NORDOST TYR 2 Review (Coax Cable)

[AndreaT]

It is so interesting that aliexpress has Nordost cables on sale for a few US $. They must be clones. However, since Amir is already on the Nordost black list, why not plan a contest between legit Nordost cables vs. Nordost clones? Results might surprise us and emphasize even more the emperor-new-clothes psychologic mechanism for the new rich that feeds so much dough to "High-End" electronics and their empty (and deceiving) promises.

 

[Chrispy]

There's a Nordost "black list"? Oh please post that up, gotta be audio gold.

 

[sam_adams]

So a 50ohm RG58 just has 3ps of jitter. That's much lower than I expected. Considering that the square waves of SPDIF is at least 50ns long at the HD audio bitrates, this gives people some perspective of how little cable jitter is a problem. Heck, attenuation might even be a bigger problem.

This gives me an idea. I can slowly use worse and worse connections... down to even crocodile clips, and see at what point the SPDIF loses locking, and also how the analogue measures before that. I'm guessing it might not even be audible right before it loses locking.

That 3 ps of jitter is an order of magnitude less than what would be audible at 8 KHz—let alone 20KHz—and as mentioned, is probably due to a slight impedance mismatch.

The audibility of jitter in digital systems was elucidated by our own @DonH56 in a couple of discussions a few years back:

Digital Audio Jitter Fundamentals - Part 1

Digital Audio Jitter Fundamentals - Part 2

The late Julian Dunn wrote extensively on jitter in digital audio systems:

Julian Dunn - The Diagnosis and Solution of Jitter-related Problems in Digital Audio Systems

Julian Dunn - Measurement Techniques for Digital Audio

Julian Dunn - Jitter - Specification and Assessment in Digital Audio Equipment

Julian Dunn - Audio Precision - TN23 - Jitter Theory

Our esteemed host also has a brief treatise on small distortions that touches on jitter:

Audibility of Small Distortions - Amir Majidimehr

Given that most coax S/PDIF interfaces are probably implemented rather poorly even today, it is clear from @amirm's testing that cables have little—if any—contribution to audible jitter.

 

[amirm]

It is so interesting that aliexpress has Nordost cables on sale for a few US $.

I didn't know they were using the same brand. And indeed they are! Are there any that look identical?

 

[DonR]

Mostly Odin and Valhalla knockoffs from what I can see. Testing the USB cables would be a two-fer win in my book.

 

[AndreaT]

I didn't know they were using the same brand. And indeed they are! Are there any that look identical?

 

[AndreaT]

The legit is $ 35,000, the Aliexpress one $ 332.50 max. Probably measured performance is identical, or maybe better, for the Aliexpress one...however it comes with a Schuko plug...

 

[GXAlan]

 

[Doodski]

The legit is $ 35,000, the Aliexpress one $ 332.50 max. Probably measured performance is identical, or maybe better, for the Aliexpress one...however it comes with a Schuko plug...

View attachment 216837

DrOOL! It has wood. Is giving me wood.

 

[digicidal]

DrOOL! It has wood. Is giving me wood.

Yep... nothing says "perfect electrical conductor" like wood.... oh wait...

 

[sam_adams]

The legit is $ 35,000, the Aliexpress one $ 332.50 max. Probably measured performance is identical, or maybe better, for the Aliexpress one...however it comes with a Schuko plug...

View attachment 216837

Don't forget to use your Coupins.

 

[Garrincha]

1800 $, worth maybe 10? The rest must be "church tax"

Just "for the lolz": https://www.thomann.de/de/pro_snake_bnc_leitung_05m_75ohm.htm

What about this business idea: Take this cheapo "Pro Snake" cables, rebrand them as "Snake Oil" (less modifications necessary and a very honest brand name), hire some marketing and texting people, create a nice website and sell it for a few hundred or thousend dollars.

 

[audiotron]

View attachment 216840

One cable sold = pays for the full container from China

 

[Sal1950]

Needless to say, I can't recommend the Nordost TYR 2.

Humm, Amir I didn't read anywhere that you checked this coax for a low SWR in the lengths you were using?
A really decent SWR meter can be purchased for under $50, I bet an optimized VSWR could lower the internal jitter in these cables.

 

[Angsty]

So conclusion: from a performance perspective it is top rated and therefore recommended. But from a price to performance it is not.

I am not sure where these cable tests will give from a scientific perspective, unless there are cables with ”magic boxes” attached that needs to be debunked.

Been there, done that…

AudioQuest Wind High-end Cable Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the AudioQuest Wind RCA "PSS Silver" cable. The sample I have was kindly donated by a member and costs US $2,300 in the 1 meter configuration. No, that is not a typo. It is over two thousand dollars for a pair. The cable comes in a rather cheap...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[GXAlan]

One cable sold = pays for the full container from China

What is interesting is that
1) Straight Wire is a pretty pricey “made in the USA” brand that was rebadged as JBL Synthesis cables in the US. JBL has a bigger brand than Revel in Asia. There are no clones on Aliexpress.

2) McIntosh sells very expensive cables that wouldn’t be hard to counterfeit. There are “McIntosh” labeled cables on AliExpress that look nothing like McIntosh cables.

I actually have a lot of respect for McIntosh. If you look at their cable marketing language, they are very truthful. Their cable language is likely the most truthful I have ever seen that it almost sounds silly.

https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/-/media/Files/mcintoshlabs/DocumentMaster/us/Cable-brochure-35015604.pdf?rev=5a69b322b3bb4e17b17543295e954eae&revision=5a69b322-b3bb-4e17-b175-43295e954eae

3) Nordost has admittedly very complex cable designs and those are perfectly matched at what is reasonably priced for audiophile jewelry at AliExpress.

4) As a bonus, I picked up some NOS speaker wire from Radio Shack at the price of generic wire. The marketing hyperbole is par for the course, but this speaker wire was actually Made in the USA. Even Monster Cable went to Taiwan and Mexico.

 

[Angsty]

What about this business idea: Take this cheapo "Pro Snake" cables, rebrand them as "Snake Oil" (less modifications necessary and a very honest brand name), hire some marketing and texting people, create a nice website and sell it for a few hundred or thousend dollars.

There is already a Snake Oil branded cable - keep up!

 

[Angsty]

My gear sounds fine on cheap Mogami cable but I like my AQ and Nordost more.

Wanna buy my discounted Nordost coax for $1500? Do you mind if I drop ship from China? /s

 

[Garrincha]

There is already a Snake Oil branded cable - keep up!

Oh, I wasn't aware of that. But they are doing it wrong, the cables are cheap. Are they stupid?

 

[Gremlins]

Damm 1800 dollars for a cable that doesn't do anything ... how can these people hear differences?????

1800 dollars would help an orphan in Cambodia or else where i believe

It would be a shame of existence if these rich people don't donate but buy useless cables ...