Stereovox HDSE

Stereovox	HDSE I/C RCA 0.5m	$300	$150
Stereovox	HDSE I/C RCA 1m	$300	$200
Stereovox	HDSE I/C RCA 1.5m	$350	$250
Stereovox	HDSE I/C RCA 2m	$400	$300

What the World Needs is a Great Affordable Interconnect

A number of years back, Chris Somovigo introduced a range of ground-breaking digital cables. The Illuminati line was instantly recognized for its revolutionary design, superb performance and high value, defining a new industry benchmark in the process. Chris is at it again. His new Stereovox Studio cables, like his earlier designs, combine innovative philosophy with remarkable performance at exceptionally reasonable cost.

HDSE (High Definition Single Ended) is a small, thin cable constructed with unusual precision. It is a combination of pure, tape-wrapped Full Density PTFE Teflon, a silver-plated copper woven shield, an FEP jacket and a single high-purity copper conductor with a very unusual feature: it is a micro-sized tube with 0.008" thick walls.

This "microtube" gives the conductor the skin profile of a 32 AWG conductor while maintaining the lower resistance of a larger gauge wire. This permits the HDSE to perform with the agility and grace of thin-conductors without suffering from their high resistance - and yet, as a “monocoque” design, it won't suffer from problems associated with stranded and litz designs, which have purported to solve the "skin-depth vs. resistance" challenge. Huh? Ok, those are Chris’ words and most of that description went right over my head, but you get the point, there’s a teeny-tiny little tube inside, and that’s the important part. ‘Nuff said.

We’ve found the Stereovox HDSE interconnects almost universal in their appeal, drawing raves with each audition. This ability to work well in most every system is rare. I can think of only a few cables (Cardas Neutral Reference, JPS Labs Superconductor FX and all the Shunyata AC cables) that fit this mold. What is it that allows a cable to integrate so seamlessly into such a broad range of applications?

Every audio component has a recognizable personality. Let’s call it a fingerprint. This fingerprint is the combination of its various traits or characteristics and defines the basic nature of the piece. The more obvious these characteristics are (especially tonality), the more easily definable it is. Components with strong, easily recognizable personalities will mesh in a much smaller range of systems than components with a less discernable character.

So how does all this tie in with the Stereovox cables? The Stereovox HDSE does not have a strongly recognizable personality. It’s not clearly positioned at either extreme of the tonal range. Such a cable is very useful when a tonal correction isn’t needed, suggested or is uncertain. Many times this lack of explicit personality is not only an advantage at the outset, it’s a plus later as components in the system change – having less character of its own will mean it’s less likely to create a mismatch.

The lack of significant tonal fingerprint lessens strong character, but there are many other areas we can describe to give you a better picture of the HDSE. For me, clarity is the most salient one word description I can think of. I miss that most when another cable is substituted for the Stereovox. It’s the openness and sparkle about the HDSE that is so appealing. The same quality could also be described as speed or transparency, and in many systems, this quality will really open things up.

The HDSE is also a stellar performer when it comes to dimensionality. I find this cable quite amazing it its ability to quantify and delineate the boundaries of the soundstage and localize the images within. For the price, I’ve heard none better in this regard.

So there you have it, a great cable at a very affordable price. If you’re shopping for interconnects in this price range, you owe it to yourself to give the Stereovox HDSE a try.

HDSE is the winner of a three-way shootout between Crystal Cable, Q- Tao interconnects - Six Moons - http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/thin/thin.html