Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Nordost Blue Heaven Speaker Cable Cable by demosasp@otenet.gr

Model:	Blue Heaven Speaker Cable
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$600 10 ft.
Description:	Biwireable
Manufacturer URL:	Nordost
Manufacturer URL:	Nordost

Review by demosasp@otenet.gr ( A ) on June 07, 2006 at 04:08:17
IP Address: 87.203.227.66

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for the Blue Heaven Speaker Cable

After a lot of burn-in period (about 300 hours) this is my conclusion for the 8-feet bi-wire Nordost Blue Heaven MkII I own.

- Transperancy and slighlty shifted detail.
This is one of the most transparent rather cheap cables out there.
Especially in the mid-range that is (after burn in) leading to
smooth, cool and bright reproduction with resolution and weight
enough to convince .
- Frequency spectrum.
Bass and treble emphasized.
Bass regions are strong but without the clarity and precision I so much
enjoy with some higher costing cables, or the delicacy of the low
regions of a Cardas f.e.
Mid-band.
Mayby the hottest point of Nordost. Well defined, detailed but lean
and cold with some combos. With tubes or with some s.states the leaness
is not so apparent.
Hi-band.
A rather bad side of cable. The violins upper notes shouting with more
edge and sharpness, the high-freq spectrum is emphasized and the
orchestra's strings are badly presented. Violin's upper notes are
not in the 'right' place among with the rest notes and listening to a
violin concerto is a slightly torture. Changing cables of various
brands like Cardas or (a true gem) Auditorium 23 ? Violins notes back
in the right place without a hint of edge, hardness or emphasis.

The cable is for those who will never listen to classical music.
However, in medium-cost setups or with some anemic-slow bass tube
amps this cable could be the cure , while listening to hard-rock or
modern music. The cable's mid-range is smooth and rather fatigue
free, unlike the upper and lower registers that are not my taste.

The soundstage image is precise, with good information, and with the
soundstage starting always from the very front and extending to
behind the walls (with f.e. a Primaluna Two amp I once connected).
But the bass region is slightly out-of-time and very strong.

I like this cable for the dynamism, micro-macro dynamics, transperancy,
but dislike listen to classical music.

Product Weakness: Not so refined upper frequencies, tonal errors with most good equipment, not for the classical music lovers. Also I like a slightly bolder and darker presentation.
Product Strengths: Precision, imaging, mid-range. Dynamic and transparent with a lot of detail for the price.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Many
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Many
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Musical Fidelity A5
Speakers:	Proacs, etc.
Cables/Interconnects:	Many
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical, Rock, Jazz, Metal
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Not so refined upper frequencies, tonal errors with most good equipment, not for the classical music lovers. Also I like a slightly bolder and darker presentation.
Product Strengths:	Precision, imaging, mid-range. Dynamic and transparent with a lot of detail for the price.