[Stu Paddasso]

Draug 2c, S-3, 21awg Fusion, Silvergarde, Therium 2

 

[normie610]

After around 3 weeks with the Vykari, I tried going back to my stock Diana V2 cable today and it only lasted for 3 minutes. The sound becomes less dynamic and engaging, the notes lose their weight and impact and overall it just sounds more dull. I’m pretty sure that if I’m not comparing the two at the same time, I won’t have any issues with the stock cable as I still think it sounds excellent. But side by side, it doesn’t stand a chance against Vykari. I hope it will have a good synergy with the incoming Susvara. Fingers crossed!

 

[donato]

After around 3 weeks with the Vykari, I tried going back to my stock Diana V2 cable today and it only lasted for 3 minutes. The sound becomes less dynamic and engaging, the notes lose their weight and impact and overall it just sounds more dull. I’m pretty sure that if I’m not comparing the two at the same time, I won’t have any issues with the stock cable as I still think it sounds excellent. But side by side, it doesn’t stand a chance against Vykari. I hope it will have a good synergy with the incoming Susvara. Fingers crossed!

Vykari definitely works well with the Susvara!

 

[471724]

Just a question. Before I put in an order I kind of want to have a rough idea of how long a lead time it will take for a Drausk. After all, I'm not getting any younger. Is it more than 2 months? 3 months or more?

 

[ksorota]

Just a question. Before I put in an order I kind of want to have a rough idea of how long a lead time it will take for a Drausk. After all, I'm not getting any younger. Is it more than 2 months? 3 months or more?

Honestly if you want something quickly you’re going to want to buy second hand and then order from Norne for whichever specific cable you want. I found it works well to order and pay, then reach out via email to begin a line of communication.

Ir gets Complicated though, Trevor is very passionate and is going to temp you with other things!!! Thus delaying the process

That being said…2 months seems reasonable if you pester him enough!

 

[JLoud]

I would say two months is about right. I have ordered 5 or 6 cables from Trevor and 6-8 weeks was average.

 

[AudioDuck]

Honestly if you want something quickly you’re going to want to buy second hand and then order from Norne for whichever specific cable you want. I found it works well to order and pay, then reach out via email to begin a line of communication.

Ir gets Complicated though, Trevor is very passionate and is going to temp you with other things!!! Thus delaying the process

That being said…2 months seems reasonable if you pester him enough!

I would actually narrow down what you want (of his products) vs your budget, then email Trevor (direct, not via the Web form) to discuss which one will work best with your tastes and gear. Agreed on end-to-end process takes about 6+ weeks, but to be fair some other companies that custom-build need the same amount of time. And it was well worth the wait IMHO.

 

[thecrow]

Just a question. Before I put in an order I kind of want to have a rough idea of how long a lead time it will take for a Drausk. After all, I'm not getting any younger. Is it more than 2 months? 3 months or more?

How long is a piece of string?

Imho it depends on how full Trevor’s load is and what cables he is currently working on

he can give you that info more directly/accurately himself

i believe, from reading this thread, that some black Friday orders only went out a few weeks ago. Again, depends on his work load and the cables that he is building

If you’re lucky (ie your timing is good) it might be just a few weeks

Trevor’s cables are GREAT but there is usually some waiting period attached

and the odd cable pops up in the classifieds from time to time - that’s a reflection of how good the cables are

imho

 

[Otter7]

I didn't see any mention of the relative new Drawsk so I thought I would give my impressions. I am using it with the Focal Stellia. Of course it made a huge improvement over the stock cables. Interestingly it did not change tonal balance or character of the Stellia. It just made everything better. Tighter, cleaner bass; better definition and image in the midrange on up.

The one sort of issue I had, was the danger associated with any improvement to your system. It exposed some weaknesses in the rest of the system I needed to address. I switched interconnects to improve tonal balance and definition going from Belden 1800F to Mogami 3080. I also tried Mogami 2534 which while much better than the Belden was not as clean as the 3080.

Then there was the issue of the front end. I was using a RPi running SqueezeLight filtered through a Schiit Wyrd. I replaced all that with an Allo USBridge Sig directly into the Yggdrasil. This provided a small but noticeable improvement across the board: tighter, cleaner bass and better image, depth and separation of instruments.

Overall, I whole heartedly recommend the Drawsk. I have been a fan of litz cables for many years and it is great to see someone still making them. For those not familiar with litz, they can be a real PITA to work with. This makes Trevor's outstanding build quality even more impressive for the price.

 

[jaboki]

4 months later, it’s arrived. ZMF 2k vs Norne S4-8.

I'll follow up with impressions after spending some time with it.

 

[ThanatosVI]

4 months later, it’s arrived. ZMF 2k vs Norne S4-8.


I'll follow up with impressions after spending some time with it.

That S4-8 is gorgeous

 

[JLoud]

And if size really does matter.......

 

[AudioDuck]

I didn't see any mention of the relative new Drawsk so I thought I would give my impressions. I am using it with the Focal Stellia. Of course it made a huge improvement over the stock cables. Interestingly it did not change tonal balance or character of the Stellia. It just made everything better. Tighter, cleaner bass; better definition and image in the midrange on up.

The one sort of issue I had, was the danger associated with any improvement to your system. It exposed some weaknesses in the rest of the system I needed to address. I switched interconnects to improve tonal balance and definition going from Belden 1800F to Mogami 3080. I also tried Mogami 2534 which while much better than the Belden was not as clean as the 3080.

Then there was the issue of the front end. I was using a RPi running SqueezeLight filtered through a Schiit Wyrd. I replaced all that with an Allo USBridge Sig directly into the Yggdrasil. This provided a small but noticeable improvement across the board: tighter, cleaner bass and better image, depth and separation of instruments.

Overall, I whole heartedly recommend the Drawsk. I have been a fan of litz cables for many years and it is great to see someone still making them. For those not familiar with litz, they can be a real PITA to work with. This makes Trevor's outstanding build quality even more impressive for the price.

Well, the Drausk arrived! About 25 hours of burn-in completed with them (I’m going to put 50 hours on them) so far. I am SO happy with them!

I thought I’d share some listening notes I sent a friend who also has a pair of Audezes (LCD-Xs).

All very, very positive listening impressions:

• It’s like the cable “unshackled the potential” of my LCD-XCs and really let the Gungnir shine as a source (amp: Violectric V200).
• The sound is much more organic, especially the midrange. I haven’t tried the worst recordings I own yet, but harshness seems to be a thing of the past. That said, there can be “bite” and plenty of “punch” when needed. Examples: Diana Krall, Daft Punk.
• Bass seems to have gained half an octave. Example: Thievery Corporation, “Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi”.
• Detail levels are phenomenal, but without requiring you to focus on them. This prevails across a number of tracks I’ve listened to, but Sza’s “The Weekend” is a fair example (that bass!).
• Timing is incredible- when beats stop/start, there is NO delay/overhang unless intended. Example: Radiohead’s “Amnesiac” album.

Another track example: A couple of nights ago (pre-Drausk) I played an Adele track (“Daydreamer”) and was happy how the shift to a Violectric amp (from an SPL Auditor) had given my ears a more natural presentation of her voice, even with the 50s-style miking/mixing. Then, after installing the Drausk, the change was now complete: Her voice sounds natural, fluid, and simply lovely.

Overall thoughts:
It’s as if the interface between the amp/source and the LCD-XCs was opened up completely or removed. I don’t just like my head-fi setup now, instead I LOVE it. I’m honestly somewhat gobsmacked that the difference is that large.

But then I hold up the puny stock cable next to the copper rope called Drausk... Heh. But fear not, the Drausk is incredibly flexible, comfortable to handle, and absolutely non-microphonic. The connectors are an excellent fit, nice and snug. Build quality is simply off the charts! Build time was about four-five weeks, but of course worth the wait.

Added bonus: I feel like a wannabe gangsta with my audio jewelry draped on me.

And yes, it’s a clear Drausk! I got lucky with an early order, but Trevor will intro these properly soon.

Last but not least, Trevor is indeed both the gentleman and artisan he is reputed to be! I am thrilled and the Drausk is more than worth every penny. I’d even posit it is excellent value for a near-flagship headphone like the Audeze LCD-XCs.

Happy to answer any questions- now, which album did I want to listen to next?

@Otter7
You may have missed my impressions above of the Norne Audio Drausk. Glad you like yours too!

 

[Otter7]

@Otter7
You may have missed my impressions above of the Norne Audio Drausk. Glad you like yours too!

I guess it would have helped if I spelled it correctly. (Doh!)

 

[LeMoviedave]

Just thought I would throw this out there. I have a 4ft, sleeved Vykari cable with furutech Rhodium plated mini-xlr headphone connectors and the furutech 4pin XLR. It is an amazing sounding cable, but a bit heavy for me (my head is very prone to hotspots). I also have a pair of short mini-XLR to 3.5mm Hifiman adapters also of the Vykari build. I have been indecisively going back and forth with Trevor (who has been obscenely kind and patient with me), and every time I communicate with him, I change my mind right after words. So, I thought I would see if anyone here was interested in buying it off me, so poor Trevor doesn't have to deal with my return. I will offer it for straight cost, which includes the 20% black Friday discount, and I will cover the PP fees and the shipping. I will sell the cable, and the adapters together or separately. PM me for specific costs if you are (actually) interested. These are pictures of the actual cable.