“The SA-11S1’s terrific CD sound tempted me to compare it to my CD references–a Theta Generation VIII DAC driven by a Mark Levinson No.31.5 transport via the excellent Audience Au24 AES/EBU interconnect.”
Robert Harley – Feb/Mar ’05
Richard Smith (left) and John McDonald receive outstanding product awards;
Positive Feedback Writer’s Choice Awards for 2004 for Au24 Cables and Auric Illuminator. Read about the Positive Feedback Writer’s Choice Awards and other awards received by these outstanding products: Au24 Cable Reviews & Awards and Auric Illuminator Reviews & Awards.
“I have used many brands of cable over the past three decades, including, but not limited to; Monster (the entire gamut of their products), Fulton, Polk, Cardas, JPS, D.H. Labs, Kimber, MIT, Audio Quest, Straight Wire, Herron Audio, Transparent, Gortz Alpha-Core, Silver Audio, Silver Circle Audio, Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technology, and now, the Audience Au24’s. While I am able to note the differences every cable makes when inserted into my system, the Au24 marks the most fundamentally musical shift in performance I have yet to experience. In addition, that transformation has been universal in my experiments across equipment with price tags ranging from $200 to $8000. Don’t let these skinny little blue cables escape your attention. These are world-class cables that, given the price tags of some of their portentous peers, represent an excellent value as well.”
Greg Weaver – Writers’ Choice Awards – Dec ’04 Print Version
“Inserting the Audience Au24 S/PDIF digital cable between my transport and upsampler, it is as if I have found the musical mother lode. The nuances and balance the Au24 communicates are so immediately apparent and welcomed that I am just in awe of this cable right now. I have never noted a greater step toward musicality with any other digital cable at any price.”
Greg Weaver – Aug ’04 Print Version
“When a product only stirs my attention to the musical message, that’s a rare and purchase-worthy accomplishment.”
Stephæn Harrell – Jun ’04 Read Full Review
“The Audience Au24 and powerChord cables share a family resemblance-they balance tonality extremely well, have superb detail (again, in balance; neither too much nor too little of it), and they’re smooth. Not colored-smooth, but just-right-smooth.”
Wes Phillips – Apr ’04 Read Full Review
“Audiophiles on a budget can be assured that these cables won’t leave them shortchanged. Like the Chinese astrological Ox, these cables speak little but they do so eloquently while inspiring confidence. To hear music with this much clarity and refinement is more than worth the asking price. I urge fellow audiophiles on their journey to greater musical heights to arrange for a demo of the Audience Conductor interconnects and powerChord power cables.”
Mike Healy – Feb ’04 Read Full Review
“The Au24 ic sits midway between the other two with a dead neutral tonal balance… the Au24s filled in slightly better the notes’ bloom and resonance following the initial transients.”
Brian Damkroger – Feb ’04
“I spent a lot of time going back and forth between the Au24 and my reference Valhalla, and ended up preferring the Au24.”
Brian Damkroger – Aug ’02 Print Version
“Overall the character of the cables is unchanged. Catchwords remain; musical, melodious, liquid, quiet without being dull or lifeless, airy and detailed without dissecting to the bone. Conclusion: If there is one part of the audio industry where superlatives like thicker, bigger, more expensive and heavier are at a premium, it’s in the cable world. John McDonald and his team break through this trend with the Audience powerChords and the Au24 interconnects & speaker cables and do this in an impressive way that is very attractive for the true music lover. Visually ‘minimalistic’and elegant. But what is much more important; in an auditive sense, beautifully balanced, liquid and above all musical.”
Jan de Jeu – Feb ’03 Read Full Review (Dutch)