2. cables
  3. 178282-164950

Price Isn't Always Indicitive of Quality or Performance

I had spent over $1000 on a Synergistic Research Cable.  The Atmosphere Level 1 level, to be exact. I was using this as my main source cable to my powered speakers. It was absolutely DE-MOL-ISHED by Lavricables' Grand line for a mere $500. It isn't that the SR cable wasn't good.  I was impressed with it and it was a major upgrade over their Foundation line and a phenomenal upgrade over Audioquest's Yosemite cable. 

SR and Lavricables use similar tech, but only Lavricables uses pure silver practically throughout.

Here is the over all make up of the $1000 SR Atmosphere cable:

4 conductors.
Conductor: Silver/Copper matrix.  Or....silver and copper wire twirled together. Purity unknown. Actual wire gauge unknown.
Dielectric: Teflon
Source Connector: gold plated copper, cryo treated and has graphene applied.
Speaker Connector: Silver plated silver, cryo treated and has graphene applied.
Has a silver-plated copper mesh as a floating shield.
Uses a Tesla Coil to burn the cable in (quantum tunneling) prior to shipping out.

Now...Lavricables' $500 cable:

4 conductors.
Conductor: 20 awg 6N pure silver. Each group is laminated separately in Teflon before being encased in Teflon dielectric insulation. Graphene is applied at key points through out the cable.  The cable was cryo treated.
Dielectric: Teflon
Source Connector: Trillium Copper plated with gold. Cryo treated and has graphene applied.
Speaker Connector: AECO ARP-4055 Pure Silver RCA Connectors. Cryo treated and has graphene applied.

The unbelievable sound quality from pure silver was so immense and powerful.  It was no longer like listening to music as it was more like experiencing the music.  The music was pushing into you.  Similar to going to a concert and having the music beat and play in your chest. There were songs that had distortion at either loud, high pitched, or at peak cacophony that I attributed to being part of the recording. The Lavricables proved that it was simply that the SR cable was incapable of reproducing those notes.  WHAT!?! I mean, how do you engineer a cable to fail at $1000? I guess so it doesn't out perform or come too close to your $10,000+ cables. In Lavricables, the Grand line is tops; there is nothing higher.  They pour *ALL* their knowledge, best materials and techniques in the Grand line.

I thought long about this and I think I figured it out. It isn't that Synergistic Research is necessarily trying to rip anyone off.  It's the cost of doing business in the United States.  Lavricables are located in Latvia. Synergistic Research and Audioquest are based out of California.  The average MSRP markup on goods in CA is 3000%. To compare, Texas's MSRP markup is 300%. So the cost of materials will be higher to make the same product in CA than it would in TX. Synergistic Research and respectively Audioquest, has to charge what they do to maintain living and operating out of CA. But in Latvia?  It is clear to me that the materials, tech and know how isn't that expensive there.  So it can be surmised that the cost of living and operating out of Latvia is less expensive, which means they can offer the highest grade product at a much lower cost than if the same cable were made here in the United States.

I am thinking of replacing *ALL* my cables. O_O

128x128guakus
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

@soix

Thank you for your reply and I understand your situation with regard to making comparisons. I have found some impressions from other owners of Lavricables who concur with your experience.

Well made product.

Use of high quality silver.

Exceptional sound quality.

Given what I find to be a very reasonable price, I’m going to try their power cables and just listen. My Ocellia pure  silver speaker and IC cables have performed marvelously in my system for quite some time. I am sure their silver power cable is equally as good, but it’s quite expensive. So I’m willing to take a chance with the less costly Lavricables and see what happens. I also like the fact that they are unshielded, my Ocellia cables are unshielded  and I love what they do.

@lalitk

I’ll look out for your email.

Charles

soix
9,772 posts
 

@charles1dad I’d be very interested to hear your impressions after burn-in of course. 

russellrcncom
318 posts
 

Well, I have to agree to a certain extent with wesheadley’s rant about cable costs.  So often we’re told that  Most of the cost is associated with R&D and terminations.  Really?  So why is it when there is an incremental change in the length of cable the cost goes up exponentially (50% in some cases).  I realize its supply and demand but really!!

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

@soix 

I will do so. The communication with Lavricables has been commendable, very prompt and informative. I placed my order this afternoon and added their 150-hour burn-in service. As you wrote above, I do also believe they are a maker of fine quality products and fly below the radar. I'll find out soon.

Charles

soix
9,772 posts
 

Thanks @charles1dad I will be very interested in your findings. Cables are obviously very system and taste dependent, but I’ve got a feeling these guys might have a thing going on that is really undercutting the big guys on silver cables. I don’t know how they do it, but what I hear is top notch sound. This is only from my headphone system and interconnects only, but if the quality of those is anything like their other cables I think your gonna be very happy unless you like warm, syrupy, and colored sound. These cables are not for that purpose. To me, they’re dead on balls neutral and true to the sound of the music. Just my take, and hope the new power cables please you and treat you well. Cables, as you well know, are a hit and miss option given your tastes and system. But my take is these guys shoot it straight down the fairway — no coloration and all the detail and 3D imaging/soundstage you could want. Like I said, I have no experience with their power cords, but if they in any way replicate the house sound I’ve heard in their other cables I think you’ll be very happy if you’re not looking for a warm tone control. They very, very much sound like my excellent Acoustic Zen Silver Ref interconnects that I’ve had in my system for 20 years, but at a huge discount. I’ve now got Cullen power cables in my HeadFi system, but when I get my amp back from being upgraded at SMcAudio I’m gonna be looking for new power cords and would very much value your thoughts. Please let me know what current PCs you’re comparing them to so I have a basis for comparison.  I have a real feeling this is a sleeper company offering quality silver cables at something like half the cost of the larger manufacturers.  I will need to see how they perform in my home system when I get my amp back because a HeadFi system just gets you only so far and I don’t have 100% confidence in my impressions of 3D imaging/Soundstage etc. to make a more accurate review.  But they’re damn good in my HeadFi system. If you really like your power cables I’ll be installing them in my home system when I get my amp back.  I’m honestly already leaning toward them given the sound quality of their interconnects.  What most intrigues me is how silver cables can sound detailed yet tonally correct.  If you were to ask me I’d assume they were cryogenically treated because they have that smooth kind of sound. They remind me a lot of the Voodoo interconnects I reviewed years ago and also my much beloved AZ Silver Refs, but at like half the cost.  I have a feeling you’ll love their power cords, but let’s see. 

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