My system consists of a Naim CDX2, Supernait with CHC XPS and Avondale TPX power supplies with ATC SCM 11 speakers.
The Blue Heaven speaker cable has a well controlled punch in the bass while the high mid/lower frequency is emphasised but this may be due to the Naim source (famous leading edge attack) that the cable is merely not smoothing off... A little on the bright side it most certainly is.
As said before, the bass is powerful, fast and super tight but lacks a bit in the full range of lower frequencies so can come across as lean. It's best described as a punch that's often felt rather than heard.
Mids, hmm... If you listen to hard rock and Metal your going to find lead guitars well served with those piercing highs (in real life an overdriven Marshall isn't that sweet and I happen to believe that's the way it should be on a recording) and spotlight detail able to spell out every note no matter how fast and fleet fingered the playing. Rhythm guitars are a little pulled back and dry and the overall presentation lacking scale. Acoustic guitars come across with plenty of natural timbre and due to the fine dynamics and detail vocals don't suffer any lack of emotion.

If you value soundstaging, dynamics and spotlight detail or just want to add a faster/brighter more controlled element to your system then you might consider this top tier.

Value? Sorry but there's no reason for Nordost charging the prices they do! They might 'manufacture' their own cables unlike many but my bet is they still buy in the silver plated copper and even the end result would cost just a couple of Dollars per metre to make, not to mention there are cheaper alternatives that outperform the B/H in some areas of the sonic spectrum.
'Audiophiles' are the biggest mugs out there. I know, I've fallen for some of the scams but seriously? GB £399 for 1 metre terminated(!)... Hang on while I arrange a loan. But first I need clean my cd collection with that 80 quid for 30ml scotch mist (cryogenic treated you know) and correct my special sound enhancing cable supports with my "Audiophile" £1500 (bargain sale price) glass hammer and rubber nails.

Soundstage, transperacy, dynamics.

Bad violin reproduction, no good with classical music. Bass is ok but emphasized and over-sized some times with not the tightest and most delicate feel - thats strange because Nordost are famous of bass reproduction (the Valhalla are better, but ask the price... !!!)

If you are not listening to classical violin based music and you never play Paganini's 24 caprice, you may audition this cable.
The cables strong points are transparency, dynamics and emphasis on the lower and upper end of frequencies, along with a sweet and very precise mid-range. You could easily live with this cable if you are hearing only hard rock, rarely jazz and modern music, althrough is leads to the lean and cold rather than bold and rich side of spectrum. The sound reproduced via Nordost BH had a lot of inner detail, big amount of information and resolution but it lacked the delicacy of lower bass and -the most critical- the realism in upper violin notes. They placed very forward with aggressiveness and with bad timbre. They sound always very bright, 'zippi' and annoyng. Better look else if you are listening to classical. Very good for classic rockers with tube or s.s. equipment that is bold and rich in textures. But, dont think to play Mozart's violin concerto or symphonies. Upper notes are jumping always forward....!

Similar Products Used:

Cardas, Auditorium23 (fantastic one), Kimber.

Low noise, bass response, cables are flat which makes them easier to move around

Somewhat pricey even on ebay but well worth it

I have had these cables for about a month now. They are the biwire original version. Nordost recently came out with a Revision II which I understand has more silver filaments… They are coupled to my Maggie 1.6QR speakers. The Maggies are on Mye Stands. I was previously using Zu Cable Wax biwire and was very happy with them. However the difference in the Maggie’s after introducing the Blue Heavens was dramatic. The biggest improvement is in the bass response. The bottom end is much more pronounced and significantly more tuneful. Imaging is almost 3 dimensional in scope. I do not have a sub at present but was convinced that a sub was needed to augment the low end. Now I think these cables have obviated the need for a sub for music. (I think a sub will be needed for HT; I have MG12s in the rear and am shopping for a Nola Thunderbolt III). These cables have made the larger more measurable improvement in my system than any other component I have purchased since the Maggies. If you have Magnepans I highly recommend that you give these cables an audition. The difference is that palpable. Simply awesome. Highly recommended..!

Similar Products Used:

Zu Cable Wax,

Price-performance ratio, improved detailing all around, front-to-back soundstaging improved, cables not stiff and easy to use.

Although I listed price-performance ratio as a strength, they may be a little pricey for some, as they are at the upper end of what someone might spend on a budget system. Great value, however, for a higher priced system.

I recently upgraded my interconnects for the following system: Arcam A65+ integrated amp Arcam 7se cd player Acoustic Energy Evo 3 speakers Audioquest Crystal speaker cables The price listed above($165) is for a .6 meter pair. If in KC, Al at Primus Audio is the guy to see. A genuine passion even for entry-level stuff. After 80 hours or so of burn-in time, the Blue Heavens have brought my system to a new level. Previously using TMC White Label interconnects, which I think are still good cables, the Blue Heavens improve on them quite a bit. The most dramatic improvements are vocal details, string instruments, and cymbals. Bass is somewhat tighter and more extended, but my system is pretty limited in that category. On Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", the opening cymbal extends for more than 3 seconds and is more detailed, compared to the TMCs, where it extended for maybe 2 seconds. Another example is the opening 30 seconds(or the whole song for that matter) of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". The conversation is "brought forward" with greater detail, and every pick of a string and slide of the pick down the guitar string has more detail than I could imagine with a modest system. There is a slight improvement in soundstaging from front to back, noticed most on simple arrangements like Alan Jackson's cover of "Tequila Sunrise"(I'm not a big country fan, but I like The Eagles, and the cd "Common Thread" is a great recording). They let almost every aspect of a recording come through, so hissing can be heard with bad recordings. Guess you take the good with the bad. I wanted to list examples here, so readers can assess best what these cables can do. Hope they helped. I am very satisfied with the Blue Heavens.

Similar Products Used:

Audioquest Topaz(not recommended), TMC White Label

Perfect. Detail, natural, neutral - your amp may be the problem if there are some - not the cable. The cable is ultra-revealing and true-sounding. I think its the best ever had. Details, dymanics , best sounding bass ever, quick, fast, black background. Perfect with tube amps. Your speakers will be happy. Forget the price - it worths more.

You may see directly the problems of your amp. But it brings out all the best of an amp.

A perfect cable. Detail, transperancy, easy presentation of all frequencies. Full sounding, top dynamics, get out the full sound of your amp without color. Brings out the bad things of your amp. Try changing the amp and not the cable and you see what im talking. The cable is natural sounding and neutral - slightly,slightly,slightly bright and cool. The bass is so perfect that I can not criticise it , so fast and real sounding with a good amp that you wont believe. Perfect for bi-wiring. Perfect speaker cable.

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almost everything.

Everything, clarity, soundstage, bass, speed , fantastic voice reproduction the best of all brands at this price point - you name it. Dynamics !!! My system sounds like a much,much,much better one.

Flat (if you are a snake-cable lover), slightly bright, piano and acoustic guitars may shine and sound a bit faster than you want and less woody with some systems- mayby . Needs a good system to make it shine.

Awesome speaker cable . A bit "bright" with some systems, it dramatically helps dynamics and increase the details level to the point that make me belive I brought a new system. I can say that it brings the soundstage to the front and of course its a fast and fantastic cable.Perfect seperation of instruments and the best detail/clarity and soundstage presentation for the money. Needs a good system to show all of the charismatic parts of it but also - as always with top cables - it shows and make easy-to-hear all the wrong and bad things of a system. Best buy by far, if you like fast sounding bass and mids. Fantastic presentation with incredible real-like details of breath and voices. May be a little shiny-sounding with pianos and acoustics guitars.

Similar Products Used:

Kimber, Audioquest, Monster, QED etc.

Presentation of music, seperation of instruments, neutrality and clarity. They will make the stereo sing. The music becomes very lifelike.

They are not good with sub-par analytical equipment.

This is truly an awesome interconnect for the money. Little compairs to it unless oyou are the type of person who demands absoluely everything from your components. But, for those who are content with having 92.5% of the best sound, then this is the cable to get. Here is why: The clarity, soundstage and neutrality qualities of the cables. I have owned some very nice cables in the past, but none have given me such serpation between the instruments. With these qualities, a certain type of "realness" is added to the music, almost as if the performance was happening in the living room instead of just on a cd. It seems as though many reviewers comment on the "brightness" of the Blue Heavens. I think that this is a common mistake. WHile the cables bring many qualities to the table, because of theier neutralness and clarity they allow the true sound capabilities of the other components to shine -- make sense. So, if one were to be using a less than adequate or harsh sounding component, it will show. Oftentimes, copper cables, which most are used to, give a certain fuzz to the music that helps soften sub-par components. Personally, my view is that I have invested enough money into my stereo that I want to hear what it can do. The Blue Heavens allow me to do so. Of course with any setup the appropriate cables should be selected. THese cables are great for higher quality and/OR warmer/musical components. Less expensive analytical components will likely lead to brightness. For referencing, my system is: Martin Logan Aerius i Musical Fidelity A300 Rega Planet 2000 Goertz M1 speaker cable

Similar Products Used:

Audioquest, Alpha Core/Goertz, Nordost Solar Wind, Tara Labs, Transparent, many, many others

Clear, open and controlled. Flat profile is nice-looking as well.

Relatively "leaner"(?); some other cables are almost as good and cost quite a bit less.

I use Blue Heaven (Rev. II) interconnects and speaker cables in my main two-channel system. They replaced previous interconnects from MIT and Transparent and speaker cables from Yamamura Churchill. I find the Blue Heavens more detailed and noticeably faster than my previous cables. This was especially true of the interconnects. Replacing the MIT and Transparent cables, the Blue Heavens seemed to allow more detail through, bringing slightly more air and space to the presentation. Low frequencies were tighter and faster. I am not sure if "bright" is the right word to describe the tonal balance with the Blue Heavens in the chain; my impression is that the Blue Heavens transfer signals with a little more transparency and a little less coloration than my previous interconnects (which were, admittedly, cheaper than the Nordost). The difference between the Blue Heavens and Yamamura cables are slightly harder to describe. With the Yamamuras, bass extension on the system was adequate but "loose"; on recordings with deep bass, I had the sense that the lowest frequencies were not quite under control, slightly bloated in comparison with the Blue Heavens. Bass through the Blue Heavens was a little tighter and faster, and there seemed to be better control over transients and decays. In the mid-range and high frequencies, the Blue Heaven speaker cables seemed more detailed and open, compared with the Yamamuras whcih sometimes gave the impression of a slightly "closed" presentation. I am not sure what to make of comments about the Blue Heavens being generally bright or lean in the bass. I must admit I have the same impression, but I am not sure it is a drawback. While the Blue Heavens (used throughout the chain as in my system) project a slightly more forward sound, I would not fault the cables for this. I am more inclined to believe the extra detail and speed gives off this perceived effect. In any event, because this seems to give more air and space to the overall sound, and because bass appears to be better controlled, I am generally very pleased with these cables. Owing to an upgrade of speakers, my bi-wire pair of Blue Heavan speaker cables are on their way to Nordost for re-termination. In the meantime, I have a pair of Analysis Plus Oval 9 cables on loan. These are pure copper 9 AWG cables which sell for about two-thirds the price of the Blue Heavens. Over three weeks of listening, I am thoroughly impressed with the AP Oval 9. For the price, I think they are very close to the Blue Heavens in neutrality. They are formidable in the low frequencies (slightly more potent than the Nordost) but a little less transparent in the mids and highs. A valid trade-off, I think, for a 30% reduction in cost. If I could not re-terminate the Blue Heavens, this would have been my first choice replacement. A final word: I am not a great believer in mega-buck cables. It is hard to believe the incremental improvements with super-expensive cables like the Valhalla, Kimber Select or Nirvana can be quite nearly as much as spending the additional money on better components. However, within a reasonable price range, I do think some cables suit certain systems better than others. In this regard, for the price, the Blue Heavens are in my view an excellent choice, though a little expensive for what are ultimately just wires.

Similar Products Used:

Interconnects: MIT Terminator 4, Transparent Link 100, Kimber, Cardas CrossLink Speaker cables: Yamamura Millenium 1000 / 3000, van den Hul.

Transparent, detailed and open; breathtaking vocals. Easily hidden under a rug.

Physically fragile, tricky to terminate. Not sure if Bi-wire version is as good as it's Single-wired counterpart. Probably will not partner clinical sounding components well.

I managed to borrow this speaker cable for three weeks before I decided to buy. It was only available for home audition in Bi-wire (B/W) guise - my Dynaudios are Single-wired (S/W). I found it to be an improvement on the silver plated copper aircraft cables I had been using previously. I had read the reviews here (and elsewhere) before I listened to it and did find some justification for the criticisms it recieved, the lean bass in particular. I did find it a little bright too, though I believe this is the case with all silver cables. I decided to buy it because it is very transparent; I always felt I could hear what my system was doing. I reckon it will sustain significant system upgrades. I actually ordered it off-the-reel so I could save a few quid by terminating it myself, and also make an interconnect with the surplus ( I will use the superb Eichmann Bullet-plugs rather than the grainy sounding Neutrik ones Nordost use though). It isn't the easiest to terminate, for anyone having the same idea. I terminated it with Audusa silver banana plugs, using two sets of conductors (36 strands) on each pole for Single wiring, the B/W version only uses one set (18 strands) per pole. Having burned-in my new set, I can safely say I made a good buy, the S/W version sounds much better than the B/W version. The criticisms that I had agreed with earlier were much less apparent. It is still a lean sounding cable, but I agree with other reviewers that this character will lend itself to warm sounding systems, horses for courses. Where I did have reservations about the bass, since I've used the S/W version I wouldn't maintain them, it isn't the fattest, but it is the most focused and defined I've heard from my system. The mid-range is ultra-transparent and detailed, well recorded vocals are presented with a tangibility I've seldom experienced. The treble has superb rhythmic quality, which is up-front without inducing fatigue. Overall a quality cable, but at £65.00/m you'd expect so wouldn't you? Even with 20% discount I had to take a deep breath before paying!

Similar Products Used:

Custom-made cables, QED Genesis Silver Spiral, Nordost Flatline

Fast, open-air, speed

Easy to punctured if you're not careful

The Nordost cable is simply the best cable that I ever used regardless the price point. They will open up the sound, yes, esp. in the upper treble range, and midrange. This cable is not for someone who likes mellow sound, you will be dissapointed. If you listen to a lot of classical, and in the middle of dense passage, if you think you can't hear every single instrument, so go try this cable then. The speed is the fastest, treble is so wonderful, BUT they don't sound bright at all.

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Monster Cable M series, Audioquest and MIT