considerable upgrades. While I had the feeelng that the speaker cable was the biggest upgrade. Sometimes we want to have a proportional improvement in sound on the investment we do, that's not possible the further you get close to heaven....

LOL! 

All,

thanks for the comments and your own experiences. It has been very interesting to see how you have gone about your wire changes and the relative benefits. I was initially wondering if the order of upgrades was maybe a factor. One reply above (sorry I haven't figured out how to quote pieces of posts yet) did the XLR first and had the wow moment. I was thinking that the SL has a different signature to the standard and our ears pick up this change easily. Thereafter perhaps the changes sound like smaller increments as the ear has registered that sound before. This may also be utter tosh.

The synergy issue and the sum greater than, was what I was hoping for. I have to say that, despite the XLR being ex-dem, things have improved over the last few days. It appears to me that a couple of long sessions are still required to get things on song. That said, there is now an impressive rightness to the music. The full loom is doing what it says on the tin. So after my initial let down, I am very content with the result. 

Happy listening folks.

Dave

Bodger posted:

.... I have to say that, despite the XLR being ex-dem, things have improved over the last few days. It appears to me that a couple of long sessions are still required to get things on song. That said, there is now an impressive rightness to the music. The full loom is doing what it says on the tin. So after my initial let down, I am very content with the result. 

Happy listening folks.

Dave

good you persevered Dave. i seem to recall someone else here reporting a similar experience -- a run in wire needing to settle down after re-connection. strange world. i wish i could afford full loom SL wires -- i only have SL IC between NDS and 552 and the snaxo242 one. having just done the 2x500DR upgrades -- additional SL wire upgrades will now probably require a lottery win...

yes, happy listening and ...

enjoy

ken

ken c posted:

Bodger posted:

.... I have to say that, despite the XLR being ex-dem, things have improved over the last few days. It appears to me that a couple of long sessions are still required to get things on song. That said, there is now an impressive rightness to the music. The full loom is doing what it says on the tin. So after my initial let down, I am very content with the result. 

Happy listening folks.

Dave

good you persevered Dave. i seem to recall someone else here reporting a similar experience -- a run in wire needing to settle down after re-connection. strange world. i wish i could afford full loom SL wires -- i only have SL IC between NDS and 552 and the snaxo242 one. having just done the 2x500DR upgrades -- additional SL wire upgrades will now probably require a lottery win...

yes, happy listening and ...

enjoy

ken

Hey Ken,

I would love to do that DR thing too but turnaround time plus shipping from Greece and no music for a while puts me off for now. By all accounts the DR mods are quite impressive.

my full loom journey was a stop gap whilst selecting new speakers. It has proven very worthwhile so far. Once I am sure the cables are settled I will begin the speaker trails once more. The speakers will be the last upgrade, apart from DR at some point. Plus maybe an LP 12  when back in the UK and nearer to a decent dealer.

Dave