[GPD1]

Received my new artic cable ( Aeris silver cable) .Aesthetically I dont think I’ve seen a better looking cable

 

[Ninja Theory]

I ordered the Magnus S terminated XLR 4-pin for my Susvara. It arrives this week. The Meze copper upgraded cable was a game changer for me, it transformed the Empyrean into a brand new headphone I had not met before. Needless to say, I'm quietly excited for the wonders the Magnus S may bring with the Sus.

From what I've read here, I can expect 200+ hours burn-in. Is this accurate? Hoping to experience some sonic bliss way before 200 hours but I guess good things come to those who wait.

My Magnus S arrived this week (I opted for Oyaide connectors and a Furutech 4-pin XLR). As mentioned a number of times by others here, the workmanship is simply exemplary. I can easily just stare at it in wonder for prolongued periods, such is its beauty.

I am currently on around 30 hours of burn-in and it is already sounding fantastic. Listening to Fleetwood Mac, Rumours last night was a heavenly experience. The Magnus deftly removed edges I did not even know were present with the OG Susvara cable until last night. Compared to the OG Sus cable, which is a well-known terrible aesthetic but still decent sounding, the Magnus S offers a supremely smooth and non-fatiguing sound, bringing to the fore the Sus's near perfect stage and pinpoint imaging, and it offers this modest bump in SQ with no sacrifice to detail. I cannot imagine listening again without it.

Arctic is a confident recommendation from me. Val is a pleasure to deal with - great customer service and excellent advice when needed.

 

[OM hawk]

Trying out my new Sendy Peacock with my Opera cable, direct from Hugo 2. I gotta be honest, I'm shocked how similar this allegedly odd sounding headphone sounds to my Aeon 2 Closed. The detail, soundstage, and bass slam are all slightly better, and the treble is much smoother, but other than that, it's super familiar sounding, nothing weird about it. I do feel that the Peacock might be better suited to copper cables, like a Magnus (at least with Hugo 2). I may end up buying a Lazuli Reference, supposedly that's the best copper cable out there.

Edit: turns out, the Peacock needs more than just 100 hours of burn in, in my case it took 120. The above impressions, where I thought it was like the Aeon 2, was before it was fully burned in. Now it sounds even smoother, less bright, and a bit bigger bass. Even now, when I listened with the silver Opera cable, certain rare recordings were still harsh, and it just sounded wrong, unlike with the Aeon 2 Closed, where it only improved and clarified the sound, without making the A2C less forgiving/versatile.

I have now switched over to the much more forgiving Dan Clark Audio Vivo copper cable, and there's just one problem: this is the best sound I've ever heard in my life, by miles and miles. It's so good that I can safely say I'm done buying audio gear, really permanently done. This will be my very last post in any gear related thread, and honestly I won't even read another gear related thread, cause dude I am DONE!!

Suffice it to say, Peacock + forgiving copper cable + Hugo 2 is... kinda good. I can only describe the sound as exquisitely balanced, between detail and fun, analysis and musicality, intensity and relaxation. I would also characterize it as flawlessly consistent, absolutely no frequency jumps out awkwardly to distract from musical enjoyment or cause any fatigue or overshadow any other part of the sound, ever. Goodbye.

 

[RHMMMM]

Looking for cables for my Stellia and Utopia. Which Arctic series should I be looking at and how do they compare with Dana Cable - have been eyeing the Ref Plus and Nirvana in that lineup.

 

[TooFrank]

I have used the Signum+ (3.5mm), upgraded to this Integra (xlr4). Both are great, but even though they have different connectors, I will still say that it is an audible improvement.

 

[andyfrut]

The Integra cables are just beautiful. Great pairing with Audeze LCD-X

 

[Turkeysaurus]

I just ordered an Apeiron Series cable as an upgrade to my DIY Black Dragon cable. I've never heard of this brand until MidFi Guy posted a picture on YouTube of his Integra cable and thought, "Wow! That's pretty." I couldn't find any information about the Apeiron series so I'm assuming it must be new. Anyway, I can't wait to get it in.

 

[ECKHUAAA]

I just ordered an Apeiron Series cable as an upgrade to my DIY Black Dragon cable. I've never heard of this brand until MidFi Guy posted a picture on YouTube of his Integra cable and thought, "Wow! That's pretty." I couldn't find any information about the Apeiron series so I'm assuming it must be new. Anyway, I can't wait to get it in.

The Integra is not just pretty they sound great, they tend to dissappear between your headphones and DAP revealing all the details top to bottom

 

[andyfrut]

I ordered an Apeiron too, very curious about the sound improvements in my Arya Stealth

 

[TooFrank]

The Integra cables are just beautiful. Great pairing with Audeze LCD-X

+1 and the Stellia and the Arya....

 

[Verificateur]

If given a choice of two cables: AC Signum (pure silver) and AC Magnus (pure copper), which of these would you give to Focal Stellia vs. HE1000V2?

 

[ECKHUAAA]

If given a choice of two cables: AC Signum (pure silver) and AC Magnus (pure copper), which of these would you give to Focal Stellia vs. HE1000V2?

With either cable you will enjoy great detail and transparency, the Silver will reveal more high frequency detail giving you a sense of more drive.. pure Copper will give a sense of stronger bass.
The Integra gives you both ...
The only time you may get both qualities in pure silver might be the Aeris or Opera.

I had the Magnum Elite and now also the Integra reference

 

[ECKHUAAA]

With either cable you will enjoy great detail and transparency, the Silver will reveal more high frequency detail giving you a sense of more drive.. pure Copper will give a sense of stronger bass.
The Integra gives you both ...
The only time you may get both qualities in pure silver might be the Aeris or Opera.

I had the Magnum Elite and now also the Integra reference

Here is a review I wrote using the Integra as the connecting Cable


Now I think I am ready to write about the HIFIMAN HE-R10P + CAYIN N8ii +ARCTIC Cable INTEGRA with Furutech Carbon interconnects
First the HE-R10P needs at least 3 days break-in, HIFIMAN advices 150hours ...believe them.
In the first day you will hear the extremely extended fast lifelike bass and the fact that it is a very efficient headphone so easy to drive
And that it retrieves a Ton of details almost overwhelming and a sense of lightness! ....but wait don't return to sender yet .
By 3rd day a miracle it's like every atom now finds their rightful place WOW, I mean WOW guys...where do I start..???? Details? Correct bass? Natural realistic midrange? Pure natural highs? Performers motives or intentions with every note ? Openness ahh ? This is Closed back totally challenging the best open backs in their game...please DO NOT pair this device with any DAP or Amp that is flawed or not top notch because it will let you know right away
Instrumental tones are totally real, even 16bit flac recordings come out very well because of the wealth of properly put together information it is able to retrieve, I mean it's hyperdetailed but NOT Analytic....just music!
So much space between each instrument sound that makes listening relaxed detailed and at the same time very engaging like lifelike giving the feeling like you are right there by the musicians!
I will pause a bit to acknowledge
Cayin for the supremely excellent N8ii, the
amazing amount of detail and musical naturalness that comes from that DAP is ...out of this world .... maybe from Venus (where they rotate counterclockwise...)
Then the Arctic Cable Integra allowing all that info to get to the HE-R10P uncolored
They all matter.
Listening:
Starting with Beatrice Rana's Chopin 24 preludes, I have listened to this recording many times before even with the very detailed HE1000SE but here is a new experience, every inner detail of her playing was visible and yet the foreground melody is not obscured by the accompaniment, the decay of notes visible or should I say audible..and the wood of the piano hammer on the strings is audibly blended into the soundscape, I was just going to test quickly with this recording but I ended up listening to all the tracks.
Next up was Shirley Horn's Here's To Life a 16bit flac recording on the Verve label.
This was life changing!!!!
The soft silky sounds of orchestral violins playing beautifully on the E strings Oh my God..silky...golden..gently oozing out on the left, while delicate percussions cymbals sprinkle the surrounding space with angel dust and then Shirley's rich voice was right in front of me ..details, pauses that carry weight like the quiet before a storm..delivering her poetry about life and love like only an angel could...suddenly I felt I wanted to live next to her to experience the pure love that emanate from her like someone who has been to heaven and came back to tell about it...truly Here's to life.... this was her last recording before finally leaving this earth and she filled every track with so much delicate Love...if you can get this recording it's only like $9 or so on Qobuz or prestomusic.com
Next is Claud Debusy's Lesc Trois Sonates on Harmonia mundi.. You will hear and be completely captivated by Isabelle Faust on her Sleeping beauty Stradivarius violin..the tonal color ranges she is able to bring out of that instrument sometime gritty sometimes silky but always saying something you will hear and almost see her hand and bow movements to create the pauses, the tensions the release the explosive outbursts...its all there in 3D and Melnikov explosive to delicate carresings on the piano ...then go to the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp...here you hear the beauty and versatility of Antoine Tamesit Gustav Mahler's Stradivarius Viola the only one Stradivarius made with a poplar back wood to enhance its bass notes...as you listen to the flute Viola and harp dance around each other you suddenly realize the genius of Debussy's composition...it is otherworldly all textures colors and details presented to you ...go on to the Sonata for Cello and Piano that follows to hear how the rich Cello pizzicato notes from Queras trade with the woodier sound of the piano wood hammer on piano strings ...intoxicating.
Now to some ECM recordings Jazz
I will list 3 of them for the Drum and Trumpet and bass Sound
Avishai Cohen-Naked Truth, Todd Gustavson Trio-Opening and Florian Weber-Lucent Waters
The speed of sound experienced with the piano, the details on the sound of the drum and the explosive thunder when the drummer lands a decisive Forte on the drum is almost defeaningly ecstatic, the acoustic bass rich powerful tuneful detailed notes add to the ecstacy....
If you plan to buy this headphones I say go ahead I haven't heard the HIFIMAN Susvara yet though it's too inefficient for the N8ii but people who do and have tested the HE-R10P say they are at par with the HE-R10P having a stronger bass and maybe a bit less wide sound stage....honestly I can careless.
Now I am working on my Jedi powers so that when I upgrade my Arctic Cable Integra to the Opera my wife would not notice the dynamic impact on our savings...may the force be with me
Please The HE-R10P comes in 2 forms the black Tranquility Pads or the Brown ones so be sure to specify else you get whatever is available

 

[bluecar]

(TL/DR - the Pallas has been briliant and a massive "thank you" to AC for great service and a fab product)

It's been a year or so since I bought the Pallas for my Empyreans - illness, work and other things got in the way of doing a write-up for it, and now AC has moved on to the new "Opera" line, but there may be some cues that help when considering an Opera (although I feel very fortunate that I got it before the prices went up!!).

I've really come to value this cable - with the Empyrean's it opens up the mids and treble, widening the soundstage and clarity compared to stock and (pretty much any) other cable. th ejoy of the Empyreans is the low-end presence, but sometimes it gets a little muddled, but (within the confines of the source/amp), the Pallas helps preserve the bass detail and transients in the bass/mid transitions, which adds more dynamism low-down. However, with the added sparkle up top, the tone and timbre of the Empyreans remains intact - just clearer, so the cable is doing its job nicely. It delivers the same effect with my LCD3s, although they don't see much time out of the box these days!

Build quality is top notch and the cable itself, connectors and terminations have withstood daily use with no visible wear (I'm not terribly prissy with my gear!) - the care and attention put into making these is absolutely first-rate. UK shipping was economic and speedy as well, so no concerns with UK importing/carriage.

I'm delighted with the AC Pallas, and wholeheartedly reccomend the AC Palladium wires for Meze/Audeze planars. It's a very cost-effective way of getting the very best from this type of headphone.

 

[andyfrut]

My Apeiron cable arrived and WOW. Impressive looks and exquisite sound, full body with a very good stage and clarity. Is in the heavy side, something expected with whis amount of copper, but nothing to complain if you use the right length for your desk