Best Cables 2011.

Cables remain controversial within audiophile community, because many are in the opinion that moneyed monkeys spend silly money on cables, while there are many in the high end community who are convinced that cables are just as important as any other equipment in the hifi chain.

We are pretty satisfied with the cables we had in hand, except for my search to obtain the best digital cable that I could practically afford. Hence the list below reflects my personal "best" choice rather than the ultimate.

I am a big fan only the JPS Aluminata range, this co-axial digital interconnect didn't disappoint.

JPS Aluminata Digital.

This was the first cable I tested during my search for a suitable digital cable, and has since remained my benchmark for other cables to emulate. Stunning transparency and zero noise floor results in digital music coming alive and breathing in my man cave. Every little detail and harmonic texture of each musical instrument, voice and emotional content is transferred wholesale to the next equipment in the hifi chain. Staging and imaging is life like, as if "I am breathing the same air with the musicians"(borrowed this from a good, good friend) experience! Possibly one of the best sounding digital cable money can buy today.

Wireworld Starlight Platinum is a top contender in the digital cable stakes.

Wireworld Starlight Platinum Digital.

This Wireworld equals the performance of the JPS Aluminata in so many ways, that it's hard to favour one over the other. However the Starlight Platinum out does the JPS in the bass department. I found the meatier bass quality highly enjoyable, only because it was just as articulate with a propulsive nature. It's only in the highs where the JPS sounds more open and extended, compared to the darker top end of the Starlight Platinum. It's a though choice between this two alpha cables and I know more than a few people who made this digital cable their reference, but for me it's the JPS Aluminata, if only by just a hair. It's that close a call!


Entreq Discover offers well rounded sound quality without silly prices. 


Entreq Discover Power Cord.

Entreq is a new brand represented by Swedish Statement. I had the chance to try out their Absolute Reference power cord, but ended up liking this cheaper Discover model instead. The Discover offers honest build quality for the price and more importantly, balanced, if a slightly immediate sonic character to suit a vast variety of high performance systems. It's not exactly cheap, but still offers excellent value.

VooDoo Reference Digital, my current reference.

 VooDoo Digital Reference.

VooDoo cables offers excellent price to performance ratio across the range. They may not be the best, but they certainly come very close in terms of sound quality, for a fraction of the asking prices compared to those snooty alpha cables. The VooDoo Digital Reference is lightly built, but will certainly be lasting with gentle handling. It's my starter cable while aspiring to something better in the future. 

Here are a few other cables that impressed me in 2011.

1) Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 6 Interconect
2) ASI Liveline Digital Co-axial
3) Supra DAC XLR Gold Digital
4) AOR Reference For Torus Power
5) MIT Shotgun MA Speaker Cables

I've Been VooDooed! VooDoo Reference Digital Cable.

The VooDoo Reference digital cable, terminated with XLR connectors is very well built, with white jacket sleeves. The silver cable stock and connectors are cryo treated too.

I hear ya all say "Oh no, not another digital cable review???" Exactly! However, I promise you that this will be my last XLR AES/EBU digital cable review for a while to come. As you know, all those real world priced cables could never really satisfy my lust for more audio performance. So I step up my cable search budget by another notch.

The first mid range priced(costing between RM$1-2K) cable that came my way was a highly reviewed example, but for some reason, didn't really fit in to my system sonically. While it won't make a stinking bad review, the dealer of the said cable decided not to have it published, as per our review guidelines, of either a review be published in it's entirety, or not at all.

Then I came across this said example of VooDoo Reference Digital on our local http://www.hifi4sale.net/  classifieds. I enquired, we met, and transaction complete. This cable when new, would've cost USD$350.00 excluding freight and duties, should one choose to order thru the manufacturer's website. I got this used example for a little more than RM$600.00 which is pretty good deal(if I may say so my self! After all I wouldn't be losing much $$$, should I decide not to like this cable later).

I went home and plug this cable in between the Bryston BDP/BDA-1 CAS source combo, and from the very first notes, I was very much shocked in disbelief, how close in performance, this cable is capable of, compared to my all time reference, the JPS Aluminata!

Like the JPS, this cable very nearly disappeared from the system chain of equipment. It's nearly as quiet and almost as transparent as the 5 times more expensive reference cable. It's tonally as neutral and will project as wide a sound stage with nearly as stable imaging, but the sound stage depth layering aspect is somewhat compromised, if only a little. The exceptional area of this VooDoo Reference is that it paints a musical event with just as much "air" too.

Another area where this used cable is compromised is a slight compression of macro dynamics when the music demands. I did not quite get this until one day, a sifu came over for a listen and pointed it out to me. Subsequently, I got another top dog digital cable to confirm this weakness(And you thought I said this is the last digital cable review for a while to come???, well it's been a while since you've started reading this article, ain't it? Ha! Ha!).

Bottom line is, there aren't many bargains in high end audio anymore, but this VooDoo Reference digital cable is one of the few exceptions that I've come across, even should one decide to buy it new via the manufacturer's website, and pay for the shipping and duties. I think you'll still find it a worth while option.

Google and ye shall find the VooDoo Cable website.