System Description:
Speaker: Wilson Sasha DAW
Amplifier: Soulution 755 + Soulution 511
Turntable: Acoustic Signature Storm
Tonearm: Acoustic Signature TA-5000 12"
Cartridge: Lyra Etna Lambda SL
We plug the power cords into Soulution 755, acting as Phono and Pre Amp.
Records we used:
1, Grumiaux plays Bach unaccompanied Violin sonata and partita (Philips)
2, Giles plays Beethoven's piano sonata (DG)
3, Jacqueline du Pré plays Beethoven Archduke Trio with Barenboim and Zukerman (EMI)
4, Karajan conducts Dvorak Symphony NO. 9 4th movement (DG)
I list the cables from my least preferred to most liked.
1, PAD Dominus (2m): Not sure if it's the latest "diamond" version. It had a full body sound, had a lot of punch in the mid to low frequency. Yet it lacked transparency in the mid to high, which was obvious in Bach's unaccompanied violin sonata. So it sounded mushy and dull.
2, Stage3 Concepts Kraken (1.5m): This was the cable that I'd like to audition most, yet the result was a bit disappointing. Though it played better than Dominus with better balance, clarity and darker background, it didn't have anything worth your attention. It sounded to be an average performance cable that not worthy the price. It was an almost new cable, not sure that's the root cause.
3, Valhalla V2 (2m): A surprisingly nice performance cable! It excelled above two cables in all areas. Normally Nordost cables are claimed to be fast but lean, but V2 version was a different story. It was still had amazing speed, full range clarity and transparency, and black background. It had noticeably more details than other two cables and the sound was so vivid that attracted you to listen more and more. It didn't have much "color", yet the sound was natural and well balanced. Consider its price (the actual price is as low as PAD Dominus Diamond here), it was a real bargain!
3, Crystal Connect Da Vinci (1.5m): Finally we reached the top end. This cable cost almost 3 times as Valhalla V2. It owned all positive aspects from Valhalla V2, further more it showed the best smoothness when playing. You could never feel any harshness. Each note seemed to be polished and shining. It had a taller and deeper sound stage than Valhalla V2. It was so 3d dimensional that you could feel more air in the room.
Conclusion
More expensive doesn't mean better sound quality. But Da Vinci was no doubt the winner here. If you can afford it, go for it. If you don't, Valhalla V2 is a strong candidate in your list to audition. It has 90% of the performance of Da Vince with only 1/3 the price.
Speaker: Wilson Sasha DAW
Amplifier: Soulution 755 + Soulution 511
Turntable: Acoustic Signature Storm
Tonearm: Acoustic Signature TA-5000 12"
Cartridge: Lyra Etna Lambda SL
We plug the power cords into Soulution 755, acting as Phono and Pre Amp.
Records we used:
1, Grumiaux plays Bach unaccompanied Violin sonata and partita (Philips)
2, Giles plays Beethoven's piano sonata (DG)
3, Jacqueline du Pré plays Beethoven Archduke Trio with Barenboim and Zukerman (EMI)
4, Karajan conducts Dvorak Symphony NO. 9 4th movement (DG)
I list the cables from my least preferred to most liked.
1, PAD Dominus (2m): Not sure if it's the latest "diamond" version. It had a full body sound, had a lot of punch in the mid to low frequency. Yet it lacked transparency in the mid to high, which was obvious in Bach's unaccompanied violin sonata. So it sounded mushy and dull.
2, Stage3 Concepts Kraken (1.5m): This was the cable that I'd like to audition most, yet the result was a bit disappointing. Though it played better than Dominus with better balance, clarity and darker background, it didn't have anything worth your attention. It sounded to be an average performance cable that not worthy the price. It was an almost new cable, not sure that's the root cause.
3, Valhalla V2 (2m): A surprisingly nice performance cable! It excelled above two cables in all areas. Normally Nordost cables are claimed to be fast but lean, but V2 version was a different story. It was still had amazing speed, full range clarity and transparency, and black background. It had noticeably more details than other two cables and the sound was so vivid that attracted you to listen more and more. It didn't have much "color", yet the sound was natural and well balanced. Consider its price (the actual price is as low as PAD Dominus Diamond here), it was a real bargain!
3, Crystal Connect Da Vinci (1.5m): Finally we reached the top end. This cable cost almost 3 times as Valhalla V2. It owned all positive aspects from Valhalla V2, further more it showed the best smoothness when playing. You could never feel any harshness. Each note seemed to be polished and shining. It had a taller and deeper sound stage than Valhalla V2. It was so 3d dimensional that you could feel more air in the room.
Conclusion
More expensive doesn't mean better sound quality. But Da Vinci was no doubt the winner here. If you can afford it, go for it. If you don't, Valhalla V2 is a strong candidate in your list to audition. It has 90% of the performance of Da Vince with only 1/3 the price.
