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Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Nirvana Audio S-L Ltd. Interconnect Cable by audmanic@yahoo.co.uk

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REVIEW: Nirvana Audio S-L Ltd. Interconnect Cable

87.203.165.0


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Model: S-L Ltd. Interconnect
Category: Cable
Suggested Retail Price: $750
Description: RCA version
Manufacturer URL: Nirvana Audio

Review by audmanic@yahoo.co.uk on October 25, 2007 at 03:12:38
IP Address: 87.203.165.0
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I will try to compare this faboulus cable with many other interconnects I own and used between my DAC (Musical Fidelity Kw) and Jadis amplification, Proac Speakers. Just to know, I cannot currently replace the Acoustic Zen's Satori and Hologram cables with other speaker cables , so this review/comparison made listening through AZens speaker cables.

First of all, I own various interconnects from various 'schools' and tastes. For a year or more I have my Cardas Golden Reference as my personal 'reference' cable between DAC/CD and amplifiers. After a long break-in progress about 200 hours I found the most liquid and well-balanced interconnect that gave dimesion and height to singers and instruments like no other and tremendous detail.
After switching with Acoustic Zen's fantastic Silver Reference MK2 I found that they highs went from sweet to sweetest ever, the mids lost the golden glow , some weight and image precision went from very good to truly excellent level. The Cardas felt more 'woody' and far more weighty. Both cables let you see in the recording like few cables at any price.
After reading some reviews and that David Chesky of Chesky records uses Nirvana cables for his all equipment, I brought S-L interconnect. After 200 hours of burn-in, I replace my G.R. with S-L. I cannot remember which record I first played. The presentation was so correct that I cannot switch back to any previous cable I used. For example, back recordings with the Cardas G.R. were exposed to a degree that you never want to listen them. I also found G.R. oversize the mid-low notes of violins in all recordings (f.e. Paganini's 24 caprice , Ehnes from Telarc), making them sound more 3D but with near perfect ambience, detail and air surroundings. With S-L the whole bunch of notes of violins from top to bottom sounded so correct, so even, so woody+steely like in real-life. You will not hear the breaths of violin so much as with Cardas but details were all there and everything was so balanced and closer to absolute truth of timbre. S-L is more friendly with bad recordings, sounding always musical with a bit of warmth. Bass is firm, tight and correctly sized in my system with S-L. With AZ Silver R. the bass was lighter and velvety. With Cardas sometimes it boosts and was more energetic. Both Cardas and S-L are easily presenting large dynamic swings and saw their jaws. But I have to say that S-L's soundstage surpasses every cable I used, its really a gentle dynamite. The balance of this cable, the natural timbres that came of and the size of stage made this cable the best one I own. Some may found that it could be more trasparent (I dont think so) compared with silver cables, but the midrange purity and the truth of timbre let my equipment's voice so natural, organic and musical that I cannot go back to other brand. Viva Audio Nirvana !
Some notes: Piano sounds cleaner and more precise from top to bottom without a hint of glare, ringing and pitch shifting in upper or lower notes (compared with other cables), Diana Krall sounds less liquid than G.Reference but all stage seems to have more balance and depth. Violins sounded like violins for the first time and the 'true wall of sound' of an orchestra never sounded truer. Red Hot Chilli P. 'Stadium Arcadium' is listenable from top to bottom without presenting any hardness previously heared.


Product Weakness: Not so critical like a surgeon's eye with many bad recordings. You may find more transpert, more liquid, more weight in some other designs, but this is not an issue when comparing the art of presenting the truth with such balance and naturalism than S-L.
Product Strengths: It feels 'right' and 'well-balanced'. It has the best soundstage presentation and overall surpassed all of the enemy cables in my rig.


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: -.
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): - .
Sources (CDP/Turntable): - .
Speakers: - .
Cables/Interconnects: - .
Music Used (Genre/Selections): - .
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): .




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Topic - REVIEW: Nirvana Audio S-L Ltd. Interconnect Cable - audmanic@yahoo.co.uk 03:12:38 10/25/07 ( 0)