HDMI cables (Transparent Audio)

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

I am not sure how many of you have tried better HDMI cables. Over the weekend I bought 2 Transparent Audio High Performance (1 + 2 meter) HDMI cables. 1 meter is $265 USD.

These were for my bedroom TV and the living room. Both TV's are Sony LED XBR's (forget the model #). I used the HDMI cables to connect the Direct TV box to the TV's. That was the only change.

And...it's a better picture. It's quick to see. Even my wife can see it. I asked it she wanted to go back to see the stock cable...it was a clear "NO - it's better as it is." Seems like the stock cable was including some sort of hash or distortion....The Transparent Audio HDMI cable was like cleaning your windows. Everything sharper, crisper, better. The colors seem more saturated and black ..more black. The other thing is how much more the picture is 3D like...with depth...who knows if it'll get better with breakin...it's damn good right now.

I did not compare these to anything other than stock cables. I am not claiming they are the best...I'm just saying for $265..it's clearly better and for me, definitely worth it. FYI and YMMV

LL21 · Nov 30, 2014

Thanks...good to know. i may give that a try...

PeterA · Nov 30, 2014

Very interesting. I have a Pioneer Elite Kuro TV. It was professionally calibrated so the colors are incredibly realistic, IMO. Not over saturated, etc, but accurate. I wonder if switching to this cable will necessitate a recalibration if the colors are shifted.

What happened to your grey scale? Black blacks are great, but I want to see detail in those blacks. Kind of analogous to great bass. Quality over quantity.

Thanks for the report. Compared to audio, this is really cheap, but the best TVs cost less than our cartridges or phono cables, so it is all very relative.

LL21 · Nov 30, 2014

PeterA said:
...Thanks for the report. Compared to audio, this is really cheap, but the best TVs cost less than our cartridges or phono cables, so it is all very relative.

ahhh...but is the TA HDMI the equivalent of a component upgrade?

like getting a new tv?

i jest of course...but it sure would be fun to get much better picture out of our old flatscreen! must be 10 years old now...

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

LL21 said:
ahhh...but is the TA HDMI the equivalent of a component upgrade? like getting a new tv? i jest of course...but it sure would be fun to get much better picture out of our old flatscreen! must be 10 years old now...

It's like a new TV. Take your best shot at me...on this proclamation (seriously)...I was surprised...but somehow not. The wife factor however says it all...

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

PeterA said:
Very interesting. I have a Pioneer Elite Kuro TV. It was professionally calibrated so the colors are incredibly realistic, IMO. Not over saturated, etc, but accurate. I wonder if switching to this cable will necessitate a recalibration if the colors are shifted.

What happened to your grey scale? Black blacks are great, but I want to see detail in those blacks. Kind of analogous to great bass. Quality over quantity.

Thanks for the report. Compared to audio, this is really cheap, but the best TVs cost less than our cartridges or phono cables, so it is all very relative.

You "might" have to recalibrate. But I guarantee your $265 won't be returned. And I suspect your local Transparent dealer will let try a HDMI given your current investment....and I only have their midrange hdmi....

LL21 · Nov 30, 2014

jfrech said:
It's like a new TV. Take your best shot at me...on this proclamation (seriously)...I was surprised...but somehow not. The wife factor however says it all...

ok...i'll bite...a new tv...and you're only on the midlevel hdmi? how much is their reference level?

PeterA · Nov 30, 2014

Perhaps I should move one of my Vibraplanes up to my TV room to try under my cable box? My friend and I once joked that our LPs sounded cleaner when we put a high end power cord on the Loricraft RCM and we even contemplated starting a thread on the subject, but it would have just been silly.

On a more serious note, John, have you tried a Transparent power cord on either the TV or the Direct TV box? That could improve things further.

I do have a Pass Aleph 3 amp hooked up to my TV and powering a pair of good speakers. It's not home theater quality, but I don't want to go there. With the nice plasma, it is plenty good.

LL21 · Nov 30, 2014

thankfully, i am not a serious videophile (yet)...but these options are intriguing.

amirm · Nov 30, 2014

Let me ask you this question: would we expect video measurements to show the difference?

PeterA · Nov 30, 2014

If the switch requires recalibration of the TV, then yes, video measurements have changed.

amirm · Nov 30, 2014

PeterA said:
If the switch requires recalibration of the TV, then yes, video measurements have changed.

I have a multi-thousand dollar Minolta Colorimeter. Who wants to bet that the before and after will measure the same?

Jazzhead · Nov 30, 2014

I connect my Stahl Tek combo via i2S , tried 3 HDMI cables so far .... The Transparent , Purist Audio and Audioquest Diamond . The Purist wins hands down despite being the cheapest of the trio . Possibly was used to voice the combo as Jim Aud and Mike Stahl are related in life , as well as in matters audio . On my Panny plasma the Audioquest shone best , a definite step up on the TA , it does however come in at a much much higher retail .

PeterA · Nov 30, 2014

amirm said:
I have a multi-thousand dollar Minolta Colorimeter. Who wants to bet that the before and after will measure the same?

I will not take your bet as you sound fairly definitive. However, if Jfrech sees a difference and there is no difference in measurements, what would you conclude?

BlueFox · Nov 30, 2014

I agree with the OP on getting a better picture with changing the HDMI cable. I replaced the stock Oppo HDMI with a one meter Shunyata Venom HDMI between the 103 and preamp, and the color was more vivid, clear, and detailed. Even the audio seemed better.

On a side-note, I added a Shunyata Zitron Cobra to my 57" Hitachi monitor, and that helped picture quality. Red especially seemed more vibrant. Jessica Chastin in Zero Dark Thirty is especially gorgeous.

Finally, for a week I recently had a Shunyata Sigma Digital cable on my Oppo 103, and that cable resulted in blue being over emphasized. This was really obvious on Avatar, since the Navi are blue. If I had kept that cable on the Oppo I certainly would have had to get the set calibrated again.

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

LL21 said:
ok...i'll bite...a new tv...and you're only on the midlevel hdmi? how much is their reference level?

$525...but seriously...I am pretty happy at $265

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

PeterA said:
Perhaps I should move one of my Vibraplanes up to my TV room to try under my cable box? My friend and I once joked that our LPs sounded cleaner when we put a high end power cord on the Loricraft RCM and we even contemplated starting a thread on the subject, but it would have just been silly.

On a more serious note, John, have you tried a Transparent power cord on either the TV or the Direct TV box? That could improve things further.

I do have a Pass Aleph 3 amp hooked up to my TV and powering a pair of good speakers. It's not home theater quality, but I don't want to go there. With the nice plasma, it is plenty good.

My dealer said the same thing about a power cord on a tv...I might try one soon...nothing to esoteric..just a 2 or 3 hundred tops...

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

amirm said:
Let me ask you this question: would we expect video measurements to show the difference?

I suspect so...it's not a subtle change. Assuming you're measuring what my eye is seeing..

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

PeterA said:
I will not take your bet as you sound fairly definitive. However, if Jfrech sees a difference and there is no difference in measurements, what would you conclude?

I'd conclude the Minolta Colormeter isn't measuring what I am seeing...but that's just my guess and my opinion...

jfrech · Nov 30, 2014

BlueFox said:
I agree with the OP on getting a better picture with changing the HDMI cable. I replaced the stock Oppo HDMI with a one meter Shunyata Venom HDMI between the 103 and preamp, and the color was more vivid, clear, and detailed. Even the audio seemed better.

On a side-note, I added a Shunyata Zitron Cobra to my 57" Hitachi monitor, and that helped picture quality. Red especially seemed more vibrant. Jessica Chastin in Zero Dark Thirty is especially gorgeous.

Finally, for a week I recently had a Shunyata Sigma Digital cable on my Oppo 103, and that cable resulted in blue being over emphasized. This was really obvious on Avatar, since the Navi are blue. If I had kept that cable on the Oppo I certainly would have had to get the set calibrated again.

Interesting on the recalibration...

HDMI cables (Transparent Audio)

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