Vertere HB Series usb cable

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Thanks for heads up, just ordered both the USB and the Ethernet cables. Will post impressions soon

Hi iSquirrel,

Wow.
Where in your audio systme will they be used?
 

isquirrel

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Sep 23, 2014
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Music Server to DAC for the USB, Router/modem for the Ethernet to Music Server for streaming Qobuz & Tidal

Also have the LightSpeed 10G split cable and have the Computer Audio Design cable on the way. I think a shootout is on the cards
 

Jambo

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Apr 15, 2015
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Hi CCKeung,

Great to hear that you found the results just as 'real sounding' as me. Surprising how an Ethernet cable can have such a big impact.
 

isquirrel

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Sep 23, 2014
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Vertere Pulse HB USB cable has turned up, brand new so no in depth listening impressions until its has some time on it. Does sound smooth and rich, but mids and vocals are recessed out of the box. Good news is its not bright.
 

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CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Vertere Pulse HB USB cable has turned up, brand new so no in depth listening impressions until its has some time on it. Does sound smooth and rich, but mids and vocals are recessed out of the box. Good news is its not bright.

Hi iSquarrel,

Congratulation! :)

BTW and IMHO, you should cancel the order of LightSpeed. ;)
 

isquirrel

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Sep 23, 2014
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Already have the LightSpeed, been using it for the past 6 months, looking forward to the Vertere running in
 

isquirrel

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Okay, so out of the box the cable was a little recessed in the mids and highs, but rich in timbre, I then left it on burn in for 3 hours came back to it and I was shocked & I have been around for a while, so I was not expecting the dramatic change in sound. Left on burn in using the Purist Audio Design system enhancer CD and well, this cable is incredible, easily the best USB cable I have heard, it absolutely stomps over the Light Harmonic LightSpeed in every department. Tonally full of texture and a sonic window painted with superb tonal colours, utterly non fatiguing. Mids and highs are now blossoming nicely. I did not think digital could sound this textured and full. Bass extension and weight is renditioned with great accuracy as the soundstage width and height. I had to call Touraj and congratulate him and order the Ethernet cable.

He is visiting soon and said if I send him the specs of the Abyss headphones he will make up HB cables for those and bring them over to Sydney in June. A+ for effort.

Please bear in mind this is with only 15 hours on the USB, makes the LightSpeed sound sterile, thin and well I am glad to be rid of it. Turns out that nasty upper mid leanness, which consider I am using Western Electric 300B 1948 grey plates should not be there was the LightSpeed cable.

Slam dunk, this one is a winner, now for the CAD cable to turn up.

Many thanks to those who discovered the Vertere cable on these forums. This is the place to hang out.
 
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CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Okay, so out of the box the cable was a little recessed in the mids and highs, but rich in timbre, I then left it on burn in for 3 hours came back to it and I was shocked & I have been around for a while, so I was not expecting the dramatic change in sound. Left on burn in using the Purist Audio Design system enhancer CD and well, this cable is incredible, easily the best USB cable I have heard, it absolutely stomps over the Light Harmonic LightSpeed in every department. Tonally full of texture and a sonic window painted with superb tonal colours, utterly non fatiguing. Mids and highs are now blossoming nicely. I did not think digital could sound this textured and full. Bass extension and weight is renditioned with great accuracy as the soundstage width and height. I had to call Touraj and congratulate him and order the Ethernet cable.
He is visiting soon and said if I send him the specs of the Abyss headphones he will make up HB cables for those and bring them over to Sydney in June. A+ for effort.
Please bear in mind this is with only 15 hours on the USB, makes the LightSpeed sound sterile, thin and well I am glad to be rid of it. Turns out that nasty upper mid leanness, which consider I am using Western Electric 300B 1948 grey plates should not be there was the LightSpeed cable.
Slam dunk, this one is a winner, now for the CAD cable to turn up.
Many thanks to those who discovered the Vertere cable on these forums. This is the place to hang out.

iSquarrel : Congratulation!

I don't think any other USB cables in the current market can come close.

I tested the HB ethernet cables last nite again, this time it acted really as an ethernet cable in a CAS system with NAS.
Will post the result here later today.

;)
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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I first tested the Vertere HB ethernet cable for the MSB proprietary Pro-I2S connection between my MSB UMT Plus & MSB IV Plus on 21 April (#39).

Last night, a HB ethernet friend of mine and I together went to test the HB ethernet cable in a NAS-based CAS system of CH Precison C1 dac. The other components were Mark Levinson 31.6 transport, Goldmund amps, SME turntable+tonearm+BenzMicro cartridge, Passlabs phonoamp and Sonus Fabus Amati Anniversio speaker.

The owner used AQ Diamond ethernet for NAS-to-Cisco gigabit switch connection and Japanese AIM NA3 ethernet cable for Cisco switch-to-CH C1.

Before installing the HB, the performance was LP > CD transport > CAS.
This was expected (even though CAS was already given the advantage of playing the ripped dsd files from the testing hybrid SACDs).

We then replaced the two original ethernet cables by HB ethernet cables.

20150424_010219.jpg

The performance immediately became CAS > LP > CD transport.
This was a bit unexpected because the CAS was more real-like and had better microdynamics than the LP system.
The comparison was short because all the three of us found the diff to be so obvious that we didn't want to listen to the other two formats anymore.

IMHO Vertere's HB usb & ethernet cables are expensive but for every CAS audiophiles with a mid- to hi-end CAS system, they are "must listen".
And once you have tasted them, the upgrade priority of yours will most probably be changed.

For me myself, I won't return the HB ethernet cable to the HK dealer.
It is now an indispensable member of my audio system!
;)
 
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BruceD

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Dec 13, 2013
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Hi Squirrel,

Great report on the Vertere cable --I'm interested in them too

I see Zensati are the Aust agents--did they give you good price?

Thank you

BruceD
 

isquirrel

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Sep 23, 2014
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I found George at Zensati to be very good to deal with
 

isquirrel

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Sep 23, 2014
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Brisbane, Australia
Spoke to Touraj he is making up some HB headphone cables for the Abyss and bringing them out to Sydney in June to see how they perform, now that's commitment.

Beginning to wonder about the HB Interconnects???
 

seeteeyou

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2015
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Tara Labs GME and Pulse HB (about 20K & 10K?) were performing neck to neck according to these impressions last month:
Showroom was packed with people yesterday since 2pm. Most of us were having the same objective of being one of the few who can ear witness the comparison between the Vertere HB interconnect and Tara Labs GME (Grand Master Evolution). The owner of the GME has taken a few LPs for audition. They were mainly rock and Jazz music which were meticulously selected to ensure they cover a wide spectrum of music together with the house LPs in AE.

Due to the length of the GME, we had used the position between the Wadax phono and Monica preamp for interchanging the cables while leaving the rest of all other components constant. I picked a seat which is nearly to the right channel of Carmen and stayed there throughout the entire audition session.

We first listened to the set of LPs on Vertere and change to the GME and listened to the same set of LPs. I don’t think there was a clear winner at the time I left and I leave it to those who stayed behind and new joiners to continue the commentary and sharing of the views.

Rather than captivating the forum by sharing the view from the one who left the showroom the earliest, may I suggest the others, including the owner of GME to share their views first….
I had the chance to listen to the vertere HB VS the Tara Labs GME

IMHO, the Tara Labs was more pin point with more authority over each musical instrument, while Vertere is a bit more relaxed in presentation. No clear winner. Yet the soundstage of both differs a bit.
I was there when the VS thing taken place.
Let me share some of my thought.
I joined the party when Marvel was leaving AE. So i listened a few songs on Tara Labs GME before changed it back to Vertere HB.
When i sat down, the first impression is, "What is happening to AE system?" the sound was so unfamiliar to me. Could it be the new Monica Preamp? No wonder all members here said it is from another planet.

The sound is so expressive, or over expressive! Like a engine will full horse power, driving all "sound”to the max. Even a single swing of guitar strings becomes so intensive. Then vocal is so powerful; everything is going to the MAX. Amazing but something is going wrong. Everything is so frontal, or surreal.
As I told Chris, AE sound never really impressed me until Zanden Audio Chouku appeared. I heard music. First time I understood how music can be handle so naturally. The second time is trinity amp at his place. But the music I heard today is not the music I know.
But Zanden Audio Chouku were still sitting there, and it was the same setting like last time I visited. So it must be the Monica, I thought.
Then when he changed back to Vertere HB cable, then the familiar sound back. The controls, organic and real are all back. But then it felt like HB vertere lose to Tara Labs GME at the first glance, cause all surreal effect were gone. But in fact, Vertere HB gives a right sound and stage. Clarity and proportion. And it definitely suits AE system better. How could we allow losing even a bit of transparency and realness with Zanden Audio Chouku as poweramp?

I honestly expressed my opinion to the owner of Tara Labs GME, and he is very opened mind person, he totally agree with my opinion. But I sort of agreed on his view that he think LP side will working perfect with Vertere HB IC, but CD side need GME to help. To help on the missing both end. And I have to admit that GME is very explosive with his rock song! I can imagine he is playing very loud with his GME on his cd player now.
 

seeteeyou

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Apr 6, 2015
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BTW, have you guys here in HK tried to hook 2 Pulse HB Ethernet cables up with SOtM iSO-CAT6 LAN Signal Noise Filter yet? The importer in Kwun Tong just received that a couple of days ago. Thanks.
 

Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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Tara Labs GME and Pulse HB (about 20K & 10K?) were performing neck to neck according to these impressions last month:

Might it be that the 'outcome of this shoot out' was somewhat influenced by the fact that Audio Exotics is the distributor of only one of the two cable brands?
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
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I like the Vertere HB series very much.

However, I still think that the 2x more expensive Taralabs Grand Master Evolution interconnect cable is more all-rounded and is the best interconnect in the market currently.
 

Audiocrack

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2012
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I like the Vertere HB series very much.

However, I still think that the 2x more expensive Taralabs Grand Master Evolution interconnect cable is more all-rounded and is the best interconnect in the market currently.

I gladly believe you that the Vertere cables are very good. Did not want to imply otherwise with my comment. The Taralabs grandmaster evolution ic's and loudspeaker cables are to my ears with my components in my acoustics (by far) the best I have heard, but if other people prefer other cables that is equally fine. Imho the Taralabs GME ic's and loudspeaker cables should (ideally) be combined to hear their full potential.
 

bonzo75

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What about the power cable, cobalt? I like that one
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
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Hong Kong
I gladly believe you that the Vertere cables are very good. Did not want to imply otherwise with my comment. The Taralabs grandmaster evolution ic's and loudspeaker cables are to my ears with my components in my acoustics (by far) the best I have heard, but if other people prefer other cables that is equally fine. Imho the Taralabs GME ic's and loudspeaker cables should (ideally) be combined to hear their full potential.

Hi Audiocrack,

I listened to Vertere HB usb/ethernet/phono-cable/xlr ic and the Pulse-X Ref speakerwire in several diff systems before.
I also listened to Taralabs GME xlr ic many times. However, I have no experience with GME speakerwire.

Vertere HB Series is particularly good in microdynamics, musicality & fluidity whereas macrodynamics/authority is not its specialty.
It's best for minute signal (e.g. phono-cable, dac-output, usb, ethernet...etc).
I find mix&match a Vertere HB ic with an ic which has a "powerful personility" will give a good synergistic effect (such as HB+Odin, HB+GME...etc).

Using GME both between source-preamp and preamp-poweramp may give the sound a too strong and predominating character, particularly in the smallish listening environment of most Hong Kong audiophiles.

BTW Please tell us more about the GME spearkwire. There may be no owner of it in Hong Kong yet.

Thanks.
 

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