Questions and Answers (June 2020)

Our product specialists receive questions on a daily basis about Nordost products, their application, and hifi in general.  We thought that we would take a minute to share some of our most recent and frequently asked questions here so that everyone can get the answers they are looking for!


Q: Can I wire my system with cables from different ranges within the Leif family? 

A: Yes. You can definitely wire your system with a mix of cables from the Leif range. Our cables all have the same design philosophy, so while products improve due to added conductors, gauges, and technologies, they all have the same sonic signature. This allows you to budget your cables accordingly, and upgrade piece by piece when needed. 


Q: What is better: short interconnects or short loudspeaker cables?

A: The signal loss on Nordost cables is very low due to the use of extruded FEP insulation and Mono-Filament technology. Nordost cables can run over longer distances with less signal loss than regular cables. However, when planning a system set up, it is wise to keep lower level signals such as tonearm cables and analog interconnects relatively short.  It is better to use longer loudspeaker cables as these typically have much more current and voltage being provided by the power amplifier.


Q: Why do Nordost 75 Ohm digital cables come with BNC to RCA Adaptors? 

A: The correct termination for true 75 Ohm impedance is a BNC connector, due to the mechanical spacing of the center conductor relative to the outer insulation. We have found that keeping the integrity of the 75 Ohm cable with a BNC termination and using an RCA adaptor always provides better sonic results.  It also means the cable can be used easily as a clocking cable, which typically uses BNC connections for superior performance.


Q: Power cords can’t make a difference after the miles electricity travels in wires to get to my house. 

A: While they are not audio-grade, the cables used to transfer electricity through the grid and to your home, are actually a significant gauge. The “choke point” usually does occur in your home. Not only that, but it is very important to try to minimize the effects of artifacts, EMI, and RFI that are introduced to electricity on its journey to your home and continue to be introduced from your home appliances. 


Dealer Spotlight: Sonic Artistry

By Bruno de Lorimier

Hailing from the Greater Toronto Area or “GTA”, the megatropolis just north of the US Border, Sonic Artistry is a boutique high end audio retailer catering to music lovers. With two locations in the GTA, Roncesvalles/High Park in the heart of the city and just north in Aurora, they are an appointment only establishment. The owners, Jonathan Badov and Edgar Balian made it clear to me that their credo of ‘Artistry, Integrity, Music’ is their guiding force in serving their customer base. Ed and Jonathan met in University while studying Mechanical Engineering in the mid 80’s. Their lifelong friendship and business partnership was forged in their love of music and incessant record collecting. They are both avid collectors of British Progressive Rock and Folk music from the late 60’s through the 70’s. They have a deep collection of original pressings and more recent independently produced records. Their one goal— to dig out as much information from those tiny grooves as possible. Don’t get them started on their obsessive record cleaning and archiving process.

Both Ed and Jonathan are practicing professional engineers in Ontario. Their detailed and scientific approach to selecting products and the synergies that exist between them is at the heart of the customer experience. They both believe that products made by companies with deep engineering backgrounds and manufacturing capabilities that exist in solid science and not in the hair shirt arena are typically the ones that sound the best. Finding brands that are at the apex of sonic excellence is key to producing a coherent and visceral listening experience.

Not trying to be all things to all people, they remain resilient in the fact that the only person the hobby needs to make happy is the customer. Nothing else matters. It is their escape and transcendent journey. With many trails blazed to the top of the Sound Reproduction Mountain, they are happy to share with you their own successes and failures along the journey and route to musical harmony. They believe that utilizing the full line of Nordost products in their systems ensures that they can reproduce the best musical experience they can. Teamed with other heralded products such as darTZeel, Stenheim, TechDAS, SAT, Audio Technica, and Minus K. they are focused on the details that count; power, vibration and acoustics.

An individualized customer experience is the way they chose to work with their customers. Without interruptions, the appointment process allows customers to focus on the musical experience. Time is taken to understand what the customer is hearing and their needs. The atmosphere is controlled with a system that is known and set up much like the customers’ own home experience. In-home auditions are the next part of that journey. It is important, with a sizeable investment, to ensure the purchase is what they are looking for, and make sure the customer obtains the audio experience they want to live with.

In Jonathan’s own words “The most fulfilling parts of the experience are the friendships you make over the course of 25 yrs in the business and the exchange of music— learning about new music, new artists, different pressings. Everyone brings something new into the conversation that allows all of us to grow as music lovers, consumers and retailers. We could not have found a better hobby to grow as people, transport us, and make lasting friendships.”

The entire team at Nordost is very proud to count Sonic Artistry as one of our team members.


NOVO Reviews Nordost’s QKOIL and QVIBE

The final installment of NOVO’s 3-Part QRT review is here! Part 3 concentrates on our QVIBE AC Line Harmonizers and QKOIL AC Enhancers. In his most recent article, reviewer George de Sa systematically adds the QV2 and QK1 to his system, focusing on the improvements each one brings to the music. With the QV2, he notices a dramatic distinction in spacial awareness and details, imparting a substantial “lift in the level of realism”. The QK1, on the other hand, focuses on the music’s speed, offering “more clarity, speed and punch to the percussion”. Together, these symbiotic products are the perfect finishing touch to any hifi system: 

“…bringing them together was another experience unto itself. With all four (two Qv2s and two QK1s) plugged into the QBASE, the best of both was achieved. There was greater warmth, yet also greater focus and pace. There was an increased sense of naturalness but also a greater measure of dynamics. And then, there was a significant increase in three-dimensional imaging and separation.” – George de Sa


You can now read all three of George’s QRT pieces here:

NORDOST QRT POWER PRODUCTS REVIEW.  PART 1 OF 3: QX POWER PURIFIERS QX4

NORDOST QRT POWER PRODUCTS REVIEW. PART 2 OF 3: QKORE GROUND UNIT AND QKORE WIRES

NORDOST QRT POWER PRODUCTS REVIEW. PART 3 OF 3: QVIBE QV2 AC LINE HARMONIZER & QKOIL QK1 AC ENHANCER 

You can find these reviews and more great Nordost reviews on our Reviews Page.


Nordost Playlist – June 2020

Over the past few months, Nordost  has been happy that we can continue to make our time spent at home a little more bearable with the gift of great music. Our products aim to allow you to enjoy your favorite performances as they were intended to be heard. Like you, we here at Nordost are music lovers. Each one of us has our own style… we listen to a wide variety of artists and genres but, in a way, we appreciate them all. We thought that we would share a few of the songs on our own personal playlists with you each month. Some may be classics, some may be brand new, some may not even be to your tastes, but we hope that there is something here for everyone. 

Here are some of the songs that we will have on rotation this June.


You can now listen to our monthly playlist here:  TIDAL  |  SPOTIFY  |  QOBUZ


  1. Mississippi Goddam-Live At Carnegie Hall, New York, 1964—Nina Simone—In Concert 
  2. ‘Round Midnight-Remastered 2013—Thelonious Monk—‘Round Midnight 
  3. The Weight-Live—Mavis Staples and Company—Mavis Staples I’ll Take You There: An All-Star Concert Celebration 
  4. Lucille—Little Richard—The Very Best of…Little Richard
  5. Greens—Be Steadwell—Queer Love Songs 
  6. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)—Marvin Gaye—What’s Going On-40th Anniversary 
  7. Where Do We Go—Solange—A Seat at the Table 
  8. The Boss—James Brown, They J.B.’s—Black Caesar 
  9. Time’s A Wastin—Erykah Badu—Mam’s Gun
  10. Easy Living (with Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra)—Billie Holiday, Teddy Wilson—Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday On Columbia (1933-1944)