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Art Dudley Listening - Stereophile Dec '09 Nordost

Reading this month's issue of Stereophile, I came across Art's monthly column - Listening. The overall theme was building a foundation for a given system, whether it be physical, mechanical, electrical, etc.

The Nordost boys came to his house with platforms, quantum field resonators, and Nordost cables. At the moment, I do not have the resources to investigate platforms or quantum field resonators even though in the article, they do work to some degree.

My question is concerning cabling. More specifically, Nordost cabling. The folks from Nordost recommended using cables within a similar line and performance specifications. For example, not using Valhalla speaker cables with Blue Heaven interconnects. What caught my attention, and seemed counter-intuitive, was the cabling they chose. From memory, they used Tyr Speaker cable, don't recall the IC, and Vishnu power cables. Basically, the highest, and therefore most expensive, cable was the speaker cables. Cheapest was the power cords.

When assembling my system, it seemed to me that I would be better off moving up the Nordost IC line, then SC, and finally PC's. Am I missing something here? My interconnects are Quattro Fil, speaker is Red Dawn, and PC is Shiva. Should I have gotten better SC and lower line IC's?
gherrera1
pani
1,214 posts
 
I can see their reasoning in using low end power cables because in my system, they made the least difference.

So, this is a problem around power cords. Most if the entry level power cords are nothing but basic electrical wire with a nice jacket hence you do not hear anything significant. But once you cross a certain level, power cords take over. Seriously, they become the most significant cable, more than the IC or the SC. They change things at the very fundamental level. They affect the way the equipment generates the signal. But you hear all this only when you go to the next level of power cords. Something like a Tel Wire, Lessloss, Shunyata Python, Transparent Reference, Purist Aqueous etc.

I would go with PC -> IC -> SC.
tom6897's avatar
tom6897
1,484 posts
 
Ditto^ It all starts with the PC and proper AC grounding and distribution. None of your componets will work without power. It starts the whole process of exciting electrons. Spend your money on PC and distribution, the fewer filters the better. You are looking for bandwidth not contouring the sound via filter networks and other gimmicks.(no boxes, add-ons, vudoo etc.) then the IC from source to pre amp or integrated. Buy the speakers you "LOVE" There is no need to buy a SC that ads landscaping, tone, color etc... to your speakers sound. You bought them because you like the way they sound why would you want to change there inherit sound?? Find a good quality neutral cable and get off of the merry go round.
larryski2
37 posts
 
Tom - Your comments relative to AC power and proper grounding being the very necessary foundation for a "good" system are very similar to those expressed by a Nordost rep at a presentation I attended just a few days ago in Dallas. After establishing that foundation, his opinion was that the most important cable in any system was the PC from the wall outlet to a good power distributor, followed then by source PC's, IC, and then SC's, in that order.

My big question is "What is the best way to establish a good ground?
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Blind testing is good for testing the listener , but little else .
keithr
1,306 posts
 
same review that said none of it sounded good until a power cord was put on his computer server?

yeah, right Art---keep up the BS.
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