Silent Source Interconnect, Power, Digital and Speaker Cables Review

So, Did They Sound That Good?

Silent Source cables are the best I have ever used, and it was the case, as Frank said, right out of the box. I compared them to two other brands, Clarity Cable which has for about two years been used repeatedly in system building, and Snake River Audio cabling which makes its claim to fame by incorporating copper, silver and gold conductors. I found Clarity and Snake River to each have pleasant attributes, the Clarity being more impactful and emphasized at the extremes, and the Snake River more balanced across the frequency spectrum and smooth in the highs.

Neither cable, however, was as refined as the Silent Source. That’s a good thing, since Silent Source is significantly more costly. I noted the extreme nature of the conductors used in the Silent Source line – polished silver. In case you missed that last point by mentally inserting the word “termination” I will say it again; the conductors inside the cable are polished silver! Frank describes it as if discovering the love of a lifetime, “Constant searching for new and better materials to fulfill our designs led to the discovery of a solid core hyper pure silver wire, slow drawn and highly polished. In the proper gauge, and in our most advanced design, this wire produces a natural, relaxed sound which is incredibly detailed, resolve [sic], tonally balanced, and with great extension bottom to top. I secured sole rights to this wire for life and rightly named the series of cables using it ‘The Music Reference’.” I have not encountered discussion of a “highly polished” silver conductor previously, and it strikes me as an intriguing element to construction of a cable. It shows the degree to which Frank is willing to take his experimentation and procurement of materials!

Some would laugh at the thought of polished conductors, but I don’t. I have heard too many things from too many wires to dismiss it as a potential benefit to cabling. Much of what is scoffed at by naysayers makes a sonic difference and cannot be so easily dismissed. (I interject at this point that I eschew directionality of interconnects due to listening comparisons, not based on a preconception of whether it is efficacious. Just this week I received a sample of “Essence of Music,” a two-step CD treatment process which dramatically improves the sound of Redbook. I had been involved in the Beta testing phase in an informal manner; I was sent a set and asked my opinion of it. Consequently, I will not be reviewing it as it would be a conflict of interest, having received samples. But you can bet that I will be using it! While I fully realize that theoretically bits are bits, experientially treatment of a disc with Essence of Music results in a fundamentally different result. While some are saying, “it can’t make a difference,” I’m enjoying the difference! Similarly, I would not dismiss the efficacy of polished conductors unless I had an opportunity to compare polished vs. unpolished.

I likely will not get an opportunity to do so, and as a consequence must accept that the extra effort contributes to the loftier price of the cables. In terms of performance, however, when I hear ultra-smooth and sophisticated sound fit for audio shows’ premier systems I’m not going to say that such extreme measures are not worth it.

The Listening Experience

Earlier I described the physical nature of Silent Source Cables as that of a quality product. In reference to listening one adjective I would ascribe to them is disarming. I often do not have relaxing listening sessions as I am nearly always involved in system building, comparisons, assessment and note taking for articles. I remember seeing comments from reviewers prior to my involvement in the industry lamenting that listening for fun was long past. When an article is due, a component is to be boxed up and shipped, a switch to the system made, communication to be followed up, listening is not just enjoyment, it is casual work.

When a component is able to lure me out of the reviewer zone and into the listener zone it is a compliment of the highest order. When I built systems with the Silent Source cables I was compelled to relax and breathe in the experience. A powerful testimony to the capabilities of these wires is that I had recently to relinquish my use of the Simaudio Moon Evolution 750D DAC/Player which was fundamental in establishing mature sounding systems. I despaired of finding an affordable replacement. In desperation I reached out to Musical Fidelity and tried their M1 CD Transport with the Eastern Electric Minimax DAC Plus and discrete Opamps I have written about extensively. While this was a good combo, the Silent Source cables made it a great one!

You may comment that it took thousands more in cables to achieve a comparable sound to the $10k player! True, but would you expect any cables to be able to do so? No, you typically would not. However, as I have written many times, cables are components, and the best cables can be game changers. The question surfaces: If with affordable gear these cables can accomplish such feats, what can be done with better gear?

Simplicity Plus

I began with a disarmingly simple system consisting of the Simaudio 750D with my Pathos Classic One MkIII integrateds running Mono, concluding with the King Sound King III ESL. “Fanfare for the Common Man” with the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Eiji Oue was profound in impact, the opening Tympanic strikes having increased growl and bite to each strike versus a more nebulous rolling thunder effect as heard through the Snake River Audio cabling. Ambience was much enhanced with the Silent Source products as when Peggy Lee sings “Fever,” her voice rich and deep with a high degree of spatial clues to the environment in which she was recorded. Dozens of times I have heard her voice “flat” as might be expected of older recordings, but a fantastic degree of three-dimensionality is possible, and Silent Source cables achieved it.

Microdynamics suffer with some cabling, but nuances stand out in relief against the pristine backdrop of silence with Silent Source Cabling. Changing up the system to add the Eastern Electric Minimax DAC Plus and the Pass Labs XP-20 (currently under review) feeding the King III and the Legacy Audio EXTREME HD Subwoofers I thrilled to revisit Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s Live in Japan and their piece “Ixtapa.” At about 4:50 in the track they pause and attempt to lead the crowd in a sing along. Rodrigo plays a note, but the people are slow to respond. Softly, in the right channel he laughs at them! On some systems it can scarcely be heard, but in this rig one clearly can detect his mood as if saying, “That was lame! Can’t you do better than that?”