Dealer Spotlight: Common Wave

By Jake Goldwax

In downtown Los Angeles, a unique 2-channel store awaits, promising to revolutionize your audio experience. Staffed by passionate music enthusiasts, Common Wave is a modern twist on the traditional stereo and record store, offering a one-of-a-kind journey into the world of audio.

Wesley and his team have poured their hearts into creating this space. Every detail, from the systems on display to the aesthetics of the environment, has been meticulously considered. The result is a visual and auditory feast that I had never experienced before visiting Common Wave. They are dedicated to crafting the best system for you, taking into account your needs, wants, and constraints.

At Common Wave, you’re in the hands of experts. The team, with their extensive experience in all aspects of the business, is dedicated to providing a level of service that’s hard to find elsewhere. Their Nordost Dealer Certification is a testament to their commitment to excellence, ensuring that they can meet all your cable needs.

Go see the team over at Common Wave; you will be glad you did!

QB4: Compact in size but powerful in performance!

At Nordost, we have embraced our slogan “Making The Connection” for decades. We do this first and foremost by offering high-end audio cables. But over the years, we’ve also become known for providing well-thought-out and expertly executed power distribution solutions. Our QBASE range of power distribution products offers a high-end foundation for virtually any setup.

From the versatile QBASE Reference, complete with its 10 outlets and various built-in, passive, sound-enhancing options, to the simpler, more streamlined QBASE Mark III, we offer a range of solutions to address all power needs. The QBASE Mark III is available as an eight outlet ‘QB8’, or a four outlet ‘QB4’. But don’t be fooled by the QB4’s minimalistic design—it’s more powerful than it looks!

At Nordost we work closely and share worldwide distribution with some of the most renowned, high-end audio manufacturers. Through those partnerships we are seeing a trend: more and more of today’s high-end components are being equipped with essential built-in options, creating the opportunity for minimalistic, yet sophisticated audio systems.

For example, beautifully crafted integrated amplifiers that offer a variety of built-in functionalities are on the rise. Take the Dan D’Agostino Momentum MxV, which can be equipped with a DAC, streamer, and phono stage, or the Gryphon Diablo 333, which offers an optional DAC and phono stage. Now, with just a turntable and speakers, you can create an incredible hi-fi system that only requires two or three power cords. Another great example is the dCS Rossini Player, a DAC, streamer, and preamp all in one, paired with something like VTL’s S200 stereo amp. The result is an extremely potent, yet streamlined system that still only requires a few power cords.

This is where we come in. Since the introduction of the QBASE Mark III, the four outlet QB4 version has been available in a high-current configuration (20A for 110V areas and 16A for 220V areas) to provide the perfect power foundation for these super high-end “all-in-one” components. These components don’t require a large power distribution block, but they do benefit immensely from a high-current, no-filtering, no-loss-of-power solution. And that’s exactly what the QB4 specializes in—compact in size but powerful in performance.

And despite its compact nature, with its four outlets, the QB4 Mark III often still has room for our complementary QRT Plug-ins, like the QSINE and/or QWAVE!

The Absolute Sound Reviews the QBASE Reference

Our QBASE Reference has grabbed the attention of the press again! The most recent QB10 review comes from Jacob Heilbrunn of The Absolute Sound. After years of enjoying our QB8, Jacob was blown away by the QBASE Reference, particularly how the QB10 could achieve so much while remaining “invisible” in his system.

He noted, “With the insertion of the new QBase Reference, I heard an audible and immediate improvement in clarity, scale, bass extension, and detail.”

Beyond that, Jacob was also shocked by the extension in soundstage the QBASE Reference delivered–something that, in his opintion, no other device had come close to achieving.  

You can now read Jacob’s review of the QBASE Reference in its entirety here:

Nordost QBASE Reference AC Distribution Unit: The Hippocratic Oath

The Absolute Sound Reviews the QSINE and QWAVE

We are happy to share another great review from The Absolute Sound, this time of our QSINE and QWAVE. After reviewing the QBASE Mark III, Neil Gader was introduced to our newer generation of QRT Plug-Ins and included them in an in-depth Equipment Report. From the start, he was impressed with how the QSINE and QWAVE worked together, citing “greater image stability and an increase in the clarity, detail, and pacing of musical instruments.” Neil also praised how these products enhanced the performance of the QBASE, further elevating overall listening experiences. 

You can now read the excerpt of Neil’s Equipment Report that focuses on Nordost’s plug-ins here: Short Takes: Nordost QSINE AC Enhancer & QWAVE AC Line Harmonizer

Introducing the Leifstyle Tonearm Cable

Nordost is introducing an exciting new entry-level option: the Leifstyle Tonearm Cable. This cable is a unique, simplified version of a Nordost tonearm cable, offering analog enthusiasts the chance to experience Nordost’s innovative technology in their home sound system at an incredible value.

Like its more advanced counterparts, our Leifstyle Tonearm Cable is made up of two, individually shielded, twisted conductor pairs. This sophisticated and time-tested cable geometry separates the pairs of 28 AWG solid core, silver-plated conductors that make up its left and right channels, effectively minimizing inter-channel crosstalk. Additionally, this introductory Tonearm Cable includes a ground whip to eliminate any noise introduced during signal transfer.

Understanding the importance of a tonearm cable in any analog audio setup, we crafted this cable with a purpose-built, low-capacitance design, essential for achieving authentic and natural vinyl sound reproduction. With the Leifstyle Tonearm Cable, you can afford to enjoy the high-quality sound you crave.

For more information and for pricing, contact your local Authorized Nordost Dealer! 

You can find the Nordost Dealer nearest you HERE.

Nordost Playlist – January 2025

Nordost products are designed to allow you to enjoy your favorite performances as they were intended to be heard. All of us here are passionate about great music, and want to share our passion with you. 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 January.


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


  1. Flor Pálida – Marc Anthony – 3.0  
  2. Almost Like Being In Love – James Taylor – American Standard
  3. Sorbet collant – Stéphanie Boulay, Ingrid St-Pierre, Rymz – Sorbet collant   
  4. Sound of Your Heart – Shawn Hook – Sound of Your Heart
  5. This life – Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
  6. Soul Meets Body – Death Cab for Cutie – Plans
  7. Who – David Byrne, St. Vincent – Love This Giant
  8. Under Lime – Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Look Now (Deluxe Edition)
  9. My Life – Noriko Miyamoto, Isao Suzuki – Push   
  10. Femenine: No. 3, Create New Pattern – Julius Eastman, Wild Up, Christopher Rountree – Julius Eastman, Vol. 1: Femenine