Located between the Emotion and Elation! series of Kubala-Sosna Research cables comes the brand new Sensation Interconnects. A pricing of $5600 per meter does not exactly fall halfway between their $3000 and $6000 per meter cost, respectively, but musically the Sensations eclipse the best of the best I have heard to date. And, as a bonus, they are more flexible and better shielded than most of the competition, too.
From Kubala-Sosna technical Info:
"What is OptimiZ™? It is quite different from the other cables, unique actually. Still, we cannot confuse different with better. But again, we did do something different.
Yet another real difference is our ability to pass nearly perfect square waves in spite of load changes at either or both ends of the cable. No other cable we tested did that. Why is that important?
The load presented to a cable from your CD player to your Pre-Amp is the output impedance of the CD player and the input impedance of the Pre-Amp. It means that the RevolutionZ™family of cables will perform well and be true to the original signal no matter what the components are now or in the future. Is that different? Yes, for sure."
From my perspective as a reviewer, in a phono circuit with the Grado Epoch, in a system connecting the E.A.R. DAC 4 to the E.A.R. 912 Preamp, and in a cost-is-no-object headphone circuit, they performed with relaxed, highly-detailed, grain-less perfection. Rich, but not too rich; fast, but not too fast. I was astounded. The phrase "state-of-the-art" was developed for the Sensation. I love the Emotion Interconnects and the Elation! Speaker cables, but the Sensation Interconnects are more satisfying overall for me and my personal sense of musical realism. (I did not have any Sensation speaker cables to try, so I'll admit that I cannot comment on those yet.)
Right out of the package, I heard power and musical nuance that were stunning. At two days of play in a circuit, break-in was complete. This was very fast for almost cost-is-no-object wires. I should say that Kubala-Sosna makes a more expensive design called the Realization, their new top-of-the-line reference cable, but I have not heard it to date, so my comments about the Sensation cables don’t reflect experience with the Realization yet. Knowing Joe Kubala well, I can tell you he is known for brilliant engineering and great musical taste. I look forward to hearing them.
Returning to the Sensation: Imaging was lock-down solid and rounded to perfection. Depth was extraordinary and ambiance superb. The Sensation's style of soundstaging was truly gigantic and the nuance of every instrument was mellifluous. Vocals were natural and present with no added weight or brightening whatsoever. The superb speed and snap give the music real drive and add life to the musical presentation. Even one meter made a qualitative difference overall!
Meanwhile, if you own the Emotion cables, I would not hesitate in recommending that you trade them in on the Sensation. Kubala-Sosna offers a great trade-in deal for this. The Elation!, with their high energy approach to music, is perfect for many systems and I like them in systems with 100% Elation! wires. But the Sensation is absolutely the best interconnect I have ever heard in the under $6000 price range with no exceptions. Its full-bodied relaxed approach is instantly addictive. Its blow-your-mind ultra-high definition is astounding. Its quietude in critical circuits is perfection. Plus, it is flexible and bendable as can be, which can be a problem with some cable designs.
Recently I identified cables that were the best under $2000 a meter I have ever heard and actually sell for much less. Now I can clearly suggest that if you can reach the $5600 per meter exalted price range, the Sensation will be your ticket to sonic you-are-there nirvana. I have never heard anything so perfect in so many high end audio applications except the legendary Jorma Prime at $9995 per meter.
I must tell you that even a meter of Sensation in a circuit of other brands plays extremely well. It boosts the performance of all comers and is not picky partner. I tried them with van den Hul, Kimber Select, Jorma, other Kubala-Sosna, Wywire, and UIT, and all were musically enhanced in a circuit with the Sensation. I found this a very special attribute. The Sensation never failed to get every musical parameter absolutely right with every type of music I call a reference!
Summary
The Kubala-Sosna Sensation Interconnects are Made-in-America Masterpieces for the well-heeled audiophile aficionado who wants the very best in supremely natural, realistic, and über neutral sound. More quiet than most phono cables, you can use them in the most sensitive and important locations in your system. They blended and enhanced every top cable brand with which I connected them...improving musical flow and natural high definition. Extremely flexible and well made, I love the secure Kubala-Sosna RCA connector.
The Sensations are State of the art, period. The Kubala-Sosna Sensation Interconnects receive my highest recommendation.
Sensation Interconnects
Retail: $5600 for the first meter, either RCA or XLR terminations
Kubala•Sosna Research LLC
11 Melanie Lane, Unit 24A
East Hanover, NJ 07936
1.973.993.1952
