I have not heard the Nordost cables you mentioned. I did audition the Red Heaven and Blue Dawn (or is that the other way around?) in my system a few years back. They made a striking immediate impression of speed and tightness, but lacked body and harmonic detail.
The Shunyata Lyra speaker cable was in my system for a couple years - the Lyra is from the generation prior to the Gemini, but I think it is of the same type construction. More recently the Lyra was upgraded to the current helix Andromeda which is a notch up from the Gemini. I have not heard the Gemini.
Both Lyra and Andromeda are well constructed and although thickish, they are easy to manuever. I won't differentiate how, but the Andromeda is better. Sonically they're from the same family and I suspect the Gemini will reflect a similar house sound.
The cables excel at delivering proper timing and dynamic cues across the frequency spectrum while also revealing fine timbral nuance. Those three characteristics have the highest priority for me and it is not obvious to find a cable that does well with each. In my system they are neither 'fast and lean' nor 'dark and sweet', but rather towards the neutral without appearing to add colorations of their own. The differentiating harmonics are there - I've been surprised with the Andromeda pulling out some rather subtle note-bending I'd not heard before.
There's no blurring of notes in quick passages - at least not as I can tell and leading edges are crisp and notes stop when they should. They're fast but not analytical. Spacious airy recording venues come through exceedingly well. Imaging from vocalists is more three dimensional than I heard from the Kimber Select 3035. If I have to pick nits, the topmost frequencies from certain (but not all) instruments such as triangles and trumpets are not quite as harmonically rich on high as in the upper-mids, but that may be more revealing of the rest of my system than a cable thing - I'm not sure. Mid and low bass is nicely tight and tuneful and they deliver the whumpf of the fundamental on a bass drum whack with speed and clarity. I've only used them with tube amps, but they've mated up well with every one I've tried and seem to have an affinity with the Shunyata ICs and power cords in my system.
So all-in-all I was happy with the Lyra and I'm quite taken with the new Andromeda. From my perspective, the Gemini will be well worth a try-out. Good luck with your search.
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The Shunyata Lyra speaker cable was in my system for a couple years - the Lyra is from the generation prior to the Gemini, but I think it is of the same type construction. More recently the Lyra was upgraded to the current helix Andromeda which is a notch up from the Gemini. I have not heard the Gemini.
Both Lyra and Andromeda are well constructed and although thickish, they are easy to manuever. I won't differentiate how, but the Andromeda is better. Sonically they're from the same family and I suspect the Gemini will reflect a similar house sound.
The cables excel at delivering proper timing and dynamic cues across the frequency spectrum while also revealing fine timbral nuance. Those three characteristics have the highest priority for me and it is not obvious to find a cable that does well with each. In my system they are neither 'fast and lean' nor 'dark and sweet', but rather towards the neutral without appearing to add colorations of their own. The differentiating harmonics are there - I've been surprised with the Andromeda pulling out some rather subtle note-bending I'd not heard before.
There's no blurring of notes in quick passages - at least not as I can tell and leading edges are crisp and notes stop when they should. They're fast but not analytical. Spacious airy recording venues come through exceedingly well. Imaging from vocalists is more three dimensional than I heard from the Kimber Select 3035. If I have to pick nits, the topmost frequencies from certain (but not all) instruments such as triangles and trumpets are not quite as harmonically rich on high as in the upper-mids, but that may be more revealing of the rest of my system than a cable thing - I'm not sure. Mid and low bass is nicely tight and tuneful and they deliver the whumpf of the fundamental on a bass drum whack with speed and clarity. I've only used them with tube amps, but they've mated up well with every one I've tried and seem to have an affinity with the Shunyata ICs and power cords in my system.
So all-in-all I was happy with the Lyra and I'm quite taken with the new Andromeda. From my perspective, the Gemini will be well worth a try-out. Good luck with your search.
.