Cables, cables, cables! We don't normally cover cables here at the 'Flare, but when there's a good story or bargain to be had, well, an exception can be made. Supra cable out of Sweden has been pushing the high end wire game since '76 but has had trouble breaking into the US market and "getting the recognition it deserves." Supra's family of wire ranges from the Classic speaker at $.80/foot to the Sword speaker at $867 for an 8ft pair.
Supra's man in the US is Tony of Tonian Labs. I've only known Supra through their bargain wire at places like Madisound and other DIY outlets -- at $.80 a foot, The Supra Classic is some of the cheapest "audiophile" wire out there. Tony told me that while Supra's light blue cable has almost cult status overseas and is found in everything from DIY projects to the insides of speakers and components, there have been almost no reviews of the Swedish legend here in the states. 5 stars from What Hi-Fi, Hi-Fi Choice, Hi-Fi+, Hi-Fi World, Barely Legal Hi-Fi and others. But in the US? Nada.
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So no press? And this is for a cable said to get medieval with most everything else out there. Interestingly, the Sword is said to offer near zero inductance, which is the bees knees of cable design, so they say. Wanting to blaze new trails into the wire world, Supra built all their own cable manufacturing equipment. Hard core tech heads, Supra talks a big game when it comes to their cable manufacturing.
Which brought up an interesting topic: the US lag behind overseas publications. Many companies (US as well as foreign) seem to pop up on the radar in EU and Asia and win awards left and right before the American market gets hip. A couple speaker companies come to mind: Zu, Magico and the Jamo R909. Some Japanese magazine will hand out their "Best Speaker in the Universe" award but it's a year or two before the American hype machine gets with it.
In any case, check out the Supra stock if you're in the market for svelte wire and be sure to check out Tonian Labs' full range of speakers using high-efficiency, low-excursion drivers mated to modified ribbons. The two times I've heard his $1500 TL-D1 speakers, I thought they were absolutely wild. Sadly, the D1s weren't at Vegas. But if you're in Los Angeles hit him up for an audition.
Comments
Posted by: Larry Cox | January 21, 2007 8:45 PM