New Short Circuit Interconnects

[That dude 0]

Before the start of this review, I would like to say that I am not a representative from the company. My friend happened to chance upon this seller on Yahoo classifieds and after meeting him, he asked me to do a little review on a few cables and in return he gave me one for my personal use. Obviously I accepted and this is what I came up with.

 

For starters, some background on these cables. The brand is Short-Circuit. They have 2 series of cables namely Wave(silver) and Pulse(silver-plated. Each series have 3 cables. Apparently they are releasing the cables first at an introductory price. For prices you can check it out here.

 

The setup I’m using is Technics XL-XP140 PCDP (line-out) -> Cable -> Govibe v5 -> Super.fi 5 pro.

The reference music include:

Dream Theater – Scenes from a Memory

Corrine Bailey Rae – Self-titled

Yundi Li – Live in Vienna (piano solo performance)

Maksim – A New World

Kenny G – The Moment

 

1st Pulse 1

 

Pulse 1 is the budget silver-plated copper cable. It uses gold plated Neutrik angled plugs which is a common sight with DIY interconnects. The cable felt solid and could be bent easily. The only complain in terms of design is that the cable isn’t the best looking cable in the world. It feels solid to touch, and should survive slight mishandling, not that you want to mishandle it.

 

Sound:

It would be difficult for me to explain how a cable sounds without comparing it to another. Therefore I would be comparing it with a Cardas XP-1 cable, burnt in in 1 direction for more than 500 hours. This cable has a really nice musical sound which I enjoy very much. It sound’s fun and you will be able to stand listening to this cable for a day without feeling fatigue. However, this is because of its less emphasized highs. The cable was pretty similar to my cardas. The difference is that this cable has better separation and a larger soundstage. But, I must admit, I was not wowed by it. IMO, it’s muffled and muddy compared to the others. But I do maintain that this is a great budget cable, for those skeptics who do not believe interconnects make a difference or neophyte headfiers, this is a great starting point.

 

 

2nd Pulse 2

 

Pulse 2 is the mid-budget silver-plated copper cable. It uses Switchcraft angled plugs which is known for its great build and sound quality. The cable felt solid and looked well built. The only complain in terms of design is the length of the cable itself. However, the builder mentions that the length is so in order for the cable to bend and not place too much stress on the audio input jacks. Moreover, IMO, at least they did not shorten the cable just to increase their profits. Lol.

 

Sound:

This cable’s bass is fantastically huge without compromising on bass quality or treble energy. Comparing it to the Cardas, the cardas sounded muffled and muddy due to its “flabby†bass and recessed highs. However, that said, the signature of this cable allows it to be used in various genres. The bass is not overpowering to the point that orchestral music would be timpani solos, if you catch my drift (In a new world concerto, the separation was fantastic and every instrument could be easily identified). Therefore, IMO this cable is an all-rounder. Great value for money too, if you ask me.

 

3rd Pulse 3

 

Pulse-3 is their flagship pulse model. The built is exactly the same as pulse-2 which I have no problem with, besides the length of the cable.

 

Sound:

This is my kind of cable! Comparing to the Pulse-2, I began to wonder why I had enjoyed listening to that a few minutes ago! The soundstage and clarity is superb. There is an increase in treble energy and tightness of bass. However, the mids were my only disappointment, it wasn’t mind blowing-ly good but still decent nevertheless. Listening to dream theater on this baby, I can literally feel every bass drum kick and hear every cymbal’s decay. This is truly their best cable and really puts the pulse-2 to shame. However, given the price difference, I guess it is only natural. The pulse-2 is still a fantastic cable with great value for money.

 

4th Wave 1

 

Wave 1 is their budget cable for the wave or silver series. The cable is a three braid sliver cable covered with a clear coat of a gel like material. This cable is much easier to bend then the pulses and much shorter as well. They used nickel plated neutrik angled plugs. I’ve got to admit, though the cable looks like it may break with the slightest tug, it’s actually pretty solid.

 

Sound:

The clarity of this cable is great for the price. Comparing to the cardas they sound oddly similar. However, the highs are more emphasized and bass, tightened without compromising on the lush mids. I think I’m right to say that no silver cable at this price point could beat this, but I do not have much experience with silver cables anyway. Haha.

 

5th A little teaser.

 

I’ve had the pleasure to try out their flagship wave series cable. It is still in the experimental stages, but WOW, that’s all I can say. The builder told me it would be released late August or early September. So look out!

 

Seriously, don’t take my word for it, set up a testing session with the seller. Let your ears decide, though my wallet pretty much decided for me already.

Pics can be found at the links i've provided. I will post more when i have the time.

[chrono 0]

Thanks for the review! Are you able to state the indicative prices for the different cables?