2 6
Reviews


NORDOST QBASE QB6 MARK III – MAINS DISTRIBUTION BLOCK

The Nordost QBASE QB6 Mark III builds on the considerable strengths of the units that went before it, bringing significant benefits to timing and the resolution of fine but musically important detail.

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Publication:  hi-fi+
Issue: 234
Reviewer: Steve Dickinson


NORDOST QBASE REFERENCE (QB 10) AC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Nordost has always been about correctly establishing a system's foundations, and the QBASE Reference is a cornerstone in that regard. This is your next upgrade for those already in audio's First-Class lounge...Nordost's QBASE Reference is that important to the sound of your system.

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Publication:  hi-fi+
Issue: 230
Reviewer: Alan Sircom


NORDOST QBASE8 MARK III AC DISTRIBUTION UNIT

[The QBASE Mark III] is restorative, bringing to light low-level details and mirco-dynamic shifts that have been obscured. The sonic results make themselves known immediately and consistently.

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Publication: The Absolute Sound
Issue: 348
Reviewer: Neil Gader


NORDOST QNET NETWORK SWITCH REVIEW

With Nordost’s new QNET in place, everything sounds smoother and more fluid; it’s better balanced with less harshness. The leading edges of notes seem to be sharper and have more energy, giving the system greater dynamic expression.

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Publication: StereoNET
Date: March 18, 2024
Reviewer: Mark Gusew


THE TRUE BENEFITS OF POWER TREATMENT! NORDOST HEIMDALL QBASE 8 MK III

...impressive, as if the speakers had changed color, in addition to having modified their drivers to better color the timbres.

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Publication: VuMetre
Date: October/November 2023 
Reviewer: Vincent Guillemin


CÂBLES ENCEINTES ET MODULATION NORDOST HEIMDALL 2

Très rapide et lumineux, ils procurent en particulier une pureté pour laquelle on sait que Nordost se veut l'un des meilleurs représentants du marché.

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Publication: VuMetre
Date: March/April 2024 
Reviewer: Vincent Guillemin
Language: Français


NORDOST HEIMDALL 2 LOUDSPEAKER CABLE REVIEW 

...it's easily better sounding than all the other speaker cables I have to hand, including my reference loom, which costs considerably more.

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Publication: StereoNET
Date: October 23, 2023
Reviewer: Mark Gusew


NORDOST BLUE HEAVEN INTERCONNECTS, SPEAKER CABLES, AND POWER CORDS

Their sound invited long listening sessions, and the well-sorted soundstage aided in following complex musical lines...Blue Heaven's clear, clean sound is a joy.

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: September 19, 2023
Reviewer: Mark Blackmore


STAR QUALITY – THE NORDOST QB8 MK. III DISTRIBUTION BLOCK

The latest QB8 should open the window on your recordings wider than ever before, not least because its benefits spread across every component in your system, allowing every single one to work better . . .

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Publication: GY8
Date: June 2023
Reviewer: Roy Gregory


WINNER: HI-FI+ ANALOGUE AWARDS 2023 – ODIN 2 TONEARM CABLE +

This is like your turntable just took a step into a larger, deeper, yet tauter and more rhythmic world. It’s uncanny. . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: 219
Reviewer: Alan Sircom


NORDOST QNET – WINNER – DIGITAL COMPONENT: NETWORK SWITCH

QNET goes to the next level, as befits what is very likely the next generation in a fast-moving subset of audio.

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Publication:  Hi-Fi+
Issue / Date: 214 / December 2022
Reviewer: Alan Sircom


NORDOST QNET ETHERNET SWITCH 

[With the QNET] It was clearly a move forward with small improvements across the board, and one major shift. The transformation of soundstage depth was extraordinary, as flat space became deep. The impression of 3D was so great it caused me to question, could this be an artifact?

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Publication:  Positive Feedback
Issue / Date: No 123 / October 21, 2022
Reviewer: Marshall Nack


NORDOST QNET AND QSOURCE – NETWORK SWITCH AND LINEAR POWER SUPPLY

I can honestly say that the QNet/QSource pairing transported me closer to my ultimate goal, which is to move closer to the source of artistic creation and the artists I love.

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Publication:   Stereophile
Issue / Date: Vol. 45 No.10 / October 2022
Reviewer: Jason Victor Serinus

NORDOST QNET NETWORK SWITCH

Thanks to Nordost’s QNET, network audio just took a leap forward in listenability. It makes your streamed music sound more like music and it’s only when you realise just how far from that goal we usually are with networked audio that you begin to understand how important this humble- looking audiophile hockey puck is going to be.

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Publication:   Hi-Fi+
Issue / Date: 209 / July 2022
Reviewer: Alan Sircom

NORDOST TYR X1 UMBILICAL FOR CH PRECISION COMPONENTS

. . . the sonic shift was as obvious as it was immediately apparent…the acoustic is bigger, with greater depth and presence and a blacker background…The bass goes deeper and with significantly greater weight and power…There’s more presence, body, energy and sense of ‘bowing’ in the strings…when the piano enters its sound is impressively dimensional, crisp and definite…These differences are neither small nor musically insignificant.

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Publication:  GY8
Date: May 2022
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

NORDOST QPOINT SYNCHRONIZER

…the QPOINT locks down the map of the stage and increases the grip, adding body mass and boosting low frequency response. The sound is more pure and becomes easier to read, as if the signal has been cleaned up and extraneous stuff removed.

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Publication:  Positive Feedback
Issue / Date: No 120 / April 1, 2022
Reviewer:  Marshall Nack

NORDOST HEIMDALL 2 TONEARM CABLE+ REVIEW

…a definite step-up from what the Blue Heaven Tonearm Cable+ was capable of. With the Heimdall 2 Tonearm Cable+, the music appeared more immediate and distinctly layered while remaining remarkably cohesive.

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Publication: StereoNET
Date: March 3, 2022
Reviewer: Jay Garrett

BLUE HEAVEN LS ANALOG INTERCONNECT

This interconnect offers superb detail, a full soundstage and really refined performances … ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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Publication:  Hi-Fi Choice 
Date: March 2022
Reviewer:   Neville Roberts

3 COMPLEMENTARY AUDIO PRODUCTS TO INDULGE YOUR STEREO SYSTEM

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Publication: Audio Video Reviews
Date: 2/25/2022
Reviewer: Anton Kaminsky
Language: עִברִית (Hebrew)

NORDOST ODIN 2 TONEARM CABLE +

This is the best damn cable to hook a turntable to a phono stage. Ever.

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Publication:  Hi-Fi+ 
Issue / Date: 204 / February 2022
Reviewer:   Alan Sircom

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 ETHERNET CABLE  

My time with all the Valhalla 2 cables was musically intensive, instructive and, at times, mind blowing from their wonderful effect on my system. A glorious set, echoed in the marvelous Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable. If you have a musical, revealing setup with room and system synergy in place, I dare you to hear them in your system. Very highly recommended.

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Publication:  Audiophilia 
Date: February 11, 2022
Reviewer: Anthony Kershaw

NORDOST VALHALLA V2 ETHERNET CABLE 

Nordost Valhalla V2 Ethernet offered a different, clearer, and more focused imagery, sounding less like a mechanical pulsating narrative and more like a tenacious non embellished sonic momentum.

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Publication:  Mono and Stereo
Date: February 2022
Reviewer:  Matej Isak

NORDOST QSOURCE LINEAR POWER SUPPLY

To introduce intangibles like atmosphere and timbral finesse, along with tangibles like deep resolution and transparency out to the corners, you might consider the Nordost QSOURCE… the level of refinement the QSOURCE LPS brought exceeded my expectations; my quest for a Hi-End LPS ends here.

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Publication:  Positive Feedback
Issue / Date: No 119 / January 29, 2022
Reviewer:  Marshall Nack

NORDOST SORT KONE – REVIEW

The Nordost AC SORT KONES are far more than a tweak, and that to even consider them tweaks denies their stunning music-freeing abilities. We very highly recommend the Nordost SORT KONES as an amazing, stand-alone, portable rack system, that will allow one’s music to sing at a level above.

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Publication:  AudioKey Reviews
Date: December 20, 2021
Reviewer:  K. E. Heartsong

NORDOST PREMIUM QKORE WIRE

The major impact of the Premium QKORE wires is purity of the high frequencies. Secondary effects include increased image mass, a boost in dynamics, and dialing in focus. On the subjective side, there's more drama and impact… If you've already invested in the Nordost QKORE solution, this one's a no-brainer. For what you will get, they're not asking a lot.

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Publication:  Positive Feedback
Issue / Date: No 118 / November 22, 2021
Reviewer:  Marshall Nack

NORDOST BLUE HEAVEN TONEARM CABLE + REVIEW

Right from the off, this Blue Heaven tonearm cable proved an improvement over the original. It produced an even more musical, engaging and detailed soundscape, no doubt in part due to the lower noise floor, which encourages you to turn the music up, as well as making listening at lower volumes much more rewarding.

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Publication:  StereoNET
Date: November 23, 2021
Reviewer:  Jay Garrett

NORDOST BLUE HEAVEN RCA INTERCONNECT CABLE

The Blue Heaven certainly lives up to its manufacturer's claims of offering accurate signal transfer at a relatively affordable price… with especially impressive detail and sound staging. Value-wise it punches well above its weight, so it is well worth auditioning.

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Publication: StereoNET
Date: November 4, 2021
Reviewer: Neville Roberts

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 ETHERNET CABLE

Expectations were kept in check for this review, and yet now I have to concede that this is a network cable that’s not just a bit sonically different, it’s a palpable triumph in digital audio sound reproduction.

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Publication:  Hi-Fi+
Issue: 199
Reviewer: Andrew Harrison

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 REFERENCE CABLES

…the timing, transparency and resolution of the cables are astounding. So, while everything in the orchestra is laid clearly before you, the sheen and tactile effects from the V2’s design, construction and materials make every musical choice a delicious event. This is playback way beyond technique.

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Publication: Audiophilia
Date: September 2021
Reviewer: Anthony Kershaw

NORDOST HEIMDALL 2 POWER CORD

With the Heimdall 2 in my valve preamp power supply, Dave Brubeck’s Unsquare Dance is spectacularly reproduced with the crisp and sharp drum-taps and hand-claps in perfect sync with the bassline and piano. With Take Five the breathtakingly real saxophone appears in the middle of my listening room. All the instrument images are perfect and the double- bass, which is taut and full, balances perfectly with the piano and drums…. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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Publication: Hi-Fi Choice
Issue / Date: June 2021
Reviewer: Neville Roberts

NORDOST RED DAWN POWER CORD

The full force and power of the performance shine through my system with a wide and spacious three-dimensional soundstage. This is certainly a high-quality power cable worthy of any top-end system... ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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Publication: Hi-Fi Choice
Issue / Date: May 2021
Reviewer: Neville Roberts

NORDOST NORSE 2 BI WIRE JUMPERS

The Norse 2 [Bi-Wire Jumper]…matches its task very well, offering all the refinement you would expect from a set of high-end cables and so is a sensible upgrade to the metal links fitted to so many speakers . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi Choice
Issue / Date: No 473 / March 2021
Reviewer: Neville Roberts

KLARE STRUKTUR

Das Lautsprecherkabel Red Dawn von Nordost schafft Ordnung und bringt damit Licht ins Dunkel . . .

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Publication:hifi & records
Date: January 2021
Reviewer: Olaf Strum
Language: Deutsch (German)

Review - QKORE GROUND UNITS AND QKORE

NORDOST QKORE GROUND UNITS AND QKORE WIRE | REVIEW

When the time came for me to remove the Nordost QKORE grounding units from the system, I noticed the difference immediately. … I felt my system lost just a bit of its edge and clarity . . .

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Publication: Part-Time Audiophile
Date: December 27, 2020
Reviewer: Marc Phillips

NORDOST BLUE HEAVEN POWER CORD

The overall performance is clear and refined with a very low noise floor. The Blue Heaven is certainly a very good value-for-money, high-quality power cable option.  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi Choice Date: December 2020
Reviewer: Neville Roberts

NORDOST QRT QPOINT AND QRT QSOURCE — STRANGE BUT TRUE

With the introduction of the QPOINTS, the orchestra really snapped into place. It was like a photo that went from blurry to sharp in the blink of an eye. It was a sheer pleasure to hear . . . What a revelation!

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Publication: The Absolute Sound
Issue / Date: No 309 / October 2020
Reviewer: Jacob Heilbrunn

Nordost Review - QRT QKORE6 - 2020

NORDOST QRT QKORE6

. . . connecting all elements in our system to the artificial ground is equivalent to replacing any of its elements with a superior one. But - and here it starts to be interesting - we get more of everything that we already have in the system, not something completely new . . .

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Publication: High Fidelity
Issue / Date: No 196 / September 1, 2020
Reviewer: Wojciech Pacuła

הלהבה הסגולה של Nordost, או הכבל האודיופילי הראשון שלי

, היה אפשר להרגיש בכל אחת מהן יותר פרטים ושקיפות, ללא אפקט הקרירות בסאונד, היה ניתן גם לשמוע הוספת רכות ון לצליל. הבס יותר מהודק, הצלילים האמצעים לא קיבלו הבלטה מיותרת,

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Publication: Audio Video Reviews
Date: 10/7/20
Reviewer: טולה
Language: Hewbrew

NORDOST FREY 2 SPEAKER CABLES, INTERCONNECTS AND POWER CORDS

The Nordost cables get out of the way of the music and the environment in which it was recorded. The focus is in the quality playback and not the cables elbowing for top billing. As such, they have outstanding . . .

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Publication: Audiophilia
Date: September 11, 2020
Reviewer: Anthony Kershaw

NORDOST HEIMDALL 2 TONEARM CABLE +

I am really drawn into the musicality of the performance, which is both energetic and refined…The instrument focus and clarity are both excellent and the soundstage is expansive…the bass is powerful and punchy and the drums and hi-hats are crisp, tight and engaging…I can’t fault the performance of the Heimdall 2, it’s a safe . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi Choice
Issue: 465
Reviewer: Neville Roberts

A PAIR OF TWEAKS FROM NORDOST QVIBE AND QKOIL

There's no doubt the QV2s give you a generous mid-and-upper-bass assist, and the QK1s round and flesh out the treble range. From the hefty, well-defined low-end into the clear mids and the soft-edged, non-abrasive highs, frequency response and tone are beautifully rendered. The palpable illusion of instruments present is . . .

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Publication: Positive Feedback 
Date: June 20, 2020
Reviewer: Marshall Nack

NORDOST QRT POWER PRODUCTS REVIEW. PART 3 OF 3: QVIBE QV2 AC LINE HARMONIZER & QKOIL QK1 AC ENHANCER

We’ve talked about the Qv2 and the QK1 separately but bringing them together was another experience unto itself. With all four (two Qv2’s and two QK1’s) plugged into the QBASE, the best of both was achieved. There was greater warmth, yet also greater focus and pace. There was an increased sense of naturalness but . . .

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Publication: NOVO 
Date: June 5, 2020
Reviewer: George de Sa

NORDOST TYR 2 INTERCONNECT, SPEAKER, AND POWER CABLES – TRANSPARENCY, PURITY, TEXTURE

. . . transparency, precision, purity, depth, texture, openness, expansiveness…Nordost’s Tyr 2 loom brings all of this and more to the listening experience. Yet as I wrap up these thoughts another word now pops to mind that perhaps best sums up my analogy between . . .

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Publication: The Absolute Sound 
Date: April 30, 2020
Reviewer: Wayne Garcia

NORDOST QBASE POWER DISTRIBUTOR

So, here we have that happy occasion when the product under review performed beyond expectations and is a genuine bargain to boot…The QBASE is as neutral as the day is long, in the optimal sense of the word. Delightfully free of any sonic signature and so even-handed, you'll be hard pressed to . . .

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Publication: Positive Feedback 
Issue / Date: 109 / May 10, 2020
Reviewer: Marshall Nack

NORDOST VALHALLA V2 TONEARM CABLE +

The V2+ tonearm cable follows the house V2 sound of exceptional transparency and stunning transient playback, without ever falling to the temptation of over-sharing the treble content. The midband and top are deliciously open and see-through, seamless and nearly organic in naturalness, while bass is . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: 180
Reviewer: Andrew Harrison

NORDOST BLUE HEAVEN TONEARM CABLE

With the Blue Heaven installed music had substantially more clarity, more detail, more refinement, more dynamic contrast, and more musicality. And, as mentioned above, hum gone in a flash! … the Blue Heaven made an appreciably positive difference, no if's, and's or but's about it. I have no hesitation . . .

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Publication: Positive Feedback 
Date: May 1, 2020
Reviewer: Michael Corsentino

NORDOST QKORE GROUND PRODUCTS

In advance of installing the QKORE Ground Units, I had imagined what such a product might accomplish. Those daydreams were prophetic—the only surprise was how significant it turned out to be…  it did more to improve my sound than any alternative I can think of at that price . . .

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Publication: Positive Feedback
Date: March 12, 2020
Reviewer: Marshall Nack

NORDOST QRT POWER PRODUCTS REVIEW. PART 2 OF 3: QKORE GROUND UNIT AND QKORE WIRES

I didn’t have what I thought to be a compromised power supply connection. Yet even with dedicated circuits, the Nordost QRT QKORE6 and QKORE Wires provided enhanced benefits on a scale I would be hard-pressed to live without; benefits that could not be described as anything-less-than significant . . .

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Publication: NOVO
Date: February 25, 2020
Reviewer: George de Sa

NORDOST RED DAWN KABELFAMILIE IM TEST: Nordost hat die Kabelfamilie für Fein-Hörer

Passt dann alles, darf man sich an einem ungemein stimmigen, balancierten Klangbild freuen, in dem nichts quietscht, kein Bass wummert und auch sonst nirgendwo „Anschub“ geleistet wird. Der fulminante britische A-cappella-Achter Voces 8 zeigt auf seiner CD In the . . .

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Publication: Fidelity Online
Date: January 29, 2020
Reviewer: Hans von Draminski
Language: Deutsch (German)

DIE KOMPLETTE KABEL-FAMILIE IM TEST: NORDOST TYR 2

Er- staunt ertappte ich mich eines Tages bei der Beobachtung, dass die Musik vom Computer immer dann hervorragend klingt, wenn Nordosts Tyr 2-Verbindung im Einsatz ist. Fast zwangsweise inte- grierte ich in der Folge die Cinch- und Lautsprecherkabel der Familie in meine Anlage, dann . . .

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Publication: hifi & records
Date: January 2020
Reviewer: Olaf Strum
Language: Deutsch (German)

NORDOST ‘LEIF’ WHITE LIGHTNING CABLE PACKAGE – FULL REVIEW!

Needless to say, the Nordost designers left no stone unturned when designing and evaluating the unadulterated musicality of these products. If you carefully listen to them while not being aware of their cost or ‘entry level’ designation, you would not believe the quality of the sound they produce. They are . . .

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Publication: The Sound Advocate
Date: December 31, 2019
Reviewer: Howard Milstein

NORDOST QRT POWER PRODUCTS REVIEW.  PART 1 OF 3: QX POWER PURIFIERS QX4

Sweeter, airier and more resolved high frequencies; richer, smoother, more fluid and holographic midrange; and, fuller, weightier bass with improved imaging and soundstaging. Does that sound like more than a power product should deliver? It may, and yet it is just what my experience was with the QX4 in . . .

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Publication: NOVO
Date: November 8, 2019
Reviewer: George de Sa

NORDOST PURPLE FLARE USB CABLE

Transparency and coherence are the name of the game with Purple Flare USB. Hi-hats glisten and dissipate effortlessly into a black background. Drums are authoritative and lifelike. Vocals are realistically rendered in size and tonality. Transients race across the soundstage with precision and flare (pun intended). Purple Flare gives . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: 171
Reviewer: Mike Mercer

NORDOST HEIMDALL 2 TONEARM CABLE

Was it just 'different'? No. There was definitely a sense of 'more' from the Heimdall. The lower frequencies were more abundant, the upper ones cleaner and the soundstage had more depth and width . . .

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Publication: Stereonet UK Edition
Date: October 14, 2019
Reviewer: Jay Garrett

NORDOST QPOINT HARMONISERS AND QSOURCE POWER SUPPLY

Although several cable brands have branched out into other fields in audio, Nordost was the first to extend its coherent cable ethos out to products that work throughout a good audio system. These have included QRT power purifiers, distribution, cones, feet, and risers, treatments, discs, and more recently . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: 176
Reviewer: Alan Sircom

NORDOST QPOINT – RESONANCE SYNCHRONIZER

These are not “additions”, but as important elements of the audio system as any other ones…I have got used to it and to what it does to the sound of my player so fast and so strongly that I experienced physical pain when I was putting the device back into the box . . .

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Publication: High Fidelity
Issue / Date: No 184/September 1, 2019
Reviewer: Wojciech Pacuta

TEST. NORDOST QPOINT

Ich schäme mich manchmal dafür, wie wenig wir über Audio wissen, wie wenig wir davon verstehen. Wir fliegen zum Mond, wir bereiten uns auf den Flug zum Mars vor, wir haben ziemlich gute Kenntnisse darüber, wie sich das Universum verändert und was seine Struktur ist, wir haben Tausende von Planeten gefunden, die der Erde ähnlich sind, und . . .

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Publication: HiFi Statement
Date: October 18, 2019
Reviewer: Wojciech Pacuta
Language: Deutsch (German)

NORDOST VALHALLA V2

Valhalla 2 cables bring an extraordinary upgrade, addictively communicating the essence of music. The essential speed and transparency of Valhalla has been preserved, but with a more dynamic and tonally authentic sound in V2. It’s more colourful where required, and . . .

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Publication: HIFICRITIC
Date: April | May | June 2019
Reviewer: Andrew Harrison

NORDOST LEIF BLUE HEAVEN TONEARM CABLE

Swapping our regular interconnects with the now ready Nordost ones, the difference was immediately discernable. In fact, we swapped the cables back and forth quite a few times to make sure we weren’t merely ‘wanting’ to hear a difference. The opening piano bars of Eat The . . .

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Publication: Stereonet UK Edition
Date: June 27, 2019
Reviewer: Jay Garrett

NORDOST QBASE UND QKORE – SAUBERE ANGELEGENHEIT

Das könnte die Lösung für alle von verschmutztem Netzstrom Geplagten sein: Kabelspezialist Nordost legt mit seinen QRT-Geräten ein wohldurchdachtes System vor, das die Stromversorgung der Anlage auf eine neue, grundsolide Basis stellt . . .

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Fidelity – HiFi und Musik
Issue / Date: No 42 März/April 2019
Reviewer: Hans von Draminski
Language: Deutsch (German)

WHAT I’D RECOMMEND TO A FRIEND - SUPERFLATLINE

. . .Flatline is back and just as impressively feisty as ever. Listening to it now is almost as astonishing as it was first time around, and it’s easy to understand why it took the audio world by storm when it was first launched. Its sheer clarity combined with its coherence, detail, uninhibited dynamic response and . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: December 12, 2018
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

NORDOST QKORE AND QKORE WIRE — SYSTEM GROUNDING ACCESSORIES

I can’t imagine that anyone who’s invested considerable time and energy and money in a high-end system would want to be without the markedly “blacker” backgrounds, increased transparency and detail, more vivid colors, and greater overall veracity delivered by Nordost’s QKore Ground Units. Connecting just a single . . .

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Publication: Stereophile
Date: January 2019
Reviewer: Jason Victor Serinus

NORDOST PURPLE FLARE USB

I’m an implementation junkie. I confess loving products that are well executed. With so many garage builders entering the cable industry, with shoddily produced goods packaged like they came from a scout troop bake sale or estate sale, Nordost produces cable that feels great in your hands. And thanks to their extensive dealer network, they . . .

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Publication: TONE Audio
Date: October 2018
Reviewer: Jeff Dorgay

THE JOURNEY TO HIGHER QUALITY AUDIO WITH NORDOST LEIF CABLES: PART 3 – USB AND SPEAKER CABLES

With the Blue Heaven USB cable in place, between my laptop and the DAC, I was rewarded with a further lowered noise floor, which resulted in a wider soundstage, with more precise positioning.  This improvement was most noticeable with well recorded acoustic albums, jazz and classical music.  The ability of a music system to . . .

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Publication: NOVO
Date: October 27, 2018
Reviewer: Suave Kajko

WHITE LIGHTNING SPEAKER CABLE BY NORDOST

I’ve talked to so many audiophiles across the world that are looking for a modestly priced upgrade to their system. I can’t suggest the Nordost White Lightning speaker cables highly enough. If you’ve been to a Nordost dealer event, or hifi show demo, they put a pretty compelling argument for their cable that’s easy to hear.  And thanks to . . .

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Publication: TONE Audio
Date: October 2018
Reviewer: Jeff Dorgay

NORDOST LEIFSTYLE SUPERFLATLINE LOUDSPEAKER CABLE

. . . offering improved dynamic range, clarity and low frequency rumble and impact…Nordost Leifstyle SuperFlatline cable hits all the check marks: Speed, Clarity, Musicality, Current Capacity, Dynamic Range, Depth and Width of Sound Stage, Image Focus and Neutral Tonal Balance, and therefore deserves a definite recommendation . . .

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Publication: Headphone Guru
Date: September 24, 2018
Reviewer: Gary Alan Barker

NORDOST HEIMDALL 2 HEADPHONE CABLE

While speaker cable upgrades are fairly common, the humble headphone wire is often overlooked. Nordost’s Heimdall 2 is such an upgrade and here I have the version suitable for my Sennheiser HD 800 S headphone (HFC 439) to compare it with the cable that comes as standard . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi Choice
Issue: 440
Reviewer: Neville Roberts

THE JOURNEY TO HIGHER QUALITY AUDIO WITH NORDOST LEIF CABLES: PART 2 – INTERCONNECTS

You may not spend much time thinking about the cables behind your music system because they remind you of a snake pit from an Indiana Jones movie. If you grab the wrong cable it just might bite you. Or maybe your thoughts are less imaginative and you don’t think about the cable nest because it’s out of sight, out of mind. What a lot of novice music listeners don’t . . .

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Publication: NOVO
Date: June 26, 2018
Reviewer: Suave Kajko

NORDOST QKORE1 GROUND UNIT

When you power on your home audio system and turn it up, you don’t just bring the noise, chances are, you’ve got too much of it already in the form of AC-born (-/e) electrical noise. The AC power line is the lifeblood of a home audio system and its quality is critical to a system’s ultimate performance no matter how well designed the power supplies of . . .

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Publication: SoundStage! Australia
Date: June 2018
Reviewer: Peter Katsoolis

NORDOST QKORE GROUNDING SYSTEM — SILENCE IS GOLDEN

. . . I thought I’d gone about as far as you could to eliminate noise and hash riding on the power lines. It now turns out that I was quite wrong. Nordost’s Michael Taylor visited this somewhat skeptical reviewer, and the conversion process went rather quickly. Facts, as Thomas Gradgrind likes to say in Dickens’ Hard Times, are what boys and girls need. And in this instance . . .

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Publication: the absolute sound
Date: May/June 2018
Reviewer: Jacob Heilbrunn

NORDOST SORT ISOLATION SYSTEM — A TRIO OF OPTIONS

Why should we spend valuable time and money researching and acquiring aftermarket resonance-control devices? Because they can bring about substantial improvements in system performance. While I’m not wild about adding another complexity to my system or finding more ways to spend money, I am also results-oriented and have heard truly . . .

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Publication: the absolute sound
Date: May/June 2018
Reviewer: Kirk Midtskog

NORDOST KABELSERIE „BLUE HEAVEN“ – AUF DEM BODEN GEBLIEBEN

Blue Heaven“ oder auf gut Deutsch „Blauer Himmel“. Üblicherweise assoziieren wir hierzulande gerne bei diesem Begri entweder, daß jemand übertreibender- weise das „Blaue vom Himmel herunter“ verspricht, oder eben tatsächlich einen strahlend blauen Himmel. Trug oder Wahrheit? Im Falle Blue Heaven aus . . .

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Publication: HIFI-STARS
Issue / Date: 18967-5166 Ausgabe 38 März 2018 – Mai 2018
Reviewer: Alexander Aschenbrunner
Language: Deutsch (German)

THE JOURNEY TO HIGHER QUALITY AUDIO WITH NORDOST LEIF CABLES

Let me tell you a little secret about building a high-end music system: Cables play a much more important role in your hi-fi system than you might realize. Cables are the “fabric” that connect each of your components to the power grid. Cables also connect all of your components and loudspeakers together. If you think about it, there are more cables in your system than hi-fi components actuall . . .

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Publication: NOVO
Date: February 8, 2018

NORDOST SORT KONE BC RESONANCE CONTROL SYSTEM

While I've been a music lover for as long as I can remember, I've also been into audio equipment for many moons, from an over-zealous enthusiast in teenage years, to subsequently morphing into an ardent audiophile to, for over 15 years, the ever-passionate professional reviewer for a number of publications. In that time, I’ve come across all-manner of . . .

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Publication: SoundStage! Australia
Date: February 2018
Reviewer: Edgar Kramer

NORDOST LEIF PURPLE FLARE SPEAKER CABLES AND INTERCONNECTS

I’ve never been fussy about audio cables. When I moved into my present house more than a decade ago, I bought an enormous spool of Monster Cable S14-2RCL, a 14-gauge, two-conductor speaker cable specified for in-wall use. What was important for me was that I could safely run it under floors and through walls to reach other rooms while minimizing the cables’ . . .

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Publication: SoundStage! Access
Date: November 15, 2017
Reviewer: Al Griffin

NORDOST QKORE — BENEFITS OF PARALLEL GROUNDING

Every home has a main electrical safety ground, as required by all electrical building codes. Safety grounding is achieved by connecting the metallic casings of all electrical appliances to a ground conductor that leads to an earth ground. In the case of an audio system, components are connected to the safety ground via the ground pin of their . . .

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Publication: Son & Image Magazine
Issue: Vol. 18 No. 6
Reviewer: Michel Leroux

HEADPHONE CABLES — NORDOST BLUE HEAVEN AND HEIMDALL 2

Nordost needs no introduction in the high-end audio world, but enthusiasts whose interests center on loudspeaker-based hi-fi systems may be surprised to learn that the Holliston, Massachusetts, company is now offering two ranges of specialized headphone signal cables. The top offering is the Heimdall 2 headphone cable (or headphone cable system), while . . .

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Publication: the absolute sound
Date: October 2017
Reviewer: Chris Martens

NORDOST QKORE6

Equipment report from Audiotechnique, Hong Kong . . .

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Publication: Audiotechnique
Issue / Date: October 2017 No. 433
Reviewer: Martin Leung

NF- UND LAUTSPRECHERKABEL NORDOST TYR2 — DIREKTE VERBINDUNG

Auf den Punkt gebracht Die Tyr2-Kabel stellen in der Tat eine direkte Verbindung zwischen Musik und Hörer her. Getreu dem Motto „Die kürzeste Verbindung zwischen zwei beliebigen Punkten ist eine Gerade“ klingen sie absolut „straight“. Famos! . . .

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Publication: HIFI-STARS
Issue / Date: Ausgabe 36, September – November 2017
Reviewer: Wolfgang Vogel
Language: Deutsch (German)

SORT KONES — A SCEPTICS BACKFLIP

Well-known American brand Nordost, has more than made a name for itself across an extensive range of affordable, right through to ultra-high end and accordingly priced cables. But it was at the Sydney HiFi Show last month where the brand genuinely attracted my attention. I’d been covering the event and was . . .

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Publication: StereoNET
Date: September 2017
Reviewer: Marc Rushton

NORDOST QKORE GROUNDING SYSTEM

Even with the breakneck pace of advancement in the consumer-electronics industry, high-end audio has remained rather staid, the not too-recent rise of high-resolution file playback notwithstanding. Playing records, the most ancient of recording media, is as hot now as it has ever been since the advent of digital. The majority of speakers still . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: July 5, 2017
Reviewer: Marc Mickelson

NORDOST SPEKTAKULÄRA SUPERKABLAR

Högtalarkablar lever farligt. De har ett rätt knivigt jobb jämfört med de lugna arbetsbetingelserna för lågnivåkablar med sina väl definierade impedanser och signalnivåer. Där kan signalöverföringen göras hyggligt förlustfri.  För högtalarkablarna är det precis tvärt om. Här är det mer som hela havet stormar med svajig högtalarimpedans . . .

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Publication: Hifi & Musik
Date: May 2017
Reviewer: Mats Meyer-Lie
Language: Svenska (Swedish)

THE NECESSARY LINK: NORDOST’S VALHALLA 2 USB CABLE

The digital-entertainment revolution has affected every sector of the consumer-electronics industry, including -- and in some ways especially -- high-end audio. Whereas a decade and a half ago every electronics manufacturer offered at least one product that spun a digital disc, now few of these disc players exist, and the ones that . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: June 6, 2017
Reviewer: Marc Mickelson

NORDOST QKORE GROUND UNITS

Sometimes we as journalists are privy to way prior to their launch. Such is the case with Nordost’s QKORE trio of ground units. I was told about these at CES this year, but was so sworn to secrecy that they appeared as ‘Nordost stuff’ and later ‘Nordost Q Project’ on our internal planning documents. Even Nordost’s distributors will only . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: 147
Reviewer: Alan Sircom

NETZKABEL NORDOST TYR2 – VON GROSSER BEDEUTUNG

In Top-Anlagen ist das Netzkabel „Nordost Tyr2“ von großer Wirkung – ganz so, als habe da je- mand den Stromhahn erstmals richtig aufgedreht: Hoch- und höchstwertigen Stereokombinationen verleiht es das letzte „Etwas“ an Energie und Finesse – je besser die Gerätezusammenstellung, desto mehr lebt die Musik . . .

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Publication: HIFI-STARS
Issue / Date: ISSN 1867-5166 Ausgabe 34 März 2017- Mai 2017
Reviewer: Wolfgang Vogel
Language: Deutsch (German)

NORDOST ODIN 2 INTERCONNECT AND SPEAKER CABLE SUPREME REFERENCE RANGE — Mighty!

At a recent Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, one of the most compelling demos that I heard was conducted by the Nordost cable company. Its representatives played a VPI turntable with stock tonearm versus one wired with Nordost cable. Sitting in the row in front of me was one Andre Jennings of TAS, a turntable expert if there . . .

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Publication: the absolute sound
Date: February 2017
Reviewer: Jacob Heilbrunn

NORDOST SORT KONE, FÜT, AND LIFT SYSTEM COMPONENTS

We’ve often discussed Nordost in terms of a complete, systemic, and systematic approach to audio, but that message sometimes gets lost against the company’s complete, systemic, and systematic approach to cables and power. In fact, the operative word is ‘complete’; ideally, every aspect of the system is taken under . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: 143
Reviewer: Alan Sircom

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 CABLES REVIEW

The State of the Art Valhalla is the cable that turned the cable industry upside down in the year 2001. Unconventional in appearance as in performance, Valhalla set a new standard for many, and became my reference cable back in 2004. The key technology behind Valhalla is Micro Mono-Filament. By winding . . .

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Publication: NOVO
Date: December 16, 2016
Reviewer: Phil Gold

NORDOST TYR 2 CABLE SYSTEM REVIEW

The Nordost’s performance continued to improve past the 120-hour break-in to the extent that not only the bottom-end held more definition, the midrange to top-end became opened up and provided more detail as well. Rendition of the choir singing in the FIM K2 HD edition of the audiophile-standard Proprius . . .

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Publication: Dagogo
Date: December 2016
Reviewer: Constantine Soo

NORDOST – BLUE HEAVEN HEADPHONE CABLE

Now in their 25th year, the American company Nordost stands apart with their long tradition of developing and marketing high-fidelity audio cables. Their extensive range of cables covers the entry level (Leif), the intermediate (Norse 2), the high-end (Valhalla 2), right up to their reference range (Odin 2). Nordost has also . . .

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Publication: Son & Image Magazine
Issue / Date: Vol. 17 No. 6, Oct-Nov 2016
Reviewer: Jean-François Lapointe

NORDOST FREY 2 SPEAKER CABLE AND INTERCONNECTS – EVOLVING AND IMPROVING

Recently upgraded, Frey 2 cable is the sweet-spot wire of Nordost’s mid-priced Norse 2 collection. In truth it’s actually only one player in a much larger bloodline that, in its complexity, begins to resemble the competing factions in Game of Thrones—the addictive HBO series overflowing with in- trigue, swords, and sex. And like . . .

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Publication: the absolute sound
Date: September 2016
Reviewer: Neil Gader

DIE SEELE DES KLANGS »KABEL-FAMILIE NORDOST FREY 2«

Es gibt eine Beziehung zwischen Klang und Seele. Davon scheint zumindest eine recht neue Gattung unter den eher populär orientierten Sachbüchern überzeugt. In einem von ihnen erzählt die amerikanische Journalistin Perri Knize »die Geschichte einer Leidenschaft«, nämlich die ihre zur Musik und . . .

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Publication: Hifi & Records
Date: August 2016
Reviewer: Uwe Steiner
Language: Deutsch (German)

QRT QUANTUM NORDOST STROMVERTEILER — EIGENTLICH IESST DOCH NUR STROM

Die Netzversorgung von HiFi-Anlagen stellt ein schier unendliches Thema dar und der Möglichkeiten gibt es gar viele im Markt. Dogmatiker begegnen den unter- schiedlichsten Netzkabeln grundsätzlich skeptisch. Pragmatiker (wie der Autor) müssen es ausprobieren und – ja, es ist jedesmal aufs Neue ein Erlebnis! . . .

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Publication: HIFI-Stars
Date: August 2016
Reviewer: Alexander Aschenbrunner
Language: Deutsch (German)

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 REFERENCE

It would be an understatement to say that in 2001, when Nordost introduced their original Valhalla cables, they were a revelation for me. Their focus and resolution of detail were like nothing I’d ever heard, and revealed in recorded performances a startling energy and realism. Throw in their seemingly absolute transparency, and . . .

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Publication: Stereophile
Date: July 2016
Reviewer: Brian Damkroger

NORDOST ODIN 2 INTERCONNECTS, SPEAKER CABLES, AND POWER CORDS

If you want something done well, take your time. So goes a bit of advice that applies to any endeavor, from installing a bathroom faucet to baking a cherry pie to writing an audio review. Speed and quality are rarely bedfellows, and this helps explain why it took Nordost seven years to replace its Odin line of . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: June 14, 2016
Reviewer: Marc Mickelson

HI-FI VIDEO: NORDOST’S HEIMDALL 2 4K UHD CABLE

Through the first twenty years of my life, the greatest change in entertainment technology was the switch from over-the-air TV -- with its grand total of four channels -- to cable, which bestowed all of 24 channels, some from exotic, faraway places like Atlanta and Chicago. Contrast this state of affairs with . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: April 26, 2016
Reviewer: Marc Mickelson

A CLEAR ADVANTAGE — GOING UP THE RANGE WITH NORDOST

Other than fringy room treatments and other various bizarre system tweaks, nothing arouses more anger, controversy and naysaying than the thought of cable, especially premium audio cables. Those subscribing to the religion of ABX testing pretty much claim everything sounds the same and wire is . . .

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Publication: TONEAudio
Issue / Date: No.76 March 2016
Reviewer: TONE Staff

SPRUCE UP YOUR SONOS CONNECT WITH NORDOST’S PURPLE FLARE

Poor old Sonos Connect. In desperate need of an internal refresh, old faithful struggles to cut it on sound quality when compared to the best digital audio streamers on the market today. Its internal DAC can’t match the resolution and tonality of the AURALiC Aries Mini Nor can it match the Chinese alternative as a . . .

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Publication: Digital Audio Review
Date: April 2016
Reviewer: John H. Darko

NORDOST- BLUE HEAVEN HEADPHONE CABLES - TERRIFIC VALUE AND QUALITY AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE

Nordost first entered the high end cable market in 1991 with their flatline speaker cables that became internationally accepted and were well received. The success of Nordost over the last two decades is through the efforts of CEO Joe Reynolds and his team who continue to evolve with innovative designs and . . .

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Publication: Headphone Guru
Date: February 28, 2016
Reviewer: Frank Iacone

UNE FAÇON DE RESTER BIEN BRANCHÉ

La corporation Nordost a été fondée en 1991 et elle se définit au départ comme un manufacturier de câbles de haute technologie spécialisé dans le domaine de la médecine et de la microchirurgie. Sa technologie est basée sur l’utilisation de matériaux et de conducteurs développés pour l’aérospatiale et la NASA. Son . . .

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Publication: TED (Tendances Électroniques & Design)
Issue / Date: Volume 23 numéro 01 février - mars 2016
Reviewer: Michel Dallaire
Language: Français (French)

NORDOST SORT KONES REVIEW

Most equipment supports, whether cones, small squares of wood, or pucks of visco-elastic material, are referred to as isolation devices; however, this represents a misunderstanding of the problem. While some mechanical energy may originate in the environment, the most harmful energy does not enter from the outside but is instead generated internally by the . . .

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Publication: Dagogo
Date: January 2016
Reviewer: Fred Crowder

NORDOST QLINE

Equipment report from Audiotechnique, Hong Kong. . . .

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Publication: Audiotechnique
Issue / Date: No. 412 January 2016
Reviewer: Martin Leung
Language: Chinese

OUTFITTING AN AUDIO SYSTEM WITH NORDOST NORSE 2 TYR 2 CABLES AND QRT QBASE POWER DISTRIBUTION

Your system could be comprised of highly capable components but in order to maximize their performance – and deliver the depth and nuances found in live musical performances – you will need to connect them with good quality cables and provide them with clean power.  Nordost has a history dating back to 1991 and . . .

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Publication: Canada HiFi
Date: November 9, 2015
Reviewer: Suave Kajko

THE LATEST NORDOST FLAGSHIP CABLE — ODIN 2

Nordost must be one of the state-of-the-art cables in the audiophile world.  Since Audiotechnique has adopted Nordost Odin as reference cables, and I have also tried on a set of Nordost Valhalla 2 in my home, I have a thorough understanding of how capable Nordost cables are.  Although Nordost makes their . . .

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Publication: Audiotechnique
Issue / Date: No.410 November 2015
Reviewer: Lee, Martin Leung, and Lincoln Cheng

NORDOST ODIN 2 CABLE SYSTEM

In short, Nordost’s Odin 2 doesn’t just push the envelope of how unforced audio can sound through a cable; it breaks the sound barrier. Nordost’s original Odin set high standards for cables, whether viewed individually, or in ideal circumstances taken as a complete system. And Odin 2 takes that to another level. The best that became ‘one of the best’ has just . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: Issue 128
Reviewer: Alan Sircom

NORDOST NORSE 2  TYR 2 SPEAKER CABLES, INTERCONNECTS, AND POWER CORDS

I didn’t expect to hear much difference in sound quality from the Tyrs, considering both speaker cables were made by the same manufacturer. I hoped for a bit more of everything: some more bass extension, or a cleaner treble; either would have been nice. The last thing I expected was a change in the music’s overall sound. I know: the Tyr 2 speaker cable is twice . . .

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Publication: Soundstage Ultra
Date: October 15, 2015
Reviewer: Jason Thorpe

COMPLETE NORDOST SYSTEM APPROACH — NORDOST CABLES LEAVES ME SPEECHLESS

Several years ago, at the beginning of my career as a reviewer, I had the opportunity to work with audio and video cables almost exclusively. At the time, it felt like regardless how amazing a cable sounded there was always another to take its place. Very few of them really stood out within my mind. Even those that stood out rarely became part of my . . .

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Publication: Enjoy the Music.com
Date: September 2015
Reviewer: Brett Rudolph

NORDOST QRT SYSTEM REVIEW

Reviews sometimes assume a life of their own. This review or at least the idea for this review began when a friend (Sherri) brought a number of Nordost QKOIL models (QV2/QK1) to my home one afternoon so that I could hear them in my system. I had previously visited her home for a demonstration of the QK1 and QV2 and really liked what . . .

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Publication: Dagogo
Date: August 2015
Reviewer: Fred Crowder

NORDOST HEIMDALL HEADPHONE CABLE

Nordost. Seems that these days Nordost is everywhere. Norse 2 series? Check. Valhalla 2 series? Check. Odin 2? Check. Headphone cables? Check. HDMI cables? Check. You get my point. All made in America, all made with engineering in mind, all made with guaranteed pride of ownership. Mind you, all of these upgrades to series 2 as well as . . .

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Publication: Posi+ive Feedback
Date: August 3, 2015
Reviewer: Danny Kaey

AUDITIONING NORDOST CABLES: DO SPEAKER CABLES HAVE A 'SOUND'?

It's a safe bet that your speaker cables don't look like Nordost's ultra-flat cables. Founded in 1991, Nordost is a high-technology cable manufacturer using conductor technology that was initially developed for the aerospace industry. Nordost designs and builds all of its audio, digital and video cables in its facilities in . . .

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Publication: CNET
Date: July 25, 2015
Reviewer: Steve Guttenberg

THE HARD WAY: NORDOST’S BLUE HEAVEN HDMI CABLE

Cable companies are easily the most misunderstood and maligned audio manufacturers. From audiophiles who bemoan the price of top-level cables, conveniently overlooking the lower cost of those further down the line, to those who think that their one DIY project -- pulling a few feet of cable from a spool, stripping the . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: May 2015
Reviewer: Marc Mickelson

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 REFERENCE INTERCONNECT, SPEAKER CABLE, AND POWER CABLE: FAST, QUIET, CLEAR

Live music's pop, sizzle, and dynamism is what can make it so downright exciting, but speed is one of the most difficult things to capture in audio. Smaller speakers, par- ticularly mini-monitors, have it, and they can sound devastatingly convincing because of it. I still vividly remember hearing the hurricane gale of sound . . .

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Publication: The Absolute Sound
Date: July/August 2015
Reviewer: Jacob Heilbrunn

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 CABLE

Being affable gets your foot in the door. Being affable and having the goods to back up your story, that's a prime recipe for success. Nordost's Joe Reynolds is the latter lad; he has both—debonair swagger and an operation that has defined much of what high-end audio's cable business has defacto become. Yes, cables do make a difference—a very profound . . .

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Publication: Positive Feedback
Issue / Date: Issue 78 March-April 2015
Reviewer: Danny Kaey

NEW METHODS FOR QUANTIFYING SONIC PERFORMANCE

The benefits of isolating equipment from external vibration have been known for several decades. One of the earliest specialty products introduced over 30 years ago were the ubiquitous Tiptoes (circa 1984) commercialized by Steve McCormick of the Mod Squad. These devices were machined from aluminum in both tall and short conical versions. Some audiophiles noted . . .

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Publication: The Absolute Sound
Date: December 2014
Reviewer: Charles Zellig, Ph.D., and Jay Clawson

UPGRADING AN AUDIO SYSTEM WITH NORDOST NORSE 2 HEIMDALL CABLE

Heimdall (properly pronounced as “HYM-doll”) is the Old Norse god who vigilantly guards Asgard, the heavenly realm of the mighty Norse gods, including Odin and Thor. If you’ve seen the Marvel Comics Thor movie series, you’ll recall Heimdall as the austere character that stands guard on the rainbow bridge Bifröst. What does this have to do with . . .

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Publication: Canada HiFi
Date: October/November 2014
Reviewer: George de Sa

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 - ÉVEILLER SES SENS

La musique découle des instruments et des musiciens qui la jouent tout autant que des équipements qui la reproduisent. Parmi ceux-ci se trouvent les câbles qui les relient et qui sont essentiels à son écoute. Plus que de simples accessoires, ce sont bel et bien des équipements impu- tables de la bonnes . . .

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Publication: Son & Image Magazine
Issue: Vol. 16 No. 1
Reviewer: Michel Leroux
Language: Français

NORDOST HEIMDALL 2 HEADPHONE CABLE

In the big picture, 35 years is an insignificant amount of time, but in terms of high-end audio, it's an eternity. Give or take a year, it was three and a half decades ago that alternatives to lamp cord — like Monster, Kimber, Polk Cobra and Fulton cables — starting stirring the flat-earthers into fits of disbelief at the idea that speaker cables could . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: October 8, 2014
Reviewer: Dennis Davis

HI-FINEWS GROUP TEST - USB CABLES

As a key player on the specialist cable scene, Nordost was bound to offer a USB option. Sensibly, the company looks to have adhered to a high/full-speed USB configuration while using top-quality materials. Beneath the blue jacket (which clamps the cable geometry tight) is a dual-layer foil and braid screen that surrounds the +5V and . . .

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Publication: hifinews
Date: July 2014
Reviewer: Paul Miller

NORDOST - A "SYSTEM" OF PRODUCTS

The online dictionary defines system as: the unity of several elements working together to achieve a goal. Wait, what's that have to do with Nordost? Quite a bit—permit me to explain: over the years, Hi-Fi has seen its share of "systems," Linn, Naim, anyone? Typically, we have associated these system approaches within the context of the entire audio ecosystem, i.e. start to . . .

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Publication: Positive Feedback
Issue / Date: Issue 69 September-October 2013
Reviewer: Danny Kaey

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 CABLE SYSTEM

Nordost has put a lot of faith in mechanical tuning recently. The company discovered that a cable’s mechanical properties (including its physical length) are vital to in its sonic performance. The results of this investigation transformed the Leif and Norse 2 lines, but wait until you hear what it does to Valhalla!  If you set aside that mechanical tuning ethos, the difference . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: Issue 112
Reviewer: Alan Sircom

SYSTEME DE DECOUPLAGE SORT FÜT DE NORDOST

Qui d’entre nous n’a pas tenté d’améliorer, voire d’opti- miser, le découplage au sol de ses enceintes acous- tiques, supports et meubles audio? Ces produits normalement fournis avec des pointes en acier contribuent tant à évacuer l’énergie stockée dans les appareils et ca- binets, les vibrations, qu’à les stabiliser. Pour . . .

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Publication: Son & Image Magazine
Issue / Date: Vol. 15 No.4   May-June 2014
Reviewer: Michel Leroux
Language: Français

NORDOST VALHALLA 2 INTERCONNECTS, SPEAKER CABLES, AND POWER CORDS

We audiophiles recognize them, even if no one else does: Sondek, WATT/Puppy, Nait, Giya -- some of the most prominent high- end audio product names. But when it comes to cables, there is a scarcity of similarly memorable names, save for one. Valhalla, Nordost’s once top-of-the-line cable line, has been around for an eternity in audiophile terms. It was introduced in . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: May 12, 2014
Reviewer: Marc Mickelson

NORDOST SORT FÜT

At the time of writing this review, I was listening to my favorite collection of CDs non-stop.  My KEF Reference 207/2 sounded as if it underwent a major upgrade.  The amount of details revealed by my loudspeakers, the spatial presentation of the musical images, their outlines and even the soundstage seem to be taken to the next level.  Don't get me wrong.  KEF hasn't . . .

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Publication: Audiotechnique
Issue / Date: No.389 February 2014
Reviewer: Paul Leung

NORDOST VALHALLA 2

Equipment report from Audiotechnique, Hong Kong . . .

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Publication: Audiotechnique
Issue / Date: No.388 January 2014
Language: Chinese

NORDOST - FREY 2 SPEAKER CABLES, INTERCONNECTS, AND POWER CABLES

My first proper review for the SoundStage! Network was in 2011, of Nordost’s then brand- new line of Leif cables — specifically, the LS Blue Heaven models. I was so impressed by how significant a change they wrought in my system’s sound that I bought the review samples. Almost three years later, I still make frequent use of the Blue Heavens, as the . . .

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Publication: SoundStage! Hi-Fi
Date: March 2014
Reviewer: Hans Wetzel

NORDOST избавляет от вибраций и дает вашей системе новую жизнь

Попытки улучшить звучание уже имеющихся систем предпринимались многими производителями, но все они, как правило, были довольно однобокими, хотя определенный результат приносили. Однако зачастую люди воспринимали подобные устройства как нечто шарлатанское, поэтому широкого распространения они не . . .

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Publication:  AV Report
Date: March 2014
Language: русский (Russian)

FIRST SOUNDS: NORDOST VALHALLA 2

Nordost Valhalla has been a constant in my system since 2005. Other than some VPI Bricks and a VPI record-cleaning machine, nothing remains from the 20th century, and over that same time span everything from cartridge to speakers has come and gone several times over. That stands as reassuringly powerful testimony to just how successful the original Valhalla has . . .

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Publication: The Audio Beat
Date: January 6, 2014
Reviewer: Dennis Davis

NORDOST NORSE CABLES: HEIMDALL 2

Following the revised Leif series (Red Dawn, Blue Heaven et al), Nordost has stepped up the process of revising its line. The Norse series of cables from Nordost, comprising Heimdall, Frey and Tyr, were next, followed more recently by Valhalla 2, which will be the subject of a later review. Sitting below the ‘reference’ Valhalla, V2, and the Odin übercables, the Norse series is . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue: Issue 106
Reviewer: Steve Dickinson

2013 SPEAKER CABLES AND INTERCONNECTS OF THE YEAR: NORDOST PURPLE FLARE

Nordost Purple Flare is a rung below the current incarnation of its Blue Heaven but you'll hardly notice a difference. The overachieving PF-dressed in classic Nordost flat-line style really shines in the midband with a slightly forward, driving energy that imparts a dynamic liveliness to all genres of music. The PF offers significant macro-dynamic punch, resulting . . .

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Publication: The Absolute Sound
Date: January 2014
Reviewer: Dennis Davis

NORDOST PURPLE FLARE CABLE - MY BLUE HEAVEN

The original Nordost Blue Heaven cable was, for many years, one of my budget reference wires.  It debuted in 1994 and featured Nordost's now iconic Flatline cable design.  I knew this cable backwards and forwards – its many strengths (excellent transparency and detail) and its modest weaknesses (a slightly upward frequency tilt and a hint of opacity and edge in . . .

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Publication: The Absolute Sound
Date: October 2013
Reviewer: Neil Gader

CABLES SECTION: THIS MONTH PAUL RIGBY LOOKS AT NORDOST CABLES

"You love 'em or hate 'em. Cables raise some people's hackles, but Hi-Fi World readers tell us repeatedly cables improve their sound and are a great upgrade. So here we are with Loudspeaker cables, interconnects and mains cables, as well as accessories such as connecting blocks in a dedicated section. If you hate 'em - don't look. But if you love 'em you . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi World
Date: August 2013
Reviewer: Paul Rigby

THE POWER OF ODIN - NORDOST - TOP OF THE LINE SERIES

Experienced audiophiles have long recognized the importance of cables in an audio system; they are second to none of the hardware.   The high prices of some high-end cables have already shown their status in the system.  Where there is demand, there is supply, and there is quite a lot of supply.  To build up fame among cable suppliers and to get recognitions . . .

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Publication: Audiotechnique, Hong Kong
Issue / Date: No.379  April 2013
Reviewer: Lincoln Cheng

NORDOST WHITE LIGHTNING ANNIVERSARY

White Lightning Anniversary has the toughest job in the Nordost catalogue, because it wears more hats than the brand’s other cables. The suffix ‘Anniversary’ is there for a reason. White Lightning is the spiritual heir to the original Flatline speaker cable from 20 years ago. Flatline needed big shoulders, because it revolutionised loudspeaker cables and was the . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+
Issue / Date: Issue 89 June 2012
Reviewer: Alan Sircom

BLUE HEAVEN

A cable review is always an interesting proposition as it provides the writer with an almost infinite amount of holes and pitfalls that can be plunged into headfirst. Even in these more enlightened times cabling is still, surprisingly enough, a contentious subject. I find it hard to see why myself but it would appear that nothing causes the audiophile angst level to rise quite . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Date: Issue 87 
Reviewer: Chris Thomas

QRT QBASE QB8 AND NORDOST SORT KONES

For years it was cables, but these days there is little that rattles the cage of the committed audio puritan like mains conditioners and equipment support cones. Reviews of either is almost bound to elicit a rise in blood pressure and a trip to the keyboard to fire off an indignant mail to some audio forum or other. As for tiny, resonating metal bowls that sit on the wall? Don’t even . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Date: Issue 73 
Reviewer: Chris Thomas

NORSE SERIES BI-WIRE JUMPERS

Several years ago I had the pleasure to review the recently introduced Frey speaker cables by Nordost. Frey proved to be the finest, most transparent speaker cables I have ever listened to in my system. Unfortunately, even with a manufacturer's discount, the Frey cables were prohibitively expensive. Nevertheless, I soldiered on with my reference single run of . . .

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Publication: Positive Feedback 
Issue / Date: Issue 51  Sept/Oct 2010
Reviewer: Victor Chavira

THE NORDOST ODIN CABLE SYSTEM

As an audio reviewer, your system inevitably presents an ever-changing face to the world. Even the static elements, your own system as opposed to kit that’s in for review, changes with a greater frequency than most, exposed as it is to the need to stay current and the temptation presented by a constant passage of enticing alternatives. Looking back across the last five or . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue / Date: Issue 51   March-April 2015
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

NORDOST VALHALLA MONO-FILAMENT CABLES (2001 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR, 2001 EDITORS CHOICE

Nordost's SPM cables had already forced a serious reevaluation of the importance of the cable loom in system performance. But if we were already looking in the right direction we were totally unprepared for the shocking improvements offered by the Valhalla cables. Ruinously expensive (the more so because you can't mix and match them with other cables and expect anything . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 19
Reviewer: Hi-Fi+ Editors Choice

NORDOST VALHALLA MONO-FILAMENT CABLES

Have you ever noticed how, when you listen to a live jazz group, you can always hear the slapped bass notes clear as a bell below the other instruments. They’re not as loud as the rest of the band, and nowhere near as penetrating as brass or piano, but they simply float, independent of what the other instruments are up to, working at their own level, giving the music their . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Date: 9 Jan/Feb 2001
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

OPENING THE PROVERBIAL CAN OF WORMS

In Issue 54 we reviewed a system with no electronics. Or to put it another way, we reversed the normal state of affairs or priorities, relegating the boxes and bits that get power to the level of barely relevant ancillaries, instead concentrating on the stuff that holds them up, feeds them juice and connects them together. It’s a project I’ve been planning for a while, but it’s not as . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 55
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

GROUP TWO SIGNAL CABLES WITH MATCHING POWER CORDS

Representing the cheapest all Mono-filament set-up from Nordost, the Heimdahl speaker leads offer a glimpse of the familiar silver-plated copper solid cores through their pretty pink Teflon Insulation, only their number and diameter differentiating them from the more expensive cables in the range, whose excellent connectors they share. These wires sound just as familiar as . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 49

Review (2001)

BUILDING A BETTER MOUSETRAP - THE NORDOST VIDAR CABLE BURN-IN DEVICE

Some years back, motivated by the improbable (and impractical) burn-in times demanded by their cables and suffered by their customers, Nordost bit the bullet and manufactured a cable burn-in machine, designed to speed the process. Inspired by an earlier device, the DuoTech, Nordost’s offering was neither physically impressive nor particularly cheap. But it did work, . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 47
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

Review (2001)

THE ICING ON THE CAKE - FINALLY - TONEARM CABLES FOR NORDOST USERS

Speaking of which, in a world where even the most curmudgeonly tweakaphobe will still spend (albeit begrudgingly) several hundred pounds on an interconnect to hook up their expensive CD player to the rest of their system, many audiophiles are still assing the tiny and incredibly fragilesignal from their pride and joy turntable down something not much better than a patch . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 47
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

Review (2001)

BUT STILL CHEERFUL - NORDOST FREY INTERCONNECTS & LOUDSPEAKER CABLES

Speaking of which, in a world where even the most curmudgeonly tweakaphobe will still spend (albeit begrudgingly) several hundred pounds on an interconnect to hook up their expensive CD player to the rest of their system, many audiophiles are still assing the tiny and incredibly fragilesignal from their pride and joy turntable down something not much better than a patch . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 42
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

Review (2001)

BLIND LISTENING TO CABLES - CAN WE HEAR THE DIFFERENCE?

Hi-fi has, and always has had, more than its fair share of sacred cows: ideas or beliefs that become articles of faith for their advocates. Amongst the most vociferously attacked and defended is the whole issue of cable sound, with available views running the gamut from “all cables sound the same” through to “you should spend the lion’s share of your budget on cables . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 34
Reviewer: Roy Gregory

Review (2001)

NORDOST POWER CORDS (2003 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR, 2003 EDITOR'S CHOICE)

Nordost have raised the bar on power cord performance – at both ends of the price spectrum. The Shiva mains lead produces dramatic improvements in dynamic range, speed and instrumental separation, while the Vishnu adds weight and colour to the mix. But it’s the Valhalla leads that represent Nordost’s most impressive achievement to date. The coherence, clarity . . .

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Publication: Hi-Fi+ 
Issue: Issue 29
Reviewer: Hi-Fi+ Editors Choice

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