The Sablon 2020 USB cable is in transit now, back to London. In no way am I discrediting the cable or the maker, it just did not work out in my system, to my ears.
I gave it a lot of play time but last Sunday I again concluded that I was missing something I did not want to miss. I then decided to reinstall the 20cm short Curious USB cable. Since I have to do this blind, trying to feel and find the way to the connectors because of the tight space I had postponed this a bit but because I was nearing the end of the 28 day trial period (though I initially though it was 30 days) it was now or never.
After reinstalling the Curious I played the same songs I played before reinstalling but already during the first song it felt like ‘coming home’. The addictive richness, powerful and immersive sound was back and thus my engagement. I actually did not feel I was missing anything either but rechecked this a day later. So the negatives clearly outweighed the positives.
The Sablon is among other things described as a natural and neutral cable so perhaps it lay bare some imbalance somewhere in my system or I just couldn’t accept the sound of some lean and anemic recordings which the Curious may have ‘unnaturally’ beefed up. It could also be that the very short length of the Curious attributes to the sound quality. The Sablon was 1.2 meters so a full meter longer. Or there’s simply some synergy effect in play with the TX-USBUltra and the Lush^2 USB cable. In the end it doesn’t matter as I like the sound I got and now again get, better.
I shared my findings with Mark of Sablon Audio and he did not make any problem of it and offered a refund after I’d send it back so all good! First time ever BTW I have sent something back during a trial period.
Now I may have a problem in the future when after some change in the system the short Curious really proves to be too short but I’ll deal with that when it happens.
I gave it a lot of play time but last Sunday I again concluded that I was missing something I did not want to miss. I then decided to reinstall the 20cm short Curious USB cable. Since I have to do this blind, trying to feel and find the way to the connectors because of the tight space I had postponed this a bit but because I was nearing the end of the 28 day trial period (though I initially though it was 30 days) it was now or never.
After reinstalling the Curious I played the same songs I played before reinstalling but already during the first song it felt like ‘coming home’. The addictive richness, powerful and immersive sound was back and thus my engagement. I actually did not feel I was missing anything either but rechecked this a day later. So the negatives clearly outweighed the positives.
The Sablon is among other things described as a natural and neutral cable so perhaps it lay bare some imbalance somewhere in my system or I just couldn’t accept the sound of some lean and anemic recordings which the Curious may have ‘unnaturally’ beefed up. It could also be that the very short length of the Curious attributes to the sound quality. The Sablon was 1.2 meters so a full meter longer. Or there’s simply some synergy effect in play with the TX-USBUltra and the Lush^2 USB cable. In the end it doesn’t matter as I like the sound I got and now again get, better.
I shared my findings with Mark of Sablon Audio and he did not make any problem of it and offered a refund after I’d send it back so all good! First time ever BTW I have sent something back during a trial period.
Now I may have a problem in the future when after some change in the system the short Curious really proves to be too short but I’ll deal with that when it happens.
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands