2. cables
  3. 147198-125055

Nordost Valhalla 2 Power Cord Worth It? Over Audioquest Hurricane?

I am wondering about the performance delta between the Nordost Valhalla 2 PC versus something more "reasonably priced" as the Audioquest Hurricane PC.  Is there anyone with some experience with both of these cords able to comment on the sonic differences as you go up to the Valhalla 2?  I'm certain the answer will depend what I am connecting the cords to.  It will be one cord for a Gryphon Diablo 300 integrated amplifier, and another cord for an InnuOS Zenith MKIII music server.  In other threads, I've seen some people note that a high-end PC with the Diablo won't yield much difference from the stock cable, but I'm not sure if that is true?  I'd conduct some tests but I unfortunately don't have the gear quite yet, and I'm planning out the cabling.
nyev

Showing 3 responses by nyev

nyev OP
1,031 posts
 
Thanks ron17, that’s a good idea.  I was hoping to get the cables the same time as the rest of my system which I don’t have yet.  That way, everything will burn in together.  However I agree with you - I should probably be patient and do some testing of cables AFTER my new amp and music server is burnt in rather than buying cables up-front.
nyev OP
1,031 posts
 
Thanks rshad0000.  Did you hear any difference at all between the stock Gryphon cord and the Hurricane for the Diablo? Do you think it is even worth getting the Hurricane, or are you suggesting I should not bother and just stay with the stock Gryphon cord and upgrade the PC for my source?  Thanks again.
nyev OP
1,031 posts
 
rshad I hear you.....  I’ll probably go with the Hurricane for the Gryphon too, for the same reasons.  I’m sure marketing folks will be using our posts to validate their assumptions on the mindset of HiFi enthusiasts.  I felt very self-conscious when my non-audiophile friends found out what I spent on a AQ Diamond USB cable.  And that’s not even an expensive cable relatively speaking.  IMO USB cables are the most embarrassing thing for audiophiles to buy, but power cords are a close second.  But in many cases the differences are so blatantly obvious, and the effects are not even always positive.
More to discover