[Wes S]

Hi,

Are forza audioworks pretty responsive with emails sent?

Usually pretty responsive, but only one reply per day in my experience.

 

[Matez]

Usually pretty responsive, but only one reply per day in my experience.

Yes, that's how I do this. Only once per day I address all (or most) my mails. They keep coming constantly and I could spend each day on replies, but this would prevent the real work, so no dice

And of course if anyone doesn't get a reply from me within 48 hours, please send your mail again.

 

[Matez]

Are forza audioworks pretty responsive with emails sent?

I try to be

 

[Lyssky]

I try to be

Hello Matez. Hope you are good. Writing from Turkey, I've ordered a 4.4mm plug Copper HPC Mk2 cable on Saturday. In how many days do you think it would arrive? Thank you.

 

[der luda]

Once again bought something wonderful from Matt, Noir HPC Mk2, for my Ananda and Ibasso SR2.

FAW and Feliks, a wonderful combination and the Ananda has a little more depth and warmth, but still has its silky clarity and width.

Thank you Matt

 

[iFi audio]

FAW and Feliks, a wonderful combination and the Ananda has a little more depth and warmth, but still has its silky clarity and width.

And everything in there nicely black. Well done!

 

[Lyssky]

Thank you Matt for notifying me!! I am waiting for it!

 

[gadbois]

Matt made me a nice balanced adapter for my Mytek Manhattan II DAC. Great build quality, using with Focal Clear!

 

[UntilThen]

That’s classy. Both Mytek and Forza cable together.

 

[Chill iLL]

Just put in my first order!

 

[banda]

Matt made me a nice balanced adapter for my Mytek Manhattan II DAC. Great build quality, using with Focal Clear!

What changes have you noticed from using the Manhattan like that?

 

[Matez]

Thank you Matt for notifying me!! I am waiting for it!

Sure, all good!

Just put in my first order!

Thanks and I'm sure you'll be happy

Matt made me a nice balanced adapter for my Mytek Manhattan II DAC. Great build quality, using with Focal Clear!

It looks great. Reminds me a bit products made by Resolution Audio.

 

[gadbois]

What changes have you noticed from using the Manhattan like that?

Well, in general, I'd say the Manhattan's a very good headphone amplifier. Between balanced and unbalanced, at least with the Focal Clear, the difference isn't that obvious, maybe a little bit more tightness. Also the output level is higher in balanced mode so maybe a more demanding headphone will benefit more.

 

[heho]

I was looking for an extension or replacement of my standard 1.9 m manufacturer balanced cable in order to drive my Audeze LCD-2 on an Auralic Taurus MK2 amplifier. A friend of mine told me about Forza AudioWorks (FAW) and so I checked out some products and settings on the FAW-page. The 4 m version of the "Noir HPC Mk2" wasn't orderable (3 m maximum via webshop), so I sent my first request to Matt on 2nd of May.

After some conversation, I decided to take Matt's offer (4 m of Noir HPC Mk2 with Neutrik plug, headphone Audeze LCD Series, splitter not configurable) on 9th of May. I expected that this "non standard version" has some extra "tinkering time" and so, just 10 days later - on 19th of May - the order was shipped and arrived 2 day later (Poland to Austria via UPS). Parcel was environmental-friendly (mostly plastic free) with wooden shavings as transport material - a quite positive surprise / first impression.

The build-quality - compared to my standard Audeze-XLR-cable is: superb. Much thicker, covered in a textile mantle, stylish splitter - amazing good. The mark for left / right plug to headphone is only given by a green spot for right channel - a more clear declaration would be fine (or a hint for "first time purchaser" like me).

My audio-configuration is setted like this: moode audio on a raspberry pi 3 feeds via USB a SMSL SU-8 v2 this fires balanced to my Auralic Taurus MK2 and via FAW "Noir HPC Mk2" to my Audeze LCD 2. My audio material is a least CD-quality 44.1 khz, 16 Bit or higher (mostly qobuz). My "sample music" is was mixture of rock, indie, classic pop, grunge, neo classic. The sound is "quite impressive". Unexpected clarity, deep and precice bass, strong vocals and good treble. But is this the result of the "Noir HPC Mk2"? Not whole - every part of the system features it's own sound-style and -quality. The most hearable improvement was the upgrade from unbalanced RCA to balanced XLR (in / out of the Auralic Taurus MK2). So I can say for sure that the standard unbalanced manufacture cable (I also own this one) has much worse sound compared to both balanced XLR-cable (standard manufacture / FAW). The comparission between both XLR-headphone-cables is much harder for me. I've no switch or something like this, so I've to hear a song with one cable, have to un- and replug the other cable and start over the song again. It's hard to remember differences (for me) when there is a timespan of 1 minute or more between the same sound-stage. What I guess I hear is that there is more bass and more details with the FAW-cable.

So as conclusion: Is it the FAW-cable worth? I would say: Yes, it is. I can take place in a more convenient spot (2 m additional length so I can use my couch and don't have to sit somewhere between hifi-rag and couch-table), the sound-quality is (at least with my sound-stage and my personal hearing and impression) slithly improved, the estetics to the cable is much better. It is my new "main headphone cable" and will stay for sure.

Thanks to FAW for this quite impressive product.

 

[UntilThen]

The Taurus is a lovely amp. Only sold it because I love tube amps more. Still deciding on a final cable for my new LCD4, which is using a Claire Hybrid HPC from my LCD2f, LCD3f days... and sounds good.