VOVOX® Textura Fortis and Textura cables review

The pace of high-end audio cables reviewing inventory at Mono & Stereo seems to be on top of the world audio food chain. I’m always intrigued by the efforts people and companies are making towards better audio reproduction and rarely refuse to try end listen to whats new out there. There are many paths to the glorious audio nirvana and in past decade these routes showed some very interesting and practical achievements. If we look at other industry branches there was never absence of R & D with cables, be it of high-speed data transfer, medical or high-tech military nature and implementation. Millions of $ are being spend each year by various manufacturers in their pushing and perfecting of cable technology. 

With Jürg Vogt of VOVOX we set for the full Textura Fortis cable system insert and few weeks later the packages arrived. The modern, stylish and minimalist approach to the packaging indicated the clear overall determination. Straight shooters and vividness. 

VOVOX was founded in 2002 by material engineer Jürg Vogt. Prior to the foundation, new products were developed over five years of intensive research. Initially with musician Kaspar Kramis, whose basal ideas substantially co-influenced the cables, many prototypes and concepts were created and tested. It was only a short time before the founding of the company when Jürg Vogt had the break-through and invented the novel design of the cables. This design is the reason for the uniqueness of VOVOX sound conductors and forms the basis of their outstanding sound quality as well as of their optimal handling properties for solid-core cables.VOVOX converted scepticism into enthusiasm in the shortest time. The company succeeded in convincing many professional musicians and sound engineers that VOVOX and their sound conductors were definitely in a league of their own.

VOVOX assembles cables exclusively at their workshop in Ebikon / Lucerne, right in the heart of Switzerland. Also the production of the cables is carried out with partners located in Switzerland or close to the border in neighbouring countries. Suppliers from overseas are an option only in case VOVOX’s quality requirements are so specific that they cannot be fulfilled locally.

Already for ten years VOVOX® has been developing and producing cables. And for more than ten years we have had the same goal: creating the perfect sound conductor that renders its existence inaudible. With VOVOX® textura fortis we are closer than ever to this ideal. 

Developed for high end components with extreme power peaks conductor cross-section increased by a factor of ten greatest dynamic range, perfect reproduction of transients extremely broad stereo image with precisely graduated tonal depths best resolution without disturbing audio acuity holographically precise spatial depth.

All VOVOX® textura fortis sound conductors are cryogenic treated and conditioned in a specific run-in process. 

VOVOX® textura provides high-end at its best. With this product line we made one of our own dreams come true and pushed the limits of what is technically possible. These sound conductors are the quintessence of our know-how.

Perfect sound balance in every respect extremely broad stereo image with precisely graduated tonal depths best resolution without disturbing audio acuity holographically precise spatial depth extremely fast cable with flawless reproduction of transients. All VOVOX® textura sound conductors are conditioned in a specific run-in process.

VOVOX cables stricken with the modernity, flow and minimalistic Swiss design. They reminded me of Soulution in their performance. To often contemporary high end audio cables resolve in a tricky trap execution of dynamic fireworks. Those attributes sadly holds a little reference with the real life music. Perhaps the whole trend of movie surround madness somehow sneaky penetrated into the stereo two channel listening long time ago. 

VOVOX cables proved to offer a real insight into the systematic approach to the balanced audio system. From the power cables up to the speakers cables the main guideline was always ability of transferring the music with its full power and impact. This really shined with full Accustic Arts system and SoulSonic Impulse speakers. Here every thing gets out nakedly revealed within first few note strikes. VOVOX cables conveyed the music effortless and served the Impulses cardioid dipoles and hand made ribbon driver with ease and authority. It was the language of flow with all the technical details, but in absence of cold mechanical imprint in the reproduced music. 

VOVOX cables embraced the musical reproduction with full blast and without reservation. It all repeated during my testing and listening over the prolonged period in my ever changing system. Products come and go for a review, but due the variety and intensity not all the cables can hold their steady performance. VOVOX cables managed to keep the recognised consistency. It’s a virtue not seen to often. 

Can you combine the speed, dynamic, transparency and keep the musicality intact? This is the question and design goal of every  high end audio cable designer. To find the right balance is an art and result of prolonged technical strives. With each strike toward technical mindset one usually loose the power of music messege. To keep the harmonious nature of music as whole takes more then what might seems a simple electronically solution and choices. This is why there might be an abundance of audio cables, but calling them truly high-end deserves a bunch of few. 

Simple music might be seen as less invasive in their dramatic impact. Yet underlying nature of micro and macro musical details shows the real ability directly with the vocal, guitar, chamber or small ensemble music. It’s simplicity in complexity. These is most intimately highlighted with un-amplified acoustical recordings in natural spaces. These recordings can be closely connected and compared to the real life references. For me the all time reference is still Franz Schubert, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gerald Moore ‎– Franz Schubert Lieder. Pure German lyric al intake. This is the drug for me :). The vocal; the piano. It clicked, it worked with VOVOX.  

VOVOX cables performed without white gloves. Straightforward and in touch with the performance. This further showed with Leonard Cohen. His singing resonate within me from my young age. I know his voice and guitar chords by heart. From Suzanne to Sister Of Mercy or So Long Marianne the directness of him gets directly into guts of the human soul. Classical tambourine man depth and style enriched with the life’s poetry remarkably unveils the stories through his subtly outspoken melahonic almost poignant, yet warm world view. 

VOVOX cables presented Mr. Cohen in all of his rawness. No masks, no curtains, but dark warm directness and unforgivingness. Presenting the world as it is!

Going further through my musical repertoire left nothing to be changed in my listening notes. Steadiness and in your face vividness prolonged across all the genres. 

These are the cables, that left nothing hidden. They are not of forgiving nature with the badly recorded or mastered albums, but will bring the best out of those recordings that shines with sound and performance. 

VOVOX high-end audio cables clearly showed, that there are people and companies not being afraid of taking things steady and further down the lane of researched audio design. These are the cables with the modern approach to the design and sound, that leaves little to grasp for. 

In the statement instalment with the SoulSonic Impulse speakers and Accustic Arts complete setup, they really showed their ability. Accustic Arts MONO II power amplifiers from the Reference Series are stand out performers and one of a few, that are able to show the almighty groundbreaking musical scape with SoulSonic flagship speakers. But! They need the audio “veins” of capacity of transporting the enormous energy in the creation of grand sonic illusion in this system. VOVOX succeed in doing so with grand pace. 

VOVOX cables proved to be a modern antidote to the vast array of wrongly executed cables from companies striving to get their place under the high-end audio sun just for the sake of cashing in. Jürg Vogt brought his mileage and expertise from pro audio packed into the speedy, open, transparent, dynamic and musical package. 

Text and photos: Matej Isak

http://www.vovox.com