Opinion 1

Probably everyone knows that audio cabling, to put it mildly, is a very important and polarizing topic. Although no – not probably – everyone, without exception, that is including those, who not only doubt their salutary influence, but completely negate it. And the more expensive the wiring we are talking about, the higher the temperature of the discussion. Therefore, in order to lower this temperature a bit and not add oil to the flame, as we usually do, this time we will look at and listen to products that are budget-friendly, yet thoroughly exotic, and thus, at least for now, extremely niche. Well, in this meeting, we will deal with cables from the exotic, Indonesian island of … Bali. Is something dawning on someone? If not, I offer a little hint – Vermöuth Audio. In short, we will talk about cables characterized by an above-average quality/price ratio, which, in a way, in the form of interconnects from the Reference series, appeared on the Polish market over six years ago. However, time does not stand still, as a certain Heraclitus of Ephesus put it very neatly in the maxim „Panta rhei”, the painstakingly built brand recognition is slowly starting to bring the expected results, amongst others in the form of audience awareness, and in the Polish distribution care something has changed, because now the joyful work of Hendry Ramli has begun to be represented by Premium Sound from Sopot. However, this is not all, because in the meantime, apart from the above-mentioned Vermöuth, another entity has sprouted – a daughter brand – VLAD Audio. In addition, it has budded very shyly, because at least for now there is only a Facebook profile present, although from what I was able to find out, the creation of an appropriate website is also planned. Nevertheless, there is no denying that due to the circle of followers oscillating around 40 people, we are talking about an evident underground brand, not only on a global scale, but also just on a Balinese scale. That is why we are very pleased to present you Hendry’s latest child – the VLAD Audio Epitome cabling set, which includes XLR and RCA interconnects, speaker cables, and a power cord.

Both the unboxing session and the gallery above clearly show that the title VLADs are so significantly different from their Vermöuth siblings that the creation of a new brand for them is fully logical and understandable. Not only did Hendry abandon the external dense braided sheath in favor of transparent PVC „tubes”, but also the multi-stranded bundles and complex cross-sections were replaced with highly visually attractive, and at the same time fully structurally transparent, spirally twisted copper strips in air insulation. I mention the design visible to the naked eye and this eye-catching appearance for a reason, because the tested cables simply delight the eyes with their red and blue colors in the case of interconnects and speaker cables, and yellow and blue in the power cord. The material of the conductors has also been simplified, as the titular Balinese cables use classic OCC subjected to cryogenic treatments instead of the previous UPOCC copper. All cables are characterized by very satisfactory flexibility, although at the same time they are clearly springy, so when laying them behind the system / speakers, it is worth giving them a longer moment to allow them to straighten out. Thanks to the above actions of the manufacturer, the price list of VLADs turns out to be affordable even for newcomers entering the audiophile depths, because the interconnects are priced at $330/396 (RCA/XLR), the speaker cables at $1,310 and the power cord at $666, which, considering modern standards and realities, should not arouse much emotion, especially if we take into account the high-quality confection with plugs from its own manufacturing, with aluminum bodies and insides coming from, amongst others, Furutech. The optimization of costs did not include packaging either, so the VLADs reach their customers in elegant boxes made of black cardboard, and each cable is additionally secured with a linen bag, and their originality is confirmed by appropriate certificates. When it comes to anatomical issues, as I have already mentioned, the whole tested bunch is based on cryogenic OCC copper tapes carried in PVC tubes. And so, the interconnects can boast 0.41 mm², the speaker cables 4 mm² and the power interconnects 2.5 mm² conductor cross-sections. That’s the whole philosophy – no voo-doo.

Moving on to the part devoted to the sound of VLADS, although it would be better to describe the phenomenon as the influence on the sound of the electronics connected by them, we can easily find further arguments confirming that they are separated from the Vermöuth portfolio. As it turns out, they sound so different from their predecessors that they fully deserve not only their own product line, but a new brand. Especially since history knows similar cases very well in the form of for example Argento Audio / Organic Audio, or Nordost / Wyrewizard, so such a business model is not a novelty, at least for us. Coming back to the point, from the very first notes of „Temptation” by Chantal Chamberland, the truly phenomenal resolution and freedom of presentation of the Balinese interconnects became audible, going hand in hand with the lack of any signs of slimming down or desaturation. This is important, because the seemingly simplistic minimalism and economy of form should lower the bar of difficulties and expectations, but in reality any limitation of information, including the „audiophile plankton” ridiculed by skeptics on the one hand, and demonized by thoughtless acolytes on the other, causes the recording to be extinguished and suffocated. Meanwhile, the VLADs, with a resolution and pietism, which are surprising for the price point represented, not only focus the virtual sources with apothecary precision, but also convey the full volume of information about the surrounding space and these dust particles creating a kind of aura shimmering around the musicians. If we add to this the faithfulness to the natural timbre of the vocalist’s voice, which has a slightly matted timbre that places it somewhere between Diana Krall and Chie Ayado, then there is nothing else left for me to do but consider them, I mean VLAD interconnects, as perfidious price dumping, compared to the competition priced at tens of thousands of dollars. The above observations are confirmed by the change of the repertoire to a far less sophisticated one, i.e. my daily thuds and screams in the style of „The Reckoning” by Icon For Hire, which is richly watered with electronics, or „The Return of The Black” by Imminence, which innocently begins and then furiously tugs at the guts, where dense and broken arrangements are intertwined with both clean and almost animal-like vocals. So we are dealing with material that is not very often present at exhibitions and public presentations, as well as on editorial shelves. Well, why reach for something so problematic, since everyone knows that audiophile sad tunes can sound good even on a boombox. And here the bass is rough, dense; the bass ventures into the deepest recesses of hell, guitar riffs and bestially whipped cymbals verify the real ability of the tweeters to reproduce the amount of kilohertz declared by their manufacturers. This kind of music is just completely built up from problems. However, those are a non-issue for the VLADs, who, like the Romanian donor of their name, do not intend to take prisoners and perhaps do not apply a sharpened pole to the part of the body where the back loses its noble name, but simply play/transmit everything that comes to them, regardless of the complexity, power and emotional charge contained in the source material. To put it bluntly, on a sufficiently high-calorie charge, the Epitome unclogs the systemic bloodstream not by discreetly disappearing in it, but rather by injecting liquid fire into it, and under such pressure, that listeners unprepared for such a (shocking) therapy may fear not only for their own hearts, but also for their speakers, whose bass drivers seem to be inclined to jump out of their carcasses.
A similar aesthetics and uncompromising presentation is adhered to by the power cable, which is interesting because it was clearly inferior in its cross-section when compared to my Acoustic Zen Gargantua II I use daily for nearly a decade, but at „Kin” by Whitechapel, it did not think to give it space in terms of both spectacularity and energy of the lowest frequencies. In fact, it clearly followed in the footsteps of my last master, the ZenSati Angel Power, recently complimented by us and finally ordered after testing by Jacek. Of course, in terms of juiciness and „energetic continuity” in the entire reproduced band, it was slightly inferior to it, but the very fact of being able to cope with the blasts that Alex Rüdinger has been beating and mentioning both cables in one sentence should clearly let you know, how dangerous a player the cable competition will soon have to deal with. However, please do not worry that Epitome Power will turn even an intimate monodrama into a spectacle in the style of the last instances of „The Fast and the Furious” or „Mission: Impossible”, because it is enough to reach for the adrenaline-free material in the style of „Where Do You Start” by Brad Mehldau Trio, operating in the micro rather than macro-dynamic domain, for everything to not only return to its place and to normal, which, above all, sounded as if we were taking seats at the first tables set up around the stage in a cozy jazz club. It is supposedly only three instruments, and in addition, they are conducted with such mastery and virtuosity that none of the musicians has to prove anything to anyone by playing almost casually, sparingly, leaving a lot of space for their companions. And all this mastery and the flow between the line-up is given to us not so much on a silver platter, which could suggest a certain brightening of the sound, but simply masterfully woven into the music oozing from the speakers. Juicy music, pulsating with rhythm and devoid of any informational limitations, so insight into the structure of recordings, penetration into the musical tissue will depend only on the desire of the listener himself.
The calmest of the Epitome siblings are the speaker cables, which on the one hand, when used together with the above-mentioned company cables will allow you to maintain moderation and balance, calming the sound down a bit, and on the other hand, during solo performances, they captivate with the musicality and roundness of the created shapes. Maybe they are not as open at the top as the interconnects, or they do not carry as much energy at the bottom of the band as the power cord, but as long as we are not looking for some extremes in the sound, then what the speaker VLADs can show in the midrange and what they do with the vocals (vide „It’s Time” by Michael Bublé) for all lovers of the „midrange” and full-range drivers may be a sufficient reason that once they are plugged in, they will remain in place for many years. If you like the sweetness of the higher Cardas or Signal Projects, this inconspicuous cable follows in their footsteps, but does it a bit more briskly than the above-mentioned predecessors. Therefore, with its presence in the sound path, there is never too much stickiness or any slowdown of the presentation.

And so things got complicated. I assume that the genesis of the creation of the Epitome VLAD Audio series was the desire to offer cables reasonably priced and well-positioned for their „shelf”. And to be completely honest, I can only write that this whole intricate plan of Hendry Ramli not only failed, but even went completely …, well, never mind where, because Epitome’s VLAD play … eminently. And not only in their category, but in general – in the „Open category”. Resolving, fresh, dynamic, free, musical and juicy. But what? That you cannot combine all the above-mentioned features „in normal money”, and very often in abnormal money too? Well, apparently no one told Hendry that, because by a strange coincidence he succeeded.

Marcin Olszewski

System used in this test:
– CD/DAC: Vitus SCD-025mkII + 2 x Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Blue Fuse
– Network player: Lumïn U2 Mini + Farad Super3 + Omicron Magic Dream Classic; I-O Data Soundgenic HDL-RA4TB
– Turntable: Denon DP-3000NE + Denon DL-103R
– Phonostage: Tellurium Q Iridium MM/MC Phono Pre Amp
– Digital source selector: Audio Authority 1177
– Integrated amplifier: Vitus Audio RI-101 MkII + Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Violet fuse
– Loudspeakers: AudioSolutions Figaro L2 + Solid Tech Feet of Balance
– IC RCA: Furutech FA-13S; phono NEO d+ RCA Class B Stereo + Ground (1m)
– IC XLR: Organic Audio; Vermöuth Audio Reference; Furutech DAS-4.1
– Digital IC: Fadel art DigiLitz; Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Copper; Apogee Wyde Eye; Monster Cable Interlink LightSpeed 200
– USB cables: Wireworld Starlight; Vermöuth Audio Reference USB; ZenSati Zorro
– Speaker cables: WK Audio TheRay Speakers + 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; Esprit Audio Alpha
– Power distribution board: Furutech e-TP60ER + Furutech FP-3TS762 / Fi-50 NCF(R) /FI-50M NCF(R)
– Wall power socket: Furutech FT-SWS(R)
– Switch: Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Red + Silent Angel S28 + Farad Super6 + Farad DC Level 2 copper cable
– Ethernet cables: In-akustik CAT6 Premium II; Audiomica Laboratory Anort Consequence, Artoc Ultra Reference, Arago Excellence; Furutech LAN-8 NCF; Next Level Tech NxLT Lan Flame
– Anti-vibration platform: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Slim Platform
– Table: Solid Tech Radius Duo 3
– Acoustic panels: Vicoustic Flat Panels VMT

Opinion 2

It is been quite a few years since our first contact with Balinese wires. Importantly, it was thanks to us, and more precisely after the tests of the Reference series in the form of a power cable, RCA/XLR interconnects and loudspeaker cables provided directly by the manufacturer itself, that it became clear that it was worth finding a serious local representative for it. This is how the Vermöuth Audio brand appeared in the Polish distribution. Not the cheapest, but compared to the current price madness for the end customer, and taking into account the price performance ratio, it is very reasonably priced. Time passed, we consistently reviewed the ideas of this company, until relatively recently we received information about the creation of a new project by Hendry Ramli. Of course, we gladly agreed to the proposal to conduct a test, the result of which is the assessment of the latest child of the head of the mentioned brand, in the form of Vlad Audio, from whose portfolio we received a set consisting of a power cable, two RCA and XLR signal cables and a speaker cable from the Epitome series.

Due to the status of being a very hot novelty, we know little about the construction of the tested cables. However, little does not mean nothing. So what could we learn from the manufacturer? Well, in a very brief package of information, we learned that in each case the conductor is cryogenic OCC copper strands. The signal conductors prepared in this way are led in transparent PVC tubes, and the diameter of each of them depends on the task of each cable. And so, the XLR and RCA signal ones boast a cross-section of 0.41 mm², the speaker cables 4 mm², and the power cord 2.5 mm². On the way to the target customer, as you can see in a series of photographs, each of them is packed in an aesthetic cardboard box with a certificate of originality.

So in what direction did the tested Epitome series drift? Well, from the first moments you could hear that it had a slightly different focus on a few accents, but it was a very similar aesthetic to its older brothers. The focus is still on the strong midrange, energetic lower registers and open treble, but as is usually the case, the devil is in the details. What are these details? First of all, plugging in the received set caused a general increase in the volume of music reaching me. Everything was given more directly, which of course resulted in a slight averaging of the microdynamics. However, I reassure the malcontents in advance, this is a natural finale of such an approach to presentation, which is designed to bring us closer to music by feeling its energy more, at the expense of less fragmentation into the smallest components. I would like to remind you, that we are dealing with inexpensive cables here, and as such, for natural reasons, is less competitive in audiophile terms, but in turn very coherent, and this was perfectly audible. This is to explain the impression of a louder presentation. Another detail that the tested cabling presented, was, a nice to listen to, excitement in the midrange; a slight upping of the emotions presented there. Its slight push-out gave a greater sense of communing with the music. The stage took a small step forward, which further increased the presence of music in my room. Naturally, the next nuance of the specificity of the Vlad reception was a similar approach to the bass. It became more voluminous, a bit fatter, but in a way known only to itself, far from monotony or spilling over the floor. Despite the aesthetics of solidity, he still showed the drive presented by the music. Maybe without looking at the slightest vibrations of the instruments shining in this range, but with a good pace. The last piece of the puzzle was the top. Full of expression, and thus lively, but taking into account the activities in the adjacent sub-ranges. In my opinion this was intentional, because if the treble was set back, it would destroy the effect of the system’s sound coherence. And so, despite the abundance of quantity, it adequately illuminated the whole presentation. This was the idea for the sound according to the Vlads, broken down into details. And how about in a clash with a specific music?
The first material came from the work of Claudio Monteverdi arranged by Michel Godard „A Trace of Grace” and sounded different than I hear it every day, but equally interesting. First of all, the bass guitar, which often appears in this production, may have shown less of the literal use of the finger on the string and was rounder, but it did not lose its timing, which allowed it to be well visualized in the echo of the monastery interior. Secondly, the aforementioned greater exposure of the midrange emphasized the vocals, that were very important for this music, full of emotions, usually as slowly sung phrases – of course, except for the energetic and sung from full lungs 5th track entitled „Zefiro Torna”. The whole interesting show was complemented by free upper registers. On the one hand, they emphasized the carrying capacity of all sound generators in the ether, and on the other hand, by giving the effect of natural reverberation, they gave them a nice place to appear in. The presentation carried a smaller package of micro-information, but it did not lose in the slightest by the trouble-free involvement of my sense of hearing in this event.
When it comes to the stronger sounds, in this case I also noted a similar, and often better received feedback on the operation of the series of tested cables. The music of Metallica’s „Master Of Puppets” is not a masterpiece of quality in terms of production, so any actions in the field of increasing the pleasure of reception by increasing the level of saturation or perceived volume are simply desirable. That’s why I do not think I need to convince anyone that the Vlads with their sonic qualities shone in the clash with such material. It was both aggressive and juicy, which, apart from reducing the roughness required in the perfect presentation of this music, allowed me to play with it without any problems. What’s more, the feeling of the increase in the level of music volume meant that I did not even have to touch the remote control to give my emotions an uninhibited vent.

Is the described Vlad Epitome Cables cable set able to satisfy every music lover? I think that if he or she skillfully and coherently configured his or her set, yes. What the title cable package offers will not change this state, but will only show some of its aspects in a different light. However, as I wrote, the whole thing will still be characterized by equal rights of each range, which, colloquially speaking, will not „distort” the reception of the music listened to, but will only slightly change the aesthetics of its presentation. To what extent it will be in the direction expected by the recipient, will depend on the specific configuration. Unfortunately, this question can only be answered by those interested in reshuffling their stereo system and checking for themselves.

Jacek Pazio

System used in this test:
Source:
– CD Player/DAC: Gryphon Ethos
– streamer: Lumin U2 Mini + switch Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Red-Silver
– Preamplifier: Gryphon Audio Pandora
– Power amplifier: Gryphon Audio Apex Stereo
– Loudspeakers: Gauder Akustik Berlina RC-11 Black Edition
– Speaker cables: Furutech Nanoflux-NCF Speaker Cable
IC RCA: Hijiri Million „Kiwami”, Vermouth Audio Reference
IC XLR: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Hijiri Milion „Kiwami”, Furutech DAS-4.1
Digital IC: Hijiri HDG-X Milion
Ethernet cable: NxLT LAN FLAME
USB cable: ZenSati Silenzio
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, Synergistic Research Galileo SX AC
– Table: BASE AUDIO 2
Accessories: Quantum Science Audio Red fuse; QSA Silver fuse; Synergistic Research Orange fuse; antivibration platform by SOLID TECH; Harmonix AC Enacom Improved for 100-240V
– Power distribution board: POWER BASE HIGH END, Furutech NCF Power Vault-E
– Acoustic treatments by Artnovion
Analog stage:
– Drive: Clearaudio Concept
– Cartridge: Dynavector DV20X2H
– Phonostage: Sensor 2 mk II
– Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer: DS Audio ES-001
– Tape recorder: Studer A80

Distributor: Premium Sound
Manufacturer: Vermöuth Audio / VLAD Audio
Prices
VLAD Audio Epitome Loudspeaker Cable: 1 310 $ / 2 x 1.8 m + 162 $ / additional 30 cm
VLAD Audio Epitome IC RCA: 330 $ / 1m pair + 50 $ / additional 25 cm
VLAD Audio Epitome IC XLR: 396 $ / 1m pair + 50 $ / additional 25 cm
VLAD Audio Epitome Power: 666 $ / 1.2 m + 88 $ / additional 30 cm