PACHANKO Aphelion SATA and Ethernet cables

[Oliver H]

I can vouch for the quality of the Pachanko Aphelion SATA cable. I first used an audiophile SATA cable when I put a Pachanko Pure Reference SATA cable into my SSD-only (not streaming) computer audio transport. It made a big difference, so much so that I could not believe that the Aphelion would be much better. But I am on a quest to get the best sound using a computer (and not spending silly money on it). I am using a Streacom FC9, with a cheapish motherboard (which might be a weak link: it is a cheapish Biostar one), Audiophile Optimizer and Windows 10 Pro, with an HDPlex LPSU and 400w DCATX and Ghent Audio DC cables (all UPOCC), going to a Matrix USB SPDIF converter via a JCAT XE USB card, powered by a JCAT Optimo Duo. The USB cable between the XE card and the Matrix USB SPDIF converter is a Tellurium Q Black Diamond, and the signal goes from the Matrix converter via a Nordost Heimdall AES/EBU cable to a Chord DAC64 (which on the second filter setting, with a 4 second delay, sounded better than a borrowed DAVE earlier this year). The Matrix converter is powered by a Wyred4Sound PS-1 via a Ghent Audio DC cable.

 

I got the Aphelion SATA cable yesterday. I first kept the system as it was with the Pure Reference in place and played Donald Fagen's The Nightfly (96K) via the computer and on my Nottingham Analogue Ace Spacedeck with an Origin Live Illustrious Mark 2 arm and an AT OC9/iii cartridge (via an Origin Live phono stage), comparing the sound of the two. The digital sound was good: comparable overall, in one sense, but with a more forward, digital sound, than the rounded sound of the LP, which seemed to have treble a bit recessed in comparison. I preferred the sound of the vinyl overall. 

 

Then I put the Aphelion in, and played the same track. The digital was now much more like the vinyl: the treble had become more like the vinyl, and the digital sound had more "ease" than before. 

 

I then tried a track from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, in the Qobuz 96k version, comparing it with a clean mid-2000's vinyl version of the record. The latter was still better, as the former was more trebly than (I am thinking) it should be.

 

So, I guessed that the better the digital remaster was, the more analogue-like the digital sound would be.

 

Then, I played an old favourite via the digital system only: Love Work Out by Crosby and Nash, from a CD rip via iTunes. Wow! It sounded truly analogue-like (although I did not compare it to the vinyl, of which I have a good original-issue copy). Treble not too forward; soundstage excellent, and tone wonderfully natural.

 

Anyway, I can confirm that the Pachanko Aphelion SATA cable is well worth the money as far as I am concerned.