opinions on Nordost PC

I sold Nordost for over 9 years of time. And bought the Valhalla powercords in 2004. And sold many of them after 2004 till 2009.

But.....the limitation of Nordost is that it is incomplete.

You judge sound for about 8 different parts. When you test ( I have done thousands of tests in about 18 years of time) Nordost on all these parts you will find out that it is incomplete.

Incomplete means that some of the 8 parts are not there are not filled in at a high level.

You will loose stage depth and width. The individual focus of instruments and voices is not that sharp and realistic in proportio as in real.

You miss diversity in the middel freq. as well.

When you compare Purist Audio powercables with Nordost cables you will find out how much more complete and better in quality they are compared to the Nordost powercables.

All the 8 different parts you judge sound for influences our emotion. You also miss the intensity and emotion in the overall sound with Nordost.

@bo1972
What happened to Audioquest cables being the best? Now it's Purist Audio. Sheesh. I thought you were an expert that found a cable that is best for all equipment made. Honestly buddy that's where you lose all credibility with me and others. You've been bashing Nordost for quite some time now. Nordost makes some mighty fine cables in my personal opinion. Have you heard the series/version 2? Much better sounding especially in the lows and mids (more liquid sounding). Have you heard Ansuz Diamond and TC series? They have the most holographic sound I've ever heard from a wire (cable).

That said everyone has an opinion. But I really take offense when someone asks a question regarding Nordost and YOU bash the company. I think you would better off sticking with Audioquest and Purist Audio questions.  I would hate to ask you who makes the best speakers/amp/sources etc. Again everyone has their own expectations and tastes when it comes to this hobby. I've been to many dealers and although a couple tried to tell me what I am going to like the better ones let me judge for myself.

I only use Purist Audio for powercables. I do consulting in sound&vision. And always test a lot. In my world those products which give the best results count.

That changes overtime. You judge audio on many different parts.


In the 9 years I sold Nordost I always said: it is incomplete. That is why I sold it with Kimber interconnects. Because clients always chose it over a full Nordost cable set.

I don’t sell brand, I sell a sound. They thing I do it colleting properties. This makes audio superior in result.

Because when a set is more complete, it owns a higher level of emotion. Each person always will choose for the best emotional sound.

That is why I use Tru-Fi to create my sound. Tru-Fi consists of 8 parts you judge sound for. And they all influences our emotion.

I auditioned a full Valhalla 2 cable set. And I heared the same limitations. Because it still has the same properties as in the past.

It is more precise and a little more forgiving compared tot the past. But you still hear the same limitations.

They are stage depth and witdth. A less sharp individual focus of instruments and voices. A lower blacklevel.

I have done thousands of test in 18 years of time. Most were with cables. In the past I have done a few thousands tests with Nordost as well.

I still think they make a unique product, but you need to understand the properties to use them in a set.

We don't have Anzus cables overhere, I cannot judge about that.

Music is all about emotion. Emotion is based on diversity in the middle freq. Differences in volume and in dynamics.

That is why I work by Tru-Fi. Because this contains all the different parts you judge sound for. 

This makes it a lot more easy to understand music and to create a higher level of realism and emotion.

With Nordost it is difficult to create a realistic and emotional sound like in real. It is very easy for me to explain it and even during shootouts with cables. 

I learn my clients all the different parts you judge sound for. We always focus us on all the different parts you judge sound for.

This makes it more easy for all people to understand it. In the last 9 years I broyght many people from 2D to 3D sound. Because stage depth and width has a big influence on how people get emotional and exited by their music.

When I did run aan audio shop I always had a 2D and 3d system ready for shootout. All people directly choose for 3D image.

I don't bash Nordost, I only tell about my personal thoughts. We live in a free world. Don't bother, it is just an upinion.

So why did you sell incomplete sounding Nordost cables for over 9 years? As a dealer was profit margin that good? Was that the best there was during that time frame? Or if your hearing just got better why are you the expert now? In 'my opinion' there is no 1 cable fits all be it a power/interconnect/speaker cable.

You say you don't bash Nordost. Please re read any of your first posts when someone asks a Nordost question.

I did not sell incomplete Nordost, if you read well you could read that I sold it with Kimber.

You need to use Nordost the right way, I never said that you cannot use it.

When you compare cables you hear that each cable has it's overall sound and the way the image is being build.

The benefit of using more brands, is that you add more different properties to your set

Because the sound and image you hear is build by all the different properties of each part in your set including the acoustics.

Audio changes all the time, you need to focus on those products who give the best results at this moment.

By using Tru-Fi you can add more properties to each set. This means that the level of emotion will become higher.

When you listen to a whole Nordost cable set, you miss essential parts. People who owned a full Nordost set often came to me that they were not satisfied. So I explained them what the reason was.

When I started shootouts with Kimber and Nordost togheter many peole got exited. The only thing I did was adding other properties to make it more complete and appealing.

Well  never mind , a Tyr2 power cord should be with me soon so I guess I will do the comparison myself. Hopefully the Tyr will not be as aggressive in the highs as the Valhalla was on the cdp 

thaybran - Please post your findings. I personally have no experience with the Tyr2 power cable. A few years ago I had a Norse demo case and later a Norse2 demo case when it first came out (and the Tyr2 power cord wasn’t released yet). Also both times I was more interested in IC’s and SC’s. I did try the power cords since I had the cases but at the time again I was searching for IC’s and SC’s.

Make it yourself more easy, compare a Purist Audio powercord with a Nordost powercord.

You will also find out how much deeper the Purist can go in the lowest freq. Beside this the individual focus of instruments and voices is much sharper.

Audio is always about those products who are the best. Powercables is a totally different world than interconnects and loudspeakercables.

Different rules but they can make a huge difference in sound quality.

I have a Heimdall 2, and heard a Frey 2 (power cord). Heimdall won, but here's the twist: the dealer had not broken in the Frey 2 very much. I don't care what Nordost or anyone else says: these things take WEEKS to break in, 24/7. I've owned EVERY iteration of power cords: Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Valhalla, (series 1) and then Heimdall, Tyr and Frey 2 (interconnects) and they ALL take almost exactly 3 weeks to break in. Anything less than that period and you're just not hearing them. And it's fine to choose someone else's cord/interconnect or whatever. Just make sure whatever you're listening to, the dealer has played it steadily for a month. I think many of us are disappointed in things that aren't fully broken in. I heard my Hurricanes in 2003 at Lyric and sat thru the audition, but walked out thinking, they've GOT to be better than this. Harry swore by them. So I ordered a pair - elsewhere - and cold, out of the box - but on speakers and cable that were used, they sounded otherworldly good. So, don't go by what you hear in the store. That was 13 years ago, and I don't have much faith in dealers anymore. Well, some of them. They are so lazy, and as one said, "Are you kidding? We change equipment so often, it would take forever to break them in." And I thought, that's why your Sasha setup sounds so bland (with the latest ARC electronics driving them. No nuance, no inflections. Impressive to a novice, maybe. Not impressive to an experienced listener at all).
Concerning break-in (or lack of it), you'll either be sold  on a component - or come out a skeptic.

Sorry for the late return on this but I had a slight switch around in I/C and P/Cs, here are my findings on the Tyr 2 powercord. The Tyr 2 powercord took ages to run in, and I mean weeks. It took so long that I was beginning to think I had been sent a dodgy cord. Even after break in it took another couple weeks to settle down. But , thankfully it was more than worth it. The bass can only be described as grand. Much better than my experience with the Valhalla. Deeper than I was expecting but also tight without overhang. Much more reproduction in both lower and mid feeling.
The midrange is very fluid and as detailed as the Valhalla but without the hardened edges.Detail is portrayed in a deeper soundstage , back and forth and left to right, unlike the Valhalla which I felt tended to disjoint the music the Tyr2 keeps the music together as a flowing believeable piece.
The treble is extremely good , not like the nose bleeding retrieval the Valhalla induced. Again I blame the hardened edges I found the Valhalla gave way. This is the most transparent powercord I have had the pleasure of using. Nothing in the freq range appears veiled or dampened.
As the cable settled I was fortunate to have the cash available to upgrade my interconnect from the Graditech Kide 3 to Wireworlds Platinum Eclipse 7.
A truly startling experience. With the Graditech I loved the sound of my system with the Tyr2 in place . With the top line wireworld I am in awe of what the system can reproduce. I believe I can now hear the true benefits the Tyr2 brings to the system
I am shocked at how few Tyr 2 users there are out there. I have no regrets Purchasing the Valhalla as it was my dream P/C to try. In all respects the Tyr2 is an improvement on Valhalla 1 ( in my system ). I can now listen to music for hours and relax doing so.
The best compliment I can give the Nordost Tyr2 is this. You hear everything in a liquid presentation , nothing stands out and shouts , it does everyting extremely well.

System: Bryston bcd1 sitting on Nordost AC sortcones, Lehmann blackCube headamp
Powercords: Nordost Tyr2 on Isotek Orion condtioner. Lessloss signature to amp and JPS Kaptivator to cdp.
Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 7 I/C , Vertex AQ Jaya .

Dear Bo1972, which purist series you suggest for tube power amp?
Thanks.

I do agree that Purist Audio power cords are one of the best. Their power cord is very full sounding and they don't add anything except for more juice (more power, energy) meaning the improvement is in all areas by within the same or similar margin. Nothing get boosted much more than the other or sucked away. It is quiet as heck and the only thing I find thats not good enough for my Dominus is that the high is rolled off very slightly.