This is very expensive stuff. It is Silver plated Copper. I like the sound. However, isn’t Silver plated copper just cheap stuff? I would hope not what they are using.
Good question. They certainly get an arm and a leg for it. Depends on the copper type, of course. The Odin II are the only cables that I have heard that give Iconoclast any competition, but at THAT price… not so much.
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SPTPC or silver plated tough pitch copper is what is used in our “premier” speaker leads. You might read about these speaker cables on our website and at least compare them before you spend the kind of money the Odin’s require. It might just save you a significant sum. We wish you best on deciding on cables. www.iconoclastcable.com
Bob
I have not heard the Odins but I borrowed a friends Tyr 2 Nordost and was really impressed.
I just ordered some Mg Augio Speaker cable and interconnects and feel they are superior to the Nordost. Same great open sound and detail but less edge. I had both brands at the same time and was able to compare them. You might want to check them out.
I am curious as to what Nordost cable you have directly compared to the Iconoclast. I am contemplating a cable upgrade and both Nordost and the Belden Iconoclast are under consideration. I heard the Nordost at Axpona and was impressed. Rather pricey IMO.
Outside of my old Valhalla 1’s I have spent a day swapping Odin II speaker cables with Belden Iconoclast OFE speaker cables. The Belden SPTPC speaker cable was not available at the time. Make no mistake, the Odin II’s are great and their price tag way out of my league. If I had a free pair of each I would take the Beldens with my system. You can’t go wrong with either cable IMO.
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@ WGlenn
I appreciate your getting back to me. Heard the Odn II at Axpona. Incredible but at that price I just can’t do it. The Norse series fits my budget. That said I am concerned they may be a little fatiguing for long term listening. A friend just upgraded from Red Dawn I to TYR II. He tried Frey II and TYR II and pulled the trigger on the TYR II. I’ve yet to hear them. His system leans towards the analytical, where mine is more on the warmer side drawing me into the music.
My system is a Luxman 509X-II, Sony SS-NA2ES, Metrum Onyx, MAC Mini for Streaming and playing ripped CDs, and an OPPO 103 as a transport. Present cables are all Discovery Plus 4, Signature, Essence. The Discovery cables tends to smear leading edges slightly.
You might consider reading the Iconoclast thread. You may audition our cables in your home and on your own system at no risk and no money changing hands. Good luck in your search.
Silver plating is typically an upcharge.
@BobBJC:
I’ve been through the entire Iconoclast thread and am considering the cables. The thread implies comparison to Nordost. No specifics though. Before I invest my time auditioning them I’d like to know if anyone has directly compared them to any specific Nordost.
IMO, silver plated means, compromise. Silver plated cables always sounds unbalanced and bright. Go for solid silver or solid copper.
Not really. Depending on all other factors that go into a cable I feel it can be the best of both worlds. Depends on the specific cable. You are correct though that many are a bad compromise. silver by itself is usually brighter than good quality copper. Like 8N or OCC.
@weedeewop: I would give the I iconoclast a spin for yourself. Nordost won’t be able to keep up, outside of Odin IMHO.
@WGLENN:
What was your experience when comparing the Iconoclast with the Nordost? Which Nordost did you compare it with, and which Iconoclast?
TIA.
i found the Odin IIs to have an almost eerie sense of the instruments, particularly those forward in the mix, being “in the room.” It was really uncanny and cool. In other aspects it is an excellent cable. Tonal balance is good, sense of space good… I would have no “complaints” if it were not for the existence of the Iconoclast speaker cables. Outride of the “in the room” aspect of the Odins, Iconoclast equals or betters the experience. In particular, delicate detail and spatial aspects stand out as being particularly superior. I’m not sure if the Odins would become fatiguing over time because i did not have the opportunity to spend that much time with them (just a day, and I doubt that they would). I have spent a great deal of time with Nordost Valhalla 1s and the Iconoclasts are superior all around. Its not that the Valhallas are particularly fatiguing, its just that the Iconoclast were ultimately much more listenable in the long run. This was not my system, but a friend’s, who ended up selling the Nordost loom and going all Iconoclast. Sorry, it is hard to put sound into words. If I had unlimited funds I would still pick the Iconoclasts for my system, particularly if you travel down the Nordost product line. YMMV. Hope this helps and doesn’t just add to the confusion.
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@wglennI appreciate the explanation, and you just nudged me over the edge. I prefer a sound that provides a realistc sense of the performance with out being hyper etched or fatiguing. My experience with the Nordost version one cables has been that they can be fatiguing over extended listening sessions. I am looking for a sound that provides a natural openess. From your description it appears that the Iconoclast are worth a shot.
Thanks for your input.
At this point I can pretty much say that you won’t be disappointed. Really. Let us know what you think!
I am probably stupid. I just very recently found out there are a decent amount of cables that cost a fraction of the “big time” stuff and are actually as good or better. I had a guy build me a $139 interconnect that surpassed the Odin II! Pretty amazing but not really. the markup on that stuff must be like 500%. It is just the same silver clad copper that is everywhere.
@2chan4ever, I agree. I gave some strong consideration to some of the big boys like Nordost ribbon cable when I upgraded to a Stellar stack this past year. While searching around, I found and recently bought these Pine Tree Audio rainbow ribbon cables. Jesse at Pine Tree makes these himself, and gives a money-back guarantee. Of course with the Stellar M700 monoblocks, I needed 2 pair for my bi-wire speakers, or 8 total since each ribbon is one cable. They sound natural and very revealing in my modest rig and didn’t break the bank.
I find just a guy that builds a few is much cheaper and just as good. There are a number of people building very good affordable cables.