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Positive Feedback ISSUE 51
kimber kable KS 1016 and KS 1116 Select Interconnects as reviewed by Robert H. Levi
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You are reading the older HTML site
Positive Feedback ISSUE 51
kimber kable KS 1016 and KS 1116 Select Interconnects as reviewed by Robert H. Levi
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Always the sweetheart of the Select range of reference interconnects in my humble opinion, the new all copper Selects are more delectable than ever. The new KS 1016 terminated in RCAs and the new KS 1116s terminated in XLRs are truly wondrous upgrades for pennies! With over 50% more copper and numerous other refinements plus an amazing boost in definition, the new formulations are quite possibly the best deal going for all around reference listening to audiophile sources. They are also the least fatiguing, most universally compatible design I’ve auditioned under $1000 per meter to date! The original all copper Selects: KS 1011/RCA and KS 1111/XLR remain in the line at $80 per meter less than the new formulations. With all due apologies to Kimber, why? The new versions do everything the older versions do and much more. I heard increased definition…say 25%...increased air and superior imaging, tonal colors and timbres enhanced, more overall openness, and quieter backgrounds. It’s your call, but for $80 more, I’d buy the new wires for sure!
I tried the 1016 and 1116 in every spot I could get to in both of my reference systems. They were never less than winning and appealing. There is no subtle thinness or lack of air or slam that the original wires seem to have. Bass is just plain superb. No more finger pointing at the Hero’s as being superior here or anywhere in comparison to the Selects. At $780 and $800 per meter respectively, these are a superb selection for the audiophile who just can’t go over $1000 per meter and wants to sacrifice as little as possible. Ray Kimber truly thought through this new interconnect. He took over 10 years to produce a better Select and what an excellent wire it is. In my PFO review of the new higher priced copper/silver and all silver Select interconnects, I was equally astounded by those advances. Nevertheless, the new copper Selects remain the phenomenal value they were when they first were introduced. When replacing the $5250 per meter Jorma Origo between the E.A.R. Acute CD Player and E.A.R. 912 Preamp, the 1016 and 1116 were not embarrassed in any way. I heard a bit less air and definition, but both interconnects sounded cut from the same sonic cloth. The musicality and truthfulness of the Jorma’s signature was present in the Kimber. There was a bit less depth, but not as much as you would expect. The Jorma sounded right. The Kimber sounded right. One can carry this neutrality thing to the extreme, but the Jormas are the most neutral and the Kimbers are neutral enough, certainly for the price! In my second reference system, I replaced the new all silver Selects with the 1016. Again, you can hear the differences clearly, but my oh my are the 1016s alive and smooth. I am a detail maven and will leave the silver Selects in place, but I could be happy with the 1016s! I then tried the 1016s between my McIntosh MR71 Audio Classics modified and restored FM Tuner and my E.A.R. preamp. I replaced the more expensive Harmonic Technology Magic 2s. Oh, the grand smoothness and increased definition of the 1016s with the Mac tuner. Even tonally from top to bottom, the 1016s proved their brilliance. Overall, I have never heard an interconnect under $1000 so beautifully integrated from tip top to lowest octave as the new 1016 and 1116. No splash, no hash, you will hear a sense of verisimilitude and sophistication that eludes most interconnects under $2000 per meter and is new to this price category. I would not hesitate to trade in your original 1011 and 1111 for the 1016 and 1116 at your Kimber dealer. This is the easiest and surest recommendation I’ve made this year! They need 100 hours of run in time to be fully broken in. I ran them for an extra 24 hours on my Cable Cooker to get them to sound fully open and detailed. There’s a lot of metal in these wires. The WBT connectors and Neutrik XLRs are first rate. There is no difference musically between the balanced and single ended wires. I also tried the 1016s in place of the Kubala-Sosna Emotion Interconnects between the E.A.R. Preamp and the spectacular E.A.R. HP 4 headphone Amp in for review. Using the fabulous Grado PS1000s, the $3000 K-S cables and the $780 Selects were close!! It’s like putting cables under an X-Ray machine when you listen with headphones. I heard a bit more definition with the 4 times more expensive K-S. I heard very similar airiness and tonal integration. Differences were small and the Select compared very well overall. Nicely done Ray. In Conclusion From the hand of resident genius Ray Kimber, Kimber Kable has revised the Select line and brought us new and gorgeously improved all copper 1016 [RCA] and 1116 [XLR] interconnects. A sonic leap over the original formulations, I hear more of everything and a realistic, but relaxed presentation, that’s just magical. I truly believe this is the sweetheart of the line and a perfect under $1000 per meter for those who want a big chunk of the best reference sound, but cannot reach the exalted heights of ridiculous money. Integration of frequencies from top to bottom are near perfect. These are truly lovable wires and never stress your ears. The Kimber Kable Select KS 1016 and 1116 are most highly recommended. Robert H. Levi
KS 1016
KS 1116
Kimber Kable Revised interconnect rankings to include the new Kimber Select Interconnects from the latest listening sessions with cables ranked by reviewer preference within price categories as follows: Over $4000 per meter
$2000 - 4000 per meter
$1000 - 2000 per meter
$450 - 1000 per meter
$250 - 450 per meter
Under $250 per meter
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