What's the best IC you have heard?

[treitz3]

I know, I know, IC's change with your system as it evolves and I understand that while one particular IC may work wonders for one setup that it may not work so well in another. That said, is there one particular IC that you have ran across that you have kept in your rig for more than a couple of changes throughout your audio journey?

Has anybody brought over an IC that you wished you had because of its performance?

Once again, if you would like to say what equipment the IC was working on or where it shined the best in your rig or what you heard it on? I'm not holding you back... ;)

[hearingimpared]

Well, I have MIT Shotgun S3 ICs on all my components and they are not going anywhere for a long, long time. However if I could have afford it I would replace them with S1s as I've heard Jesse's and the bass response is nothing short of spectacular.

VPI HW19 Mk IV tricked out

Spectral DMC 10G used as a phono pre

Raysonic CD 168 CDP with NOS tubes

My lest expensive of all Denon 2900 for SACD playback.

All feeding a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300 hybrid integrated amp.

[Face]

MIT AVt MA.

[jaxwired]

Chord Company Crimson. $60 if you buy it from the UK ebay (new). Outstanding. Sounds like it cost 10X the price. It's their entry cable.

In general, some of the best deals in hifi can be had in the UK because, unlike the USA, they still have a broad hifi market with plenty of midrange products. The USA market is mostly polarized into very expensive and best buy cheapo stuff.

[MillerLiteScott]

For me MIT S3.

[fbm211]

For me it was the Accoustic Zen silver reference II a friend let me borrow to compare against my DH Labs revalations which are pretty darn good themselves.
I plan on selling the revelations and getting the silver reference IIs in a few months.

[Knucklehead]

Rat Shacks finest.....Thats all I can afford. NXG Black Pearl

[organ]

I'm using some IC's I got from my dealer. I think they're made locally by a small company. I haven't felt the need to change them for a year and half now. Sounds great on all my gear. And the price is excellent. $60 a set.
They replaced two sets of Audioquest cables. One was a Diamondback and the other was the Cheetah or something like that. The AQ cables were great on my Polks but way too bright with horns and my other speakers.

[lightman1]

Chicken wire. Rolled tightly to fit into the inputs and covered with asphalt.

[janmike]

MIT Shotgun S1 XLR's throughout my 2CH. The best I've heard.

[rubin]

Tributaries

[headrott]

Chicken wire. Rolled tightly to fit into the inputs and covered with asphalt.

I thought I was the only one doing that...........;)

Greg

I have not heard very many "high end name brand cables" as I have used mainly independant companies' cables. the best I've heard are the "Aural Thrills Air XLR" silver cables. They are very good and have a great soundstage. I am upgrading my cables for the other pair of XLR cables I have to "Aural Hamonies' Cryo Gold Sonnet II's XLR" and look forward to hearing them. They are a combination of copper, silver and gold alloy.

Greg

[raidersrule76]

I know this is about the best ones that you have heard but I would like to express my opinion on some that I have not had great luck with. Now with saying that I am not brand bashing just my experience.

I had bought some used (I know used) MIT AVT 2 IC's loved them from the get go. Switched out some parts of my system and for some reason 3 of the five will not work anymore? Not sure what happened but I will have a hard time trying MIT again at least for a while. I would really like to try out some of the audio quest IC tho I hear some good things on them. Well like I said just my .02


Mark

[Knucklehead]

Chicken wire. Rolled tightly to fit into the inputs and covered with asphalt.

Thats some imagination!:D

[hearingimpared]

I know this is about the best ones that you have heard but I would like to express my opinion on some that I have not had great luck with. Now with saying that I am not brand bashing just my experience.

I had bought some used (I know used) MIT AVT 2 IC's loved them from the get go. Switched out some parts of my system and for some reason 3 of the five will not work anymore? Not sure what happened but I will have a hard time trying MIT again at least for a while. I would really like to try out some of the audio quest IC tho I hear some good things on them. Well like I said just my .02


Mark

Try calling Joe Abrams here;

http://www.equusaudio.com/

I'm willing to bet he'll hook you up with sending them either to him or to MIT directly and they will fix them for the cost of shipping. I believe they have a lifetime warranty.

[inspiredsports]

For me it's MIT Shotgun 2 IC's and cables on both rigs. One feature I especially like is the adjustable impedance settings on the IC control boxes.

[TNRabbit]

I've never tried MIT cables of any kind, but I recently switched from sh!tty, cheap-@$$ ICs to these CarverAudio Oxygen-Free ICs, made by James Sauter (Toy Maker @ carveraudio.com); I'm really diggin' 'em--

Build quality is outstanding & they sound great~

Before:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg286/TNRabbit/DSC02539.jpg

After:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg286/TNRabbit/DSC02555.jpg

[steveinaz]

My Kimber Hero's have been in-system for about 5 years. I like the locking WBT connectors and build quality. I have no desire to change them out.

[hearingimpared]

My Kimber Hero's have been in-system for about 5 years. I like the locking WBT connectors and build quality. I have no desire to change them out.

WBT connectors are the bomb. I still have some from the '80 that have stamped on them, "Made in West Germany." They definitely have stood the test of time.

[madmax]

MIT Shotgun S1
madmax

[TG Meat]

For me the AVT MA for MIT...

[marvda1]

kci silkworms
6sonsaudio manitou windigo
grover sx

[leroyjr1]

Currently using MIT Shotgun S3's. Best so far, but can't see myself spending anymore money than that.

[mantis]

My Kimber Hero's have been in-system for about 5 years. I like the locking WBT connectors and build quality. I have no desire to change them out.

There are many high end cables out there that can outperform these cables but not by much. When I owned a full system of them I had to go to a 350.00 now 400.00 IC to just squeak by them in performance. I used the Audioquest Jaguars. Honestly it still was a pick em type shootout. I remember going back and forth just smiling on how the Kimbers stood there ground.

I'm gonna say the Kimber Hero's are the very best IC on the market for the money. Nothing outperforms them anywhere near their price. When you include the WBT RCA ends you have a IC thats near perfect.

I'll take it further with their speaker wire. Same kinda deal. You really have to dig deep into your pockets to get better. Really I see any system out there stopping at the TC series speaker wire mated with the Hero IC. It's the match.

[stone of tone]

Kimber Select 1030 IC with 3033 speaker cable. Breathtaking.... .

[concealer404]

My Scarlet Vipers.

[Conradicles]

Currently I am running these in my 2 channel rig from CD player to Pre and they sound wonderful. I bought some MIT Terminator 2 that should arrive in a couple of days and I'll compare the two as they are in the same price bracket used (my price bracket:)).

[lanchile]

I know, I know, IC's change with your system as it evolves and I understand that while one particular IC may work wonders for one setup that it may not work so well in another. That said, is there one particular IC that you have ran across that you have kept in your rig for more than a couple of changes throughout your audio journey?

Has anybody brought over an IC that you wished you had because of its performance?

Once again, if you would like to say what equipment the IC was working on or where it shined the best in your rig or what you heard it on? I'm not holding you back... ;)

Well, I have build some integrated amps using LM3875/LM3886 IC from National semiconductor, excellent sound!!!.

[dpowell]

Recently put MIT Terminator 3's in my 2-channel rig. The best I've heard to date.