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Elsdon Wonfor Audio LS-40 speaker cables

Thanks for the update @Cereal Killer.
From what I remember you had the LS-25's, then upgraded a few times to your current SAEC, so I'm guessing that you'd say that the '40's are a fair upgrade over the '20's.
I imagine there will be a few here who are getting a little excited at that..!
 
@steveinspain Are you saying you have LS20? I’m not familiar with those

When the LS40s reach me next I’ll be doing a direct A/B comparison with LS25 (they are the cables I use now and have done for around 2 years).
 
Thanks for the update @Cereal Killer.
From what I remember you had the LS-25's, then upgraded a few times to your current SAEC, so I'm guessing that you'd say that the '40's are a fair upgrade over the '20's.
I imagine there will be a few here who are getting a little excited at that..!

Yes that’s correct, I had the LS-25 for a long while, then a few steps to the SAEC SPC-850. IIRC you have the 20’s? I’d imagine once you try the LS-40s you’ll buy them!
 
@steveinspain Are you saying you have LS20? I’m not familiar with those

When the LS40s reach me next I’ll be doing a direct A/B comparison with LS25 (they are the cables I use now and have done for around 2 years).

Yes that’s correct, I had the LS-25 for a long while, then a few steps to the SAEC SPC-850. IIRC you have the 20’s? I’d imagine once you try the LS-40s you’ll buy them!
No, I'm just a lousy typist - I have the 25's, which is what I meant to type.. Not had them very long, and looking forward to hearing what you say ex brickie, as you are likely to be better at describing them. I know that cables can be system dependant but I've got an EWA Q20 amp and EWA interconnects so am hopeful for a Christmas present treat...
 
Ok good to know. My system is very different to yours but whatever the electronics we ought to be able to hear more of something. I’ll take time to describe in some detail if I can

cheers,
 
Hi everyone,

Sorry I've been MIA for a while; family and CV-19 scares, schools closed, juggling day job...

Thanks Raj, for kicking off the trial and starting this thread. The cables will go to Ex-brickie this week.
 
Cables arrived safely with me this lunchtime - thank you Raj. My plan is to have a listen over the weekend and Monday then post some findings. I hope to be able to post them on to @steveinspain middle of next week :D, Hopefully he'll have them by the following weekend
 
No probs Nick! ... A word re Royal Mail; despite sending them Next Day Special Delivery they still took 48hrs so worth bearing this I mind as they are sent on through the demos.
 
Dear all
Here are my first reflections on the LS40. As a reminder, I already own LS25s and I bought the LS25s a couple of years ago as an improvement over Tellurium Ultra Black

in an attempt to avoid the phenomenon of hearing what I want to hear , I always get my wife to have the first listen with me. She is becoming very adept at spotting differences between bits of kit, cables etc! She would surprise her friends (or should that read ‘bore’!) with her experiences of cables making a difference

I digress. For simplicity I only used CDs - Rebecca Pidgeon, Johnny Cash and Queen a Night at the Opera. Just a track from each (it is a faff getting round the back of my amp and speakers but we persisted!). The improvement was immediate. I am generally a bit sceptical about improvements and all that diminishing returns stuff. However this was genuinely an immediate difference.

I could use all those cliched phrases loved by all us Hifi buffs but the ones that best describe the improvements are more detail (as you’d expect) , greater separation and really more layers . What do I mean by all that? On Spanish Harlem you could her the breathing in the close miked singing and greater realism in the string plucking. On a Johnny Cash duet the vocals were more clearly positioned and the percussion (including washboards!) were more vivid and realistic. The Queen track (Love of My Life) also had more of the above but the bit that really amazed me was that I could hear the separate hands playing the piano! Never heard that before!

Are there any downsides? The first impression (noticed even more by my wife) was that the extra detail made the overall sound more ‘bright’. This can be disconcerting and give an impression that the improvement could become tiring to listen to. I’m sensitive to this having owned Focal speakers with beryllium tweeters and having to trade them in. However, it could just be that it is more realistic and my ears need to get used to it. Alan at ABC Audio thinks you need a few weeks to get used to cables (not for burn in - just ear adjustment!) . I don’t think @steveinspain (or the rest of the queue) will want to wait that long!
I will try them out for a couple more days - it isn’t easy finding time when you have a busy work schedule as @Cereal Killer also found. I’ll let you know if my ears have adjusted by then!
Overall though there is no doubt that these are a significant level of detail up from the LS25s - and they are already very good. If my ears adjust don’t be surprised if my 25s come up for sale at some point!
 
Dear all
Here are my first reflections on the LS40. As a reminder, I already own LS25s and I bought the LS25s a couple of years ago as an improvement over Tellurium Ultra Black

in an attempt to avoid the phenomenon of hearing what I want to hear , I always get my wife to have the first listen with me. She is becoming very adept at spotting differences between bits of kit, cables etc! She would surprise her friends (or should that read ‘bore’!) with her experiences of cables making a difference

I digress. For simplicity I only used CDs - Rebecca Pidgeon, Johnny Cash and Queen a Night at the Opera. Just a track from each (it is a faff getting round the back of my amp and speakers but we persisted!). The improvement was immediate. I am generally a bit sceptical about improvements and all that diminishing returns stuff. However this was genuinely an immediate difference.

I could use all those cliched phrases loved by all us Hifi buffs but the ones that best describe the improvements are more detail (as you’d expect) , greater separation and really more layers . What do I mean by all that? On Spanish Harlem you could her the breathing in the close miked singing and greater realism in the string plucking. On a Johnny Cash duet the vocals were more clearly positioned and the percussion (including washboards!) were more vivid and realistic. The Queen track (Love of My Life) also had more of the above but the bit that really amazed me was that I could hear the separate hands playing the piano! Never heard that before!

Are there any downsides? The first impression (noticed even more by my wife) was that the extra detail made the overall sound more ‘bright’. This can be disconcerting and give an impression that the improvement could become tiring to listen to. I’m sensitive to this having owned Focal speakers with beryllium tweeters and having to trade them in. However, it could just be that it is more realistic and my ears need to get used to it. Alan at ABC Audio thinks you need a few weeks to get used to cables (not for burn in - just ear adjustment!) . I don’t think @steveinspain (or the rest of the queue) will want to wait that long!
I will try them out for a couple more days - it isn’t easy finding time when you have a busy work schedule as @Cereal Killer also found. I’ll let you know if my ears have adjusted by then!
Overall though there is no doubt that these are a significant level of detail up from the LS25s - and they are already very good. If my ears adjust don’t be surprised if my 25s come up for sale at some point!
Excellent write up, thank you ! I'll make a short playlist of a few of my favourite tracks so I am prepared for my turn.
 
Interesting, any thoughts on how bass is handled with this new cable, is there more resolution down in the lower registers?

Any particular types of bass of more interest to you? orchestral? Organ? a single double bass? bass guitar/blues? Pop/dance music (Michael Jackson and Madonna for example have deep bass in their tracks)?

I'm happy to try a couple of tracks tonight specifically to listen to the bass and report back
 
I like all types of bass, but test tracks, how about Street Wave, by the Brothers Johnson, and for something a bit orchestral, the soundtrack to the Mandalorian. If you don’t have streaming access, then Billy Jean, by.. well you know. Any double bass comparisons also welcome.
 
I don't have streaming - only hard formats..... so Billie Jean it is.

As for double bass, there's some on the Rebecca Pidgeon Spanish Harlem and I noticed that the plucking and texture of the strings were more defined. I was so taken by those I didn't notice the depth of the bass itself :D
 
I had another listen to get a break from my laptop. Played MJ's Billie Jean and Black or White

The bass is thunderous if your speakers go low enough. Billie Jen just thumps at you like never before. Black or White even more noticeable - it has a dramatic intro with someone banging hard on a door - scary! Then straight into thumping deep but clear bass

Gave myself a bit of an easy finish with Rodrigo Guitar Concerto - the guitar plucking was more textured than ever.

These are not cables for the faint hearted ...... very revealing. Get ready to re-train your ears!
 


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