Howard Kneller and Colin Smith have posted reviews of the Synergistic Research Galileo Universal Interconnect Cells ($1500 RCA, $2000 balanced), Galileo Universal Speaker Cells ($2500), and Galileo Mini Power Couplers ($400) at UltraAudio. Here is some of what they had to say:
Did they work?
They sure did. I was immediately confronted with faster, cleaner, more detailed, more dynamic sound than I had ever heard from my system. Soundstaging, three-dimensionality, and image solidity also improved. What was left? Well, pretty much everything took a significant leap forward, but what really struck me was the improvement in refinement…
hen I played Pepe Romero’s "Zapateado," it was obvious that, with the Galileo Universal Cells, more spatial information was traversing my system. The horizontal movement of the tap dancer from one side of the stage to the other was now not only more vivid than ever, but the moves from the front to the rear of the stage were now fully exposed as well. With "Touch," by Christopher Hardy, the realism was striking. Hardy plays a rare flame drum, and I was now able to hear the different directions from which its skin was being struck.
The Cells made even slipshod recordings sound good. Not long ago, I bought a copy of Alicia Keys’ The Element of Freedom (CD, J-Records 46571-2) because I liked the song "Empire State of Mind." As I’d feared, the album’s sound quality left much to be desired. But with the Cells in place, acoustic piano notes lost their hard edge and displayed, for the first time, significant attack, sustain, and decay, and I could hear in Keys’ voice a deep, raspy texture that had previously been masked.
- Howard Kneller
I have to agree with Howard Kneller: Synergistic Research’s Galileo Universal Cells are remarkable products that live up to Ted Denney’s claims. They aren’t cheap, and in a system like mine, which cost about $10,000, they might seem an extravagance. But if you love your existing equipment enough to have no desire to buy more, the Galileo Universal Cells might be just the tickets to get the most out of what you’ve already got. Get them while the Basik speaker cables are included as a bonus — or make sure you buy some even when that deal is no longer offered. The Galileo Universal Speaker Cells will make the cables you have sound better; with Synergistic Research’s own products, they’ll take you to the moon. Unhesitatingly recommended.
- Colin Smith
You can read the full reviews here.
