Nordost Cables

cstmar01

So does anyone here use Nordost and if so which ones?

Been thinking of maybe trying something other than MIT and was recommended to try Nordost, however I don't know much about their lines, and or where the best place is to start with their cables.

If doing so would be looking at at least 2 pairs balanced and 1 pair unbalanced.

PS and I'm NOT looking for any opinions from those that don't beleive/like/understand/want to know/need to know/never heard/decided not to hear/ever want to hear/failed to hear/couldn't decide/believe in only DBX/science proves anything/cables are dumb/anything else naysaying crowd.

I want to keep this to those that have used the line before and their OPINIONS on this.

reeltrouble1

I am pretty sure it was the Blue Haven that we had in the old cable swap, not really rave reviews on those from the gang, I have some experience with the heimdall, those are extremely nice and had a great sound full bodied sound, you can get them on a demo if you contact them. With the level of audio you are heading for I would not start anywhere less.

RT1

ohskigod

I use the Blue Heaven and whatever is the notch below it on my 2 channel. some of my favorite cables. whatever I swap in for it I wind up getting right out.

cstmar01

Thanks for the info.

The last place I went to that I heard the MF stuff I really liked the system was using Nordost, however speaker cables were Audioquest with DBS system and the IC's were balanced but I forgot to ask which ones.

The dealer stated that even though he likes MIT himself (however they don't carry because already have audioquest and Nordost and another) that he would recommend for me to demo the Nordost line. He said people seem to come back saying they are getting more detail with them compared to others, even MIT.

He did state though MIT is a very good choice as well and wouldn't be offended if I stuck with them, I'm just looking for something different. If I did go to a higher MIT it would be either the shotgun or CVT series.

heiney9

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

I am pretty sure it was the Blue Haven that we had in the old cable swap, not really rave reviews on those from the gang, I have some experience with the heimdall, those are extremely nice and had a great sound full bodied sound, you can get them on a demo if you contact them. With the level of audio you are heading for I would not start anywhere less.

RT1

Agreed on Hemidalls, the Blue Heavens were a tad weak on the bass and very hot on the top end. Nice clear, forward vocals, but the rest I mention above ultimately turned me off. MIT is hard to beat, but have some fun experiementing.

H9

98Badger

cstmar,

I'd be interesed in your opinion if you end up trying out some of the Nordost cables. I've been looking at them myself lately. From the reading I've been doing, most of the recommendations I've seen have been for the Red Dawn or higher. Supposedly they are very system dependent. I should probably just demo a pair and find out myself. I'm really afraid I'd like them and the audio fund needs to be replenished right now.

LuSh

Nordost excels at speed and resolution. It really gets out of the way from the music. A lot of cables 'sound better' but are less accurate. Depends on your taste, do you like more milk in your coffee or prefer more sugar.

I will say that if you take a dynamic drum track from say The O-Zone Percussion Group off the Manger Audio sampler you'll hear exactly what the Nordost offers over most cables. Good or bad it's different.

jm1

I use the Frey series in most of the two channel signal path. Briefly tried the Heimdall series at home as well but never had the chance to directly compare with Frey. I have never tried any of the lower series cables. Also have listened to Tyr, Valhalla and Odin.

I find the Frey cables are extremely clear and with an even balance throughout the audio spectrum; they don’t highlight any specific frequency region. The treble is extended and intricate with no hint of being splashy. The midrange is very clear and natural. There is an even amount of controlled low frequency extension.

The soundstage starts precisely inline between the speakers and extends back. Images are precisely defined within the soundstage. The macro and micro dynamics are first-rate.

The ICs had more of an impact on the overall system performance and characteristics than the speaker cables. If you system is on the brighter side of “neutral”, you should test a pair before committing to a purchase if possible.

related audio stuff

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=72688

lakesailor

Personally I don’t think you can beat the Enchantress for the value. I am partial to silver as that seems to work best in my system. I have tried a few different Nordost models (but not the Red Dawn) and I keep coming back to the Enchantress. I would like to try a Silver Shadow digital next…..

cstmar01

Thanks for the info guys.

I think I might see what the demos that are offered are and go from there. The dealer also said he has some for demo that I could use however seeing he's 2 hours away from me its not always the fastest thing to do for returning and stuff like that as he doesn't ship demos.