Sternklang Cables


No, not another cable promo! This is probably one of the first thoughts that bubbles up in you when you see the above intro. Part of our fabulous hobby is discovering new products and sharing your experiences with the audiophile community. Fortunately, my dealer Colin @gestalt shares my passion and enthusiasm for new products. So when he mentioned, he is exploring another cable brand from Japan; I said bring it on!

Sternklang cable theory originates from following idea,

“It seems to me that a wire of audio cable is not a solid body but a living organism in which numerous cells breathe. Each cell has it’s own vibration damping function and they all cooperate with each other”

Currently, the Sternklang has two tiers or series offerings, Ephemera and Sarume. I chose to audition the Ephemera XLR due its unique construction, which uses a rolled copper in a coated nylon ‘Organdy’ jacket. Due to delicate nature of the jacket, certain handling precautions must be observed. I would keep them away from Vacuum Cleaners and your Cat :-)

Unlike most cables, the Ephemera series is a extremely low mass design. Koji Teramura, founder of Sternklang cables is a minimalist and the design of cables clearly reflects his philosophy.

So how do they sound? In one word, Fabulous! The Ephemera XLR imparts a lively, textured, organic presentation. To my ears, they are aptly designed to convey all the nuances in a recording. I am very comfortable in saying that Ephemera XLR’s don’t have any sound per se or coloration.

The Ephemera (flat ribbon) cables are available in Speaker, RCA, SPDIF and XLR configurations.

I auditioned the Ephemera XLR between my Marantz SA-11S2 SACD player and Accuphase E-650 Integrated. The rest of the system is wired with HIJIRI cable loom.

And No, Sternklang cables are not replacing my HIJIRI loom. IMHO, Ephemera is a very fine cable under $1.5K price range that deserves an audition in your system. For retail prices, please call Colin @ Gestalt Audio Design. 

http://www.konus-audio.com/ephemera-interconnect-cable.html

http://www.konus-audio.com/ephemera-speaker-cable.html

 

128x128lalitk

lalitk

 

Thank You for this post. can you speak about sonic factors between the HIJIRI and Sternklang brands?  Do you live in the greater Nashville TN area?

 

Happy Listening!

Recently Colin introduced me to the full Hijiri line of cables after testing against Tchernov.  I now have the Hijiri RCA cable, Nagomi PC and I am testing two Takumi Power cords for my Inakustik Power Conditioner and Lampi Pacific.  Next week I am going to be testing 4 SPDIF cables including the  Sternklang and Hijiri SPDIF cables.  It should be fun.  .  

willgolf

 

I am looking forward in reading your impressions and thoughts on Hijiri cables/cords against the other brand(s) in current System.

 

Happy Listening!

jafant - I will do my best.  It is not an easy job when you have a good system.  The incrementality is small.  I have had the Takumi in the Inakustic for two days. Very, very subtle.  Today I added a Takumi to the Lampi Pacific.  Very early -- the female voices are super clear and very musical.  

willgolf

 

I understand. Most Audiophiles own a clear and musical system (baseline). My system is very musical and transparent. Subtle works for me. 

 

Happy Listening!