Wilson Alexandria Speaker Cable recommendation

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks..I ruled out network box cables. There isn't another cable I would rather have than Valhalla this side of Odin.

I wouldn't dismiss them so quickly

 

[DaveyF]

Christian, I think that Nordost makes the best range of speaker cabling on the market today. Your description of what you hear with the Valhalla's is pretty similar to my experience with my Frey's. One of the issues that has been a factor with Nordost cabling in the past is that IF one's system isn't properly dialed in, I believe that this cabling will highlight any faults up stream. I'm sure that those who have decried Nordost are simply hearing what their system is doing wrong and incorrectly laying the blame on the cables. Enjoy your Valhalla, IMO a MUCH better cable than your second choice.

 

[MrAcoustat]

Personally i believe that anyone that can afford Wilson's Alexandria's can afford pretty much ANY good cable out there and there are many, i have a friend that has tried many of the top of the line cables from Nirvana - Siltech - Stealth - and finaly he now has 43k worth of Purist Audio Design and for him there is NO going back it's always a question of match for YOUR tastes not anybody elses.

 

[Rocco I.]

Christian, I think that Nordost makes the best range of speaker cabling on the market today. Your description of what you hear with the Valhalla's is pretty similar to my experience with my Frey's. One of the issues that has been a factor with Nordost cabling in the past is that IF one's system isn't properly dialed in, I believe that this cabling will highlight any faults up stream. I'm sure that those who have decried Nordost are simply hearing what their system is doing wrong and incorrectly laying the blame on the cables. Enjoy your Valhalla, IMO a MUCH better cable than your second choice.

+1.

I've the same experience. After demoed a lot of top brands of cable, I consider Nordost my personal reference that with my audio gears is a perfect match.

 

[microstrip]

+1.

I've the same experience. After demoed a lot of top brands of cable, I consider Nordost my personal reference that with my audio gears is a perfect match.

Have you listened to the recent TYR 2?

 

[ack]

Have you listened to the recent TYR 2?

I have Valhalla in my tonearm and Tyr to and from the phono; I tried the Tyr 2 - no difference I could discern

 

[BFlowers]

I'm a bit late to this party, but I use Transparent Opus MM2 with my Alexandrias X2 S2's. I can't imagine much better. A very balanced cable. I do imagine the other components in the chain make a difference. I have heard OneObgyn's system, and the Valhalla works pretty darn well there! However, with Solid State, I would think the transparent pretty tough to beat.

 

[Steve Williams]

Hi Brian

Most of us who use Valhalla aren't keen on using cables that have a switching box such as used on MIT or Transparent as IMO it changes the signal.

 

[rockitman]

Agreed Steve...as good the top line Transparent and MIT box cables are, it's a different philosophy than going with just unadulterated/continuous wire. I'm sure those cables would work well with my system. With Valhalla however, I have no real desire to find out. I don't hear Valhalla cables..I hear the source and respective components only. They are holding up very well under Valhalla scrutiny.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hi Brian

Most of us who use Valhalla aren't keen on using cables that have a switching box such as used on MIT or Transparent as IMO it changes the signal.

Everything changes the signal. For others it's silver in or around the wire

The bottom line is that Purist, Nordost, Transparent, MIT, Kubala-Sosna and few others are all contenders and need to be listened to in your system. I do find that simply dismissing MIT or Transparent out of hand without listening because of a "network" box is foolish. I've had all of them except Purist and then even a few others in my system at one time or another (and I do have a standing offer from Jim that I intend to take him up on) and they all bring different things to the table.

As one leading electronics manufacturer who uses big Wilsons as reference speakers once said to me, "I'm against everything that boxes on cables stand for but they sound the best."

 

[Rocco I.]

Have you listened to the recent TYR 2?

Unfortunately not. I know only the first model of Tyr (speaker cable) that owns a friend of mine.

The best way to judje with sense such cables, is to respect the Nordost step policy as well as: 1) Power cords; 2) Analog Interconnects; 3) Speaker cable.

I like Nordost so much only in such complete configurations.

 

[Rocco I.]

Hi Brian

Most of us who use Valhalla aren't keen on using cables that have a switching box such as used on MIT or Transparent as IMO it changes the signal.

+1

 

[microstrip]

Hi Brian

Most of us who use Valhalla aren't keen on using cables that have a switching box such as used on MIT or Transparent as IMO it changes the signal.

Steve,
I have large experience with Vallalha's and Transparent MM2, both OPUS and Reference XL types, and IMHO the Valhalla cables change the signal (in the good way) as much as the Transparent one's. But in a different way.

 

[MrAcoustat]

Steve,
I have large experience with Vallalha's and Transparent MM2, both OPUS and Reference XL types, and IMHO the Valhalla cables change the signal (in the good way) as much as the Transparent one's. But in a different way.

All cables change the signal NO exceptions, you like what it does or you don't, that's it, now go out there and spend some money and please remember that 4 meters of very expensive cable is better than 2 meters, if it was me selling the cables i would agree 100% to that.

 

[Steve Williams]

I don't disagree with you Myles. I've had Transparent Opus in my system and frankly I preferred Valhalla. I also played with some Odin IC's in my system and TBH after looking at the cost for an all Odin system in my room would be way over $100K I remain immensely content with my Valhalla. Now, if ALL cables alter the signal I get a little miffed when people say that what they hear is completely neutral

 

[MylesBAstor]

I don't disagree with you Myles. I've had Transparent Opus in my system and frankly I preferred Valhalla. I also played with some Odin IC's in my system and TBH after looking at the cost for an all Odin system in my room would be way over $100K I remain immensely content with my Valhalla.

Guess you retired too early

Now, if ALL cables alter the signal I get a little miffed when people say that what they hear is completely neutral

At least not on the basis of hearing the cable in one system.

 

[Bill Hart]

One of the things that Roy Gregory advocated while he was at HiFi+ was using the same brand of cable throughout. I'm sure he was not the only one who did so (and I realize both his fondness for Nordost and his eventual involvement in the company itself). I'm a little mystified how a cable could be judged in isolation in it is not part of an overall system using the same cable (or tiers within the same brand).
Granted, you may be able to isolate what a particular cable is doing or not doing to the sound, but is it a fair way to assess the performance of the cable if it is conceived, but not fully implemented as a 'system'?

 

[MylesBAstor]

One of the things that Roy Gregory advocated while he was at HiFi+ was using the same brand of cable throughout. I'm sure he was not the only one who did so (and I realize both his fondness for Nordost and his eventual involvement in the company itself). I'm a little mystified how a cable could be judged in isolation in it is not part of an overall system using the same cable (or tiers within the same brand).
Granted, you may be able to isolate what a particular cable is doing or not doing to the sound, but is it a fair way to assess the performance of the cable if it is conceived, but not fully implemented as a 'system'?

AHC talked about the pros and cons of mixing and matching cables years before in TAS He ws definitely for the same cable throughout the system.

I've had a few manufacturers like K-S ask me to listen with an all K-S system including PCs. Not always though.

 

[Bill Hart]

AHC talked about the pros and cons of mixing and matching cables years before in TAS He ws definitely for the same cable throughout the system.

I've had a few manufacturers like K-S ask me to listen with an all K-S system including PCs. Not always though.

This was the pre-Scud AHC? Yep, I'm using the K-S and Joe K was pretty emphatic about the difference it would make.
BTW, still working on that recipe, Myles.

 

[MylesBAstor]

This was the pre-Scud AHC? Yep, I'm using the K-S and Joe K was pretty emphatic about the difference it would make.

Yep, it goes back that far!

BTW, still working on that recipe, Myles.

Thanks!