by Venoth Nair
Untainted Power
Hailing from the United States (though the name does lead one to believe its Nordic in origin), Nordost Audio produces high quality high performance cabling to complete all your audiophile connections. Under the spotlight this time will be the midrange Heimdall series of cables, particularly the Heimdall 2 power cord which I received for review.
The Heimdall 2 Power Cord comes with a US type connecter on the male end an IEC C15 type female connector on the other. There are other options of connector types to choose from based on your systems needs or personal preference. The cable that links the two ends come sleeved in Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene material (or FEP in short). In product pictures the cable sleeve appears to be red in colour but in person you realize that the color has a hint of fluorescent-ness to it which gives of a suggestion of purple. Either way the cable still looks plenty attractive and stands out especially in an all-black system like mine.
The attention to detail and quality is clearly evident in the cables construction when studied from end to end. The fitment of the main plug and with its brass screws and pins adds to its high-end looks. The ribbed and rounded head of the connector is also nice and though substantial in size is not particularly heavy. I’m a fan of plug heads with this design as their easy to handle as there is sufficient surface area to hold yet the light weight prevents the cable from becoming unwieldy and difficult to manage. Heavy plug heads also have a tendency to put too much strain on the connection, even more so on the other end which plugs into the equipment.
At its core, 3 strands of 16 gauge wires are constructed, as Nordost put it, in a Mechanically tuned lay, length and Micro Mono-Filament design which the company claims is particularly effective in dissipating mechanical energy commonly present in an AC line. This method of construction can be seen on the cable since the sleeve is translucent throughout and admittedly looks pretty handsome.
Used to supply power to my amplifier; the Heimdall 2 clearly improves the overall staging and detail of the sound. The stock power lead was muddy by comparison, with the soundstage though acceptable in typical listening, can sound a tad flat. There’s an added sense of depth to the sound stage and also brings the performance forward, making it far more enjoyable.
Do remember however that the Heimdall 2 doesn’t make the sound better by adding anything to it; instead it is more like a clear sheet of glass that replaces a pane that is dirty and full of flaws, thus permitting the equipment to give its best without any deterioration in quality. Subsequently adding upgraded interconnects like Nordost’s Heimdall interconnects can only improve the experience even further.
Upgrading the power lead is in my opinion is the first major cable upgrade an audiophile should invest in when it comes to getting the best sound from your components. Swapping the “included in box” leads to the Heimdall 2 is quite the step up in performance for a system. Such an upgrade pays dividends especially to those who have a strong affinity to their existing kit and want to squeeze every last drop of performance from it. Additionally quality cables such as this keep signal contamination in check but keeping things clean and stable. If you’re in the market to give your system the push it needs to achieve excellence, then the Nordost Heimdall 2 should be added to your shortlist.
For more information on the Nordost Heimdall 2 power cable or any other Nordost products, please contact Perfect Hi-fi at +603-2142-1693.
