I was simply looking for ICs that would fit my Schiit Jotunheim headphone amp's crowded jack spacing. Someone suggested I look into Darwin, a brand I'd never heard of.
"Low mass ends" are one of a number of design strategies described on the Darwin website.
I sent measurements to Darwin owner Bill Magerman who assure me his cables would fit, and as Darwin offers a return policy, I figured I had nothing to lose. When they arrived, they did indeed fit.
End of story? Hardly!
When I sat down to listen, I was astonished by the transparency -- dramatically better than any 1-2 K rca IC I'd heard in my modest system, including Acoustic Zen and Cardas. I started with "Exile on Main Street" -- the Bob Ludwig-mastered Virgin disc -- hardly an audiophile selection. It immediately become starkly evident that up to that point, I'd been missing out on a whole lot of sonic information. What's more, the sound was incredibly smooth and non-fatiguing. Continued listening to other discs confirmed my first impressions and revealed additional improvements in layering, bass extension and rhythmic drive. The sound through these cables is addicting!
The 1 meter Natural 2 lists for $795.00 (I bought a discounted pair used at a show for less).
Their top-tier Enlightenment 1 meter lists for $1795.00.
The other day, an audiogon forum member I greatly respect made the case for sticking with the best known cable brands we're all aware of. While this is indeed a "safe route", it's also one that incurs the risk of missing out on smaller companies that may bring something special to the table. It seems to me that Darwin is one such company.
No doubt, some will be put off by the relatively low cost but based upon my experience with the Natural 2, I'd expect the Enlightenment to offer phenomenal performance worthy of much more costly systems than mine.
Some may even be put off by my enthusiasm but I can't help it. The degree of improvement is such that I feel compelled to do what I can to try to draw attention to this company.
Naturally, as always, YMMV.
"Low mass ends" are one of a number of design strategies described on the Darwin website.
I sent measurements to Darwin owner Bill Magerman who assure me his cables would fit, and as Darwin offers a return policy, I figured I had nothing to lose. When they arrived, they did indeed fit.
End of story? Hardly!
When I sat down to listen, I was astonished by the transparency -- dramatically better than any 1-2 K rca IC I'd heard in my modest system, including Acoustic Zen and Cardas. I started with "Exile on Main Street" -- the Bob Ludwig-mastered Virgin disc -- hardly an audiophile selection. It immediately become starkly evident that up to that point, I'd been missing out on a whole lot of sonic information. What's more, the sound was incredibly smooth and non-fatiguing. Continued listening to other discs confirmed my first impressions and revealed additional improvements in layering, bass extension and rhythmic drive. The sound through these cables is addicting!
The 1 meter Natural 2 lists for $795.00 (I bought a discounted pair used at a show for less).
Their top-tier Enlightenment 1 meter lists for $1795.00.
The other day, an audiogon forum member I greatly respect made the case for sticking with the best known cable brands we're all aware of. While this is indeed a "safe route", it's also one that incurs the risk of missing out on smaller companies that may bring something special to the table. It seems to me that Darwin is one such company.
No doubt, some will be put off by the relatively low cost but based upon my experience with the Natural 2, I'd expect the Enlightenment to offer phenomenal performance worthy of much more costly systems than mine.
Some may even be put off by my enthusiasm but I can't help it. The degree of improvement is such that I feel compelled to do what I can to try to draw attention to this company.
Naturally, as always, YMMV.
