Hi Ryder, I have both cables in my hands now.
The Vovox Vocalis has been on for over a week and it is a really really good cable for the buck. I found one pair of 2,5m for € 300 in as new condition. For that amount of money it helps improving sound significantly. I like it.
Now to the extremely expensive Super Lumina. Words a limited to WTF? What? Come on! To be honest, I am in HIFI for 30 years now and I have always made sure to have some good cables in my gear, not the most expensive ones, but good midrange.
My expectations where high for the Super Lumina - like “if Naim want this amount of money, I want to be impressed beyond doubt, far beyond small differences.”
Well, I am. This is totally beyond all I have ever heard with Naim, including my old combination of SN2 and HDX. This cable demonstrates that there is so much more that my Harbeth speakers are able to do for me, it almost feels bad to have wasted so much time listening to them below their level.
What are the really significant wow effects?
There is magic air in Leonard Cohens “Nevermind” which I had always realized to be there but now his voice is right in my face and I can hear him breathing, I can hear his mouth closing, his tongue forming the words.
There is more stage, wide and deep. Much more. The highs do not cut off so harsh anymore, they wave out with a charm.
There is a hell lot more PRaT. Alan Parsons DSD version of “I don’t wanna go home” is literally everywhere in the room, it swings and rolls and rocks out of the speakers in all directions, it is just an amazing demonstration of what is possible - same gear, same room, different speaker cable. The Harbeth speakers have fully come alive, it is as if they were breathing the music in and out. Waving.
I don’t know yet if I am really gonna spend three grand for this cable but I fully agree, that it makes a significant difference and really pushes the whole chain to a different level. My new SN3 has been on for 4 weeks now, 24/7, it is still getting better but today I really don’t know what “better” could mean after this.
Question: This demo set of Luminas is 4m. Do I still need a certain length with SN3, because 2,5m would be enough in my setup?
Chris
P.S. Boy, this pair of 4m sounds really sick, just listening to the beginning of Tony Joe Whites “Closer to the truth” right now - this is not normal anymore…control, bass, rhythm, loudness, lows/mids/high everything just in the right place.