I am very happy with this combination
Just some feedback - I took your advice, and purchased the Kinki Studio XLR Earth cables. When I initially received my Ares 12th-1, I plugged in my Van Den Hul The Rock XLR's, but found that the sound was a bit rounded, good sound stage, but possibly a little "mellow", a little too laid back.
I then purchased Supra EFF XLRs, but found that although I had a little more detail, the sound stage closed in a bit and also a bit harsh on the top end.
I then decided to I had to try the XLR Earths. Quick and painless purchase (ordered on the Thursday evening and received the following Wednesday in South Africa). I was very happy with service. Luckily I ordered just in time, as a week later I saw they were out of stock.
When opening the FEDEX parcel, I was very impressed with the packaging - this is more to what I would expect from very high end expensive cables.
Plugged them in, ran them on Wednesday evening for a while, then Friday and again today. My initial impressions are - sound stage is back, detail is where it should be, smooth (but not laid back) and musical. Of course, I am sure there is still quite of bit of running in time for them, and my DAC has also only had around 40 hours of runnng time.
But so far, I am very happy with this combination.
Many thanks for the excellent service and the good advice on the Kinki cables.
Now I will start the process of putting money away towards the Pontus, but that will be a while away.
Kind Regards
Grant @ SA
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https://ausrealpokies.com crossed my mind because choosing cables without hearing them first can feel like a gamble, and your path from the Van Den Hul to the Supra to the XLR Earths shows how much system matching matters. The part about the Supra closing in the soundstage and getting harsh up top, while the Earths brought the stage back without going laid back, is exactly the kind of specific comparison I wish more feedback included. I’ve also had gear that kept shifting past 40 hours, so I’d be curious how this combination sounds once the Ares and cables have more time on them.
Feedback like this is worth more than any spec sheet - rounded versus mellow on the same Ares 12th-1 tells an owner far more about what to expect from a cable swap. Naming the cables that came before is what makes the comparison land. Owners often want to post a short listening or system walkthrough clip, and Reference to Video can build that from a photo, a clip, or an audio reference.