Well now, this really is not what I expected! The LS-25 and the LS-40 are two very different sounding cables, that was immediately obvious.
The first thing that struck me was the bass, it is a lot more prominent in the mix, a sense of power really comes across. Not in a boomy or muddy way, I think the best word I can think of is forcefull.
The other aspect is that the overall balance is darker, more chocolate. Detail is presented, well, differently. For me, the LS-25 actually sounds more detailed and airy, though the LS-40 has a more refined approach to what you might call splashy treble.
For example, on Grover Washington’s album ‘Feels So Good’, the track Hydra, has a tambourine that is coming a few feet to the side of the left speaker. It sounds like somebody is in the room shaking it. With the 25, it seems to be placed wider apart, with the 40, a little closer in, but sounding more present, more mass. The sections with a lot of ride cymbal are tidier with the 40. However, I feel like there is some loss of excitement, and the main instrument (saxophone), oddly, is less present. Overall, I prefer the LS-25 on this one.
On The Bothers Johnson ‘Blam’, the bass is...menacing, punchy, but the drums sound more dynamic with the 25. Maybe a draw here.
I think a big factor is my Proac D18 floorstanders, and their positioning, as one speaker is somewhat cornered in. The extra bass from the 40 is maybe too much, but there is no other place for it. If I had room correction, maybe this would play out differently.
Another factor is how loud I listen, which is not loud at all, between 60 to 65db. I tried cranking the volume, and the 40 starts to pull ahead once you get to 75db plus, as it just keeps more control across all frequencies. Bass really can be thunderous where it’s in the track.
Given that in mind, I switched to the theme from The Mandalorian. They really went for epic here, pounding drums, full orchestra, bold brass. No doubt that the pounding drums have more definition to them, again that sense of control, but at the cost of a touch of excitement. Overall, I give this one to the 40.
Reading back other reviews, one thing I am not finding is any more sense of space, which is a bit puzzling, but there you go.
Oh, I also did a db check between the two cables, to see if one was louder than the other, but they averaged out almost identically.
So, not a home run for me, I need to listen a lot more, and to more genres, so will report back in a few days.
The first thing that struck me was the bass, it is a lot more prominent in the mix, a sense of power really comes across. Not in a boomy or muddy way, I think the best word I can think of is forcefull.
The other aspect is that the overall balance is darker, more chocolate. Detail is presented, well, differently. For me, the LS-25 actually sounds more detailed and airy, though the LS-40 has a more refined approach to what you might call splashy treble.
For example, on Grover Washington’s album ‘Feels So Good’, the track Hydra, has a tambourine that is coming a few feet to the side of the left speaker. It sounds like somebody is in the room shaking it. With the 25, it seems to be placed wider apart, with the 40, a little closer in, but sounding more present, more mass. The sections with a lot of ride cymbal are tidier with the 40. However, I feel like there is some loss of excitement, and the main instrument (saxophone), oddly, is less present. Overall, I prefer the LS-25 on this one.
On The Bothers Johnson ‘Blam’, the bass is...menacing, punchy, but the drums sound more dynamic with the 25. Maybe a draw here.
I think a big factor is my Proac D18 floorstanders, and their positioning, as one speaker is somewhat cornered in. The extra bass from the 40 is maybe too much, but there is no other place for it. If I had room correction, maybe this would play out differently.
Another factor is how loud I listen, which is not loud at all, between 60 to 65db. I tried cranking the volume, and the 40 starts to pull ahead once you get to 75db plus, as it just keeps more control across all frequencies. Bass really can be thunderous where it’s in the track.
Given that in mind, I switched to the theme from The Mandalorian. They really went for epic here, pounding drums, full orchestra, bold brass. No doubt that the pounding drums have more definition to them, again that sense of control, but at the cost of a touch of excitement. Overall, I give this one to the 40.
Reading back other reviews, one thing I am not finding is any more sense of space, which is a bit puzzling, but there you go.
Oh, I also did a db check between the two cables, to see if one was louder than the other, but they averaged out almost identically.
So, not a home run for me, I need to listen a lot more, and to more genres, so will report back in a few days.