Review: Jw audio interconnect and speaker cables


Category: Cables

I am submitting my impressions of the RCA interconnect (Jw audio cryo nebula) and unterminated speaker cables (Jw audio cryo nova). I listened to the RCA terminated speaker cables and the unterminated ones were clearly better on the top end.

I tried these cables because, they were, quite frankly very cheap. 8 foot pair of speaker cables was 80 bucks; 1 M pair of interconnects was 79.00 with each additional foot being 10 dollars extra. I purchased the 1.5 M IC's.

First, I will review the speaker cables. The system they were put into was comprised of the following: Alesis ML 9600 CD player/recorder (modified by Balanced Power technology), EAR 834 L tube preamplifier, Joseph Chow/Ralph Mueller modded 250 wpc Audio VanAlstine TETvalve hybrid amplifier, Emerald Physic CS 3 speakers, Zentara Interconnects (my reference), and Tritium Triphazer IC's.

I first listened to the RCA terminated cables and thought they were very good. The only real shortcoming I could hear was the lack of top end extension and sparkle. That was easily solved by getting the unterminated solid core speaker cable which was excellent in every way. Nothing is accentuated across the frequency spectrum. The music comes out effortlessly with an impressive amount of air and space in recordings that I know have it. Tone colors and instrument timbres are very realistic sounding. Male and female vocals are rendered superbly. Overall, this speaker cable is uber impressive. The break-in time is minimal - they sounded great right out of the box. I have listened to lots of really good speaker cables over the years - LAT international, Zentara (my reference made by Neng Kue), and AudioHorizons, all fine cables in their own right. Nevertheless, after listening to the Jw audio speaker cables it seriously calls into question spending the big bucks for speaker cables.

The interconnects were a different story. Yes, they are excellent and share the same family feature of imaging beautifully with lots of air and space when a recording has it. There is a big but though - the break-in time was considerable longer than the speaker cables. The system they were inserted in was my reference system consisting of: Magnepan 1.7 speakers, Zentara copper speaker cables, Canary 140 wpc tube monoblock amplifiers, Canary monoblock tube preamplifiers (modded by Bob and Gary Backert), dcs Purcell upsampler, dcs Delius DAC, AudioHorizons tube phonostage, Music Hall MM-7 turntable with a Goldring Eroica Cartridge, Musical Fidelity V-Link, iMac computer with iTunes and Pure Music functioning as my server for digital files.

When the IC's were first inserted the images were locked onto the speakers with minimal center fill. I was taken aback as I was expecting the same high level performance out of the box as I got from the speaker cables. Patience paid off big time. I cued up my list of favorite songs (130) and played this file all night long and during the day while at work. After a couple of days I settled down for some serious listening and was very, very pleased with what I heard. Tone colors and instrument timbres were excellent. There was a sense of organic richness and space that was not previously in my system - very noticeable on Jen Chapin's song entitled "You Haven't Done Nothing". Over time images filled the center of my soundstage and extended deeper than before.

What I got were very clean, clear, textured cables that were very much at home in two excellent sounding systems; these cables improved the sonics of both systems. I almost did not try them because they were so cheap. And if any component, cable or tweak is going to have any longevity in either of my systems, it has to work well with my existing system components and result in improved sonics. These cables fit this bill to a T.

I have no affiliation or connection with the company. I just like to share my thoughts on affordable products that give you outlandishly good performance. I will not venture to say these are the best cables that you will ever hear nor that you will even like them. All cables that I have listened to sound different. Yet, for the money, you can try them and you just might feel the way I did and save yourself some cash that you can buy music with or even other components. Cables make a difference. I think for many that these cables will give you a healthy dose of upper echelon cable performance. The performance:cost ratio is enormous. These cables get my billing as "stupid good" at their price point.
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xjaymark
I have had the JW reference interconnects with his new connectors that replaced the Eichmanns which I also had the Harmony are connectors allow for a more precise performance. I did Leeann a good lesson I had a zipper Siltech interconnect 7-9s pure Silver Gold alloy I thought after the dac it had to go first
from the dac it got a hair more detail but not as good a grip on the performance
i had the JW  going  to the amp end .
after months  I gave in it has more body and still airy with the JW reference 
I will be ordering another pair for sure. The Speaker cable was very good but my current cable is a bit better in my system .Everything  is system dependent .
the Reference interconnect Highly recommended !!

I cannot speak highly enough of JW audio.

Because of the above comments which I came upon by accident I tried out the cables and interconnects myself.

Astounding cables comparable to those costing a couple of thou($60 for the pair!!! and thank god they are not washing machines hoses snaking through your living room) and exceptional interconnects for very reasonable prices.

I recently replaced my Lyra Kleos cartridge with an Atlas and John's products were more than up to the challenge. And I saved literally thousands to put towards the crazy stupid priced Atlas. Though that nothing but a phono needle is worth it.(Harry at VPI blew me away with it. I had to pick up my jaw from his living room floor. I would never tell anybody I know how much I spent on that thing. They would think I was mad as a hatter.)

If you don't at least try audition John's stuff well I don't know what to say except that you enjoy throwing money away. And lots of it.

Also his customer service and generosity with advice is second to none. Never have I felt the conversation being rushed like I do with many people in the audio business especially with those who have just scored a sale off of you.

After reading these reviews on Audiogon, I decided to give them a try. Currently using Cardas Clear interconnect an Cardas Clear Speaker Cable, approximately $4500.00 in value. Before the Cardas I was using Kaballa Sosna Emotion interconnect an speaker cable at a $6000.00 value. Both are excellent companies that make great sounding cables. First ordered the speaker cable from John, arrived 4 days later. open the box an thought, you must be kidding. These cables were as plain an ordinary looking as a cable can look. Once placed in the system I could not believe what I was hearing. They are the most coherant an transparent speaker cables in have heard, mind you they cost $70.00. Just got off the phone with John expressing my shock an pleasure of what I just heard, an ordered his new statement interconnects. Kudos John, you are a magician.
I have JW bi wire speaker cables and can recommend them heartily. The best value in cables that I have found.
Thank you guys very much.
My mission is to produce a sonicaly superior cable and IC at a price point that defies logic.
John
JW Audio
Bigshutterbug - glad to know that my ears are not fooling me,lol....I don't mind spending a some bucks to get good gear but every now and then there is a disruptive product that gives great perfomance but costs very little.
Nice system you have there Jaymark! I have also found the same to be true for me with the JW speaker cables in my system...Lots of clarity, speed and energy, without tonal colorations that I have found using other speaker cables. The upper highs sounded as extended (or more) as the best pure silver cables I have tried when I removed the spade terminations on both ends in my rig. I purchased a pair of their interconnects recently as well, but have not been able to try them for long due to a pending repair issue with my tube amp. Excellent review, and certainly a "stupid good" product as you stated.