New Grover ICs??

[Phil]

Interesting finding about the Isotek disk.  I tried the Isotek after I had burned in the cable for about 150 hours with music so I'm not sure what difference it made. 

Seemed like 100 - 120 hours were needed to sound balanced and the sound was smoother still at 150 hours or so.  I lost track of how many hours it has now (170?) but I wonder if it will improve further.   

Personally, I prefer burning in cables with the amp off, because it drives me crazy otherwise. 

[rollo]

Phil,
           Its not required to have the entire system running when breaking in a cable. Place between CDP and Pre with Pre turned off. The Pre acts as a dead load. I bought a $40 CDP for burn in purposes so I can save my NOS tubes from the break in mode.

rollo

[Phil]

Thanks, Rollo.  That is what I do too.  I didn't write it very clearly.  Besides not wasting tubes, I like to pop in the burned in cables without listening to them prior to burn in so that I don't get accustomed to the difference over time.   

I just get tired of the whole burn in thing. 

[jrebman]

Amen to that!  In fact, at this point, with my system approaching something like stability, the thought of burn-in is going to weigh much more heavily on any possible gear swap decisions.

Got my graphites boxed up today and they'll be on the way to Grover tomorrow, and if they end up anything close to what you guys are describing, there'll be some orders for a few more for finishing out the first system, and the second one as well, coming in the new year.

I really want to be done with swapping interconnects and speaker cables, and at least as far as the ICs go, these leave me feeling as if I'm not missing anything.

While the cables are out, I'll be substituting some DIY Belden wire with  Cardas RCAs, so we'll see how that goes.

-- Jim

[djbnh]

I really want to be done with swapping interconnects and speaker cables, and at least as far as the ICs go, these leave me feeling as if I'm not missing anything.
-- Jim

Amen to the above. I'm hopefully done with "IC roulette" now. Speaker cables - I'm amenable to considering a post-holiday Grover Group Buy, depending on price, etc.

[jrebman]

Urgent request:

Can somebody PM me with Grover's phone number?  The fedex online  system requires a phone number and I don't have it.

Trying to get this thing out the door today.

Thanks,

Jim

[jrebman]

Thanks, Rich, Carl, and DU if you're reading.  Got the number today from Grover himself.

Package is on the way.

-- Jim

[richidoo]

Great! Lookin fwd to your comments. Everybody seems to like them yet again, another positive improvement. I expect nothing less from Grover. But I don't know how he can continue like this forever! Better and better. I have 5 pairs total, but I like them well enough as they are! Might send in my white S's.
Rich

[dangerbird]

Okay Guy's,, I'm dumb and slow,,,so as I understand it, the newer iteration of Grovers cables seems to be impressive. I participated in the last group buy(Graphite's) and to me they seem a "tad" bright compared to the "white" version.I've read and re-read this thread(I'm easily confused  )so, are the newer cables a little less bright and more refined/smoother? I'm not sure,at this point if I should go for the upgrade,or go back to the whites.I sure hope this makes sense to someone. Thanks in advance.

Eh,, nevermind,, I think that I found my answer in one of Rich's previous posts,,upgrade it is.

[richidoo]

I have not heard the new SCs at all, so I know nada, just compiling other people's information and experiences. It is tempting!

[Bunky]

I have procrastinated for a while, but after the Holidays i fully intend to send both of my pairs of Graphites to Grover for upgrade to the SC configuration thanks.....WCW III

[Phil]

Dangerbird,

I've had a hard time getting a handle on the highs.  With a cable this transparent, the differences in recordings become more apparent.  Some discs, mostly older ones, have more HF energy than I would like (although, with the exception of old DDD recordings, even these sound OK in my system), but then I put on another disc and the HF is perfect.  A different disc might have somewhat recessed HF. 

As I get closer to hearing what I believe is on the disc, I sometimes wish for that elusive magic dial that I can turn to make it sound the way I want.  Ok, maybe my audiophile membership would be revoked, but I'd enjoy every disc. 

Phil

[shep]

100 hours and still changing; Hey where can I get this IsoTek cd? anyone got a spare one to sell?

[Phil]

Shep,

http://store.acousticsounds.com/browse_detail.cfm?Title_ID=15651   I purchased my Isotek disc from acoustic sounds. 

Phil

[BillC]

Shep,

At 100 hours you should be getting very close on the Grover SC's.  Do you like what you are hearing? 

My SC's have gone about 200-250 hours and they sound increasingly stable.  They are still evolving very very slowly, but almost imperceptibly at this point.  The extraordinarily quiet background continues to be the big difference to me.  But the blacker background creates all sorts of corollary improvements.  It allows more midrange, and all ranges, through more clearly. The bass and treble sonics are pretty close to before, but the treble sounds less edgy.  Again, my sense is that the sound is cleaner overall, without having artificial definition.  The high/mid/low balance also seems better than the S cable. 

I am really enjoying this interconnect.  And the value/cost ratio is astonishing. 

So I am not sure that the burn-in CD will advance you further very quickly.  The evolution of this cable slowed notably after about 120 hours, for me.  But I anticipate evolution to continue.  That would NOT stop me from putting them into service, the way that the sub-60 hour sonics would have.

Teflon takes forever to reach full equilibrium, from my experience.  OK, maybe not forever, but dang close !

Bill C.