Norne Audio (Was: Norse Audio): Feedback & Impression Thread
Nov 25, 2021 at 3:24 AM Post #5,626 of 6,449
Yes, I do have Trevor-made adapters that enable me to swap all three cables with all three headphones in a series of perfect permutations, although I have only used one of them so far: before the Drausk arrived, I was using the s4 8-wire with the Audeze LCD-5, and did so until the Drausk arrived. Now fresh out of the box, the Drausk--as compared to the S-4 it replaced--initially produced a rather anemic and spatially restrictive result that sounded to my ears like a sub-par and "constipated" mess (excuse the metaphor). That initial result made me wonder and begin to have second thoughts as to why I had made such a big deal out of owning an *all copper cabling* solution (which was, frankly, the only reason that made me go for the Drausk in the first place [place a face-palm here])...

But 24 hours of straight Drausk burn-in (and brain burn-in) later, I was singing a different tune, as the sound of the Drausk had opened up to a point where it was both unrecognizable and difficult to tell apart from the S4 8-wire on some tracks--indeed, on many tracks... It has almost brought me to the point of declaring the difference between all copper and all silver cables among Trevor's releases (from the 17.7awg mark upward) to be either highly debatable or merely "academic," as the Drausk has done a great job bridging the gap I initially perceived between its performance and that of the S4 8 wire on the LCD 5...

As a result, I would feel confident in saying that the Drausk is *that good,* which is not to say that the performance levels of all three cables are exactly and scientifically the same... That would be probably premature. First of all, I have to be sure that my ears are catching every little pin drop and microscopic sonic nuance when doing such comparative evaluations, but I cannot scientifically guarantee that, even though all clinical tests I have ever done in the past year or so detect no hearing impairments. My hearing is A-okay, and matches what it should ideally be for someone who is my age, according to all the experts and standard tests, which is reassuring from a strictly medical viewpoint, but somewhat limited as a standard for audiophile comparative evaluations, in my view....

The second reason is related to how resolving my present listening chains are, which is important because all these three cables strike me as being "hyper-transparent" in reflecting the resolving power of every last component in the chain, and while my two current main chains are at the most resolving of any chains I have ever owned, I cannot ascertain to what extent they approach the maximum point of resolution that is reachable by equipment at the "mere-mortals" tier like mine...(In parenthesis, I have read about, and sometimes, seen images of chains on head-fi that do not seem to be made for "mere mortal" audiophiles, which I mean as a compliment, in spite of being jealous, but I digress :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: )

To come to the point, I think the Drausk is great for capturing all aspects of staging and sonic Data and nuance from the music without giving any impression of any essential sonic information being "rolled off" or lost in the wild... I only hesitate to call *the overall quality" of sonic/technial performances between the three cables to be the same across the board, because I think the S4/8-wire and the Vykari still seem somewhat more adept at simulating the feeling or illusion of a limitless or borderless soundstage (a soundstage that is missing any hard discernible borders) than the Drausk is.

Also while the Drausk is capable of exposing all manner of plankton and micro-detail that pertains to the music itself, including the breathing of the musicians on occasion (when the source allows it) S4 8-wire can sometimes give the illusion of taking the listener beyond the music and the sound of breathing to the point of exposing the listener to the sound of the coins, pins, and little knick-knacks that are rattling around in the pockets of some of those same musicinas (if you will forgive the hyperbole--but I need some way to demonstrate differences that seem to be infinitesimal and fleeting here, so please bear with me),

These are impressions I have gathered in a largely ad-hoc manner without doing any strict and controlled comparative A/B testing. Such a testing would be essential since any differences I am hearing between these three cables belong in the last1-5% of detail retrieving and Staging capabilities and are therefore quite hard to pin down sometimes.

With all that said I feel confident in giving an enthusiastic thumbs up to the Drausk without any reservations at all;. I have honestly not heard anything concrete in the performance of the Drausk that might lead me to dissuade any prospective buyer from pulling the trigger, even when comparing the Drausk to the other two.

However to come directly to your question: "is the Drausk worth the addition if you have already the other flagships?"... I have to answer "absolutely not" if the question involves adding the Drausk out of some kind of need. The two flagships are capable of giving plenty on that front, probably more than anyone might ever actually need or ask for.

On the other hand, how many purchases announced and discussed on head-fi actually arise from what the buyer *reasonably needs,* and who is to make the call as to what is reasonable or "worth it" in any context? As you already know, there are considerations of personal and idiosyncratic preferences that could make answers to the question as to whether something is "worth it" highly unstable and variable, which is what head-fi, and maybe all audiophilia is about--"variable and unstable," not to mention downright whimsical, volatile, and unpredictable, at least sometimes. As a case in point, I got the Drausk, because I thought i must have an "all-copper" solution, which I know is not need-based, in any way, if I am being honest... Of course, it does produce a sonic difference which may be enjoyable, but is in no way better than what S4 8-wire and Vykari are already giving and doing a great job at... So?

I could go on and tell you about other acquisitions I have been contemplating that are not need based, but if I am contemplating them, then something in my mind--e.g. my OCD-driven quest for some ideal of audio "perfection", or some sonic Holy Grail, maybe--is trying to persuade me that they're worth it, Right? There is also the pleasure of receiving another product from the magic shop of that wizard, Trevor, a prospect which is always unbeatably delicious, irresistible, and never seems to get old. Okay I think the rest of this rant is better reserved for the Audiophile Anonymous thread. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Do you know I set out to respond to you with one short paragraph? Now see what you've made me do! :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the elaborate answer :)
Thank you.

I found myself with similar thoughts to those described.
After reading it I'm like "okay I don't need another cable" and yet tomorrow when the new stuff is announced I will reconsider this again, just because collecting Trevors cables is like a hobby within this head-fi hobby...
 
Nov 25, 2021 at 6:06 AM Post #5,627 of 6,449
Yes, I do have Trevor-made adapters that enable me to swap all three cables with all three headphones in a series of perfect permutations, although I have only used one of them so far: before the Drausk arrived, I was using the s4 8-wire with the Audeze LCD-5, and did so until the Drausk arrived. Now fresh out of the box, the Drausk--as compared to the S-4 it replaced--initially produced a rather anemic and spatially restrictive result that sounded to my ears like a sub-par and "constipated" mess (excuse the metaphor). That initial result made me wonder and begin to have second thoughts as to why I had made such a big deal out of owning an *all copper cabling* solution (which was, frankly, the only reason that made me go for the Drausk in the first place [place a face-palm here])...

But 24 hours of straight Drausk burn-in (and brain burn-in) later, I was singing a different tune, as the sound of the Drausk had opened up to a point where it was both unrecognizable and difficult to tell apart from the S4 8-wire on some tracks--indeed, on many tracks... It has almost brought me to the point of declaring the difference between all copper and all silver cables among Trevor's releases (from the 17.7awg mark upward) to be either highly debatable or merely "academic," as the Drausk has done a great job bridging the gap I initially perceived between its performance and that of the S4 8 wire on the LCD 5...

As a result, I would feel confident in saying that the Drausk is *that good,* which is not to say that the performance levels of all three cables are exactly and scientifically the same... That would be probably premature. First of all, I have to be sure that my ears are catching every little pin drop and microscopic sonic nuance when doing such comparative evaluations, but I cannot scientifically guarantee that, even though all clinical tests I have ever done in the past year or so detect no hearing impairments. My hearing is A-okay, and matches what it should ideally be for someone who is my age, according to all the experts and standard tests, which is reassuring from a strictly medical viewpoint, but somewhat limited as a standard for audiophile comparative evaluations, in my view....

The second reason is related to how resolving my present listening chains are, which is important because all these three cables strike me as being "hyper-transparent" in reflecting the resolving power of every last component in the chain, and while my two current main chains are at the most resolving of any chains I have ever owned, I cannot ascertain to what extent they approach the maximum point of resolution that is reachable by equipment at the "mere-mortals" tier like mine...(In parenthesis, I have read about, and sometimes, seen images of chains on head-fi that do not seem to be made for "mere mortal" audiophiles, which I mean as a compliment, in spite of being jealous, but I digress :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: )

To come to the point, I think the Drausk is great for capturing all aspects of staging and sonic Data and nuance from the music without giving any impression of any essential sonic information being "rolled off" or lost in the wild... I only hesitate to call *the overall quality" of sonic/technial performances between the three cables to be the same across the board, because I think the S4/8-wire and the Vykari still seem somewhat more adept at simulating the feeling or illusion of a limitless or borderless soundstage (a soundstage that is missing any hard discernible borders) than the Drausk is.

Also while the Drausk is capable of exposing all manner of plankton and micro-detail that pertains to the music itself, including the breathing of the musicians on occasion (when the source allows it) S4 8-wire can sometimes give the illusion of taking the listener beyond the music and the sound of breathing to the point of exposing the listener to the sound of the coins, pins, and little knick-knacks that are rattling around in the pockets of some of those same musicinas (if you will forgive the hyperbole--but I need some way to demonstrate differences that seem to be infinitesimal and fleeting here, so please bear with me),

These are impressions I have gathered in a largely ad-hoc manner without doing any strict and controlled comparative A/B testing. Such a testing would be essential since any differences I am hearing between these three cables belong in the last1-5% of detail retrieving and Staging capabilities and are therefore quite hard to pin down sometimes.

With all that said I feel confident in giving an enthusiastic thumbs up to the Drausk without any reservations at all;. I have honestly not heard anything concrete in the performance of the Drausk that might lead me to dissuade any prospective buyer from pulling the trigger, even when comparing the Drausk to the other two.

However to come directly to your question: "is the Drausk worth the addition if you have already the other flagships?"... I have to answer "absolutely not" if the question involves adding the Drausk out of some kind of need. The two flagships are capable of giving plenty on that front, probably more than anyone might ever actually need or ask for.

On the other hand, how many purchases announced and discussed on head-fi actually arise from what the buyer *reasonably needs,* and who is to make the call as to what is reasonable or "worth it" in any context? As you already know, there are considerations of personal and idiosyncratic preferences that could make answers to the question as to whether something is "worth it" highly unstable and variable, which is what head-fi, and maybe all audiophilia is about--"variable and unstable," not to mention downright whimsical, volatile, and unpredictable, at least sometimes. As a case in point, I got the Drausk, because I thought i must have an "all-copper" solution, which I know is not need-based, in any way, if I am being honest... Of course, it does produce a sonic difference which may be enjoyable, but is in no way better than what S4 8-wire and Vykari are already giving and doing a great job at... So?

I could go on and tell you about other acquisitions I have been contemplating that are not need based, but if I am contemplating them, then something in my mind--e.g. my OCD-driven quest for some ideal of audio "perfection", or some sonic Holy Grail, maybe--is trying to persuade me that they're worth it, Right? There is also the pleasure of receiving another product from the magic shop of that wizard, Trevor, a prospect which is always unbeatably delicious, irresistible, and never seems to get old. Okay I think the rest of this rant is better reserved for the Audiophiles Anonymous thread. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Do you know I set out to respond to you with one short paragraph? Now see what you've made me do! :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
So, what you are saying is that Trevor's copper and silver are both fantastic conductors with different flavors of awesome. :wink: As, someone who has owned both a previous version Silvergarde S3 (flagship at the time) and a Draug 3s (flagship copper at the time) at the same time, I preferred the Draug. Hence, why I don't own any all silver cables anymore. Of course, my system is not quite as transparent as yours, but I still heard enough difference between the two to favor one over the other. There is just something about the midrange texture I get with Trevor's all copper cables that I prefer over the usually smoother yet more resolving all silver cables. It's actually really hard to put it into words, but I can immediately hear the difference between an all copper cable and an all silver cable and the copper always engages me more. This hobby for me is all about be engaged, with technical abilities a close second but not the first priority.
 
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Nov 25, 2021 at 6:07 AM Post #5,628 of 6,449
Three sexy women....:sunglasses:
or sexy muses or sirens, depending... on the time of day, and/or state of sobriety, among other considerations... :slight_smile:

display-image-php_71_orig.jpg
 
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Nov 25, 2021 at 6:49 AM Post #5,629 of 6,449
So, what you are saying is that Trevor's copper and silver are both fantastic conductors with different flavors of awesome. :wink: As, someone who has owned both a previous version Silvergarde S3 (flagship at the time) and a Draug 3s (flagship copper at the time) at the same time, I preferred the Draug. Hence, why I don't own any all silver cables anymore. Of course, my system is not quite as transparent as yours, but I still heard enough difference between the two to favor one over the other. There is just something about the midrange texture I get with Trevor's all copper cables that I prefer over the usually smoother yet more resolving all silver cables. It's actually really hard to put it into words, but I can immediately hear the difference between an all copper cable and an all silver cable and the copper always engages me more. This hobby for me is all about be engaged, with technical abilities a close second but not the first priority.
Gotcha! I think I can feel the glory of Trevor's all copper offerings quite well, at least those I have owned... And to my ears they seem to have followed an arc in their evolution that has brought them closer and closer to the silver in sound and resolving power, to a point where it is not always clear to me what separates the two... As an example, I still have my the original draug V2s that I purchased for my HD800 and HFM He500, and I never have a hard time telling the difference between the flavor of those cables (Dr. V2s) and the Silvergardes. Now that began to change with the Draug V3, at least 2 my ears...

Of course I could be imagining some differences or similarities, but you'd agree that there is some issue when one cannot always quite tell the difference between what is solid and what one is merely imagining... Not that I am seeing anything to complain about here, since all these latest offerings in copper and silver are both so damn great sounding... Still, what keeps me coming back to silver is that I seem to have formed some mental/emotional association between the flavor of Trevor's silver based cables (including the fusion varieties such as the Vykari) and some types of Acoustic Jazz and classical titles I am fond of listening to, an association that I cannot seem to shake, although I'd agree that it is probably not all rational, as I can also savor those same titles with the all copper cables when I am not being too OCD, like on steroids :) :slight_smile:

For those acoustic jazz and classical pieces, I gotta have me some silver, but don't ask why:disappointed_relieved::disappointed_relieved::disappointed_relieved:... I am on the other hand very comfortable listening to other types of music (Blues, Rock, EDM, Metal, etc) with the all the copper cable offerings without any fretting, even though I can also enjoy them with the all silver offerings as well... So those are my own personal idiosyncratic approaches to my listening practices...(Oh, here's one constant : I do not like listening to the Sennheiser HD 800 with any silver based cables, so there is that, although I do not listen to that particular headphone too often anyway)

As for what makes me feel really connected (or not) to the music, I think both types of cables must be doing a great job at it in their own right, otherwise I would probably not be this gung-ho about listening and doing so for several hours at a time whenever circumstances allow it:disappointed::disappointed::disappointed:
 
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Nov 25, 2021 at 7:02 AM Post #5,630 of 6,449
Yes, I do have Trevor-made adapters that enable me to swap all three cables with all three headphones in a series of perfect permutations, although I have only used one of them so far: before the Drausk arrived, I was using the s4 8-wire with the Audeze LCD-5, and did so until the Drausk arrived. Now fresh out of the box, the Drausk--as compared to the S-4 it replaced--initially produced a rather anemic and spatially restrictive result that sounded to my ears like a sub-par and "constipated" mess (excuse the metaphor). That initial result made me wonder and begin to have second thoughts as to why I had made such a big deal out of owning an *all copper cabling* solution (which was, frankly, the only reason that made me go for the Drausk in the first place [place a face-palm here])...

But 24 hours of straight Drausk burn-in (and brain burn-in) later, I was singing a different tune, as the sound of the Drausk had opened up to a point where it was both unrecognizable and difficult to tell apart from the S4 8-wire on some tracks--indeed, on many tracks... It has almost brought me to the point of declaring the difference between all copper and all silver cables among Trevor's releases (from the 17.7awg mark upward) to be either highly debatable or merely "academic," as the Drausk has done a great job bridging the gap I initially perceived between its performance and that of the S4 8 wire on the LCD 5...

As a result, I would feel confident in saying that the Drausk is *that good,* which is not to say that the performance levels of all three cables are exactly and scientifically the same... That would be probably premature. First of all, I have to be sure that my ears are catching every little pin drop and microscopic sonic nuance when doing such comparative evaluations, but I cannot scientifically guarantee that, even though all clinical tests I have ever done in the past year or so detect no hearing impairments. My hearing is A-okay, and matches what it should ideally be for someone who is my age, according to all the experts and standard tests, which is reassuring from a strictly medical viewpoint, but somewhat limited as a standard for audiophile comparative evaluations, in my view....

The second reason is related to how resolving my present listening chains are, which is important because all these three cables strike me as being "hyper-transparent" in reflecting the resolving power of every last component in the chain, and while my two current main chains are at the most resolving of any chains I have ever owned, I cannot ascertain to what extent they approach the maximum point of resolution that is reachable by equipment at the "mere-mortals" tier like mine...(In parenthesis, I have read about, and sometimes, seen images of chains on head-fi that do not seem to be made for "mere mortal" audiophiles, which I mean as a compliment, in spite of being jealous, but I digress :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: )

To come to the point, I think the Drausk is great for capturing all aspects of staging and sonic Data and nuance from the music without giving any impression of any essential sonic information being "rolled off" or lost in the wild... I only hesitate to call *the overall quality" of sonic/technial performances between the three cables to be the same across the board, because I think the S4/8-wire and the Vykari still seem somewhat more adept at simulating the feeling or illusion of a limitless or borderless soundstage (a soundstage that is missing any hard discernible borders) than the Drausk is.

Also while the Drausk is capable of exposing all manner of plankton and micro-detail that pertains to the music itself, including the breathing of the musicians on occasion (when the source allows it) S4 8-wire can sometimes give the illusion of taking the listener beyond the music and the sound of breathing to the point of exposing the listener to the sound of the coins, pins, and little knick-knacks that are rattling around in the pockets of some of those same musicinas (if you will forgive the hyperbole--but I need some way to demonstrate differences that seem to be infinitesimal and fleeting here, so please bear with me),

These are impressions I have gathered in a largely ad-hoc manner without doing any strict and controlled comparative A/B testing. Such a testing would be essential since any differences I am hearing between these three cables belong in the last1-5% of detail retrieving and Staging capabilities and are therefore quite hard to pin down sometimes.

With all that said I feel confident in giving an enthusiastic thumbs up to the Drausk without any reservations at all;. I have honestly not heard anything concrete in the performance of the Drausk that might lead me to dissuade any prospective buyer from pulling the trigger, even when comparing the Drausk to the other two.

However to come directly to your question: "is the Drausk worth the addition if you have already the other flagships?"... I have to answer "absolutely not" if the question involves adding the Drausk out of some kind of need. The two flagships are capable of giving plenty on that front, probably more than anyone might ever actually need or ask for.

On the other hand, how many purchases announced and discussed on head-fi actually arise from what the buyer *reasonably needs,* and who is to make the call as to what is reasonable or "worth it" in any context? As you already know, there are considerations of personal and idiosyncratic preferences that could make answers to the question as to whether something is "worth it" highly unstable and variable, which is what head-fi, and maybe all audiophilia is about--"variable and unstable," not to mention downright whimsical, volatile, and unpredictable, at least sometimes. As a case in point, I got the Drausk, because I thought i must have an "all-copper" solution, which I know is not need-based, in any way, if I am being honest... Of course, it does produce a sonic difference which may be enjoyable, but is in no way better than what S4 8-wire and Vykari are already giving and doing a great job at... So?

I could go on and tell you about other acquisitions I have been contemplating that are not need based, but if I am contemplating them, then something in my mind--e.g. my OCD-driven quest for some ideal of audio "perfection", or some sonic Holy Grail, maybe--is trying to persuade me that they're worth it, Right? There is also the pleasure of receiving another product from the magic shop of that wizard, Trevor, a prospect which is always unbeatably delicious, irresistible, and never seems to get old. Okay I think the rest of this rant is better reserved for the Audiophiles Anonymous thread. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Do you know I set out to respond to you with one short paragraph? Now see what you've made me do! :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
After spending a good deal time with the LCD-5’s, I have to agree with your findings about silver cabling with them. I’m in search of a good all copper cable for them. The way you’re describing the Drausk makes that decision easy :). Great job!
 
Nov 25, 2021 at 7:25 AM Post #5,631 of 6,449
or sexy muses or sirens, depending... on the time of day, and/or state of sobriety, among other considerations... :slight_smile:

display-image-php_71_orig.jpg
Or even to be more eloquent:

”three great sets of cans!!”

1637842738738.gif


1637843115779.gif
 
Nov 25, 2021 at 7:45 AM Post #5,632 of 6,449
After spending a good deal time with the LCD-5’s, I have to agree with your findings about silver cabling with them. I’m in search of a good all copper cable for them. The way you’re describing the Drausk makes that decision easy :). Great job!
Maybe wait a month until you decide on the Drausk
 
Nov 25, 2021 at 8:45 AM Post #5,633 of 6,449
Maybe wait a month until you decide on the Drausk
I've been trying many cables with the LCD-5's. So far I'm enjoying them the most FAW Noir Hybrid. I do have a balanced version of stock cable coming to replace the single ended one. We'll see how that sounds. My think with going with the Drausk over the stock is I feel the LCD-5 could use a bit more low end presence to balance out the sound better. I don't want to sacrifice any of the other sonic qualities of the headphone. If I'm sticking with copper I want the best copper cable I can get for them. The Drausk seems to fit the bill.
 
Nov 25, 2021 at 6:23 PM Post #5,634 of 6,449
So is the concensus copper is better than silver for LCD-5.
 
Nov 25, 2021 at 11:29 PM Post #5,636 of 6,449
So, what you are saying is that Trevor's copper and silver are both fantastic conductors with different flavors of awesome. :wink: As, someone who has owned both a previous version Silvergarde S3 (flagship at the time) and a Draug 3s (flagship copper at the time) at the same time, I preferred the Draug. Hence, why I don't own any all silver cables anymore. Of course, my system is not quite as transparent as yours, but I still heard enough difference between the two to favor one over the other. There is just something about the midrange texture I get with Trevor's all copper cables that I prefer over the usually smoother yet more resolving all silver cables. It's actually really hard to put it into words, but I can immediately hear the difference between an all copper cable and an all silver cable and the copper always engages me more. This hobby for me is all about be engaged, with technical abilities a close second but not the first priority.
Excellent post!

I only have one silver cable. It seems to go well with the Aeolus, but not so much w/my other headphones.

My 3 best aftermarket cable are copper: 2 X ForzaAudioWorks HCP Noir + 1 X Norne Audio Drausk (transparent cover). I just love the sound of these copper cables. I've done little comparing, but when I did, the fully burned in Drausk seemed slightly better than the others. But all I've really concluded is that for my particular tastes, copper cables are exactly right.
 
Nov 25, 2021 at 11:47 PM Post #5,638 of 6,449
Excellent post!

I only have one silver cable. It seems to go well with the Aeolus, but not so much w/my other headphones.

My 3 best aftermarket cable are copper: 2 X ForzaAudioWorks HCP Noir + 1 X Norne Audio Drausk (transparent cover). I just love the sound of these copper cables. I've done little comparing, but when I did, the fully burned in Drausk seemed slightly better than the others. But all I've really concluded is that for my particular tastes, copper cables are exactly right.
I hear more harmonic info and natural decay of notes (especially in the mids) with copper. Silver can be faster and more detailed in the treble, but I haven't heard one (at least yet) that does the harmonic thing as well. Just my ears and my opinion...but I'm a copper addict for sure.
 
Nov 26, 2021 at 12:14 AM Post #5,640 of 6,449

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