Recommendation for an audiophile speaker cord that is not "bright"?


A friend has loaned me the Nordost Valhalla I and II as well as Nordost Frey 2 cables. They are wonderful speaker cables but do emphasize the "brightness" of my system including my Wilson audio Sahsa 2 speakers.

Any suggestions? Would used Transparent cables provide a richer bottom end? What about Audience Reference?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. - Thank you - Gerry
128x128ruraltraumasurgeon

Showing 4 responses by delkal

So........you are demoing some $2000-4000 per meter pieces of wire and you want other peoples advice what is better? OK, I will be like the rest. Why are you bottom feeding with the cheap stuff? Spend more (like I did) and it will sound much better.

Being more serious............It is all about synergy. At the prices you are contemplating there is a better than 50% chance you could find something better for your system at much lest than half the cost (maybe even 1/10th). What cables have you tried so far that sounded OK on your system? How much did they cost? And what are you hoping to improve by upgrading?
Ruraltrauma-    I might have missed it but I still don't see where you told us the speaker cables you tried that you thought sounded OK.   That is kind of important.   If you tried a brand that does not have the brightness in your system you should consider moving up their line.   Many manufacturers try and voice their cables with the same "house sound". 
Going from some generic twisted copper cables without terminators to a $2000+ per meter speaker cable is quite a jump. You should experiment more in the low end before you take the plunge. Who knows you might find something you like along the way.

Like others have mentioned I would avoid all plated cables for now and stick with pure copper. All of the plated speaker cables I tried either sound too bright or harsh with my system (YMMV). I would also try some solid core cables instead of the usual stranded construction. Get a pair of the Audioquest Type 4 "no frills" cables audioadvisor sells and see what what you think. For me they improved the bass and low end punch vs a simple twisted stranded pair. They also had a pleasant midrange and I didn’t notice significant brightening in the treble.

Considering the amount you are willing to spend trying it should be a no brainer. You can get an 8 ft pair with bananas for $110 shipped. Then if you like it work up the Audioquest solid line. They should have the same voice.
https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AQT4NF&opt=474|492|494|498


oldhvymec
The capacitor and resistor on the output end of the Transparent cable is just a Zobel network.   If you connect them directly to the speaker terminals it would simplify things.  Just stick them in the holes where bare cables go or maybe use spades.