I am a cable enthusiast, which is pretty much the Head-Fi equivalent of proclaiming I’m a Jehova’s witness or Scientologist. My hearing is decent, but by no means extremely sensitive. Which is why I am till this day baffled that cables remain such a controversy on the forum. Cables can sound midforward or V-shaped, slow or ‘analogue’ versus quick, have more or less controlled bass and vary between cold or warm. Each cable has its own personality – similar to iems or daps.
I recently purchased an Advanced AcousticWerkes W500 AHMorph via Null Audio, a Singapore-based retailer for a variety of prominent Asian ciem brands such as Rooth, AAW and Hidition. I experienced the customer service of Null Audio as very responsive and friendly, which is not a given in this industry. They’ve been making cables for quite a while, and provide the standard cable for the AAW W500 AHMorph that I recently purchased via them. Which is incidentally how I came across their Vitesse Silver Cryo 8-strand: I am a sucker for 8-strand silvers and couldn’t resist at the price they were offering it for. A standard quality silver cable usually goes for around $300. And that’s a 4-strand; add another 2 to 300 dollars for an 8-braid. In comparison, this cable is an absolute steal at $274.
Impressions
Most listening is done with the EarSonics Velvet, so I’ll compare the Vitesse with the standard provided EarSonics cable. I’ll start by a classic stereotype of silver cables: they sound bright, cold or analytical. This is not the case with the Vitesse; it sounds clear, without sounding bright. Brightness results from an overrepresentation of the higher frequencies, but most silver cables have long departed from this. I’ve had a lot of quality silver cables and the only one I found to be overly bright was the Whiplash TWag V2 (although I’ve heard great things about the V3). The Vitesse sounds very balanced across the frequency range. The EarSonics copper cable sounds warmer, but also muddier and more unclear especially in the midrange. Mids have a bit more presence with the Vitesse, sounding a bit more forward. The Vitesse provides more clarity, although it retains some warmth; from my experience 8-strand silver cables generally sound warmer than their 4-strand counterparts. Therefore it doesn’t sound analytical, but also not detail-oriented for that matter. Instead, it has a general tendency to smooth over sound, especially in the treble; compared to other silver cables it is more forgiving for fast-played electric guitars that can sound spikey for example. The onset of tones is fluent, rather than fast and sharp. Bass is round and impactful, and has more definition compared to the standard EarSonics cable.
A few comparisons with other silver (alloy) cables to further help distinguish its sound.
Rhapsodio Silver Litz ($300)
The Rhapsodio cable shares a similar balanced presentation across the frequency range, but has a higher resolution; the background is blacker and instruments are sharper defined. However it is also colder, and sacrifices warmth for precision. The Vitesse silver has a more allround pleasant tonality, sounding noticeably warmer in comparison. Although instruments might be slightly lesser defined, the Vitesse provides a thicker note impact and smoother tonality.
Toxic Cables Silver Widow (1% gold) OCC Litz ($325)
The Silver Widow has a faster attack; the onset of tones is quick and precise. The Silver Widow is more detailed in the upper midrange and treble, but at the cost of a slightly recessed lower midrange making it more V-shaped in comparison to the Vitesse. While the top end of electric guitars is better defined with the Silver Widow, they can also sound more edgy and fatuiging. The Silver Widow’s bass is more punchy, while the Vitesse slams with more authority.
Rhapsodio Luna Pure Silver 8-strand ($500)
The Luna has a clearer background, while sharing a similar light tendency towards warmth. Both cables have a thicker tone presentation, but the Luna pulls ahead with a clearer background enabling better tonal definition within the presentation. The Luna also provides a more powerful punch from the bass, although the Vitesse’s doesn’t fall far behind.
Rhapsodio 2.98 Silver/Gold (2% gold) Litz 8-strand ($550)
The 2.98 cables sounds noticeably warmer, and is the warmest of these cables, while simultaneously having the most detailed midrange and lower midrange presence. The Vitesse sounds clearer, but the 2.98 has a higher resolution resulting in better instrument definition. The 2.98 comes off as analogue, presenting tones a bit more laidback in comparison to the Vitesse. The two cables share the same round, authoritative bass impact.
Conclusion
The Vitesse Silver has a clearer sound compared to a standard copper cable, while retaining a slightly warm sound giving it a very pleasant signature. It is less detail-oriented than higher priced silver litz cables, but instead presents a very smooth tonality that can eliminate treble harshness. Its bass is rounded and defined. More importantly, its price to quality ratio is unbeatable, offering a 8-strand silver for an affordable price. An inviting step into the world of upgrade cables!
I recently purchased an Advanced AcousticWerkes W500 AHMorph via Null Audio, a Singapore-based retailer for a variety of prominent Asian ciem brands such as Rooth, AAW and Hidition. I experienced the customer service of Null Audio as very responsive and friendly, which is not a given in this industry. They’ve been making cables for quite a while, and provide the standard cable for the AAW W500 AHMorph that I recently purchased via them. Which is incidentally how I came across their Vitesse Silver Cryo 8-strand: I am a sucker for 8-strand silvers and couldn’t resist at the price they were offering it for. A standard quality silver cable usually goes for around $300. And that’s a 4-strand; add another 2 to 300 dollars for an 8-braid. In comparison, this cable is an absolute steal at $274.
Impressions
Most listening is done with the EarSonics Velvet, so I’ll compare the Vitesse with the standard provided EarSonics cable. I’ll start by a classic stereotype of silver cables: they sound bright, cold or analytical. This is not the case with the Vitesse; it sounds clear, without sounding bright. Brightness results from an overrepresentation of the higher frequencies, but most silver cables have long departed from this. I’ve had a lot of quality silver cables and the only one I found to be overly bright was the Whiplash TWag V2 (although I’ve heard great things about the V3). The Vitesse sounds very balanced across the frequency range. The EarSonics copper cable sounds warmer, but also muddier and more unclear especially in the midrange. Mids have a bit more presence with the Vitesse, sounding a bit more forward. The Vitesse provides more clarity, although it retains some warmth; from my experience 8-strand silver cables generally sound warmer than their 4-strand counterparts. Therefore it doesn’t sound analytical, but also not detail-oriented for that matter. Instead, it has a general tendency to smooth over sound, especially in the treble; compared to other silver cables it is more forgiving for fast-played electric guitars that can sound spikey for example. The onset of tones is fluent, rather than fast and sharp. Bass is round and impactful, and has more definition compared to the standard EarSonics cable.
A few comparisons with other silver (alloy) cables to further help distinguish its sound.
Rhapsodio Silver Litz ($300)
The Rhapsodio cable shares a similar balanced presentation across the frequency range, but has a higher resolution; the background is blacker and instruments are sharper defined. However it is also colder, and sacrifices warmth for precision. The Vitesse silver has a more allround pleasant tonality, sounding noticeably warmer in comparison. Although instruments might be slightly lesser defined, the Vitesse provides a thicker note impact and smoother tonality.
Toxic Cables Silver Widow (1% gold) OCC Litz ($325)
The Silver Widow has a faster attack; the onset of tones is quick and precise. The Silver Widow is more detailed in the upper midrange and treble, but at the cost of a slightly recessed lower midrange making it more V-shaped in comparison to the Vitesse. While the top end of electric guitars is better defined with the Silver Widow, they can also sound more edgy and fatuiging. The Silver Widow’s bass is more punchy, while the Vitesse slams with more authority.
Rhapsodio Luna Pure Silver 8-strand ($500)
The Luna has a clearer background, while sharing a similar light tendency towards warmth. Both cables have a thicker tone presentation, but the Luna pulls ahead with a clearer background enabling better tonal definition within the presentation. The Luna also provides a more powerful punch from the bass, although the Vitesse’s doesn’t fall far behind.
Rhapsodio 2.98 Silver/Gold (2% gold) Litz 8-strand ($550)
The 2.98 cables sounds noticeably warmer, and is the warmest of these cables, while simultaneously having the most detailed midrange and lower midrange presence. The Vitesse sounds clearer, but the 2.98 has a higher resolution resulting in better instrument definition. The 2.98 comes off as analogue, presenting tones a bit more laidback in comparison to the Vitesse. The two cables share the same round, authoritative bass impact.
Conclusion
The Vitesse Silver has a clearer sound compared to a standard copper cable, while retaining a slightly warm sound giving it a very pleasant signature. It is less detail-oriented than higher priced silver litz cables, but instead presents a very smooth tonality that can eliminate treble harshness. Its bass is rounded and defined. More importantly, its price to quality ratio is unbeatable, offering a 8-strand silver for an affordable price. An inviting step into the world of upgrade cables!
