I am an audiophile and gadget lover. So much innovation is out in the market today, but there are few products that truly amaze today. Let's face it...there's a ton of great tech out today and most of it is similar and comparable. So I rarely write reviews...unless you find a product that is truly spectacular, innovative, unique, and simply unrivaled.
That's where Arctic Cables comes in. The Arctic Palladium literally makes it feel like the headphones and cable disappear. Zero exaggeration. Whether you're a cable skeptic or not...there is no doubt that Palladium takes your headphones to an unprecedented level.
I stumbled upon Arctic Cables (
arcticcables.com) by accident. I already have the most superb headphone setup. I have the Focal Utopia, Stellia, custom flagship headphone cables, flagship IEM collection, Astell & Kern SP2000 DAP, Focal Arche, Chord DACs/Amps, all pure silver interconnects, power conditioners, etc... Suffice it to say...I've become very poor with this hobby
So, I wasn't looking for a new headphone cable. I've tried Kimber, Cardas, Nordist, Corpse, LQI, MoonAudio, DoubleHelix, EffectAudio, PWaudio, etc...
I thought I found the perfect collection of equipment and I really couldn't go better.
But...Arctic comes along with their Palladium flagship, ultra pure silver, 7N quality, OCC, and dipped in THICK Palladium.
I thought Ultra Pure Silver was as good as it gets. It is excellent, clear, sometimes a bit bright, but overall the cleanest sound you can get. I felt it was the FASTEST way audio could reach your headphones.
Palladium changes everything. It actually makes me feel like my silver cables were the bottleneck. The Palladium makes it feel like the sound is jumping from your DAP or Amp to your ears with no barriers.
Believe me, I didn't want to like it. I am so cash poor because of all this gear (especially this year), I never imagined investing more, especially into a cable after trying all the flagships in the market. And yet, here I am ordering a Utopia, Stellia and soon coming IEM edition of the Palladium.
I know this all sounds too good to be true. But that's because it is just that good. Arctic makes and entire line of cables. All are excellent, but what they accomplished with Palladium through years of research and R&D, they have achieved something that no competitor rivals in the market today. They are the VERY BEST. Period. This is subjective to some degree, but it is also a pure fact, based on the sheer physics this cable is able to accomplish.
The Sound:
- It is pure, complete and heard as the music is meant to be heard. The brightness over silver is completely balanced by the Palladium and it really is as if the cable is transparent. There is alteration to the audio from the cable. It delivers the beauty of the music as it was intended, and it opens up the FULL potential of your headphones. My Utopai and Stellia sing like never before.
- The highs are crystal clear, but entirely undistorted, neutral and addicting.
- The mids are full, thick, rich, and detailed.
- The lows are deep. So thick and deep that I can't believe this cable is based on silver. It's as if there is copper there, but the intricate texture it delivers surpasses.
The Packaging:
Simply WOW. It matches the quality of the gorgeous cable, and sound. This is a LUXURY item and feel. Arctic makes sure you receive this leather case, velour pouch, and certificate, and just about the best in class packaging I have ever seen a cable have.
The entire experience is so incredible from start to finish.
The Cable Build / Customization:
They literally have every flagship connector, solder, and material in the book. I repeat...they even let you select the solder they use on your custom craft cable. This is unheard of! You can pick Mundor, Cardas, or VIABLUE.
Such a level of detail in craftsmanship is unparalleled, and entirely worthy of this very special audiophile hobby we all love.
Conclusion:
Best of all, Arctic offers a 30 day trial. If you don't want to believe me, just believe your ears. This will change your entire audio listening experience and expectation. And after I did all the leg work trialing so much...take advantage and jump to the best. Or if you love experimenting, do a head to head match against any cable you have or trial.
Val (who I've been in touch with), has personally spent hours supporting me and ensuring I receive the exact cables I envision and dream of. Such and attention and care, in today's hectic world is so rare. So appreciative and eternally loyal to Arctic Cables from this entire experience!
Hope you have a chance to try their stellar work and happy listening!!