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Nordost vs. Nordost

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Posted on December 12, 2014 at 09:14:17
trcnetmsncom
Audiophile

Posts: 198
Joined: May 15, 2004
Hello.

I'm hoping to get some opinions of how the new Valhalla 2 compares to Odin. Speaker cables in particular but comparison of any cable in these two lines are welcome. Dealers for Nordost may have some insight from first hand experience so please chime in. Also, maybe some of you caught a Nordost demo at a show and heard how the Valhalla 2 and Odin compare.

Thanks in advance.

Tom

 

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RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 13, 2014 at 11:35:44
I would suggest you think about some other options....unless your system is so colored that you feel the need for the Nordost sound.

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 13, 2014 at 12:59:34
johntoste
Audiophile

Posts: 456
Location: New England
Joined: March 20, 2004
Not sure why you would say that. The "Nordost sound" is the closest to no self-character of any cable I've personally used; MIT, Cardas, AQ, XLO, Audience and many more.

If I could afford them, I'd have Valhalla 2 or Odin but as it is, I'm very happy with my Frey 2 and Heimdall 2 "loom".

Informed conjecture, not direct experience, leads me to believe that Valhalla 2 is not far off from Odin and that the difference would be readily apparent only in the most highly resolving of systems.

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 13, 2014 at 17:37:32
What are your components?

 

my system is listed in my profile (nt), posted on December 13, 2014 at 20:00:58
johntoste
Audiophile

Posts: 456
Location: New England
Joined: March 20, 2004
(nt)

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 14, 2014 at 06:55:38
trcnetmsncom
Audiophile

Posts: 198
Joined: May 15, 2004
1+ agreed. I have original Valhalla now and it has worked for me in a big way!

 

RE: my system is listed in my profile (nt), posted on December 14, 2014 at 07:58:17
Very nice system;) I have been through the cable mill for over 5 decades now myself. Having tried everything from DIY to $20k plus cables I have personally experienced much of the designs available . After all that time and money, Transparent Cables offer the most realistic, organic and richly complex reproduction by a wide margin. Some people prefer various inconsistencies inherent in other designs to compensate for system colorations. But sitting in front of a great system wired with Transparent is as close to reality as can be had! Enjoy!!

 

RE: my system is listed in my profile (nt), posted on December 14, 2014 at 10:10:37
Very nice system;) I have been through the cable mill for over 5 decades now myself. Having tried everything from DIY to $20k plus cables I have personally experienced much of the designs available . After all that time and money, Transparent Cables offer the most realistic, organic and richly complex reproduction by a wide margin. Some people prefer various inconsistencies inherent in other designs to compensate for system colorations. But sitting in front of a great system wired with Transparent is as close to reality as can be had! Enjoy!!

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 14, 2014 at 11:29:55
trcnetmsncom
Audiophile

Posts: 198
Joined: May 15, 2004
Hello Dave.

Glad you found a cable line that works for you. Just the other week I was at a friends house comparing cables. Transparent being one of them, along with Purist, Silent Source, Audioquest, against his Valhalla 1. System almost identical to mine. I have the BAT Rex2 preamp, he uses the ARC 25th Anniversary. I have the EMM Dac2 and the TSD1 transport. He uses the single-box EMM CDSAse. Both of us are using BAT Rex mono-block amps driving Avalon's Eidolon Diamond with a Valhalla cable loom. In the context of that system with both preferred the Valhalla to the other cables.

Being the Nordost is working so well for me and the way I hear it. I naturally am interested going further up the Nordost line. I'd like to hear from others who may have an experience with the Valhalla2 vs. Odin.

Enjoy,
Tom

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 14, 2014 at 14:02:17
mingus
Audiophile

Posts: 355
Location: mid-atlantic
Joined: July 19, 2001
Balanced or single ended interconnects? Just curious, as I love those speedcars, and know the BAT well...

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 14, 2014 at 16:05:55
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15486
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
Thanks! for sharing Tom.

You and your friend have very nice systems!
How did you guys like Silent Source?

 

RE: Balanced all the way!, posted on December 14, 2014 at 20:33:39
trcnetmsncom
Audiophile

Posts: 198
Joined: May 15, 2004
... and btw, the BAT Rex 2 is just well "oh my"

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 03:50:23
Very nice gear...synergy is everything and the ROOM of course. What Transparent did you use and was it fully broken in? They also need to be played awhile before evaluations are done. The new Generation 5 cables are as realistic as I have ever heard....texture and nuance increased along with staggering dynamics. Very natural and organic sounding. It all comes down to how we listen sometimes. I remember visiting a fellow inmate who had a similar system to yours and used ribbon cables. Nice sound and clean but not fully realistic and dynamic. He listened at very low levels which was weird. I want to be in the room with the musicians and feel the full dynamic impact of the performance. Nordost, for me, shifts the tonal foundation from middle C and tilts it up an octave or two. With all those tubes I'm sure the Nordost cabling does fairly well. Enjoy!!

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 04:15:42
Paul Wilson
Reviewer

Posts: 97
Location: Southeast USA
Joined: October 7, 2014
While the use of cables in a system is a personal thing, and one that brings endless debate, I can at least offer what I have observed in my system. I was using mostly Tyr II, Heimdall and some Valhalla until about a year and a half ago. At that time I started upgrading and doing so with my primary, most used components. I first purchased three Odin cables- the main power cord feeding the power conditioner first, then speakers, then the AES / EBU XLR digital cable between the music server and DAC. I then switched to Valhalla 2 mainly because of the cost. Let's face it, Odin is wildly expensive. I see V2 as being about 80% of Odin sonically at less than half the cost. V2 is highly resolving and very revealing. I believe that V2 will make a balanced system really sound remarkable, as well as illuminating system weaknesses. By no means are they the only brand of cables to do so, but be sure that they will. If you are a fan of Nordost cables, as I am, V2 is a great way to go. Of course, even V2 is not all that inexpensive but if your choice is between Odin and V2, and unless you want to sink about $150K in an all Odin cable loom, I would not hesitate to use V2.

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 06:24:39
There is a fine line between resolving detail and over accentuating low level cues over the musical content . Live music often has very little detail but gobs of dynamics and blended harmonic bliss! Too much sinew is hard to take .

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 07:58:35
One additional thought I had while checking out the Nordost website...NASA is mentioned and some other high tech applications are mentioned as the origination of their designs. No mention of live music, a love of music or an in house evaluation system. Only tech talk! Quite a contrast to Transparent who's products were born of musicians and there love of music and who have quite an elaborate evaluation system in house. They also support a symphony and attend live concerts frequently in addition to playing instruments themselves. Just saying:)

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 08:48:09
trcnetmsncom
Audiophile

Posts: 198
Joined: May 15, 2004
Thank you Paul. You were a BIG help! I would not even be considering Odin, but a exceptional opportunity has come my way on some speaker cables. I would have to do it blind and resell them if they didn't work out for me. Something I'm really not into doing. I'm positive they're not fake or cut Odin so I just may go for it.

Thanks again.
Tom

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 09:41:40
trcnetmsncom
Audiophile

Posts: 198
Joined: May 15, 2004
Hello Dave.

Wanted to check with my friend to get the facts straight before responding. He said they were the Ref XL MM2 and they retailed for 10k at the length he needed. The Purist was 20th anniversary. The Transparent was a dealer demo and said to be broken in. I've heard wonderful things about the upper end Transparent and I'm glad they're working out so well for you.

In these comparisons and in the context of this system the sound of the music just opened up and breathed more with the Valhalla while the other cables sounded congested by comparison. The Valhalla was also more nuanced with subtle musical detail the other cables just couldn't match.

best,
Tom

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 09:49:38
Well there you have it....now enjoy the music and have a Merry Christmas!!

 

RE: My Take, posted on December 15, 2014 at 09:56:21
trcnetmsncom
Audiophile

Posts: 198
Joined: May 15, 2004
Hello fanja.

My immediate impression was this is one very dynamic cable, right up there with the Valhalla in this regard. It would of been my 2nd or 3rd choice. I heard the Purist as having a more complex texture/timbre of tone but not quite as open or as dynamic. The Transparent was very pleasant, polite, and refined, but almost to a fault.

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 10:22:02
Paul Wilson
Reviewer

Posts: 97
Location: Southeast USA
Joined: October 7, 2014
Tom,

You are welcome. Hopefully I was able to provide some useful insight. If the opportunity you mention is for a legitimate Odin cable, and the price is agreeable, I would certainly give it a lot of consideration. But be careful, I have been told many times by several people at Nordost that their one big problem is counterfeit cables, especially in the more expensive series of cables. If it looks like too good of a deal, you might be better off asking for some documentation proving it is a legitimate Nordost product. And if you have any concern as to it's lineage, it might be better to walk away. However, if your source can be trusted, I really think you will love what Odin can do. It is quite a remarkable product.

 

Odins, posted on December 15, 2014 at 10:46:20
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7291
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000
I've reviewed the Nordost Odin interconnects, speaker cable, and powercord.

I have not had any experience with the Valhalla 2 line, so I am not at liberty to comment.

I can say, however, that going from Odin back to the regular original Valhalla was depressing. My colleagues and I noticed that the Valhalla, even after Cooked, has a whitish coloration. It's like scraping your knees on concrete. You don't really notice it, until you've tried the clear and lucid Odin. But once you do notice the Valhalla's coloration, it's hard to ignore or look past it.

Be warned that the Odin is about passing signal as quickly as possible. That may or may not work for you. My colleagues and I have experience with other car-priced cables. They're all different. While the Tara Labs Gold and MIT Oracles aren't as lightning fast as Nordost Odin, they do other aspects of music reproduction better. And even here in this thread, another guy gets excellent results with Transparent Cable. Contrary to what you may have read from "professional" reviews, the Nordost Odin is not the be-all, end-all.

All of our Odin products had the serial numbers engraved into the wooden blocks.

Maybe once a month, someone will ask me about the Odin line. Was I richer, for having lived with them? You bet! But do I miss the Odins? Not really. Through all that, did I get any closer to the music via the Odins, versus other (also pricey, though) cable looms? No.

The Audiophiles' DJ,
-Lummy The Loch Monster

 

RE: My Take, posted on December 15, 2014 at 10:55:51
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15486
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
Thank You! Tom-

easily the Silent Source IC & PC are my 2nd fave.
1st goes to Transparent IC. 1st PC is the Stage III Concepts!

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 15, 2014 at 11:08:04
calloway
Audiophile

Posts: 729
Joined: February 12, 2000
as others have expressed their fondness for cables other than the Nordost cables, which i have tried..except the 'Odin"...i would certainly try the High Fidelity cables before making any decision.in the V2 price range the CT-1U would be about the same and in my opinion, much better than the V2.You can get trial HF cables at 'The Cable Company'..They have no weaknesses and are absolutely amazing...

 

RE: Nordost vs. Nordost, posted on December 19, 2014 at 18:41:51
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15486
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
I do have limited experience w/ Nordost- Tyr, Red Dawn & Blue Heaven.
I have always wanted to demo the upper crust models...

 

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