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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: DaryanLenz on December 16, 2003, 04:18:40 PM

Title: zaolla v audio magic
Post by: DaryanLenz on December 16, 2003, 04:18:40 PM
Any prefrenmce bewteen these two guys???  I am leaning towards the zaolla cables just because, but was wondering if anyone had an actual experienece between the two.  I have wanted nice cables for awhile, and this seems to be where I am headed with my Christmas gift from Justine!

Thanks in advance

D
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: dmonterisi on December 16, 2003, 04:23:30 PM
i have the purple audio magic's and sideshow bob's zaolla's.  i have run his zaolla's ever since i got the u89's so i have no sonic comparison to speak of.  However, the zaolla's are beefier cables with better connections.  they appear to be a much sturdier cable.  they also are a pain in the ass to compress to a decent size to fit in a bag, so i generally don't carry them inside the bag.  that's definitely a pain in the ass.
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: John R on December 16, 2003, 04:38:33 PM
this should be interesting...

jr
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Tim on December 16, 2003, 05:43:34 PM
I have run both. Never done any sonic comparisons but while the Z's are sturdier I find them to be a but cumbersome to deal with in the field. They're very heavy and they're hard to coil and store (as Damon said)
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: wboswell on December 16, 2003, 06:42:42 PM
I use them as interconnects and have been really happy.  They are extremely sturdy as mentioned above and this is what sold me on the cables.  On the down side, I opened them up to give a look at whats going on inside and I noticed that the cables weren't heat shrinked or packaged all that well.  While this may have some sonic disfunction, the sturdyness of the cables far out ways this aspect, IMO.  While the arguement of sonic benefit of silver cables for PA recording is well documented, the fuction of the sturdy cable made the sale for me.  I like knowing that everything in bag is going to hold up as I walk from my car to the show, with the only thing needing to be connected are the battery cables.
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Jason B on December 16, 2003, 07:10:11 PM
Haha, I run Zaolla 15' and AM X-Stream 3'.

-JB
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: DaryanLenz on December 16, 2003, 07:27:34 PM
One quickie as this thread goes on...Phil told me the x-stream's are pure silver like the zoalla...is this true?

D
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Jason B on December 16, 2003, 08:08:39 PM
One quickie as this thread goes on...Phil told me the x-stream's are pure silver like the zoalla...is this true?

D

X-Streams are braided silver while the Zaolla's have a solid silver core.
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: F.O.Bean on December 16, 2003, 09:31:13 PM
also, i LOVE my xstreamz, but they are the only cable NOT handmade by AM.....FWIW 8)
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Lee on December 16, 2003, 10:55:54 PM
I love my cheap-ass homebrew canares

I can't justify spending that kind of $$$ on cables that will get trashed in the field.  YMMV
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: John R on December 16, 2003, 10:58:17 PM
I love my cheap-ass homebrew canares

I can't justify spending that kind of $$$ on cables that will get trashed in the field.  YMMV

mmv's  

lee why would your stuff get that abused?

mine have been through a bunch of funk, and still work great.

jr
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Lee on December 16, 2003, 11:02:39 PM
not all of us can work from a roped-off section with crew passes, John ;)

Nah, my mic cables always have a tendency to get stepped on, coated in beer, etc.  If someone screws up one of my starquads, I can desolder the connectors and replace the cable for 34 cents a foot.  God forbid one of those fancy cables get squashed- that wouldn't be cheap at all!
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: John R on December 16, 2003, 11:37:06 PM
not all of us can work from a roped-off section with crew passes, John ;)

Nah, my mic cables always have a tendency to get stepped on, coated in beer, etc.  If someone screws up one of my starquads, I can desolder the connectors and replace the cable for 34 cents a foot.  God forbid one of those fancy cables get squashed- that wouldn't be cheap at all!

you calling me a pampered taper, lee? ::)  there's a lot of stress in the archiving booth, my cables need to go in for therapy.

jr
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Lee on December 17, 2003, 12:48:10 AM
just messin' with you.

Flecktones in Birmingham on 5/1/04 - got my tickets today!
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: F.O.Bean on December 17, 2003, 05:13:24 AM
ive had my AM cables since 99 and theyve held up like tanks.... ;)
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Lee on December 17, 2003, 05:22:05 AM
ive had my AM cables since 99 and theyve held up like tanks.... ;)

I'm not suggesting they won't hold up, in fact, they'd probably take more abuse than my homebrew solutions.  I guess the gains from having great cables in the field don't outweigh the risks for me personally

as always, YMMV
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Mic D on December 17, 2003, 09:36:11 AM
Never used the Zoallas but I have noticed a slight sonic difference between the AM xstreams and the AM presto II's. Like everyone else said, the Zoallas are way beefier and the connectors a different. I've never compared them (sonically) to my presto II's, though.

Kevin
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: DaryanLenz on December 17, 2003, 10:08:23 AM
Cool thread!  I ended up getting the zaolla's from cascade and Frank for 99 bucks a piece, well Justine bought them for me for Christmas so she actualy paid for them ;)  I always wanted a nice pair of cables but never would spoend the money myself, so this is really cool and exciting.  I guess I need to get a paid of really nice interconnects next...anyone have a pair they are looking to get rid of?

D
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: ice8888 on December 17, 2003, 04:08:58 PM
just messin' with you.

Flecktones in Birmingham on 5/1/04 - got my tickets today!

where did you find this tour date?  nothing on the flecktones page about dates other than bela/edgar and victor's solo tours.  ticketmaster has stuff around then for bela/edgar, but no flecktones dates.  just wondering!

ice
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: mhibbs on December 23, 2003, 03:38:33 PM
My zaolla's are getting more and more flexible....they're still big and bulky, but easier to manage.  Also, I've noticed the newer ones are  a bit more flexible out of the box than some of the older runs.  Not sure why.  I wouldn't worry about destroying them in the field...they're pretty damn solid and were never meant to be museum pieces.


mitch
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: creekfreak on December 24, 2003, 08:41:12 PM
I ran the purple audio magic cables for while, good cables, solid build, etc, but I love my kc5's sooo much more.
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: caymanreview on December 24, 2003, 08:45:15 PM
do they sell zoallas with right angles made on them? if not, you could purchase thier right angles and solder them yourself right?
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: Lee on December 25, 2003, 12:54:29 AM
just messin' with you.

Flecktones in Birmingham on 5/1/04 - got my tickets today!

where did you find this tour date?  nothing on the flecktones page about dates other than bela/edgar and victor's solo tours.  ticketmaster has stuff around then for bela/edgar, but no flecktones dates.  just wondering!

ice

http://www.alysstephens.org/2003/show.asp?durki=56898

They've been advertising this date since they sent out their 2003-2004 season brochures back in August...
Title: Re:zaolla v audio magic
Post by: kevin p on December 27, 2003, 01:09:48 AM
do they sell zoallas with right angles made on them? if not, you could purchase thier right angles and solder them yourself right?

Zaolla only offers their 1/4" connectors in a right angle variety.