16 April, 2017

Belden 9497, Part IV, 9497 vs 497 MkII

L: Japanese 497mkII; R: US 9497 (click pic to enlarge). pic courtesy of icefox.

Definitive Review: Belden 9497, Part IV
Talk Cable: USA Belden 9497 vs Japanese 497 MkII

See Part IPart II and Part III.

It is amazing how the humble US Belden 9497 has remained in my various systems for as long as I remember. I first wrote Part I in 2009, then Part II in 2012, and Part III in 2014. And now in 2017 it is time for the last one (ha!), as my dear friend Seng finally brought me some 497 MkII from Japan and I have used them for long enough to make some comments.

There are very few blogs/magazines that anally re-visit again and again what they deem worthwhile. For that I am proud. But the Belden deserves it, as many of us have never been able to find something better. Different, maybe; better, no.

Tested in my Kondo system.

Sonic Impressions

  • Air The US 9497 is airier in the high treble, more open.
  • Upper Midrange The Japanese 497 MkII has just a touch of hardness here, making the US 9497 a smoother listening.
  • Bass Similar.
Conclusion

  • The 9497 is the better cable, and cheaper!

54 comments:

  1. Hi DoctorJohn,

    I bought this cable from Japan and using with my Harbeth C7 and Clones Audio 25i amplifier. And, result is excellent! So really thank you, I got it thanks to your excellent comments.

    Did you compare belden 9497 with Western Electric 16GA or Duelund DCA16GA cables? Basically, these cables tinned copper cables, but I wonder which one is better than others..

    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I don't know about the Duelund, but I definitely prefer the neutral Belden (for it is really that, no color, just music) to the vintage cables like WE.

      I have used the 9497 for YEARS, and I have never found anything that can completely trump it. Also, it works with basically everything, as versatile as they come.

      Delete
    2. Thanks John! I think difference between these cables may be coming from outer material. Belden is made from plastic and WE and Duelund is made from cotton. Some say that cotton material sounds more natural than plastic.

      Anyway, belden is really great!

      Delete
  2. I have been around hi fi for a long time. we can say I have been there and back. Current system is Oppo 105 with mod, Anticable RCA to the VanAlstine 300w hybrid power amp and speakers are from the fantastic Canadian company Tri Art Audio and I got the Prebbles Mini Tower. And I have been looking for speaker wire. Been using my old Chord signature, good but I knew I could get better. And a friend send me a link to Belden and off Ebay I bought a pair for 50$ with band plugs. And man o man. This is simply the best speaker wire I have come a cross. Open - details - everything one can ask for in a speaker wire and the price is a steal. LOVE it.

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    Replies
    1. I am glad! Is yours US 9497 or Japanese 497 MkII? I presume the link you mentioned pointed you to this blog?

      In any case, enjoy!

      Delete
  3. In 2016 I found some khorns, gutted everything accept the K33s, connected aftermarket xovers with 9497 (not even keeping the lengths symmetric). The sound blew me away and I attributed it to everything accept the $1/ft black+orange left-wound Belden. It's actually unbelievable how much I took this stuff for granted. For a couple years I'm loving it, rolling amps and source, then a few months ago I decided it was time to replace the generic stranded 14awg speaker wire I've been doubling up. Figured I start with 22ft runs of the Belden, as it's cheap enough to throw away. On frist listed it was several dB quieter, transistor'y, small stage, no magic. I immediately bonded a 2nd Belden run and things got "better", but no match for the stranded hardware store spool wire I've been using. Mind you, I'm a believer in wire breakin but the performance gap seemed too much to close. I then tried something really stupid -- 6awg industrial cable for speaker wire. That brought tone and warmth in spades, but it seriously attenuated upper-mid to high freq information -- atmospheric cues not even audible. I bonded the Belden to the 6awg and this seemed to solve everything. That was my sound for the last 2 months.

    Exhausted by the speaker wire efforts, I moved on to the hookup wire. If belden could be that disappointing for speaker wire then perhaps it had no place as hookup. I spent hundreds of dollars on 12 and 16awg Duelund and rewired one speaker's xover (3 stage, in series). Again the atmospheric cues vanished, but only from the Duelund speaker. So I remove the 6awg from both speakers and wow -- huge upgrade all around. But the left speaker is now an entirely Belden chain, something I hated 2mo ago -- I guess I'm hearing the benefits of breakin? My other concern is I'm preferring that left speaker to the other one using Duelund hookup in the xover. So since yesterday I've been experimenting on the right speaker hookup -- Duelund 12 vs Duelund 16 vs Duelund 16*2(ie: 13awg) vs Belden, and so far the results reduce to: "mo belden, mo betta". More information and less color.

    I think the magic is Belden's choice of gauge+winding. It's hearing all the merits of silver minus the fatiguing signal overshoot. I should try winding the 16awg Duelund with a drill to see what that sounds like. I wonder how this would compare to litz wound cables from Solen and Supra. Need to recoup my sanity - will stop then reassess in a week.

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  4. Hi Victor, what a candid assessment of your efforts! Indeed we ALL have presumptions that take us on the wrong road, but hopefully not for too long! It is sometimes hard to be honest with oneself, as there is the ego involved. Marvelous report, salut!

    The aftermarket crossovers are a lot brighter than the original ones, which may not suit more brighter wires.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Just to give an update -- tightly winding 16awg Duelund made no difference. I guess that's not the secret sauce.

      I'm all Belden now. Using a 3piece-per-side-in-series aftermarket xover that requires 3 belden segments to reach the 15", 6 to reach the compression tweeter, and 7 to reach the compression mid. The first segment is 20ft from amp to speaker. I'll give these wires at least a month to break in and maybe I'll try doubling up that 1st segment to be 13awg.

      To help dial in the right "brightness" I EQ in Dirac before the signal reaches the DAC. Also the xovers have autoformers for dialing back over-efficient compression drivers.

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    2. Marvelous and thx for the follow-up!

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    3. On Friday I got a 2nd run of the Belden (correction: 26ft amp=>spkr). I wound the pair in a loose twist, stuffed the blacks into a 12awg Furez connector, did the same for the reds, filled it up with WBT solder, and the lows filled out w/o hurting the magic from the mids-on-up. If I were bi/tri-amping then these cables would be great on there own.

      Delete
  5. Jeremy TanMarch 17, 2018

    Hi doctorJohn and Victor. This thread is an answer to my prayers!

    I’m a proud owner of Klipschorns now. Non alnico version. DoctorJohn you had advised me before thank you for that.

    Victor I’m not so technically inclined. But you’re suggesting it’s a good idea to rewire all my crossover wiring to the drivers with Belden 9497? The previous owner used different speaker wiring for each of the tweeter, midhorn and woofer. My Klipschorns also come with a bob Crites crossover; b&k soundtype AA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Read my many Klipsch posts. I DON'T like those aftermarket X'overs.

      Nothing wrong with the original crossovers and wires!

      Delete
  6. I think it's good that you have the Crites. Caps and resisters don't hold spec forever so you got yourself an extension. Plus Crites closely resembles the klipsch design (hopefully with higher quality parts) so it should maintain much of the vintage appeal.

    Go nuts with the belden inside the speaker -- the only wire I didn't replace was that one monster cable run to the 15". It's tight in there and I'm not good enough with solder to do as good a job as I see klipsch did. I read the 15" woofer should not be changed because PWK worked extensively with an engineer to figure out how to dampen the suspension to make it flat to 400Hz (otherwise rolloff starts at 300). They figured out a dope that is applied to a portion of the woofer, and just it's application adds considerable time to your speaker's build (probably multiple coats).

    My 1991 khorns were fully stock and they sounded so bad that I refused to judge them critically. I spent more in aftermarket parts than the speaker cost, and the project took about a year (B&C took 6mo to build+ship mids from Italy). MDF elliptical horns from Fastlane (2" throated mid, 1" tweet), B&C mid&tweet, ALK extreme slope xover. The 3 part ALK is so large I couldn't figure out how to fit it all in the hat, so I anchored the first module to the inside hatch of the doghouse. I tried reusing the existing hatch but klipsch glued an xover board in there -- the glue is stronger than the plywood so it was a disaster after I took a chisel to it. After ruining one hatch I cut my own using 1/2" ply. I used Dayton plates and posts on the outside. Because the new mid horn starts from a 2" throat, it's shorter than the stock 1" horn, and the new tweeter horn also starts further back. As a result the mid/tweet voice coil offset was cut in half, and you heard a coherency improvement with impulse responses that span those drivers (finger snaps). I wanted more of that so I pulled the tweet off the grill, framed it with quarter round, that sat it on top. Because the front wall is only 14' wide, my fixed 45degree mids cross in front of me -- having the tweets outside at least gave me the option to point the tweeters out toward the listening position (or a little behind). It took a long time getting the height/depth/angle on the tweets right (I ordered small mirrors to help with that).

    The DIY audiophiles I do know are proud with what they accomplish for around $500, so $1-$2k would be really stretching it. I easily spent 6k excluding tools/materials and trial/error (like $300 in Duelund). Also, I EQ in the digital domain with Dirac software which is the only way all I can possibly flatten the response of this parade of parts. Basically I don't know anyone who'd be remotely interested in taking the path I did, but this is what is sounded like last year (solid state integrated with hardware store speaker wire)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_qPJiv_qgY

    For anyone looking for instance gratification I would recommend pureaudioproject -- they score well on high efficiency and generate unlimited fast bass with the dual 15s.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJune 13, 2020

    For my solid state amps, Heavy metal music or sub sonic deep bass dance music, there are better options than the Belden 9497... Only sounds good with certain easy going music like classic rock, Jazz and simpler classical...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And there's a reason for that. Belden is smaller in gauge and not equipped to pass higher currents. Some people use double runs, but even I don't use 9497 in some situations. When using high powered solid state amps (like my Mac 2200 or Bryston 4) to drive less efficient loudspeakers (like Maggies, LS5/12 etc) I use Gotham 50025/50040 or Belden 1810A when I bi-wire.

      Delete
    2. yeah I doubled them up to fatten up the low end. What do you think of the sound?
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHltuXMUiVA

      BTW In another system I have this even cheaper tinned wire that I like. For those that believe a thick jacket adds capacitance, these use ULTRA thin insulators
      http://www.klipschupgrades.com/wiring.shtml
      http://www.knukonceptz.com/home-theater/speaker-wire/karma-ss-speaker-kable/sp/karma-ss-12-gauge-speaker-wire/

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    3. Oh, so that's you, Victor, the one who has contributed so much to this thread! Welcome back! I am sorry I didn't watch your youtube before, but I just did this link and it definitely sounds good. The follow up drumming was great too. Your space is wonderful. Is that tile barrier corner purpose built? I think you are a Klipsch fanatic, which I love! I'd definitely like to try out that twisted knukonceptz, but they are out now.

      BTW, can you send me an email, as I'd like to solicit some articles from you to publish in this blog? doctorjohn@myself.com

      Delete
  8. Hello! Just bought 9497 to rewire my Cain & Cain Abby speakers. I changed the drivers for Nirvan Audio 6.5 Supers. Decided to make a pair of external speaker cables too. Wondering what is a reasonable break in period.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The 9497 doesn't need too much break in and should sound pretty good at the start. You didn't tell us your impressions!

      Delete
    2. The 9497 did indeed sound very good from the beginning. To give you some context, I will describe my system. The speakers are Cain & Cain Abbys with Nirvana Audio 6.5 inch fullrange drivers (wired with 9497 cable internally. The Nirvana driver was a big improvement over the Fostex), the amplifier is a Red Wine Audio Signature 2 (uses batteries as power source) with 30 watts per channel. The DAC is a SOTM SDP1000 (also running on batteries). Interconnect is Kondo KSL-LP, USB cable is Straight Wire Link using an Apple Air running Audirvana as source, and the speaker cables are either: Kondo SPZ, Nanotech Golden Strada 79 and now the Belden 9497. The 9497 cables are very new with less than a week of use. The speaker cables are connected direct with no spades or bananas. I was impressed from the first moment. The 9497 speaker cables, in this system, convey incredible agility, openness, and neutrality. The tonal balance has been changing so maybe they need a little more time to settle in. After some weeks of use, I will be happy to share more impressions and differences.

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    3. Great! Your system is quite interesting to me. Instead of commenting, would you like to write a guest article on our system for us to enjoy? If so, please email me! Thx!

      Delete
  9. I've been using 9497 now for about a year with great results. I've tried many of the big name mid priced cables (expensive) I er the years, but was never really impressed. I also enjoy running solid core on occassion, but I always switch back to the tinned copper after a week or two. My amplifier is a pure class A Sugden with 1988 Spica TC50i. Sounds very good!

    ReplyDelete
  10. am I the only one doubleing them up for speaker connect duty? That's how I've had them for 4 years and counting. If I ever get the urge for change something I'll try going back to single runs.

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  11. I'm going to buy another pair and double them up to hear what happens. I'm running 11 ft lengths, and the Spica are 4 ohm and 83 db.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anyone tried the Belden 9497 with Naim gear? I use Spendor A7 and a Naim XS2. I used Naim AC A5 for years which is an 11 awg stranded copper.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Yes. The only Naim amps I have used are the integrated Nait I, II and III. Since 9497 is my resident cable, yes, that's what I hooked them up with and they work well together.

      Although I did not list it, the Nait 3 in this article used 9497:

      https://cheaptubeaudio.blogspot.com/2015/08/review-micromega-ia-60-integrated-amp.html

      and in this post on Nait I, I was also using the 9497:

      https://cheaptubeaudio.blogspot.com/2018/05/naim-nait-i-47-labs-4737-atc-s50.html

      In my opinion, the Flat Earther's insistence on NACA etc borders on the absurd.

      The 9497 works well with almost everything I throw at it.

      Delete
  13. Has anyone compared the stock gray Naim DIN5 180 interconnect with the Gotham GAC-1 UltraPro rca interconnect? Anyone try it with the KLEI Copper Harmony Plug? I dont know if better rcas make a big sound quality difference or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Any current Gotham cable will slaughter the stock Naim's. The GAC-1 Ultra Pro is an EXCELLENT cable in general. Proceed with confidence. I don't really think you need fancy connectors. Just tried and true Switchcraft will do.

      Delete
  14. I should try the 9497 biwired. My 70 watt/ch Naim XS2 integrated amp draws 30VA to 340 VA max. I think that is a fair amount of current. I wonder how a double run of 9497 ie biwired would sound compared to my Witch Hat Phantom cable with Internal Area of Copper: 6mm². 13mm x 6.5mm/ 9 awg 6mm Cu.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. YES. Double runs off 9497 sound great and will deliver more current. Single run will be a little lither, but double shall sound more solid. At its price, a no brainer to try.

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    2. I was at capital audio fest 2wk ago and I saw more than one room using 9497 for their hookup wire (I don't recall anyone using it for speaker connects). 4years ago I doubled up 25ft runs and I haven't touched it since. Next year I'm putting holes in the floor so I can cut them shorter.

      This is my first class-D mono recording on the doubled up 9497
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtqxvR1b35M

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    3. Welcome back Victor! Thx for the youtube, beautiful! Wow, 9497 as hookup wire? That's a new trend to me, but why not!

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    4. Also, Victor, if you permit, I'd like to post your system as a Virtual Home Visit. If so, please email me.

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    5. Anyone directly compare Belden 9497 with the non-twisted, higher strand count, Supra Classic 1.6 tinned 15 awg ...or for longer runs the Classic 2.5 tinned 13 awg? The original tinned wire around since 1976.

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    6. No. The 9497 is 16 awg so the 15 awg Supra should make a better comparison than the larger 13 awg. Given the very even attributes of the 9497, my bet is on the Belden.

      Delete
  15. HI, pretty new to the hobby here. Have already the 9497 and i am pretty satisfied with my Klipsch and Sansui.
    I want to try to another set up option that needs about 22 feet run. So my question is does the 9497 give same performance at such lenghts? do i have to use exactly the same lenghts on the two speakers or it is a myth? one speaker needs 9 feet less wire. thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the 9497 works very well in long lengths. In HK I have 20 ft of them running my horns and they sound fine. In fact, it's the expensive, multi-insulated stiff speaker cables that will sound like crap in long lengths.

      Science says two significantly different lengths of cables will sound different because the resistance and capacitance will be significantly different. As the 9497 is cheap, just get the extra footage I say.

      Delete
    2. I posted on this thread 5yr ago and it's still growing. I don't see that often.

      Everything about my chain changes ...
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy4e6gRAFh8
      ... accept for my speakers, drivers, xovers, and the doubled up 25ft runs of 9497.

      I really want to try single runs again, but I'm holding off until I rotate my setup 90 degrees.

      Delete
    3. Happy New Year, old friend! Always glad to hear from you! You should write a 9497 article for us. If interested, email me at cheaptube@hotmail.com

      Delete
  16. I have the 9497 cable…should both orange and black go to one binding post, requiring another 9497 wire or each wire in the twist to each binding post?

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    1. Normally we use a single run, which is orange going to the + and black to the -. What you mention is a double run. You can do it the way you described, OR use 2 oranges for the + and 2 black for the -. For efficient loudspeakers, single run is recommended.

      Delete
    2. Is it a good idea to terminate the belden 9497 with a spade when using it between external crossover and speaker cabinet posts (pure copper if i can find it in small enough spade width to fit crossover strip in klipsch la scala or external crossovers in altec) ? when used as speaker wire, use standard size spade at amp, or banana, or bare wire? Also, doctor john, why would double run ever be bad, even with tube amps and something like klipsch la scala or altec 19? I always thought the quad wired 12 guage mad epopular in diy youtubes is the reference standard, so many decisions, makes my head hurt.

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    3. 1. When using 9497 between external crossover and speaker cab binding posts, should we use spades, copper if i can find them narrow enough for my crossover strip, or bare wire, or banana? Is doubling up recommended there, or only between amp and crossover? my setup will be tube amps to klipsch la scala and altec 19's. 2. Most youtube diy "experts" recommend quad wires of things like canare 4s11 or belden 5000, with lots of extras like braiding, pants legs, shrink wrap, bananas, your opinion? thank you.

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  17. Now I see why all these questions on double runs. 1) I use fairly efficient loudspeakers and a single run is enough for me. Many friends with comparable gear also think single sounds better, and your Klipsch La Scala is super efficient - there's NO need WHATSOEVER to double up; 2) With current hungry loudspeakers, more runs may be beneficial, but then why not consider others? For hard to drive loudspeakers like the ATC20, LS5/12 etc that I used to have I used Gotham and Belden cables, not 9497; 3) More runs, more braiding etc DEGRADE the sound. Forget about all those "experts". Quite a few users actually UNBRAID the 9497 and claim even better sound but I am too lazy to try. One experience of mine tells me everything I needed to know about braiding. Among the commercial cables, I rather like the Kimber 4TC, so I borrowed an 8TC, and what do you know, the double number of conductors of the 8TC sounded very much worse. So, the few conductors in the braid the better; 4) to terminate or not is all personal preference and convenience. For me, I just strip a short length of 9497 and screw the bare wire on to my La Scala. I don't see how ANY termination will improve the sound. For the other end, whatever you like.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. AnonymousMay 17, 2023

      I want to thank doctorjohn for introducing me to this amazing cable. I have a highly resolving Audio Note UK system (M3 Phono preamp --> P4 Balanced 300b mono blocks) and Sonus Faber Serafino loudspeakers. Given the listening space, my 18 watt SET amps perform quite well with the 90 dB Serafinos. The Belden 9497 is the most transparent, dynamic, and musical cable I have so far tried (compared to other very pricey cables). Every time I try other cables, I may gain something, but a lot more is lost. The 9497's allows my system to perform at a truly high end level. At this point, I am not missing anything. It took around 20 hours of play time for the cables to run in and show their stuff. Initially, there was high frequency distortion (quite irritating), but a change to the Duelund DCA 20ga interconnect from the DAC (Denafrips Terminator Plus) to the preamp solved that completely.

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    2. Many thx for the feedback!

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    3. Michael B.May 22, 2023

      Doctorjohn, I wish I had discovered you years ago. It would have saved me a ton of money while chasing after better music from my various systems. In my previous comment I thanked you for introducing me to the Belden 9497. I mentioned an Audio Note system playing Sonus Faber speakers. What I didn't mention was I have other equipment, including Audio Note E/Spe (original woofers) speakers, Vandersteen 2Cs, and a disassembled Altec Model 19. I am trying to find either Model 19 cabinets or a skilled carpenter to build the cabinets. I built a pair of cabinets that enabled me to decide whether the hype is true about the sound of this legendary vintage design. It is true! If you have a suggestion about available Model 19 cabinets or someone who can build a good set, please share with me. I have been unsuccessful finding an artisan who wants the project.

      Now, doctorjohn, you were not yet finished with me. You opened my eyes to Gotham interconnects. I had never heard of Gotham, being too busy following the advice of "high end" reviewers, experts, and audiophiles. Since my last post, I purchased a set of Gotham GAC-1 Ultra Pro RCA (DAC to Preamp) and GAC-4/1 XLR interconnects (Preamp to mono blocks). Man O man! The sound field is now massive, having expanded in all directions, with transparency, macro and micro dynamics, and details in familiar recordings I never heard before.

      Thank you doctorjohn! You have rescued me from the hell I have struggled in for many years at great costs. Amazing!

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    4. Oh, man, much appreciated! No idea about the Altec 19, which I have heard only once. IMHO, wait for the original one on Ebay. Should you have other longer questions, you can email me at cheaptube@hotmail.com

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    5. AnonymousMay 22, 2023

      Hi Doctor John

      I recently came across your blog. I must say it has given me a wealth of information. Really interesting reading your expert opinions which I find very useful for audiophile enthusiasts, like me, as well as hearing perspectives from others.

      I own a Klipsch RP 6000f with at least 96db sensitivity. Am using an McIntosh 7100 as a power amp and McIntosh C15 as a preamp. I bought Gotham GAC- 1 Ultra Pro interconnects. It was clear, great imaging, very detailed with great soundstage and bass definition. However, it was more forward than my previous cables, quite loud at upper registers compared to my OFC Infiniti Signature interconnects which the Gotham replaced. I did not do much of break in say only 20 hours with the Gotham.

      I then got 8402 Belden interconnects and immediately I felt it being more smoother, slightly warm, without losing clarity, soundstage presence and details. The imaging was less forward compared to Gotham. Bass wise it had lesser definition but still packed a punch. Am still burning the Belden in hoping for more improvements. Maybe, I should have burnt the Gotham more for it to be smoother. Now I use my Gotham interconnects for movies with my Onkyo RZ830.

      Now am considering speaker cables. I currently am using cable talk 3 - my old cables. I am looking at Mogami 3103 or Belden 9497. What do you think would be a better match. I use node 2i for streaming and Marantz 7007 for CD playback.

      Appreciate your expertise and views.

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    6. The cheap Klipsch AV loudspeakers are very good value for money, but they do tend to be a little on the bright side! I suggest you stick long thin strips of blu-tac on the four side of the horn throat . The difference may surprise you. I did that once on my La Scala.

      McIntosh electronics should be pretty good but of course tube they are not. The GAC-1 Ultra Pro, or any Ultra Pro for that matter, would be on the neutral side. For you, GAC-2 would be possibly better choice with solid state. Nevertheless, run them in before evaluating again. Yes, the 8402 is warmer for sure but they are too slow for my tubes and dampen the rhythm too much, but your solid state may benefit.

      Sorry I have no experience of Mogami 3103. I do know their coaxial 3802, which is on the lean side imho. Belden 9497 I know so well that I recommend it with confidence to almost anyone. I know the original Talk 3 (dark blue) - it is overly warm and lacking in detail but yours likely are a later version which I don't know. Assuming they are similar, the 9497 shall bring you a lot more detail but you may be at risk of a little more treble grain in the all solid state system. The 9497 is a benchmark for me and should serve the efficient Klipsch well. If there's a problem, it's elsewhere.

      Report back when you are settled!

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    7. AnonymousMay 23, 2023

      Tks Dr John for your wise insights. My cable talk 3 is the green version.

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    8. I have both the Belden 9497 and the Mogami 3103. The Mogami 3103 gives a better, fatter, deeper bass response. However, other than that, the Mogami is very poor on the aspects of harmonics, details, subtility, grace on the midrange and treble, compared to the 9497. After 10 years listening with the 9497 I still have not found an alternative providing both the beauty of sound of the Belden and the bass extension of the 3103, thus I have not tried the Duelund 12AG yet. My system is made of a SE45 triode amp with Auditorium23 speakers.

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    9. Many thx for chiming in! Indeed, it's impossible to surpass the overall performance of the 9497, especially when it comes to efficient loudspeakers.

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