The Martin Logan CLX's, a true work of Art!

[admin]

Will also throw in Blue Jeans Cable as they offer super inexpensive options but still good quality. https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

[AnotherJohnson]

Anyway, when I asked which ones they recommend, only the very best! And that turns out to be the Moon Glo spades that are Rhodium plated, which are best suited to Nordost since they use pure silver plating. Only in the Odin reference supreme do they use pure silver wires plus higher graded plating in all their reference series accessories. That's why they cost crazy money...

The Moon Glo are a great choice!

[Big Dog RJ]

Well looks like the 50hr mark is well past now... and further adjustments were made last night. Now the phase control is back to 90°, just suits better at this level.

I've ordered the Iso Acoustics Gaia II's as I feel they should work better than the standard spikes. Although vibrations are quite low to hardly nothing, I believe the Gaia II's will add that further refined level of bass definition.

Cheers, RJ

[AnotherJohnson]

Well looks like the 50hr mark is well past now... and further adjustments were made last night. Now the phase control is back to 90°, just suits better at this level.

Phase can end up anywhere because of those issues related to the subs location and the room. So no worries. Let your ears be your guide.

[Big Dog RJ]

Just received feedback from my CJ tech, looks like Nordost won't supply the Moon Glo (special Rhodium plated) spades to overseas distributors for custom mods... if mods are requested, the customer / owner has to send to Nordost HQ in Mas and they will conduct the mod at their factory. That's just great! This involves shipping and handling plus labour charges and parts ... plus a very long wait. Mmm...

Apparently, the special Rhodium plated ones are only fitted on their top of the line Odin Supreme reference series, not even on the Valhalla cables that cost 15grand. So, they've recommended the second level Moon Glo spades that are gold plated, and these are certified. In which case gold plated it is.

My chief tech is trying to negotiate with them... but said he had a similar request before and they refused. No harm asking again though. Let's see what they say, at least even if it's gold plating that's still better than what was put on there.

Pretty much similar to CJ, such that if you want any gear upgraded to SE version or modded to better performance, send the unit to them and they do it for you, obviously at a cost. I guess that's the policy at the top! Fair enough.

Until then, keep those tubes glowing!
RJ

[AnotherJohnson]

The technical issue is that the termination has to be fixed to the wire, and that is critical to the performance. I know this is true because it took me many years to master the termination issue in my own home brew cables. You can’t know it’s right unless you’ve heard it before.

So like JF, they don’t want a guy in the field building their cable.

If I were you, and if I were committed to your cable choice, I’d suck it up and let them do the work at the factory. You can come up with a decent replacement for the few months you have to wait.

Otherwise, order the rhodium terminations yourself and DIY. Or order some Cardas or Moon Glo yourself and let your tech install them. I recommend a cold weld … no solder.

[AnotherJohnson]

If you go to eBay and search for rhodium spade, a lot of options come up.

[admin]

That sounds like a bit of hassle. I guess my question is whether rhodium gives better performance than gold plating?

I'm definitely sold on using a non-oxidizing metal for the connector but I'm still unclear as to why we should expect better performance from rhodium vs gold? And we should also keep in mind that rhodium is actually less conductive than gold. I always viewed the connection point as to have the greatest conduction properties.

Am I simply ignorant of something here?

[AnotherJohnson]

That sounds like a bit of hassle. I guess my question is whether rhodium gives better performance than gold plating?

I'm definitely sold on using a non-oxidizing metal for the connector but I'm still unclear as to why we should expect better performance from rhodium vs gold? And we should also keep in mind that rhodium is actually less conductive than gold. I always viewed the connection point as to have the greatest conduction properties.

Am I simply ignorant of something here?

It’s really not a hassle. You’ve even made power cords. It’s just part of the hobby.

Except for wear issues, gold is probably best. Lower cost. Inert. Low contact resistance. ARC is using “gold capacitors.” Gold is hard to beat.

Rhodium is elite. Scarce. Harder. Some, including JF, are choosing it.

If you’re fixing up a high end set of speaker cables, I think you’re best off going with factory service.

But if that’s too pricey or inconvenient, using the same materials with good workmanship might be an acceptable alternative.

As I compare my personally custom made cables to the Rocket 88 to the William Tell, there are HUGE differences in appearance. Staggering differences in complexity. And difficult to justify multi order of magnitude differences in cost.

And noticeable differences in sound presentation. But noticeable is not the same as awe inspiring. My take on it is that I could have been happy forever with my custom cables. But since I find myself on a money hemorrhaging quest to find “the truth,” I’m also happy with the noticeable sonic differences.

Make no mistake… all of the systems I’ve put together over the last 35+ years have sounded like music. Where I am today is just “better.”

[AnotherJohnson]

Probably the most accurate descriptor that can be applied to audiophiles and reviewers when they talk about their systems is that they love hyperbole. I try to temper this, but with success that can only be objectively measured by others.

[AnotherJohnson]

Another thing to keep in mind is that these multi thousand dollar cables represent a synergistic system that was designed and built by people who have devoted their life to their craft. If you start messing with terminations, you’re redesigning their prized product. That’s up to you. It’s your money.

But in the end, a modified $4000 cable is no longer anything but an unauthorized version of the original cable.

That’s why I’d let the factory do it.

[AnotherJohnson]

Wow! Did I got the scale wrong!

Here’s a used pair of Odins for only $13995!

You can’t modify stuff like this without devaluing it dramatically. It needs official factory work.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255610750436?c ... gJCyvD_BwE

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes, all valid points AJ and Admin.

Just for peace of mind, I got in contact and all is well. My CJ importer, is also one of the A-rated dealers for Nordost and all its accessories. Therefore, he's fully certified to do the spade change.

What Nordost recommends as the original spades on my particular cables are in fact the Gold plated Moon Glo version, not Rhodium. It's only their top level, Odin Supreme reference series that uses the Rhodium spades. Not even their Valhalla cables use Rhodium, they all come terminated with the Gold plated version.

My "special custom" request was for them to put the Rhodium plated spades on my cables, which are actually 3 levels down from the Supreme reference series, and this is something that's not normally done. Most would just go ahead and buy the top of the line Odin's.

Nordost's policy- that any Rhodium or Gold plated spades to be fitted on any of their cables, has to be carried out at the factory, I guess is fair enough. Even though there are authorised dealers who have the technical knowledge to carry out the work, I guess will adhere to this policy for warranty purposes and to be in good standing.

So, me nor anyone simply cannot call up Nordost and request for Rhodium Moon Glo spades, they will not supply them. Only a handful of authorised dealers can do the work, and they have the skill, knowledge and experience to do so. Some of them have also spent time at the Nordost factory. My trusted tech does and meets their required certification. He's a senior chap, decades of experience working on Nordost and CJ and ARC gear. Been the sole importer for CJ Aus and has a vast knowledge of highend audio service. He can very easily do the Rhodium spades if he wanted to but at the end he's got to honour their service support policy. So no further questions asked your honour!

They also advised that it doesn't make sense to place Rhodium spades on cables 3 levels lower... won't make much of a difference other than a dent in my bank account! However, using Rhodium spades on the Odin's does make more sense, simply because the entire wire is constructed on a superior level.

Yes, JF has started to incorporate the Rhodium plated RCA connectors on the ART88 and ART108A's, as well as on certain other preamps. Pretty much only the top level. Makes sense I guess, it adds to the overall value. No point in placing Rhodium plated RCA's in an ET6... that would be similar to what I'm trying to do.

Should have these in by next week, I can sense it's going to be much better than what was put on them by the previous Wilson owner. Although he used pure copper, since they were turning green... definitely didnt use any gold plating nor was the Moon Glo brand used at all! Which gets me wondering what did he do with the original Moon Glo's? Must have either melted them and presented his Mrs with a nice ring or fixed them to his teeth! Damn!

Cheers, RJ

[AnotherJohnson]

I can’t imagine that the gold would disappoint. I expect that it will be a huge upgrade from what you had.

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes, "huge"... I'm not too sure...but a nice change yes!
After all, it's the original spade connectors that are meant for that particular series, so I guess it suits better.

Best, RJ

[Big Dog RJ]

Ahhh... finally got the Nordost back! Now that's more like it!

The Zions from Jas Audio, weren't too shabby, $1500 speaker cables of 2m length with silver plating on the spades. They were quite nice, good detail and depth in soundstage but it didn't have the transparency and speed of Nordost cables, not even close. The Zions seemed slow or sluggish, sounded much thicker.

Now everything's in synergy once again, happy as!
Cheers, and enjoy those fine tunes all!
Woof! RJ

[admin]

Very nice. It just shows you that even the realm of super high end cables there are noticeable differences. Whether one cable is truly superior than an another I can't say, but there may be a unique synergy that happens with the amp/cable/speaker combination.

Happy listening!

[AnotherJohnson]

Glad to hear they’re back and that the spade-ectomy was successful.

You know, I believe the folks who say they can’t tell the difference in cables because I think there are many systems that sound somewhat flat regardless of cables. If there’s only a modest amount of magic to reveal, it’s not the fault of the cables. They’re neutral at best, and obfuscating at worst, but if the system is obfuscating, neutral cables won’t bring it life.

So … lucky Big Dog’s system is quite capable. This cable playground seems to sport quite the initiation fee.

In an old review that I reread recently, the well known reviewer commented that a manufacturer had once brought him samples from the entire product line. Using a boom box as the source (he didn’t say if it was cassette or CD), they connected the boom box to the preamp with the progression of interconnects. To the reviewer’s surprise, he could hear the differences as they moved up the line. My take on that is that the rest of the reviewer’s system must have been adequately revealing.

In any event, I’d say that I’m happy you’ve refound audio Nirvana … but with the Nordost’s, it’s more likely you’ve found Valhalla

Added recollection: when I was a hobbiest dealer in the ‘80s, I carried van den Hul, Straightwire, and a few other brands. I had leftover stock when I quit being a dealer, and it went to my shelf. I used the extra cables whenever I had something new to hook up.

When I decided to explore the AudioQuest product line maybe 10 or 12 years ago, I started with the Evergreens, their lowest level at the time. I was convinced that they genuinely stunk. I eventually settled on the McKenzies as the sweet spot.

To this day, I am told by my salesmen friends that the Evergreens do not stink. Instead, they say that the entry level Evergreens just aren’t as good as my old top of the line van den Huls and Straightwires.

[Big Dog RJ]

Ah, nice one AJ mate!

In fact, what I noticed straight away once these were installed was the naturalness in tonality. Then came the sheer speed, which was blistering in attack along with explosive dynamics & transients, yet highly controlled at the same time, nothing out of whack. I'm currently listening to some Turkish music by Coskun Karademir on Kalan label called Silence, superb!

They provided 4m cables as the base standard recommended for speaker wire. I asked them why since I really don't require that much length... they said it's something to do with the maths. Nordost's team believes in specific minimum lengths and the figures calculated for optimal signal transfer and return something... saying that 4m length is ideally suited for high performance speakers. They claim that for interconnects the minimum required should be 1.25m length for optimal performance and above, so all my shortest interconnects are 1 25m, and the longest ones being 2m.

I really don't know what the deal is with all this science or voodoo... I've never measured it nor can I be bothered. Sometimes this stuff gets way over my head... and I do wonder sometimes whether there's any sense in it.

Anyway, as of now it just sounds superb!
I also came across their Valhalla cables this afternoon at the store, and they were very mighty fine indeed! Looking at them got me drooling...but then I remembered my good bank manager mate... and questioned & answered myself, thanked the chap for the demo and left.

At this level, it's good enough for me!
Cheers, and have a good one now.
RJ

[Big Dog RJ]

Well here she is!

The better half but I would need 4 bloody amplifiers to drive this beast! So I'm looking at the much smaller Duetta Sigs. They will suit much better, although I just love the Diva's. One fine legendary sound!

Until such time, woof!
RJ