Tag Archives: Vermöuth Audio Statement RCA & XLR English ver.

Opinion 1

When Hendry Ramli contacted us three years ago, asking, if we would be interested in evaluating his, at the time, top interconnect cables, we were enthusiastic to do just that. Indonesia, or even more precisely Bali, is not really regarded as the avantgarde of audiophile specialties, and we were understandably very curious to taste those exotic products. But frankly speaking, we were absolutely not prepared for an almost one man company, and located in a typical vacation destination, will be able to survive in the killingly competitive Hi-Fi and High-End market, and not only that, but will be able to shake that market substantially. So it turned out, that to reach quite some recognizability and respect in the ears of the customers, you do not need a vast and costly marketing campaign, a few positive reviews is all it takes. Then you only need to select your local distributors wisely and wait for the effects. And for those you did not need to wait long, as in this case, a good product can speak for itself, and in case of the Vermöuth the products were absolutely good, offering above average sonic value and build quality at a very reasonable price. But appetite grows with eating, and the expectations of the customers grew as well. And although the Reference were not lacking anything, and still do not, we heard rumors, that instead of just cutting off coupons, Hendry is working hard on some novelties. And, like in each rumor, also this one had a grain of truth in it, because the catalog of the Bali based company was expanded with … loudspeakers, the Studio Monitor, which we tested quite recently. But that was not all, and recently a new product line was introduced, positioned above the Reference line, called the Statement. And due to the help of the Polish distributor from Gliwice, 4HiFi, we were able to secure the XLR and RCA interconnects from this new line for testing. So if you are interested, what the company prepared this time for its acolytes, but also for all the newbies wanting to see the products of Vermöuth Audio, I would encourage you to read on.

I already mentioned this during my previous reviews of the Vermöuth, but in an attempt of keeping the highest possible quality, and what is usually not so obvious, repeatability of the products, after detailed engineering of the topology, geometry and the kind of conductors, the cables are manufactured by one of the major players on the market (Wanlung Taiwan – one of the four OCC conductor manufacturers in the world), however the final confection, sheathing and quality control are being done in Bali. The Statement have similar pattern of the sheaths and plugs from rhodium plated telluric copper with carbon carcasses to the Reference, but instead of the white colored, the sheaths are now warm violet with a thin, white thread. Traditionally the manufacturer did not exaggerate with an excessive diameter of the cable, or with its stiffness, so its application in your system should not be overly problematic.
Regarding the insides, there is no revolution there either. While the geometry known from the Reference series was also used here, the bundles of 26 conductors with different cross-sections and diameters (mostly 0.74mm2) were made from gold and silver enriched copper, instead of UPOCC copper used previously. Of course the PE tubes filled with air and PTFE tape were used throughout. The shield is an aluminum-mylar-copper tape combined with a OCC copper braid. The whole is then again wound with a PTFE tape, put in a PVC coat and finally inside the external sheath.

Moving on to the part regarding sound, I would like to mention, that I will allow myself a small simplification and will treat both types of interconnects as one and the same cable, as the differences between them are coming mostly from the construction dissimilarities in the devices connected, and not the cables themselves. Additionally, you never know, if a given device will sound better using RCA or XLR, it is just completely random and unforeseeable, so that you cannot draw any conclusions without trying it out first. However in my system, the XLRs are sounding better in 99.9% of cases, or I like their sound better, take your pick, so I am choosing that signal path most of the time. And one more thing. I am also a lucky owner, and active user (what is not always obvious, as history knows cases of collectors, having lots of different items, but not using them actively) of the Vermöuth Reference XLR, I was already thinking during the usual burn-in phase, in what direction the eventual changes will be moving, and if there will be any changes, if those will be perceived not only as progress, but also if its scale will be adequate to the price change between the two cables.

So ad rem. For people allergic to long texts, the response to the question, if the Statement sounds better than the Reference is … Yes. So is it worth to strain your home budget a bit more and purchase the flagship cables? Yes. Are you satisfied? If yes, then I thank you for your attention, and praise the more bold amongst you for purchasing blindly, or based only on the pictures.
All the others, who remained at the computer screens, I will bother a bit longer, as please believe me, at least for now, that there is a lot to look at and write about. Although the Statement will not decline their heritage, as they are still above average musicality and smoothness, yet in terms of resolution and dynamics, things got vastly and indisputably improved in the top Vermöuth. And I am writing especially about improvement, and not change, as those two things are not synonymic. I mean, each improvement is a change, but not every change is an improvement. And here the progress is obvious and undisputed. We are witnesses of evolution, and not revolution, within the sound school proposed by the Indonesian brand. This is a consistent move in the direction already taken, and not a spontaneous, and usually incomprehensible in terms of logic, but also perception by the current clients, change of direction. This is nice, but also confirms, that the initial choice was right. This is why the contemplative and at the same time minimalistic “Fiocco: Lamentationes Hebdomadæ Sanctæ” from Ensemble Bonne Corde and Diana Vinagre did not lose a bit of its native etherealness, very precisely focusing the modest, composed of two violas, a double bass and organ, instrumentation, accompanying the vocalists in the beautiful interior of the XVIII century church Igreja do Menino Deus in Lisbon. Breath, space and long, very natural decay of the sacral interior, everything was in its rightful place, not as the main players and first stage, but correctly – as the kind of microcosm encompassing the musical event. I am mentioning that on purpose, as some of the people plugging in high quality components into their systems expect to be completely blown away with them. And yet high-end is about something different – naturality and coming closer to what can be heard live, and there, maybe except in a circus, nobody is offering such attractions, so it would be hard to expect magical tricks from the Vermöuth, where you are counting for neutrality and truth. However the elements that were maybe not underlined, but became more palpable and obvious, were the articulation and expression of the performers, but this happened not by them being overdrawn, but by changing our listening position from the back to the front of the church. But still the correct distance is being kept, the first plane was not artificially pushed forward, because it is not it that is coming closer, it is us getting a better listening seat.
On the other hand, the album “City Burials” by Katatonia, one of the most interesting representatives of melancholic-depressive heavy playing, showed the Vermöuth from a more aggressive side, proving, that the velvety smoothness I praised earlier is not the cable’s native signature, that is imposed on the reproduced music, but only an ability to show that kind of assets, when they are present in the recorded material. You should not be surprised by that, as the soprano of Ana Vieira Leite or Ana Quintans, although I should maybe point more in the direction of the baritone of Hugo Oliveira, is one thing, and the warm, or even velvety soothing, but through and through rock vocal of Jonas Renkse is something completely different. Also seemingly we have here still the slight darkening of the sound, I got used to with the Reference, where even the sharpest riffs gain some mass and saturation, but there is absolutely no slowing down of the action or any thickening of the contours. It is worth mentioning, that the resolution of the Statement is truly brilliant, and that they are not shouting, is just evidence, that the volume of the information they are showing is not artificially multiplied, or that the sibilants or other artefacts are not amplified to artificially draw our attention and they do not become tiring on the long run. The tested cables are incredibly resolving, and not just detailed, but I believe I mentioned that already.

Trying to make a possibly condensed summary, I will just repeat, that what I tried to tell in the longer text above. The Vermöuth Audio Statement are not trying to discover America again, and kick in the doors already open by their Reference brethren. They go a step or two further in terms of dynamics, resolution and refinement instead, what only confirms the coherence of the Bali manufacturer’s catalog. Let me put it that way – if you liked what the less noble Vermöuth proposed, then you will like it with the Statement plugged in even more. And that for this “even more” you will need to pay a bit extra at the checkout is a completely different story. But I want to mention, that if you are able to afford those flagship cables, then for the price you get cables, that are absolutely worth placing among the world’s best.

Marcin Olszewski

System used in this test:
– CD/DAC: Ayon CD-35 (Preamp + Signature) + Finite Elemente Cerabase compact
– Network player: Lumin U2 Mini + Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc TH + I-O Data Soundgenic HDL-RA4TB
– Digital source selector: Audio Authority 1177
– Turntable: Kuzma Stabi S + Kuzma Stogi + Dynavector DV-10X5
– Phonostage: Tellurium Q Iridium MM/MC Phono Pre Amp
– Power amplifier: Bryston 4B³ + Graphite Audio IC-35 Isolation Cones
– Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Contour 30 + Brass Spike Receptacle Acoustic Revive SPU-8 + Base Audio Quartz platforms
– IC RCA: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond
– IC XLR: Organic Audio; Vermöuth Audio Reference; Acrolink 7N-A2070 Leggenda
– Digital IC: Fadel art DigiLitz; Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Copper; Apogee Wyde Eye; Monster Cable Interlink LightSpeed 200
– USB cables: Wireworld Starlight; Goldenote Firenze Silver; Fidata HFU2; Vermöuth Audio Reference
– Speaker cables: Signal Projects Hydra; Vermöuth Audio Reference Loudspeaker Cable + SHUBI Custom Acoustic Stands MMS-1
– Power cables: Furutech FP-3TS762 / FI-28R / FI-E38R; Organic Audio Power + Furutech CF-080 Damping Ring; Acoustic Zen Gargantua II; Furutech Nanoflux Power NCF
– Power distribution board: urutech e-TP60ER + Furutech FP-3TS762 / Fi-50 NCF(R) /FI-50M NCF(R)
– Wall power socket: Furutech FT-SWS(R)
– Anti-vibration platform: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Slim Platform
– Switch: Silent Angel Bonn N8 + Silent Angel S28 + Silent Angel Forester F1 + Luna Cables Gris DC
– Ethernet cables: Neyton CAT7+; Audiomica Anort Consequence + Artoc Ultra Reference + Arago Excellence; Furutech LAN-8 NCF
– Table: Solid Tech Radius Duo 3
– Acoustic panels: Vicoustic Flat Panels VMT

Opinion 2

Even if you are not a diehard follower of our endeavors, you probably know the brand name Vermöuth for some time. This is a Bali based manufacturer of previously only cables, but currently also loudspeakers, which was presented first in our zine, at least in Poland. Yes, the first cable we tested fared very well, but knowing the local, Polish specifics, we were a bit worried about how the manufacturer will fare. Fortunately the product was so interesting, that now we have full catalog of his products available. And the distributor, the Gliwice based 4HiFi is interested in keeping up the interest, showing us the new products when they arrive. So we have got another product from this company for testing today, the flagship interconnect Vermöuth Audio Statement XLR.

In terms of construction of the tested cable we know, that the weaving of the conductors, the used shielding and isolation are very close to the versions used in the Reference cables. But as usual, the devil is in the details, so just to talk about the most important aspects of the cable, I need to mention, that the conductor has changed. In this case we also deal with OCC copper, but this time with noble additions in the form of gold and silver. In terms of how the individual wires are setup, each one of those is made of 26 thin wires with different cross-sections. Conductors made this way are enclosed with PTFE tape, shielded with OCC braid and isolated using an air tube. The whole is then placed inside a bright violet sheath with a motive of a thin, white strip. The cable is terminated with proprietary plugs, made from rhodium plated telluric copper for the connectors and with a carbon fiber carcass. The finished product is then individually packed into elegant, linen sachet and placed inside a cardboard box boasting the company logo.

Now taking into account, the not so dramatic changes in the construction compared to the Reference series, did the refinement of the sound evolve in the proper direction? Truly? I was not prepared for this to be such a big change. Maybe not as big as comparing the highest mountain of Poland (Rysy) to the Mount Everest, but the change of the sound is absolutely audible and, for me, absolutely mature. And it is mostly about the sound being well brought together. And that not in conjunction with thinning of the sound, or its brightening, as usual with many competitors, but with still pleasantly dark, full of energy, dense sound, with an audibly sharper edge of the attack. This makes us get better insight into the recording, more readable stage and better attack. And with those changes, you know already, that the main feedback of this move is getting a better drive of the music listened to. And at that in all genres, without exception.
Let us take the newest disc from Megadeth for example “The Sick, the Dying … and the Dead” . This material gained my appreciation due to their drummer. The things he is doing behind the drums is pure insanity. And now it gets even better, because the attach of each of the hits of the membrane and the audibility of the beginning and the end of the initiation of that hit improved. It is also important, that at this the drummer did not cover other musicians, as with the better focusing and more readable reproduction of their parts, they have also gained a lot. So from already a nice ride we got a really neck breaking, yet fully controlled, attach of rock, coming from people known for that kind of scenic madness.
Lately I rediscovered the concert for three guitars “Saturday Night in San Francisco” from Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia, and it profited similarly from placing the Statement in the sound path. And I do not mean the swing of the presentation, however it also profited, but the depiction and accentuation of the guitars. They did not lose any weight, the amount of body was still brilliantly dosed compared to the strings, but we got an accent on the way the fingers work on those strings. Is this so important? Well, the cooperation between the finger, string and body is the basis for good sound of this kind of instrument, so it is important, for each one of these elements to be on the highest possible level. And while with the Reference series the attach and its drawing were the weakest link of the presentation, the Statement brings this a notch higher. I got not only a blunt, but at times sharp, at times soft, but always very clearly shown tug of the string, what made the music come alive a bit, what made it more engaging. And let me remind you, we are talking about a few dozen minutes of listening to only three guitars, what condemns this disc to listening in parts, when it becomes even a tad monotone, and not in one take like I did during the test.
Finally a proof for the top Vermöuth not making things worse. In this role the brilliantly recorded Patricia Barber with the project “Café Blue”. It would seem, that additional hardening of the attack and increasing the energy of the already upped sound will result in a complete disaster. Yet nothing like that happened. Still the vocalist enchanted with her voice, and the individual instrumental showings shone with mastery of carving each and every note. This has shown clearly, that the tested cable does not force its assets upon us, it just introduces them when required, without over brightening the musical events that are already well made.

Trying to close the text above with a sensible conclusion, without any bending of reality, I would recommend this cable to all potentially interested. First of all, because it proposes a solid weight of the sound, while keeping full control of it and making sure, the drawing is readable. Secondly – it fares good in systems, that are already well placed in timbre, like mine is. And thirdly – whatever it does, it never crosses the borderline of good taste. Will it suit everybody? This is a completely different story. But for sure it will never kill the spirit of music, making it dull or boring. And I believe we are trying to kill boredom with music, and not the other way around.

Jacek Pazio

System used in this test:
Source:
– transport: CEC TL 0 3.0
– streamer: Melco N1A/2EX + switch Silent Angel Bonn N8
– DAC: dCS Vivaldi DAC 2.0
– Master clock: Mutec REF 10 SE-120
– reclocker: Mutec MC-3+USB
– Shunyata Research Omega Clock
– Shunyata Sigma V2 NR
– Preamplifier: Gryphon Audio Commander
– Power amplifier: Gryphon Audio Apex Stereo
– Loudspeakers: Gauder Akustik Berlina RC-11 Black Edition; , Klipsch Horn AK6 75 TH Anniversary
– Speaker Cables: Synergistic Research Galileo SX SC
IC RCA: Hijiri Million „Kiwami”, Vermouth Audio Reference
IC XLR: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Hijiri Milion „Kiwami”, Siltech Classic Legend 880i
Digital IC: Hijiri HDG-X Milion
Power cables: Hijiri Takumi Maestro, Furutech Project-V1, Furutech NanoFlux NCF, Furutech DPS-4.1 + FI-E50 NCF(R)/ FI-50(R), Hijiri Nagomi, Vermouth Audio Reference Power Cord, Acrolink 8N-PC8100 Performante
– Table: SOLID BASE VI
– Accessories: Harmonix TU 505EX MK II, Stillpoints ULTRA SS, Stillpoints ULTRA MINI, antivibration platform by SOLID TECH, Harmonix AC Enacom Improved for 100-240V, Harmonix Room Tuning Mini Disk RFA-80i
– Power distribution board: POWER BASE HIGH END
– Acoustic treatments by Artnovion
Analog stage:
Drive: Clearaudio Concept
Cartridge: Essence MC
Step-up: Thrax Trajan
Phonostage: Sensor 2 mk II

Polish distributor: 4HiFi
Manufacturer: Vermöuth Audio
Prices:
Vermöuth Audio Statement RCA: 11 900 PLN
Vermöuth Audio Statement XLR: 21 900 PLN