Come and see Nordost at the Toronto Audiofest! Please join us, October 17th – 19th, at The Westin Toronto Airport Hotel. This year we will be showcasing a system, put together by our amazing local retailer, Executive Stereo, featuring Nordost cables, Canton loudspeakers, Chord and Wiim electronics, and a Michell Audio turntable! Throughout the show, our sales representatives and product specialists, Amy Hansen, Michael Taylor, and Atma Maraj will be in the Nordost room (437) performing live demonstrations to show attendees the difference that Nordost products make in an audio system. But Room 437 isn’t the only place you can experience Nordost products at TAF. We’ll also be featured in incredible systems from Sonic Artistry in Plaza A (pictured below), Audio Eden in room 219, and EQ Audio in Sutton B.
We are excited to announce that, in honor of our long partnership, we will be sponsoring exclusive listening and talkback sessions with musician and founder of Newvelle Records, Elan Mehler. Newvelle Records is a unique recording company dedicated to artists and their music. In each project they work on, from recording to pressing, they set out to create the highest quality work, so that you can experience the artist’s vision in your own listening room. That’s where Nordost comes in. Newvelle has been using Nordost cables during their recording process since the beginning. Now, Newvelle are about to celebrate their 10th anniversary with a special collection: Newvelle 10!
Nestled in the hills of Pittsburgh lies a unique stereo shop, carrying a wide variety of products and brands. You might have visited the attached record store without even knowing what lies above it! If you head upstairs, you’ll find a haven for hifi lovers.
Allow me to introduce Northern Audio: a one-of-a-kind store that will wow you with every turn. Beautifully curated displays not only look great but also sound fantastic. These guys aren’t just for show, either. Between Mark and Greg, they have decades of experience with hifi, and they are excellent guides to help you along your hifi journey. This isn’t your typical stereo shop. Mark prides himself on carrying products that range from the well-known to small boutique brands.
Mark and Greg also pride themselves on taking care of their clients. With your experience and satisfaction being their number one priority, you can rest assured you are in good hands! They bring a passion for audio that can be infectious, so be prepared when you visit. You might just hear something you love!
Nordost is always thrilled to receive and share glowing reviews from journalists and experts in the industry. However, when we get testimonials from our devoted and satisfied customers, it means that much more!
Thank you to Faris from Portland Oregon, for sharing his Nordost journey with us. Putting together a dream system takes a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of listening. We are so happy that we could help make his vision of an inviting, relaxing, musical sanctuary come to fruition!
“Three years ago, I started the search for a truly high-end audio system and a listening room dedicated for that. To me, such a listening room had to not only be musical but inviting and relaxing, sight and sound blending together to make the perfect environment to spend a lot of time in. I wanted a warm musical system, with grand sound stage and presence, a detailed yet true fit for the type of music I listen to most often, namely Classical and Jazz.
Being an electrical engineer by profession also meant I paid a lot of attention to the design details of all the equipment I auditioned and considered. For warm sound, I knew I wanted some element of tubes. For punchy and detailed sound I knew it also had to have the resolution and precision of solid state with absolutely no distortion. I found all of this in T+A Amplifiers & Preamplifier paired with Sonus Faber Lilium speakers. Here, T+A’s top of the line HV (high voltage) components provided the absolute power, high current, and unbelievable reference class resolution and noise floor that is hard to beat. The Liliums were as warm to listen to as they are to look at, and in addition to that can be Tri-Amped. So, the amplification comprised of one stereo amplifier for super-low-base, and two mono-block amplifiers (which are hybrid tube and solid state stages) configured in high current class A bi-amp mode to drive the highs, mids and high-base. Add to that T+A reference streaming DAC, reference SACD transport, and Acoustic Signature turntable with DSAudio Master3 Optical preamp and cartridge.
To connect all of the above 10 components I selected Nordost Valhalla V2 Reference Cables thanks to the advice and support from the wonderful people at Pearl Audio Video in Portland, who’ve been with me since day one in this search. I was impressed with the auditions I had with a few Nordost cables and from reading through the specs and construction. This setup includes three sets of speaker cables, power cables, several XLR interconnects with a couple of special splitter XLR to accommodate having only one preamp ‘out’ to feed three amplifiers. Thanks to Nordost for working with us to accommodate this custom request. The Valhalla V2 cables do a perfect job conveying what this system is truly capable of, with no effort or interference. I believe it was the best decision I made and a perfect match to this high-end system.
It all came together superbly, thanks to all the engineering work that went into this, from electronics to cables to speakers. I am enjoying the music and the time spent in this sanctuary room I call ‘Sala Stradivari’, where every moment is bliss among the true sounds of instruments such as violins cellos pianos saxophones and vocals. It is like being planted in the middle of a concert hall or jazz club the moment you hit Play.”
We have received an exciting amount of enthusiasm for our new QNET7 Network Switch since its launch this past spring. With this enthusiasm comes a lot of curiosity and questions. So we wanted to share some of the most frequently asked questions regarding our QNET7 here!
Q: What is the QNET7
A: The QNET7 is Nordost’s high-performance Layer-2 Ethernet switch, designed to enhance digital audio quality. Unlike typical modified consumer-grade switches, it minimizes noise and jitter for a cleaner signal path and superior sound quality. It features seven specialized ports with varying speeds and functions, including one offering optical connectivity. The QNET7 Network Switch delivers improved clarity, imaging, and musical fidelity.
Q: How does the QNET7 differ from the original QNET?
A: The QNET is already considered a high-performance network switch, and the principal design concepts of both network switches are similar. However, several distinct elements in the QNET7 offer impressive sonic improvements.
It embeds the traces in its multi-layer PCB design, increasing signal speeds, eliminating crosstalk, and protecting the signal from ground noise.
It uses nine separated, completely independent, ultra-low noise linear power supplies within the device.
It features two onboard temperature-compensated, high-precision clocks.
Port 7 is a fixed 1000Mbps (1G) SFP port compatible with external 1000Base-T (IEEE 802.3ab) and 1000BASE-LX/SX [802.3z-1998 (CL38)] SFP transceivers/modules, supported by single- and multi-mode fibers.
Q: How do I know which SFP modules are compatible with the QNET7 to use in “Port 7”?
Integrate the QRT Stand Mount along with Nordost Sort Kones, which can be used to support both the QNET7 Network Switch and the QSOURCE Linear Power Supply.
Use Nordost Ethernet Cables, available in a range of specifications and price points, to upgrade your digital system.
Q: Can I use the QSOURCE Cable I use for my QPOINT or “original” QNET to power my QNET7 with my QSOURCE?
A: No. For the protection of your products, each cable connector is uniquely keyed. You will need to purchase a dedicated QNET7 QSOURCE Cable to power your QNET7 with the QSOURCE Linear Power Supply.
If you have any additional questions, or would like to arrange a demonstration of the QNET7 Network Switch, contact your local Nordost Dealer today!
When the hifi discussion turns to cables, the conversation often defaults to extremes: hyper-expensive materials and complicated designs, or skepticism that drives you to resort to spools bought at your local hardware store to patch a system together. But not everything needs to be an extreme. It’s important to recognize that, in the context of an audio system, cables are more than just wires. They’re critical components acting as the conduit for information. As a listener, you rely on cables to feed your audio gear, transferring that information into music.
That said, cable designs don’t have to be on the verge of unbelievable to deliver sonic benefits; just look at Leif 3. Nordost’s Leif 3 series is engineered to bring the kind of resolution, speed, and musical vitality that beats out much more costly, esoteric designs. While Leif 3 may be at the base of Nordost’s hierarchy of cables, it isn’t the starting point of cable design either. It is where we think high fidelity begins.
But what makes Leif 3 cables different from other options on the market? Here are the facts to help you see what Leif 3 really is.
Fact 1: Leif 3 isn’t basic, it’s foundational.
Despite its “entry-level” label, Leif 3 is anything but a beginner cable. It benefits heavily from the R&D and designs that make up Nordost’s more reference products and is where that high-end technology first becomes accessible to real-world music lovers. The technology used here represents the core, stripped-down principles upon which all our other products are built. And Leif 3 is the latest generation of this product line, which means more refined, more resolved, and more complete than ever.
Fact 2: Leif 3 offers all the cables needed to complete a system.
Will you hear the difference when you change just one cable in your system? Perhaps. But are you getting the full benefit of any cable brand when you have a mismatched cable system? Absolutely not (See Audio Cable Looms Explained).
The “loom effect” matters. That is why Leif 3 offers the opportunity to wire your entire system using cables that share the same design and sonic signature: Power cords, analog and digital interconnects, tonearm, subwoofer, USB, Ethernet, and speaker cables. When you hear the signal travel from source to speaker without having to compete with conflicting sonic characteristics, you have a more coherent and realistic reproduction of sound.
Fact 3: Micro Mono-Filament makes a measurable difference.
Nordost’s patented Micro Mono-Filament technology is introduced in Leif 3 Power Cords and continues on through Nordost’s other cable ranges in increasingly advanced forms.
Most cables suffer from signal loss and slower speeds because of dielectric absorption. In other words, when a material touches the surface of a conductor, the signal gets distorted. However, Micro Mono-Filament separates the conductor from its insulation by intricately and uniformly wrapping each conductor in a single strand of FEP Mono-Filament before encasing it in an extruded layer of high-quality FEP. This highly precise process creates an air dielectric around each conductor, reducing dielectric contact by up to 85%, resulting in:
Lower capacitance
Faster signal transmission
Excellent mechanical damping
Fact 4: Leif 3 cables have no filters, no tone control, no gimmicks.
Many cable manufacturers add passive filters, damping materials, and esoteric designs that end up compressing dynamics, driving up price, and altering sonic output. Nordost avoids that completely, and Leif 3 cables are no exception.
What makes Leif 3 a success is not what Nordost adds to the sound, it’s that the Nordost cables get out of the way of the sound, leaving the listener with an impression of the music, not the cables themselves.
Fact 5: You can hear the difference Leif 3 Cables make with your own ears.
Cable construction matters, even in entry to mid-level systems. Poorly engineered cables limit even modest gear, masking what your system is capable of.
In blind tests and demos, cable upgrades reveal:
Increased textual, lifelike sound
Improved rhythm, pacing, and dynamic drive
Expanded soundstage
Greater decay time times and sustains to notes
Nordost demonstrates these differences at every audio show and event we attend around the world, with live demos. Authorized Nordost Dealers make these same demonstrations, sometimes in the comfort of your own listening room. Find a Nordost retailer near you today to hear the difference for yourself!
In many ways, Leif 3 is the most important family of cables Nordost makes. It opens the door to audio improvements based on science, with repeatable and reliable results, and offers benefits that scale across through the line, continuing to Norse, Valhalla, and Odin cables.
Whether you’re assembling your first serious sound system or refining one you already own, Leif 3 provides a foundation that helps you to get the most from the audio components you love.
