Questions and Answers (May 2016)

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Nordost

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!

mechanically tuned lengths

Q. I see in reading your FAQ and other info “mechanically tuned” keeps getting mentioned but I never really saw where it is defined or explained. Can you please explain? Do you have a more detailed write up to explain? Also explain why being mechanically tuned somehow negates making a shorter cable from a longer one?

A: The phrase “mechanically tuned” means a few different things. In some cases when we talk about it in our literature, we are referring to our connectors. Some of the connectors we use are mechanically tuned to match the mass of the conductors we make. However, typically “mechanically tuned” refers to the actual length of the cables we make. We mechanically tune the lengths of the Norse 2, Reference, and Supreme Reference cables we build. When building a low capacitance cable, where conductors don’t touch each other, you can actually change the characteristics of the resonant peak by altering the conductor’s length…think guitar string. So if we build a 2m speaker cable we find a length (based on the mass and material used) that sounds better and cut it to that length. All products that are mechanically tuned are technically a bit longer than we say. We use tuned lengths in most products up to 4m. After 4m, the electrical properties override the mechanical ones so it isn’t necessary. So if you have a 5m cable, it is exactly 5m. If you want that 5m cable cut down to make two 2.5m cables from it, it is impossible to do that and maintain Nordost’s mechanically tuned lengths, because the shorter cables that you want to make should be longer than the 2.5m lengths being asked for.

qbase sort kone

Q: Will my QB8 benefit from TC Sort Kones under it? Or are the Sort Kones only for electronics (amp, pre amp etc)

A: The QB8 will absolutely benefit from having Sort Kones underneath it, because it drains the QBASE of the vibrations being generated from the electrical currents running through it. Even using the AC version will result in an audible improvement.

qv2_qk1

Q: Is it better to use a QK1 or QV2 in an open wall socket?

A: Either the QK1 or QV2 can be used in an open wall socket. However, I would advise you to consider the following: if you are using a power conditioner in your system, it is not ideal to plug a QK1 or QV2 into the wall socket. They are more effective when plugged into the power conditioner itself or another socket further down the line.

QV2s make a more audible change because the frequencies that they impact are easier to hear. Also I feel like it is worth mentioning that QV2s work better in increments of two, whereas QK1s work in any quantity. One QV2 works just fine, but the incremental improvement more than doubles when using two.

Nordost at Munich High End 2016 Recap

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Nordost

Once again, Munich High End 2016 was a tremendous success. This year at the MOC, we decided to focus our demonstrations on some of the most controversial and “on-trend” elements of hifi at the moment: vinyl and music streaming. In these demos we showed the differences between a generic Ethernet Cable and our new Blue Heaven and Heimdall 2 Ethernet Cables, as well as took attendees through the progression of tonearm cables, starting with Blue Heaven and culminating with Valhalla 2. Additionally, thanks to the dual-armed VPI Avenger turntable, we were able to compare standard internal tonearm wiring with our Reference Internal Tonearm Cable. Needless to say, the results were not subtle.

Here are some photos from the event!

DAR Reviews the Nordost Purple Flare Power Cord

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Nordost

This past January, at CES, reviewer John Darko of DAR became interested in our Purple Flare Power Cord. He was specifically curious how our cable would impact the quality of his Sonos Connect. Last month, he shared his upgrade experience with his readers on Digital Audio Review.

“Cutting to the chase: the Nordost cable sounds better. It shines a light into music’s murkier corners exposing greater subtleties, most notably lengthening the tail of each piano note’s natural decay.. And yet, paradoxically, the additional intensity brought by the Nordost wire also sounded more relaxed. Joining the dots between amped up fervor and greater repose is our third qualitative descriptor: effortlessness.”—John Darko

You can now read John’s full article here: Spruce Up Your Sonos Connect With Nordost’s Purple Flare

The Nordost Difference

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Nordost

THE NORDOST DIFFERENCE

In a high-end audio system every element is critical. As people who have a great appreciation for the music we love, and hobbyists who strive to achieve the most realistic sound possible in the comfort of our own listening rooms, we spend hours searching, listening, and comparing different components in order to achieve the performance level that we are looking for. As cable manufacturers, we understand that wiring is not the first component that most people take into consideration when they are looking to upgrade their sound system. In fact, at times it is even a battle for cables to be considered a component, and instead they are often pushed into the category of “accessory”. Cables, however, are an extension of the equipment they are connected to and the effect that they have on the performance of the device they are connected to should not be minimized. But by ignoring cabling and passing it off as an afterthought or accessory, you are limiting the potential that your system is capable of. After all, a system is only as good as its weakest link.

Nordost has a very unique philosophy when it comes to cable design. As a rule, we believe that cables cannot add to the fragile signals that they carry. Instead, we have designed 4 ranges, each causing less impact and signal-loss than the range that came before it, which in turn produces progressive sonic improvements. From the entry level cables (Leif) through the top of our Supreme Reference Range (Odin 2), these improvements are achieved by various means: the number and gauge size of the conductors, proprietary technology such as the use of Mono-Filament, purpose made conductors, and mechanically tuned lengths. All of these elements not only result in measurable improvements (as shown in New Approaches to Audio Measurement), but the differences are also audibly demonstrable.

Over the past 25 years we have built the reputation of our products by conducting live cable demonstrations at Hi-Fi Shows around the world. These demonstrations are great fun because we can actually show people that just changing a power cord, interconnect or loudspeaker cable can make real improvements to the musical performance experienced. The demo format we use, and have used since the beginning, is a simple A/B comparison. We simply start using a stock or entry level cable, play a small sample of music (not too long of a sample so as to mitigate listening fatigue) and then play the same piece again, at the same volume, using an improved cable. It is amazing how dramatic the results can be when you use such simple and concise comparison methods. Upon hearing our demos, listeners usually report hearing an increase in both fine details and soundstage, due to the very low capacitance of our cables. With certain cables (specifically our power cords) the music may even be perceived as being louder… however, this is not the case. What people are actually hearing is a lowering of the background noise floor, which can produce the same effect as an increase in volume.

Of course, it is not our aim to tell you what you should hear. Nordost has always insisted that the end user should hear these differences for themselves. We encourage everyone to visit their local Nordost dealers for their own demos, attend one of our live product demonstrations at an audio show near you, or even better, take our cables home and try them on your own system!

In order to appreciate the Nordost difference you have to hear the Nordost difference.

Nordost Playlist – May 2016

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Nordost

Nordost is lucky to have a wonderful team of representatives and product trainers who travel around the world educating and demonstrating the effects of Nordost’s products. As part of these demonstrations, it is our job to find an interesting and diverse selection of music to showcase our cables, power devices, sort system and accessories. Whether at shows, visiting our dealers and distributors or even in our own listening room in our headquarters in Holliston, we are constantly getting asked what music we are playing (or if our audience is not so bold to ask, we can see their Shazams working overtime). So we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to share our favorite songs of the moment. Some may be classics, some may be brand new, some may not even be to your taste, but one thing is for sure …it’s all great music.

playlist_may_16

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

Tonight You Belong To Me—Eddie Vedder, Cat Power—Ukulele Songs
Same Mistakes—The Echo-Friendly—Love Panic
Nevermind—Leonard Cohen—Popular Problems
Daydreaming—Radiohead—A Moon Shaped Pool
Timeless—James Blake—The Colour In Anything
Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes—Paul Simon—Graceland (25^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
God’s Gonna Cut You Down—Johnny Cash—American V: A Hundred Highways
Stuck—Norah Jones—The Fall
Space Oddity—David Bowie—David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) [2015 Remastered Version]
Ride This Out—Imaginary Cities—Temporary Resident

Spring Cleaning For Your Stereo System

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Nordost

By Anthony Chiarella

“In the Spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of…Audio Gear!?!”

May Alfred, Lord Tennyson will forgive my blatant bastardization of his poetic masterpiece, but its true: as Winter turns to Spring, flowers begin to bloom, animals awaken from hibernation and guys start prepping their toys for the warm months. All across America, lawnmowers are gassed and lubed, boats are lowered into lakes and rivers, hot rods are tuned and detailed until they shine like mirrors; in other words, it’s time for Spring Cleaning and your Stereo System is the best place to start! Tweaking your system means being a “Do it yourselfer” and, like car guys, you should derive pleasure from maintaining, improving and hot-rodding your gear. There’s a special satisfaction that comes from Sweat Equity and this is particularly true in the case of system optimization.

Although many connoisseurs assume a Stereo System requires little or nothing in the way of maintenance, nothing could be further from the truth. Mechanical vibrations and electrical impulses loosen nuts and bolts, while dust, dirt and pollutants contaminate every connection in your system. Records, cartridges, laser pickups, etc are equally vulnerable. Since these changes occur gradually, you might not notice the degradation in performance on a day-to-day basis but trust us: once you’re given your system a serious “Spring Cleaning,” you’ll hear everything you’ve been missing. And remember: THIS IS FUN!!! Enjoy spending some “Quality Time” with your system….

Let’s start with the things that are most vulnerable to the ravages of time. First up, believe it or not, is your AC Wall Outlet. I’m still amazed at how many six-figure High End systems receive their power from an ancient AC socket that can barely grip the power plug! This is the single cheapest and most significant improvement you can accomplish. Since most of you aren’t electricians and we don’t want you to get injured, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO LOCATE THE PROPER CIRCUIT BREAKER AND TURN OFF THE POWER TO YOUR SYSTEM BEFORE YOU PROCEED!!! Once that’s done, and you’re sure there’s no power flowing to the socket, remove the wall plate, remove the AC Socket and replace it with a Hospital Grade AC Socket. (I suggest buying an inexpensive Polarity Tester to ensure you have your positive, negative and Earth connected properly.) Reinstall the wall plate and prepare to be amazed! (I just purchased a dozen Hubbell 15-amp Hospital Grade Outlets for $5.37 apiece online: absolutely THE BEST improvement, dollar-for-dollar, I’ve ever wrought in my system!)

Now that we’ve improved our power, it’s “Time to Tighten.” Your speakers, if they’re on spikes, are probably wobbly. Drop a Spirit Level (please check my “Audiophile Tool Kit” blog from last month) atop each speaker, level it, and then tighten the spikes so that the speaker is rigidly coupled to the floor, making sure that all four spikes are in contact with the floor and the speaker (or stand, for monitors) doesn’t rock to and fro. The improvements in bass punch and image specificity can be startling! As a corollary, you can check to see if the bolts that hold each driver to its baffle are properly tightened. BE CAREFUL! You’re just ensuring that there are no loose bolts. Over-tightening can be catastrophic!

While we’re at it, it can’t hurt to clean and dust everything. If you’ve got some chutzpah, disconnect all of your components, remove from your rack and clean each with a soft, damp cloth. Clean the shelves upon which your components sit, as well. Will it make a difference in sound? Maybe not, but since when was dust and dirt A Good Thing? Since your rack is now empty, consider repositioning it. Do you have sufficient access to cables? Have you considered moving your rack to a more convenient location and changing cable lengths? Have you considered adding some sort of “Footers” beneath each component? Now’s the time!

Let’s make sure your system is “On The Level.” Even if you leveled everything when you first installed your system, that might no longer be the case. Start by leveling your system rack, making sure it doesn’t wobble or rock on the floor. Next, place your turntable and/or CD Player on its support and make sure they’re level, as well. Turntables require special attention. Check that cartridge screws and clips are tight, break out your stylus force gauge and check that tracing force hasn’t drifted, use a strobe to confirm speed accuracy. (This is especially important with Belt Drive ‘tables, as belts will stretch with use.) Load up your rack and verify level: an unladen rack won’t necessarily remain level once a couple of hundred pounds of equipment have been added! If there are nuts to lock your rack’s spikes in place, gently tighten to save your work.

It’s time to check your connections. Over the course of a year, your speaker binding posts will have loosened and your contacts will have become contaminated. This is a good time to bring your cables back to a Nordost Dealer for a three day Vidar burn-in. Buy a can of Cramolin and carefully clean every cable plug and chassis socket to remove built-up contaminants. (Do NOT apply any cleaner or treatment to AC connections: the results can be disastrous!) Before you reconnect all your cables, give everything a good wipe-down with Nordost ECO 3X to eliminate both dust and static charge. Ensure that all cables are properly “Dressed” and that power and signal cables are separated to the extent possible. Verify all connections and power-up….

Chances are, you’re going to experience a host of changes, some of which might not seem positive. You’ll probably hear more prominent bass and perhaps a bit more “immediate” (read: “Forward”) sound. This is normal! It’s time to reposition your speakers. Try everything: closer together and no toe-in, farther apart with more toe-in, closer and farther from the back and side walls, asymmetrical placement, etc. Use your favorite music and perhaps a couple of setup discs (Nordost makes a great one!) to restore the balance to your system. Once you’ve found the “Magic Spot” for your speakers, re-level, ensure that the speakers/stands are free of play and wobble and tighten.

Finally, here’s the most important part of the process. Pour yourself a drink, spin (or stream) your favorite album, sit back and enjoy your handiwork. Happy Spring!

RELATED INFO

AN AUDIOPHILE’S TOOL KIT

SPEAKER SET-UP GUIDE

Nordost is attending the T.H.E. Show Newport

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Nordost

Nordost will be exhibiting at T.H.E. Show Newport Beach, June 3-5 at The Hotel Irvine. In room 1404, attendees will be able to hear Nordost’s Reference and Supreme Reference Cable ranges which will be featured in a system using components from dCS, D’Agostino and Wilson loudspeakers. Nordost sales representatives and product specialists, Michael Taylor and Steve Greene will be leading demonstrations and making cable comparisons throughout the weekend. While at the show, make sure to take advantage of a special show offer on select Nordost products at our sales booth across from the market place.

Dealer Spotlight: AudioVisionaries

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Nordost

By Michael Taylor

cropped-logovision

If you are looking for “wonderful” things, just head south to our partner in Puerto Rico, AudioVisionaries. Wonderful beaches, wonderful cuisine, wonderful people, and wonderful music! Harry Reynolds, the General Manager at AudioVisionairies, has been making great music for a very long time. Born in San Juan, Harry founded the well-known Precision Audio store there back in 1981 at the tender age of 16! Having been around Hifi most of his life, he definitely knows how to get the best sound out of the systems he sells.

With his latest venture, AudioVisionaries, Harry is changing the business model. With his main guru, Hector, by his side, Harry has created a more personal environment for clients to understand how to get the best sound. With products such as Nordost, Linn, NAD master series, Sonos, etc, AudioVisionaries has products for every budget and performance level. Harry knows music doesn’t live in just one room of the house, which is why in addition to 2 channel systems, AudioVisionaries addresses every aspect of lifestyle, supplying solutions for kitchens, offices, patios…literally everywhere music can be played!

So whether you are looking to take your music listening to the next level, or just want to get the best audio to better enjoy a Chicago Bears or Boston Celtics game (two of his favorites), AudioVisionaries can help. We can tell you from first-hand experience, Harry knows his stuff. A few times a year we have Nordost events at his store in order to expose friends and clients to our cables and the magic they create. The store, as well as the demonstrations, are packed! We are proud to be affiliated with Harry and Hector down at AudioVisonaries.

Nordost at AXPONA Recap

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Nordost

AXPONA impressed us again. With a massive turnout and great atmosphere, AXPONA never disappoints. This year, Nordost not only partnered with our local dealer, Holm Audio, in three of their rooms, but we were featured in several other rooms throughout the show. If you didn’t get a chance to visit us in Chicago this time around, here are some pictures of our products in action at AXPONA 2016.

Nordost’s System:

Holm Audio was responsible for several rooms, all featuring Nordost!

DSCN4405E lo res

Hanson AV featured our Valhalla 2 cables and QRT products:

Nola’s system was using our flagship Odin 2 cable line and even wire their speakers internally with Nordost cable:

Mr Speakers headphones on display with our Heimdall 2 Headphone Cable:

Woo Audio was using our Blue Heaven Headphone Cable to demonstrate their WA7 Fireflies:

Headphone Guru reviews the Blue Heaven Headphone Cable

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Nordost

This year Nordost has expanded its line of personal audio products to include a new, lower-cost alternative to the Heimdall 2 Headphone Cable: the Blue Heaven Headphone Cable. Upon hearing about this new addition to the after-market headphone line, Frank Iacone of HEADPHONE.GURU was excited to be one of the first reviewers to cover our newest product. Frank tried out the Blue Heaven Headphone Cable with several leaders in the headphone market, including the Sennheiser HD800, HiFiMan HE1000 and MrSpeakers Ether C, and he found the improvements to each pair of headphones transformative.

“Listening with the high quality Blue Heaven headphone cables removed the obstacles that are always present from lesser quality cables. The Blue Heaven delivers music without grain and lets each headphone perform at a higher level. The Blue Heaven offers non-compromised performance at a value price. If you want to see what your headphone is capable of producing you should check out the Blue Heaven cables. Highly Recommended.” –Frank Iacone

You can now read Frank’s full article, Nordost—Blue Heaven Headphone Cables—Terrific Value and Quality at an Affordable Price, on the review section of the Nordost website.