Auditioning inakustik Referenz LS 4004 AIR speaker cable

Kuoppis

Kuoppis

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In general I am a bit skeptical about the highest end of audio cables. Cables with mystical boxes with poles of articulation or transverse axial polarizers are not my thing. Can’t avoid the impression that those terms are borne straight out of the BS generator.

Nevertheless, last week I carried home this humungous box. Inside a pair of the inakustik top-of-line Referenz LS 4004 AIR loudspeaker cables.

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These are impressive cables, in every respect. They have the thickness of a child’s forearm, and are yet light and flexible. Rather easy to install.

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Reason for the flexibility is their construction principle. As air is the best isolator, copper strands inside the cable are held together by small plates. The individual strands are guided through these clips to form a Helix structure inside the cable. Purpose is to isolate them and minimize dielectric effects.

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The cables have low resistance and a low inductivity though 16 individual strands. This reduces the effort required of an amp to drive speakers on the other end. The result is a very dynamic performance, and a nicely airy sound. High level of detail is paired with beautiful sound colors. Despite their transparence timbre of instruments is conveyed nicely, the cables never sound sharp or analytical. Yet they sit squarely in the center of the sound spectrum and are completely neutral. Bass is full and articulate, details in the music emerges in spades.

What I hear, is a wider soundstage, significantly more details than before, and a very nice tonal balance. The bass is pitch black and forceful. I guess one should expect the top level product of a company to be great, which has been forty years in the business. The cables are handmade in Germany, the craftsmanship shows. Color me impressed.

All of this probably results in an accident: I just wanted to listen to them in my system to try something different. Unfortunately I‘m afraid they are not going anywhere anytime soon.

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Try them out if you get a chance. You will be surprised.

Below a review from Soundstage Australia:
https://www.in-akustik.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Downloads/SoundStage-Australia-LS-4004-AIR.pdf



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How long have you been listening to them before your post?
 
Smartypants [emoji3]. I wrote down the observations over a couple of days, and kept editing before posting. That’s why I originally wrote yesterday, well observed. But it’s now duly corrected.

PS: The cables are dealer demos, so they are already burned-in. Hence they just need to settle a bit in a new system.

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I bought the Inakustik LS2400 air speaker cables. I was very impressed with the speaker cable. They pretty much wiped the floor on all the other cables I'd use.

My results with the speaker cable led me to get the Inakustik NF 2404 air interconnect. The results were not as I expected and a mixed bag. While they are better than the $250 interconnect I was using, it wasn't a night-and-day experience. That was between my preamp and amplifier. They are better, I was just hoping for more. It may be a testament to how good some inexpensive cables can actually be.

Between my DAC and my preamp, my Genesis interconnect was an astounding wow over my $700 analysis Plus interconnect. The NF 2404 in that same position betwen DAC and preamp was somewhat ho-hum.

Let me throw in, the Genesis cable between my preamp and amp was not as good as the Inakustik. The Inakustik was more flesh out and neutrally correct. It's a good cable, but we're talking over $3,000. It should be wow. Then again, maybe it is wow and my $250 cable is pretty gosh darn good for the money. I haven't tried anywhere near enough cables to really know.

My takeaway was cables are very system dependent. Especially the interconnects. Some seem to really shine in certain connection points in my system and then other places not so much. It makes me question whether a full loom of anything would actually be the right thing to do.

If I had it to do again, I would buy the speaker cable. I would keep looking around on the interconnect. I bought a 3M interconnect so I was told I could not return it unless I was going to pay 20% restocking. I did not want to pay the restocking so I kept it. Besides, I really don't want to spend my time seeking out interconnects. It's an easy way to throw away lots and lots of money. Circling back, interconnects seem so system dependent it could take a lot of tries to find one that does jump out and go wow this is it.
 
That is odd the new cable isn't marked better. Is that brand directional? I can't explain why but cables do improve with some break in.

Paul Speltz of Anticable was the first I heard of the effects of dielectric. I really liked his cables but when comparing to good shielded cables some noise was eliminated, what I can only describe as glare. It's good to see other companies trying to eliminate dielectric effect while providing shielding. What I did enjoy about the Anticable was this sort of pristine character of the sound.

Kingrex said:
I bought the Inakustik LS2400 air speaker cables. I was very impressed with the speaker cable. They pretty much wiped the floor on all the other cables I'd use.

My results with the speaker cable led me to get the Inakustik NF 2404 air interconnect. The results were not as I expected and a mixed bag. While they are better than the $250 interconnect I was using, it wasn't a night-and-day experience. That was between my preamp and amplifier. They are better, I was just hoping for more. It may be a testament to how good some inexpensive cables can actually be.

Between my DAC and my preamp, my Genesis interconnect was an astounding wow over my $700 analysis Plus interconnect. The NF 2404 in that same position betwen DAC and preamp was somewhat ho-hum.

Let me throw in, the Genesis cable between my preamp and amp was not as good as the Inakustik. The Inakustik was more flesh out and neutrally correct. It's a good cable, but we're talking over $3,000. It should be wow. Then again, maybe it is wow and my $250 cable is pretty gosh darn good for the money. I haven't tried anywhere near enough cables to really know.

My takeaway was cables are very system dependent. Especially the interconnects. Some seem to really shine in certain connection points in my system and then other places not so much. It makes me question whether a full loom of anything would actually be the right thing to do.

If I had it to do again, I would buy the speaker cable. I would keep looking around on the interconnect. I bought a 3M interconnect so I was told I could not return it unless I was going to pay 20% restocking. I did not want to pay the restocking so I kept it. Besides, I really don't want to spend my time seeking out interconnects. It's an easy way to throw away lots and lots of money. Circling back, interconnects seem so system dependent it could take a lot of tries to find one that does jump out and go wow this is it.
Click to expand...
 
PS, a 20% re-stocking fee stinks. Cables that expensive you should be provided loaners to try.
Also, I should add the cables I replaced the Anticable with were considerably more expensive. I was using AC's silver interconnects with copper speaker cables.
 
There are people on this forum who will argue till the air is all gone you cant hear an interconnect. I liked the speaker cable. I am just saying, be cautious about jumping into the interconnects with the same level of expectation. I have never heard the power cable, and some fiery words over the performance of the interconnect burned that bridge. There was more to it than that, but my Inakustik days have ended.
 
Kingrex said:
I bought the Inakustik LS2400 air speaker cables. I was very impressed with the speaker cable. They pretty much wiped the floor on all the other cables I'd use.

My results with the speaker cable led me to get the Inakustik NF 2404 air interconnect. The results were not as I expected and a mixed bag. While they are better than the $250 interconnect I was using, it wasn't a night-and-day experience. That was between my preamp and amplifier. They are better, I was just hoping for more. It may be a testament to how good some inexpensive cables can actually be.

Between my DAC and my preamp, my Genesis interconnect was an astounding wow over my $700 analysis Plus interconnect. The NF 2404 in that same position betwen DAC and preamp was somewhat ho-hum.

Let me throw in, the Genesis cable between my preamp and amp was not as good as the Inakustik. The Inakustik was more flesh out and neutrally correct. It's a good cable, but we're talking over $3,000. It should be wow. Then again, maybe it is wow and my $250 cable is pretty gosh darn good for the money. I haven't tried anywhere near enough cables to really know.

My takeaway was cables are very system dependent. Especially the interconnects. Some seem to really shine in certain connection points in my system and then other places not so much. It makes me question whether a full loom of anything would actually be the right thing to do.

If I had it to do again, I would buy the speaker cable. I would keep looking around on the interconnect. I bought a 3M interconnect so I was told I could not return it unless I was going to pay 20% restocking. I did not want to pay the restocking so I kept it. Besides, I really don't want to spend my time seeking out interconnects. It's an easy way to throw away lots and lots of money. Circling back, interconnects seem so system dependent it could take a lot of tries to find one that does jump out and go wow this is it.
Click to expand...

The LS 2400 AIR was the first cable with the Helix structure and earned high acclaim. Yet the LS 4004 AIR is quite a bit more open, higher resolving and offers a stronger bass foundation.

I have never been a fan of Inakustik cables so far, as I generally find them yielding in a too sharp sound. But the AIR LS cables are special. I think the absolute neutrality might be a result of the very good isolation achieved through the construction principle. But I concur, I would not go full Inakustik loom.


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Mr Peabody said:
PS, a 20% re-stocking fee stinks. Cables that expensive you should be provided loaners to try.
Also, I should add the cables I replaced the Anticable with were considerably more expensive. I was using AC's silver interconnects with copper speaker cables.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I am also testing with a free-of-charge loaner. Would not do it if I had to risk +€1000,- re-stocking fee.


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Kingrex said:
There are people on this forum who will argue till the air is all gone you cant hear an interconnect. I liked the speaker cable. I am just saying, be cautious about jumping into the interconnects with the same level of expectation. I have never heard the power cable, and some fiery words over the performance of the interconnect burned that bridge. There was more to it than that, but my Inakustik days have ended.
Click to expand...

I hear you, appreciate your sharing of experiences.

At this point I am only looking at at the top tier LS cable.


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I have now been listening to the LS 4004 AIR for almost two weeks in my system. And of course mep is correct in the sense, that the cables need some time to settle in the system. But being already properly burned-in before being put into my system, the changes are more subtle.

The changes observed were an overall improved balance settling in after a couple days, with the extremes of the sound spectrum becoming slightly less pronounced. What remains is just this unbelievable transparency.

Differences might also be audible, when listening at different volume levels. What makes the cables particularly suitable for my use-case, is that they convey the full sound characteristic of my audio chain already at very low sound levels.

So what do I hear? Every detail. Without sharpness or the sound becoming too thin. Midrange also is also nice, with vocals being well pronounced. A school bus sized sound stage, with incredible depth and layering. Window to the music? Definitely.

Just now listening to Robben Ford’s new album. Quite a treat.

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The cables keep getting better. A slight sibilance in the highs in some vocals and a somewhat emphasized bass balance are now completely gone.

These cables are simply just completely neutral and very highly resolving w/o being forward. Very impressive, they clearly give my system a nudge up. Such a pleasure to listen.


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I had a chance to hear this cable and they sounded wonderful also love that flexibility on banana plug. Good score
 
This morning I am listening to Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio’s “What A Wonderful World”. It is amazing, how the spaciousness these cables deliver allow to hear the tactile touch of the piano and the slow decay of the reverb. Absolutely superb.

Yesterday evening I swopped them out a couple of times against my current WyWires Platinums, listening to Ferit Odmans “Damerola with Strings” a few times in a row. The WyWires offer slightly more midrange lushness, but instrumental details and acoustic space are significantly more present with the Inakustiks. I also find the presentation to be more true to the music.

Overall, the worn out window to the music metaphor comes to mind. Unfortunately, I am afraid I cannot give these back.


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After having had the Inakustik Reference 4004 AIR Loudspeaker cables for about three weeks in my system, I am now convinced these are the ones for me and my current system.

Sooo, today I pulled the trigger and ordered my own pair [emoji3].

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walesi said:
Well done sir!
Click to expand...

Thank you. I’m quite pleased actually.

The point was really taking the time to hear how the cables settled in my system. It took about a week, as they were already burned in.

It’s interesting that these cables are very revealing of all details, have an extended top-end and a voluminous bottom end, with nice timbres in between. But despite their high resolution they do pair well with the quite neutral Magico S3 mk2s. Reason being is that they never sound sharp.

Again a new component where I think it’s money well invested. And finally a high-end cable delivering on its promise.


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