Supra cables

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Itamar.K, Jul 24, 2021.

  1. Itamar.K

    Itamar.K Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Israel
    Hi,

    I need cables set of XLR, USB, SPEAKERS, POWER, RJ45 since I got another system now in another room.
    equipment is Focal Kanta No1 & Cambridge Audio Edge NQ + W system
    I think buying from the same brand for maximum synergy.
    Any thoughts on Supra EFFI-XLR? Quadrax speaker cable? CAT8? LoRad 2.5?

    I got extra DH-Labs and Supra USB2 cable, so I thought go for all Supra since I like it and want good value and good synergy.

    The other options is Nordost entry level set (White lighting etc ), or just buying various brands..
    I'm not in rush I have bunch of super cheap cables
    It would be impossible to listen to the cables on my system before purchase...

    Any thoughts?
    It seems the Nordost should be on the energetic side and Supra on the neutral/warm which may work best with my Kanta No1

    Thanks!
     
    Long Live Analog likes this.
  2. DaveyF

    DaveyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    La Jolla, Calif
    I own a Supra power cord, which is very good for the money. Warmer than the entry level Nordost pc.
     
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  3. Itamar.K

    Itamar.K Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Israel
    Thanks..
    How about resell value in your area?
     
  4. Jim Hodgson

    Jim Hodgson Galvanically Isolated in Greenpoint

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Those are some challenging parameters. What I would do is get with Take Five Audio in Canada for a project like this. They build beautiful cables (mainly from Neotech UP-OCC stock with top-notch connectors), cryo-treat everything, offer fair foreign exchange rates, and ship to Israel. (I have family in Jerusalem, so I know shipping isn’t always a given.)

    Going this route would definitely check the “good value” and “good synergy” boxes. Not the “entry level” box, though, as Neotech, across its product line, is much closer to the reference end of the spectrum. (You’ll notice this if you start digging into what the OEMs use in their priciest cables.)
     
  5. WhatDoIKnow

    WhatDoIKnow I never got over it, I got used to it

    Location:
    Italy
    I have the Supra Phono (very nice, very low capacitance) and I've fitted all my equipment with Supra LoRad power cables, connected to a Supra LoRad MD04-EU/SP Mk3 power strip.
    The best prices I could find (EU, that is) are here: SUPRA Cables | AV-Connection
    The guys in the shop are helpful and quick to respond.
     
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  6. 33na3rd

    33na3rd Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW Washington, USA
    I use the Supra Quadrax with my Virgo 2's. I like it a lot. It seems like a nice balance between warmth & detail. I have no experience with their interconnects or power cords though.

    I gather from the reviews that I've read in the past, that the Supra EFF-I has more detail and high frequency energy than their tin coated entry interconnect.
     
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  7. dogilv

    dogilv Forum Resident

    Supra is an excellent choice. Good stuff at a good price. They make a lot of cable for other brands.
     
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  8. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    Why do you need Cat 8 cable? I generally promote the idea of buying to the latest Ethernet spec, but I don't recommend replacing the cable unless you can take advantage of the spec. If you already have cables that can provide enough bandwidth delay your purchase. For all you know, the next time you actually need better cables because your devices require the upgrade, the eventual Cat 9 would be better suited. You certainly don't need 2GHz to stream anything including 4K video. Maybe whenever 8K video becomes prevalent you might need faster cables. I know this is for a new system, but likely you have ethernet cables that will do what you need. For most home applications, Cat 6 is more than sufficient at 250 MHz.
     
    Denizen23, subzro, elvisizer and 2 others like this.
  9. Lenny

    Lenny Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    I used Supra Quadrax speaker cable for a long while. It was suggested that I try a less expensive cable, Furez FZ124AS 12-4, and I found that it bested the Supra by a very clear margin for just over $1 a foot. In audio cables you never know; price and performance may not match.
     
  10. GyroSE

    GyroSE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I also have Supra LoRad 2.5 power cords as well as a Supra LoRad MD04 power strip- excellent value for money IMHO.
     
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  11. ChrisR2060

    ChrisR2060 Stereo addict

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I have never used supra cables, I know they are big in Europe, but there's a concensus view that tinned copper is a no no for audio.
     
  12. Itamar.K

    Itamar.K Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Israel
    Got the Supra Quadrax ! great speaker cable for the money !
    waiting to get my Supra bundle.....XLR, USB, CAT8, POWER CORDS, POWER STRIP
     
  13. WhatDoIKnow

    WhatDoIKnow I never got over it, I got used to it

    Location:
    Italy
    I'm reading some really nice reviews on the web. Enjoy and then report back, if you find the time between one listening session and the other ;)
     
    Itamar.K likes this.
  14. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    You'll not need CAT8 this side of the next fifty years.
     
    subzro likes this.
  15. Mad shadows

    Mad shadows Forum Resident

    Location:
    Karlskrona- Sweden
    I use Supra sword for both signal and speaker cable. They are rather neutral and not to expensive. I think they are good value for what you get.
     
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  16. Itamar.K

    Itamar.K Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Israel
    I bought the CAT8 since I use only streaming now, and it's was in great price and it might be more nice to have but I know that good RJ45 cable can make a difference. Not sure in my system.

    I now feel sorry for not taking the Sword ! it looks bad ass ! I'm going call to the importer tomorrow...he is a great guy and might make a deal or something



    Small report:
    The Supra Quadrax speaker cables only few days in use, and compared to my DIY cables the Quadrax has more 'quiet' / space between instruments, vocals appear to be more clear, same sound signature of the BELDEN 5T00UP with DH-Labs Banana gold plated.
    I also have the DH-Labs Q10 with Audioquest 500 silver plated banana plugs...again, the Supra is much more cleaner in total presentation with good warmth and detail. The Q10/AQ500 is silver plated cable and plug, and you can hear the extra shiny in some areas, but the Supra seems to be just better overall. MAYBE with really warm system the Q10 can work better, but not sure.
    I run repeatedly 3 fav tracks for an hour or so and you can't miss the difference ! Go Supra !
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2021
    33na3rd and WhatDoIKnow like this.
  17. ayrehead

    ayrehead Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mid South
    I want to chime in here on the Supra LoRad 2.5 MkII cords I recently purchased. Best cords I've ever heard in my system. Noise floor dropped to spooky levels letting low level information come through on a jet black background. Highly recommended. Oh no, the Audio Police :cop:is knocking at my door.
     
  18. Calvin_and_Hobbes

    Calvin_and_Hobbes Music Lover

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    I had a great experience with a $60 Supra Cat 8 Ethernet cable compared to the AmazonBasics Cat 6 cable that it replaced. I'm sure there could be something better sounding than the Supra cable, but I have to say that I was pretty amazed at how much sound quality improvement came from that $60 Supra cable.
     
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  19. Calvin_and_Hobbes

    Calvin_and_Hobbes Music Lover

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    I got the Supra LoRad power cord today and connected it to my Denafrips Pontus II DAC. The price of $91 for a 1-meter power cord is low compared to entry-level products from better known cable manufacturers such as Audiquest & Shunyata Research. My initial impression are that the connectors don't feel that impressive, but I have enough experience listening to audio equipment to know that aesthetics and perceived quality may not have any relation to how something actually sounds.

    These are my impressions with no break-in time at all, i.e. power cord plugged into my DAC & DAC turned on:

    In line with what @ayrehead reported, the Supra LoRad power cord on my Pontus DAC seems to make the background of music quieter than when using the Shunyata Venom power cord. The Shunyata Venom power cord itself is no slouch in this area compared to some other power cords costing less than $500, but the Supra power cord is clearly better in this respect. The Supra LoRad power cord also seems to produce better separation and placement of instruments as well. It seems to produce better resolution as well, perhaps due to less background noise. The Supra LoRad power cord produces more of a sense of ease than with the Shunyata Venom cord. This could be because a stated goal in the construction of the LoRad power cord is suppressing electric and magnetic interference fields including RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). The sound from the Supra LoRad power cord isn’t particularly lush, but it feels neutral and not coloring the sound in any way.

    I can't find anything wrong with the sound when using the Supra power cord even with no break in & hear a lot that it does right. So far I'm impressed. (FWIW, a lot of audio equipment surprisingly fails to make an impact on me. I recently auditioned a $14.5k dcs Bartok DAC to consider whether there are opportunities to improve on my Pontus II DAC. I still don't know whether the dcs Bartok or my Pontus sounds better & I suspect that I like the sound of my Pontus better than the dcs Bartok. So I personally am surprised that I have a favorable impression of the Supra power cord especially compared to the Shunyata Venom power cord which has also worked well in my system) In any case, the Supra LoRad cord seems to have made a noticeable improvement in sound quality compared to when using the Shunyata Venom power cord with no shortcomings that are evident to me yet. I'll report back after several days of burn-in to see if that makes any difference at all. I know that sometimes what sounds "good" on first impression can become grating on the ears when listening for a longer period of time.

    The Web site of Supra's North American distributor is located at: https://www.sjofnhifi.net
    Their products are sold via eBay. I purchased the power cord via eBay.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2022
  20. Rushboy

    Rushboy Active Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Can you tell me for which brands?
     
  21. mr.dave

    mr.dave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Hi everyone,

    due to the situation in my new apartment, where the stereo system, is not placed in front of me between the speakers, but on the side, I had to buy new cables. Due to the length and also the bi-wiring that is needed as my bass section is now "activated" I decided to get 2 pairs of Ply.

    I used screwed banana connectors and it sounds.... well, quite awful, especially the bass section. Before I was using some cheapish Sommer cables for the bass and entry-level QED cables for the mid/high section, the only cables (from an older setup, with the sufficient length I still own). This combination didn't convince me, but especially the base was MUCH better.

    For some reason it even sounds, as if there would be a better, means "bigger" soundstage, but everything sounds as if the music would be played behind a curtain. And the bass sounds imprecise, muddy, and cheapish awful.

    Some years back I was using a combination of Supra Classic and Rondo cables and I never experienced a sound like that. However, those cables were manufactured by the dealer and not myself.

    Initially, I was thinking it might be a burn-in problem. 20-30 hours later I am getting worried. Does anyone with a similar experience/theory is around?

    Cheers,
    David
     
  22. Claude

    Claude Senior Member

    Location:
    Luxembourg
    I bought a Supra Cable USB 2.0 cable because they were recommended for bigger lengths.

    Supra USB 2.0 Cable

    The length I needed (5m) between my computer and my DAC exceeded the maximum length normally recommended for USB audio (3m).

    It works fine, I never had a connection problem.
     

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