Nordost Vahalla or Mit Oracle


Has anyone compared Nordost vahalla speaker cables to Mit Oracle v2.2 ? Both of these are on the used market in my budget ($5000.+-) I am using Mit mh770 right now, amps are upgraded Threshold T-400s (2 in mono mode) and speakers are Duntec C-5000 (princess). I have used Mit products for years, with no issues, but hear such good talk about Nordost
dfrost
Well, this is going to be a bit of a stretch, but I have used both the cable you are using now, (MIT 770 CVT - bi-wired) as well as the Nordost Valhalla (also bi-wired). (Unfortunately, the MIT was used in my system several years ago, (about 5 years ago, I think). In addition, I used different amps and speakers then (Mark Levinson No. 23 amp, with Revel Studio speakers), than I do now (Lamm M2.1 amps, with EgglestonWorks Andra II speakers). I have not heard the MIT Oracle V2.2 cables though.

However, I will give you my best shot at the differences, based upon my memory, poor as that might be! :-)

The MIT was a very good cable, and it had impressive bass response. (Quick, tight, deep). The soundstaging and imaging was very good as well. The treble was very good, but not great, as it did not seem as well extended. Mid-range was nice, not too warm, not too lean. A well balanced cable, IMHO.

The Nordost Valhalla is a better cable, IMHO though, especially in my current system, in as that it seems to provide just a bit more resolution to the music. (Of course that could be because my system is just that much better too!) First off, I will state that I have read that some people think this cable is lean sounding. I disagree, in as that I think it is just very, very neutral. (I think that most cables have a bit of warmth to them, some more than others, and that the Valhalla just seems lean in comparison.) The bass response is also very quick, tight and deep. The treble response is very well extended, and provides nice air around the cymbals. (If the Valhalla deviates from its neutrality, I would say it is in the treble response, which could be said to be a bit on the bright side. (However, it mates very well with my Lamm M2.1s, which are slightly on the dark side, so I am happy with it regardless.) The soundstaging and imaging are incredible as well.

Other cables that I have used between the MIT cables and the Valhallas were the Audience AU24 cables, (Very good cables, and a best bang for the buck cable, IMHO, and probably at least as good as the MIT 770, if not better), and the Jena Labs Pathfinder cables, which are a good alternative to the Valhallas. (But, if and only if, your system has no trace of darkness. If it does, the Pathfinders will sound dark, as they did with my Lamm M2.1s unfortunately. I think that the Pathfinders are warmer and slightly more musical than the Valhallas, but at the same time, they have just a hint of darkness to them. (My friend with the Lamm M2.2s, which are not dark sounding at all, switched from the Valhallas to the Pathfinders, and they sound great in his system.) Just goes to prove that system synergy is everything in this hobby!

Well, I hope this helps.
Good Luck in your search.
Upgrade a component with your $5K instead of tossing money into the cable black hole.
If I had $5000.00 to spend on cables,I would be trying them myself,not asking what others think.Of course,this is just my opinion.
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