SHARKWIRE Musical No.2

TR19.11.2011

Speaker cables

The Sharkwire was a slightly introvert cable. A listener becomes an observer than is not a part of what happens in the music. Thus the listening becomes a kind of detached experience, as opposite to emotional involvement. However, the Sharkwire is a real entry-level cable so one does not expect miracles at its friendly price point.

Function and form

96%
Ease of use
14%
Sound
50%
Appearance

The Musical No.2 uses SuperOFC copper strands in polyethylene dielectrics. The outer jacket is PVC. The Sharkwire is quite simple and looks like an ordinary wire off a supermarket shelf. The olive green PVC jacket does not wear any protective fabric so the Sharkwire is very flexible with its 25mm bend radius. The cable in this review was terminated in ordinary gold-plated bananas.

Bass management

Weight
40
Slam
40
Articulation
38

This review is a part of The Low and Mid-tier Speaker Cables Megatest that includes 18 different speaker cables. The pilot article is available at SPECIAL EDITION REVIEWS section of Audiodrom.

Clarity & delicacy

Detail
26
Air
20
Transparency
20

Tonal accuracy

Timbre
18
Dynamics
20
Temporal resolution
20

Despite its ordinary looks it is not a bad cable, just maybe too...ordinary. The good thing is that it does not try to impress and thus it does not sound boomy or super hot. The more I listened to it the more I liked it as it did not induce any listening fatigue in me.

Spatial resolution

Holography
20
Soundstage width
20
Soundstage depth
16

The Sharkwire is a soft sounding cable that reminded me of vinyl records. Its 'liquidity' is not bad for ears and provides the necessary listening comfort - not unlike the AudioQuest cables in our test. Unlike the AudioQuests the Musical No.2 is more closed in and veiled. The lateral soundstage is okay, however the cable puts you in the perspective of 15th row in audience which erases immediacy and the contact with a perfromer.

Price as reviewed:3 200,- Kč

Recommended resellers

HTP Studio, Praha, tel. +420 606 346 822

Associated components

  • Sources: Primare CD32, Luxman D-05 and Accuphase DP-510
  • Amplifiers: Primare I32, Luxman L-590AX and Accuphase E-560
  • Interconnects and speaker cables: Krautwire Fractal, Cardas Clear, Homegrown Audio DNA
  • Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Virgo V, Dynaudio Confidence C1 and Xavian Giulia, Chario Constellation, Xavian Preludio, Revel Ultima Studio2, B&W 805 Diamond and Atohm G 1.0
  • Power conditioning: Nordost Thor (modified), Snakeblock, Nordost Valhalla

Gallery

ANALYSIS PLUS Oval 9

I was impressed by the Analysis Plus’ proprietary solid bulk of pure copper – and gold plated – spades. They are really made from a billet of metal and milled into the shape - the mass of the single spade equals the mass of a fistful ...

Recommended resellers

Audiostudio s.r.o., Olomouc, tel. +420 608 752 475

Sound
40%

ANALYSIS PLUS Silver Oval 2

Everytime the Silver Oval 2 returned to my system it reminded me of the immediacy of a live performance. Johnny Cash’s vocal was very emotional and communicative, it created a strong emotional link between the music and the listener. ...

Recommended resellers

Audiostudio s.r.o., Olomouc, tel. +420 608 752 475

Sound
56%

ATOHM ZEF

Well, from a distance of 3 meters the ZEF looks like an ordinary white twin-wire. If you take a closer look it still keeps looking like the ordinary white twin-wire. There was simply nothing to indicate that the ZEFs would be such ...

Recommended resellers

Nisel SK, Bratislava, tel. +421 905 203 078

Sound
42%

AUDIOQUEST CV-4

There is one thing that is common for both the CV-4 and the Rocket 33: the complex perception of a music and analog feel to it. The CV-4 is more mature, however, and the listener hears it.

Recommended resellers

AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232

Sound
45%

AUDIOQUEST Dragon Zero | Bass BiWire

Supernatural silence. I mean the blacker than black canvas for music, as if the Dragon Zero | Bass was devouring the light. The digital zero is the first day of creation, one can hear molecules splitting in the empty space. Still, ...

Recommended resellers

AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232

Sound
100%

AUDIOQUEST Redwood

Every great cable I had in my system before the Redwood has a certain feature that made it different from another – a certain quality that made it perfect match for one system and mismatch for another. In this context the Redwood ...

Recommended resellers

AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232

Sound
89%

AUDIOQUEST Rocket 33

I have to say that I did not expect such a good performer in this price level. When I talked to Joe Harley of Audioquest this spring he kept assuring that the philosophy of Audioquest is to do as less harm as possible to a music ...

Recommended resellers

AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232

Sound
39%
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