Nordost Heimdall 2 interconnects and power cable

[Rubicon15]

Has anyone used Nordost Heimdall 2 interconnects between their CJ amp/preamp and DAC? I’m also considering the purchase of a H2 power cable. Any feedback?

[Big Dog RJ]

I replied to your pm Rubicon, in great detail and length, just wondering if you received it since no reply....

Also, Tony-S in HK has a full Nordost Supreme reference loom, and he's upgraded to the Odin Gold 2. He's got a SOTA CJ system, comprising of the full ART series line up (ART108A + Art88 amplifiers) with Magico Q7's!

Get in touch with Tony and he'll share more info on the Nordost line up, since he's gone right to the top!

BTW here are a few pics of my Nordost installation. This is a full Heimdall2 loom with Frey2 speaker cables. As I said, at the speaker cables point of connection, end on a higher level. The improvements are much more effective than just upgrading interconnects alone. That's the main reason why I didn't continue with the Tyr2 speaker cables, I would then need to go full loom on Frey2 for interconnects, it was getting very pricey! So I drew the line with Frey2.

All the best, RJ

[admin]

Very nice setup.

I usually keep my speaker cables away from the power cables, although admittedly I've never heard any interference.

Martin Logan does such a great job with their design, it makes my maggies look like a hack job!

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes, that's a definite Admin!

It certainly would make more sense to properly space out interconnects, power cords and speaker cables for obvious reasons. However, I've routed them mostly freely, such that if they do cross, they cross at 90degree angles or close. In every installation, both at demos and former customer's set-ups, we've never had any problems with cables.

The only one minor problem I did encounter, was with a TT rig at a mates place. The set-up was a Gyro-dec with an Allnic phonostage. There was a hum being picked up from the TT's interconnects whenever it touched the Allnic's power cord. So, once it was re-routed, that hum disappeared. His TT rig was quite sensitive to various external pick-ups... eventually it was completely isolated on its own stand, with the phono-preamp situated well away from the power amp, that helped to sort things out further.

The Nordost grounding accessories are a marvel to use. The Qbase8 and Qbase4 power boards are designed extremely well. They are superb power boards, at their finest! Also the orientation in which components get plugged in, makes a perfect grounding system that consists of a Primary Earth.

It's annoying though that Nordost doesn't offer a Qbase6 (6 outlets). Only 4 and 8 versions. I guess in most installations, the Qbase8 would be fine. The Qbase4 is too limited in my opinion and Qbase6 would be perfect for most simple set-ups.

Anyway, I've come across installations where owners use cable lifters, isolated systems under power boards, and further grounding devices or isolation points at every turn! To me, this is excessive but if they are willing to spend that kind of money then so be it! In my case, I've never required these further tweaks or extensive isolation systems, it's awfully quiet and sounds mighty fine! So I can't be bothered.

As long as you're happy with your set-up, that's the main thing.
Cheers, RJ

[roberto]

IMG_8542.jpg (2.05 MiB) Viewed 34206 times

Mine is model SPM Reference. It is bi-wire configuration. I really like a lot Nordost Cable. Yes, out there are fantastic cables with good quality sound for a fraction of these cables. This is a good thing too.

Remember the laws:
Your ears are the final judges, if you liked what you were hearing, then go for it.

The other law: don't worry about my liking. What matters is yours and do the best you can for it!

Final law: Conrad Johnson sounds right!

[admin]

Great cables. I really like the look of ribbon cables and you really can't do better than Nordost. Truly excellent, congrats.

I'm going to nitpick here. I think the +/- should be reversed (on both ends) as I think it will help with the crimping. This will of course make no difference in any sound quality,... just my OCD of not having the cables bend or twisted more than necessary.

[roberto]

Great advice Admin,
Right when twisted cables could make an inductor. If the cable is too long, "S" or snake shape is recommended. I did reverse my speakers amp connection, because the ET-7V2 does has inverted phase. Also, with Audirvana or the HQPlayer, there is an option where I have checked for the inverted polarity when the file comes reversed. In other words, I have the absolute phase in correct position.

When the instruments are too big or the voice or the main instrument (piano, guitar, voice, etc) is because the absolute phase is reversed.

Happy listening!

[Rubicon15]

Big Dog has an impressive system to say the least. Very well thought out based on knowledge, experience and just a few dollars… It must truly sound amazing! I sincerely appreciate his feedback and willingness to share feedback with a fellow “want to be” audiophile.

[Big Dog RJ]

Big Dog has an impressive system to say the least. Very well thought out based on knowledge, experience and just a few dollars… It must truly sound amazing! I sincerely appreciate his feedback and willingness to share feedback with a fellow “want to be” audiophile.

Ha! Good one mate; "just a few dollars..." oh yeah, this is where the good wife would be in absolute bliss / absolute phase. If only it was a few dollars... Now she's in partial phase, although the system is in absolute phase! At least in absolute phase the tooons are tops. Now I've just got to convert her in absolute phase... we're getting there!
Woof! RJ

[drinkwine]

Sorry to jump in so late . . .
I had some Red Dawn interconnects I used a number of years ago, and when I bought my Triangle Delta speakers, I bought the Heimdall 2 speaker cables and immediately saw greater detail and dynamic response. That prompted me to move on. I then switched out my Premier 16 for a ET6SE and got a set of Heimdall2s here, too. The change from the RedDawns was not as dramatic as moving from another brand to Nordost, but still more precise and responsive. I've decided to stay consistent, so all of my power cords and interconnects now are Heimdall2. My "weak link" I suppose (and I guess Nordost would really chastise me here) is with my power conditioner. . . Still using a BPT CPC that I loved from the first time I got it from Chris Hoff (and now regret being so parsimonious I didn't reach higher with his equipment). I've been debating moving forward with the QBMkII but haven't figured out whether it's worth diving into another sinkhole.

[Big Dog RJ]

The Nordost accessories range is superb! It's only issue is their pricing and will obviously vary across the globe. Here down unda, we pay a premium for any Nordost gear, let alone highend audio gear.

I was in a similar situation few years ago... contemplating between the Qbase mkII. The Qbase mkI was fine just as is, no specific areas that I could see needed improvement. Anyway, I finally got the Qbase8 mkII and as is the case with every successive model, there was a nice difference. It's much quieter and even more interesting when it comes to grounding installation of all power cords going in. I think they've slightly redesigned the Primary Earth and grounding points on the MKII better. I'm not quite sure what it is but yet again Nordost has delivered something better.

I'm not sure how they do it, a remarkable level of AC power distribution accessories at their finest! If you can afford it and your system can benefit from these styles of power / grounding accessories, it's probably worth it and there is certainly a difference. Just don't get carried away too much though because this stuff can get very pricey! Take it easy, one step at a time and make sure with every installation, you're getting the most out of it. Then it's probably justified.

Cheers, and enjoy those finest tunes!
RJ

[drinkwine]

Hi RJ and thanks for this. Nordost is pricey no matter where you are, which is why I always have gotten mine from someone looking to offset the cost of their Nordost upgrade!
But your post raises a question for me: what difference(s) did the QBase Mk1 bring to your system when you introduced it? And did you ever add on the "kones" or any other do-dads?
Thanks, with best wishes for happy listening in 2024.

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes! I've got three accessory systems from Nordost:

1 QX4: this is placed just after the AC mains leading into the power distribution board which is the Qbase8.

2. Qbase8 Mk2: connected in accordance with Nordost guidelines using primary earth and designated grounding.
*Note* I'm not using the additional grounding point on the Qbase8, as this adds to further grounding if there's a significant issue with your system. In my case I didn't require it, so I've not connected that additional green wire to the Qbase8 grounding point. That's the little cylinder type thingy that juts out from the Qbase8 AC Inlet.

3. Every component in the system, except the monoblocks, rest on 3 Sort Kones BC type. These are the bronze ceramic ball bearing that I found superior to the AC type (aluminium ceramic) bearing. I tried the top of the line as well, which is the TC titanium ceramic bearing, it was really tops but I really couldn't justify its price. Crazy spend! So I settled for the BC Sort Kones, that's good enough.

So, installing the Qbase8 Mk2 in conjunction with these other accessories, improved all areas: quieter noise floor, nearly pin drop silence, better grounding system, and overall more detail can be heard. However, this level of improvement is not a huge thing to excited about... rather it was apparent and quite noticeable but only because I happened to change the Qbase8. Had I not changed it then I would've never known. I can live happily with the Mk1 version, there was no reason to upgrade. It's just when my Nordost dealer came over for a visit, wanting to listen to the CLX's with CJ amplification, that he also brought along the Mk2. So we tried it and there was something positive... so I kept it! That's all. It's not a real deal breaker.

The Mk1 version of the Qbase 8 or 6 is just as good.
Cheers, RJ

Apart from these three accessory systems, I don't use any of the newest stuff: QKore, Q points, and Sort Futs. I've tried them one way or another but again sky's the limit here. You can go on spending till the kookoobas come home!

On the CLX's I did try the Sort Futs and they were great. However, a set of 4 Sort Futs cost me $2000 so that's 4grand just for 8 Sort Futs placed under the speakers. So I tried out the Iso Acoustics Gaia II's, which are less than half that for a set of 4. They're equally tops! Highly recommended for high performance speakers. The Iso Acoustics accessories are really well designed. Obviously having both Nordost and Iso Acoustics were the winning combination for my system.

Cheers, RJ

[drinkwine]

Thanks much for this. Still thinking. I see the Qbase8 in my future.

[Big Dog RJ]

Just to add, I placed in another Voodoo Mojo power cord into the sub BF210. So now it's Voodoo Mojo on 3 power cord installations, from AC mains to QX4 then onto Qbase8 Mk2 and power cord into Sub. The rest of power cords are all Nordost Heimdall2, plus interconnects with Frey2 speaker cables.

I didn't expect any significant improvement from the sub but oh my! What a fantastic revelation! Cleaner, faster, more detailed and very very well defined bass. The LF detail is superb!
The previous power cord on the sub was a combination of silver twisted wires terminated with AcroLink heavy duty plugs. Apart from its looks... which is quite impressive, it's no where close to the performance of the Voodoo, no chance it's not even funny.

Here's a pic, if anyone is looking for outstanding power cord performance at a very reasonable price range, I highly recommend this Mojo series from Voodoo. Partner this combination with Nordost power cords, SOTA a winning match up!

Another mighty WOOF!
Cheers, and enjoy those fine tunes!
RJ

[Big Dog RJ]

Ok maties, just a quick update. Whiles I was picking up the Voodoo Mojo power cords, I came across yet another update!

So it seems like the Q-Base units now have a MK-III iteration. So finally, Nordost is now offering the Q-Base4, 6 and 8 version power boards in MKIII. Supposed to incorporate even further improvements, I guess Nordost will always find a way towards some holy grail.

I pondered for a while... (3hrs...) demoed the MKII and MKIII, also looked at the other units, QCore, QPoints and QKore1's, very detailed gear, and really gets things to spooky quiet levels on any given high-end system. The thing is, I'm not sure if too spooky/quiet is a good thing or not because every minute detail comes through, with good or bad recordings. Anyway, I placed the order for the Q-Base8 MKIII, so that should take about a month. Seems like there is a slightly longer wait time for these products, since they're becoming very popular.
The good thing was that the deal was closed just before the new year, so I managed to close off Dec pricing. If I had waited for just two more days, that very same price goes up to 15%! What a bummer...phew!

So, for the moment the Q-Base8 MK-II is mighty fine, it's doing a great job, no issues whatsoever. I could've lived happily ever after. In fact, it's way more than adequate for my system. The ironic thing is that I walked in there to pick up a power cord and compare other accessories and walked out with placing an order for the newer version. I guess that was just luck! If I had not known, there's no way I'm paying that kind of money on a power board. Then again the Q-Base8 is not "just a power board," it's a phenomenal power distribution accessory!

Cheers to Nordost, it's all about "Making the connection."
WOOF!
RJ

[admin]

Great news RJ. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Q-Base8 when you get that in your system. Also glad you were able to time that purchase right before the 15% price increase. It seems like everything is getting really expensive these days.

You can't underestimate the importance of a good power source. The crazy voltage fluctuations I get hear is mindboggling. We had short brownout just the other day. Luckily it wasn't during a listening session.

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes correct!
I really pondered hard about this purchase... nearly 3hours and he was about to close shop! So when I finally demoed both units side by side, I knew straight away there was something quite remarkable in the newer version. The gear demoed on was tops: ML Montis stats, and Parasound amplifiers... nice one! The Parasound gear is truly remarkable. Something I used to sell many years ago but back then (late 90's) it had a very similar sound to Bryston, bit dry and sterile, lacking warmth and musical tones. However, now Parasound has come a long way and these newer iterations of their JC and Halo series amplifiers are really tops! What's even better is the price range... no need to win a lottery here or sell drugs. Well within reach of decent high-end audio gear. I would say real VFM.

Anyway, that's a different story, which is related to SS gear. That particular combination of ML & Parasound is very good. Then again those ML Montis stats driven with CJ's Classic 120SE and the ART150 was superb! Another whole new level of everything!

Cheers mate, have a good one now.
RJ

[admin]

I don't personally have to much experience with Parasound as my local dealers do not carry them. But I can say that the ML Montis speakers are excellent and those are the kind of speakers you want in a demo. Very revealing. They have the capability of showing your the excellence of the sound as well as the deficiencies. If you had a positive experience with them in the demo, you are very likely to hear the improvement in your system. Again, congrats on the purchase.