Comments on Keynote AC Cable and CryoParts AC Power Filter

You’ll recall that I purchased two Keynote power cables and two AC-2 power conditioners from you. I have them setup so that a Keynote powers each AC-2 directly, with one AC-2 being used exclusively for my digital gear (transport and DAC each connected to a separate filter bank,) and my preamps (separate line and phono) and power amp connected to the other AC-2 along with my turntable’s power supply. Both Keynotes are connected to an FIM outlet on my wall. First let me say that I’m very pleased with the quality and the finishing of both of your products, and I’m a real perfectionist about the cosmetics of my audio gear. The Keynotes in particular with the Furutech FI-50 connectors are like pieces of art that I’m proud to have connected to my system. Of more importance is the impact that these two products are having on my system’s performance which is entirely positive. Many times when we make changes to our systems it seems like there are inevitable tradeoffs, and while we find some areas of significant improvement we often sacrifice some other aspect of the performance in the process. I’m very pleased to report that with these products being added to my existing system the changes are only positive. Since I have only used these products together I really can’t say how much of the improvement is due to the Keynotes vs. the AC-2s, but overall my impressions are extremely favorable. I listen mostly to acoustic jazz and blues, and there is now a much improved sense of each instrument’s natural harmonic decay in the recording venue. This results in a significantly improved soundstage since each instrument or vocalist is now being portrayed in their own space, along with a greater sense of air (or silence) between each of the individual sound sources. This also enhances the realism of the system’s musical presentation since it sounds less like hi-fi and more like the original performance being recreated in my listening room. Isn’t that really what hi-end audio is all about? I know that you have spent many hours and a lot of effort in the development and evolution of your products, and I would like to offer you my sincere congratulations on these achievements. I will appreciate the fruits of your labor each time I listen to my system.

Keep up the good work and please know that it is being appreciated.  B. K., USA

Check out the Keynote Here!

Check out the AC-2 Here!

The Axis upgrade (from my Polestar) promptly arrived and I’ve now spent about many hours of time, listening back and forth. The cable is connected between a Mac Mini running the new Fidelia player (from Audiophile Engineering) and a Wyred-4-Sound DAC-2. I thought that I might provide some feedback in the context of prospective customers, who might be contemplating an upgrade, as I did, from a Polestar. '

In the beginning I was using a standard, cheap usb cable. I read the reviews about the Polestar, and decided to give it a try, despite the logical ¾ of my brain saying this is a stupid waist of money… bits are bits. It took all of 5 seconds of listening to know that this was the most amazing, and most difficult to understand, audio component I had ever encountered.

The increase in musical purity over a stock cord was simply breathtaking. With that victory secured, the emotional ¼ of my brain, that was responsible for that win, started to suggest that an Axis upgrade would be a good idea. The logical ¾ of my brain objected again. It held the position that it can’t really get any better than what the Polestar did… really. After all, we are no longer comparing to a no-name cable, but a Polestar! The full-trade in allowance program allowed the minority to prevail, again.

So, how does it compare? The emotional ¼ brain is once again celebrating its victory over the logical ¾! The differences I hear are once again improved in all the usual audiophile terms. But more importantly, the music is clearly served better by the Axis. Most notably, the music has taken very significant step toward a relaxed, at-ease, analog-like quality. The music feels emotionally real, purer, with significantly reduced sense of digitalness (not that it was bad before!). But the amazing thing, and the reason this cable is staying here, is that all the above happens while the resolution and fine detail are increased. Yes no kidding, the holy grail of high-end audio (IMHO)… achieving live-performance detail, without harshness and long-term listener fatigue. Live acoustical music is full of fine details, has a sense of purity, and is never, ever glaring. Live acoustical music never makes you gringe. This ever-so-difficult, often mutually exclusive combo is what the Axis brings to the table. The Polestar is amazing in its own right, but it doesn’t deliver this kind of resolution and it doesn’t sound as musically “right” as the Axis does. So should you upgrade or stick with a Polestar? I’d upgrade to the Axis again in a heartbeat. Lee’s upgrade program makes that easy. But if you can’t afford to do so, please know that you’re still in very goods hands with a Polestar. But that’s the trouble with us (you know who you are), we are always wondering what if…. as in what if a Nucleus? Help! Make it stop!  DB, USA

Buy an Axis today!

Comments on the Axis

The Axis upgrade (from my Polestar) promptly arrived and I’ve now spent about many hours of time, listening back and forth. The cable is connected between a Mac Mini running the new Fidelia player (from Audiophile Engineering) and a Wyrd-4-Sound DAC-2. I thought that I might provide some feedback in the context of prospective customers, who might be contemplating an upgrade, as I did, from a Polestar.

In the beginning I was using a standard, cheap usb cable. I read the reviews about the Polestar, and decided to give it a try, despite the logical ¾ of my brain saying this is a stupid waist of money… bits are bits. It took all of 5 seconds of listening to know that this was the most amazing, and most difficult to understand, audio component I had ever encountered. The increase in musical purity over a stock cord was simply breathtaking. With that victory secured, the emotional ¼ of my brain, that was responsible for that win, started to suggest that an Axis upgrade would be a good idea. The logical ¾ of my brain objected again. It held the position that it can’t really get any better than what the Polestar did… really. After all, we are no longer comparing to a no-name cable, but a Polestar! The full-trade in allowance program allowed the minority to prevail, again.

So, how does it compare? The emotional ¼ brain is once again celebrating its victory over the logical ¾! The differences I hear are once again improved in all the usual audiophile terms. But more importantly, the music is clearly served better by the Axis. Most notably, the music has taken very significant step toward a relaxed, at-ease, analog-like quality. The music feels emotionally real, purer, with significantly reduced sense of digitalness (not that it was bad before!). But the amazing thing, and the reason this cable is staying here, is that all the above happens while the resolution and fine detail are increased. Yes no kidding, the holy grail of high-end audio (IMHO)… achieving live-performance detail, without harshness and long-term listener fatigue. Live acoustical music is full of fine details, has a sense of purity, and is never, ever glaring. Live acoustical music never makes you gringe. This ever-so-difficult, often mutually exclusive combo is what the Axis brings to the table. The Polestar is amazing in its own right, but it doesn’t deliver this kind of resolution and it doesn’t sound as musically “right” as the Axis does. So should you upgrade or stick with a Polestar? I’d upgrade to the Axis again in a heartbeat. Lee’s upgrade program makes that easy. But if you can’t afford to do so, please know that you’re still in very goods hands with a Polestar. But that’s the trouble with us (you know who you are), we are always wondering what if…. as in what if a Nucleus? Help! Make it stop! D.B, USA

Comments on the Cynosure

I have moved progressively up the Locus line, finally culminating in my purchase of a 3 ft. Cynosure cable.  As much as I liked the Nucleus, and I liked it a great deal, I still thought I should sample Lee's statement cable and go all the way to the top.

This is as close to "right there in your room" reproduction as the USB standard will allow, and I'm absolutely getting the last ounce of performance my gear will permit.  When you get to a point where only a $10,000 plus DAC can possibly provide additional gains, you've climbed to the ever elusive peak of the cable mountain.  I've gone from achieving nine-tenths of the possibilities (Nucleus) to ten-tenths (Cynosure).

I grant that this cable requires a sizable financial commitment.  But if you care about your computer setup yielding the best possible results, I can confidently state that the Locus Design Cynosure cable has gotten MY system as close to the ideal as I can possibly expect.

And, a few days later, after I wrote him to thank him for the kind words:

You're extremely deserving of at least this much praise, not only for the final product but for the extensive R&D that I know goes into something like this. As an audiophile, I'm lucky to even have someone like you around...otherwise, I could VERY easily give excess markup to some mass producing company where I py for packaging and "pride of ownership" and all that crap. When I see people on AudiogoN or wherever acting like it costs too much and they haven't even heard it, those of us fortunate enough to be familiar with your work damned well ought to stand up and say so...otherwise, the Lee Weilands of the world, FEW that there are, might just abandon ship and leave us at the mercy of xxxxxxx xxxxx.

So in all seriousness...thank YOU for everything you do!

BDD, Washington, DC

Comments about the Polestar USB Cable

At least with my Mac Mini and my ***** DAC, the Polestar is an absolute requirement. If I were *****, I'd figure out a way to include a Polestar in every box. Otherwise, people have no idea of how good that DAC really is. Without the Polestar, the music looses its purity, its richness, its magic, and things fall back to "oh, this is a just a very good stereo system." The boundary/transition between "it's a high-end stereo" and this is a "live musical event" is indeed a fragile one, that is very difficult to cross. "Bit's are bits," just isn't true. My brother's jaw hit the floor and he almost passed out when I took the Polestar out of the system. The Polestar is the most amazing (and hardest to understand) high-end discovery I've ever experienced and I've been toying with this stuff for 3 decades. D. B., USA

The Polestar adds more body, PRAT, air, and broadens my soundstage in every direction. Michael, USA

The Nucleus Cables are indeed fantastic...the sound is very rich and musical, spacious, airy, holographic, lack of hardness and edginess, sound more organic...
J. L., USA