When I’ve been approached by VIABLUE for the review, the first thing I’ve asked myself was: “How this can contribute to my readers?”. The answer is simple and straightforward. In the rocket high pricing realms many of you asked me repeatedly to evaluate more affordable cables, that can be used in either main or additional audio system.
I do remember VIABLUE products from a while back. This German company has been manufacturing cables for a long time and has created an impressive portfolio of various products.
Of course, our main interest is audio cables and for this particular review I’ve chosen two products:
– SC-6 AIR Silver speakers cables.
– X-Silver power cable
The speakers’ cables represent the very veins of any system and this usually gives a great insight into the way any cable brand’s design philosophy. And on the other hand, the power cable brings the impact the last meter (a sparking topic).
VIABLUE™ X-SILVER POWER CABLE
VIABLUE puts grand importance to fully shielded of their power cables. They feel this is crucial for high-quality audio reproduction. VIABLUE power cables were designed from the ground up to block any distortion and thus provide crystal clear and high purity signal across complete audio specter.
They are 100% shielded against distortion due to a 2-layer ALU/PET shield (aluminum foil sheets) and the inner core is made for tinned braided OFC screen (32x 0.10) GS 3x silver plated OFC copper strands.
X-Silver power cable implements VIABLUE T6s power plug with 24K gold-plated contacts and unique VIABLUE Ultragrip scratch-resistant surface. The satin finished plug is made out of super-solid polycarbonate shell and it’s flame-retardant and break-proof.
The centered cable is mounted through two different diameter decreases and it’s dust-free with the help of Soft-Disc-technology. Additionally cable is also fixed by double screws. connection.
VIABLUE propriety Big Cobra outer braided sleeve protect cables against wear, attrition, kinking and light irradiation.
Last but not least feature is VIABLUE s, Ferrite Filter. This filter suppresses the amount of high-frequency electromagnetic interference (EMI). The metal shell includes a ferrite core.
As you most know the Ferrite is a ceramic material made by mixing iron oxide with additional metallic elements, such as barium, manganese, nickel, and zinc. All are both electrically non-conductive, meaning that they are very good insulators.
VIABLUE™ SC-6 AIR SILVER-SERIES SPEAKER CABLE
Often, speaker cables suffer from their physical or electrical characteristics. For example, their much too high capacity which mostly depends on the insulation temperature and electrical resistance of the conductor or inductivity.
The strictly geometrical construction of the VIABLUE SC-6 with its division of braids and further separation in multiple conductors minimizes these characteristics. The VIABLUE team believes that this ensures the unique acoustic pattern, that is similar to a live performance.
A big inner diameter of the VIABLUE cable conductors was designed to supports an optimal signal transmission, as well as a powerful sound, even with longer cables of 10 – 15m (1.000 – 1.500 cm).
Even though its outer diameter is 26 mm, the SC-6 is constructed in a way that makes it flexible for bending. Only OFC means oxygen-free copper is used. This translates to electrolytically refined, high-quality copper with a maximum level of oxygen of 0.001%.
A few of the hightails
– 6 single leads in a circular array separately transmit high, middle and low frequencies.
– 684 single strands made of pure OFC-copper
– 36 transmission conductors: 6 conductors containing 6 single strands each
– 10 Air pipes
– ∅ 26 mm
Interestingly the SC-6 AIR Silver speakers cables are made out of Silvered OFC-copper strands aiming at stress-free highs, tinned OFC-copper strands (vibrant and controlled mid-range) and pure OFC-copper strands (focused and powerful lower octaves).
Transmission conductors are arranged in a circular assembly in bundles of 6 each. Very low capacities (approx. 63 to 91 pF/m single lead to single lead) very reached to ensure the unaltered and fast signal transmission in absence of disturbing temporary holdouts of electrical charges within the cable.
The 24 carat real gold-plated contacts on the speakers’ connectors ensure an ideal contact pressure. All of the connectors of the VIABLUE T6s series have exchangeable contacts for an easy assembly.
THE MUSIC
The Group – The Group. A recent surprising discovery and a great addition to the reference, testing tracks.
SC-6 AIR Silver speakers cables.
There are numerous, actually almost endless judging attributes of any audio cable performing ability. I like to dig deeper in the speakers cable’s ability to portray the horizontal and vertical aural projection. For this album, a proper sound propagation requires more than a simple entry-level impact. VIABLUE SC-6 AIR Silver speakers cables exhibited quite a forte clarity allowing the non-diffusing sound field. It’s not only the listening environment, but that can also reduce (subtle) reverberation time. The tiniest fractions of decays and delays are too easily lost in the translation. SC-6 AIR Silver speakers cables holder surprisingly well under this particular evaluation stress, exhibiting qualities quite above their price point. The Group I
It’s never easy or possible to embrace all of them in the review, but there are always particular points, that are helpful in distinguishing the particular cable quality and I’m highlighting a few of them in the review.
X-Silver power cable
When I’ve played the opening track (Thai) for the first time, the sheer size of atmospheric space was really a grand surprise. Not only that, there is so music momentum going on all the time, that keeps you entailed. When power cable is not performing at the needed level the sonic scenery simply collapses. The simple yet hard test/task with any power cable is the vertical sound-stage. The mediocre power cable will keep everything a bit above the ear level, while a potent one will lift the audio canvas up to the ceiling. And X-Silver power cable didn’t fail the test. While not reaching the exact pinnacle of my room (3.15m) it lifted sound way above expected. For its given price, this is alone the achievement worthy of highlighting.
Musiques et Chants du Moyen Age (Music and Songs from Middle Age) – Carmina Burana: Clauso Chronos. A great album and track that easily explore the cables ability to exhibit multilayering.
ViaBlue SC-6 AIR Silver speakers cables
The track Carmina Burana: Clauso Chronos is highly dense with quite a challenging density. The instrument’s and voices overlays are calling for certain upper echelon qualities and VIABLUE SC-6 AIR Silver speakers cables exhibited a properly structured sense of sonic relief structure with enough ethereal scape, letting the believability factor to comes at forte.
X-Silver power cable
Acoustical instruments and vocals demand more of the raw power delivery, that the causal observations might show. In order to form the attacks, the power cable cannot act with reservation. VIABLUE X-Silver cable again exhibited substantial potency, that allows not only quite refine rendition of aural scenery, but fast enough transients to form a captivating impact.
CONCLUSION
Any high-end audio cable can present a particular level of performance, that might or not reflect their given price tag. In an ideal world the pricing should indicate the ROI (return of investment). Yet… We all know, how our beloved industry is not exactly the prime example of such inner workings.
On the opposite, the VIABLUE cables hold many positive attributes, that puts them above such labeling. VIABLUE audio cables are made in Germany, produced in Germany, assembled, tested and packed by hand in Malsch (Germany).
They’re proudly made in Europe, comes with stylish packaging and most importantly they are delivering an inspiring performance and great value for the money.
Both SC-6 AIR Silver speakers and X-Silver power cable have exhibited an involving musical nature, spot on timbre, tone and color formation and distinctive ability to render instruments and notes with viable three-dimensionality.
Here and there it’s nice to open up the mind and ears! This curious and open mind can lead to nice discoveries… At the end of the day this benefits the readers and written at the very beginning of the review, this was my sole pursue with VIABLUE cables evolution. I’m glad I’ve followed up their request as they do deliver an objective performance at a very reasonable price structure.
PRICE
– SC-6 is € 942.98 (incl. 19% German VAT) for a 5m
– X-40 is € 357.98 (incl. German VAT) for a 2m
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
VIABLUE™ X-SILVER POWER CABLES:
– Wire cross-section X-40: 3x 4.0 mm²
– Wire cross-section X-60: 3x 6.0 mm²
– Cable diameter including braided sleeve X-40: 16.0 mm
– Cable diameter including braided sleeve X-60: 18.5 mm
– Shield structure: ALU-PE foil as well as 32x 0.10 strands GS
– 2 layers: aluminum foils and braided shield
– Finishing: silver plated / tin plated
– Insolation resistance: > 20 MOhm x KM
– Insolation: PVC, TM2 mix VDE 0472
– Certified testing voltage: 3000 Volt
– Strand identification: black | Blue | yellow-green
VIABLUE™ SC-6 Silver-Series speaker cable:
– Outer diameter 26 mm
– Conductor cross section: 2x 7,8 mm²
– Marking: black/red
– Play in time: Appr. 30 hours
CONTACT
VIABLUE GmbH
Dieselstr. 6
D-76316 Malsch
GERMANY
Tel: +49-7246/943-112
E-Mail: info@viablue.de
Web: www.viablue.com