Introduction to the review of Lavricables Grand
Lavricables is a Latvian company specializing in silver cables that has been already present at Ear Fidelity. Michał reviewed their master line and found it quite compelling.
The guys at Lavricables reached out to us asking if we’d like to review their products, and after a quick and very pleasant chat, I decided to give it a go. We’ve chosen the Lavricables Grand series to go with my HiFiMAN Susvara, as there are no better headphones in the world to test cables with.
The Susvara is known for its incredible technical performance, which further helps in evaluating every single change to the sound of your setup. With that, let’s get right into it.
Packaging, Build Quality and Comfort
The Lavricables Grand series comes in rather a standard packaging which contains a soft carrying pouch and the cable itself. No fancy accessories, wooden boxes, etc, which is something that I like to see in a product in this price range. Lavricables focuses on very high-quality cables without asking crazy prices, and this leaves no room for fancy packaging.
Nonetheless, it’s a cable, you don’t actually need anything more. I know that there are companies that do offer luxurious unboxing experiences with their cables, but the difference in price also plays a role there. With Lavricables, you’re just getting what you’re paying for – Nothing more, nothing less.
As for the build quality, I’m happy to report that the reviewed Lavricables Grand is a very high-quality cable that is exceptionally built and very good-looking at the same time. While it won’t steal anyone’s heart with its sublime and unique design (or lack of it actually), there’s absolutely nothing to complain about. The 3.5mm jack plugs that go into your headphones are of good quality, and they surely look quite pleasing. The splitter in my review unit is a carbon-infused one, which pairs well with the jack connectors, and it’s not too heavy and bulky. Thanks to that, the splitter area will not be problematic when it comes to comfort, but more on that later.
Lastly, the 4-pin XLR connector is from a company called Aeco. This is actually my first time handling products from Aeco, and I’m actually blown away. The XLR plug is heavy, very robust, and well-finished, which gives you confidence when handling it. It’s also quite a great-looking plug, and I don’t see any valid point to go for a very expensive Furutech over this one.
Apart from the metal hardware, the cable is made of 6n purity awg20 Cryo treated multistrand litz pure silver conductor. Yes, it’s quite a mouthful. What’s important though is that it’s a very, very high-quality material for an audio cable, the best from the best if you’ll ask some people on the web.
Overall, the actual build quality of the reviewed Lavricables Grand is quite exceptional, and having in mind the quality of the conductor together with great metal hardware, I’m actually very pleased by the asking price. Without even starting the sound paragraph of the review I can tell you that so far, this is priced more than fairly.
Let’s talk about comfort now. The Lavricables Grand is a very comfortable cable that gives me absolutely no issues when using it. While it’s definitely not the lightest and thinnest cable that I’ve ever used, it’s very soft and doesn’t hold the shape too much, so even after some time spent in your drawer it won’t get weirdly bent. There’s nothing really left to be said, it’s a comfortable cable that is just a joy to use.
Sound of the Lavricables Grand
Let’s get into the most important thing now, which is the sound. As I already said in the introduction, I’ve chosen a cable to go with my HiFiMAN Susvara, as this headphone will let me pinpoint even the slightest change in tonality or in the audio quality itself.
When compared to the stock HiFiMAN cable, the Lavricables Grand definitely feels infinitely more premium, both to the eyes and to the touch. I don’t think there’s a single person on the earth that is a fan of HiFiMAN’s stock cables, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise, but still – had to be mentioned.
When it comes to the sound though, the difference is even more prominent. The Grand just pushes the Susvara into a completely different league when compared to the stock cable, let me explain…
Of course, after receiving the cable, I gave it around 100h of burn-in time. Whether you believe in this or not, as a reviewer, it is my duty to run this process to ensure proper performance. Lavricables actually offers a burn-in service on their cables when you’re ordering one, so this is something I couldn’t have skipped.
After that 100h period, I plugged the reviewed Lavricables Grand into my main testing setup, with is: XIAudio K-DAC -> Feliks Envy -> HiFiMAN Susvara. This is a very high-end setup that doesn’t have any major weaknesses on its own, but still, it gained a lot when I swapped the stock cable for the Grand.
The biggest difference I’ve noticed is in the speed and firmness of the sound. The Lavricables Grand pushes the sound to be more technically impressive, fast, snappy, and tactile. Long gone is the feeling of slight smoothness to the bass or lack of the ultimate control of the treble. The overall sound gets more nuanced, but more prominent and firm at the same time. For me, this is what a good-quality, the pure silver cable should sound like – uncolored, yet technically great.
Both detail retrieval and resolution experienced a boost that is easy to hear, yet it doesn’t have any side effects. It’s not like you get better detail in exchange for making the sound brighter or leaner. This is what cheap, low-quality silver sounds like, and we surely ain’t talking about one in this review.
Also, the soundstage gets more precise and spacious because of those changes, as the overall texture and airiness are both elevated. No, it definitely won’t make your headphones into soundstage beasts, but it might just get you a boost that is easily to spot, while not overdoing anything.
Luckily, the reviewed Lavricable Grand cable doesn’t really alter the overall tonality of your setup, which is something that the Envy + Susvara combination definitely doesn’t need. I’m still getting that insane richness and smoothness to the vocals, but now with a slight touch of refinement and technicalities.
Another important aspect of this cable is its treble performance. Pure silver cables have that common misconception about treble. A lot of people see silver cables as cables that boost treble response, resulting in a bright and analytical sound, which is very far from the truth. Yes, cheap silver do often sound like this, but we’re not talking about cheap silver here. The reviewed Lavricables Grand doesn’t add any unneccessary brightness or sharpness to the sound, which helps with pairing it with a lot of different headphones on the market. You don’t have to worry that it’ll get too hot.
To summarize — the Lavricables Grand is something that I would definitely call a high-end cable. It is meant to slightly upgrade the sound of your setup, rather than changing it, and this is exactly what this cable does. No side effects, no weird tonality changes, and no problems in the treble area. I can easily recommend this cable to anyone that is looking for an “upgrade” cable, as the performance of the Lavricables Grand cable is a definition of that meaning.
Comparisons
Let’s compare the Lavricables Grand to the (probably) most expensive headphones cable in the world, the Cross Lambda Apollo GB.
First things first, the build quality is actually a thing where the Grand comes victorious, and while it could sound absolutely ridiculous having the price difference in mind, it’s just a truth. It’s softer, it doesn’t hold the shape as much, and it’s just a more comfortable, more premium-feeling cable of the two.
When it comes to the sound though, there’s just something about the Apollo GB which makes it the best cable that I’ve ever tried. Yes, I know that it’s easy to say as it’s the most expensive, but I definitely know that price often doesn’t mean a thing. However, the Apollo is even more detailed, and offers even better resolution, while sounding incredibly romantic and rich at the same time. The Grand is a pure silver cable, while the Apollo GB is a combination of 7N-HPPPOCC Palladium Plated Pure Copper, 7N-HPSPOCC Silver Plated Pure Copper, and 7N-HPOCC Pure Copper. This ensures that the Apollo GB actually has a “sound”, but it’s just something that really works wonders.
And yes, these cables are vastly different. The price difference is actually huge, and they perform in a different ways. The Grand is definitely altering the sound less, which might be highly desirable by many. The Lavricables Grand is DEFINITELY a better deal here, you can’t even argue with that. While not AS good as the Apollo GB, you can buy a lifetime supply of the Grand for the price of one Apollo, let that sink in.
Summary
The reviewed Lavricables Grand is a fantastic choice if you’re in the market for a high-end cable to pair your high-end headphones with. Its build quality is exceptional, it’s comfortable and pleasant to use and to look at, and most importantly – it sounds like a good silver cable should sound like.
Fast, snappy, and detailed but definitely not thin or bright sounding. This is an “upgrade” cable, and it definitely delivers on that promise. I’m happy to recommend the Grand to anyone who is looking for a cable that will upgrade their setup, rather than change the overall sound signature. The Grand will be constantly plugged into my Susvara and it ain’t moving anywhere anytime soon.
Recommended.
Big thanks to Lavricables for providing the Grand for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion.
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