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Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?

152.163.201.197
Posted on July 8, 1999 at 11:26:26
Frank P


 
Has anyone had the opportunity to audition the Harmonic Tecnology Pro Silway mkII versus the Nordost Quattro fil (or SPM) in their system? If so, I'd really appreciate your comments and perceptions (realizing the price disparity). Also, if anyone has upgraded form Nordost SPM to Quattro fil, what differences, if any, did you hear? As usual, any comment will be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone and happy listening.

 

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Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 05:03:06
Bob Neill


 
I'm interested in the Silway/Nordost comparison myself -- and also
a Goertz/Nordost comparison, but on the SPM/Quattro Fil, I recommend
both the TAS archives on their website and also the archives of SoundStage. They don't agree (!), especially on the issue of "leanness,"
but at least they both give the matter some good prose and serious attention.

 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 05:50:08
GEO


 
I compared the Truth-Link to the Nordost Blue Heaven and the like the Truth-Link much better. I like the Pro-Silway even more. I am using Truth Link between my A/I Mod 3A and my Graaf Power Amp. I am using Pro Silway between my EAD CD player and my pre amp. I have Blue Heaven speaker cable.
I hear the HT Pro-9 is even better, though I haven't compared the speaker cables directly. I took the Blue Heaven from a friend who replaced it with the HT Pro-9. He was offering the blue heaven but I didn't care for it. It wears on you. Also, I liked JPS Superconductor much beeter than Blue Heaven in my system.

 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 06:18:50
John E


 
GEO, No wonder you can post such nice jazz reviews, you listen to em with a Graaf. I initially used 2 pair of Truth Links, then I sent one pair back for exchange to the Silways. I didn't like it, thinned out the sound and changed my soundstage for the worse. I sent that pair back and got the "New and Improved" Silway MKII's. Perfect, much better. It was like Truth Links with much more detail. I'm using the Silways from a BAT cdp to a Graaf WFB-2 pre, and the Truth Links from there over to the Graaf amp. I have no desire to search any longer.

John

 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 07:07:19
Phil Sieg


 
Well, I can speak to the HT side. I use Pro Silway II phono cables, Truthlink interconnects, Pro-9 Plus Speaker cable, and HT power cords everywhere. These replace Purist Maximus and Colossus, XLO Signature, and Synergistic Research. Short review: I'm through looking at commercial cables, ICs and cords. Might play around with DIY stuff for fun down the line. I can find very little wrong with the HT stuff, and a whole lot right.


 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 07:33:10
John E


 
>>Purist Maximus and Colossus<<

Phil, who do you suppose comes up with the names for not only those two, but most cables? I get a visual of a couple of guys sitting around sipping on some beers, throwing names out, until one of the names causes both guys to blow beer out of their noses because they're laughing so hard. After they get control of themselves, they look at each other, grin and say in unison, "THAT'S IT"

John


 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 07:39:47
TAFKA Steve


 
I haven't done these brand comparisons, but Mike Silverton of La Folia (www.lafolia.com) and Stereo Times has a history of comparing the two. Before either he used Transparent Reference XL with his Watt5.1/Puppy-based system. He replaced these with Nordost SPM/Quattro Fil interconnects and SPM speaker cables. He replaced those with HT ProSilway (version one?) and HT pro-9 speaker cable (with a Siltech tail for the Watt/Puppy link). More recently, he replaced his Levinson 333 (yeech) with Levinson 33H monoblocks (MUCH better) and found that a return to the Nordost cables was more synergistic with his system. The lesson is that system synergy matters and I guess you'll have to compare them in your own system (does the Cable Company have HT cables for audition?).

 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 07:51:18
Rafe


 
Phil,
IVO your experience, expertise, and reputation around here, this is a pretty powerful endorsement. I think I'll have to audition some HT cables.

 

Re: Quasi-review - Quattro fil (longish), posted on July 9, 1999 at 08:24:16
Frank P


 
Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback. Right now I have Nordost SPM Reference balanced interconnects betweem DAC and line stage and from line stage to amps. I HAD a Transparent Music Link Ultra Phono cable from my TNT to my phono stage and Harmonic Technology Truth Link from phono stage to line stage. As I have mentioned on this forum before, I like to change only ONE thing at a time so I know that any difference is attributable to THAT change. So last night the 1.5 meter Quattro fil interconnect I bought arrived and I swapped it for the Transparent phono cable. I had a friend of mine (fellow audio nutcase and professional musician with a VERY good ear) who has been with me every step of my audio upgrade obsession. NO. THIS IS NOT A DBT DISCUSSION! We knew which cable was which and switched back and forth about eight times. I played a jazz piano cut that I have been auditioning equipment with for 9 years -- a cut I (and my friend) have heard thousands of times and know VERY well. We played the same cut at the same volume each time. I have to admit that I was very skeptical and did NOT think I would hear that big of a difference, if at all, between the two. Well, I've been wrong enough times in my life for it to not shock me that it happened again.

Let me state up front that these are just my (and my friend's) observations and we make no claim to any absolutes or that any cable is superior to another as that is all personal preference and system dependent to a certain extent. One thing we did do is to write down our opinions without letting the other see them before exchanging notes. RESULT? Our comments were frighteningly similar! With the Quattro fil, we both heard more detail but yet it was less fatiguing and much more musically "right!" (more on this in a minute). We both noted the fuller, meatier, more natural sounding bass. We both noted better soundstage and, if I can articulate this correctly, the instruments somehow "hung" in the air more. One thing that always amazes me is if a component (and I do consider this cable a component) can allow you to hear things you have never heard before. When I listened, I paid particular attention to certain passages for comparisons. One thing I was delighted with was that there was a quiet cymbal splash I have never heard before - very subtle but very noticeable with the Quattro fil - NOT audible with the Transparent. Speaking of cymbals, we both wrote down that this was the BEST and most natural decay of cymbals we have ever heard. Since my friend teaches music and his son is a drummer - he had credibility when he spoke. Finally, the balance top to bottom on the Quattro fil was the best I have ever heard - in my systen at least! BTW, my friend was more skeptical than me when we began and thought about having me committed for buying a cable that expensive! As he left, he said he wanted to read more about the extrusion process to understand how "wire" can make that much of a difference. NOTE: When I say "that much of a difference" it is a relative term. Six years ago I probably could not have appreciated (or probably even heard) many of these differences. And no, I doubt if an uninitiated listener would hear the differences we did.

This is not to say the Transparent cable was bad and I admit the price difference may indicate an unfair comparison. Tonight my second pair of Quattro fil will be there and I will compare two pair of Quattro fils (tt to phono stage and phono to line stage) with two pair of HT Truth Links (again acknowledging the price disparity).

I was wondering about the Pro-Silway MKIIs because I've heard such great things about them and don't see any reason to spend MORE than I have to in order to get the best sound. I'll fil (pun intended) you in on my comparisons tonight if anyone is curious! I hope something in this quasi-review is helpful. Thanks again for your comments and happy listening everyone!!


Frank P


 

Well, I figger..., posted on July 9, 1999 at 08:55:26
Phil Sieg


 
that the guys that do that have been hired out of the paint industry. I mean, you go down to your local paint store and get samples...the names have zip to do with the color. Seafoam, Harvest mist, and the names for Ralph Lauren's paints are the worst, like some bad British novel. I read he has 37 "different" whites alone! If white is the absence (or is it presence, I never can remember?) of all color, how can there be 37 different ways all colors can be absent?


 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 08:58:10
Phil Sieg


 
Well, they work in my system, YMMV. But I think they are a tremendous value for the money (esp the Truthlink) compared to other cables. And Jim and Robert are really nice guys to deal with. BTW, if you see a picture of a Pro-Silway II phono cable at their website or in their lit, that's mine. Numero Uno off the line.;-) (FWIW)

 

Re: Quasi-review - Quattro fil (longish), posted on July 9, 1999 at 08:58:30
Joe S


 
the Quatro Fil is indeed a VERY nice cable. I think the most notable characteristics are captured in the detailed comments on your observations on the sonics and distill down to this: its harmonically richer than SPM while still retaining that cables remarkable transparency & speed, and its noise floor is lower allowing low level detail and ambient info to poke their heads up above the background level. I find very little to fault with this stuff, though the Bybee interconnect filters do take it up yet another notch somehow....

Joe

 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 10:25:05
Frank P


 
Hey Steve! I know HT allows a 30 day risk free trial period. As my earlier post says, I have two HT Truthlinks (HT's copper interconnect) right now in the analog chain. I was wondering whether the Pro-Silway MKIIs (silver) would be a better comparison. I agre that cable seem system dependent. Thanks again.

Frank P

P.S. Do you think that woman ever uttered Arnold's famous phrase from Kindergarten Cop -- "It's not a tooommah!!"

 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 11:39:49
Batman


 
I've been considering comparing the HT's agains the Blue Heaven's that I currently use between my AI Mod3A preamp and my amp. Since it's a 15-foot run, I wrote to HT and asked for the electrical characteristcs of their interconnect. I received a prompt e-mail from Albert V.S. and here is what he sent me. This may or may not be of interest to you. You can find the equivalent information of Nordost's web site. It is not my intention to start a measurment/listening flame war so please do not bother. Just trying to share info!

Truth-Link
Resistance per foot: 0.012 ohms

Capacitance per ft: 71 picoFarads with RCA plug, 43 picoFards with XLR plug.

Inductance per foot: 0.24 microHenrys

Pro Silway
Resistance per foot: 0.011 ohms

Capacitance per ft: 32 picoFarads with RCA plug, 19 picoFarards with XLR
plug. (Subract 8pF for the plug).

Inductance per foot: 0.43 microHenrys


 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 12:59:35
TAFKA Steve


 
I never auditioned the Truthlinks. I have single-ended ProSilway IIs for analog: 1 meter from turntable to AI M3a preamp, 1.5 m preamp to amp.
These replaced my Discovery Plus 4 copper cables and sound quite a bit sweeter (less sour/metallic), extended, and more natural in the treble. My two caveats are that the HT cables are much stiffer (may compromise your turntable suspension, mine doesn't seem to be bothered) and a bit less quiet in terms of hum and noise pickup as a phono cable. For CD playback, I don't use a preamp and I run 1.5 m balanced ProSilway II from my Theta ProGen Va to custom fixed-value Vishay in-line AudioTruth XLR-XLR attenuators which plug directly into the amplifier. This replaced a set of Kimber KCAGs with AudioTruth FPS XLR connectors. There is a more-relaxed and open sound, but the margin isn't as big as with my analog stuff. My speaker wire went from NBS Signature to HT Pro Nine and this is the closest I've ever heard two speaker cables sound. For the money, the HT stuff is a bargain.

As for the tumor, it must've been like waking up in bed with Meatloaf every day: 303 lbs. of hair, teeth, and fluid. My last joke on the subject: Medicine must be making great strides against colon cancer: that's why all the a**holes are still alive!

 

Re: Harmonic Tech v. Nordost -- any opinions?, posted on July 9, 1999 at 14:22:46
Frank P


 
Thanks Batman! Give my regards to Robin!

Frank P

 

Re: Well, I figger..., posted on July 15, 1999 at 11:18:47
Bob Neill


 
It's a matter of how much of your foot you leave in the doorway as you absent yourself. Or in most cases, brown pigment!

 

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