Kimber PBJ was reviewed by Stereophile (vol. 16, no. 7)and quoted as saying it was close to the performance of Kimber KCAG. I would say that you can definitely tell they are from the same family. I have both and use the PBJ for less critical, less personally involving applications like home theater (you sit there like a limp fish hoping to be stimulated by the next bang or boom, but hey, there are those rare times when you are too tired to think and want someone to do that for you). Slight ribbing aside (home theater can be fun in light doses) the PBJ has plenty of detail but tends to get extremes less defined, not as fast and has a leaner sound stage and imaging than Kimber KCAG (but you could buy >5 pairs for 1 pair of KCAG). It fits in with my otherwise Kimber KCAG, Tara Labs Air2, and Magnan Type Vi (latest version) connected to Threshold Pure Class A and Audio Research Gear. B&W 801s S3. I think there is often a direct relationship between negative reviews of a somewhat revealing cable like PBJ and those just getting into higher end audio. Most of their components have brightness or electronic edge that does not get revealed via cables that are more forgiving and smear the sound. Anyway they are worth 3 out of 5 for performance and 5 out of 5 for value. In high end land small differences mean a lot or too much defending on your point of view. So in the context of this caliber of cable I give them a 5.

Balanced sounding.

None.

This interconnect really makes my system neutral sounding. Immediately, the grainy part of the sound was removed when I connected the PBJs. At this price, the performance exceeds 4 stars. I use a tube amplifier with Denon top range CD player with the Dynaudios speakers. Sounds so correct and what I wanted after adding the PBJ interconnect. It make look thin but the result is don't go for size.

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many other brands, lost count.

Nice Termination

I have used a lot of different interconnects from the real cheapies to some "respected" ones. I never really thought I could tell much difference until I tried the PJBs between a PV-10 and a pair of Quicksilvers. I could definately tell the difference and have switched back to my cheaper "no name" interconnects. These cables can turn the nice tube sound that many are looking for into nasty bass, screechy high end trauma. My first excursion into Kimberland has taught me at least two things: 1)Cables are definately not made equal and 2) Corey Greenberg has a tin ear. I would recommend using them between source components and preamp and not preamp to amplification. OK for the price if you can buy them used but please do not pay retail for them.

The Kimber Kable PBJ represents an excellent value for entry-level cables but only in certain systems. It is critically important to remember that it is an unshielded cable, such that those of you in large urban areas or other areas with high levels of RFI and EMI will want to stay away from the PBJ.I have compared it primarily to the Monster 550i and must say that the PBJ wins that face-off. The PBJ offered more of everything good, from more detailed system integration, excellent bass control, and a wider and deeper soundstage. The Monster had a more laid-back presentation which detracted from some source material such as performances containing high frequency definition. I found myself uninterested in the Monster's sound but intrigued by the PBJ's level of detail.
This cable will be picky dependent upon your system. In mine it did the trick. Highly recommended at approximately $78/m pair.

When I compared these to the Audioquest Turquoise, they sounded dull, flat. I was surprised that I could hear that much of a difference with my Rotel RCD-940BX CD. Not impressed.

Quick Summary: Kimber Kable PBJ 0.5 m Interconnects, $69
I don't doubt that cables are the most subjective part of any audio system. It's easy to tell the difference between a $200 Pioneer receiver from Circuit City and a $300 NAD 314 integrated. Likewise, you can probably hear the difference between the $0.50 interconnect that came with your CD player and the $50 cable the audio store salesman tells you to buy.

You can refer to my other posts about my (very) modest audio system that consists of a Denon DCM460 cd changer, Denon AVR1400 receiver, and Polk RT7 speakers. For the speakers, I have 12-guage AudioQuest speaker cable and 20" Lovan Ballet II stands.

When I originally purchased the system, I picked up a pair of Monster Cable 350i interconnects, on the advice of the salesman. There's no doubt those were better than the included cables, so I used those for awhile. I got curious, and started shopping around for new interconnects. I tried out the following: Transparent Cable's budget line Link 200, Tara Labs Prism 33, and Kimber Cable PBJ's. With any of these, there was a noticable improvement over the 350i's: warmer, better imaging, more clarity.

Of the group, the Link 200 had the tightest bass, very punchy. Unfortunately, they made the otherwise warm-sounding DCM460 too bright. For $100, the better bass wasn't justified by the increased brightness. After comparing the other two, the Prism and the PBJs, I settled on the Prism. There wasn't much of a difference between the two, and I probably stuck with the Prisms for no other reason than they were the last cables I switched in before I finished my listening tests. Improved clarity and imaging over the 350i's, so I was sold on them.

I lived with the Prisms for about 8 months. Some new gear purchases necessitated that I clean up my mess of interconnects and cables in my system. While I was cleaning, I figured I'd throw the PBJs, which had been sitting in their package in the closet, on the CD player and give it a listen. The thing that struck me was their improved soundstage over the Prisms. On "Kind of Blue," Miles was standing up and in front of me, with Coltrane off to right, slightly behind with the drummer back-left. I found the same, better-defined soundstage on many other recordings, jazz, pop, rock, and more. I was pretty impressed. The PBJs had the same clarity and imaging quality of the Prisms (as compared to the somewhat murky 350is), but a vasty improved soundstage. They've been happily connecting my CD player and the receiver for about 5 months now.

The PBJs aren't shielded. In my system they sit about 2 feet from the wall outlet and the cable TV line. I haven't noticed any interference or bleeding, but I certainly don't have a "reference" quality system. There wasn't any noticable noise increased versus the shielded Link 200 and Prism 33s. For the pair I own, the build quality seems to be fine. Then again, I'm not ripping these in and out of different systems on a regular basis.

I'm very pleased with the cables for their $69 price. These cables have made a difference in the quality of my audio system. Of course, I can't claim it will do the same for you. They match very well with the equipment I have.

transparency, detail, weight

none in particular

I actually chose these over Nordost's highly acclaimed Solar Wind as I dound them more neutral and having better bass weight than the Nordosts. I've been using them now for about five months and I can't say a negative thing about them. They are likely to work well in any system and with any kind of music. They brighten up smooth sounding sources and gives more weight at the "bottom" end.
There are cables out there producing more detail than these, but you won't be disappointed.

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Solar wind

Simply stated, Kimber PBJ's are a superior interconnect! They allow for more detail than any cable I have ever tried! These cables are well made, handsome to the eye, and simply said sound just as good (in my humble opinion) as Kimber KCAG, for $300 dollars less!

These are buget interconnects so I'll temper my criticism. In the under $100 dollar price range these cables give good detail, quickness, and resolution. However when the PBJ sounds artificially bright when I comes to vocals, soundstaging is only fair, and image separation is confined. These shortcomings attribute to some musical congestion in the overall presentation. There is good high frequency extension but there seems to be some artificial overextension not true to live music. If you can afford to spend an additional $100, there are a lot of better options. Consider FMS, Transparent, MIT, and Cardas, all of which I've had much better results with. I'll give the PBJs three stars considering its budget price. In absolute terms, I'd award it two stars.

I think these cables sound great. They make bongo drums and pianos sound life-like. Sound great with jazz and house music. My system consists of a marantz pm57, cd67se, and b&w 601s2. These cables are a great improvement over my monster cables 400mkii because i like the way they sound not because they are in correct tonal harmony and aural bliss with my components. Listen for yourself you might like them.