decent low-level detail. warm midrange. inexpensive. nice for the price.

tubby bass. lack-luster highs. CHEAP terminations. Not as high of resolution as the Cardas, and compressed imaging.

I have a very difficult time understanding why all of these other reviews are totally positive about the LATs. I will not try to go into an extensive review of the cables right now, but I will give a brief ovreview of a comparison I made. I compared the LATs to CArdas Golden Reference. My system used four different setups. 1. LAT IC 300 signature ICs from transport to preamp to monoblocks 2. LAT IC 300 signature ICs from transport directly to monoblocks bypassing preamp. 3. Cardas Golden Reference ICs from transport to preamp to monoblocks. 4. Dimarzio ICs bypassing preamp My system is a pretty tweaked out system. i would mention price, but, really, price does not say much about how a system will sound. But, both my speakers and my amps have undergone some very sophisticated tweaking and were actually built and matched to each other. They both have a measured output of 35hz-20hz +/- .5 db. My CD transport has a VSE level 4 module. In addition, my speakers are fairly sensitive (96 dB) and I can hear changes in hardware upstream very distinctly. Two of my friends and I made this comparison. Both of my freinds build and design amps and speakers. One has won two CES showstopper awards for his products. I am the least seasoned of us. But we all agreed that, basically, the LAT speaker cables, compared to the Cardas Golden Reference, are simply less resolute, have a more compressed soundstage, lack high frequency extension, are warm colored, and most obviously, seem sluggish in transients and have a bit of a bloom in the bass. However, this is not to say they are not good cables. They are simply not as good as the Cardas, and that by a noticeable degree. Obviously, this comparison is clearly negating cost. And cost aside, I will say that although the LATs are good, they are not excellent performers. Cost considered, they are probably worth their cost. However, i do have a gride with them. THey use some VERY ChEAP connectors. I ordered mine with non-locking bananas on both ends and was surprised when I first saw them. THey actually look cheaper than some $50 monster cables I have seen at electronics stores. I went into RadioShack one day and couldn't beleive it when I saw the same exact bananas for $2.39- that is truy cheap. Connectors don't seem to make a huge difference in speaker cables, but in these, they are so cheap that they may indeed be affected the sound significantly. You may wonder if I am simply biased towards the cardas. Although I love the cardas cables, you will notice in my profile that I no longer use them. I have switched to Monter Sigma Retro Gold. I am not biaased, and was actually hoping that the LATs would live up to their claim or super-cable status, and once and for all dispell the nonsense of some hyper-expensive cables. But, alas, the verdict is that they do not live up to their claim. Take that into consideration when reading other reviews.

Similar Products Used:

Cardas Golden Reference Monster Sigma Retro Gold

Superior performance at such a relatively low price

None

As a musician and recording engineer I listen to music all day long so I think I am a pretty good judge or what live music sounds like. Studio work though is still work so; I do recreational listening at home on quite a good home system. I bought this cable new direct from LAT three months ago but have not had the time to set it up until now. If realism, the “you are there” experience, is what turns you on then I strongly recommend you audition the SS-1000 D. It has now replaced my Cardas Golden Reference. While this Cardas is an excellent cable, the LA T SS-1000 D however excels it in several areas. Neutrality and transparency across the full frequency range. Sound stage width and depth Inner detail Instrument separation Voice tonal accuracy It is a real pleasure to sit back and listen to my system for hours straight with no fatigue. I agree with most all of the other reviews on this cable with one exception: Aqqielaw’s below where he (I am only assuming Aqqielaw is a man) says in effective that he was disappointed in this cable Something is amiss here, I don’t mean to sound like a recording “techi” but he bought it used so it is possible it had been sitting around for four or five weeks plus. This amount of idle will make any cable lose its burn in and will have to be burned in all over again. Or, as LAT describes so well at there site, latininternatial.com , used cable could have hidden internal damage not known to him or the previous owner. I would suggest to Aqqielaw that he send it to LAT to have it electrically checked out. Sorry again, if I sound like I am preaching, but it’s a shame that such a great cable should possibly be mis-judged. Believe me if you are considering purchase of a speaker cable, I believe you would be hard pressed to find a better one. Another plus is its price; far below any other highly touted cable I have tried. (My Cardas was $2400.00)

Similar Products Used:

Cardas Golden Reference

Warm, smooth cable

Not a significant improvement over the much-cheaper Kimber 4PR in my system.

I like this cable. When I purchased my nOrh mini 9.0's Michael Barnes (owner or nOrh) recommended a 10-guage speaker cable to get the best sound from the speakers. I did about 20 hours of research, looking most closely at the Analysis Plus Oval 9, Kimber Kable 8TC, and LAT International SS-1000D. I had never heard of the company "LAT International" but after reading reviews on various websites and comparing the cost of the cables, I went with the SS-1000D. Fortunately, I found a used 10-foot pair at usedcable.com for under $200. I was curious about having several cables that matched, so I found a couple of used LAT International AC-2 power cables (which I'll review momentarily.) The SS-1000D arrived and I swapped the cable with my faithful Kimber 4PR cable. By this time, the LAT power cords were already in place. Much to my surprise, I heard almost no difference in sound. Maybe the soundstage focused ever-so-slightly, and maybe the highs were tamed a little more, but I could discern very little difference between the cables. I have since been told that some systems are less affected by cables than others, so maybe others will find dramatic improvement. Ultimately, I didn't find this cable to be the upgrade I thought it would be, but it remains in my system and I'm happy with it. If you can find it used it's a good deal, but I wouldn't buy it at its new, retail price (hence the 4-star rating for value.) For reference, my system: Denon CDP McCormack RLD-1 McCormack DNA-0.5 Revision A Silver Audio Jetstream IC's Cables listed in review

Similar Products Used:

Radio Shack, Monster, Kimber 4PR

Incredible detail, space, and air. Absolute black quiet. A price-point that anyone can meet. A no-brainer.....

None.

I've been using this cable for the last six years on two systems in my Nevada house. Recently, I moved to Florida, and one pair of SS1000D was left behind as an integral part of the house (it was installed in the wall of my main listening room). So I purchased a new pair of SS1000D. While waiting for the new pair to arrive, I used the older pair that I brought with me from Nevada (that had seen use with my TV system) to power my main listening room. And I had just purchased a new pair of Thiel CS2.4 speakers upon arriving in Florida. The sound of the Thiels with the older SS1000D was great. The Thiel dealer let me try a pair of Transparent reference cables, but I could hear no difference between them and the old SS1000D's. Then..... the new SS1000D pair arrived from LAT. This new pair has the Silverfuse technology that LAT has been building into its cables for some time, but which my older cables lacked. I was blown away by the sound of the new SS1000D's. There was a 50% increase in bass, and there was absolute black quiet in between tracks. I heard nuances and detail that I had never heard on some tracks. That first night, I listened for about 6 hours and it was as though I had an entirely new CD collection (I have about 1500 discs). I not only am convinced that the Thiels are worth the money (about $4000), but that these new SS1000D's are responsible for bringing out the best in the speakers. Before, while using the older pair of cables, I thought I'd have to buy a subwoofer to get more bass response. Forget that now! I put on Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" and I heard more bass than I could ever want. On Luther Vandross's "Dance with My Father", a track that I thought was defective when I played it on my previous speakers with the older SS1000D, the sound blossomed and I heard inflections in Luther's voice that I had never heard before. And so it went all night, and continues to do so... I try to be careful in the way the signal is transported in my system. I use Essence power cords for my amp and CD player. I use Kimber's KCAG balanced interconnects, and the power to my listening room outlets comes directly to the plugs from the main box, into 20-amp hospital outlets which are isolated and grounded. I have spent scores of hours listening to competing cable, both in my listening room and in my dealer's showroom. After using the new pair of SS1000D, I called my dealer and told him that the Thiels sounded better in my house than in his store. I'm waiting for him to come by and confirm my opinion, but everyone who hears my system is simply blown away by it. And I feel that the SS1000D is responsible for making my Thiels perform to the absolute limit of their intended design. Kudos to Lou at LAT International for making a superlative speaker cable at a price which is, plain and simple, cheap. I'll be ordering new SS1000D for my TV system within the next few weeks (B&W speakers).

Similar Products Used:

Bryston 4B-ST amp; Bryston BP-25 preamp; Meridian 508.24 CD player.

Amazingly close to a live performance

Did not hear any

I am a classical musician and as such I do a lot of listening especially after a recording session. We are super critical in dissecting our performance so we want the most realistic playback we can get. I had been using the Acoustic Zen Hologram cable but was not satisfied with its reproduction of nuances that allow you to hear the “feeling and character” that a musician puts into his performance. It was as though every violin player sounded the same. To explain my point better it is almost like not being able to tell the difference between the similar voices of Pavarotti and Carrera. Although, this should be easy for any good system to do. The Straight Wire did not do any better and was much too bright, which is trait I believe of all Straight Wire cables. Where as, the LAT International brought the nuances of each individual player so clearly and so pristine. Loud orchestra crashes were astoundingly accurate and maintained instrument separation from both an identity and positioning standpoint. Incidentally, this cable performs equally well on Jazz, which is another of my favorite kinds of music, outperforming the Acoustic Zen and Straight Wire by a wide margin. Someone told me that Better Cables was a bargain and has gotten some good reviews. Well, it might be a bargain for some mid-fi and lower-fi systems but it does not belong in any good system. It is cheaply made and the performance was so bad I won’t even comment on it. So, summing it up, the LAT easily beats them all out, simply blows them away! We try various cables from time to time but we have never head any as good as the LAT, not to mention the fact that the Acoustic Zen and Straight Wire are in the $1,200.00 to $1,300.00 price bracket where as the LAT cost me $363,00. That’s what I call a real bargain!!

Similar Products Used:

Acoustic Zen Hologram, Straight Wire Virtuoso R and Better Cables Premium

Great bass response, smooth even sound, tight and articulate mid-bass and mid-range

Appearance, gray ugly cables but sure sound good. I guess this is why they are priced reasonably.

I have had these cables for about 3 months now. They do all they I want a cable to do. They are 10 guage, silver coated. cables with heavy-duty spade lugs. I am driving a pair of PSB Stratus Golds with them which are powered by an Aragon 8008 amplifier. The PSBs like a lot of power and this combination of large guage cable and high-powered amplifier serve them well. I can not imagine a better 10 guage cable for the price than these. I suggest you try them yourself.

Similar Products Used:

None.

Very well built with excellent silver soldiered connecter. Money back gurantee

Ugly

Best sounding cable I have tried. Well build with great tight bass and good midrange. For 297.00 for a 10 foot pair, I can not imagine any cable in this price range sounding better and who can lose with a money back gurantee. I suggest you try some other then buy this one last so that you can appreciate what a bargain it is. No BS from Lat just great cables that are built to last a life time. These are the last speaker cables I think I will ever have to buy.

Similar Products Used:

Dh labs, Tara labs

As a former owner of PS Audio and n audiophile for 30+ years I have had the opportunity to listen to many speaker cables. I have used the above cables with Threshold electronics and several speaker systems and the resulkt is always the same. The music is transformed into what I think it should be. You are much closer to listening to the source. This includes bring out the bad in lousy recordings. Their web site is down now, and the only way to find them is to call and they will send you a catalog. The number is 800 321-2108. I am in no way associated with this company. By the way------it takes a LONG LONG time to burn these cables in. About 100 hours of operation.

Very neutral and natural sounding.

Ugly

Often when I find that people focus on an item and are expecting to "hear" a specific sound from an item. Once I recommended a pair of audiophile speakers to a friend and he did not like them because that did not "stand out" as he expected them to. I returned with him and asked him to focus on the sound of the music and to forget about the sound of the speakers. I told him to concentrate on the voices of the singers and how you could hear them move around the sound stage. He was conclude that the music sounded great! He had expected to hear a sizzling dynamic tweeter and to focus on the thumping bass emanating from the woffers of the speakers. Many people do this as well with cables. They are expecting to hear them and many time you will clearly hear the sizzling treble or muddy bass distortion that they are adding to the system. THIS CABLES ARE LIKE THE SPEAKERS THAT I RECOMMENDED TO MY FRIEND. THEY ARE VERY NEUTRAL AND PRODUCE A RELAXED NON-FATIGUING SOUND. I THINK THAT SOME WHO SWITCH TO THESE CABLE WILL BE ASKING WHAT HAPPENEN TO MY SIZZLING TREBLE. MY RESPONSE," IT'S GONE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE." The bass is supremb with this cable if that is what is on the recording. The treble will also be excellent and extended, if that is what's on the recording. I have tried many speaker cables on the market. I feel that none that I have tried outperform this cable. IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE FEW SHIELD CABLES. AT 30 HZ A LENGTH OF SPEAKER CABLE MAKES A VERY GOOD ANTENNA! I highly recommend these cable. They do take around 100 hours to become so neutral.

Similar Products Used:

Harmonic tech, Dh labs, MIT, Transparent, Monster

Smooth,excellent midrange body,excellent midrange detail,deep bass,smooth highs,excellent dynamics.

Long break-in-150 hours,very slightly rolled off top octave,slightly laid back in the female vocal range,slight reduction in image width,sound best"warmed up".

Overall,I am very satisfied with the sound of the LAT SS1000D cables. I had to break them in longer than LAT recommended before they came to life. Out of the box and for many hours they sound sort of dull,flat,and rolled off.They sound best if they are "warmed up". What I mean is,they sound best after they have played for awhile,after the stereo has warmed up.They truly excel in smoothness,dynamics,bass,and midrange.They have superb image depth and focus.My only slight complaint is one some audiophiles might actually like:They are very slightly rolled in the top octave,and sort of have a laid-back vocal range for female vocalists.BUT,man instruments sound so alive,harmonically accurate,and have excellent body!Overall they sound more accurate and more hamonically true than the Monster Cable products and the Kimber Kable 4TC,and much better than the Radio Shack cables. The Analysis-Plus cables,however,give them some fierce competition.The Analysis-Plus Oval 12 seems to have more top-end extension,and better image width than the LAT.The Silver Oval seems more extended in the top-end,slightly better image focus,inner detail,and a more forward perspetive,as well as a wider image. I do feel however that both the Analysis-Plus cables don't have the LATS incredible smoothness,midrange harmonic rightness,and exceptional midrange body.For those reasons,I highly recommend the LATs. NOTE: The LAT IC200MARKIIs are the best interconnects I have EVER HEARD....PERIOD. My system consists of two pairs of Paradigm Reference Studio/100v2s,Sony ES cd changer,modified Music Hall MMF-5 Turntable/Monolithic Sound PS-1 stage,Two powered HSU Research HRSW12VA Subwoofers,Carver power amp and preamp.

Similar Products Used:

Analysis-Plus Silver Oval,original Monster Cable,Monster Cable XP,Kimber 4TC,Analysis-PLUS Oval 12,Radio Shack 14 guage flat "mega-cable"