Which speaker is the best mastering studio monitor in the world?

[buffert]

Anyone know?

Wilson audio,B&W,ADAM,.....

[MASSIVE Master]

Maybe...




You can ask that question to 10 people and get 10 different answers.

[Cellotron]

Buffert -
There simply is no "best" because monitors are extremely subjective - i.e what sounds "good" to one person and allows for them to easily create masters that translate to a wide range of other playback systems might sound terrible to another ME and be hard for them to work with. Beyond accuracy, low distorion, wide and neutral frequency response - familiarity (which can of course be learned with time), and a sense that things sound "correct" from the get go make a huge factor as to what is the best choice for you.
Also monitor choice must also take into account the room and other components in the monitoring chain to find the best solution - i.e. what works in one room might be too small or overpowering in another.

So: asking these questions on internet boards is silly - to find the best choice for you MUST GO AND LISTEN TO THEM YOURSELF FIRST - and best thing to do is to audition them in your own studio. This of course takes time and more often than not it is not possible to listen to even a wide range of possibilities simply because at some point we've got to get working - but if you're serious with a purchase a lot of dealers will allow you to put down a deposit to check out two or three different models before making a decision.

fwiw - I chose for my own room B&W Nautilus 802's and I think you'll find a lot of mastering rooms equipped with these along with the 801's & 800's. Other common choices are Dunlavey IV's & V's, Duntech Sovereigns, Wilson Watt, Eggleston Works Andra II, Lipinski 707's coupled with subs, PMC IB1's, ATC, Quested, Barefoot Sound, SLS, some of the larger Genelecs and Dynaudio - plus a number of other less commonly seen brands.

I don't actually know of any mastering studios using ADAMs at all really - although it wouldn't surprise me if someone out there is.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Bob Olhsson]

To me a good mastering monitor is one which is not flattering and yet makes it really obvious when little or nothing is needed. I have yet to find anything I like better than Duntech Sovereigns. I also really like the Nova Evolutions at Georgetown Masters and find myself making the same decisions using both. Both of these speaker systems reveal more sonic detail than any high-end headphones I've tried.

I worry about monitors where I can always easily improve mixes. I've actually had engineers sell their 2-buss processing gear when they hear their mixes both with and without it on the Sovereigns. You can't fix what you can't hear yet you really don't ever want to find yourself "fixing" what ain't broken.

[Reptil]

these
http://www.final.nl/gallery/high_res...00-2-_high.jpg

(the company has been taken over by total aholes however *sigh* and WTF do I know about mastering anyway .... well ok, a tiny bit LOL, it's late, I have to sleep, and these are great speakers, with some closed subs, and killer amps, and I miss them a lot, even with my K&Hs cheers, goodnight)

[Rob G]

Part of this enquiry should have an off shoot into employing a 'proper' acoustician to design an environment to put 'said' 'best' mastering monitor into. Truthfully there is no one 'right' choice. I'd start with 'top tier' Dynaudio Evidence series(who last I checked made some components for Eggleston), or B&W Prestige, or 800 series systems. You must consider the amplifier. Red Rose, Mark Levinson, Bryston, Krell, Cello are good starters for amplifiers but check to see which of the aforementioned amp companys is still in business, or has changed ownership wherein quality control, & design patents/rights might have changed which might yield inferior product to previous manufactured units. You must also consider the line level to amplifier cabling, & amplifier to speaker cabling. Different amp's, & cable combinations will yield different results unless you're talking powered monitors which last I checked neither Dynaudio's Evidence, or B&W800 series possesed. If powered go with Transparent, Mogami, or Monster 'high-end' cables/interconnects.

Rob G.

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by MASSIVE Master

You can ask that question to 10 people and get 10 different answers.

So true.

Originally Posted by Rob G

If powered go with Transparent, Mogami, or Monster 'high-end' cables/interconnects.

You make valid points about environmental design and cabling, and then you recommend Monster? Are you kidding?

[Rob G]

Gilwave,

No, I'm not kidding. Read 'all' the print (even as you would your title/deed, mortgage, or car lease agreements) of my previous statement. I specified Monster Cable 'high-end' cables(as in their Sigma Retro series), & not the run of the mill Monster Cable. Would'nt recommend Monster Cable in the mid to low level series. And, especially not for something as detail oriented as mastering.

Rob G.

[idee und klang]

Strauss SEMF-1

One might think that there is no "best" Mastering monitor, but unless one has not heard a Strauss, one those not know. Strauss-Elektoakustik was able to solve most of the typical problems all speakers suffer, i.e crossover. The Result is a speaker, that acoustically disapears. Finally a Speaker that lets never a question open about what one has to do to the sound in mastering, it is just obvious. What sounds bad sounds bad on a good speaker. This Speaker has been custom built for the Sony Music Studio in Japan.

Daniel
www.ideeundklang.com

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by Rob G

No, I'm not kidding.

It is generally accepted around these parts (and others - check out avsforum.com) that Monster Cable Company's products are over-hyped crap, and that their business and legal practices are reprehensible.

Since you brought up "fine print", check out this website:

www.monstergreed.com

-g

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by GilWave

It is generally accepted around these parts (and others - check out avsforum.com) that Monster Cable Company's products are over-hyped crap, and that their business and legal practices are reprehensible.

Since you brought up "fine print", check out this website:

www.monstergreed.com

-g

Monster SUCKS!!!!! And I did not have to go to that site to know this either.

fuuck them.

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

Monster SUCKS!!!! ...fuuck them.

a greed.

[not_so_new]

Oh and in case you all missed the link at the bottom of the page Gil sent, here it is for ya... enjoy.... Monster A**holes is what they are.

http://www.monstergreed.com/Index%20...about%20MC.htm

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by idee und klang

Strauss SEMF-1

One might think that there is no "best" Mastering monitor, but unless one has not heard a Strauss, one those not know. Strauss-Elektoakustik was able to solve most of the typical problems all speakers suffer, i.e crossover. The Result is a speaker, that acoustically disapears. Finally a Speaker that lets never a question open about what one has to do to the sound in mastering, it is just obvious. What sounds bad sounds bad on a good speaker. This Speaker has been custom built for the Sony Music Studio in Japan.

Daniel
www.ideeundklang.com

This is so true. I've seen crap crossover parts in expensive monitors. Replace the sand resistors with Mills wirewounds, the wire inductors with Alpha copper foil, the caps with InfiniCaps, Mundorf silver foils, MIT's etc. and hidden details are heard. I have more money invested in crossover parts in my JBL's than I paid for them new. Remove the rock wool stuffing and glue in some DeFlex latex panels in and the cabinet box resonance disappears as well.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[Rob G]

Gilwave, & notsonew,


I totally agree with you regarding the quality of Monster Cable mid, & low line cables. I also totally 'disagree' with you regarding the quality of Monster Cable 'Sigma Retro' cables. The Monster Cable 'Sigma Retro' cables are very good to excellent.

Also I don't go by 'generally accepted'(unless you're talking about Accounting, or Finance). That's for my CPA(who goes by 'generally accepted accounting practices/principles'). Audition the Monster Cable high end product, & you'll be convinced as I have been. Post back when you've checked out the 'Sigma Retro's. Until then your opinions of Monster Cable 'high end' product is just supposition.

And, how many more times do I have to specify this until it sinks in for you people. Your statements are the audio equivalent of stating that all Mercedes Benz autos are junk immediatly after I've told you to specifically test drive the Maybach, Gelander, & AMG Mercedes Benz's within the automobile realm, & you go test out a C class Mercedes Benz, & wind up being unimpressed.

Monster Cable Sigma Retro cables are the equivalent of a Mercedes Benz S class, or Maybach('top tier' 'high end'). Monster Cable M cables are the equivalent of an E class Mercedes Benz. Most all of the rest of Monster Cables are the equivalent of a C class Mercedes Benz. Your opinions are too generalized, & not focused upon product specifics. High end Monster Cable(that's what I said originally, & restate again)! High end! Do you get it yet?

Rob G.

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by Rob G

And, how many more times do I have to specify this until it sinks in for you people. Your statements are the audio equivalent of stating that all Mercedes Benz autos are junk immediatly after I've told you to specifically test drive the Maybach, Gelander, & AMG Mercedes Benz's within the automobile realm, & you go test out a C class Mercedes Benz, & wind up being unimpressed.

Oh please. Did Lucey die and make you god?

"Until it sinks in for you people"? Are you kidding - "you people"? Who do you think you are talking to?

Mercedes C Class is still a fine car. Maybach is losing money, and only sold 73 vehicles last year. E-Class, S-Class, CLK, the new M - all come from a fine company with high standards, which NO ONE would acuse Monster of.

I have no reason in the world to believe that, just because they now have a fancy name in Sigma Retro (and what is that, exactly? What is retro about it - the hope that they can go back to before we all found out they were charlatans? Sigma is the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet - so what? Sounds to me like the MBA they hired to run their marketing department is trying to earn his keep) that they have suddenly a) found the holy grail that has eluded them so far and b) changed their corporate attitude, greed factor, or overhanded legalistic harrassment of any company that dare to use the word Monster anywhere in their name or nomenclature?

A tiger does not change its stripes just because of a name or new astronical price point.

-gil

[SnakeCained]

Don't forget ATC

REALLY SWEET!

[ABBA]

Ino Audio - pi 60 signature.

[klaukholm]

With unlimited budget I would have a serious look at Eggleston Savoy.
Other than that it is a combination of taste and what you are used to.
Size of room and which amp matters.

I am a huge fan of B&W 800 series.
I would love to upgrade our 801's to the new 800D series. Particularly the 802D.

Kjetil

[Rob G]

Gilwave,


All of your anti-Monster Cable rant means nothing until you've actually 'tried' the 'Sigma Retro's'(the rest of the Monster Cable product line is questionable as I've agree with you previously). Please post back after you've auditioned them(the Sigma Retro's) vs. going upon previous experience, or hearsay regarding the Monster Cable product.

Rob G.

[Fletcher]

Howie Weinberg's custom "Voice of the Theatre"s... best fvckin' speakers... ever.

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Rob G

Gilwave,


All of your anti-Monster Cable rant means nothing until you've actually 'tried' the 'Sigma Retro's'(the rest of the Monster Cable product line is questionable as I've agree with you previously). Please post back after you've auditioned them(the Sigma Retro's) vs. going upon previous experience, or hearsay regarding the Monster Cable product.

Rob G.

But I don't want to try Monster because of their business methods and MORE IMPORTANLY I don't need to try anything from them because there are other products out there that sound great to me.

Mogami AES, Belden AES, some folks have good luck with Canare etc. The point is I can get as good as or better results for less money without having to feed the Monster.... errrrrmmmm... monster.

LOL

fuuck Monster.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Rob G

Gilwave,


All of your anti-Monster Cable rant means nothing until you've actually 'tried' the 'Sigma Retro's'(the rest of the Monster Cable product line is questionable as I've agree with you previously). Please post back after you've auditioned them(the Sigma Retro's) vs. going upon previous experience, or hearsay regarding the Monster Cable product.

Rob G.

I was at a high-end audio store a while ago and saw these Monster cables. I was looking for something like Transparent Audio or the equivalent but joked that I should put up the Monsters just for kicks. The salesman said "why not," so I listened back to back. Sorry sir, although they're nice they're not highest-tier. The track I was auditioning with was one that I'd mixed so I knew the material intimately. I STILL won't ever buy monster cable ever again, even the Sigmas.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Rob G

Monster Cable Sigma Retro cables are the equivalent of a Mercedes Benz S class, or Maybach('top tier' 'high end'). Monster Cable M cables are the equivalent of an E class Mercedes Benz. Most all of the rest of Monster Cables are the equivalent of a C class Mercedes Benz.

Sigmas... compared to a Maybach. That's a horrible case of self justification. Sounds like you bought these cables and in the midst of all this bashing are looking for a strong way to substantiate them.

If we're talking cars, I'd give them an S-Class at BEST, certainly not Maybach or Rolls or Bentley or the true top-tier.

And for the record, the standard line of Monster cables would be more like a nice Harvest Red Dodge Stratus, not any Mercedes.

[Rob G]

elambo,

There's quite a few holes in your statement/position. First of all what analogue/digital source were you using? What stylus/cartridge/turntable, DSD, DVD, or CD player were you using? What was the conversion? What pre amp/amp combination was used, & what type of cables were used for the interconnects. Was another brand used for interconnects, & Monster Cable 'Sigma Retro' used for speaker cable, or the other way around?

Give me, & others some more facts to substantiate your position. Another factor could be that the Monster Cable 'Sigma Retro' cables may not have been the optimum cable for the particular source to pre amp/amp to speaker combo. If you are the 'audiophile' that you present yourself to be then you'd know what I'm stating is real. And, if you don't like the 'Sigma Retro's' then what cables do you like them less than. Is it just the Transparent cable. Or did you test them up against Audience, or Nirvana cables(other high end cables) that I'm wondering have you, or many other people around here heard of. You know it could have been something else in the signal chain that was 'the weakest link' of your demo.

Your position is weak. Substantiate, or retreat.

Rob G.

P.S.:Also let's try to get back on topic if we could please. And, regarding the Mercedes I respect that you have the right to your opinion but the 'global' opinion of Mercedes/Maybach seems to conflict with yours so I think you're out voted there. If it was'nt off topic I'd probably extensivly list some of the 'the worlds' 'who's who' who own Maybach's, & Mercedes Benz's(everyone from the Saudia Arabia oil czar's to Donald Trump), & are known for not purchasing 'cheap' items.

[elambo]

My postition is not weak - without knowing the answers to the questions you've asked how could you even make the assumption.

In any case, the components used are hardly an issue since the ONLY things swapped during the comparison were the speaker cables. Whether it's an Onkyo receiver or Halcro components - it hardly matters when testing this way. We had a Mark Levinson/Eggleston system running with Transparent Audio cables, if you have to know. Switching to the Monsters (which had just been returned by a customer who hated them) was an immediate step backwards. Much of the glory of the Levinson and Egglestons left the room when connected via the Sigmas. I looked at the saleperson and we both just smirked... then laughed.

You obviously have your feelings hurt. It's not my fault. Return them if this statement is going to force you to continue to act defensive like an 8-year old child.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Rob G

P.S.:Also let's try to get back on topic if we could please. And, regarding the Mercedes I respect that you have the right to your opinion but the 'global' opinion of Mercedes/Maybach seems to conflict with yours so I think you're out voted there. If it was'nt off topic I'd probably extensivly list some of the 'the worlds' 'who's who' who own Maybach's, & Mercedes Benz's(everyone from the Saudia Arabia oil czar's to Donald Trump), & are known for not purchasing 'cheap' items.

Odd that you say "let's try to get back on topic" but then jump right back into the car analogies again...

OK, to clear this up, which is indeed WAY off-topic, the quality of a Mercedes S-Class is unquestionably amazing, and I wasn't saying otherwise, but it's not a Maybach. Or a Rolls. Or a Bentley. A Maybach is 4 times the price of an S-Class and is possibly the world's greatest luxury car. This car can't be used to compare your Sigmas to anything else. To help you understand my point you could reread my post about this where I said that your beloved Monster cable is an S-Class AT BEST. Not a Maybach. Sitting in the top spot for speaker cable would be companies like Transparent.

Jesus, why does this even matter... your monster cables suck, OK! That's what we're all getting at.

As for the best mastering speakers -- Wilson. Or maybe Dunlavy. Or Lipinski, which seems to be earning a great reputation... Who knows. Not many people can afford a pair of these dogs anyway.

[Rob G]

elambo,

No hurt feelings. Looks like I set you up for this one, & now you bit the bait. Read the following, & post back then if you have the heart to(and in addition to some other testimonials I could dig up but I've got to go back to work tomorrow):


've been in a nostalgic funk of late. What started it was visiting Golden, Colorado, where I spent my graduate-school days, and seeing all of the changes, not to mention the lecture halls full of kids who couldn't be a day over 12. When I commented on how young the freshmen looked, our host—a colleague of mine from grad school, now a professor—responded, "Those are seniors, Brian." I felt a little old.

So when the Monster Cable Sigma Retro booklet began talking about "our Golden Age of Hi-Fi," and I assumed that they were talking about the early days of Monster Cable—my formative audio years—it was too much. I can handle the encroaching gray in my beard, and I can even accept the fact that my 1986 Ducati F1 is no longer a new bike—but don't call me an audio geezer!

Fortunately, when I read on a bit, I discovered that the Golden Age being recalled was the 1950s and '60s. "Whew!" I thought with relief. "Guess I'm not a geezer yet." See, I didn't really catch the audio bug until '79 or '80. And while the '50s and '60s were truly another age—just after the Jurassic, I think—1980 was only a few years ago.

My youthful self-image shaken but intact, I took a close look at the Sigma Retros, a special series of cables created by whiz designer Demian Martin, formerly of Spectral and Entec fame. According to Martin, the Sigmas were deliberately conceived as a "Retro" product targeted at the single-ended triode (SET) market. Although their architecture is based on up-to-date theories on wave propagation, they eschew such things as termination networks in favor of simplicity and an emphasis on very-high-purity materials. In this case, that means "six-nines" (99.9999% pure) copper and a polyethylene insulator called PEX2, specially modified to increase the cross-linking between polymer chains and thus reduce the amount of electromagnetic energy dissipated by molecular movement.

The resulting cables are expensive, though no more so than other super-premium cables. They're well-built and easy to use, flexible, with simple, solid terminations. They're also nice-looking and luxurious to the touch, with their smoothly rounded plugs—"a stylish termination that resembles a jet engine nacelle"—and soft fabric covering.

And "luxurious" doesn't even begin to describe their packaging. If you buy the full system kit—a pair of 8' speaker cables packaged with 6' and 3' interconnect pairs—it all comes in a brushed Halliburton-style aluminum briefcase, the cables themselves snuggled in soft, velvet bags.

Monster Sigma Retro Gold interconnect
The Sigma Retro Gold interconnects use three different gauges of six-nines copper conductors. They're drawn and annealed to Monster's spec, then wound with the company's patented Microwire thread. This serves three purposes: it creates a mostly air dielectric, correctly spaces the conductors, and prevents any noise generated by their rubbing together. The wrapped conductors are then wound in a variation of a Litz construction, with the smaller conductors more concentrated near the surface of the bundle and the larger ones near the center. The winding architecture is based on the principle of having each conductor spend an equal amount of time at the bundle's surface as at its center, but is modified based on the different conductors' ratios of "skin" to "core," to try to balance out their propagation speed across the frequency spectrum.

The bundles—two in the case of the interconnect—are each encapsulated in an extruded PEX-2 insulator dielectric. Next, they're wound using an architecture Monster calls Super Multi-Twist, designed to reject audio bandwidth distortion, and the twisted pair is encapsulated in another extruded PEX2 tube. The outer tube is surrounded by two shields, one foil and one braided, which are tied to one end of the cable and covered by the soft fabric I mentioned earlier.

My first impression of the Sigma Retros, after a couple of evenings of serious listening, was very positive. They struck me as very good-sounding cables that seemed to be doing everything pretty well, and that were free of any overt colorations. As I listened over the next few evenings, I made a quick run through the audio checklist: bottom-end definition and punch, high-frequency air and extension, nicely detailed midrange with rich tonal colors, expansive soundstage, solid three-dimensional images. The Sigmas earned an A+ in every subject. Everything that I knew my system could do was being done, with nothing added or removed.

Over the next several evenings, I listened more carefully, homing in on specific aspects of the Monsters' performance, and occasionally comparing them to one or more of my reference interconnects: Audience's Au24, Nirvana's SX-Ltd., and Nordost's Valhalla. All three are superb, but each has a slightly different personality. The Nirvana is smooth and natural-sounding, perhaps a touch warm, with blacker-than-black silences and the best ability to re-create a coherent acoustic picture I've heard. The Valhalla is ever so slightly cool, and the fastest, airiest, most precise cable I've ever had in my system. The Au24 sits midway between the other two, with a dead-neutral tonal balance and a pretty even mix of their strengths and weaknesses.

In terms of tonal balance, the Monsters matched the Au24's neutrality. There was no extra warmth—cellos sounded like cellos and violas like violas, and female vocals were intimate, but with the correct mix of delicacy and body, and none of the extra huskiness that some cables and components can add. Similarly, the Monsters weren't overly cool. There was no emphasis of a guitar's string sound over its body resonance, for example, and no extra steel in flutes, violins, and piccolos.

The Monsters were actually a bit better at the frequency extremes than the Au24s, and had slightly greater extension. They had more impact at the bottom end, but this was due to their improved precision and better pitch definition, not to an increased level. I really noticed the Monsters' great bottom end during Sam Jones' bass solos on "On Green Dolphin Street" and "I Ain't Got Nobody," from the Red Garland Trio's Bright and Breezy (LP, Riverside/Jazzland SMJ-6099, Japanese import). Things like the finger movements against the strings, the pitch changing as Jones bent the strings, or the snapping, changing vibration of the strings themselves, were more vivid and electric with the Monsters.

The Sigmas were similarly stellar in their speed, clarity, air, and extension at the top end. Charlie Persip's cymbals on Bright and Breezy had a marvelous ring, with just the right mix of bell-like tone and metallic edge, surrounded by wonderful cascading waves of outward-radiating shimmer. The way a piccolo could cut through the air above an orchestra was also spot on with the Monsters, perfectly balancing the instrument's cutting edge and sweet, hollow tone.

Edge definition and detail were superb. The Monsters' sonic picture was a little sharper and more obvious, in fact, than with either the Au24s or the Nirvanas—more akin to the Nordost Valhalla in this respect. The most obvious example of this I heard were the maracas on Jimmy Buffett's "Migration," from A-1-A (ABC DSD-50183). Through the Monsters, they had exactly the right hollow sound, and their movements in space were beautifully transcribed. I'd swear I could count the individual beans rattling and swirling around inside. In addition to the detail, the Monsters also had a sort of "crisp mountain air" clarity—the spaces between images seemed cleaner and more open, which made the images stand out even more sharply.

The Monsters were also excellent in their reproduction of dynamic transients, and in their re-creation of images and soundstages. In these areas they were somewhere between the smoother, more coherent Au24 and Nirvana and the explosive, wide-open Valhalla. They had a slightly more forward soundstage and more projection than the Nirvanas or Au24, and things like rim shots and sharp guitar chops were just a bit sharper and faster—though not up to the standard set by the Valhallas.

On the other hand, while the Monsters' images were dimensional and their soundstages large—particularly in width and height—they didn't have quite the image dimensionality or soundstage depth of the Nirvanas or Au24s. Both of those latter cables replaced my listening room with a stunningly natural, completely coherent reproduction of the original acoustic space, with a sort of walk-into-it depth and seamless ambience. The Monster interconnects were very good, but not quite as good. On the flip side, however, the Monsters—or the Valhallas—made things like miking patterns more obvious, and better distinguished between the specific environments around individual instruments in multimiked studio recordings.

Summing Up: The Monster Sigma Retro Gold interconnects were superb performers. They were on a par, overall, with my three reference interconnects—Nirvana SX-Ltd., Nordost Valhalla, Audience Au24—but with a slightly different set of strengths and weaknesses. The Monsters should sound great in any system, but whether or not they prove to be the single, absolute best match will depend on other factors, including associated equipment, source material, and listener preferences. The Sigma Retros and my reference cables all work beautifully in my current setup, and I could happily live with any of them. For now, I'm sticking with the Monsters.

Monster Sigma Retro Gold speaker cable
Monster's Sigma Retro Gold speaker cable is similar in construction to its interconnect sibling, but a bit simpler. In the speaker cable, each conductor bundle uses two different gauges of six-nines copper conductors, again wrapped with microfiber, then woven around a solid, nonconducting core. The bundles, again two, are encased in extruded PEX-2 insulators and laid up using Monster's Super Multi-Twist architecture. In the case of the speaker cable, there is no outer PEX2 tube and no shielding—the twisted pair is wrapped directly in the fabric. Terminations are 24k platinum-gold-plated spades of three different sizes.

As with the interconnects, my first impressions of the Sigma Retro Gold speaker cables were all quite positive. I let the cables break in by running my system 'round the clock for several days, and though I didn't do any serious listening during this time, the music was always in the background, and I did sit down for a few minutes here and there, just to relax and listen. The sound was great: vivid and engaging, but with nothing overt jumping out and demanding attention—no overt anomalies, in other words. I always hated to get up and leave the music.

As I listened more carefully, homing in on the details of the Monsters' performance, I continued to be impressed. Their overall performance and character were very similar to the Sigma Retro interconnects, and very similar to my reference Audience Au24 cables (Nordost Valhalla was my other reference).

Like the Au24s, the Monsters were tonally very neutral, though there were subtle differences in their personalities. While I wouldn't say either was right or wrong, or that the Monsters sounded "cool" or "lean," they weren't quite as warm- or rich-sounding through the midrange as the Au24s. Red Garland's Bright and Breezy was a great example. The Monsters did a fantastic job of capturing the initial attack of the piano hammers hitting the strings, but the Au24s filled in slightly better the notes' bloom and resonance following the initial transients.

On drums, too, the Monsters' attack was sharp and realistic, but the round skin tone behind it, particularly in the case of lower toms, wasn't quite as rich and tonally dense as with the Audiences. Ditto for Thad Jones' cornet on the wonderful The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Quartet (Artisthouse AH 9403). With the Monsters, Jones' cornet had a bit more brassy blare; with the Au24s, a little more golden bloom. On the other hand, the differences between the Monsters and Nordost's Valhalla were in the opposite direction, and a bit larger. The Monsters had a significantly richer, more tonally dense sound than the Valhallas, but not their speed and precision.

The Monsters were excellent at the frequency extremes, and kind of a hybrid of my two reference cables. Their accuracy and excellent reproduction of dynamic transients extended to the very bottom, sounding a lot like the Nordosts in this regard. They didn't, however, have quite as much bottom-end warmth or power as the Au24s. For example, the Au24s made Sam Jones' bass sound a bit bigger and warmer; through the Monsters, the instrument sounded slightly cleaner and more precise.

On top, the Sigma Retros were again clean and precise, but not quite as extended as either the Audience or Nordost wires. With the Monsters, Charlie Persip's cymbals on Bright and Breezy had a sharper, more powerful initial crash, but the shimmering waves moving outward were a bit attenuated. Or, for another example, listen to the maracas on "Migration." With the Monsters, the sharp, hollow attacks when the instrument is shaken were very precise, and snapped with a very realistic impact. When the instrument was swirled around, however, some of the low-level, higher-frequency subtleties weren't as evident—the ssshhhh was a bit deeper in pitch and just slightly dulled.

The Sigma Retro speaker cables revealed huge soundstages, although, as with the interconnects, these stages were a bit more wide and tall than deep. Individual images were nicely detailed and tangible, but not quite as dimensional as with my reference cables. Unlike the Sigma Retro interconnects, which had a consistent, slightly forward perspective, the speaker cables were more neutral, neither noticeably forward nor at all recessed.

The Sigma speaker cables' resolution of detail and edge definition were superb, and there was the same beguiling, crystal clarity in the spaces between images that I noted with the Sigma interconnects. Also like the interconnects, their ability to precisely describe miking patterns, or the fragmented spaces blended together in a studio recording, was incredible. Buffett's A-1-A really showed this off. In the closing moments of most of the songs, as they fade out, there are very soft percussion instruments. Even at the limit of audibility, the sizes and characteristics of the spaces around these instruments remained discernible.

Summing Up: As good as Monster's Sigma Retro Gold speaker cables were, I wasn't quite as taken with them as I was with the interconnects. It's odd, because both wires had very similar characteristics, and I'd be hard-pressed to say in which wire these characteristics were more obvious. But while in my current setup I slightly preferred the Monster Cable interconnects to my other reference wires, I preferred—again, only slightly—the Au24 speaker cables.

On the other hand, it's possible that the Sigma Retro Gold speaker cables are a bit more narrowly focused than the interconnects, and Monster's targeting of the SET market in their development of the Sigma Retro line has resulted in a speaker cable that's not ideally suited to my 600W VTL Ichiban monoblocks and power-hungry Thiel CS6 speakers. But even with this potential mismatch, the bottom line is that these are still great speaker cables. Depending on your associated equipment and listening preferences, they might be absolutely perfect.

Where does that leave us?
It's been a while since I thought about Monster Cable in the context of super-high-end cables. Sure, their product name, like Scotch tape or Xerox, has become synonymous with an entire industry. To the rest of the world, Monster Cable is high-performance cable. But somewhere along the line, rightly or wrongly, they lost their high-end credibility—at least with me. It became easy to dismiss them as "no longer a high-end company." And who could blame them? The world and its riches lie in Game Boy and car audio cables, not in our tiny little audiophile utopia.

But somewhere deep inside Monster Inc., Sigma Retro Gold was conceived and now exists as a kind of outlaw. It's ironic, because the technological and financial power that make possible the development of special materials and constructions such as the ones in the Sigma Retro Golds also put very real constraints on the bottom line. When Demian Martin discovered the superior performance of his platinum-gold-plated spade lugs, he toyed briefly with similarly plated conductors, "but I knew that [head monster] Noel Lee would never go for it because of the expense. I'm just grateful that we were able to build Sigma Retro in a company like Monster. I'm not sure that Noel is even really aware of this product, which is probably good for me."

It's certainly good for us. Outlaw product or not, Demian Martin and Monster Cable have built a line of superior cables in their Sigma Retro series, cables that are fully competitive with the very best I've heard. In some ways—how they balance continuity and edge definition, for example, or the amazing clarity between their images—they might well be the best I've heard. In other areas, or in other systems, I might prefer another of my reference cables by a bit. I can't say whether or not these cables will be the best match for a particular system and listener. I can definitively say, however, that anyone shopping for high-end cables should give them a listen. Highly recommended!


-Brian Damkroger, Stereophile Magazine, February, 2004


http://www.stereophile.com/accessory...ter/index.html




I think the people from 'Stereophile'(one of many reputable sources) are way more qualified to make comparisons than yourself, & especially because they get access to 'ultra high end' product that many people can only dream of demo. ing, or could even dream of. Funny though. BD said/thought the same thing about Monster Cable's other products as you, other Gearslutz members, & I have stated. But, he too was won over. Now I'm not one to go by reviews only. A good review 'could' get me interested in a product. But, I think you should try them out(all audio products) for yourself. Especially mastering monitors. Another funny thing I'd mentioned earlier regarding particulars of component 'matching' BD mentioned as well. Another big 'hole' in your statement/position is the fact that the 'Sigma Retro' units you tested we're returns. And, who know's why they were returned. We're they factory defective, damaged in shipping, mishandled by the buyer, or seller. And, I could go on, & on. But, I guess you're an intelligent person so hopefully you've gotten my drift by now.

And, which Mark Levinson/Eggleston components were used, or do you even know. Because if you don't then we could be observing data from you that's diluted/tainted just as in previous posts by you, & others who were making statements about Monster Cable mid/low line product when they should have been making observations of high end product. I mean not every Eggleston dealer has Ivy's, or Savoy's on the demo's on the floor. Same thing for Mark Levinson. The 33's are'nt everywhere. Now if you were listening to Ivy's(Eggleston), & #33's(Mark Levinson's) let us know. That's a factor. A major one.



Rob G..

P.S.:How dare you mention 'Onkyo'. That's grounds for being expelled from 'The Realm' of 'Audiophile's' for eternity.

[Rob G]

Gilwave, & not so new,

I'd suggest you read the last post I wrote to 'elambo' as well.


Rob G..

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by Rob G

All of your anti-Monster Cable rant means nothing until you've actually 'tried' the 'Sigma Retro's'(the rest of the Monster Cable product line is questionable as I've agree with you previously). Please post back after you've auditioned them(the Sigma Retro's) vs. going upon previous experience, or hearsay regarding the Monster Cable product.

My rants mean something whether I hear the product or not. I have no confidence in the brand. I am appaled at their business practices, unsubstantiated hype, legal bullying and holier-than-thou attitude.

Therefore, I will not support or encourage them by spending any of my money on their products, when they are plenty of other worthy pruducts in that statasphere.

I think the people from 'Stereophile'(one of many reputable sources) are way more qualified to make comparisons than yourself...

Hah! Laughable. Who do you think pays their salaries? Look at all the un-quantifiable superlatives in that review - puh-leeze!! What a crock of sh*t.