GRIMM SQM XLR

UPDATED 11/24/20

Is the GRIMM SQM XLR worthy of our hard earned money?



CapistranoCables "Copper Diamond 16"- Custom hand braided copper 6n OCC 99.9997 cable with male 4 pin XLR cable to 4pin female mini XLR - 8 strands per conductor, 16 conductors total. This is a main cable . Shielded only through braid
as shown. Price $150 .5m pair



REVIEW: Initial sound impressions of the "Copper Diamond 16" for day 1 seems like it has all the benefits of the GRIMM TPR with a slight rise in the higher frequencies- bass seems solid and faster as well. The weave of the wires must be shielding it physically as intended - and it works. The sound is completely open and transparent so far after several songs and comparisons.
Very solid performance here and the Copper Diamonds sound amazing! Songs like "Who Do You Love" Absolutely Live by The Doors played back at 16bit 44.1Khz is a great test for vocals and harshness since the recording is so raw filled with intended distortions of electrical instruments swaying back and forth with silent transitions between- the snap of the drum is spot on and the cymbals sound so damm nice- a refreshing balance of warmth and focus into the performance unlike the GRIMM- the GRIMM is a bit more polite.

Riders On The Storm by The Doors from Riders On The Storm on Amazon Music
One of my favorite tracks by the Doors is this particular one- issued only to Amazon Prime users as far as I know. The one issued by Spotify with same name is not the same- the Prime version has a lot more ambient and back up vocals added devoid in the Spotify version. The dynamics and added special effects are a treat to the ears through headphones especially. Using my Kennerton GH-50's modded by me- I want to absolutely stop writing and immerse myself into the music- I am diving into the recording as the rain drops fill my head with tingles of the undeniable beat and percussion- the cables are truly reference quality - extremely music- much better than I would have ever though possible in this price range. Do they beat the GRIMM TPR- whole heartily yes. The next level. The "Copper Diamond 16" provide micro details at all frequencies without a hint of fatigue or harshness- remarkable. So this is what it is like to have your cake and eat it too- with the Topping D90+A90 the Copper Diamond 16 is a match for sure that will bring out every single last detail while still being warm. Where do they fall on the kelvin light scale? Well if the Grim TPR is 4500-4700 the Copper Diamond 16 is 4800-4900 making it a tad bit more open. Retaining all the great things I love about the TRP but ever so slightly more revealing with more open wider stage and pin point accuracy with instrument placement and excitement. This cable keeps on making me want to find new and old tracks---dam this sounds sooooo right- Good Stuffby Griff from Good Stuffn Amazon Music

the way this girl dances (after 2mins 55 seconds in) and feels the music is how I feel when i listen to this Copper Diamond 16... Aurora is pure music, her body and soul is pure music. She's always leaving the real world, when she is performing. Her other songs are really deep stuff.


Grimm TPR- ‘Twisted Pair Reference’ cable was developed for the rejuvenated Wisseloord Studios in The Netherlands. Their design focuses on high RF immunity and low microphonics. The symmetry of the cross-section and heavy shielding contribute to high RF immunity. Low microphonics is provided by a special interface layer under the shield and other construction details.
Price $68 Pair 1m

REVIEW: GRIM TPR is my favorite and highly recommend XLR and RCA wire bar none for price to performance.
The GRIMM TPR- The first thing I noticed was the bass- wow. These are a pleasurable bass, tight and musical. The mid range is juicy and ripe with organic feel. Treble region is as smooth as tube amp- not really to say rolled off but very pleasant like a tube sound. So smooth as I listen as I type. Dam these cables sound nice. No harshness what so ever. Musical. Groovey. Toe tapping joyful. Vocals sound so smooth- like a finely smoothed and polished piece of wood with a lacquered finish of satin or semi gloss sheen- smooth and wonderful to the touch. On the light scale of kelvin I want to say it shines like the sun, nourishing and refreshing after listening to the Chifi wire. Is it as good as the control in my system a now discontinued Hybrid Nanofiber Pure Carbon wire by Stealth? no. Its not as revealing into the recording but what wire could be especially at this price range. The Stealth Audio Nanofiber Pure Carbon is lightening quick where the Grimm TPR is a tad slower- which is okay. It's very enjoyable wire. I like. This is a match made in heaven with the Topping D90+A90 for sure. truly a blissful pairing warm & engaging . It proves that plain Jane looks when it comes to "cable jewelry" means zip, 'nada', zero and nothing in the world of sound... Makes me wonder why... or care less... I'm just listening to the music and I can say yes, yes yes. This is a great pairing... For all those into the mathematics of it all...
(GRIMM TPR + Topping D90 + A90 = BLISS÷Cost = INSANE DEAL)

Do I have to keep testing wire now? Am I done? Can I go now? Nope.... we march forward in reviewing more cable...


SQM is a balanced cable offered with Neutrik gold plated XLRs. Low microphony requires a meticulous choice of materials to minimize friction induced noise, plus a mechanically tight physical construction. SQM goes a step further here by using carbon doted sheaths around individual conductors and beneath the braided screen. To optimize immunity from electric and magnetic fields the screens are tightly woven (no ‘see-through’) and the conductors are well twisted. Magnetic shielding is further improved by the so called ‘star-quad’ construction after which “Star Quad Master” was named. 475.00€ 1meter pair ( $558.10 at time of review)
REVIEW: After using the SQM for a month now, I have nearly forgotten about them- that's how good they are... They are nearly dead center neutral, perfect for studios and those who review equipment- these are 'not tube warm' nor 'Class D boring' or solid state 'cold.' The SQM are like taking a snap shot with a top of the line perfectly white balanced camera - a near perfect render of the music in and out. I did not really notice but these are very grown up cables when you think about it- how? Well when you played the field and tested dozens of cables- this is the cable that will always be dependable. Depend on it to be real- not inflated, not good on some music but good on all music. Neutral is not always natural- is a true statement- but that is because these cables aren't really anything but truthful- of the source of the amp and of the recording. This cable is honest- don't expect it to color your music silly- that's not the intent. The intent is to be an adult. Serious and responsible. A cable that does not speed through 55MPH zones, but stays the limit with tempo tight and accurate. Timing is very tight- ever so slightly tighter than the TPR and this is a good thing of course. With TPR, the R stands for recording- yes excellent for recording indeed. But SQM is even better for those critical components that need every last ounce of detail. So with SQM, the M stands for Master (Star Quad Master). And yes it does indeed represent the name SQM perfectly... made for recording check, master cable check, and shielded from any noise what so ever - check. All boxes are checked- what else do you want from a cable designed from the ground up to accomplish these very traits? You want warmth- only if your song or dac or amp has it. You want stark details from the very depths of Helheim to Valhalla? You will get it here with the SQM if the recording has it and your amp and dac can pull it out and to your ears through your monitors. Its quite clear - because the SQM is clear- like Starphire glass if you will. Highly recommended. Even handed at all frequencies and true reference wire.
SQM hear the music not the wire...

See The Beauty, Not The Glass


CONCLUSION: The DIAMOND COPPER 16 sounds best with the Topping D90+A90 for me, and for the on the Ray Samuels Apache I actually am split between the SQM and the Diamond Copper 16. If I am reviewing equipment critically or mixing recordings the clear winner is SQM. If I want to hear every last drop of sound/music of what is recorded exactly as it is- the SQM is king. But if I want to sit back and just forget where I am and listen for hours- the Capistrano Copper 16 wins. The CapistranoCables offer the best sound over the Grimm TPR XLR- BUT for the money though the toe tapping fun of the GRIMM TPR is a sure winner above beyond anything I heard by other companies of similar nature by leaps and bounds (Canare, Pig Hog, Mogami Gold Studio, Hosa Edge etc) and a safe bet- you will not be sorry you bought them. If you want slightly more detail and slightly more sound stage and all the details without a hint of harshness the CapistranoCables Copper Diamond 16s are state of the art from what I heard- they even bested my Hybrid Stealth wires that are insane in price- but they do not sound as honest as the SQM. The SQM is a winner for transparency and true to source range enhancing nothing but the truth- they should have called these truth cables as what you feed them is what you get in return without embellishments lies or coloration-the SQM is truly a reference XLR.