My system and ears seem to benefit from a consistent and like loom theory and application. I make exception only in the phono cable (low output MC to 64db gain phonostage), which handles the source information at an extremely low level voltage and seems to favor a silver litz, well the rest of the kit including internal speaker wiring, sounds best with tri-gage, 6n copper of a single brand and model cabling.
That said, what I found most striking about the review in question, and I must comment that I have been an ardent reader of Art's reviews since his Listener magazine days, is when Mr. Dudley seems to be writing about something that he is not too crazy about, that he may have even been dragged into, and it shows.
Although he showed the utmost respect to the Nordost folks and their product lines, to me Art made a point to what is of most importance to a music lover and audiophile listener. That being that we all have our own set of ears and our own interpretation of what music or maybe more to the point, our Hifi should sound like. As he slowly and thoughtfully striped one piece of alien gear at a time back out of his kit, the sound returned to his preference, his liking.
In my mind, Art has always been extremely thoughtful in what he writes and includes in his system, how it's set up, and how it plays with the synergy of the lot of it. Nordost and Quantum are certainly noteworthy providers and have their merit in many of our Hifi's, but now the question is ... whether it fits in with what you are doing and satisfies your ear.
What might have really been fun was to wire the rig with Nordost Odin PC and Thor collector, with quantum and listen, then load the deck in the other direction with all Tyr or Valhalla IC's and SC and see what each of these experiments brought to the table in bettering the musical experience. In other words, is power (mains) the source or is music information the source of what makes the greatest difference in an electrical Hifi kit for your Hifi dollar?!
Happy (Hifi) Listening!
That said, what I found most striking about the review in question, and I must comment that I have been an ardent reader of Art's reviews since his Listener magazine days, is when Mr. Dudley seems to be writing about something that he is not too crazy about, that he may have even been dragged into, and it shows.
Although he showed the utmost respect to the Nordost folks and their product lines, to me Art made a point to what is of most importance to a music lover and audiophile listener. That being that we all have our own set of ears and our own interpretation of what music or maybe more to the point, our Hifi should sound like. As he slowly and thoughtfully striped one piece of alien gear at a time back out of his kit, the sound returned to his preference, his liking.
In my mind, Art has always been extremely thoughtful in what he writes and includes in his system, how it's set up, and how it plays with the synergy of the lot of it. Nordost and Quantum are certainly noteworthy providers and have their merit in many of our Hifi's, but now the question is ... whether it fits in with what you are doing and satisfies your ear.
What might have really been fun was to wire the rig with Nordost Odin PC and Thor collector, with quantum and listen, then load the deck in the other direction with all Tyr or Valhalla IC's and SC and see what each of these experiments brought to the table in bettering the musical experience. In other words, is power (mains) the source or is music information the source of what makes the greatest difference in an electrical Hifi kit for your Hifi dollar?!
Happy (Hifi) Listening!