Nordost SuperFlatLine Speaker Cable Review

[Steve Dallas]

At least it can be run under the carpet. Probably still needs cable risers though. The kids could run their Hotwheels cars over the humps.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Yeah, we need to measure speaker impedance in a vacuum, just in case.

Few amplifiers can handle vacuum || 2.2µF, though.

 

[kchap]

I found this surprising, too. A velocity factor of 0.9 is unusually large for a cable of this construction. But who knows?

I also found it surprising so I looked at a Dipole Calculator site. The calculator assumes a velocity of 95% the velocity of light:

Compare the actual Antenna length to the ½ wavelength.

 

[kklarqvist]

I tried to find some technical information on this cable, and found this in their brochure:

View attachment 292620

At least some info on capacitance (31.8 pF/m) and inductance (0.394uH/m). This would make 111.3 ohm characteristic impedance. Cannot see the resistance parameter. I doubt their promoted "propagation delay = 91% speed of light".
I have not voted, because I miss "0" option, "designed as opposed to laws of physics".

The numbers are approximately consistent 1/sqrt(31.8pF/m*0.394uH/m)~283mm/ns~94%c0 and looking at the picture suggesting mostly air dielectric 91% speed of light is probably about right and also the inductance and capacitance numbers. Using two separated enameled transformer wires would probably get you to 99% the speed of light. (transformer wire was what I used in my early setups before I 'upgraded' to zip-cord).

 

[D700]

For Sale: Complete set, new in box "Uplift - Organic Cable Lifters" $250

 

[Deleted member 48726]

For Sale: Complete set, new in box "Uplift - Organic Cable Lifters" $250

Paint them gold for that sweet warm sound and raise the price (and cables) 100 %

 

[wwenze]

 

[marcom22]

The problem is the "shotgun" configuration ahahaahahhaah

 

[wwenze]

No, it starts to getting serious with OCC 7N at .9999999%.

I only use copper-free copper

 

[Mojo Warrior]

Another "Gee Whiz" overpriced snake oil product

 

[Philbo King]

I definitely want a higher velocity factor. I don't want to wait around to hear my music.

The delay at C is around 1 nanosecond per foot. At 91% propagation that increases to 1.0989e-009 sec.

I'd hate to have to wait that extra 98 picoseconds to hear the music! It would just ruin the experience! LOL

 

[Raticosa]

Hahaha... another failure for Nordost... from a physical point of view, putting N conductors in parallel with a small gap between them and not twisting them makes the whole cable acting like a multiple loop antenna with N-1 loops, which can easily pickup the EMI environmental noise... same problem of "ground loop antenna" doubled for positive and negative conductors. So definitively a "food for fishes"...

 

[xaviescacs]

I think I can guess the SPL, frequency response, phase, etc.

xDD

A proper listening test is a must though.

 

[Docmoggy]

Another one bites the dust......

 

[Spkrdctr]

Per above, I have done those tests before and they don't show any difference there either. It is just more work.

Well, I wonder if it will pass 100 amps as any good heavy wire should do. Now that would be a fun test! Have fire extinguisher handy.......

 

[Svensson]

It is 91% speed of light. I think that is good enough for audio.

At 91% the speed of light, the bass must have increased mass (using e=mC² ). Actually, I should not joke in case it is used in marketting!

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I 'spose if somebody absolutely wants to run his cable under a rug, or glue it to a baseboard and paint over it so as to hide it, then maybe a flat cable would be useful, but Nordost or some other manufacturer has cheaper stuff than this that will obviously work every bit as well or perhaps even better at least for in wall use.

 

[Dzhaughn]

It's a perfect match for a tube amp.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

For Sale: Complete set, new in box "Uplift - Organic Cable Lifters" $250

Too cheap won't sound good. I mean they are maybe enough for mid priced gear. I need something for about 2-5k per piece to match my 80k speaker cables.
Sorry

 

[_thelaughingman]

Such a fad product!! I work with similar copper wire flat line cable in a highly complex automation system and it's the most fragile, noisy and least reliable cable. Heck the only job the flatline cable does is to run from one power amplifier box to another to power some robots and it still fails 70% of the time.