Revisiting Chinese Knockoff Cables


Why I don/t know, but the first thread has been removed recently. So, having benefited from it greatly, I felt compelled to recap my journey, so that others of limited budgets might make a huge leap that they otherwise could not afford:

When I first got my EVS 1200 I was using Series 8 WireWorld interconnects, speaker cables and Pangea Premier XL 1.5m coax cable. As you mentioned, I was extremely happy with the amp (compared to PS Audio M700s). Eventually I came across the Chinese Cable knockoff thread and first tried the fau-Nordost Odin 1.5m coax which was/is amazing: as they were so cheap compared to the $169 1.5m Pangea, I also bought a 1.0M Odin, but didn’t try it until after I replaced both the WW cables with Odin 2 XLRs and cables. Then I replaced the 1.5m with the 1.0 and was kinda blown away that 0.5m of the same coax could be THAT much better.

While my all SS system sounded very good, it was a bit too sharp, so I ordered Odin Gold speaker cables (at ~ $170/2.5m). Unfortunately one leg must of had a bad solder joint as it barely sent the music . It took a couple months before they replaced it, which I finally installed 2 days ago: BAM. Even immediately, but of course it needs break in time. The weather here (Ft Lauderdale) has been really bad, I have only left for short quick trips. Today we are under a tornado watch, so won't leave, but as soon as I can get out for a few hours I will put on my XLO burn-in disc, which I use on everything I insert, including the M 700s, EVS, and Voyager which expedites break in, which still takes a good 50-100-200 hours!

Summing this up: cables can/do make or break a system. If I had these cables when I first got the EVS, I probably would never have gotten the Voyager, which of course I am itching to compare again, but could still be awhile

tweak1
@hdm Chinese cables are fine if you have time and tool to make sure soldering/connection/etc are good. typically “as is” those cheap cables have poorly terminated, not properly attached etc.

@westcoastaudiophile   Both the Viborg and "Accuphase" Chinese power cables I have in use here have very high construction quality relative to other non-Chinese brands I've used. Both use screw down connections at male and IEC end and, as I cryo treat all cabling in my system and have for the past 20 years, I always re-tighten those screw down connections post cryo and burn in before slotting them into my system. 

I have experience only with the "Neardost" Odin Gold IC's and I have not dissected those. There's a lengthy thread at Head-Fi, however, where some have done so and found them to be fine and in fact incorporating some but not all of the Nordost geometry/spacing/style of connector (the Holo plugs are quite interesting and clearly a very "low mass" design) etc.

What I can tell you is that I've had six sets of them in use in two different systems for over a year now. They were all cryoed (so subjected to approximately -190 C for 24 hours plus) and then burned in on Audiodharma cable cooker before being used, have been connected and disconnected numerous times and have had perfect functionality in my system, just like all of the non-Chinese commercial IC's I've used in the past 45 years in this hobby.  

 

They're not just good IC's, they're great IC's and I wouldn't have been purchasing 6 pairs of Nordost Odin Gold IC's for $200,000 U.S. anyway. ;)  They're not going to be for everyone-I have a good friend that I recommended them to and he found them to be a bit too warmish, but he has what I would describe as an extremely warm system to start with. On the other hand, I have another friend with a very high end system who also sold off significantly more expensive cabling to replace it with some of the the ridiculously low priced Chinese Nordost stuff after purchasing it as a cheap experiment.

Frankly, I find some of the comments in this thread a bit comical. The idea that you would buy an audio cable (supposedly for the sake of comparison) and then say you never hooked it up to listen to it is rather bizarre to me. 

I never comment on audio forums on anything that I do not have direct listening experience with on a comparative basis, so many of the Chinese knock offs may be crap for all I know. But the Chinese Nordost Odin Gold IC's and the Accuphase 40th Anniversary power cable definitely don't fall into that category. And the latter appears to have been sold by a fairly prominent Audiogon seller for the past two or three years for $350-$400 with rave reviews when it can be purchased China direct for $35-$50! 

 

 

Concur with everything hdm said above......I have numerous "Neardost" gold in my various systems, and have had zero issues (with one minor exception on one XLR IC...and the ALIEXPRESS seller immediately made it good by sending out a replacement IC).

The "Neardost" Gold do have a somewhat warm balance but not at the expense of detail, timing ( PRAT), etc. Superb value for money spent.

Cheers.....

And the latter appears to have been sold by a fairly prominent Audiogon seller for the past two or three years for $350-$400 with rave reviews when it can be purchased China direct for $35-$50! 

Who is this Prominent dude? Please post links to one of his/her Audiogon listings