They're pretty to look at visually with their twisted silver and blue metal ribbon inside of the clear insulation.

after apparent rapid burn-in they continue to lose transparency at both frequency extremes over the remainder of the burn-in period. (my system and synergy? hard to believe...but possible, I suppose... )

Searching for more transparency and detail in a lower priced interconnect,I came across some info on the Alpha-Core Micro Purls. They seemed to have what I was looking for according to the reviews I found. After seeing there was a 30 day money back guarantee from the company, I figured there was nothing to loose, so I ordered a 1 meter pair of the silver. Having had a number of different connects on my system, some taking well over 100 hours to burn in, I found some of the comments of a 2 hour burn-in time to be pretty hard to believe. But to my surprise, after listening to the initial muffled sound coming from the system, suddenly and quite obviously the sound started becoming extremely detailed and crystal clear over about a 1/2 hour period once that 2 hour mark was reached. As some people have done, I was temped to write a review praising the transparency and detail, as well as the short burn in period. However, I still had some reservations about an interconnect that seemed to break in so quickly, and the bass didn't have much weight still, so I held off, thinking I'd wait until I had at least 100 hours on them. I'm glad I did too, because over the next 4 days (I left the system playing continually) the depth of the midrange continued to increase, while the highs became more and more rolled off, and the bass seemed to roll up more and more. It was a very odd effect, with violins and chimes loosing their edge and sounding duller and duller, and the bass getting higher and higher. The best description I can give, with the ever diminishing highs and the bass rolling up more and more, along with the ever increasing and deepening detail in the mids is: the effect seemed almost like looking into a tunnel. By the fourth day, the bass and highs were so muffled, I chose to view the experience as a good example of the additional detail that was available to be heard from my system, and as a verification, once again, that one cannot tell what a cable or interconnect truly sounds like until it has been burned in for a minimum of 100 hours. There really is no such thing as a 2 hour burn in, as the sound will continue to change over the next days and weeks, with these, just as with every other pair of cables or interconnects. Judgement after only 2 hours of playing any component is really unfair and will tend to be inaccurate. Naturally, I returned them.

Similar Products Used:

Siltech (many), D&L, Groneberg, Analysis-Plus, Virtual Dynamics signature reference, others....

Update: Following my initial review, I became disenchanted with the ''Purls, or with what I thought was the level of performance I was getting from them. It turned out that most of the trouble came from the associated equipment; since then, I''ve gotten a new headphone amp, headphones, and--the real culprit--a better line conditioner/RF noise filter. In the interim, I tried a couple of Kimber products which seemed quite satisfactory at first (and, in my initial enthusiasm, I jumped right in with reviews on this site) and a little-known brand which proved to be impractical (too fragile; they had shorted out when I unpacked them). Now I''ve come back to the Purls. Most of what I said in my earlier review is now reaffirmed, although the bass response is noticeably better this time around (the Monster line filter I was using was sapping dynamics and body, and so squelched what is actually pretty full as well as accurate bass, capable of some fearsome lows). Now that I''ve got a more revealing headphone amp (the Grado RA-1, which puts out just what you feed into it,) I would assert that the Purls aren''t quite as neutral as I thought at first; they have a slightly light and cool tonal balance. A tuba, for instance, doesn''t sound as different in pitch from, say, a flute as the two instruments do in reality--or through different cables. On the macro scale, this can subtly alter the character of what you hear through your speakers or, in my case, ''phones. But on the whole, these are the most completely successful ICs I''ve tried yet, and I''m going to stick with them.

The detail and openess made my drip hop cd's sound like hip hop again. Very accurate, bringing out the vocals and high areas.

For a .5 meter retailing at only $85 there is none.

This cable is definitely work taking home for at least a demo. If your system lacks a little detail and clarity, definitely grab one. The only real drawback was the depth of the sound, but a nice sub should more than enough bring it back and make the cable a better buy.

My system consists of:
arcam alpha 7 integrated amp
rotel 951 cd
paradigm monitor 3's (on stands)

Similar Products Used:

Tara Labs, Audio Quest

Smoooooth, warm, engaging, imaging, female vocals, complex classical soundstaging, and on and one

None

This is it. This is the improvement I had been waiting for in my system. I had been lusting after new electronics, and I would love to spend thousands on exotic hardware, but the bucks aren't there. For $127, you can really upgrade your sound and owe it to yourself to audition a pair.

Before going into my description, I was turned on to Alpha Core products by an email friend from AudioREVIEW. I am using their Goertz MI2 speaker cables and also the MicroPurl AF (Fine Solid Silver), 1 meter interconnects with RCA terminations.

Perhaps the best recommendation of all is that I have recommended these fine cables to a half dozen email friends from this site who have seen some of my other reviews. Not one has returned the cables to alphacore. And many have have been comparing these cables to Nordost, MIT, and Kimber. That is some pretty heady company, and generally the competitive cables cost much more.

On to the sound...

I use these cables between my Denon cd changer and a Denon 85 wat A/V receiver (both about 5 years old). I drive Martin Logan SL3 speakers using the above mentioned alpha core speaker wire.

This combination of products has got me listening to my music instead of dreaming about my next hardware purchase.

The interconnects gave me the last ounce of performance I could hope for from the current configuration. The sound is balanced from top to bottom with no one area standing out. Bass is quite defined and ample with a nuance of definition that the Nordost SolarWinds (my previous interconnects) could not match. The vocal soloists are front and center and female voice is sweet, breathy (when appropriate), and every singer's voice has subtle nuances that send shivers up my spine.

Try these on the newly released Beethoven 9 by the Berlin Philharmonic with Claudio Abbado. This is a fantastic recording and these cables allow every section of the orchestra and every part of the chorus to be properly placed, noticed, and appreciated. The soundstage is truly staggering when the recording has it.

But not just classical. I also listen to lots of jazz. Kick drums, bass guitars,and other low sounds are well separated. The attack of the piano is exemplary and the little shimmering things like cymbals and wind chimes have a glitter and presense that make you think you are in the room with the recordists.

Lighter rock is also one of my passions. The new Steeley Dan album shows these interconnects at their best. All of the rythym elements are properly placed with nothing taking front stage but the voices and the lead guitar. And to hear all the voices separted makes me appreciate their vocalizing more than ever.

Alpha Core cables deserve your audition. They just aren't on every corner. You can order on line at alphacore.com. All their cables can be ordered on a 30 day trial and they even pay surface shipping. If their product doesn't match your ear, you can return them and are only out the postage to get them back to the company.

One final note. The person who turned me on to their products was an engineer. I am not. But I must say their site makes very persuasive arguments for their manufacturing and design logic.

And my ears confirm their calculations. These are great!!!

Similar Products Used:

Nordost SolarWind, various Monster higher cost interconnects

transparent, detailed and deep soundstage; extended (but not over-bright) highs; "you are there" clarity and immediacy

a little light in the bass

I originally ordered a pair of copper 1-meter Micro Purls, then after using them for about a week, I decided the transient response would be improved by switching to the silver version. It was. My current setup is fairly simple: an NAD C540 CD player hooked up to Creek's OBH-11 headphone amp, driving a set of Grado SR-125s. As a result, there's a lot riding on each of the links in a pretty short chain. Until I installed the Micro-Purls, I didn't know how much clarity and depth I could get out of my player. On recordings I've heard many times through other equipment, I have been astounded at the difference (although this varies from disc to disc--not all of them sound "revelatory;" some merely sound noticeably better. What is undeniable is that the differences in production and engineering among CDs are quite apparent through the Micro Purls, not glossed over as with some other ICs.).

Bass is tight and fast, although the lows are not always as Stygian as I've heard them through other equipment. Then again, the perception of "deep" bass via other cables could simply have been colorations, which the Micro Purls are notably lacking in. Moreover, I'm finding the silver Purls are taking a bit longer to break in than the coppers did (the latter seemed to reach their full potential in about three hours), so even that complaint may soon disappear.

All in all, a very low-cost way to accomplish a major upgrade in performance and satisfaction.

Similar Products Used:

AudioQuest Quartz and Ruby, XLO Signature, Monster M1000i

open, air, truckloads of detail, fast, transparent...I could write a book.....Wow!!!!

None that I'm aware of....

These will seem bright till they've burned in...short burnin...couple of hours...balance is very smooth..lots more air...more shimmer to cymbals and more bass extension and definition.If you're serious about the music...you have to get these cables....as monumental change as a component upgrade....Wow!!!!! in 10 foot flaming letters...

Similar Products Used:

lots of home brew cables...lots

Crsytal clear in the mids and highs, smooth and airy

None

This cable suits my system well and definitely increase its performance level. Vocals are loud and clear, mids are also crsytal clear with a touch of warms, the treble are smooth and airy. Dynamics is just right and filled with impact. You can hear each strumming of the instruments, especially percussion types. Very good value for the price.

Similar Products Used:

QED Qunex 1, Tara Labs Prism 22

Beautifully made

bass response

When I ordered them I was expecting excellent things, as the reviews have been very strong....I ordered the copper instead of the Silver, as I generally like copper....When I installed them I noticed how clear the mids and highs were...But even more, I noticed that the bass response was not there...Previously, I had used Ixos 1002 cables between my cdplayer and my Receiver. When I replaced with the Micro Purls, there's no question that I was not hearing as much bass...I ABd like crazy, between 2 cd players, and between digital and analog, and every which way, and there's no doubt that with the Micro Purls, there was less bass...Plain and Simple...Even though I did hear an improvement in mids and highs, it came at the expense of the bass, and I cant have that, so, I had to send them back...they were fine to deal with, but I was disappointed that cables so highly rated attenuated the bass so much....

Similar Products Used:

bettercables, Ixos, Monster

excellent top-end detail; better image localization; more "real" midrange; perahps a little better bass definition

none perceived

I started with these (1/2 meter) between my turntable and phonostage. Since the table and cartridge were new to me, I had no reference; but they sounded good. Then I decided to try them between my CD player and integrated amp, in place of the DH Labs Bl-10s I had been using. An immediate, major difference; no break in or extended listening required. Better, cleaner highs. More specific localization of instruments and voices, a more "coherent" stereo image. The final change was replacing the long (3 m.) Rat Shack interconnect between my phono stage and integrated amp. Same effect as with the CD player -- a generally cleaned-up sound.

I haven't compared these to expensive offerings; but they are clearly better than one of the former low-price champs -- the DH Labs -- not to mention Rat Shack.

For anyone who thinks "wire is wire is wire" I invite a comparison between these interconnects and Radio Shack's best.
Associated equipment:
KAV-300i integrated amp
Joseph Audio RM-7si "signature" speakers
Ultech UCD-100 CD player
Mirage BPS-150 subwoofer
VPI HW-19 Mk 3 turntable
Clearaudio Aurum Beta S cartridge
Lehman Black Cube phonostage

Similar Products Used:

DH Labs Silver Sonic; Rat Shack gold

Depth, Image, Midrange

Not good with phono, too warm sounding.

The very best cable for digital period. Will bring it closer to analog. However used with phono it seemed to be too much of a good thing. Soundstage too deep, warm, and out of focus. So my rating will based on my use on my digital end of my system.

Similar Products Used:

Various Kimber Kable, Synergistic Research, & Audioquest cables