Kimber Carbon IC, Part 11

Posted by Luminator (A) on July 15, 2022 at 21:39:27

During Holidays 1997, the Bay Area got a bit of rain. But forecasters kept telling us to wait for El Nino to come. Then, at San Francisco's Ultimate Sound, owner David Tam said that Kimber Kable were coming out with a new "Select Series" lineup. While he had price sheets, Mr. Tam did not initially receive product information and literature.

When the calendar turned to 1998, El Nino did bring rains. However, these tended to be steady, without a lot of wind. Thus, we got the water, but without as much damage and flooding as expected.

In February 1998, we started to hear about a new boy band, *NSYNC. At the same time, I was at Ultimate Sound. A repeat customer I had seen before, "Brad," happened to be there, while I threw caution to the wind, and ordered a Kimber KS-1130 balanced line-level interconnect. Brad and I exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. He said that, when I received the new KS-1130, he was interested in trying my old KCAG. But that's a long story for other installments.

We no longer have the KS-1130, but we do have its successor, the KS-1136. And with the focus on the current-production Carbon IC, you guys wanted to know how it compared to the Select Series.

Let us assume that you have (a) top-notch sources, and (b) a proper burn-in machine, such as the audiodharma Cable Cooker.

The KS-1136 itself is even less grainy than the Carbon. This allows the KS-1136 to maintain a wider and deeper soundstage. Drums are placed further back in that soundstage, but that can make the music lose immediacy, bite, and in-your-gut punch. This freedom from grain allows the KS-1136 to do a smoother job, of how each note "hands off" to the next. If you like standing in the front row of venue's overhead mezzanine, you'll get a better idea of what the KS-1136 is about.

When you switch to the balanced Carbon interconnect, the music becomes more confined to the area bounded by your back wall, and loudspeakers. The music itself becomes grittier. But you know what? Subjectively, you feel that there is a more obvious contrast, between space and the music itself. It's like opening the door at an S.F. Union Square shop: no rainwater gets in, but a puff or wave of fresh air does. You can sniff and breathe, albeit in an indoor setting.

With the balanced Carbon IC, drums are more immediate, crunchy, and chest-thumping. Thus, PRAT is superior, via the Carbon. If you don't mind giving up smoothness and soundstage dimensions, you just might find that, via the Carbon, popular music is more gripping.

A 1-meter KS-1136 is a whopping $4,100. Even with the price hike, a 1-meter balanced (or single-ended) Carbon is $620. I don't think anyone would say that a KS-1136 is six times as accurate as the Carbon.

If you have one of each, you would achieve the best balance, by using the Carbon between source and preamp, and then the KS-1136 between preamp and power amp.

-Lummy The Loch Monster

Tearin' Up My Heart (Open in New Window)

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Topic - Kimber Carbon IC, Part 11 - Luminator 21:39:27 07/15/22 (1)

RE: Kimber Carbon IC, Part 11 - fantja 22:44:03 08/22/22 (0)

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