Counterfeit Chinese Cables

@yada (twice)

I keep getting response notifications and then there is nothing posted here. Someone must be posting and deleting.

@t_ramey 

No I never ordered the Odin 2. Happy with the Valhalla

@evank 

Did you ever order and receive a pair of Odin 2 speaker cables? I saw where you got the Valhalla’s but thought I read somewhere you also ordered the Odin 2’s after what tweak1 said. 
 

I got a pair of silver speaker cables from Florida but they’re not as good as the cheap Chinese occ copper cables I’ve been using. These Odin knock offs sound intriguing.

Bought a pair of these copy Odin 2 rca interconnects which didn’t sound good upon arrival but  I am astonished what I am hearing after a few weeks of break-in.  I have them on my modest midfi 2nd system and they make my Fritz speakers come alive.  So much detail, clarity and 3D sound.  Not sure if its the synergy with the system or speaker cables but these are keepers. Also using an Ali copy Kimber Kable 12TC diy speaker wire with 100% copper spades.  All in about $80.  Amazing value to say the least.  Granted these are a comparison to WBC Mogami interconnects and I have not compared them to high quality expensive branded cables.  

@rolox brilliant, thanks! I've bought from AudioConnector before and agree, great seller.

@roxy54, bigtwin is correct. I was referring to the silver plated version.

@bigtwin 

Thanks, I thought that might be the case after I had looked around the site for a while.

I don’t find anything ambiguous about the Ali site. Real Nordost Odin 2 power cord $20K… Ali Nordost Odin 2 power cord $100.

Having had the pleasure of actually experiencing a pair of Nordost Odin 2 interconnects and a set of fake ones from Ali. My mom taught me only a few things, but they included don’t get in a car with a man with candy, if it sounds too good to be true, and don’t buy property in Florida unseen.

@roxy54 I don't think nwres is talking about silver wire, but rather the name "silver power cord"  ?

@nwres 

Can you please provide the link for the Odin silver power cord that you mention? I don't see any that are silver, just copper or silver plated copper.

Thanks

And that is why it's so difficult to buy from the Ali site.  You have one cable (site posted above) selling for $50 making these claims:

Insulation: PTFE(Teflon)

Construction: Mechanically tuned spacing, length and Double-Filament, TSC design

Conductors: 7 x 17 AWG(Total Sqaure:7.7mm2)

Material: 50um Silver-plated 99.999999% Solid Core OFC

Cable Power Rating:16A 250V(EU) ,10A 250V / 15A 125V (US ),15A/ 125V - 250V (AU)

Overall Shield Coverage: 100% Individually shielded total coverage

Velocity of Propagation: 88%

Version :EU , US ,AU

IEC :16A , 10A ,20A

And the next store, RM Digital asking $250 and making these claims:

Name: power cord

Brand: nordost

Model: Odin gold

Plug: Gold Plated US / EU

Total signal control

7 x 17 AWG OFC copper.  3 strands together = 12 AWG

In the field of sound, RF noise and electromagnetic waves are the biggest threats to signal degradation. Through the American music ribbon nordost's unique comprehensive signal control technology, each Odin gold Odin conductor will be wrapped by multi-layer gold-plated ribbon shielding network through a complex and uniform unique method, combined with the patented hollo: plug connector terminal, which can provide 100% total shielding coverage, so as to ensure the complete transmission of weak details, due positioning and sound of each instrument.

When you look at the pictures on both sites, you can wee there are differences in the parts used.  Color of lettering on the connector ends is one example.  The $50 dollar cable is claiming Silver coating on the wires and Teflon insulation.  

So you're always wondering who's lying to us.  That's a hell of a construction for only $50 CANADIAN and free delivery on top!!!!

I'm using facsimile odin 2 silver power cords that I received from RM Digital and they are easily the best power cords I've used, which includes some cables in the thousand dollar range.  I bought them this spring and paid about $110 for 1M and $145 for 2M, excellent value and performance, highly recommended.    

@ullodea here's the link for the Gold power cords I bought. AudioConnector store is very serious, quality stuff, fast shipping, and 15 days hassle free return window.

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005004190080033.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.3a7d79d2SP7c4f&gatewayAdapt=glo2nld

@bigtwin  Sorry for the confusion. The silver version on the RM site has the specs. It's been a while since I went through and compared many of these vendor's images and specs, and when I posted earlier, I was going on memory of my previous investigation. RM's images of both the gold and silver versions show to be thicker than the cables of those from other vendors. Since they seem to use their own images, unlike other vendors that use generic images, I believe the specs on the gold and the silver are consistent. As well as the extra cost that would be associated with the extra material. 

@nwres Where are you seeing any specs on this cable?  Im on the RM Digital Store site and can find zero information on the construction of the Odin Gold power cord.

bigtwin. Looking at RM's specs on the gold PC compared to others, they seem to be the only one I can find selling it with 7 - 14 AWG cables. The others I have seen use 17 AWG and one advertises 15 AWG. Their silver PC also is advertised with 14AWG. And I have found two other vendors that also claim the 14 AWG in silver. But most out there seem to be the smaller version. But even at 3 X 17 AWG for the hot and neutral, that's not bad. But I would pay more for a 10 AWG equivalent compared to a 12 AWG.

Just looking at the Odin Gold Power Cord from RM Digital Store.  In Canadian dollars they are asking $249 for a 1 meter cord.  Most other sites calling their product Odin Gold are $50 - $60 CDN.  That's a huge price difference with RM and brings their product in line with many US or Canadian made power cords.  I spent a few hundred dollars on Furutech knock offs and they greatly diminished the sound of my system.  Would be reluctant to spend the kind of money RM is asking?

I have had the Nordost Odin 2 Chinese cables for a while now. Since I am using my reference Infigo cables full time I wondered where I could use the knock offs. They do sound pretty good especially for the price.

Since I have a 1 meter and a 3-meter XLR set’s, I thought I would try them on my JL F-113 subs. You know what? They make a very good, articulate, and powerful subwoofer cable. They have now replaced my previous favorite subwoofer cables.

ozzy

+1 Rolox

I have noticed that when I put things in my cart, within a week or so, I have found significantly lower prices

@rolox may I ask please which store you bought your Odin Gold PCs from, or the item number (it's in the web address)? 

@tweak1 I also own two Gold PCs. One on my active crossover, one on my DAC. The most impact was with the active crossover but on the DAC (the last I bought) I get deeper soundstage, quieter / more controlled highs, more details, and a tighter bass. On the active crossover I got all those improvements too and a much larger image on top of that, very impressive. All in all, despite the ridiculously low price (60$ each) the cheesy looks and the fact that the gold leaf around each wire apparently doesn’t work at all as screening, those two Gold cables are the best PCs I own. Impressive!

As per previous HiFi DIY china cable purchases, they beat their estimated delivery time by almost a week. I received the Odin 2 gold PC yesterday (now one on my Audiolab 6000 CDT and LSA Voyager GaN 350 amp. I applied the Mad Scientist Contact Enhancer then plugged it in. Seemed subtly better (quieter= deeper sound stage) Letting it play all day today but softly as I do chores. Will listen later

Wood blocks on the Authentic Nordost cables serve to direction. Also they conform to the cable to help reduce vibrations and noise. 

As with most reverse engineered products from offshore suppliers they do not have the IP or engineering capacity to understand the implementation of these technologies. 

So grinding or chiseling those blocks off the knockoff product will not be detrimental as I highly doubt their product is directional, ultrasonically treated (burn in).  

All Nordost cables are directional. To ensure the highest quality sound, the wooden blocks marked with directional arrows must point towards the loudspeaker.

@spenav I totally agree and have been trying to tell people here to pay the $30-40 extra and get the RM Digital versions. They seem much better quality than some of the other AliEx Odin knock offs.

@rolox that’s an excellent summary which all but mirrors my experience. I have found that it’s been a (generalised, YMMV) 5:1 value ratio, i.e a $50 IC cable on AE buys you its $250 US equivalent in performance. Of course that doesn’t consider system synergy, but I’ve now tried enough of them (9 ICs now, all well reviewed or reliably recommended on forums) to average out my experience. Some have bettered and others haven’t met that comparison, but ALL have been significantly better than they deserved to be for the price. I’ve otherwise favoured Transparent, Audioquest and Wireworld cables. 

@spenav the cables sold by RM Digital are a VERY different lot, much more expensive, and you can immediately recognize them even just looking at pictures, especially when it comes to the latest "Odin Gold" generation. They use a totally different wire.

I'm sure they probably are very good, and well built, but the thing is, most positive reviews that you read online are for the cheap ones sold through some other stores, at a 1/4 of the price of the RM offerings. and indeed, the "cheap" versions (at least those that come from good vendors and ave been put together with care) DO sound fantastic. Maybe I'll try some RM at some point but, I need a lot of cables, and there's a point were "attention to detail" doesn't matter if the difference is mainly cosmetics (I don't care if my cables don't look like the real deal, I just buy them for the sound quality and low price).

Use a Dremel tool and it should be easy. Why do you want to remove them anyway?

Yeah, I was thinking that. 

@allanblissett 

Chisel, rubber mallet and a lot of patience. Easy does it. 

Are those little boxes on the Odin cables removable?  That's the only thing keeping me from trying them.

@rolox

Thank you for sharing. 

@rolox 

If you look closely, you will be able to tell some difference between the products. For instance, look at the same cable you bought but on RM Digital. Though I don’t know where you purchased yours, I can bet the markings on the cables are the same color: either both silvery white or both black. The real Nordost has the makings on one cable white and on the other black. RM Digital has the markings the same way. The price is probably double what you paid for yours also. It’s my experience that this particular store is more peculiar and their offerings are closer to the original. I can’t vouch for how they sound compared to the other stores but if attention to details any indication…

@ghdprentice over the course of the last month I’ve ordered some Odin Gold RCA interconnects from 3 different vendors, at similar prices, all using pictures that don’t allow you to tell differences if there are any as you purchase them.

-The first order sounds very good, connectors are on the flimsy side but, the inside construction mimics the genuine HoloPlugs, with low mass design, and great sound.

-the second order, with STRICTLY IDENTICAL WIRE, had more solid feeling plugs that were unfortunately impossible to take apart, that only LOOKED remotely like Holoplugs from the outside but on closer look are just basic heavy brass (? or worse) connectors with thick metal construction. Those cables sounded truly awful, flat and dead and "dark", like a low-pass filter had been used. I returned them all (without any hassle).

-the third and last order came from a store that I’m accustomed to and never disappoints (AudioConnector store) and I thought would be identical to the first order, but it is NOT. This time the wire itself is slightly different (you can see it when you lay the cables side by side) and the plugs are yet another version of the Holoplugs, similar to the first order with low mass connectors, but a bit more solid feeling. This cable sounds great too, very slightly different from the first one, but very good.

All this to say, there are indeed many variants which use the same stock photos and are sold at similar prices, and it can be a real crapshoot. Get the best ones, and you will be rewarded with sound quality way above the asking price. Get the wrong ones, and you will wonder what the fuss is all about. My advice would be to stick with products that show the best buyer reviews, and sellers that consistently sell you good sounding cables. Having the possibility to return without hassle is also recommended, some sellers offer that option, some don’t.

Are they giant killers? I never owned any truly high end cables, but I’ve owned a few different VanDenhul including the full carbon offerings, a few entry-level Nordost, QED (well ok that’s definitely entry level), Mogami (just for a try), Fadel Arts, and I’ve tried a couple of Dutch pure silver cables whose brand name I forgot (very small company). All those cables (if you exclude the Mogami) were 2 to 4x more expensive than the average "Nordeast Odin" cables, probably more than that for the Dutch silver cables, and I vastly prefer the Chinese cables in my system. Doesn’t make them giant killers, but good value - which isn’t so bad already.

I also have a couple of internet buddies who have replaced their 3K to 5K cables with fake Odin, which is maybe more a matter of system synergy, or personal taste, but it’s worth mentioning - without making too much fuss about it. In the end, is it reasonable to compare a 60$ cable with a 6000$ cable? I’m not sure. The fact that, in some cases, it can come close enough, sure is impressive but might just be some very subjective opinion. After all, there are people who PREFER to use 30$ Mogami cables.

Then there are the power cables. Those are quite new to me, in general, as I kept the stock cables for very long. And I don’t have much to compare. But, there’s a HUUUUUGE gap between, say, a DIY effort based on Ollflex cable, or a similar "artisanal" entry level sold through eBay or Amazon, and a similarly priced fake Odin. The last Odin Gold power cord I purchased, which looks cheesy as hell and costs just 58$ for about 4 feet, may very well be the very best power cord I own, instantly bringing my system up a few notches, with better midrange detail, much deeper stage, blacker backgrounds, tighter bass, better transparency... not something that usually happens with a 58$ power cord. Hell, with most 58$ power cords, you barely hear any difference.

In the end, it’s all a lot of fun, with some (rare, in my case) disappointments along the way, and not much money spent.

@mikerubin 

I should have, but ordered the chrome. Probably doesn't matter as I treat my cables with Mad Scientist Audio Graphene Contact Enhancer uses nano-technology to fill in the gaps in contacts, producing a superior sound.

I also bought the rhodium power cord mentioned by @tweak1 and while it was not a good match for my DAC, it was a great match on my power amp and displaced an expensive shunyata high current cord.  I was so impressed I bought another one and am using it on my preamp.  Definitely worth trying since it is so inexpensive.

I did buy the Rhodium ones when a few months ago.  Have them on my subs.  Who can verify any of the claims made re "single crystal copper" whatever that even means.  Sounds like a play of OCC but at this price, let's get real.  Very solid build and the male ends really grip in the socket.  It's very hard to justify spending more, unless you are a firm believer that one good "power" cable is going to change the sound more than any other good power cable.  

@tweak1, did you get the rhodium version or one of the other ones?

I bought of these, one for PLC (replaced a $500 PC) and one for my LSA Voyager GaN350 power amp: AMAZING! PLUS 20% DISCOUNT if you click the box

AMAZING

Yep unlike the PRC @kray .

$10K? or 10l Liters? 

Viborg is just inexpensive no counterfeiting.

Spend it how you like while you still can.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend bro.

God Bless America.

These aren’t counterfeit but they certainly are Chinese. The 1.5m version is on sale at Amazon at the moment with a coupon that reduces the delivered price to about $80 if you have a Prime membership. At that price, I took a flyer.

Viborg 02VA801 Premium XLR... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H1NMG63?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Mine were delivered two days after I ordered. I now am burning them in.

Build quality is excellent, by appearances, and, right out of the box, these sound better than they have a right to. Not sure yet whether they are "superb" but they sound a ton better than any $80 cable has any right to sound.

Surprisingly, 1m and 2m versions are considerably more expensive, but these are flexible and I had no trouble fitting them into the space previously occupied by 1m cables.

@juanmanuelfangioii i have over $4k worth of Audio Art cables and over $10l spent with Rob at AAC over last year. Free country bro. Spend my money as I please. 

@kray no I read it and I did clarify that.

Free country bro. Pure silver yep. 

@juanmanuelfangioii pretty sure you didn’t read my post at all. Pure silver. No copper. I asked for custom build with Rhodium bananas. No desire to explain my purchases to you. Not sure why you’re still posting in this thread when it’s violating your ethics. 

@kray not even the same as what their product page shows. Sorry skipped over the rhodium part.

Hope they work out.

For $100 more you would get free shipping real silver core and OCC copper. zafinousa.com and supported a North American Small Business.

Just saying a bargain is in the eye and ear of the beholder.

@alexatpos +10+10. 

 @roxy54  writing on sphone is something that I hate even with short tmsg, not to mention for posts here. English is not my native language but if you have problem understanding the text, which is quite simple, I might try drawing it to you, like they do in books for small children...

@alexatpos most figured it out the first time reading it. Ignore the grammar nazis.