Nordost Valhalla vs. Acoustic Zen

Keith, did you try the Valhalla or just the Quattro Fil? To my ear the Quattro Fil is very sterile sounding compared to the Silver Ref. I did an experiment in my recording studio and recorded the same music through each cable, and then played back the results. It was startling how much more ambient detail and even reverb was available through the Silver Ref that the Quattro Fil could not pass. I am using BAT VK150se amps, Wadia 860x CD and Dunlavy 4 speakers all plugged into a Sound Application CF-X with Krakatoa power cords and Satori speaker cable.

I've tried both. I own the Vallhalla's. Don't you just hate when a product that insanely expensive is jusifiably that much better than the competition.

Heya Bryan and Jim,

I have not tried Vallhalla. I am only repeating oppinions that I have heard from several folks I have talked to that have tried them. Acuujim was one of those folks. I use Nordost Quattro Fil and Siltech 80B in my system. Quattro Fil is the most neutral IC I have yet heard. Siltech is a close 2nd (still being broken in).

Now looking at your system Ejlif... I see you are running a Wadia 860x straight into some Bat150se amps. I have a lot of experience running digital sources directly into amps... This setup is not the best thing to do. I would highly advise getting an amazing tube preamp for your system. The mechanisms that most digital sources (like the Wadia) use for regulating volume are not that great (especially at low to mid volume levels). It is effectively a form of passive preamplification (using metal filimants) that is ok but still does not compare with high class seperate preamplification.

Anyway, back on the subject. The AZ cable is dimensional. However, it seems to create some false air around instruments/voices. It seems to enhance the midrange of a system. The AZ might take some of the digital edge off of your source. I still think you should try a great tube preamp (it will take the digital edge off as well).I do thing the AZ competes with the Nordost; however, the Nordost does not seem to emphasize anything. It seems very neutral and amazingly accurate.

Comparing the AZ to the Vallhalla is... well... in the end a little pointless. Vahalla is about two tiers of price higher than the AZ (the Quattro Fil actually ebing in the price tier inbetween the two). If it is in the same league with the AZ something is very wrong. I am sure some systems (lower end) the AZ would sound better than the Vallhalla. However when one moves up to reference level electronics, the differences become very evident. The Vallhalla has to be superior, else those folks buying it are totally insane... (maybe not far off from the truth... heh heh...) I find those moving into the Vallhalla have tried nearly every high end IC on the market. They seem to all conclude that the Vallhalla is best. I am sure it hurts to admit this because of it's extreme price... Personally, I would not be using the Vallhalla unless I had a system of total retail value of around $60k+ (spending about 10% of total system price on cables). AZ makes sense with systemps of around $10-$20k retail.

Anyway, this and $2 will get you a $2 of coffee at Starbucks.

Peace.

Keith

Wow you guys are right diffrent cables sound radically diffrent to diffrent systems and ears. I would say that Quattro Fil would work better in a bright system than Acoustic Zen Silver Ref. I would say that could be the only problem with Silver Ref is that it passes so much through that it could be to revealing. To my ear the Silver Ref is as much better than Quattro Fil than I would expect Valhalla to be over Quattro Fil. I have also tried Siltech 80b and I liked it too, it is a bit like Acoustic Zen, just a little to laid back in my system. I am just amazed at the diffrence of opinion here, I wanted to know if there were others out there who had the same experience and were as impressed with Acoustic Zen as I have been. I was buying new cables every couple of weeks trying to find the best match. After getting the Zen wires I have stopped. I think the Power cord and digital cables are awesome as well. The Krakatoa power cord makes the Powersnakes King Cobra seem like a piece of junk in comparison in my system. Thanks for all the replies.

My system is also mostly Quattro and various different Siltech. I find the Quattro betters the Siltech except in the bass. I hear slightly more detail in the bass with the Siltech. (In my system of course.)