crazyhank
100+ Head-Fier
Preface....this is a review about headphone cable...and I've never felt the need write one about a cable before. But the Danacable Nirvana is truly something so revolutionary, that it feels like your headphones disappear as you listen. The impact is immediate, and I would go far as to say reality altering. If you ever wanted to feel the music, the vocals pour into your ears as if you're on stage with the musician...the Danacable Nirvana accomplishes it. (will cover technical details further down)
And yes, I realize there is much skepticism on whether cables make an audible difference in sound. I WAS THE ULTIMATE SKEPTIC...especially around digital cables (zeros, ones), but I promise you...they all make a difference. I love music...and I'm not the traditional audiophile trying to analyze my music....I listen for pure pleasure. This cable brings that pleasure, delight, and sheer surprise, WOW factor every time you put on your headphones.
Now, I have the Focal Utopia and Stellia headphones. In my opinion....they are the best sounding open and closed back headphones I've ever heard. I know there are many fans of Audeze, Hifiman, etc.... all are excellent, but Focal top tier is where I landed for their crystal clarity, detail, low end bass you can feel (now MUCH more thanks to the Danacable Nirvana), and all while delivering a gorgeous sound stage, which again, thanks to the Nirvana, expanded and makes me feel like I'm on stage with every musician. I can't emphasize enough how much it makes you feel the singer is right next to you...borders on butterflies in your stomach. And this effect occurs for anyone I've asked to listen to my Focals with Nirvana.
So how did it sound before the Danacable Nirvana? The stock cable sounded good...I ran it through the Chord Dave, Focal Arche, SPL Phonitor XE and ADI2DAC combo, Hugo 2, Mojo. But honestly, after starting on this "audiophile" journey, and buying all this top tier equipment, I expected more. I've loved music all my life, but always went mid-level products thinking the top tier wouldn't be worthwhile or noticeable unless I was an ultra music geek. Well...it absolutely is...but something was still missing in my setup. I kept reading about cables making a difference, and got fed up guessing and reading the debates....so I bought them all to trial. For headphones, tried all top models from each: Kimber Axios (silver and hybrid), Nordost, Cardas, and Danacable of course. (btw, I also tried Shunyata Sigma and Audioquest Diamond cables for power/sources...and those also shockingly made a big difference, but that's for another review).
So after trying Kimber, Nordost, Cardas...some took the sounds of my Focals in the wrong direction, or they had very marginal impact. The Danacable Reference cable (the lower-end model), was the best among them for a good, clean sound, that beat the stock cable, and all the top tiers from the big guys. Then we get to Dana's Nirvana....and my god, it is like my Focals finally sounded like I always expected them to. Even BEYOND my wildest dreams. I have all the latest tech toys, and I work with many tech companies...but nothing wows me anymore these days. iPads, OLED TVs, laptops, VR glasses, iPhones, Airpods....are all the same every year...with marginal improvements. Granted...all excellent, but the wow factor is already there years ago. The same product every year with cool enhancements. I have them all, I love them all, but nothing that makes my jaw drop anymore. I must tell you, the Nirvana, made my jaw drop (still do every time I listen!). I never knew music could sound so gorgeous, enthralling, and immersive. I also love to go to concerts and clubs...this cable and my Focals have ruined those experiences for me. I can actually achieve a far superior and immersive sound as if I am the concert from the luxury of my own home. And lets face it....during this quarantine...home music setup is the best gift to ever come around. It's as if MTV unPlugged is in my room sitting on top of me.
I know my statements are very bold, and maybe even extreme, so it's hard to believe. But no matter how much I talk up Dana's cable....when they try it in their setup, they are still blown away with a huge WOW. I bought 2...one for my Utopia and one for Stellia. The price is so hard to swallow...$3,500 per cable. Spending $7,000 on 2 headphone cables sounds insane...and I thought I was insane. I desperately wanted to not like it, but after hearing it....it was like I was ignorant to the true potential of music and my headphones, my DAC, Amp, etc... Nirvana releases the TRUE potential of what your headphones are meant to do. It's that simple. And there is simply no going back to anything else. I honestly felt cheated by my stock cable and all the other high-end cables I demoed. Nothing compared. As I type this...I'm listening to my Utopias with the Nirvana...I am in pure awe ever minute...its been months, and it doesn't get old, it doesn't get stale, you don't become desensitized. Also...the break-in period of the cable is 200 hours....and it only gets better with time. (I know also lots of skepticism on burning in cables, but for high quality and thick gauge cables, it is truly a must...again, don't listen to me, listen your ears when you try it). I thought it was all BS, until I tried it first hand. I'm so grateful I did...because I spend thousands $$$ and was moderately satisfied until finally trying the Nirvana. So that little bit more and the time to test everything has educated me and shown me what I was missing.
Danacable is hand crafted by Dana Robbins and hand built by him. I honestly almost overlooked their site, www.danacables.com because they were so much smaller than the big guys like Kimber, Cardas, etc... Again, so lucky and grateful I found Dana because it transformed everything for me. My level of pleasure on a daily basis from my setup is priceless at this point. These cables will last me a lifetime.
Danacable is a boutique operation, and if I was Focal I would partner with Dana to bundle the cable with each Utopia/Stellia. They are not doing their stellar headphones justice by providing that stock cable...and everyone that has tried Nirvana on their headphones says..."My god...if I never heard this, I would have been ignorant and missing out on this experience". That is what the Nirvana provides....it provides a true musical experience so that you are not listening to your headphones but to the true sound of the music as intended, uninhibited. It teleports you to the stage so you can be part of the music.
Side note...the craftsmanship of each cable is also beyond gorgeous. Dana's workmanship rivals on art. The chrome, the carbon fiber, the Furutech connectors, the intricate weave with the thousands of copper and silver wires that create this formula for ultimate Nirvana harmony. Everyone that sees my setup, the first thing they ask about is the cable just because of how massive it is, stunning, and incredibly flexible and comfortable. I honestly look on them as a collectors items and art. They are stunning!
The service is also stellar. The cables are sold by Gingko Audio, Inc (run by Vinh Vu) who personally discusses your setup and needs in intricate detail. He knows music and knows audiophile level expectations. Between Vinh and Dana, their background speaks for itself ( http://danacables.com/about-us/ ), but I learned so much, and frankly they opened my eyes to the potential music can have. Truly been a pleasure since the start, and every single day I use my setup, I think of them and smile...because they changed everything for me. I have never listened to music for this many hours per day before....it's so addicting that I am staying up till 5am many nights lol. I know it all sounds too good to be true, but I again recommend trying (they offer a 30 day trial, no questions asked), and you will hopefully see what I'm describing. No words can do it justice...you have to hear it.
The ultimate test was also sharing with my parents who barely care about this stuff...and listen at low volumes Bose and Beats. They were also floored, and had no idea how it was done. They asked if the headphones had some holographic module installed into them LOL. I had shown them some VR and AR stuff lately, so they assumed it was related. I said no guys...just my Focals and a new cable. They shockingly didn't yell at me once I told them the price of each cable...they were already hooked
It's so rare these days to find true mastery and skill, and discovering something so special like this just doesn't exist in our society anymore. Everything is mass manufactured and quality is secondary. So when you find a craftsman like Dana Robbins that truly has a gift for music, and an ear for it like no one else (since there is NO OTHER PRODUCT on the market that compares)...you have give the ultimate respect and support. Not to mention, the sheer joy he brings to people's lives who love music.
Sincerely,
Henry
Other reviews from true audiophile pros:
http://danacables.com/2019/04/03/lazuli-nirvana-reviews/
The Lazuli cable story:
http://danacables.com/news/
And yes, I realize there is much skepticism on whether cables make an audible difference in sound. I WAS THE ULTIMATE SKEPTIC...especially around digital cables (zeros, ones), but I promise you...they all make a difference. I love music...and I'm not the traditional audiophile trying to analyze my music....I listen for pure pleasure. This cable brings that pleasure, delight, and sheer surprise, WOW factor every time you put on your headphones.
Now, I have the Focal Utopia and Stellia headphones. In my opinion....they are the best sounding open and closed back headphones I've ever heard. I know there are many fans of Audeze, Hifiman, etc.... all are excellent, but Focal top tier is where I landed for their crystal clarity, detail, low end bass you can feel (now MUCH more thanks to the Danacable Nirvana), and all while delivering a gorgeous sound stage, which again, thanks to the Nirvana, expanded and makes me feel like I'm on stage with every musician. I can't emphasize enough how much it makes you feel the singer is right next to you...borders on butterflies in your stomach. And this effect occurs for anyone I've asked to listen to my Focals with Nirvana.
So how did it sound before the Danacable Nirvana? The stock cable sounded good...I ran it through the Chord Dave, Focal Arche, SPL Phonitor XE and ADI2DAC combo, Hugo 2, Mojo. But honestly, after starting on this "audiophile" journey, and buying all this top tier equipment, I expected more. I've loved music all my life, but always went mid-level products thinking the top tier wouldn't be worthwhile or noticeable unless I was an ultra music geek. Well...it absolutely is...but something was still missing in my setup. I kept reading about cables making a difference, and got fed up guessing and reading the debates....so I bought them all to trial. For headphones, tried all top models from each: Kimber Axios (silver and hybrid), Nordost, Cardas, and Danacable of course. (btw, I also tried Shunyata Sigma and Audioquest Diamond cables for power/sources...and those also shockingly made a big difference, but that's for another review).
So after trying Kimber, Nordost, Cardas...some took the sounds of my Focals in the wrong direction, or they had very marginal impact. The Danacable Reference cable (the lower-end model), was the best among them for a good, clean sound, that beat the stock cable, and all the top tiers from the big guys. Then we get to Dana's Nirvana....and my god, it is like my Focals finally sounded like I always expected them to. Even BEYOND my wildest dreams. I have all the latest tech toys, and I work with many tech companies...but nothing wows me anymore these days. iPads, OLED TVs, laptops, VR glasses, iPhones, Airpods....are all the same every year...with marginal improvements. Granted...all excellent, but the wow factor is already there years ago. The same product every year with cool enhancements. I have them all, I love them all, but nothing that makes my jaw drop anymore. I must tell you, the Nirvana, made my jaw drop (still do every time I listen!). I never knew music could sound so gorgeous, enthralling, and immersive. I also love to go to concerts and clubs...this cable and my Focals have ruined those experiences for me. I can actually achieve a far superior and immersive sound as if I am the concert from the luxury of my own home. And lets face it....during this quarantine...home music setup is the best gift to ever come around. It's as if MTV unPlugged is in my room sitting on top of me.
I know my statements are very bold, and maybe even extreme, so it's hard to believe. But no matter how much I talk up Dana's cable....when they try it in their setup, they are still blown away with a huge WOW. I bought 2...one for my Utopia and one for Stellia. The price is so hard to swallow...$3,500 per cable. Spending $7,000 on 2 headphone cables sounds insane...and I thought I was insane. I desperately wanted to not like it, but after hearing it....it was like I was ignorant to the true potential of music and my headphones, my DAC, Amp, etc... Nirvana releases the TRUE potential of what your headphones are meant to do. It's that simple. And there is simply no going back to anything else. I honestly felt cheated by my stock cable and all the other high-end cables I demoed. Nothing compared. As I type this...I'm listening to my Utopias with the Nirvana...I am in pure awe ever minute...its been months, and it doesn't get old, it doesn't get stale, you don't become desensitized. Also...the break-in period of the cable is 200 hours....and it only gets better with time. (I know also lots of skepticism on burning in cables, but for high quality and thick gauge cables, it is truly a must...again, don't listen to me, listen your ears when you try it). I thought it was all BS, until I tried it first hand. I'm so grateful I did...because I spend thousands $$$ and was moderately satisfied until finally trying the Nirvana. So that little bit more and the time to test everything has educated me and shown me what I was missing.
Danacable is hand crafted by Dana Robbins and hand built by him. I honestly almost overlooked their site, www.danacables.com because they were so much smaller than the big guys like Kimber, Cardas, etc... Again, so lucky and grateful I found Dana because it transformed everything for me. My level of pleasure on a daily basis from my setup is priceless at this point. These cables will last me a lifetime.
Danacable is a boutique operation, and if I was Focal I would partner with Dana to bundle the cable with each Utopia/Stellia. They are not doing their stellar headphones justice by providing that stock cable...and everyone that has tried Nirvana on their headphones says..."My god...if I never heard this, I would have been ignorant and missing out on this experience". That is what the Nirvana provides....it provides a true musical experience so that you are not listening to your headphones but to the true sound of the music as intended, uninhibited. It teleports you to the stage so you can be part of the music.
Side note...the craftsmanship of each cable is also beyond gorgeous. Dana's workmanship rivals on art. The chrome, the carbon fiber, the Furutech connectors, the intricate weave with the thousands of copper and silver wires that create this formula for ultimate Nirvana harmony. Everyone that sees my setup, the first thing they ask about is the cable just because of how massive it is, stunning, and incredibly flexible and comfortable. I honestly look on them as a collectors items and art. They are stunning!
The service is also stellar. The cables are sold by Gingko Audio, Inc (run by Vinh Vu) who personally discusses your setup and needs in intricate detail. He knows music and knows audiophile level expectations. Between Vinh and Dana, their background speaks for itself ( http://danacables.com/about-us/ ), but I learned so much, and frankly they opened my eyes to the potential music can have. Truly been a pleasure since the start, and every single day I use my setup, I think of them and smile...because they changed everything for me. I have never listened to music for this many hours per day before....it's so addicting that I am staying up till 5am many nights lol. I know it all sounds too good to be true, but I again recommend trying (they offer a 30 day trial, no questions asked), and you will hopefully see what I'm describing. No words can do it justice...you have to hear it.
The ultimate test was also sharing with my parents who barely care about this stuff...and listen at low volumes Bose and Beats. They were also floored, and had no idea how it was done. They asked if the headphones had some holographic module installed into them LOL. I had shown them some VR and AR stuff lately, so they assumed it was related. I said no guys...just my Focals and a new cable. They shockingly didn't yell at me once I told them the price of each cable...they were already hooked
It's so rare these days to find true mastery and skill, and discovering something so special like this just doesn't exist in our society anymore. Everything is mass manufactured and quality is secondary. So when you find a craftsman like Dana Robbins that truly has a gift for music, and an ear for it like no one else (since there is NO OTHER PRODUCT on the market that compares)...you have give the ultimate respect and support. Not to mention, the sheer joy he brings to people's lives who love music.
Sincerely,
Henry
Other reviews from true audiophile pros:
http://danacables.com/2019/04/03/lazuli-nirvana-reviews/
The Lazuli cable story:
http://danacables.com/news/
