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Originally Posted by J-Pak
Thanks for the listening impressions eyeteeth,
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Thanks J-Pak. But as you'll see I'm as flawed and unsure as the next guy.
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Originally Posted by Oliver
Wherever, I sure hope he pulled a Vincent Vega opening it.
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Yeah that is a cool image.
Video of what was in the suitcase.
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Originally Posted by yo2tup2
that's a bit depressing!
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Well it isn't so bad and it isn't so very clear right now either, and I'll explain that.
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Originally Posted by eyeteeth
It's too bad I can't spend more time with the cables as I only have a rudementary view.
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I like it best to be in possession of an item for months in which to get to know it. The Nordosts are fun to have and a good measure towards something which I wanted which was to hear the Valhalla. In comparing cables in the past I lamented that I had no experience with that 800 pound gorilla that get mentioned in every pro cable review from the modestly priced yet ambitious to those that cost twice what the Valhalla does. That gorilla, the Valhalla is THE benchmark. How much better was it than what I was trying? ten times better or ten percent better? I didn't care about having the best or anything. I was just curious because of all the words that have been written generally in the gladiatorial arena of the cable world.
I thought I had a much better measure of things when after hearing the Frey I pulled out my issue #42 of HIFI+ and read again the Frey review by Roy Gregory. Roy seems to mention the Valhalla in every review he does no matter what is being reviewed. He's an unabashed fan that's for certain.
Two most complimentary comments regarding the Frey:
"The astonishing inner textures and subtle shadings of the Valhalla might be beyond the junior cable, but it makes up for it with superior immediacy and front-of-stage clarity. The Frey displays more sheer presence and greater impact than the Valhalla. Like I said, the differences are subtle, but it's enough to tilt the cheaper cable's balance of virtues away from the low-level subtlety of Valhalla and towards sheer life and musical enthusiasm."
"It stands as a stunning endorsement of mono-filament technology. Nordost's range used to have something of a top heavy "Valhalla - then everything else" look to it. With the introduction of mono-filament technology right down to the bottom rung of the serious hi-fi ladder, all that has changed. Now everyone can enjoy the benefits and appreciate what all the fuss has been about. So, how close does Frey get to Valhalla? Close enough to change updating my own leads to NextGen status from a luxury into a matter of considerable urgency!"
This is all lovely and gave me an idea of where things are at, at the top of the cable world. A feeling of completion. I was enjoying the Frey immensely last night before bed and when I came home today, with a mind to give the speaker cables another shot, listened to the Frey some more.
And then I looked at the source selection knob of my amp and it wasn't where it was supposed to be!
It was set to AV not Tuner.
I'd been listening last night and this afternoon not to the Frey but to the Oritek X2!
I leapt into switcheroo mode!
The most immediate difference was in tone, the X2 was darker. More back and forths and the two cables revealed their differences which were as I described before, generally an earthiness versus an ethereality. But the difference, as a music lover, wasn't of straight out superiority anymore. Now it was a matter of taste. From a strict technological/HIFI point of view the Frey was superior as it's tricks were slightly more dazzling. But more enjoyable? I'm not so sure. This reminded me of the Oritek and Grover cables struggle of the past where it was determined (I think?) in the end that personal taste was the final arbiter of superiority. Here now the Frey is to the Oritek what it was to the Grover and possible technological and HIFI prowess doesn't necessarily translate into more musical enjoyment.
A number of questions arrive such as individual recordings: the Scissor Sisters is better through the Oritek than the Frey due to the tone of the energetic CD. Which cable is closer to neutral? How far off neutral is that CD? Sometimes I'm loving a CD and when a much better sounding one follows I realize how poor the previous one really was, but it sounded great at the time. How is my source? The criticisms of the DAC1 and it's unrelentingness for some are very well known but haven't phased me in the past. Would a lush Accuphase CD player, for example, have the Frey the perfect match? Sometime I've come home and absolutely everything sounds terrible, it's just one of those days. Nothing is right. I hear hifi, I hear fake. Is this just one of those days? Will tomorrow sound like yesterday?
System matching is a well known basic understanding in audio circles but sometimes it unexpectedly sneaks up and kicks your butt.
I'm out of writing time, and also want to torture myself with the speaker cables for their last night here so off I go.
I recall as the guy handed me the Nordost case he said "Have fun"...........