Veritas Cables a new brand that I found


Always been a big fan of smaller cable makers. I've had great luck in my system with brands like Audio Art, Cabledyne (RIP), Audio Sensibility, and Triode Wire Labs. These and others I'm surely forgetting seem to offer so much bang for the buck compared to the more mainstream brands. Not exactly cheap but usually a great value for what you get. It's noteworthy that most of these are most easily found by cruising Audiogon, US Audio Mart, Audiocircle, etc and if you only ever read Stereophile/TAS you'll probably never be exposed to all these great options. 

As with most people around here I've also had my fair share of Audioquest, Kimber, Shunyata, Cardas, Wireworld, MIT, and the rest of the big names. Some of those were very enjoyable but I have a hard time when I think about how big their marketing budgets are. And when my local dealer will always give me a deal for a very substantial discount, it makes me realize how inflated the regular pricing is. Not to mention I notice that many of these don't really get good until you move fairly high up the line, with their entry and mid priced options often being pretty uninspiring.

A few weeks ago I was browsing the various classifieds as I often do and stumbled across a name that was new to me. Turns out that's because they are new, period. Veritas Cables calls themselves a boutique hifi cable company specializing in small batch creations. That sounds reminiscent of early Black Cat Cable which they actually reference as an inspiration. This immediately caught my attention as I used to work with Chris Sommovigo at one point and loved his approach to building cables. The company had 3 items listed at the time: RCA interconnects, a power cable, and an ethernet cable. I liked what I saw but was actually in the market for an XLR interconnect, so I checked out their website (still under construction) which indicated more cables were coming soon. I figured it was worth an email inquiry to see what the time frame might be. 

I got a quick response stating that they had just completed a batch of XLR cables and while most were spoken for via local word of mouth sales, they did have one extra set they could sell me. The price was well within my target and actually much more affordable than the others I had been looking at (Audio Art Copper Cryo, Morrow Audio MA6,  Silnote Anniversary being the main contenders). So I took a chance on it, although with their in home trial terms it wasn't a huge gamble. They sent over an invoice with paypal and due to Veritas being in California like me the cable arrived very quickly.

When the company told me they don't use any fancy packaging, they weren't kidding. It was more like buying a second hand cable off a forum with no original packaging. But I've never cared about any of that stuff and would rather have that money go towards the actual product. In that sense I was not disappointed. Veritas calls this their Magnus cable and it shares design cues with the rest of their line I had seen listed on USAmart and the Veritas website. Specifically that means the use of a metallic silver braided jacket instead of the usual plastic or fabric sleeving most other cables have. This is the same approach used by Ed Bowman with his Cabledyne brand which I miss dearly. Back in the day my entire system was Cabledyne Reference Silver, then upgraded to their Vanguard line and was happy with that for quite a while. So I am very pleased to reintroduce a similar looking cable. That said the Veritas Magnus is somewhat thicker yet more flexible than the Cabledyne models which makes it easier to deal with.

Veritas doesn't come right out and list exactly what the internal composition is on their designs. When I asked directly they were happy to answer so it's not a complete secret, but I guess more of a marketing choice. Discussing this with them also reminded me of chatting with Ed Bowman, where there is clearly a lot of knowledge but also a desire to simplify things for a dumb end user like me. I tend to agree with their philosophy that says silver doesn't always have to sound bright and copper isn't always warm. Designers can do a lot based on geometry and purity and shielding and a dozen other factors to where a silver cable might actually be warmer and smoother than a copper cable. Or a copper cable might be more focused on speed and treble extension. Honestly I don't care as much about the specifics as I do about the end result, just give me an excellent performing cable no matter what it's made of. 

In any case to my eyes the Veritas Magnus looks every bit as well made as the other options I had been considering. Those range from $630 for the Audio Art, to $1250 for the Morrow, to $1500 for the Silnote, all for 1.5m XLR versions just to give you a general idea. Meanwhile the Magnus was $389 which is almost what I would call entry level territory with the price of cables being what it is these days. 

 So far I've been using the Magnus to connect my Eversolo DMP-A8 to a variety of tube and SS headphone amplifiers in the $2-5k range, then feeding the amazing Raal Requisite CA-1a ribbon headphones via the Raal transformer box. It's a pretty simple system and this is the only interconnect involved, making it easier to spot the contributions versus a system with separate transport, DAC, preamp, and amplifier and of course cables running between each of them.

The sound I heard was shockingly open, clean, detailed, and smooth. Huge staging with impressive depth and even height on the right recordings. Very convincing tone on violins, guitars, and vocals both male and female. The Raal headphones are pretty ruthless and reveal all sorts of upstream shortcomings, but I got the feeling I was bouncing up against the limits of the DMP-A8 D/A conversion rather than the cable/amp/headphones. I'll test this out soon when I switch to my bigger system with a better/more expensive DAC, and I'll report my findings when I have some thoughts on that.

Checking my cable collection for things with a vaguely similar price as the Magnus. I rounded up a Harmonic Tech Truth Link, Analysis Plus Copper Micro, Anticables 3.1, and Moon Audio Black Dragon, all of which sold for somewhere in the sub $500 space (I think) at some point in the last decade. It was no contest, the Veritas Magnus outclassed them all by a significant margin. These are all decent cables with something to offer which is why I keep them around in my stash, but compared to the Veritas they all sounded either dull, thin, slow, compressed, or some combination of those traits. I also note that each of them looks and feels like more of a budget product (which I guess they are) where the Veritas Magnus seems like it belongs in an entirely higher class despite the price not reflecting that.

My next goal is to compare it to some others in my arsenal priced around the $1K range. So far, from memory I would say it feels very competitive even in that class, but I want to be more specific about it so no comments for now. The crazy thing is that Veritas told me they have another XLR option (didn't catch the name or other specifics) positioned higher than the Magnus, for what is likely still a pretty reasonable price considering their approach to the market. All of those were spoken for at the time but did ask to be notified when the next batch is ready so we can discuss that. I had been considering the Infigo Audio Sparkle or maybe even Sparkle Signature XLR down the road but I might detour to the Veritas instead, just for the sake of adventure. But that depends on the pricing and specifics they give me, if and when we have that discussion. I'm also curious about their power cables or maybe a USB down the line. Sometimes when cable companies try to do everything, they bite off more than they can chew, or seem to excel with digital rather than analog or vice versa. So it would be interesting to see if Veritas can do the full line of cables to this same high caliber.

In closing I'll say (and it's probably obvious) that I'm extremely impressed with this product so far. It's the most dramatic result I've had from a cable in quite some time, and I appreciate that it didn't involve spending thousands of dollars. The folks at Veritas really seem to be on the right track in terms of quality and value. Which is not to be confused with being very good at marketing a product, which honestly they don't really seem to be, nor do they seem to even care all that much at the moment. They definitely have some improvement to do when it comes to optimizing their operation, but they told me their focus is on organic growth and quality over quantity. That seems like a noble approach so I can't fault them for it. Their website also could really use more specifics but at least they answer emails quickly and are easy to deal with that way.

I'll be back in the next week or so with additional updates. Maybe some downsides will present themselves. But so far it's been a totally positive experience. Next up is my bigger system with more expensive components and cables, we'll see how the Magnus holds up in that context. 

 

v-fi

I don’t have any first hand experience with Vogue Cables, but see some strong similarities in their designs with what I recall being offered from Cabledyne. They regularly offer significant discounts on their list prices. Does Veritas have a website? I can't seem to find one.

Veritas Cables does have a website however they are working on it and there is not much information there. You would be better off checking US Audiomart and type in Veritas, you will find more information there.

Sorry I mentioned in my rambling post that I am dumb, and now I've gone and proven it to be true. Should I have dropped a link to either their website or their US Audiomart listnings? Yep. Did I do it though? Nope.

Here is the link to their profile where you will see whatever items they currently have posted for sale. It also shows a link to their website which as @lak mentioned is not all that informative at the moment.

Vogue Cables does indeed seem to have similarities to Cabledyne, specifically the identical small labels that show directionality and the model name. But then again they seem to have abandoned the metal sleeving in favor of a different approach so who knows. They are on my list of eventual things to try but the new direction doesn't quite resonate with me as much as the older Cabledyne stuff. 

 

Thanks for the information.  I have seen their listings on US Audiomart.  Looks interesting, but I hadn't seen any reviews. 

I just took delivery of a Black Cat Silverstar 88 rca interconnect.  Early impressions are very good. 

……I had a couple of birthdays reading this ! Does this qualify as Audiogon’s Tolstoy’s ; “ War and Peace “ ? …..holy cow ! Too much for my brain , just listen to the music .

Oh but you can’t listen to the music unless you’ve spent thousands in the 1 yard wall to equipment Marketing scam. Science, physics, aside you can hear a difference if you burn in the pretty S… that you’ve sold your car to buy. I’ve always loved the have you tried it argument and if so and don’t hear what we sell there is money back or spend more on next week’s improved product. The only thing these yes or no arguments IMO have added up to, it’s bloody boring. 
So yes a novel idea…listen to the music.

Nobody is talking about cables with used-car price tags, nobody is talking about not being able to enjoy music without upgrading cables. Pretty sure we are all here because we love listening to music and want to enjoy that activity more thoroughly. If you don't like cable upgrades or care about them, it's really really easy to just never click on a post like this or an ad for a cable that you find offensive. I myself don't understand fancy watches but I don't hang out on Rolex forums talking trash and saying my Apple Watch is better.

Anyway I emailed Veritas and after some back and forth I ordered one of their Ethernet cables to try out. Should be here soon. The last topic I started here was months ago asking what people are using for Ethernet cables. Got some great suggestions and have been trying different models, so far good results. Also surprising since price seems totally disconnected from performance, even when using 2 cables from the same brand sometimes I like the lower model better. Interested to see where the Veritas fits in compared to better known brands. 

The Veritas Connexa ethernet cable arrived yesterday. Really interesting look to it. I guess this is how Cabledyne products were built, I have not seen any of those personally. I like it.

Sound is promising so far. Can already tell I like it better than my Wireworld Starlight 8 I had been using. Now to compare with Audioquest Vodka and Diamond. I don't love the Diamond even though it is more expensive so theoretically higher end. The Vodka is really great though. I'll update when I have more info. I'm using it with an Innuos Zenith mark III.  

v-fi,  thank you so much for your post. You reeled me in. My Veritas power cord arrived today and I placed it in my power conditioner and and have been llistening for an hour. I know that many of us have described the 'veil being lifted post upgrade when we weren't aware of there  being a veil. I am most impressed with this cable. Having paid a 'reasonable' price is icing on the cake. My endorphins endorphins have kicked in since I have been listening to my music with my new cord. Highly recommended. 

@bander  that is great news! I saw their AC cable listed and it looks real nice. I bookmarked it for possible future upgrades now that I hear your positive impressions.

Still extremely pleased with the Veritas Magnus interconnects. I put them in my bigger system and the same strengths I heard in the headphone rig come through with speakers. I’ll probably end up with a few more sets by the end of the year so I can wire everything with the same cabling.

I’m tempted to try the flagship XLR cable they mentioned but depends on the details and pricing. Supposedly they will get that listed soon.

@v- fi I will certainly purchase one or 2 more power cords for DAC and streamer. I'm all set with my other ics, pcs and speaker cable. Yes, check out the Veritas power cord.

Has anyone purchased their (Veritas Cables) Fidelis RCA interconnects and care to share their thoughts on that product?

Another small cable manufacturer that I have faith in is Empirical Design. Been in business for years, doesn't advertise, all word-of-mouth. 

@lak when I reached out to them about XLR cables they told me the Fidelis interconnects were their biggest seller when it comes to word of mouth sales. Looks like they have sold some on US Audio Mart recently so impressions may start popping up soon. I will probably end up picking up a Fidelis down the road since I love the Magnus XLR and they are based on the same concept. 

@tcutter I always wanted to try an Empirical Overdrive DAC. Those look beautiful. Haven't heard much about their cables though.

Interesting that you guys mention Cabledyne. I still have a full set of their copper ribbon power cables with the metal sleeving. They were very good and I think the only weakness was the Wattgate nickel/brass connectors, but they were such good value for the price.

What happened to them?

@agisthos They were indeed excellent cables for the price. The folks at Cabledyne were very passionate about meting a price target, so they used relatively good but low cost connectors. I agree that aspect held them back from their full potential. 

As far as I know the company folded at least 6 years ago. I don't know why. There is speculation that Vogue Cables has something in common with Cabledyne as they use what looks like identical labels (the white ones with the product name and directional arrows). But that could be a total coincidence, maybe it's a stock template or something. Ed Bowman was the only name I ever encountered as being in charge at Cabledyne, and he was based in Arizona, while Tom Swenson runs Vogue out of Florida. So who knows. 

In any case I see Veritas Cables as being similar in spirit to Cabledyne, but with less compromise on the connectors. I still own and use several sets of the Cabledyne Silver Reference XLR interconnects so I should do a direct comparison with the Veritas Magnus XLR when I get a chance. 

I've been comparing the Veritas Connexa ethernet cable to my others. So I'm still very impressed with the performance. Especially with the price being lower than most of the others I have been trying out. 

System is the Innuos Zenith mark III, Modwright Elyse DAC, Luxman CL-38uC SE preamp, MQ-88uC amplifier, and and Tannoy Turnberry GR speakers.

The Connexa easily outclasses my original cable which is the Wireworld Starlight 8. That sounds dull and boxed in compared to the Veritas. Cardas Clear is better than Wireworld, still very much prefer the Veritas option though. Believe it or not I also really prefer Connexa to Audioquest Diamond which sells for over 5 times as much. The Diamond is actually really good sounding if somewhat overpriced but it doesn't sound as smooth or refined as the Connexa. I like the Audioquest Vodka better than Diamond in my system and I'm still comparign to see if Veritas beats the Vodka. Even if they are a tie the Veritas is maybe half price so that's still impressive. 

September 13th I purchased a 1.5/M pair of Veritas Audio Fidelis RCA Interconnects. After four days of cable burn-in on my Auuiodharma cable cooker I began to use the interconnects going from preamp to amp. I’m very pleased with the Fidelis interconnects, although the bass originally sounded a bit blotted with a few more hours of use the bass settled in. I’ve never believed in talking to hear myself talk so I simply say that the description written by Veritas Audio regarding their Fidelis RCA interconnects is spot on.

Veritas Audio Fidelis RCA interconnect in 1.5m length. Fidelis produces incredibly smooth, well-defined sound with superb treble extension, stunning midrange projection, and rock solid, authoritative low end”.

Equipment used: Coincident Frankenstein 300B stereo amp, Red Dragon Stereo Monoblock’s, Luxman CL 38 uC preamp, Project CD Box RS2 Transport with upgraded power supply, LAiV Harmony Dac, Montana EPX speakers and/or JBL 4319 speakers.

Nice to see another fellow Luxman CL-38uC user @lak! That is a beautiful system you got there. Thanks for adding your 2 cents about the Fidelis interconnect. If it satisfies someone with a system of that caliber, that speaks volumes. 

Spent more time with the Veritas Connexa ethernet and I now think it beats the Audioquest Vodka by a reasonable margin. Both really nice cables though. I think the Connexa sounds more open which is really important to me. Out of all the cables I have right now I would rank them Veritas Connexa, then Audioquest Vodka, then Cardas Clear rougly tied with the Audioquest Diamond, then the Wireworld Starlight 8 in last place. 

They have the Magnus XLR cables in stock now LINK Check it out to see what I mean. it looks a lot more like cables I've owned with four figure price tags rather than any in the $400 range.

Seems like they also launched the higher model they had mentioned to me LINK which is called Argentum X. I assume it's a pure silver cable based on the name but I should probably ask them about it. If so I might grab one of those to compare with the Magnus cable. Pricing seems very reasonable for that caliber of cable.

The Magnus interconnect looks very interesting, I’d like to learn more about it.

I'm really happy with my Magnus XLR interconnect. It might be tied with the Eversolo DMP-A8 as the best value piece of audio equipment I bought this year. And that's saying something since I really tried a lot. 

That Argentum X looks really interesting too. The price is not that much higher for what they say is their best cable. Definitely plan on trying that out soon enough and will comment here about how it compares with the Magnus XLR. 

@v-fi In my comment of 10-01-24 I meant to say that I'm very interested in the Argentum X interconnect.

From what I've read it sounds like my Fidelis RCA interconnect is the RCA version of your Magnus XLR interconnect.

@lak That's basically what they told me too. I plan on picking up the Argentum X later this year, but now thinking I might also get some of the Fidelis RCA cables for a tube system I run in another room that doesn't have any balanced connectors. Would you call the Fidelis warm or neutral or ? Don't know if you've had enough time with it to form an opinion yet though.

Just emailed them about the Praesto power cable which I think is the one @bander speaks highly of. They responded within about 15 minutes(!) saying a batch is in the works right now. Sounds like those should be ready this week. They also mentioned a more affordable power cable they are working on, I'm tempted to try one of each depending on how the pricing looks. Still very impressed with the Connexa network cable on my Innuos. 

I ordered the Veritas Praesta that I plan on using with my Luxman MQ-88uC amplifier. Was considering buying a couple more but then I figured I would see how I like it first and then maybe order again later. They had them in stock yesterday but it seems like they make one small batch at a time, not sure how long they will last. I will report back once I spend some time with the cable. 

@bander, have you had an opportunity to try the Veritas power cord on other components and/or have you ordered additional power cords yet as you mentioned earlier? I'm just curious as to whether you heard other improvements when used with different equipment.

@lak, no I haven't. I did order an Iceage power cord. It will arrive fully cryoed. My Veritas has not been fully burned in. I need to get on that.My amp and preamp use Zavino power cords. I'll be comparing the Iceage with the Veritas, using streamer, DAC and conditioner. I can let you know.

I had messaged Veritas last week asking to be put on a list for when their new stuff is ready. Just heard back saying within two weeks all the custom length orders should be good to go. Also the new speaker cables that don't have a name yet, and also the Argentum R which is the RCA version of the Argentum X pure silver cable. I can't decide if I want that or stick with the more affordable Fidelis. Might try both of them for different systems. Fidelis is the same as my Magnus but RCA instead of XLR so I already know how good that will be. 

I have a standing order for the Argentum X Interconnects, and the speaker cable. I'll be able to compare the Fidelis Interconnects to the Argentum X Interconnects since I'll have both..

I received the Veritas power cord yesterday. At this time all I can say is WOW! Very sexy looking and a very solid build. I own many higher priced power cords but this Veritas power cord looks to be in a class of its own, my hats are off to the people at Veritas based upon design. I can't comment on the sound yet because I have it on my Audiodharma cable cooker, for at least several more days.

@lak thank you for that update! Sounds like they aren't just blowing smoke about targeting more expensive cables as competition. I can see how an internet direct brand with low overhead could really maximize value compared to the big guys who have giant marketing fees, many employees, and deal margins to account for. Plus I always like rooting for the little guy on stuff like this. 

@lak, please let us know how Veritas interconnects compared to Lavricables. 
thank you.

@denon1 I currently have the Fidelis RCA interconnects, and in a few weeks I should have the Argentum X Interconnects (which are RCA) and from what I've been told will be: "We use Ultra Pure Ohno Continuous Cast (sometimes called UP OCC) wiring which is claimed to be 7N purity. It is debatable whether or not the technology exists to properly differentiate anything beyond 5N, and certainly the difference between 6N and 7N is extremely difficult to verify. At that point other aspects of the design are more important anyway. There are only three suppliers in the world capable of manufacturing UP OCC wiring, we have tried all of them and settled on the option we felt sounds best in our configuration". 

The Lavricables I have are the Grand Silver (5N) RCA and XLR Interconnects.

Apples to Apples would be the Argentum X vs Lavri Grand.

Thank you, a comparison with Lavricables would be very welcome. I used one of their cables for my Audeze headphones for a while, it was great. Later upgraded to a nicer Norne Audio cable but would still recommend Lavricables for headphones.

I did try one of their interconnects back then and was less impressed. For the price the sound was only decent and I was disappointed to see Neutrik connectors on a cable costing that much. That's a common complaint I have with lots of brands though, anything costing  $200 or more shouldn't be using Neutrik connectors that sell for around $10 per pair. But we see them sometimes even with $800+ cables!

Anyway it looks like Lavricables might use nicer connectors these days. Or at least on certain model they do. So that's good.

By the way @lak the way I understood it the Argentum X is the XLR version and the RCA version is called Argentum R. So I think that's what you are looking for if you need an RCA version. 

@v-fi, Thank you for catching my error regarding the Argentum R as I should have referred to it. I get mixed up at times with new items, especially when its not on their website yet.

@lak Definitely understand, it is confusing. I've already suggested/complained to Veritas via email that they need to get their website figured out. Then again if they are focused on building our orders I'm not sure I want them diverting attention to web development right now. Just the usual small company startup challenges I guess. 

Does anybody know quality of the silver they use in Argentum X interconnects?

From a few posts up:

"We use Ultra Pure Ohno Continuous Cast (sometimes called UP OCC) wiring which is claimed to be 7N purity. It is debatable whether or not the technology exists to properly differentiate anything beyond 5N, and certainly the difference between 6N and 7N is extremely difficult to verify. At that point other aspects of the design are more important anyway. There are only three suppliers in the world capable of manufacturing UP OCC wiring, we have tried all of them and settled on the option we felt sounds best in our configuration". 

I just placed an order for a set of Argentum R unbalanced interconnects, which are finally available. I was informed that they’ll ship out tomorrow. At $450, they look fantastic and feel like a great deal, but we’ll see how they perform. I’ve been really pleased with the Magnus XLR I got last month, so I’m hoping the Argentum R lives up to the hype as well.

@v-fi if you liked your Magnus XLR wait until you hear the Argentum R interconnects, I believe you are going to be very happy. I say this because I just took my Argentum X off the cable burner and into one of my systems (Luxman 590AX MKII, Audio Research CD7, Klipsch Forte III). This interconnect is as good or better than anything I have heard.

@denon1 in my opinion the Argentum (their silver interconnect) is an improvement over the Lavricables Grand, the Ocellia, and several other high level silver cables who's names alludes me at the present time.

@lak, thank you for the update. This is reassuring, especially coming from you.

Can you please give more details.

I just placed the order on Argentum. They also developed speaker cables and first batch is sold out. I will wait to hear about them also.
For Argentum they are using a UP OCC silver with at least 5n purity. This is by itself sounds very promising.

Ok Please explain to me if an Ohno Continuous Cast process makes silver conductor even better. I have been using OCC copper for years with my DIY cables and do think it does out perform OFC.

The folks at Veritas are local to me, so very interested in what they are doing.

@pindac

@williewonka

Thoughts?

@denon1 I have the Argentum R interconnects and speaker cables scheduled for delivery from USPS tomorrow (hopefully). Once off of my cable cooker I'll be able to put the Argentum R interconnects (RCA's) and speaker cables into the system that I really want to hear them in, I can't do that now because the system doesn't allow for XLR. At that time I can better describe what I'm hearing.

Listening Impressions of the Argentum X 1.5/M Interconnects (Listening Notes from today).

Deep low bass, timbre and decay sound very realistic, natural and accurate. Good sound stage and separation of instruments.

Notes sound crisp and very natural, I sense realism in the quality of  the music.

The Veritas Cable website states the "Argentum X is incredibly transparent and resolving, with a tonal solidity that completely avoids the sort of bright, sterile, analytical presentation so often found on other detail-oriented cables”. 
I totally agree with that statement.
 
The website also states: "The Fidelis produces incredibly smooth, well defined sound with superb treble extension, stunning midrange projection, and rock solid, authoritative low end".
 The Argentum X does this to an even greater sophisticated magnitude and I would think it would be suitable for any high-end system.

@lak , thank you for the update. Can you please share details on speaker cables: construction, plugs, stiffness and of course the sound.

 

@denon1 I will after I receive them (obviously) and after some cable burn in time on my Audiodharma Cable Cooker :-)