Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams

Installation begins tomorrow. I plan on introducing the SC first, then the IC's individually and finally the Ultra PC's. They've been on a cable cooker for a week

DaveyF said:

Steve, how do these cables compare in price to the Nordost Odin...or the newer Odin 2?

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Not exactly certain. I believe they are well below Odin and in the range of Odin 2

For me it is all about the sound and IMO these are so good that they become lifers in my system as they aren't going anywhere

Hi Peter and thanks


I just posted this on your other thread as to changes I made oil the past 18 months.....

All roads lead to Rome and there are many ways to skin a cat. Having said that "real" has been my goal since visiting ddk in Utah 18 months ago. Can we achieve something as close to the real event? Maybe not but as long as there is suspension of one's disbelief in hearing the sound reproduction is for me where it's at. Timber and dynamics and the avoidance of coloration as well as reducing the sound floor to virtually non existent levels are what I am chasing to create that illusion and I feel I am darn close. The addition of the MB Ultra cable loom was for my ears the icing on the cake.

Here are the the changes that I have made in the past 18 months

1. Removed all butcher block as well as amplifier racks with graphite shelves

2. Removed all Stillpoints from under components and speakers. Respiked the speakers

3. All front and back end components now housed on CMS Black Diamond shelves and CMS QXK rack system

4.Replaced the stock carbon plate GM-70 tube on my ML 3 amps with a copper plate GM-70 tube on each amp.

5. Replaced my aging pair of NOS Telefunken ECC 803S with a literally brand new pair of Telefunken ECC 803s

6. Replaced my existing speaker cable and interconnects and PC's with a full loom of MB Ultra cable. Hearing the cables in my system was nothing short of Revolutionary

7. Replaced my Furutech Rhodium AC outlets with Furutech gold for a more open top end

8. I find that I use my 12" SME 3012R arm and ZYX UNIverse Supreme ll cartridge most of the time rather than using my 10" Graham Phantom Elite with an Ortofon Anna as IMHO the sound is far more natural

9. Today I will begin to gradually introduce the new MB Ultra loom into my system over the next few weeks but having had the cables on loan previously in my system for 6 weeks I was shocked as to how uncolored and natural these cables are. The top and bottom extension as well as the overall saturation of the sound produced the most natural and lifelike soundstage I have ever heard in my system. Like Mike, my system is totally invisible and is out of the way of the music. I have never spent so much time in my sound room as I have lately and the MB Ultra cables are so mesmerizing that when I had them on loan my wife had to pry me out of my listening room.

So this is the closest I have gotten yet having said that all one needs to do is to take in a live concert or symphony to know what live music sounds like and no matter how great our sound systems are we just won't achieve the real event but I am darn close and loving every moment. The addition of the CMS racks has reduced my sound floor to virtually non existent levels and the addition of the new cables has created a natural and totally uncolored sound which I am loving

DaveyF said:

Thanks.
I ask because I know you used to use Valhalla and the Odin line is a big step up over Valhalla or Valhalla 2. Odin 2 ( more pricey than the original Odin) is the fastest and most resolving cable I have heard...and I have heard a lot of cables.

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Hi Davey

I have heard Odin 2 on many systems and love it but for my ears I truly believe that the MB Ultra is the most neutral, uncolored, and most detailed cable I have ever heard

Hi Roger

Thank you. I don't know if you've read Joe's white paper on his CMS racks which BTW are patented

In case you missed it

View attachment Basics of Critical Mass Systems.pdf

I have been often asked by members the MSRP of the M+B Cables

Leif has told me that they are now up on the Master Built website. Click on the image of each of the four different cables and you will see a description of the cable as well as its MSRP

JackD201 said:

I LOVE my Odin 2 Phono cable. I'm excited to compare them with the Ultra Phonos. I have no intentions of selling the Odin 2. I'll have the Ultra on my second Elite. Having both with give me another variable to play with as I switch carts and wands around. Synergy hunting

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What length did you order Jack or is the phono cable a standard length

some initial observations re M+B Ultra cables

I had the Ultra loom in my system as loaners from Leif for ~6 weeks. I never got to handle the cable as Leif was kind enough to do all of the cable installation.

The Ultra PC's are still being made so Leif gave me some MB loaners which he said were initial prototypes of the Reference series.These PC's were very heavy yet when I picked up the Ultra interconnects and Ultra speaker cable I was initially struck by how light these cables were. I spoke to Leif about it and he commented that the Ultra Series has no copper as do the other 3 series. When asked about whats in the cable the only thing Leif knew was the cable was composed of precious alloy........


From the MB site re their Ultra SC....



SPEAKER CABLES

MasterBuilt Ultra Line are the apex of audio cables. Although extremely costly to produce, the performance is well worth the price to music lovers who own the world’s finest audio systems. Your speaker cable is the final leg in the signal path of your system and can drastically affect the performance of components both in front and behind it, regardless of quality. Ultra Line Speaker Cables are the finishing touch in your quest to reproduce a simulation of live music in your home.

MasterBuilt utilizes a proprietary alloy made from precious metals developed by the U.S. aerospace industry to approach as close to a zero resistance state as possible. The resistance of the Ultra Alloy is so low that a minute voltage pulse would travel through the cable without audible loss. This trait is critical for use in speaker cables by providing purity of sound, image focus, and an incredible dynamic range.
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If you own a world-class audio system and haven’t auditioned the Ultra Line of audio cables, you owe it to yourself to hear how these award winning cables will drastically improve your system.
SPECIFICATIONS
Outer Jacket: High Density Thermoplastic Elastomer with Polyester braided sleeve
Construction: Low EMF Hexagonal
Conductor Insulation: Fluoropolymer
Conductor Material: U.S. laboratory grade precious metal alloys, proprietary formulation
Conductors: 16 wires for single wiring & 32 wires for bi-wire; each group is suspended in an isolated housing
Gauge: 10 AWG per leg (Positive & Negative)
Cable Power Rating: 100 Amps max
Terminations: German high performance copper alloy connectors
Finishes: White (standard), Black (upon request)


The sound on these cables has begun to open up and the grin on my face has returned. More to follow as the cables burn in


FWIW new out of the box, these cables sounded pretty darn good