If you read my site or talk to me then you know that I am very much not a proponent to dummy idea of balancing specific problems of playback system by using specific complimentary cables. I always tend to use individually neutral components with individually-neutral cables getting all together a neutral result instead of use crapy component with contra- crapy cables and then to sing the song about the idiotic “synergy”.  I hate the word synergy…

However, with time goes by I detected that there is an area where my position might experience some infidelity. I am taking about FM world.  With FM the upper region is restricted at 15kHz -16kHz, and restricted with very sharp brick-wall filter. It is arguable how much more is necessary. No one who heard good FM (not a lot of them out there) complained that MF is HF challenged. The funny parts that subjectively and objectively FM is undoubtedly FH challenged but not one bothers by this, including me. Furthermore, as many people visit me I always ask them what of my source (LP, CD, Tape, FM) they found more “interesting” and all of them commented that FM was the most “exciting”. Ok, it is rolled off, it is compressed and it have zillion other problems but… for whatever reason it did not impact the excitement judgment in anyone, including myself.

All my recordable FM is wired with POD cables and listenable with other cables. Sansui to Pacific uses Proteus Rev B, Rohde & Schwarz to Lavry uses Proteus Rev A, DAW from A/D and to D/A  is custom-made for me cable, Lavry D/A to Preamp is Dominus Rev B. The cables that I run from Sansui and Schwarz to preamps are Colossus. So, as you can see the critical path is laid with older Proteus that has own feel of neutrality.  However, I also detect some inclination in me…

There are some cables out there that are zippy, that are made to impress the audio idiots with HF schmaltz and therefore they have medals from morons-reviewers and ignite the instant love from people who “compare cables”.  I have some of those cables in storage (Harmonic Technologies) and I made a few attempts to introduce those cables to my FM path. You know, with all my luck of appreciation of this approach I have to say that I liked the impact that the “hyper impressive” cables did to my FM HF. The Harmonic Technologies cables were failing in other region where Proteus unchallengeably rules but all together it proved the concept.

So, I wondering, is someone would be to a task to design or to adopt a cable that would be specifically targeted to use with FM track. It shell be a neutrals all together cable with very strong harmonic fidelity under 500Hz (users of old PAD would know what I mean) but at the same time to have a bit of artificial sparkle atop, some very accurately purposely made HF shimmer. I presume that IF IT IS DONE PROPERLY than it might be interesting to try.  I was wondering it is make sense to run next to Proteus a parallel some kind of “HF brightening” line… If I have in my deposal a company that do cables then I would experiment with something like that.

If any of cables manufacturers have interest to experiment with it and to develop a new perspective line of FM cable then contact me and I will help you with assessment and interpretation of results.

Paul S wrote:

but it sounds like you just described the Nordost Valhalla cables, just after they break in, just before the HF shimmer short circuits. Or, maybe Nordost has fixed the part where they age badly with the Mk II, SE, the same way PAD fixed the old fluid Dominus with the Ferrox? Anyway, I'm not kidding about the optimal-state Nordost Valhalla as a candidate for your FM, and I guess you are past sticker shock by now.