New Grover ICs??

[mdconnelly]

Got my new SC XLR and RCA interconnects from Grover yesterday... They are approximately the same size/thickness as the previous ICs but black instead of graphite.   Might be able to get a picture tonight.   Probably won't have time to critically listen until this weekend however.

[BillC]

I received my new Grover SC Interconnects in the mail today. One set of 1.0 m RCA's, one set of 1.5 m.  The cable jacket is black, not graphite.  I connected the 1 m pair, and ran them tonight.  Very similar to the S's upon install: tipped up treble, not yet balanced, but extraordinarily clear.  The big early difference is a "blacker" background.  It seems to be a quieter cable, per the improved shielding.  The SC's do not sound bad for day one; realizing the old pair took over 100 hrs to break in.  One has to be patient with these cables.  A few photos are posted in my Gallery (click on the camera icon to the left of this message).

[mdconnelly]

Mine are still breaking in but my initial comments pretty much echo Bill's.    Here's what I can say after just a couple days of break-in and a couple hours of critical listening last night...

The 'SC's are very much the same character as the 'S' cables - exceptional detail and clarity presented in an extended and well-defined soundstage.   But, right from the start I got the sense of a slightly more relaxed, refined presentation.  Bill's comment on a blacker background is right on the money.   Yet, they retain all the detail, extension and transparency of the 'S' cables.  

One more thing although I'm not quite sure if this is a difference or just something I became more aware of last night... the transparency and harmonic decay with these ICs is just amazing resulting in a wonderful sense of venue where called for.   I thought I heard it more in the SCs but when I switched back, it was still totally there.

Very nice job, Grover.

[AcidJazz]

I am still awaiting my pairs...

[AcidJazz]

Got my cables last Thursday...finally put them in late last night...WTF!
Initial impressions are very positive...lets see how it evolves as the week progresses.
 

[Phil]

AcidJazz,

I didn't listen to the SCs until about 40 hours.  Didn't sound bad but the midrange was out of balance until more than 100 hours.   It seemed that the break in was from the bass upwards, so to speak.  Seemed like the cables were similar to the S v2 until after 100 hours, at which time they became much better than the S v2.

What I'm enjoying most in my system is the tone, especially for vocals, and the added weight/body for instruments.    Great stuff.

[djbnh]

Thanks for all who posted regarding their respective impressions of the latest iteration of Grover's ICs.

I note I purchased an IsoTek System Enhancer CD to use on my various systems and it works as recorded by Srajan in the 6moons review. Y'all might want to contemplate speeding up your burn-in process via the IsoTek disc.

Peace, and thanks again for the impressions.

_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _

Just ordered the upgraded, SC version. Will use the above-mentioned IsoTek disc for burn-in and look forward to getting the SCs fully churning in record time. Thanks to Grover for a speedy reply, wicked good guy with whom to deal. 

reason for edit: added info below the line.

[shep]

just recieved my new Grover SC's. Was going to ask how long a break-in but saw my question answered.
Boy are they a pig to plug in! no way I'm going to unplug them...further impressions to come after the 100hr mark.

[BillC]

shep,

100 hours gets you most of the way there, but not all the way...

I found that this cable seemed to burn in faster than the S (graphite), but perhaps that happens because you can hear more earlier due to the lower noise floor.

I found that after about 40 hours I heard significant evolution, and after about 120 hours the SC's were mostly burned in.  But -- I hear a very subtle settling in continuing after about 250+ hours of use.

The good news is you get most of the benefit pretty early, and the almost-as-good news is that they keep getting better for a long time.  I am estimating full burn-in at about 300-400 hours.  Which is not surprising for teflon in some situations. 

Enjoy the tunes !   Let us know what you think about what you hear.   

Bill C

[Nick B]

just recieved my new Grover SC's. Was going to ask how long a break-in but saw my question answered.
Boy are they a pig to plug in! no way I'm going to unplug them...further impressions to come after the 100hr mark.

Shep
What do you mean about plugging them in? Too tight??I am going to upgrade soon, but the RCA's on my current Grovers are a bit large for the connectors on the back of my CIA D200's.
Nick

[denjo]

Nick

I think what Shep meant was that the Grover RCA plugs are very snug and will require some pressure before they can be installed on the pre or power RCA connectors. Likewise, taking them out involves quite an effort! You have to wiggle them from side to side, making sure you don't hold the interconnects by the "skin" or else the wires inside might snap or come undone. I have also found that the Grover RCAs are shorter than I am used to. Pushing them too deeply into the female RCA connectors sometimes causes hum, from my experience. But once the Grovers are in place, its a good fit which I am sure adds to the sonics.

Best Regards
Dennis

[Nick B]

That's what I thought, Dennis. That'll be the opposite of the current fit I have now. I'll be ordering the new SC's soon. Too good a deal to pass up on Grover's generous exchange policy. 
Nick

[shep]

Yes yes and yes. All of the above are true. I don't have the hum problem thank God. I guess the Vampire connections are the right size and depth. Very good observation about the improvement being from the bass upwards. Usually it's the treble that sounds horrible at first. 400hrs break-in??? groan...and I thought burning in op-amps was bad. Please Grover don't change anything for a long while. I really can't deal with anymore run-in. It seems that's all I do. Just for the record, the T-amp M. Mardis sent me (his last amp. before he quit I think) really is coming together now) The new cables completely transformed it, that and running the newly tweaked cdp non-stop. I can't wait (this is now 4 months!) to get the REAL amp. he's making for me.

[shep]

Thoughts: this burn in on the Grover cables is sure strange! The bass seems to be totally disconnected from the rest, as if it were coming out of a seperate recording or another venue. A bit muddled. No doubt this too will pass!

[djbnh]

The IsoTek CD has made any prolonged burn-in obsolete for me. YMMV.