The same cannot be said of the Valhalla 2. But it tended to lack body and truncate bass frequencies, and it could take on an edge, particularly in the treble on vocals. To be sure, Valhalla has never been a brumous cable. (The original Valhalla interconnect and loudspeaker cable I used for several years with the Magnepan 20.1 loudspeaker were also alluring, but eventually I felt that their speed was too much of a good thing.)

Unlike its predecessor it never fatigues. The Valhalla 2, which has been considerably upgraded from its previous version, is a mesmerizing performer. The combo proved to be a ride in the audio fast lane. For the past several months I’ve had the opportunity to use a full set of Valhalla 2 interconnect and speaker cables, as well as power cords. Perhaps no cable manufacturer has gone to greater lengths to preserve the lifelike speed of live music than the Nordost Corporation. Everything, from electronics to cables, can have a profound impact. However, it takes more than just loudspeakers to convey such excitement.

I still vividly remember hearing the hurricane gale of sound produced by a pair of Usher BE-718s that was demonstrated in a fairly large room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Smaller speakers, particularly mini-monitors, have it, and they can sound devastatingly convincing because of it. Live music’s pop, sizzle, and dynamism is what can make it so downright exciting, but speed is one of the most difficult things to capture in audio.

Valhalla room trumpet