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Counterfeit Chinese Cables

I thought that I would write this for those who are curious about one of the many counterfeit Chinese interconnect cables that are available these days. I know that there have been threads about the subject before, and I was always curious because they seem to be such a bargain. I don't really recall much about what any members actually said about the performance of these counterfeit cables, and I didn't look back and do any research, but a couple of months ago there was a thread that came around to discussing the quality of Chinese made components, and oldhvymec said something that made sense to me.

He said that people that say that what they are making is junk should consider that much of what is in our gear, and a lot of our American brands are actually manufactured there. I decided shortly after that that I would take the chance on a set of interconnects, because I suspected that the interconnects going from my pre to my amp were the weak link and needed upgrading. The interconnects going from my DAC to my pre were Kimber Select which are very good, but the other set were LAT International (now defunct) which had cost $500.00 when new, but I had reason to believe they were lacking because I have one of their digital cables that turned out to be very poor sounding in comparison to others I own.

I decided on a one meter pair of counterfeit Nordost Odin interconnects for a total of $104.00 from Aliexpress. I received them a couple of weeks later. They appeared to be well made, and the locking fake WBT rca's were very impressive and are very tight. 

First impressions after installing them were light, thin sound, lacking bass. Each couple of days brought improvements, but from the beginning I noticed that they were quieter. Now, weeks later, I can say that they are drastically better that the LAT's in every way. Detail and ambience are much better, but it's the focus and separation of instruments that is most noticeable. 

I have no way of knowing if they are really a copy of the Nordost design, but I am impressed enough that I am going to try a counterfeit Nordost digital cable.

Obviously, this isn't a comparison that is useful to most, because there probably isn't anyone here using the LAT's, and everything is system dependent. I just wanted to relay my positive experience. 

Nordost ODIN&2 RCA Fever Audio Signal Cable Double Lotus Sterling Silver Audio Cord Video CD Amplifier Tube Cable High Quality| | - AliExpress

128x128roxy54
decooney
1,905 posts
 

If anyone wants to see what FAKE COUNTERFEIT Cardas interconnect cables look like, go to aliexpress right now, and type in "Cardas" or "Cardas RCA" or "Cardas XLR". Good grief, now there is 5x more than last year. All crap junk.  

Every single pair on the site listed right now is absolutely 100% fake counterfeit garbage. I won't share how or ways to identify it online, NOT to give them a leg up on perfecting their craft of fakeness, but any Cardas owner or a sharp eye can see it on every single ad just studying the photos and text alone.  There are at least 4-5 ways to identify the fakeness by studying closely without even cutting them open.  

If you do buy a set, before you throw them in the garbage, send them to Cardas to hang on their fake cable display, and so they can add more photos on their site.  .  

 

tubeguy76
147 posts
 

I’m not interested in buying fake cables just to pretend I have Cardas or Nordost. Just looking for a good value cable.

nasaman's avatar
nasaman
459 posts
 

@tubeguy76 PM me. I have some AliExpress Nordost Odin cords.

sdc2
1 posts
 

Given our concerns about keeping our cable makers going, what are the ethics of buying cables used on sites like this rather than new, directly from the manufacturer? Can it be justified by the hope that the money will eventually trickle up to the producers if that money eventually ends up in the hands of someone who will is selling their stuff to get enough money to buy something new?

Otherwise, is it much better than buying counterfeits as long as one acknowledges that they are precisely that? (I prefer to buy used rather than counterfeits, although just to try it I have a couple of "$12" name-brand interconnects on order. When they arrive, I will write "Fake" next to the brand so there is no mistaking their origin.) 

But, that said, should we be also beating ourselves up for trying to score equipment we desire but can't afford new rather than buying only what we can afford at list price?

bigtwin's avatar
bigtwin
1,130 posts
 

@decooney  A buyer doesn't need a sharp eye, or even know what a real Cardas cable is supposed to look like.  The fact they are buying on Ali Express means the cable is a knock off.  Surely no one believes they are getting the real thing for $50.  And if they do, then they deserve exactly what they get.  

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