Lavricables Master Line V3

Lavricables Master​

Lavricables – their Master line offers great materials, lots of customization, and promises superb performance. How do they stack to other cables on the market at $279?


Introduction to the review of Lavricables Master​

Lavricables has something major in common with Ear Fidelity. It is a passion project established by hobbyists who said: “We can bring something into the community”. I love working with people like us. There is a great vibe in the air from the start. You, my dear reader, are one of us too. I can’t imagine anybody not being passionate about the audio quality going through my reviews. So, we are stuck in this passionate triangle. No homo, homie.

Jokes aside, as Lavricables is a no-BS company. You won’t find any magical tales on their website. Everything is straight to the point. Lavricables Master wants us to get great-quality silver wires to use in audio. It’s their favorite conductor, and they have dedicated their time to providing the best possible configurations. There are many options for you to choose from. Pure silver wires of different types, a selection of connectors, and some extra customization options. Super easy to get a hold of, and very versatile. You can have it your way, trust me.

There are 4 levels of quality. Reference, Ultimate, Master, and Grand. They differ from the wire used. We will focus on the Master line this time. One of the others will be covered by Paweł soon, so stay tuned. The Master line contains earphone, headphone, interconnect, speaker, and power cables. The IEM cable is made of 4 PVC isolated 22AWG 5N litz silver wires.

My version came with 2 pin recessed connectors, a 4,4mm jack, gold plated, blue jacket, no sleeve, and the optional carbon, and aluminum splitter. What I really appreciate, is the fact that they also offer DIY supplies including conductors and connectors. I’m a DIY guy, and I appreciate the option to buy high-quality parts from a reputable vendor.

Packaging and Build Quality​

It comes in really basic. A very well-secured package contains a soft, branded bag protecting the cable itself. Of, the sticker is cool, it comes with the set. I told you it’s no BS company. No budget went to fancy boxes.

The cable is built very well. The construction is flawless, everything is super sturdy, yet lightweight for a relatively thick conductor. For IEMs 22AWG is thiccc. With three “c”. The conductor was described before, but I just want to add that 5N silver litz wire is one of the best options on the market. No corners cut here. No Sir.

As far as comfort is concerned, the Master is a comfortable cable. While being bulkier and a bit stiffer than usual, it still doesn’t pick up any microphonic noise, it’s plenty soft and not too prone to tangling. While I wouldn’t call it ultra-comfortable, it’s definitely not problematic at all.

Sound of the Lavricables Master​

Why would we want to use silver wires at all? The theory says that it’s the best conductor of electricity. In practice, silver wires offer brighter tonality, more resolution, and better sound staging than their copper counterparts. It’s exactly what Lavricables Master does. No surprises there.
In the beginning, I want to make it clear that this cable sounds like silver should sound like. It is on the brighter side, but doesn’t lose the timbre and meat on the bone. That can be an issue with lesser quality silver cables that are plenty on the market. Similarly to poor quality copper, it can cause unsatisfactory results. A shiny, glassy, hollow sound is the usual description of the changes.

So we have that out of the way. My Lavricables Master 2 Pin was made with gold-plated connectors, which gives it a little more warmth compared to rhodium-plated connectors. Have that in mind, you can tilt the sound of it a bit more into detail and openness. We all need to find our balance. I went with the safer option, as I’m going through a lot of different IEMs when reviewing.

Bass
Silver is often accused of cutting out bass. I would use that sentence about the reviewed Lavricables Master. In the end, 22AWG wires offer super low impedance, so nothing will hamper the bass on the technical side. On the subjective take, Master tightens the bass and gives it exceptional clarity and resolution. You lose a bit of the oompf, but you gain so much more in sheer quality.
I usually try to find the best usage of equipment characteristics, but besides people who prefer boomy bass (ain’t no shame in that), most of the rest will gladly take this deal. Take a look at the monster of pop music, Bruno Mars, and his banger That’s what I like. The bass has a very nice punch, and excellent control, and is fun as should be.



Midrange
The midrange is super clean and extremely smooth. Right now I’m listening to Kendrick Lamar’s HUMBLE. and I love how liquid his voice sounds. Combined with his flawless delivery it really is something to consider.
It’s hard to go back after hearing this liquid and organic sound. An additional pro is that it really allows the tiniest detail to shine. It gives the extra depth and decay that usually gets lost. There is just a bit more sound in the music. Those of you who pay extra attention to those frequencies should take notes. Lavricables master might be a cable for you if you wish to get the most out of your IEMs.

Treble
Silver and treble are like a cold beer at the BBQ. It just does wonders for the treble. Especially litz wires, like the reviewed Lavricables Master, which are specialized to work with high frequencies (much higher than 20kHz), so audio is like DC for them. They are completely transparent for that range. Once again we get the ultimate smooth, liquid, and organic sound. Trebles are rich, crystal clear, snappy, and super realistic. It’s not done by influencing the tonal balance, but by refining the signal delivered. Or maybe it’s the copper that adds coloration. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
To put it blandly, Lavricable Master has one of the top treble responses I have heard, including some really high-end cables. To give you a quick example, the cymbals in Tear Don’t Fall by every 00s teenager metal entry band Bullet for my Valentine, they don’t fall, they crash around me. Some of you will get it, the rest, well listen to the song goddammit. That’s why I write about them here!

Soundstaging
Reviewed cable really brings separation and effortlessness to the sound. With IEMs sometimes the soundstage gets shallow in between the channels, while with Lavricable Master this negative effect seems to be reduced. It won’t transform your earphones, but it allows them to give you better, more realistic sound staging. The imaging and separation are what you’d expect from a great-quality silver cable – accurate, clean, and snappy. Very good results here.

Comparisons​

Eletech Prudence


Recently reviewed cable from Singapore is a mix of materials: silver and copper. It really comes down to stereotypes. Pure silver Lavricables Master offers better detail, resolution, textures, and sound staging. The Prudence has a more tactile bass, warmer, more moist midrange, and calmer treble. It really does come down to the preference, and IEMs that you own. Both are excellent cables.

If you’d like to make your IEM faster, snappier, and more intense sounding, the Lavricables Master should be your choice. However, if you’re into a more intimate, richer, and smoother overall presentation, the Prudence will be better for you. Take note that the Prudence won our “Cable Of The Year 2022” award, so the fact that I’m rating the Lavricables Master as comparable to the Prudence is a rather high praise.

Pairings​

LETSHUOER EJ07M
The ultimate combo for transparent midrange, and supernatural midrange. The Lavricables Master really brings out the resolution of this great IEM. This cable is a relatively big part of the IEMs price, but I can see people doing that investment. Many could live with that sound.

Unique Melody MEXT

One of the most fun IEMs on the market goes really nicely with this silver cable. It gives a nice kick to the energetic, sparky outgoing tuning of the MEXT. I would be careful with the pairing, more bright sounding electronic won’t pair nicely with them. Something warmer, and darker is very welcomed. Neutral is fine too if a strong V-shaped characteristic is your thing.

Final Audio B1

A pairing I couldn’t do, since my Master has 2 pin and the B1 has MMCX sockets. It is a pairing that I can give my head for though. They will go fantastic together. Imagine a warm, honey-like midrange from the B1 with the openness and detail of the Lavricables Master. This one would be a blast, definitely.

Summary​

Lavricables Master delivers exactly what it promises. Superior quality of the conductor, high build quality, and excellent performance. It’s hard to argue with the results. While the price might seem high compared to Aliexpress brands, have no doubts.

The difference in the price is reflected in the quality of the sound. Also if you look at the price of bare components like 5N silver wires, and good connectors, the price that Lavricables puts on their products is more than fair. This cable gives you all the pros of silver wires, with no usual drawbacks.

It delivers clarity, resolution, control, and smoothness. It really can make a difference and elevate the sound of your favorite IEMs. Add to that rugged build quality and tons of customization options. This really is one of the best silver wires on the market, and I have no doubt saying that.


Big thanks to Lavricables for providing the Master for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion.

About Author​

Michał Sommerfeld​

I can really say “been there, done that” in regard to audio. Designing, building, fixing, reviewing, selling. All of that for big boy stereo. Headphones are something new and fresh for me. We all need something exciting now and then, so join me in my quest of discovering this cool world. We will listen to, drink and WE WILL bring the balance to the force. Oh, I like beer.

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
You can find retail prices for all Lavricables product lines and other information at their website.

Introduction

My first experience with Lavricables was with their Ultimate line, a cable that I have reviewed here.
After that I must admit that I became a loyal customer and I have ordered pure silver cables from the Ultimate line for all the headphones of my collection.
It was a couple of months ago that Konstantin from Lavricables suggested that I should test the new Sky-blue Master line V3 cable with my Meze Elite and HiFiMan Susvara and was kind enough to send me two samples for evaluation.
Regular readers will find some inevitable similarities between the Ultimate cable review and this one.



About Lavricables

Lavricables is a Latvia based company that was created back in 2012 as a hobby.
To ensure the highest quality of their products they use pure silver which is the best conductor available nowadays. Silver is also known for its neutrality, resolution and soundstage openness. Moreover, braided solid core cable geometry allows to eliminate radio frequencies and electromagnetic interferences and with increased number of cores skin effect is also minimized on high frequencies.
Currently they make cables for most of the headphones and IEMs available on the market.
Most of their products are available in three lines: Reference, Ultimate, Master and Grand.

Entry point is the Reference line for anyone who looks to upgrade from the usually low quality stock cables.
More advanced in sonic characteristics and cable geometry is the Ultimate line.
Then the Master line was introduced, offering more premium products and the best possible products are represented by the Grand line.

Silver cables need burn in time

According to Lavricables, it is always important to remember that silver reveals its potential only after 100-150 hours of burn in time (hence they offer burn in services). There are lots of different opinions related to this topic as well as a great amount of technical articles proving that. From their point of view this is a MUST for every cable. Sound characters that might seem in the beginning a bit harsh or even unpleasant on some revealing systems will noticeably change with time and become more relaxed and neutral.
The review samples came already burned by the manufacturer.



My general thoughts about cables

Before reading the review you should probably know that I am not a cable zealot nor a cable denier.
I have a diploma in physics and I certainly trust in measurements and science but don’t think that everything can be measured, especially when it comes to sound. There are a lot of parameters involved and in the end I prefer to trust my ears rather than reading measurements.
When it comes to cables I can easily blind pick differences between speaker cables and I do think that they greatly affect the performance of a sound system.
Interconnects are more related to component matching and their effect can vary from minimal to more substantial depending on the output/input impedance ratio while I would lie by saying that I can hear any sonic differences between power cords.
Thus said this is a purely subjective and not scientifically based review, something that I am asking to be respected.
I am not going to engage into a “do cables make a difference” discussion and such comments will be totally ignored.

Lavricables Master Series Headphone cables

To reveal the potential of any hi-fi setup, the Master line has been introduced by the manufacturer, one step before their flagship Grand line.
The Master line used to be an awg22 hybrid cable and remained unchanged until recently when the new, much improved, version 3 was introduced.
This new cable is quite different from the previous one, still silver but the wire now gained significant flexibility improvement as a result of a new double twisted geometry as found in the Grand line.
Moreover it has a redesigned structure which covers the size and amount of enameled cores and also a small amount of patented alloy cores in the middle.
Furthermore they have also introduced a sky-blue tint of pvc insulation which stands out of the crowd and looks totally amazing.
The cable is highly customizable and you can choose the termination and headphone end plugs, the color, the Y splitter and whether the cable will have a silk sleeving or not.



The review cables

The review samples are two, one cable for the Meze Elite and the other for the HiFiMan Susvara.
The first one has Furutech mini-XLR plugs with rhodium plated pins on the headphone side and is terminated with the Lavricables custom 4.4mm plug with rhodium plated pins.
The other is using standard 2.5mm plugs for the headphone and the Lavricables custom made 4.4mm gold plated plug on the other end.



Build quality

The cable is of the highest quality, it seems ultra durable, is very soft and not stiff, lightweight, easy to handle without getting tangled and has absolutely zero microphonic noise.
The plugs are also of the highest quality and they come well assembled with heat-shrink strain reliefs.
If there is something to complain about, it is that I would have liked a little longer and beefier heat shrinks.
The new sky-blue sleeving is absolutely beautiful, this is one of the best looking cables in the industry and while external appearance will certainly not affect sound performance I know that there are a lot of people who are buying upgrade cables for aesthetic and ergonomic reasons only.
I wish that I had the photographer skills to show how the light radiates through it and changes the color shades.



Before the listening impressions

I Know that many of you are wondering:

Will the Master upgrade cable add more bass to my headphones?
Can I use it to make vocals sound more forward and closer to my liking?
Is it possible to cut a few db in the treble to make my headphones sound smoother?
Should I buy it to equalize the frequency response of my headphones?
I have been reading that silver will add harshness and brightness on my headphones, is this true?

Well, the answer to all the above and similar questions is a definite NO.
Yes NO, you have read it right, the Lavricables Master is not some kind of a passive equalizer and will not change anything regarding the frequency response of your headphones and the electronics behind them.
If you don't like your headphones frequency response or the synergy of your sound system then you better invest in another headphone or tweak your system or just use a hardware/software equalizer.

But if you love your headphones system and want to squeeze every last drop of performance then keep reading.



Listening impressions

I have been using both cables continuously for more than a couple of months and I have naturally rotated between most of my listening gear.
The Violectric V380², iBasso DX320, Cayin C9, FiiO M17 and Feliks Audio Euforia just to mention a few of them.
The listening metrology was to cycle between the Master and stock cables while keeping detailed notes of all audible differences.

Listening with the Lavricables Master and comparing with the stock cables you can't fail to notice certain sonic improvements for both headphones.
And I am not only referring to the stock cables that come bundled with the headphones and are of really bad quality (especially the Susvara cable) but also to the Meze Elite copper upgrade cable that is sonically much better than the stock.
Of course most of the differences are not jaw dropping, night and day, you have to be patient and let the cable work its way into your ears.
But after using the cable for a couple of sessions and switching back to the stock it is right then when you immediately realize the audible sonic improvements.

There is a considerable improvement into the overall transparency and the clarity of the sound.
The Master cable is like being more "absent" from the chain, there is this strange feeling that your headphones are directly connected to the amplifier output jack.
The cable allows for more treble extension and resolution without adding any signs of harshness or brightness and without making your headphones sound more analytical than they really are.
You can't also fail to notice the extra flow of information both to the mids and the bass with improved layering, definition and articulation.
Dynamics also become more contrasted and impactful, it is like that all of the amplifier energy is passing through the cable to the headphones without a single percentage of loss during its way there.
The Susvara and the Elite are already two headphones with a speaker like quality in their soundstage presentation but the Master cable upgraded the experience by adding extra layers of depth, more holographic relief and helping a lot with the imaging.
One strange thing is that while most people believe (including me before trying) that a pure silver cable will add sharpness and a metallic tint to the sound, the truth is by far the opposite.
The timbre gains more in naturalness and realism and the texture becomes more smooth and polished but not shiny.

The better your chain is the more apparent the sonic improvements will become but there is also a catch.
The highly revealing nature of the cable will expose bad quality recordings and will ruthlessly highlight all the disadvantages of your chain.
So if you already love your headphones and your sound system then you are going to love them even more but be careful because by using such a revealing cable there is a great chance that if there was something already bothering you, now it will become a real pain in your ass.
The Elite with the Master cable plugged into the Feliks Audio Euforia fed by the Ideon Audio Ayazi MK2 DAC resulted in an orgasmic listening experience when I revisited my favorite recording of Beethoven's 9th symphony.



At this point someone would ask about the differences between the Lavricables least expensive Ultimate cable and the Master.
While I can't offer a direct comparison since the Ultimate is configured for the HiFiMan Arya Stealth and the Focal Clear Mg, i feel confident in saying that both cables enhance the same kind of sonic attributes with the Master adding just a tiny bit more of everything and is a worthwhile upgrade IF you have the headphones and the upstream gear to make use of this little extra percentage of improvement.



In the end

The Lavricables Master Sky-blue is a very beautiful looking and well built cable that offers an excellent handling experience and enhanced sonic qualities compared both to the stock and some other aftermarket cables alike.
Sonic improvements are definitely audible but not night and day so if you have everything else settled down, then the Lavricables Master is the perfect icing on the cake to make sure that you are getting every last drop of performance your system is capable of.

Test playlist

Copyright - Petros Laskis 2022.

A bit about headphone cables in general...
Audiophile cables are a topic around which the Internet battles are very common. I can write a lot on this subject. But I won't. Just try it yourself, in the audiophile world, your own experience is the most valuable.

Does a headfier really need to upgrade the headphone cable? I would say that it all depends on the headphones and the cable that comes with them initially. I had an experience when the stock cable did not fit the headphones at all (Meze Empyrean) and did not allow them to fully reveal their class (T+A Solitaire P). With LCD5 the case is different. The stock cable is fine, and the headphones are neutral enough to want to change something. However, what can you do, if you've already picked out the best components, love your headphones, and don't want to change anything but wouldn't mind improving the sound just a little bit more? That's right, a new headphone cable.


My experiments with LCD5: new Lavricables Master, DIY copper cable with thicker conductors, Arctic Cables Magnus and stock Audeze cable

I experimented a lot with cables and this is what I understood for myself for sure:

1. The quality (purity?) of the metal is more important than the cross section of the conductor. I don't know exactly how it works, but it works. My DIY cable (black fabric braid) with thicker conductors almost did not differ from stock. And Arctic Cables Magnus was very distinct, although all three were made of copper.

2. The silver cable seems to add high frequencies, but at the same time they are perceived as less harsh. Sounds counter-intuitive, but I've had the same experience with other headphones. If you haven't tried silver cables - give it a try, it's a more interesting experience than it seems.



...and about Lavricables Master V3 in particular.
Master cable came in a simple box. Some wrapping paper, a storage pouch and a sticker. The cable itself is in a transparent blue braid. Very light and flexible. Aeco 4-pin XLR and Rean mini-XLRs at headphone side. Conductors in a transparent isolation have that special silver shine. Looks great in person.

I bought my first cable from Lavricables in 2019. Since then, I have contacted them several times for different orders and each time I have been completely happy with both the process and the result. So I can only say good things about the customer service.



Listening...
I try not to make too quick judgments about new components, so in the beginning I just listened to music with a new cable for a week, getting used to the sound, and only then made a critical comparison.

Of my four LCD5 cables, Arctic Cable Magnus and Lavricables Master were noticeably better. The stock cable and my DIY sounded ok on their own, but weaker in comparison. The choice between Magnus and the Master was more difficult for me. Both cables were a clear improvement over stock, but sounded quite different. Copper gave more weight, but was inferior in quality and elaboration of high frequencies. Not immediately, but I leaned in favor of the Lavricables Master.

To be honest, I originally expected that thick copper would be the best solution for LСD5, but in practice it turned out differently. Lavricabels Master perfectly emphasized the fast and energetic nature of these headphones. Everything that I liked in Audeze's top was turned up to eleven. Speed, punch, energetic vocals - everything.


Conclusions
Is it worth spending the extra money on a piece of wire, even if it's silver? This may sound strange, but yes. Getting to the top headphones, we run into a natural barrier. You can't buy LСD6 - they just don't exist (yet). But you can buy a better cable for LСD5. Better vocals, a little bit of speed, some soundstage improvements, and here comes another dose of audiophile satisfaction from the fact that everything now sounds even better.


TL;DR
Yes, it is audible. Yes, it's worth it.