Revisiting Chinese Knockoff Cables

These are the ones I have been using for a good while. Heck of price, too

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804492643109.html?ug_edm_item_id=3256804492643109&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%21%24150.00%21%2446.50%21%21%21%21%21%4021411f6616918616742076408d012e%2112000033451153393%21edm%21%21&edm_click_module=item_detail&tracelog=rowan&rowan_id1=aeug_edm_56671_1_en_US_2023-08-12&rowan_msg_id=0497biz_pay_after_purchase%3A0%3A0_574016709%24d876069ad72f4555bc9ec7c260fc23dd&ck=in_edm_other&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

@hdm Chinese cables are fine if you have time and tool to make sure soldering/connection/etc are good. typically “as is” those cheap cables have poorly terminated, not properly attached etc.

@westcoastaudiophile   Both the Viborg and "Accuphase" Chinese power cables I have in use here have very high construction quality relative to other non-Chinese brands I've used. Both use screw down connections at male and IEC end and, as I cryo treat all cabling in my system and have for the past 20 years, I always re-tighten those screw down connections post cryo and burn in before slotting them into my system. 

I have experience only with the "Neardost" Odin Gold IC's and I have not dissected those. There's a lengthy thread at Head-Fi, however, where some have done so and found them to be fine and in fact incorporating some but not all of the Nordost geometry/spacing/style of connector (the Holo plugs are quite interesting and clearly a very "low mass" design) etc.

What I can tell you is that I've had six sets of them in use in two different systems for over a year now. They were all cryoed (so subjected to approximately -190 C for 24 hours plus) and then burned in on Audiodharma cable cooker before being used, have been connected and disconnected numerous times and have had perfect functionality in my system, just like all of the non-Chinese commercial IC's I've used in the past 45 years in this hobby.  

 

They're not just good IC's, they're great IC's and I wouldn't have been purchasing 6 pairs of Nordost Odin Gold IC's for $200,000 U.S. anyway. ;)  They're not going to be for everyone-I have a good friend that I recommended them to and he found them to be a bit too warmish, but he has what I would describe as an extremely warm system to start with. On the other hand, I have another friend with a very high end system who also sold off significantly more expensive cabling to replace it with some of the the ridiculously low priced Chinese Nordost stuff after purchasing it as a cheap experiment.

Frankly, I find some of the comments in this thread a bit comical. The idea that you would buy an audio cable (supposedly for the sake of comparison) and then say you never hooked it up to listen to it is rather bizarre to me. 

I never comment on audio forums on anything that I do not have direct listening experience with on a comparative basis, so many of the Chinese knock offs may be crap for all I know. But the Chinese Nordost Odin Gold IC's and the Accuphase 40th Anniversary power cable definitely don't fall into that category. And the latter appears to have been sold by a fairly prominent Audiogon seller for the past two or three years for $350-$400 with rave reviews when it can be purchased China direct for $35-$50! 

 

 

Concur with everything hdm said above......I have numerous "Neardost" gold in my various systems, and have had zero issues (with one minor exception on one XLR IC...and the ALIEXPRESS seller immediately made it good by sending out a replacement IC).

The "Neardost" Gold do have a somewhat warm balance but not at the expense of detail, timing ( PRAT), etc. Superb value for money spent.

Cheers.....

And the latter appears to have been sold by a fairly prominent Audiogon seller for the past two or three years for $350-$400 with rave reviews when it can be purchased China direct for $35-$50! 

Who is this Prominent dude? Please post links to one of his/her Audiogon listings