Very neutral speaker cables at a very reasonable price ($171.50 for 6' pair). You can easily order directly from Alpha-core with a 30-day trial period. Their web site (http://www.alphacore.com/) has extensive useful information. Since the manufacturer of my speakers (B&W 803 Nautilus) suggests a low impedance speaker cable, I became interested in the Goertz MI 2 (10 gauge copper version; the 9 gauge silver version is $1,005!). They are absolutely great sounding. And if you like the look of copper, they are beautiful too.
The bi-wiring story: Since I didn’t believe in bi-wiring (I don’t really share the cable fetish) I simply ordered a single pair. Once I had completed several comparisons with what had been my standard cable, and it was clear the Goertz was a much better match (very uncolored, very musical), I followed the recommendation of my new speaker’s manufacturer, and gave bi-wiring a try. So, I set up Goertz on one channel and my then current wire on the other (obviously not the best comparison). The result was bizarre -- the bi-wired side not only sounded worse than my usual wire but also worse than a single set of the Goertz (this was confirmed by my wife who had been bribed to be part of this experiment). I didn’t understand why this should be but decided to keep the Goertz and use the single pair. As I was detaching the cables I noticed that the bottom set had become disconnected, so there really wasn’t any bass playing. After re-connecting the bottom set it was immediately clear that the bi-wired speaker sounded wonderfully coherent and natural. I exchanged the single pair for a bi-wire pair (an even bigger bargain at $319). For those who are concerned with such things, the two wires are separate but are joined into a single left and right connector at the amplifier side. While I like to keep them nested, you can certainly separate them up to the amplifier side if you feel it will give you better sound. My advice: if the manufacturer’s manual suggests bi-wiring (versus not suggesting it but including the option on the speaker, perhaps because this is perceived to be a hi-end option), give it a try without paying for the experiment.

I installed an 8' set of MI-2 biwires with the silver spades. They enhance everything from the bass to the highs. Bass is tighter, mids are more present, soundstage is fuller. Silence is actually SILENT !! If you have a really nice amp (Aragon or better) RUN back to the store and put their solid silver interconnect between your pre and your amp, as long as you don't have metal ribbon tweeters. This will add more clarity to the highs. The MI-2s don't hide the high end, but it sounds a tad relaxed to me - not "pushed" the way the $800 Synergistic Research cables made my system sound. They are not bright, but they are very clear. For the price ($400) they cannot be beat. I wish their solid silver cables were less costly, or that they made a silver plated model, like Nordost. I give them a solid 5 against anything that costs even 2 1/2 times as much. If I had the bucks, I would go custom and get the MI-3 as the bass cable, and a run of AG-2 for the highs; but that would cost 6 times as much.

sound, flexibility of placement because it's flat

None

These cables are sweet. Instead of the bass being a fuzzy area in the middle thru the AQ crystals, the bass now takes on a distinct character. I'm not sure if "tight" is the word, but definitely less boomy. Vocals is where this cable blew the AQ away. I thought vocals were fine until I heard the MI 2. Thru the MI2s, vocals became smoother. The way one syllable flows to the next was unlike the AQ, which was comparatively harsh and "peaky." Transparency was another noticeable improvement, further adding to the realism that the smoothness already provides.

This cable does not exaggerate any part of the signal, which some people, systems, or recordings might like. It takes whatever that is there, and refines it to a higher level.

BTW, the AQ crystal costed the same: about $11/ft Cdn
And if believe in biwiring, the unbiwired MI2 was the clear winner.

I really don't know why people don't believe in cables.

Similar Products Used:

Audioquest Crystal 2 biwire within a single run