Cables

I’ve never been one to obsess too much over cabling. I only really adhere to the idea of maintaining coherence by using cables from the same manufacturer for everything, as much as possible anyway.

I’ve had the Kondo KSL Vc interconnects for years now and honestly they’ve become one of those things I just don’t think about in the best way. They don’t grab your attention with flashy detail or big soundstage tricks. Instead, they just let the music flow naturally.

Now that I have a full Kondo system these cables still make perfect sense. Even though Kondo is famous for their silver cables I’ve never felt the need to upgrade to those. This copper one hits a sweet spot balanced and musical without sounding limited or dull.
They are made with high purity copper and have a slight warmth that makes vocals and acoustic instruments sound really natural. They are smooth not soft and don’t hype any part of the music. Long listening sessions are easy on the ears.
The RCA plugs are really well made too. Sturdy and precise they just feel like they belong in a quality setup.
In my system I use the KSL-Vc between my phono stage and amp and also from my Esoteric SACD player to the amp.
These cables aren’t made anymore so finding a good pair is getting tougher. If you are hunting on the used market watch out for fakes. But if you find a genuine set they are definitely worth it.

After all this time I’m still happy with the KSL-Vc. They have stuck around because they simply work and that means more than any flashy specs ever could. They’re very nice. I don’t see the point in spending mega dollars on the silver models, even if they are very good. The expense isn’t justifiable for me, at least not for now. From the turntable to SUT I am using some Auditorium23 interconnects and from there to the phono stage a pair of Belden 8402 interconnects I made. I’m vaguely on the look out for a pair of the same KSL-Vc interconnects used elsewhere to replace those.

My digital interconnect is the new Supra Excalibur Rhodium coaxial cable. Its a very nicely made cable, and not super expensive. I like the no nonsense approach of Supra, they make great cables for a reasonable price, with good science and engineering behind them. It has rhodium plated locking RCA plugs to ensure a good secure connection.

Due to the long runs required by my room layout, I definitely couldn’t afford to get Kondo speaker cable. I ended up with some 12AWG wire from Jupiter Condenser. The Illuminati have been recommending this for a while and it seemed a good choice when I downsized my last system. This is a twisted pair based on the old Western Electric tinned copper cables. They’re insulated with lacquered cotton. They look exceedingly simple, and that appeals to me. I terminated them with the same banana plugs that Kondo use for their cables, although I am thinking of changing to spades for the amp end just so they hang a bit more tidily from the binding posts of the amp.
They sound pretty good.

Power cables are Kondo. Silver Avocado for the amp and phono stage, and copper Persimmon for the SACD Player and network streamer.

These plug into a Supra MD-06DC DC blocking power block. From there to the wall I use a Supra SPC cable terminated with Furutech plugs, although I might change this to a Kondo since I have a spare one floating around.