latest white Grover S interconnects

[rlmacklin]

 
I highly recommend the latest white techflex Grover S ICs.
Mine took ~ 50 hours for complete burn-in and reached maybe 90% after about 20 hours. 
I am using them throughout my entire system (see bottom of post):
 
Compared to earlier Grover S (black or white), I hear new level of previously masked or hidden detail in the music and greater frequency extension in both lows and highs, particularly in the highs.  These are quieter (cleaner, clearer), more detailed, smoother, and more open.
Definitely now at "reference" level in my system to my ears.
The latest white Grover S are now in the "whole nother league."
 
(See posts on Audio Nervosa comparing earlier white Grover S to Stealth Indras and JPS Aluminatas, as well as to Straley Reality ICs, VenHaus Audio Pulsars, Speltz Anti-cables, etc.).

There is a 2nd "group buy" started for these current white Grover S interconnects on Audio Nervosa forum.  You may order through the 2nd group buy to get up to a 30% discount over the normal pricing of $150 for a one-meter pair with RCAs. Pricing for other lengths and terminations are already posted in the group buy section.

I e-mailed to my friend George near Atlanta to alert him to get some of these.  I then mailed him a pair of my white Grover S ICs to burn-in and audition.
----------------------------------------
George e-mailed:
Got em friday. I'm going to call you monday if thats ok,,first,,they are beautiful,,my ears are not as good as they used to be but,,,the grovers seem to be more refined,smoother,and the mids and highs are just simply amazing. I'm sold on them already. I'm going to get in on the group buy round two,,Thanks for helping me deplete my savings,,,you were right,,these cables are something else,,thanks again,,I forsee a big cable sale on Club Polk
Regards to all--george
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System:
 
front l/r: stock Denon 3910 > white Grover S ICs > Modwright SWL 9.0 Signature with Bendix 6900s and cryoed Philips metal base GZ34 NOS 1957 > white Grover S ICs > Odyssey Mono Extreme SE amps with Klaus's "special boards" > Grover S bi-wire speaker cables > Polk Audio SRS-2 speakers (with custom SDA cable made from Grover UR speaker cable)

center: stock Denon 3910 > white Grover S IC > Sunfire Symphonic Reference preamp > white Grover S IC > Odyssey HT-3 power amp with capacitance upgrades > Grover SR speaker cable > Polk Audio Csi-5 speaker

l/r surround: stock Denon 3910 > white Grover S ICs > PS Audio PCA-2 preamp > white Grover S ICs > Odyssey HT-3 power amp with capacitance upgrade > Grover UR speaker cables > Polk Audio Fxi-5 speakers
"
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[LKdog]

rlmacklin-

I also responded over at AA.
I also have the Odyssey Extreme Monoblocks (would love to hear your thoughts on the SE upgrade).

I am interested to know how the new IC cables changed the presentation from your previous IC's you were using in your 2 channel setup of the Denon>Modwright>Odyssey Mono Extremes chain.
Were you using a previous version of Grover cables?

Thanks.

-Tony

[rlmacklin]

Hi Tony!

I don't have any infomation re the SE upgrade on the Mono Extremes.
I was wanting to get some of the Odyssey Mono Extreme SEs and called Klaus and simply asked him how "extreme" could he go in building a pair for me.
He said he had a few remaining "special boards" which he said were in his own and in Alex's units and I got two made with those boards (which is why I refer to them as Klaus's "special boards"). 
I received my Odyssey whatever-I-should-call-them amps. They are detailed and musical and really control the speaker drivers. 
I have no exact idea how my amps relate to the regular Mono Extreme SE version (but think the "special boards have higher quality capacitors and resistors, perhaps tighter tolerance on the resistors) or to the "Garys" or to "full Garys" versions I have seen referred to in some posts. 
But they are awesome performers and I haven't looked back (or forward to getting any thing else!).
I expect to have/use these for the life of the 20 year warranty Klaus gives to first owner (and transferable to second owner).

Some years back I had OEM ICs provided with components, but quickly got Element Cable Twisted Pair II ICs, then some Audiogeek Nitrogens which were very nice soudnign but had some volume attenuation problems in my system of that time,
Next I tried Grover's ICs based on reviews at Head-Fi and Steve Hoffman forums.  So I have had several versions of Grover UR ICs up through UR-8, have recently had first/initial black colored version of Grover S ICs, second black version Grover S, first white Grover S and now 2nd white version Grover S. 
I had to send the first version white Grover S back to Grover to update to the latest white Grover S, so never physically had both at same time to compare sonically side by side.  The first white Grover S were excellent and left me feeling I was just listening to the music after burn-in, but the second/current white Grover S reveal yet another significant layer of musical detail/ambience that in my judgment, this one goes more than half-way from first white Grover S to whatever could be expected as the "endpoint" for any "audio nirvana" IC to sound like.  (Sorta like the old Greek "Zeno's Paradox")

[LKdog]

Thanks for the detailed info.
I think all of the Mono Extreme SE's are customized for each person to a degree. Sounds like you have a very special pair.
I am jealous. 

With regard to the cables, it sounds like you feel they are a good match for the Odyssey house sound which I consider on the slightly warmish side of neutral at least in my setup and room.
So much of all of this is system synergy and it helps to hear from people with gear at least somewhat similar to mine.
I also use a tube preamp (Audio Mirror PP1) in front of the Mono Extremes.

Thanks for the info.

[bpape]

Hmmmm.  I might have to pop for a pair.  I am running the Korato tube pre with Odyssey Mono Extreme SE's - sounds like a nice way to get a little extra detail without losing that warmth that I like in my system.

Bryan

[rlmacklin]

I find the latest white Grover S to be neutral/uncolored in its sonic presentation, so that the sonic character of one components is more clearly discerned/revealed.

Now that these latest white Grover S are fully burned-in, I can use them to try to settle the "shoot-out" between my Black Sand Violet and Silver Ref MkV power cords on my Modwright SWL 9.0 linestage with tube rectified power supply.

I certainly recommend to any who purchased first white Grover S in the first group buy to get at least one pair of the latest white Grover S in the 2nd group buy. 
If you do get some, mark them to distinguish form first version in some way and use them out of player, or two in "series" to connect one channel chain from player to power amp and compare to first white version on other channel. 
I will be extremely surprised if you cannot hear a difference...

[mdconnelly]

So, Grover,  what did you do differently with latest white Grover S versus the 1st white Grover S?   I ask because I bought a pair of the balanced XLR ICs in the first round and this time I'll be picking up an RCA pair and a digital IC.   Is the difference primarily in the terminations or in the wire itself?

Just my two cents worth, but a point could be made that such frequent "updates" only add to customer confusion... or is it only me   (won't stop me from buying more, of course... they are excellent ICs, but the more I know, the better I feel)

[stereofool]

OK...now I'M confused  !

Grover...have you already made changes since the first group buy? If so, are the Grover whites that I received upgradeable/improveable??? Especially since I bought multiple pairs, of both XLR and RCA.

What sort of changes were made and what improvements have been wrought...without divulging any trade secrets...so to speak?

Thanks for any clarification.

[LKdog]

I am probably ordering a couple pairs, but the continual changing of design is maybe of some concern.

I don't mean any disrespect, but it is simply hard to sort out the various iterations and connections with others (Wolf, Hoffman, etc) of this designer and the various builds over the past couple of years.

All manufacturers do so in some sort of cycle (one year/two years/five years), but it is kind of unsettling and actually can make one confused if it is done as often as seemingly has occurred this Spring/Summer.

It begs the questions "Does Grover have a reference in mind?"
"Does Grover establish in his mind what is his ideal sound he is seeking ?"
"What actually is this presentation being sought?"
"What is the design philosophy?"
"Will a new design come out in September 2007 that is "light years beyond" the old April/June 2007 "S" version"

The Money back guarantee is a good thing and by all reports Grover is an ethical businessman and a nice guy. Maybe a website with product offerings, some design details, and reviews would help allay some concerns. As it is-I envision a really high energy hard working guy in his basement or garage workshop making cables who gets a new idea every few months.

Not sure we know too much other than they are white techflex, have newer higher silver content connectors, use some combo of silver and copper wire, and they are 20pf. per foot capacitance, and are known for being monsters at detail retrieval.

We don't know what insulation and shielding is used, if it is stranded versus solid wire, how the connector creates synergy, what it mates best with, why there are not different versions (silver, copper, more copper, more silver, better wire at different price points, etc) for different needs or applications, etc.

Anyway, I am sure the business model will sort itself out.


The price of admission is pretty reasonable which allows this business model to work I think.
Anything higher and it would probably not.

The bottom line is people seem to really like the cables and they do reportedly work in a variety of applications, and there are very few who are coming on here and saying they are not impressed.

[rlmacklin]

I think Grover has posted that he uses silver and copper "ribbons" of various gauges.

[LKdog]

RL-

I have read through quite a few threads here trying to discern the type of wire (probably more out of curiosity than anything).
It is not like I have a preference for solid versus stranded or anything.
I think all cable makers have to overcome issues and limitations of their choice of materials as there is no perfect wire, shielding, connector, etc.
The "ribbon", or "pressed ribbon" information is something I don't understand really, but that is probably my ignorance.

I guess my only hesitancy is a lack of formalized information that is available and if the design we will get is stabilized.
Maybe that is just me.
The user comments here certainly speak volumes.

[bpape]

IIRC, the ribbon description was correct.  I also believe that Grover is waiting on a patent - hence the tight lips.  I also seem to remember that the changes in this configuration over the previous one was purely the connectors. 

Bryan

[LKdog]

Bryan-

What is the Grover version of "ribbon" as opposed to solid core, or stranded?

When I think of ribbon I think of Mapleshade stuff which this clearly is not (at least based upon how it looks on the outside).

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/interconnects.php


Maybe Grover might jump in here??

[bpape]

I have no idea - that's part of the patent thing I believe.  My GUESS is that it's solid.

Bryan

[grover]

I want to announce that all first group buy RCA's can be upgraded to the new cable for no charge.