I have sent my pair of Fisher 50C for matching by Marcos from Artist Hifi. Normally, the checking fees and servicing fees will costs around $1000-3500 in Hong Kong depending on Sifu and the extent of work. Luckily, the Fishers are in relatively good condition and there was only a need to change 3 resistors in order to matched the pair. Moreover, the charges were very reasonable at HK$500 only (includive of vintage NOS bumble bees capacitors etc).
While waiting in his workshop for my Fisher 50C, I was listening to the hifi that was being played and the sound was lively, warm, detail and yet would not sound too bright. Upon my further enquiry, I came to realise that it was due to the hand made speakers. The material used was the same as my interconnect bought earlier. There was a very good review in the recent issue of the local hifi magazines.
As I have bought two pair of interconnect before, I have decided to buy a 10 ft speakers cables for my Westen Electric 755a speakers. As mentioned eariler, the speakers cables used the vintage copper wires that was used in the music studio in Germany in the past (which was the key secret of good sound.) 德國錄音室所用的純銅線芯為線材. Marcos has shown me the original wires from Germany which was very thick in diameter. He has to cut open the original wires and combine the internal wires into the way for use as speaker cables or interconnect. As the quantities of raw material (original copper wires used in German studio) is limited, it is while stocks last. In short, the original German wires were of very good quality. What Marcos has done is creatively "re-engineered" it and "recycle" it for use as interconnect and speakers cable.
If the many skeptics could accept the practice of using the original Western Electric output metal coil as raw material for making replicas Western Electric 91 (which costs HK$10,000) & 86 (HK$35,000) REPLICA amplifiers, why can't they accept the same logic of recycling the pure copper cables for use as interconnect and speaker cables? It is a matter of not having a broad mind and heart, I guess.
Upon reaching home, I immediately plugged it into my amplifiers and my 755a. The sound is fantastics with warm and lively sound, well rounded detail and not sounding too harsh or bright! There are many more expensive speakers wires out in the market, but I can say these are real value for money and one has to listen to it in order to believe, in my own opinion. Moreover, since Marcos also offer money back guarantee if one is not satisfied with its performance, I have no fear of buying! This money back guarantee reflected a deep sense of confidence in his own hand made product using nice vintage raw material.
The only set back is that the look of these cables are not very beautiful but then again, it is the sound that matter most rather then the outside appearance. I now have the Western Electric cables that is being used in Singapore, one pair of Audionote silver cable which I have bought in the past; one pair of Klangflim speaker cable, and one pair of Artist cable in Hong Kong. Since hifi is about matching, I believe the Artist cables matches well with my 755a fullrange speakers, while the mutiple wired Western Electric matches well with my LS3/5a in Singapore.
There are many audiophiles skeptics who often criticised Marcos' work and his items in Review 33 forum. However, so far my own personal contact and experience with him is concerned, I must say that I disagree with what these people has said as I have had very good experiences with Artist Hifi. For examples, the restoration of my WE KS16608 was excellent; the matching of my Fisher 50C was very resonably charged; my purchase of my Western Electric 755a speakers was a good buy, the Artist Interconnect and now the Artist speakers cables. He is very knowledgeable in hifi and straight forward in his way of conducting his business... much better then many other Sifu (both full time and part time) that I have known who has too many hidden agenda.
Cheers
