Nordost Brahma vs Heimdall 2 power cords

Isn’t Vishnu PC identical to Heimdall 2 PC?

Perhaps there are differences but the specs look almost identical - the only differences I can see are the power rating has been downrated to 15 amp and the Heimdall is listed as 5 nines copper, rather than 6

Are they the same cable?

 

VISHNU:

Construction: Precision micro mono-filament design

Insulation: FEP

Conductors: 3x extruded silver over 16 AWG 99.999999% OFC solid core

Connectors: IEC Wall plug US/UK/EUR

Propagation Delay: 85% Speed of light

Power Rating: 25 Amp

Capacitance: 10pF/ft

DC Resistance: 4.0 Ohms per 1000ft/304M

 

Heimdall:

Construction: Precision micro mono-filament design

Insulation: FEP

Conductors: 3x extruded silver over 16 AWG 99.99999% OFC solid core Connectors: IEC Wall plug US/UK/EUR

Propagation Delay: 85% Speed of light

Power Rating: 15 Amp

Capacitance: 10pF/ft

DC Resistance: 4.0 Ohms per 1000ft/304M

At one point I had a full set of Vishnu, with a Brahma feeding the power distributor from the wall.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, but I can say at the time I was never impressed with the Vishnu at all. A few upgrades and years later I purchased one Heimdall 2 and was so impressed for the money I now have an entire set of Heimdall 2 power cables.

The QB8 distributor is critical to use with Nordost power cables. The QB8 was better than many other filtered power conditioning setups I was using.

Anyone like to chime in on current comparisons between Heimdall 2 vs Vishnu?

The first generation Valhalla’s weakness lay in the upper bass/lower midrange. Anyone who played cello, in particular, could hear that Valhalla "leaned out" that range of sound. I like Valhalla, own the interconnects, used to own the speaker cable and the power cords, while at the same time I also owned Shunyata Andromeda Constellation speaker cables as well (with WBT connectors) and King Cobra V2 power cords (not to be confused with the King Cobra CX. No comparison, in my book, with the CX line having a clearer upper midrange and treble, but the KC V2 having a far more ’surging-kick-your-butt-out-your-throat power’ (to paraphrase Roy Gregory somewhat in his review in Hi Fi Plus when he was also reviewing the Valhalla power cords) The Valhalla had a far more dynamic presentation among individual instruments than the King Cobra  V2, but listening to Super Bass, the Ray Brown Trio, it was obvious that all the standup bass instruments were less "present" in their upper reaches. In the King Cobra V2's favor, the instrument was so solid you felt if you walked up to it, you'd bump into it. Even my opera boyfriend, who was always annoyed at having to drive down to New Haven to listen to my stereo (with the ASL Hurricanes) was dazzled - despite himself. He could point to where the drummer was sitting. Valhalla could not quite do that, although it had great focus - just not great solidity, once you'd heard the Shunyatas. Also, bass singers in opera sounded like they were singing higher, as though they were baritones. Just listen to Bluebeard’s Castle on Mercury Living Presence on Valhalla and then put in Shunyata Andromeda and suddenly the singer has a booming chest.
I’m transitioning from Shunyata power cords to Nordost Brahma, because the power cords don’t have that issue that the speaker cable and interconnects have. The Nordost power cords are pretty full, although not as full as say, Shunyata’s power cords - at least up until the Cobra Zi-Tron, which was the first cord to show a weaker (as in less weight) in the bass. I still have a Python Helix Alpha and also a ZiTron Alpha, and both are fuller in the bass than the Cobra. Why do you think they released the Alpha line in such quick succession? It wasn’t time for their 3 year supply to have run out. It was the feedback, first mentioned in The Audio Beat Review. And when the midbass goes, the body and solidity of instruments go (that solid imaging that made the WATTS so famous. Their midbass range, especially with Puppies.)
So, bo1972 is correct. I argued with Harry a few times about this, but he was a pigheaded guy…until the Odin showed up and only THEN did he acknowledge in TAS that the Valhallas were like "the best solid state"…and that he’d never have described them as "threadbare," but "now, I’m deeply chagrined to have to say that that’s exactly how I feel about them." So, I’d go with the power cords first, then the speaker cable. I can say that the Frey 2 I bought and kept for a while was quite good, but because the Shunyata ZiTron was anchoring the PS Audio conditioner, the Frey sounded less powerful than it should have. Well, that’s about to end: I’m waiting for a Brahma to arrive. Now my system has shifted so all the interconnects are Frey 2 and the 2 power cords are Brahma. The only thing that Shunyata is the Cobra ZiTron speaker cables, which I’ll keep for a while and compare to the Frey 2 my dealer has, now that the system is anchored by a Brahma. Should be an interesting experiment.

Kimber and Audioquest. I did use a few other brands as well. They were quick tests. Brands I really don't care. Wenn you put in a Kimber or Audioquest interlink, the stage gets deeper and the individual focus gets a lot better. I had many discussions with Nordost people. They do not understand sound realism and they do not have the knowledge about how big an instrument or voice should be in real. Like a violin sounds a lot different in real then with Valhalla. I owned it, I tested it hundreds of times and I sold it. The Valhalla is better, but it is still not a complete cable. Because you miss important parts wgat needs to ne there wenn you have all parts in sound. It is incomplete. That is why I said hundreds of times that Nordost never should an can be used 100%. It is that predictable and easy to understand.

Forget Nordost. I own a White Night Power 5M and 2M power cables from coconut-audio and they sound better no comparison. I would invest on a couple of these.

I listened side by side the power cords Brahma and Valhalla. Both sound great, but the Valhalla's is a lot better at all.

Hi bo1972,

Which brand that you used besides purists to combine with Valhalla?

I owned Valhalla loudspeakercable and Valhalla powercabels. And I sold a lot of Valhalla and other Nordost cables. Beside this I did hundreds of Nordost tests. For me Nordost is predictable as 1 and 1=2. Realism in sound the Valhalla is a lot better than Brahma and Heimdall. But.......for poweramps it misses a lot compared to some other powercables like Purist Audio. In the lowest freq. you miss drive and definition with the Valhalla. By all the tests of Nordost I had the same outcome. You loose depth and wide by usint 100% nordost. You loose individual focus. And you loose involvement in the overwhole sound. Wenn you go up the line this gets better. Odin is maybe superior in natural sound. Then my qustion is: Why are other Nordost cables not that natural? And please stop witht the bullshit story of synergy. Nordost is not capable of giving all the parts in highend sound what should be there. Wenn I take a interconnect or speakercable out and replace it by another brand. I easilly can add other properties/talents which are not there. For me it is that easy. Because I did test it many many times.

Would like to report back on this matter. I now think that it is somewhat better if you combine Nordost cabling with some other brands that are more warmer. Nordost (esp the Valhalla) is very revealing so something warmer can be quite complementary. I use Signal Cables from wall outlet to QX2 and to QB8 power distributor.

Hi Polk432

QX2 brings better soundstage to the presentation. I'd advise you to also try Qv2 that you plug to remaining slots of your power distribution. the effect it brings is that high is more clean and well define.

the benefit of Qv2 outweighs QX2 if you weigh in the price of each.

Odin? I dont want to lure myself into more trouble :-) (had enough trouble from trying the valhallas)

I think you'll enjoy your Blue Heavens. I used full loom of Red Dawn before and i liked it. but as you try higher types of nordost cables, the more you want more. that's the danger of this hobby...

I am still breaking in 4 1M Blue Heaven connected to the QB4 that has a 4M BH connected to the wall. If you can afford it, try an Odin. How do you like the QX2? I have BH LS IC and a Heimdal IC with BH Rev II speaker wires. They sure make some good wires. I'd love to try some Odin. Best of luck.

Hi

Just want to make this a full circle. I took the plunge and bought brahma PC replacing Heimdall Norse 2 PC.

I like the Brahma much much better. Highs are more relaxed but retained its form. Bass is well defined, controlled but quite deep.

Advise that audiogoners to jump on brahma if one finds it for sale second hand.

Quite satisfied myself that i find answer to my own question. When people say that Brahma is quite to Valhalla, theyre saying it not without merit.

Thanks for looking

I now got the valhalla speaker cables installed. Wow i enjoy more music now than ever. Valhalla PC is coming next week.

Thanks for all the advice.

Rhljazz and Tom.

Thanks. I am now hunting for Valhalla PC as much as i can. I've experienced Valhalla IC on my system and theyre so awesome that listen at higher volume looking for tunes i have never heard before with my old CDs.

There's got to be similar good then with Valhalla PC.

YUou haven't been keeping up with the threads. I just wanted to beat Elizibeth to the punch as every single power cord question come3s back with Pangea from her.

Gets very old very fast.

So anyway, yes, the answer to every single power cord question is Pangea. Every single one.

The answer to each and every power cord question is Pangea. EVERY power cord question.

Really? Wanna buy another one? The 9SE.

I compared the Valhalla, Brahma, and Vishnu directly, and in my system the Brahma was the winner.

I can say that in my summer system, replacing the Brahma cord from the Thor to the wall with a PS audio Lab Cable resulted in a fuller bass response. The Pangea was just plain dark, less at both frequency extremes, and not much in the way of dynamic contrast.

I have not heard the Heimdall 2 cords, so can't offer any advice on the differences.

In my system and to my ears the Valhalla simply has been the best P.C. I've tried. With the Valhalla's music just has a 'rightness' in sound quality that nothing else has matched. Good luck.

best,
Tom

The answer to each and every power cord question is Pangea. EVERY power cord question.