Jeez.
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.
920 responses
Further impressions of the power cables. Firstly, I purchased the better build quality Odin2 from the RM Digital store. I did not like the look of the cheaper cables from other stores, of which there are a few. I have had all Heimdall2 power cables for a while so can only compare to that. The fake Odin2 was slightly better on audio, but slightly worse on the digital/video. I am a videophile as well as an audiophile, so its touch and go as to which I will keep using. Considering the cost, a 1.5m is $125 USD shipped, this is a no brainer for anyone wanting high level power cables at basement prices. You could not even buy the 2 connectors of that quality for that price, let alone an entire cable with this performance level. |
Just received my Odin Gold 2 interconnects today. Build quality seems good, the only dislike is the tubing around the cable. I don’t know if the real Nordost has that? It’s like aquarium tubing. Connectors sound metal when tapped together. Also includes a serial number. Sound is unbelievable and I couldn’t wait to plug them in otherwise I would have taken more photos. More air and detail, nice smooth relaxed presentation. Just waiting on my PC and I had ordered the Valhalla speaker cables but now going back to order the Odin speaker cables.
Don’t know why pic doesn’t show |
@harpo75 Thanks for the advice, appreciate that. |
@agisthos so did you get that Neardost cable yet? How do they compare to the real thing? |
@rolox Which AliExpress sore did you get your Odin cable from? I understand not all of them are the same, some stores have better products. |
Yeah, that is my concern. On the other hand I would not buy a +$10K cable used, except from a reputable dealer. While, they may say Nordost… the wood blocks are a joke… any dealer would know the difference.
Honestly, I am interested to hear one in my main system… having heard a real one. The real one was the best interconnect I have ever heard. |
Wow! I just read most of this thread. It’s disturbing to say the least. Sooner or later, if not already, someone US based with figure out a “business” out of this, buy these cables in bulk, and sell them as used genuine cables “bought from authorized dealer “. My guess is it’s easy to secure genuine boxes and original cases. Very sad |
IMO the store you should use is RM Digital. There are various cheaper versions of these Odin knock offs but the build does not look as as good as the ones from that store. My experience is with the power cable only.
I would also avoid the Odin Gold knock offs. Its not going to be using gold conductor like the real Odin Gold. All they are doing is coloring the connectors and internal conductor shield of the Odin 2 to a gold color. On the power cables you can even see they have dipped the shield in a fake gold paint and it is flaking off inside the clear teflon tube exposing the silver underneath.
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nyc_ben - Yes that is one of them but I’ve pretty much purchased from whoever had the best price. Although some companies put different connectors on so you need to make sure that those are the same Furutech connectors. It’s been several years since I’ve purchased the Audioquest. My last ones were Audioquest Sky and that was like 14 or so years ago. I really like what the Furutech cables do. They just sound great. Fast and detailed yet full and smooth. Bass is fantastic with great impact but not thin. You can really hear the character (textures) of vocals and instruments. Imaging is truly excellent this is the last ones I bought: https://m.aliexpress.com/item/3256802772422007.html?spm=a2g0n.order_detail.0.0.21a9f19c9sVNoN I also bought raw speaker cables and made my own as I only have 4’ runs. Purchased some Rhodium spade lugs and rubber jackets. Im very pleased with the cables. In my system I’ve tried many high end cables because I used to work at an audio equipment mfr. Tara Labs, Audioquest, the top MIT (with the big boxes), WyWires Platinum (which is what I gave up to use the Furutech, Cardas, Kimber Kable solid Silver interconnects (directly from them, detailed but thin). The Kimber Silver top end speaker cables were good, and there several others I’ve been able to take home and test for a while. I don’t remember all the names from over the years. I’ve rarely found a cable that I just found perfect. Usually they excel in certain areas and give up something else. I really like the PCOCC or OCC or whatever companies label they stick on it. |
@roxy54 is this your go-to store in AliExpress? |
@harpo75 You have said you purchased some fake AudioQuest and Furutech cables that have amazed you with their quality. What store in Aliexpress did you buy them from? I am eager to test these near copies of the originals to see for myself if they are as great as stories have been told. |
Yes, aside from the polarizing subject of the fake Nordost cables, I think that it's a great thing that other members are discovering the high quality, reasonably priced cables and interconnects that are available under different legitimate brand names from vendors on AliExpress and other Asian sites. There is risk involved because returns may be difficult/impossible, but the money involved is not much, and if members share information about specific cables they have bought, and from which vendor, which is already happening, then the risk will be minimized. |
You know this one thread is selling a bunch of their stuff. I bought a pair of single ended interconnects just to see what they sounded like. The only place they would fit was in my headphone system. They sounded pretty good. But to really evaluate a set of interconnects I needed a longer set of XLR. So I just bought a pair. These I can swap into my main system and test against my contemporary Transparent Ultra. Should be interesting. |
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Hi ozzy, I was hoping to use the same vendor you did to try out the (pseudo) Odin 2 interconnects. The Odin 2s look visually different depending on vendor. When I checked out the HIFI-DIY vendor on Aliexpress they did not sell the cables that I could find. Any chance I am looking at the wrong vendor? Thanks |
Not all are created the same on aliexpress. I have bought .5m power cables just for the plug connectors to make my own DIY power cables. Pics were the same but one seller sent a mat stainless finish with dull gold pins while another seller sent one wit a shiny stainless finish and shiny gold pins. Also, bought a 120v LPS and was sent a 240v LPS. Beware returns really are for the most part not an option. They string you along and rule in favor of the seller and require you to pay return shipping to China. That aside I have been blown away with the quality performance a value of the products they sell. |
The products can be different at least in appearance depending on the store. For example, the Odin gold XLR from Nordost has the markings in black on one cable and white on the other. Only one store, RM Digital has it that way. All the other stores have the lettering the same color on both cables. The Gold PC screws are silver everywhere except RM Digital that has them in gold like Nordost. Are the differences only external and cosmetic? I don’t know. The price is also vastly different across the board. RM Digital being the most expensive. To see these details by the way, one needs to magnify the pictures a little. |
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I received one of the Chinese Odin 2 1-meter XLR interconnects today. They look pretty good. First listen... the soundstage shrunk quite a bit from what I am used to. The cable doesn’t sound bad, but I can tell it needs lots of break in before passing judgement. Again, I suppose that if I didn’t already have some very high-performance cables these might not be too bad. We'll see how/if they develop. ozzy |
Like it has been said times and again, the fake Nordost is not in competition with the real one for various reasons that have been pointed out in this thread. Unintendedly, it is doing a number on cables between $50 to $3k+, especially the Gold. Wish they had called it Neardost. That would have solved a lot of ethical and moral conflicts. I always thought that when it comes to cables, there is a certain level where real improvements are really a matter of opinion, personal taste and visual preferences. After trying a set of Neardost PCs in my AGD monos, I realize that I was wrong in at least one count: my current power cables had not reached that level yet. There were rooms for improvement. I will not name the cable that was replaced out of fairness for the manufacturer. |
