I’ve just finished listening to a pair of Spatia cables that
I’ve had on loan for a week now and thought that I’d share my thoughts about
them. I’m not sure how much ‘burn in’
time these cables had before reaching me, so this review is on the cables as
presented.
First, a few words about their appearance: they are
substantial looking, though not stiff so as to present a problem when laying
along the contours of a room. They are also ‘directional’, though the suggested
amplifier connection end is not immediately apparent and I had to look quite
closely to identify the blue band which was just about visible beneath the outer braided skin of the cable. The actual connectors are gold plated plugs
which presented no problems fitting to either speakers or amplifier. The pair I auditioned were seven metres in length.
The cables already in my system are some manufactured by
Merlin, the particular type I’ve now forgotten, as I have had them for about
seven or eight years now. In my system they have always sounded truthful,
musical and pleasing. So would the Spatias provide an improvement, a worthwhile
upgrade?
I played a variety of music through them, chiefly classical
and I was at once struck by their warmth and musicality. It struck me
straightaway too that they had also a sonic signature similar to the Reflex
Phono Stage that I’d borrowed a few weeks before.
At first I thought that they weren’t retrieving any
additional information until I realised that the sense of space around
instruments, which was well described by the Merlins, now appeared so much more
natural and believable
There was also a focus there that, although good before, was
now so much better at allowing that 3D quality to become manifest which I had
experienced with the Reflex some weeks before. Here again was that feeling of ‘being
there’ and that sense of ‘living presence’ which I had noted before.
In fact the full range of the sound spectrum, as recorded, was
allowed to come through most naturally - from the lowest thwacks of a bass drum
and deep growling notes of a double bass to the tinkling sounds of a celeste
and the decaying sounds of a soft brush drawn over a cymbal.
On voice there was an uncanny presence, the expressive nuances
of a song presented in such a life-like way. It seemed also that the sound of
all the recordings that I played became much freer and more expansive as though
the dynamic range had somehow been extended.
In conclusion I’d like to say that they are without doubt
outstanding cables and to paraphrase a famous hi-fi manufacturer, really do bring
you that much closer to the original sound.
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