June 12, 2011

Privileged Membership. Wireworld Starlight Platinum AES/EBU Digital Cable.


Wireworld digital cables are mostly well reviewed, and my experience with the real world priced Starlight 6 was rather positive. My good buddy Jo Ki has nothing but good words to say about this cable, and the man is seldom wrong about hifi(as he bought one to go with his Bryston BDP/BDA-1 combo too!). So when offered the alpha Starlight Platinum by James of AV Design, I am game. The cost of this Wireworld is RM$6,900/piece.
The all aluminium high strength flight case that packs the Wireworld Starlight Platinum cable.

The Wireworld Starlight Platinum arrived in a mini flight case, and inside it's packed with a certificate of authenticity of the well built cable, each marked with serial no. The Starlight Platinum is actually quite bendable, unlike the similarly top dog JPS Aluminata. This makes managing the cable routing easy, behind the equipments.
The cable and certificate of authenticity.
 Like the JPS Aluminata, this Wireworld is just as transparent and quiet sounding. All the recording details contained in the FLAC or AIFF music files it gets from the Bryston BDP-1, no matter how minute or insignificant, is dutifully transferred to the BDA-1 DAC, via the Starlight Platinum. This cable exhibited very even tonality and coherent presentation of the music. Like the JPS competitor, this cable could almost just disappear from the hifi equipment chain. The sound stage and imaging factors are just equally believable without resorting to the use of vivid imaginary powers of the mind! In overall terms of hifi performance, I'd rate this Wireworld digital cable right up there with the JPS one tested earlier.

There are areas of differences in the way the two top dollar cables represent in hifi qualities. First, even though both cables exhibited incredible bandwidth, the Wireworld seems to go one octave towards the lower frequency spectrum, where else the JPS extends further at the other end. This means music via the Wireworld seems to have more bass line detail, texture and slam while the JPS offers an "airier", more spatially dimensional top end. Next is the way both cables handle dynamics and transients. The Wireworld would seem to be the more dynamic sounding cable, only to find that the JPS offers faster transient response subjectively. How does these subtle differences hifi parameters effect the music passing thru these cables? My take, the Wireworld is more suitable to play rock/pop music as it's hifi qualities plays more to the genre's strength. The JPS is more naturally suitable if one musical diet leans towards acoustical instruments, like jazz or classical. Don't get me wrong, both cables will do all genres of music to satisfaction, but only to the ninth degree, from then on is where their differences in musical genre priority lies. While I am not splitting hairs here, but the subtlety of differences can sometimes be very persuasive indeed.
Each cable is individually serial numbered

Both cables are naturally in the same top end market by pricing, and it's only natural that they be compared against, otherwise, I might be doing you, my dear readers disservice, if you happen to be in the market for digital cables at this exclusive and privileged level. In the end, I suspect that one's musical diet and system balance will find synergy with either cable. The Wireworld Starlight Platinum fully deserves it's alpha cable status.

Wireworld is sold by AV Designs, contact James or Tony at 03-21712828.

2 comments:

kiarch said...

Dear Big E, I can concurr with your statement about me, how I like the WW Platinum AES/EBU. Good stuff!.

nibongese said...

I also like WireWorld cables. To me, they are really a good cable brand at real world price. Currently I am using their Starlight USB cable and satisfy with it. I might consider to get their power cord soon.