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I tried the Viborg VB401S pure copper banana plugs with silver plating between a March P452 Purifi amp and Revel F328Be speakers. I wasn't expecting to hear a sound difference between them and my existing Monoprice Affinity Series 24k plugs. I was just looking for a better built connector. The RME ADI-2 FS DAC is connected via XLR to the Purifi amp and a MacBook Pro feeds it over USB using the Audirvana app.
Once I attached the Viborg VB401S plugs to both 10' Belden 5000UP 12 AWG speaker cables and plugged the system back in I was shocked how different the sound was with the new plugs. I began playing all my favorite albums. The treble was more pronounced and crisper. The sound quality of my music playback at my normal levels of 60-75dB was more up front and in your face. The OPENNESS and transparency of the music was better than I had experienced. Each track was more identifiable and crystal clear. All I could do was scratch my head and wonder how this could be from simply changing banana plugs?
I thought I must be imagining this. So, I built two more 10' Belden 5000UP 12 AWG speaker cables and installed the old Monoprice Affinity Series 24k plugs on them. This allowed me to easily swap between cables to compare the two plugs. The AB comparison was night and day. The Viborg VB401S pure copper banana plugs open up the sound considerably. It's like I just removed a sheet from the F328Be speakers once the VB401S plugs were playing. They come alive with vibrant crystal clear highs. Turn on the RME Loudness option on the ADI-2 and the speaker becomes a whole new animal with the new plugs.
I was hesitant to post this comparison on ASR as it sounds absolutely crazy. If I had not AB'ed these plugs myself side by side with the F328Be first, I wouldn't believe it. I have Purifi and Hypex amps and have AB'd them with the Revel F328Be. it's really hard to hear a big difference between them. The Purifi seems a bit more refined but they are quite close. These silly 8 silver plugs for about $60 made a much bigger sound difference than my amp swapping. I'm pretty amazed with the difference. I consider this my most affordable audio upgrade to date.
Once I attached the Viborg VB401S plugs to both 10' Belden 5000UP 12 AWG speaker cables and plugged the system back in I was shocked how different the sound was with the new plugs. I began playing all my favorite albums. The treble was more pronounced and crisper. The sound quality of my music playback at my normal levels of 60-75dB was more up front and in your face. The OPENNESS and transparency of the music was better than I had experienced. Each track was more identifiable and crystal clear. All I could do was scratch my head and wonder how this could be from simply changing banana plugs?
I thought I must be imagining this. So, I built two more 10' Belden 5000UP 12 AWG speaker cables and installed the old Monoprice Affinity Series 24k plugs on them. This allowed me to easily swap between cables to compare the two plugs. The AB comparison was night and day. The Viborg VB401S pure copper banana plugs open up the sound considerably. It's like I just removed a sheet from the F328Be speakers once the VB401S plugs were playing. They come alive with vibrant crystal clear highs. Turn on the RME Loudness option on the ADI-2 and the speaker becomes a whole new animal with the new plugs.
I was hesitant to post this comparison on ASR as it sounds absolutely crazy. If I had not AB'ed these plugs myself side by side with the F328Be first, I wouldn't believe it. I have Purifi and Hypex amps and have AB'd them with the Revel F328Be. it's really hard to hear a big difference between them. The Purifi seems a bit more refined but they are quite close. These silly 8 silver plugs for about $60 made a much bigger sound difference than my amp swapping. I'm pretty amazed with the difference. I consider this my most affordable audio upgrade to date.