Cable Asylum: REVIEW: Nirvana Audio S-X Ltd. Interconnect and Speaker Cable Cable by RH

Model:	S-X Ltd. Interconnect and Speaker Cable
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$1400 and $2780
Description:	1M rca Interconnect and 2.5M speaker cable (w/ bi-wire termination $50 additional)
Manufacturer URL:	Nirvana Audio
Manufacturer URL:	Nirvana Audio

Review by RH ( A ) on December 08, 2002 at 20:17:33
IP Address: 24.25.219.108

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This should be an easy review to write given how much I like Stephen Creamer's S-X Ltd. cables. I could easily end up sounding like a religious fanatic in a constant state of proselytization... they do so much so well and are so nuanced in their presentation of a good recording it's almost unavoidable.
If you decide to audition or purchase any of Nirvana's S-X Ltd. cable you need to know that the break-in period is quite unsettling sonically. The first several hours were wonderful, giving me a good taste of what was to come down the road. Then they went south for the next 100 hrs. or so. Soft then hard bass, raw and thin then soft and bloated mids. I finally gave up after several days and let them settle-in w/o listening. After a couple of more days on their own I was rewarded.
If you get a chance to audition these cables you must first listen to a Chesky or Mapleshade (or better Verve and Bluenote) recording featuring a saxophone. The timbral accuracy was sensational. Close your eyes and you felt you could describe whether the instrument was freshly polished or dented with a dull tarnished patina. It was that kind of feeling you get, the moment AND the music. All was presented in a manner so natural the many "hifi" issues just fall to the side due to the high level of musical involvement. In better live recordings the charged atmosphere is beautifully their ("Live at Ethel's). Venue is rendered in a way I've heard from very few other cables (Bob Crump's TG Audio cable is another).
Bass is accurate, especially upright/acoustic. Never too woody or overly round, some may find that it airs to just this side of dry. It works for me. Brass instruments are presented with a richness and bite that is almost always in proportion to their size, never bigger than life. ALTHOUGH with the Nirvana cable I have recently experienced recordings of performers who projected a "bigger than life" scale to their playing. Immediacy that is always involving... hard to describe... easy to hear.
Highs do not bloom unless it's there in the recording. Some may not like that. Depends on the venue/recording studio. It's about accuracy. Combined with the excecptionally low noise floor cymbals shimmer, hover and then clearly fade into the venue. The strikes coming off of percusive instruments seem to travel in distinct directions, sometimes shooting overhead, sometimes reverberating from one side to the other. Perfect punctuations within a solid, locked-in-place soundstage.
Nuances within both voices and instruments are present to a degree I have never previously experienced. I'm sure the low noise floor is a major contributor. Combined with the Merlin's resolving power the results border on the ethereal with great recordings. Also, ProAc's more muscular sound has now become more refined with what sounds like a more extended top and bottom.
This is the first time I have felt that I was not missing anything when listening to my system or wishing for something better.

Product Weakness: The break-in period is an exercise in patience.
Product Strengths: My current reference for "truth in timbre" and venue. A quiet, VERY quiet background. Exceptional level of detail that's rendered in the most natural manner. Rich when called for, but never syrupy. A very well constructed, great looking design.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Berning ZH270
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Cary 306/200 cdp
Speakers:	Merlin VSM and ProAc 2.5
Cables/Interconnects:	Nirvana, TG Audio and Elrod
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	If it elevates, I'll listen.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	approx. 30 days
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Sound Application plc
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	The break-in period is an exercise in patience.
Product Strengths:	My current reference for "truth in timbre" and venue. A quiet, VERY quiet background. Exceptional level of detail that's rendered in the most natural manner. Rich when called for, but never syrupy. A very well constructed, great looking design.