Quad famously used to advertise their amplifiers as being "a wire with gain". The implication being that nothing could be more inert than a wire. Over the past couple of decades open minded listeners have become increasingly aware that, for whatever reason, the 'sound' made by a wire can have a dramatic effect on the overall system performance.

 

We are not talking about slight colourations or some subtle masking of fine detail either. Fundamentals such as dynamics, musical interplays, the indefinable effervescence that defines great playing. These can be brought out by open and transparent cabling.

 

At Signals, we have long been advocates of Nordost. Indeed when taking on Naim electronics about three years ago, our obsessive use of their cables was one of the first topics of conversation. And yes, Naim are indeed happy for us to use Nordost cables with their equipment. Mind you we have developed some reservations which are explained here.

 

So what do Nordost wires sound like? At their best, and in line with the goals set out above, nothing, or at least very close to nothing at all. They do not aim to conceal but, used together, rather than in a mixed brand context, can offer a remarkable level of insight and transparency without added glare or hardness.

 

Already, I can sense hackles rising around the country from people who have tried a single cable and judged the brand to sound flat, dry and edgy. Sure enough, there can be bad combinations with electronics, but by and large these bad experiences are far more likely to be due to a mismatch with other cables in the system. Maybe even because they used a lead that is too short. Half metre speaker cables genuinely sound awful and 0.6 m interconnects are never as good as they are at 1m.

 

Whilst on this subject, always be wary of any half metre Nordost cable that you may be offered. The shortest interconnect that they make is 0.6m and showing the benefit of a 1m minimum is part of their hi-fi show demonstration programme.

 

Nordost have never been shy about charging premium prices for their products. Again, this can set teeth on edge. In truth, well over £2000 for an interconnect cable is beyond the pale for most of us. Thankfully, real greatness is available at lower prices too.

 

These are unique products with real science behind them and they are made from some of the highest (arguably the highest) quality materials available anywhere. The level of quality improvement that they can bring to a music or a/v system can be dramatic. The argument over price is best settled by how much a given level of gain would cost by other means such as using a better amplifier, source component, etc. Frequently, no other hardware could give the level of quality brought by the cable.

 

Despite appearances, none of their cables are pure silver, all use copper (of the highest possible purity) and most have silver extruded over them simply to protect them from the high temperatures involved in manufacture.

Signals hi-fi for grown-ups. suppliers and installers of music hi-fi audio stereo system, systems and a/v av products to all areas of Suffolk,North Essex, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire 01473 655171

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