Agreed Ozzy, we should actually try them in our systems. We seasoned Agoners all agree on this. I don’t think Colin is weary or anything like that. He just operates his business in a reasoned and professional manner. We both pay for fuses and all manner of gear upfront with a trial period. Sorry to hear about your past issues with refunds. Not good!
聖HIJIRI Users thread
Based on a discussion with another forum member, I've been reading up on this Comback Corporation brand. The reviews I've found have been pretty positive, but I've also learned over the years to take all reviews with a grain of salt. So the purpose of this thread is for users to share their input on 聖HIJIRI cables. When you share, if you'd discuss what model of HIJIRI you demoed and what brands/models they were compared to, that'd be very helpful.
A little background: a few years ago I was reading the Audio Envy threads and decided to give them a try as the seemed to compete with much higher-priced cable. So I decided to give AE a try. I found both the $179 P2 and the $279 M3 to easily best an Isotek power cord at $1k. So that got me thinking even more about value products. I was about to give Zavfino a try and then was given another recommendation to give HIJIRI a try. So this is how I got here. I'll be very interested to hear all user comments on HIJIRI and this should be a good repository for the brand.
Here is their website: www.combak.net
357 responses Add your response
@ozzy, Thanks for your input. I can only speak to my experiences and how I approach auditions. As long as I am fully aware and good with return policy terms of a dealer providing me an opportunity to audition a product in the very comfort of my home, I have no issues with putting $$$ on my credit card. No one is forcing anyone to audition HIJIRI cables. This thread exists to share positive or not so positive experiences of end users. I always urged folks to try before they commit to purchase any product. There is no such thing is one size fits all, please read my first post on this thread. “We post our impressions based on experience levels, system quality and personal taste and what we think is the best.” |
Someone mentioned experiences. Just for reference purposes I was an Allied Radio Shack Manager at age 19. Previous to that I built many Heathkits. Anyone remember them? This hobby has always been in my blood, and I love it. My actual experience has been through testing, trials, shows, friends and many, many so called, "Mad Scientist" experiments. ozzy |
lalitk, I have had dealers in the past who guaranteed refunds if not satisfied renege on that. Only after getting the CC company involvement along with proof of return was I able to recoup the cost. I don’t know Collin and he doesn’t know me. I get it, both parties are weary. Providing a CC number in the case that I did not return the item should have been security enough. I also will add I have never not paid for something that I received on loan. That would be terrible! Most times if the product tests out to be as good as the claims, I buy it and brag about it on Audiogon. The power cords that I presently own were either previously loaners or was bought used on Audiogon. So, what we have is boasts from seasoned Audiogonners (that I respect) but with no actual relative comparison. Meaning that they are not tested against cords in the same price range. But I am sure some rag mag will review it for their benefits. Leaving again the average Audiogonner not sure how it would compare. ozzy |
Does it ever ends..I know exactly what do you mean. When you put together a system, you are constantly looking at ways to extract every ounce of performance from each component….and that’s where the fun begins. Music is very close to my heart and my audio system is just a reflection of my passion for achieving ultimate expression of music reproduction in my MAN CAVE! If I were you, I would enjoy Zavfino cables until you get that itch for next level performance. Audio pursuits are not very different than our life journey, Zavfino is just another stop, don’t feel rushed to hop back on for next stop, HIJIRI :-) I completely agree with you; in my 30 plus years of audiophile journey, folks like Colin are rare gems. Colin has been a tremendous help and resource in my pursuit of achieving sonic bliss. Couple of more tweaks (hint: grounding) and I am done! |
@pokey77 , you are doing it right by trying cables in your own system with an open mind. The price of a cable, by itself, will not always translate into it being the very best cable in your system and for your tastes. |
@cd45123 , enjoy your new cables and music. Many good cables out there and Zavfino offers very good value products. |
@ozzy I was looking forward to your feedback since you seemed to have listened to a lot of stuff. I think with Hijiri, the prices now get into mid/upper range Shunyata, Siltech, Hemingway, etc. @lalitk @grannyring I imagine you guys have heard a lot of different looms, so will take your word for it on Hijiri. I just settled into Zavfino, but it never ends, does it? :)
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Honestly OZZY, Colin could not be a finer gentleman. I’m not gonna try to convince you because his reputation among his customers really says it all. I will say this; in my experience as an audiophile, some 42 years, I have never run across a more competent, professional and caring dealer. So yes you can trust Colin absolutely and completely.
I must admit here that I am also speechless as the practice of a trial period is near ubiquitous today. I not only expect it, but find it the only reasonable way to run a business. Some dealers don’t even offer a trial period with returns like Underwood Wally, LTA on MHDT dacs and others. Now if being sent gear at no charge is a must have expectation for you, then I respect that need for you. |
“I don’t mind taking my credit info for security but to try and obtain a refund later is just too risky” Honestly I am speechless. There are so many reputable folks here shared their wonderful experiences with Colin. If that’s not enough, most reputable credit card offers Purchase protection benefit for their consumers, where is the risk :-) |
@ozzy ,
I am a bit confused with your last post. A trial period with the option to send back for a full refund is quite common. That is how it has always worked in my experience. Some dealers reduce the refund by charging a restocking fee. I don’t think this dealer charges a restocking fee. Being charged upfront is the way it always works in my experience. Both dealers and direct to customer manufacturers work this way. Perhaps there are some exceptions, but those would be rare exceptions. This is how far less expensive cables are sold by companies like Zavfino. I was charged upfront and given a time window to return. I returned mine. Audio Envy works the same way. With these Hijiri cables the upper end models represent a significant amount of money. I rather doubt dealers keeps 10 of each variety and length in stock. Some cables may need to be ordered and shipped directly to customer.
Perhaps I am missing something and you can clarify. |
This is exactly the feedback I was looking for. Very much appreciated. When folks like grannyring, lak, wig, & lalitk all report fairly similar results, and some of those users also having used Audio Envy and Zavfino, you can have a better idea of how even the Hijiri Performance line is also a value. Let me explain. I mentioned a $1k power cord in my intro. Audio Envy's $179 and $279 power cords were both better by a fairly large margin than the said $1k PC. So if these posters are saying that Hijiri is much better than Audio Envy and Zavfino, at the price that grannyring mentioned for the Hijiri Nagomi power cord above ($1,350), it is still a solid value in that it handily beats the AE and Zavfino power cords. And understand that grannyring and maybe others in this thread have spent a lot of time building cables and so have a larger world view of wire and how it works, you can then understand that when the Hijiri are recommended by them, that they must be pretty good. I have some experience with trying different power cords, but certainly not to the extent that grannyring, lalitk, wig, and others do. So their experience and insight with Hijiri can be highly useful for many who read this thread, certainly for myself. |
Not sure if these prices are still current, as they were given to me back in April 2021, but here is the MSRP back then:
Hijiri "high performance to cost" XLR interconnects: .75m $1,725 1.0m $1,790 1.5m $1,910 2.0m $2,030 2.5m $2,150 3.0m $2,270
Hijiri "high performance to cost" speaker cables: 1.5m $1,900 2.0m $2,150 2.5m $2,400 3.0m $2,650
Hijiri Kiwami "Million" XLR interconnects: .75m $2,800 1.0m $3,150 1.5m $3,800 2.0m $4,450 2.5m $5,100 3.0m $5,750
Hijiri Michi "Million" speaker cables: 1.5m $6,750 2.0m $7,400 2.5m $8,050 3.0m $8,700
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Respect your comment. I get it. This price point is not for everyone. I thought spending this kind of money on cables was just not worth it. Well, when I put them in my system my past assumptions just evaporated away. To me, in the end, they are an equal value and perhaps even a greater one. I base this off the beautiful music they make in my home. I have not been able to enjoy this level of emotional connection and enjoyment with other cables. The Hijiri cables took my listening sessions to a much more enjoyable level. However, that’s me. We are all different. The price is certainly not within the reach of some. For those there are still many options like Zavfino and Audio Envy. Lots of roads to great music in our homes. Enjoy! |
@lalitk , Never mind, Agon sent me a message saying I was mentioned and sent the to that post only. I just found a bunch of posts. Thanks again. JD |
Well your post may not be as helpful as actual user experience. User experience across varied systems from posters with much experience is certainly not useless. Right? This forum exists for a reason and one of the main ones is to post user experiences. Agree on trial period which is offered by Colin.
One needs a place to start and become aware of products. That is what’s happening here. Many owners of Hijiri cables first learned about them by reading reviews and actual owner experiences. That’s what many posting here did. We then acted and purchased. Yes, with the opportunity to return. We owners have varied systems and they worked for us. System synergy, individual preferences, budget, priorities and other factors all play a role.
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Here we go! The Hijiri thread! Lalitk turned me onto AE which was pretty good, then this Zavfino thread took things to another level. Now Hijiri…Oh man. I just ordered a pair of Silversmith Fidelium to go head to head with Zavfino, but I’m sure I’ll eventually test out the first level of Hijiri cords. If the interconnect can beat the Fusion, that would be huge. |
“I just want to make the best choice I can and forget about wire and enjoy the music.” In that case, I suggest to go with “Million” series and be done. I compared Nagomi and TAKUMI PC’s; could easily lived with Nagomi but after hearing TAKUMI, there was no going back. You’re in a different stratosphere with TAKUMI PC and Million Series IC’s and Speaker cables in terms of dynamics, saturation, smoothness and musicality. |
@romney80, you are so right about them being open sounding. They really helped make my speakers disappear along with better placement in the room.
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Yes. Colin has helped me beyond, well beyond, what I would have done on my own. I have these Hijiri cables and a Circle Labs A200 integrated amp elevating my music experience significantly. I had never heard of these brands before and just did not think high priced cables were really that much better than what I was making, based on my experience. Well Hijiri changed that feeling. I also wish I had them in place years ago. |
I have Combax Hijiri million Kiwami IC (RCA). The way I can describe them is "extremely musical, very open, organic". It just seems natural with no specific emphasis on any spectrum of sound. This cable is unlike any other cables in my system. They just seem right. My system is balanced but these RCAs still sound amazing. I am waiting for availability of XLRs on sale. |
