Introduction to Audio Cable Reviews

Every system needs them, speaker cables, interconnects, power cords and even digital cables yet it remains the most controversial aspect of the audio/video world. From the DIY group who makes their own from lamp cords purchased at the local hardware store to the high-enders who swear their system couldn’t perform at their best without the cables costing more than most of their components. The big question is; if the quality of the sound cannot be scientifically measured, can it sound better? Investing in a good quality cable is not foolish, beyond the sound or video quality your cables should be well made, using good materials with sturdy connections. All factors count: the length - sleeve material -metals used, copper, silver, and gold – gauge –resistance - capacitance, etc. Is there snake oil out there, you bet! Hopefully a good review will differentiate those from the honest, value-driven cable manufacturers.

Audio Cables

Kordz EVO, EVS, and EVX HDMI Cables

HDMI cables have two basic issues that are somewhat different than with audio cables, namely that they tend to be much longer, and also, the HDMI connector has turned out not to be very robust. So, if the HDMI cable that came with your new HDTV or DVD player is not doing the job for you, Kordz makes cables that will deliver the goods under any conditions. We review here their pure copper model, the EVO, as well as the EVS which has a thin coating of pure silver, and the EVX, which has a thicker coating of silver.

Argentum Audio Cables: The Mythos Analog Interconnect, Argento Digital Interconnect, Aureus Speaker Cable, and Proteus Power Cable

Sometime in ancient history, when snakes freely roamed the earth without fear that their oil would be disparaged, John Johnson asked me if I wanted to review the complete line of Ultralink/XLO Argentum audio cables. Since I thrive on comparisons, be they of cabling, amplifiers, or sopranos, I welcomed the assignment. (The Argentum power cable is not necessarily just for audio, but we include it as such here.)