Valhalla interconnects - recommended?

Valhalls will add a leanness, more detail and more holographic imaging-at least they do that on front-end sources to pre-amp. The Jena Labs would be a better choice for you-but only the Dreamdancers beat Valhalla...not the lesser models. They have it all without the leanness of Valhalla.

You really should consider the Jorma Prime Interconnects. They are the best that I have heard todate.

Jim

Hello Halcro,

I went from Cardas GR interconnects and speaker cables to Valhalla. I initially auditioned some Valhalla power cords for my amps and pre-amp. I was so thrilled with the improvement I later auditioned the Valhalla interconnect first and then the speaker cables.

I can't tell you if it will work in your system but in mine it most certainly did. Comparatively, what I heard in the context of my system (Avalon Eidolon Diamond - BAT VK150se mono amps - BAT at the time 51se pre-amp now upgraded to the REX - EMM Dac 6se? EMM CDSDse transport) was........

Starting with the highs in comparison the CGR was more forward and had a grainier texture to it. Valhalla opened the high end to a surprising degree. A good analogy would be like looking into the sky. Valhalla removed all the clouds and allowed me to see as far as the eye could see, it seemed endless.

For me the treble was addictive. Spacious, silky smooth, and most important had absolutely zero grit.

The mid-range with the Valhalla sounded dead on neutral in my system.

In the bottom end the CGR was fuller in the mid to upper bass but did not extend as low as the Valhalla or was it as detailed or tight. This added weight of the CGR in the bass while it made the lower mid-range sound fuller as well as the mid to upper bass it actually obscures detail in those frequencies.

Overall the Valhalla was faster, more resolute in all frequencies bringing "real" musical information regarding texture of tone, articulation, sound-staging, and for me was a lesson in neutrality. Also, I would like to point out that for me, inserting a Valhalla interconnect was great. When I went to both interconnects and speaker cables I was in just complete awe of what it did for the musicality of my system. Magic!!!

All this said, the Valhalla does cost a lot more $$$$ and it should be better than the CGR. For me the extra cost was well worth it.

Good luck in finding your magic,

Tom

I went from Valhallas to Antipodes Gold interconnects (after trying a lot of alternatives) and enjoy my system a lot more now. The Valhallas always made my system sound very impressive and it was hard to fault the sound, but there was somehow a lack of the tonal colour of the real thing, making the system sound a little mechanical. I found I would quickly lose interest in the music and go do something else. I don't think the Antipodes portray any less detail, it is just more harmonically rich and musical without any loss of detail or speed. I think you can do a lot better than the Cardas Golden Reference. I used to own some of those. But I don't think the Valhallas would be at the top of my list of recommended cables for your system.

Personallyl, I think the whole Cardas line is awful..their power cords are especially sinful. The thing about Nordost Valhalla is that it takes a very long time to break in. I don't hear a brightness, but rather a cleanliness, or clarity that really puts to shame those Cardas pipes.