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Other words that came to mind during my time with the MAL cables included airy, open, exciting, nimble and dynamic yet, as noted above, nothing came across as hyped or accentuated. Rhythm and musical flow were exceptional all and at least as good as with any other cable loom I have tried.
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Notes were dead on in pitch with well-defined attacks and generous decays that faded naturally rather than abruptly. Dynamic gradations between extremes were convincing as were musical texture, presence, flow and momentum. Playback was free from edginess, upper band harshness or electronic mist. Directly compared against my considerably more expensive MIT Magnum M1.3 loom, the MAL wires did not offer the same degree of drama, scale or textural complexity but were certainly convincing enough. However with the E3 loom I thought transients and dynamic attacks were a tad sharper and more defined with a slightly distant yet more open and airy soundscape. Recorded hall ambiance seemed more apparent too. In these respects the E3 cables reminded me of Wireworld’s Equinox and Silver Eclipse cables I reviewed previously, with the former—which I purchased after reviewing them—coming pretty close to the E3 if just lacking slightly in weight and dynamic fidelity. Frankly I was satisfied with whichever cable loom was in my system at that time. The differences in prices were greater than sonic changes. Still, it’s those little differences we audiophiles obsess over endlessly. It’s up to you to decide what those are worth to you.
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I was impressed with Madison Audio Lab’s E3 Extreme 1 cables. They handily rank in the top two or three cable systems I have tried. I particularly liked their coherence, liveliness, silky top end and lack of undue edge or hash. I still prefer the MIT Magnums but they are quite a bit more expensive. Madison Audio Lab is yet another new entry in the already crowded audio cabling field but one that bears further exploration and consideration if you are looking for sonically unobtrusive yet musically satisfying cables. While the E3 Extreme 1 cables aren’t exactly a bargain, I don’t think they are ruinously expensive either especially considering what many high-end audio cables retail for these days. You can spend a heck of a lot more on wire and get a lot less musical satisfaction.
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Quality of packing: Excellent. Cables are packaged in solid slipcases.
Reusability of packing: Reusable several times.
Quality of owner's manual: The instruction booklet that ships with the interconnects requires revision as the directional arrows indicated in the diagrams are reversed.
Condition of component received: Flawless.
Completeness of delivery: Perfect.
Website comments: Decent info and pictures but loads slow.
Human interactions: Professional and friendly.
Warranty: Two years.
Pricing: Good value.
Final comments & suggestions: The names of the cables are confusing and it's thus difficult to differentiate one model from another.
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