[MattTCG]

A few glamor shots.

 

[Richsvt]

From what I have purchased from Trevor and the communications I have had with him, the couple of things that stand out are his quality craftsmanship and personable interactions. Never have I seen a vendor with the dedication he brings to this game. Getting his cables are like obtaining a piece of functional art.

 

[interweb-tech]

disregard

 

[Tanalasta]

Congratulations!!! Dare I ask what the turnaround time was? I’ve avoided asking the question of Trevor as I wasn’t sure what etiquette was vs “are we there yet”

 

[curvz]

So yesterday I finally received my Vykari v2! I initially wanted to go with a sleeved approach, so that I could visually match my Meze Elite Chameleon, but in the end I decided to go with a clean silver look instead. I did decide on keeping the purple splitter inlay just to subtly match my Elite and give it a bit of colour.

I can only say it looks and feels fantastic, craftsmanship is top notch. I love how it came out, and I'm glad I didn't go sleeved in this case (even knowing how nice Trevors sleeves are). The new(ish) nickel plated ring on the Eidolic connectors also came out very nice, looks quite premium.


I happened to have a Draug 3SC lying around to, so snapped a pic for comparison. You can also see Trevor sharpened up his logo design a bit on the inlay, though I'm not sure if this is new since I haven't ordered a flush inlay in a few years (usually picked the raised inlays).


As it happens, I needed to pack up my audio equipment for a few days as we need to have some work done, so no comments on sound for now. I was stuck in a meeting at home for quite a while just after getting it, so had plenty of time to take some pictures. I've attached some more in case anyone is interested. Can't have too many cable pics, right?

 

[running wild]

Look very nice.
I think it’s a good choice not to go sleeved.
Hope you like the sound.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Look very nice.
I think it’s a good choice not to go sleeved.
Hope you like the sound.

Sleeved cables from Trevor are amazing tho, I love my sleeved Vykari

 

[curvz]

Sleeved cables from Trevor are amazing tho, I love my sleeved Vykari

Absolutely, and so do I. Not letting go of mine. This was my chance to have a shiny all silver cable though! probably won't end up with too many pure silver cables.

The weave on this is just magic. Took me a minute to realize he did a square braid with 12 wires, instead of the usual 8. Wonderful.

 

[running wild]

Yes absolutely.
I prefer unsleeved cables for myself.

 

[linshu1992]

So yesterday I finally received my Vykari v2! I initially wanted to go with a sleeved approach, so that I could visually match my Meze Elite Chameleon, but in the end I decided to go with a clean silver look instead. I did decide on keeping the purple splitter inlay just to subtly match my Elite and give it a bit of colour.

I can only say it looks and feels fantastic, craftsmanship is top notch. I love how it came out, and I'm glad I didn't go sleeved in this case (even knowing how nice Trevors sleeves are). The new(ish) nickel plated ring on the Eidolic connectors also came out very nice, looks quite premium.


I happened to have a Draug 3SC lying around to, so snapped a pic for comparison. You can also see Trevor sharpened up his logo design a bit on the inlay, though I'm not sure if this is new since I haven't ordered a flush inlay in a few years (usually picked the raised inlays).


As it happens, I needed to pack up my audio equipment for a few days as we need to have some work done, so no comments on sound for now. I was stuck in a meeting at home for quite a while just after getting it, so had plenty of time to take some pictures. I've attached some more in case anyone is interested. Can't have too many cable pics, right?

Beautiful! I'm a big fan of clear sleeves. Just curious, this is Vykari v2 but it's all silver? Care to share its specs?

 

[curvz]

Beautiful! I'm a big fan of clear sleeves. Just curious, this is Vykari v2 but it's all silver? Care to share its specs?

Yes, the Vykari v2 is all silver. The Vykari Classic is the hybrid version (the refreshed version of the original Vykari Reference). The naming is a tad confusing to be fair.

These are the specs:
Vykari v2 - 17.1awg - Silver occ litz - 12-wire - flagship headphone cable - cotton cores - new stranding

Mine is 6ft long, with a square braid and a silver splitter with purple flush inlay. Eidolic XLR 4-pin connector on the amp end, and Furutech mini-XLRs on the other.

 

[Tanalasta]

That is absolutely stunning. What led you to forego the copper hybrid and go for the full silver? Looking forward to hearing your impressions when you finally get to spend time with the cable.

 

[curvz]

That is absolutely stunning. What led you to forego the copper hybrid and go for the full silver? Looking forward to hearing your impressions when you finally get to spend time with the cable.

This is my first all silver cable. I just wanted to see what a top silver cable from Trevor would do for me, compared to his hybrid offerings. Especially for a headphone like the Elite, which would in theory benefit from additional detail retrieval, and which does not need more thickness, heft or warmth, which is what copper usually offers.

I still have a Vykari Reference to compare with directly, as well as a Skollvar (and some others...) and for my Susvara I'm certainly sticking with my Vykari Reference, as that is a headphone that benefits from the copper.

I'll report back in once I get a good feel for the cable.

 

[Tanalasta]

Just received the Vykari v2 17.1awg (w 17.9awg silver occ lit) from Trevor. Square braid. Hybrid silver and copper.

Synergising very well with Utopia 2022 for which it was intended. Transparency and clarity are strong points. More air, brightness. Something I do associate with silver. There's less of the rich, full coloration that I associated with my Danacable Lazuli Reference Plus. This is a good thing.

This is a very brief listen and comparisons based upon my audio memory. I haven't done a A/B. So take it with a grain of salt.

Ergonomics are exceptional. No microphonics. As light as can be given the thickness of the cable. Soft, supple and flexible. I wouldn't want to leave it outside in harsh UV light but I'm very glad I went with clear sheath.

Photos to follow later. I decided to listen before taking photos. Priorities!

 

[Tanalasta]

Beautiful workmanship. The square braiding alone is magnificent... imagine the patience and experience it would take to square braid 8 wires perfectly. Connectors of high quality and finish. Engineered to fit very well (unlike REAN or cheaper connectors) into the headphones. Love the brushed gunmetal look.

Terminated in LEMO (for Utopia 2022). Sacrilege - I've a REAN LEMO -> miniXLR adapter to try the cable on the LCD-5.

Impressions remain the similar to yesterday. Neutral and clear. Lovely separation and space. Brighter than the stock cable. Would synergise very well with a neutral/warm/tube amp. Ergonomics the best I've seen in a cable this length. The square braiding and the cable construction/sheath really shines in terms of flexibility and suppleness. For some reason, the Vykari / LCD-5 combination reminds me of when I auditioned the Susvara. Detail and individual instrument clarity at a very high level.

A certain upgrade on the stock cable for both Utopia and LCD-5.

Sitting away from the desktop - so SP2000 -> Cayin C9 in Class A/Tube mode. A setup that is comparable to many desktop DAC/AMP. For the purists, fully balanced.