ROTH AUDIO Orfeo
Power cables
Visually the Orfeo does not stand out from usual expectations about an aftermarket power cord: black synthetic protective braid, reasonable thickness and pliability, solid weight, and no high-end bijoux like wooden or aluminium blocks.
Funkce a forma
For connections the Roth Audio Orfeo relies on many times validated standard – gold-plated or rhodium-plated Furutech IEC and Schuko terminations. It is not because it was the easiest and cheapest option but because the listening sessions (also with a panel of hifi enthusiasts) showed the widest consensus with the Furutechs. I can only confirm it as I had the opportunity to listen to alternative terminations of the Roth cable in my system. Still, if a customer wishes for a different set of connectors he is free to ask for a quotation.
The design of the Orfeo is about 6 solid core conductors with 4mm2 in total. The cable is double-shielded, triple-shielding is available on request.
Nízké frekvence
I like the bottom end of the Roth Orfeo which was neither lean nor slow or too heavy. I feel it has exactly the right balance with the rest of the frequency spectrum and the Orfeo lets you hear micro resonances of piano or double bass without masking them with too much oomph. It is not surprising therefore that voices are not just voices through the Orfeo, rather they are physical bodies behind microphones, no matter if I listened to a male or female vocal.
Čistota rozlišení
There is nothing wrong with stock power cords but it is only when the system is wired with properly designed cables that one finds the stock cords sound fuzzy and unfocused. The Orfeo eliminates all this. It can very well delineate individual instruments within the soundstage and make the background a grade darker and more quiet. It is like someone added extra dynamic headroom to your system.
When I compared the Orfeo to my reference cables I missed a bit more of airiness and better retrieval of ambient information, especially with the recordings where such information was a part of the performance (like live miked material). Still the performance of the Orfeo is very good if I consider its rather low price.
Tonální věrnost
There is not a lot to say about the tonal balance of the Orfeo – it is all just right. There is no thickness, thinness, warmth or tonal sterility, the sound is fluid and balanced the way I use to hear at good seats in a concert hall. Well, perhaps I’d like to have a degree more transparency and a bit more of dynamics too, yet at the asking price of the Orfeo miracles are not expected.
During the listening sessions I often found myself contemplating about whether the Orfeo’s naturalness is more or less correct than what other cords that I had for comparison gave me (read further). In case that one does not need a cable to correct tonal imperfections of a system the Orfeo may be the cable of choice. In case one needs to tame exacerbated highs or shift other tonal imbalances other cords may be a better match.
Prostorovost
The Roth Audio Orfeo was challenged by many highly regarded power cables during its stay in my system - AudioQuest Hurricane, Synergistic Research Euphoria Level 3 and SR Galileo SX, Ansuz Acoustics C2 or Pangea AC14-SE MkII to name a few. I also had some prototypes of other Roth Audio’s cabling on hand. In such a competition a cheap cable is usually beaten. Not in this case; despite it has some limitations the Orfeo is so skilfully balanced that can stand against the best.
Připojené komponenty
- Sources: Accuphase DP-720, SPL Q2048 Mastering Equalizer
- Amplifiers: TAD-M2500 MkII
- Interconnects and speaker cables: Audioquest Redwood, Audioquest Wild Blue Yonder, Ansuz C2, Ansuz D2, Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Vovox Sonorus XL, Nordost Valhalla V2
- Loudspeakers: TAD Evolution One E1
- Power conditioning: Shunyata Research Denali, Nordost Valhalla, Ansuz C2, Pangea AC-9SEMKII, Roth Audio Orfeo + několik dalších prototypů, Synergistic Research Atmosphere Level 2, Synergistic Research Euphoria Level 3, Synergistic Research Galileo SX, AudioQuest Hurricane
Galerie
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