Mr Dynamic started this widely acclaimed thread in early Jan after we paid PT a home visit. The vigorous melodramatic last movement of Mahler Symphony 5 is still resonating not only in my mind, but many others, I am quite sure. Then PT gave me a call. The conversation thrilled my nerve because it is about a new brand of super cables he had been testing for 2 weeks. He said, “Why don’t you come for a listen? If you have an even slightest moment of hesitation, I will send everything back.” I accepted his invitation.
I began listening to Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, the burnished tone of the solo violin passage standing distinctively out from the orchestra caught my attention. Takako Nishizaki’s dedicated solo violin performance has formed a passage of energy amongst various passages from the rest of orchestra. Her musical integration with the rest is phenomenally in unity. I have never experienced before hitherto. My mind was busy analysing the new contributions of these cables to the unprecedented experiences previously.
Allow me to use an analogy to describe my observation. When one is watching a TV screen, there are multiple colours/grades of shade on each object. Regardless of 4K or 8K resolution, the emission level of all the spots and dots of the screen is constant. However, in a live concert, each music instrument radiates different level of energy, without overlapping each other. In the final thematic burst of the Butterfly Lovers concerto, I can easily trace each passage of energy from the origin to where some may even penetrate my body!
We went on listening to a few pieces until the Elgar cello concerto conducted by Simon Rattle. PT suddenly turned the volume down by about 50%, the delicacy of the cellist and the intricacy of the orchestra were preserved without shrinking stage and/or loosening temperament and timbre precision. Damn, I was relocated suddenly 20 rows back from the first few rows in the concert hall! Please remember the Goebel Epoque Reference sensitivity is only 82db. This is a daunting test of dynamic at low volume.
Let me ‘unearth’ this mystery: Esprit is the brand of super cable introduced. Gaia is the flagship series among the 7 other siblings in this French family not yet being shown on the official website. We were listening to the speaker cable and the interconnects meticulously hand built by the founder of this brand, Richard Cesari. After the briefing by PT and my own background reading, I am convinced by its supreme quality. It is an accumulation of 20 years of cable building experience based not just on technology hype but on relentless listening and fine tuning.
Thanks for the writeup, correct me if I am wrong - are you saying you can tell the difference of energy transmission between a violin and a cello and a timpani, whereas cables beforehand delivered wholesomeness of energy without clear differentiation amongst them?
I can relate the analogy of 4K/8k TV. That is a good one. Very interesting, I hope to experience soon because I was blown away to the max last time. Hard to imagine another substantial jump, as your writing suggested it was much more than fine tuning and change of tonal preferences.
It is easy to differentiate location of instruments and performers. But differentiation of energy radiation is another ball park.
The gobel speakers sensitivity is very low at 82db. You described it as though it is a horn speakers - by testing at low volume, everything remains intact but relocated you farther away from front rows.
How Is that possible with a 82db sensitivity speakers?
To be able to identify the spatial relationship and positioning can be done by most of the top notch cables. To be able to transmit an ample energy level across the entire frequency spectrum and deliver a tonal picture without dynamic compression and lost of control is what i think a 4K and 8K screen can do in my earlier analogy. This also differentiates the best from the top line of cables.
Esprit is the first cable ever in my hifi journey which can add sparkles and twinkles drawing my attention not just on where the performers are, but also how much energy they have asserted in playing the flute, trumpet, timpani, gu ban, last but not least, the violin solo...Frankly I haven’t formed a concrete idea on how Esprit can achieve it. Progressive shielding, battery polarisation and the 1600 strands of conductors in one cable run are certainly part of the answer contributing to this, what else?
Jeff,
The demo in turning down the volume has not been conducted last time, I think this is due to the matching of the Riviera 100W Class A amp having a not so high damping factor thus mating well with the 82db Goebel speaker. PT wanted to demonstrate the control and driving capabilities of the power amp is blended extremely well with the speaker.
Having said, PT also reminded me 2 very interesting points:
1. The low pass frequency of XiangYu in his system has to be tuned down from 63hz to 52Hz with the introduction of Esprit. That may potentially mean the main speaker can deliver more power in the region of 52Hz to 63hz without much augmentation by the subwoofer.
2. The Gaia interconnect is more expensive than the speaker cable which is unprecedented in the pricing structure of all other cables we come across.
After reading so much about PT system, my family would love to pay him a visit. But the Coronavirus prevents us from experiencing it. The read of Napoleon has been engaging, and the discussion of cables are fruitful, way different from other forums. I don’t quite understand the excitement of “esprit”, but would like to find out more later.
The excitement on Esprit stems from the continuous journey where we (particularly myself) are hearing the evolutionary and revolutionary steps taken by PT on his home system to reach the stage minus the Esprit cables. Only myself have auditioned this Step N+1 while many were shocked already in Step N.
You won’t have such excitement on this cable because you missed Step N but I can assure you Step N+1 is unforgettably astonishing!
Comments
We went on listening to a few pieces until the Elgar cello concerto conducted by Simon Rattle. PT suddenly turned the volume down by about 50%, the delicacy of the cellist and the intricacy of the orchestra were preserved without shrinking stage and/or loosening temperament and timbre precision. Damn, I was relocated suddenly 20 rows back from the first few rows
in the concert hall! Please remember the Goebel Epoque Reference sensitivity is only 82db. This is a daunting test of dynamic at low volume.
Let me ‘unearth’ this mystery: Esprit is the brand of super cable introduced. Gaia is the flagship series among the 7 other siblings in this French family not yet being shown on the official website. We were listening to the speaker cable and the interconnects meticulously hand built by the founder of this brand, Richard Cesari. After the briefing by PT and my own background reading, I am convinced by its supreme quality. It is an accumulation of 20 years of cable building experience based not just on technology hype but on relentless listening and fine tuning.
I am longing to hear the Gaia power cable!
Marvel
Thanks for the writeup, correct me if I am wrong - are you saying you can tell the difference of energy transmission between a violin and a cello and a timpani, whereas cables beforehand delivered wholesomeness of energy without clear differentiation amongst them?
The gobel speakers sensitivity is very low at 82db. You described it as though it is a horn speakers - by testing at low volume, everything remains intact but relocated you farther away from front rows.
To be able to identify the spatial relationship and positioning can be done by most of the top notch cables. To be able to transmit an ample energy level across the entire frequency spectrum and deliver a tonal picture without dynamic compression and lost of control is what i think a 4K and 8K screen can do in my earlier analogy. This also differentiates the best from the top line of cables.
Esprit is the first cable ever in my hifi journey which can add sparkles and twinkles drawing my attention not just on where the performers are, but also how much energy they have asserted in playing the flute, trumpet, timpani, gu ban, last but not least, the violin solo...Frankly I haven’t formed a concrete idea on how Esprit can achieve it. Progressive shielding, battery polarisation and the 1600 strands of conductors in one cable run are certainly part of the answer contributing to this, what else?
Jeff,
The demo in turning down the volume has not been conducted last time, I think this is due to the matching of the Riviera 100W Class A amp having a not so high damping factor thus mating well with the 82db Goebel speaker. PT wanted to demonstrate the control and driving capabilities of the power amp is blended extremely well with the speaker.
Having said, PT also reminded me 2 very interesting points:
1. The low pass frequency of XiangYu in his system has to be tuned down from 63hz to 52Hz with the introduction of Esprit. That may potentially mean the main speaker can deliver more power in the region of 52Hz to 63hz without much augmentation by the subwoofer.
2. The Gaia interconnect is more expensive than the speaker cable which is unprecedented in the pricing structure of all other cables we come across.
Marvel
The excitement on Esprit stems from the continuous journey where we (particularly myself) are hearing the evolutionary and revolutionary steps taken by PT on his home system to reach the stage minus the Esprit cables. Only myself have auditioned this Step N+1 while many were shocked already in Step N.
You won’t have such excitement on this cable because you missed Step N but I can assure you Step N+1 is unforgettably astonishing!
Marvel