Inakistik LS-2404 Referenz AIR loudspeaker cables


Hello all,I got the Inakustik LS-2404 bi-wire loudspeaker cables last month. I was not really looking to upgrade the loudspeaker cables, but was intrigued after my experience with amazing power conditioner from Inakustik. I was casually reading reviews of their Referenz AIR series cables and did not come across a single review that sounded "meh". At the same time, I tried to look online for their used cable prices and there were not many on hifishark or other site that deal in used cables.
The last time I upgraded my speaker cables was in 2014. It was a amazing difference in what the Clear Day Double Shotguns brought to my system, compared to my previous cables. I really love the Clear Day cables and still have the XLRs and RCAs in my system. While I was thinking that the upgrade would most likely be subtle, I did not expect it to be so profound. But then, this cable is 7X the price of my existing cables. So they better do the job.

The dealer told me that it would take about 100 hours of proper break-in for the cables to sound their best. So when the cables came in, I decided to run them for at least an hour or 2 and then give them a cursory listen. Well, I don’t think I really have to wait any longer, than the 2 hours I ran them in. From the first 20 seconds into "Sultans Of Swing", it was obviously clear that these cables easily bested my Clear Day cables. I will say that I have not heard the cymbals crash so clean, detailed and decay waaaaaaay later. I noticed that the size of image stage had exploded considerably. The sound stage moved 3 feed behind the plane of speakers and extended much farther/behind the front wall. It seems as if the corner tri-traps are making the music and not the loudspeakers themselves. In my system these cables extended sound at both ends - highs as well as the lows. The lows are ridiculously good. The bass is super tight and hits you in the chest. One of my worry was that with the ProAcs, I already had tremendous bass, even with the loudspeaker almost 6 feet into the room. So I wondered, if this cable will make it unbearable. No, this cable did not have that problem. It was the bass definition and impact that these cables increased. This is a wonderfully musical bass. One of the things that amazed me was how much musicality it provides on songs from Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and the Beatles, to name a few older recordings. While I have always enjoyed them, I was surprised by the how much details exist on these recordings that I have not heard before.
This is the first time I was able to slightly distinguish between the various filters in the Oppo UDP-205. I had to listen very carefully though, and it is only very subtle. But there IS a difference. Some are loud, others are soft, etc. Also with this cable it is fun to hear the differences between new Mullard Vs Genalex Gold Lion Vs Psvane 12AU7 tubes.
The instruments sound as it they have "life" in them, which was missing with the previous cables. On complex recordings when the recording is dense and you play it fairly loud, the music becomes chaotic and you feel like turning down the volume. With this new cable, I can distinguish every instrument in the recording and don’t have to reach for the remote to turn down the volume. I feel, because of the ability of the cable to present the details free of each other and present it in layer, it does not make such music chaotic. I am amazed by the size and depth of the sound stage that this cable presents in my system. For example, in Johnny Cash’s song - How High’s the water - the sound in the left channel appears 3 feet to the left of left speaker. And you can actually "see" the instrument "originating" at that spot. With newer recordings, for example, the "zing" of the guitar just hangs behind and between the loudspeakers. The entire music appears to becomes "free from" the speakers - either on the sides, in between them or behind them. The drums feel as if they are in the room. Oh yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I am an audiophile and any sound attracts me. It just has to be "live". The more live it is, the more I am attracted. They make you feel like dancing and singing along. I believe that I have made a good investment in these cables and will not have to look for replacements soon. I believe that loudspeaker cables make the most difference and hence, I went with these and not with changing the interconnects. I will try the NF-2404 interconnects at some later point and see if they make as much of a difference as these did. I honestly doubt it.

There are only 2 issues with these cables:
1. They are pricey
2. The adrenaline rush you get after listening to your music with these in place and then going to bed, keeps you awake for a few hours. Honestly I struggled for the first week and a half. But slowly I got accustomed to it and it is not much of an issue now.

From my first system in 1994 till now, I have noticed that, the more you "improve" your system, the more "alive" it becomes. And the more alive it becomes, the more you listen to music, because it naturally attracts you. I used to pooh-pooh high priced cables, accessories, etc. But now when I have experienced how much difference well designed component can bring about, it makes sense NOT to dismiss others when they rave about a high priced component/accessory. It takes effort and cost to design a great component. It is up to a user to decide what is "worth it". Some may dismiss my choice - but hey, this is MY system and I believe in what my ears hear.

128x128milpai
Oddly enough i have 3 sets of clear day speaker  cables and i still use one set in my secondary set up.The interconnects in that stereo are In-akustik 2404 air balanced. At this price point the clear day are very good and I believe will do a good job in many stereos.Having said that they do have their limitations.As far as my main rig is concerned Im running all In-akustik cabling . On  my speakers I'm using 4004 air bi wire with silver balanced interconnects.It was a bit of an investment but I felt my stereo evolved to a point where I could justify this expenditure.
I find what I love about the In-akustik cables is it lets more of the music through without adding a sonic signature of its own.The decays are there the base is fast and articulate but the funny thing is I stopped analysing the sound and I actually listen to the music now.Upgrading or changing my cables is the last thing on my mind and believe me that is a nice feeling.
911Renoguy
Greetings,

I cannot speak to the Clear Day cables, as I am unfamiliar with them.  However, I can comment on my experience with Inakustik cables.  Like many audiophiles, I have owned numerous cables over the past 40+ years - some good, others not so much.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become increasing unhappy with cables that are either overpriced or unwieldy and difficult to dress (perhaps more a statement on aging than anything).  So, I started looking...again.

I stumbled across Inakustik while surfing the internet, and was intrigued by their marketing materials.  Cables that were thick and fat, yet light and easy to dress...how could that be?  Unfortunately, other than Inakustik’s own information, I couldn’t find much in the way of reviews or comments.  Regardless, I decided to take a leap of faith and purchase one of their Reference power cords.  I was hopeful, but wary.  Much to my surprise, just changing one power cord made a noticeable difference in improved sound quality.  So much so that over time I ended up changing all the power cords and interconnects in my system to Inakustik...with each time a really nice jump in sound quality.  But the pièce de résistance was when I purchased the Inakustik LS-4004 bi-wire speaker cables for my Gamut RS7i speakers.  Yikes...what a difference!  Talk about peeling the proverbial onion!  Since this post is getting long already, I won’t detail all the differences I heard.  Suffice it to say that the previous forum posters are “spot on” in their assessment of the cables, and I wholeheartedly concur with what has been been written.

Are there cables better than Inakustik?  Perhaps...I’ve not heard all that are out in the market, and I can only speak to my personal experience.  However, I can say that the sound emanating from my system is the most musical and enjoyable it’s been over the past 40 years, and that I can (and do) spend hours and hours listening to music with zero fatigue.  Isn’t that what this hobby is all about?  Moreover, I believe Inakustik products have played a huge part in getting me to this point.

My final comment is that to my ears Inakustik cables in general, and the LS-4004 in particular, are the “real deal”...truly end game cables.  Are they expensive? Well, yes...and no.  When you consider build quality, ease of use, sound performance and price, I believe they are about as high on the value proposition scale as you can get.  I highly recommend giving them a try.

Ring the bell!  This is a brand that deserves more attention!

Happy listening...

mlhotts




+1000 to everything written above.  Having owned many excellent cables over the years, the Inakustik are really the next level and a true end game product.  Superb detail retrieval in a completely unforced way along with stunningly natural harmonics are the key attributes.  I have a pair of 2404 Air and also 4004 Air speaker cables; and 2404 Air rca interconnects.   Looking forward to adding the PC's at some point.  **Note- the Inakustik 3500P Conditioner is also superb...
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