stage 3's internal battle

hot stuff! i just got hold of the new generation of stage 3 concepts cables and one of them is magnus, the fabulous interconnect that blew me away 3 years ago. without any info from their website (which has not been updated like more than 2 years! it show how busy these people are..), i don't really know the improvements both in terms of materials used and shielding details but the new magnus looks a bit dainty and classy. the xhadow plug (see picture) is also a class act, though i still prefer my old furutech XLR plug. my old magnus is more robustly built, thicker and harder to bend.

the initial impression of the new magnus (retailing at RM7K for 1.5m) is one of great refinement, with a capital "R". my system is already very refined but the new magnus adds a new dimension to the term refinement, almost too good to be true. if i were to use an analogy, the new magnus is like a lady in her early 20s, silky smooth complexion and alluring smell.... (hmmm...let you imagination run wild a bit) and my old magnus is a lady in her early 30s, more mature and sophisticated but her complexion has seen better days...

the new magnus shows great promise but i would like to give it more time to see if it can develop the robustness of the old magnus. robustness is a key criteria in my sound, as i play a lot of pop cds. refinement is great but it shouldn't be too dainty and cultured. since it will be on long-term loan, i will be having a great time discovering this cable.

on to other developments, yes, the curtains are back! i missed the textured and emotive midrange without the curtains on. but this time, i am smarter as i have installed a full-length curtain rod with adjustable curtain coverage to "tune" the sound as i like it (see picture). the curtains not only thicken the mids and increase palpability, they also intensify the emotions of the vocalist and stablise the imaging. my experiment shows that the sound is best with the full-spread of curtains covering the back wall.