Feedback about Au-24 Cable

Martin wrote:
(30 Oct 2000)

Hi Joe, Ben’s concern is true as there are a lot of people who are not friendly and very troublesome. They may just take your Au24 to play for a few days (of course less than 7 days), then return to you for refund. Some people are really have “No Ear”, they cannot distinguish what is good sound, what is bad sound (you should have encountered a lot of people like this?). By the way, Interconnect is required to run in, it may not be able to defeat the one that the buyer has run in for a long time. It’s really a risk if the performance of Au24 is not outstanding. After getting the interconnect (AU24) from you, I replaced it with my Aural Symphony AS5I immediately to see whether it’s really so outstanding as claimed by you. My first impression was that the sound of this interconnect is really very pure, good tonal balance, and be able to give very good details. Although the sound was a little bit tight as most of the new cables. I have run in this interconnect for about 16 hours before I wrote this message, the sound improved a lot after the run in. The sound of my old cable is a little bit forward and it’s a demerit in my environment (the speakers are too close to the listening position). After changing to Au24, the sound has a better depth of image, better dynamic, better tonal balance and less distortion in high volume. The most important thing is that with Au-24 I can enjoy listen to CDs for a longer period of time (Normally, I would listened to CDs for about 1-2 hours, then changed to LPs since listening to CDs for a long period was really very tiring). I believe the sound will be further improve after longer run in. I will write my detail review after another 34 hours run in (I always believe that the cables can only be in normal sound after at least 50 hours run in). My comment is that Au24 really can give a good sound (despite the cheap looking), but whether it can defeat the cables with much higher price (say, 3-4 times more expensive) may need some other users who are using expensive cables to give their comments. In my system, Au24 really gives significant better sound. Joe, Good  Luck!

Nagasena’s feedback:
(9 Nov 2000)

After taking a pair of Au-24 from Joe, I replaced my Kimber KCAG with the Au-24. After an hour of playing I realised that I am hearing more depth, details and bass punch. The pair of interconnect is not even run-in. After about 4 hours, I must said that the Au-24 sound better than my KCAG. I am not saying that the Kimber is bad. The Kimber is still one of the best interconnect on the market. I am now playing with 2 pair of Au-24 and 1 Au-24 digital interconnect. I will post another message after running-in all the interconnects.

Chris wrote:
(9 Nov 2000)

The Audience Au24 high resolution cables is another product where aesthetic is not the order of importance. It utilizes OHNO Continuous Cast, Single Crystal Copper wire. Teflon insulated and the jacket material is cross-linked XLPE polyethylene. As you can see the RCA connectors are simple. When you plugged in the connectors, the way it grip the inputs, you know it is made of high quality stuff. These made in the USA cables are directional so follow the arrow. This is one cable you have to try in your hi-fi system in order to enjoy the sound quality no matter what type of equipment you have.  Initially when I was given this cable by Joe Lee to try, I took one look at it and I say to myself, can this cable gives high resolution sound? Can this cable beat all other type of cable regardless of costs or looks? The Audience Au24 is very directional so please get it right. Every plugged in or out you make with the cable, you must let it settled for about 10 minutes before any serious listening can be done. Like every cable, run-in period must be obvious but you will gradually hear the sound open up and after the first note was played…well I don’t have to say anymore because the rest is history…and I’m keeping this one for myself! (Abstracted from Chris Report 9-11-2000)

Manufacturer’s response:
(17 Nov 2000)

Dear Joe, There is a lot of talk about the "ugly" Au24 interconnect. I can understand this initial response as we are creatures of habit and we are all accustomed to the attractive visual presentations used to bolster the perception of many high priced cables; if it looks fantastic and cost a lot, it must be great! As you have realized, the Au24 ic is a performer not a looker. When you realize that the fancy facades used to bolster presentation actually inhibit the passive characteristic of a cable, suddenly all that glitters is not so pretty. In fact, you may come to perceive that what "looks" pretty, is pretty ugly. Audience has taken a bold stance with its Au24 offering knowing that its visual acceptance would be scoffed. Audience, however, has a very strict product development policy of putting performance FIRST. Isn't it refreshing to know there is a manufacturer that is willing to LOOK bad in order to provide the very best product for its customers?  Perception is in the eye of the beholder. In this case, perception should be in the ear of the beholder. Now is the Au24 really all that ugly or is it down right beautiful? John McDonald, president Audience P.S. get ready for another ugly Audience offering. The Au24 speaker cable is on its way.

Manufacturer’s wrote:
(20 Nov 2000)

Dear Joe: I read your Au24 comments with interest. Your observation of the high frequency response interested me in particular. I was the first person to hear the Au24 cables. I have spent 15 months listening to them and comparing them to other cables. The reason the high frequencies sound different from other cables has to do with the time vs. frequency response. The Au24 sounded very coherent and musical because of their superior performance in this area.   With most cable the overtones arrive ahead of the fundamental. This is why 2 cables can measure the same (If you are measuring only the frequency response.) yet sound quite different.   The time response of the Au24 is better because it is constructed of excellent materials and the design creates very low eddy currents. Low eddy currents are the prime reasons for this difference. High eddy currents are caused by a large magnetic field produced by current flow through a conductor. This field expands and collapses in response to the signal. When this field collapses it induces a voltage back into the cable. This voltage creates a new delayed signal which is added to the original signal. The bigger the field, the higher the energy induced back into the cable. This will obviously create a time smear which is quite audible. Because of the non-linearities of these eddy currents plus imperfect materials the smeared signal is somewhat frequency dependent causing the impression of frequency response aberrations. It is actually frequency dependent delayed energy which is quite audible and often irritating.  What is the point of all this? When listening to many audio systems you will notice that even if the imaging is very good for the most part the high frequency portions don't always seem to line up with the rest of the instrument(s). A good example would be the drum kit on a good jazz recording. I asked myself many times in the past why the cymbals seem to come directly from the speakers while the snares, toms and bass drums image nicely where they belong in the soundstage. With the advent of the Au24 line of products the cymbals on a correctly engineered recording now seem to image back where they belong. This implies that the highs will seem a little laid back compared to what we are used to. This isn't because the cables are rolled off. They most certainly are not. It is because in order for them to image properly they must of necessity be set back in space and will sound subdued compared to conventional cables.   Once you get used to the Au24 it becomes apparent that the high frequencies are not just as good as other cable but are actually far superior. They are just more natural and realistic  Test this for yourself. I recommend good jazz recordings with drums recorded in stereo. The difference will be quite apparent.  The above is my take on the unusual properties of the exciting new Au24 line of cables. It took me a while to figure this out but I do have the advantage of listening to these cables since August 1999 during our R&D period.  I didn't intend this to be such a long letter. It takes a lot of words to describe these properties and the reasons for them. Perhaps you have reached some of the same conclusions by now.  Sincerely, Richard A. Smith audience

Bernard’s view:
(20 Dec  2000)

Dear Kim,  After listening for the whole morning, I've decided to get another Au24 interconnect (0.5 m pair) at $350 rite? Pls reserve one pair for me when the stock comes in. The cable is really great. What Joe reviewed in his site is all true. I never knew my modest setup was capable of being so musical and alive. The cable has revealed more details (extended high frequencies and tightened the bass) and made my system sounds so sweet and musical. I was not really listening to music in the past. Thanks for bringing in such value for money products that works. Regards

Click here to add Your Opinion

Forum Main Page