Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 8
My first high end aftermarket cable was the Wireworld Nano Eclipse headphone cable. It was reasonably priced, had a unique cable geometry, and sounded excellent. This early success caused me to buy other Wireworld products well before I became a reviewer. All of my power cables are Wireworld, and for a few years my interconnects were all Wireworld Equinox 8 interconnects. What attracted me to Wireworld cables was the unique design of their cables, their high quality materials, and the neutrality / transparency of their cables.
My system has changed quite a bit over the past few years, and with the arrival of a Chord Dave, an M Scaler, and several high end tube amplifiers, I decided it was time to start exploring higher end cabling. With that in mind I reached out to Larry at Wireworld and asked him if he could send me a full set of the Platinum series interconnects. A week of anticipation later and I received a 1 meter set of Platinum Eclipse 8 RCA cables, two 0.5 meter Platinum starlight 8 BNC cables, and one 1.5 meter Platinum Starlight 7 UBS cable.
So what is Wireworld's deal?
There are many companies that set out to build a better cable. Better is of course a subjective term, and can mean many things. Some companies build cables with the goal of creating a smooth analogue experience. Some companies build cables with the goal of extracting every detail from a system. Wireworld, on the other hand, builds cables with the goal of coming as close as possible to replicating the experience of not having a cable.
If you go to Wireworld's website you can read about their testing philosophy. It started out when David Salz (owner of Wireworld) built a custom RCA to RCA adapter (male to male) that allowed him to directly connect his preamplifier and amplifier. He was so blown away by lifelike sound that this direct (reference) connection produced that he set out to build a cable that could replicate the sound he experienced with a direct connection. This method of testing has allowed Wireworld to fine tune their cable designs to be as transparent as possible within the constraints of the particular cable lines costs and materials.
Wireworld Cable Comparator
Years later, to allow for testing to become more efficient, David Salz invested money and time into building and patenting a device that he called the Cable Comparator. What this device does is provide a way to test a cable and compare it to a direct connection (a perfect control like his RCA to RCA adapter) easily and with a push of a button. The device also has a side benefit of allowing for double blind testing. The Cable Comparator has made it easier for Wireworld to fine tune their designs and quickly verify the neutrality of their cables against no cable at all. David Salz did note though, that the Cable Comparator does add switches and additional connections, so he still does most of his testing manually using the original RCA to RCA adapter. This objective testing philosophy and attention to detail has helped differentiate Wireworld from other high end cable brands, both from the perspective of design as well as performance.
As I began my journey of reviewing cables from other brands, what struck me was that all of the cables that I tested and reviewed had a sound. While it was often times subtle, it was still clear and distinct. This was in sharp contrast to my Wireworld Equinox 8, which was relatively neutral. I would not describe that cable as having a sound, and after reading through Wireworld's philosophy and testing practices it clicked in my head why the Equinox 8 sounded so different from everything else I had been listening to. The question I had was simple, what happens when price is no object? How close to a direct connection can Wireworld really get?
The Review System
- Custom Built Roon Core
- Pro-Ject Direct Stream Digital S2
- Chord M Scaler
- Chord Dave
- ampsandsound Bigger Ben
- Hifiman Susvara Headphones
- Core Power Deep Core
- Two 4 amp balanced power conditioners
- All Power Cords: Wireworld Stratus 7
- All Interconnect: Wireworld Platinum 8 (7 for USB)
- Headphone Cable: Wywires Platinum
Packaging and Presentation
Wireworld's premium lines ship in metal hard cases with the Wireworld logo on the outside of them. Opening the case reveals the nicely wound cables. They are in a mesh bag with a hand signed certificate of authenticity. The Platinum series from Wireworld features carbon fiber connectors and in general has a level of finish and polish that I rarely see.
Platinum Starlight 7 USB cable cross section
Starting with the Platinum Starlight 7 USB cable, it has a unique flat shape. Anyone who has seen a Wireworld USB cable or a power cable will know what I mean. Instead of the cable being a cylinder, the cable has a rectangular shape. This design is not just about looks, it is about creating physical separation for the USB power lines and data lines. If you look inside the cable you will essentially see two channels: a data channel, and a power channel. These channels are physically separated, and this helps ensure that noisy power from a computer or other USB source does not interfere with the data signal.
This design is shared amongst the entire Wireworld USB cable line. For example, the big difference between the Starlight 8 USB cable and the Platinum Starlight 7 USB cable is the number of conductors and the conductor material. The Platinum Starlight USB cable has six signal conductors (vs the Starlight 8 which has three), and the conductors are made of solid silver (vs silver plated copper). The Platinum Starlight is also substantially thicker thanks to the 23 gauge cabling (vs 28 gauge on the Starlight 8). I have always been a big fan of the design of Wireworld USB cables. They coil well, and they don't tangle. The design does lead to one issue though. If you have a USB source where the port it vertical instead of horizontal, the cable will have to twist 90 degrees. While this is not a major issue, this cable easily can bend up and down, but does not as easily bend left and right. The design is worth this inconvenience but it is worth noting.
Moving onto the BNC cables. These look like more traditional cables, they are round, quite thick and are terminated with golden BNC connectors, with a silver conductor spike. While looks are really not important, it would be a disservice to not point out that these are the best looking BNC cables I have ever seen. The cables themselves are relatively flexible and easily connected to my Chord Dave and M Scaler.
Just like the USB cable above, the Platinum Starlight 8 uses solid silver conductors. This time the gauge is a thick 22AWG. I also have the less expensive Starlight 8, and the difference between these two cables is night and day as far as looks and thickness go.
Finally, the Platinum Eclipse 8 Interconnects have all the physical features that I have mentioned above. They have carbon fiber connectors with silver clad contacts. Like the BNC cable, this is a round cable. It uses 4 solid silver conductors and the gauge is a thicker 17AWG. The Platinum Eclipse 8 is a hefty cable and feels substantial in your hands.
Wireworld's patented DNA Helix
The thing that all Wireworld cables share in common is the DNA Helix geometry. This is another unique and patented technology that Wireworld developed. Wireworld cables consist of one or more flat layers of conductors that are always parallel to one another. They wind in the cable similar to the way a piece of DNA winds. This geometry is specially designed to prevent the eddy current losses that typically comes with twisted conductors. Wireworld claims that this improves details and dynamics, and while I cannot confirm that the additional details and dynamics that I hear are caused by the DNA helix, I can confirm that the Wireworld cables are the most detailed cables I have ever heard in my system, period. Now that we have talked about the cables themselves lets switch gears and talk about how they sound.
Starting with the USB Cable
When I review a full set of cables, I like to add each cable to my system one at a time. This allows me to hear the impact of each cable, and then at the end I place the entire loom into my system to hear what they sound like all together.
Connecting the USB cable into my system, I simply swapped out my FTA USB cable between the Chord M Scaler and the Pro-Ject Direct Stream Digital S2. After letting the Wireworld USB cable break in for 50 hours or so I began to listen to it and take notes.
The Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7 USB cable can be described as open and spacious, with a magnifying glass on the fine points and details. As I have said in other USB cable reviews, the telltale sign of a good USB cable, in my opinion, is its ability to render space. The Wireworld cable delivers a wide and deep sound stage. Details spring to life from this cable, and this was made even more clear in a direct A/B comparison with the FTA Callisto USB cable. The entire top end of the frequency range of the Wireworld cable is crystal clear.
I don't want to confuse a crystal clear top end with fatiguing or bright. The Wireworld USB cable is not bright. I could see this cable taking a bright leaning system and pushing it over the top, but if the underlying system has a well-developed non-fatiguing top end, the Wireworld USB cable is not going to turn it bright, it will just enhance the detail.
Similarly, though, I noticed that when compared with my Callisto USB cable, the Wireworld was noticeably less fun in the bass region. The Callisto USB cable pulls out the bottom end, and may even add a slight mid bass boost. I always suspected this was true, but in back to back comparison with the Wireworld, it became quite obvious. Now it is important to point out that I don't think the Wireworld USB cable is bass shy. I think the Wireworld USB cable is significantly more transparent and is presenting the information to the M Scaler completely uncolored. I personally prefer the FTAs boosted bass presentation, but the Wireworld USB is incredibly transparent and accurate. When I think about what Wireworld is trying to do, and how they test and evaluate their cables, the sound signature, or lack thereof makes sense, and shows that you can really build a transparent cable.
Moving to the Dual BNC Cables
Swapping out my Starlight 8 BNC cables for the Platinum Starlight 8 cables between my M Scaler and Dave was, the highlight of the Wireworld set. I never really felt that anything was lacking when it came to the Dave, M Scaler, and Starlight BNC cable combination. The Platinum Starlight 8 cables made me realize I was sorely mistaken.
The Dave can be a bit clinical sometimes, the M Scaler smooths this out, but the clinical nature of the Chord equipment can still rear its ugly head, especially on poorly recorded sources. Any of that clinical edge in my Chord stack vanished with the Platinum Starlight 8 BNC cables. The clinical nature was replaced with a highly detailed but smooth presentation. The top end of my system just became perfect and this was true if I used the Dave as a preamp for my Bigger Ben or if I listened directly out of the Dave's headphone jack.
I think the most profound impact the BNC cables had, though, was their black background. It was as if a thin layer of grain was removed from the entire musical landscape. Swapping the cables out with the Starlight 8 BNC cables confirmed my thoughts, and I could easily and consistently identify the two cables. When I compared the Platinum Starlight 8 BNC cables to other similar priced cables from other manufacturers, I fully understood Wireworld's desire to create a transparent cable. Each of the other cables added a sound, more bass, more midrange, but after hearing what transparent truly sounded like, all the other cables just sounded fake and bloated. The thing I like about the Platinum Starlight 8 BNC is that it truly does not sound like there is a cable sitting in between my M Scaler and my Dave, and in this case, that is exactly what I wanted.
The Platinum Eclipse Interconnects
Break-in for the Platinum Eclipse Interconnects was critical. Upon initially connecting them into my system, I will be frank and say I really did not care for them. Dynamics seemed to reduce, bass weight dropped, and the treble was peaky. Fast forward about two weeks and pretty much all of those complaints disappeared.
After two weeks, the Platinum Eclipse Interconnects were so transparent it was as if no cable was in my system. Describing the sound of nothing is much more challenging than one would think. The background is inky black and transients are immediate. There is no bloat of frequency boost that I can perceive, everything just sounds ruler flat. Detail explodes, to the point that, at times, the details can become overwhelming. Bass feels lighter, but it is not because it is actually light, but instead because so much more information is coming in from the mid-range and treble that the bass seems lighter by comparison.
This was hard to get used to, so while I think the cable mellowed over the two weeks of break-in, I also think my mind got used to the sound signature of the system with these RCA cables in it. Once again when swapping cables this was immediately apparent, and while I could not consistently identify all of the RCA cables I have in house, it was always easy to identify the Wireworld Platinum Eclipse cables. The music just sounded more natural and direct, there was less bloat and more HiFi. However, my last point is what gave me pause. My system with the Platinum Eclipse sounded more HiFi but a little less fun. As a reviewer, I have learned, that there are audio components which are different than what I call HiFi components. In my mind audio components produce great sound, they make you tap your toes and dance. Audio components wow you with deep bass and dynamics, and they add that musical quality to anything that does not already have it. However, they do nothing to music that already bring dynamics and excitement to the table. On the other hand, HiFi components are always accurate, always detailed, and always transparent. They show you the best and the worst of your music. Well recorded things will never sound better, but poorly recorded things will never sound worst. The Platinum Eclipse is a HiFi component. This is not a bad thing but does not necessarily directly match with my personal taste.
Bringing the Entire Set of Wireworld Cables Together
Connecting all the cables into my system at once was a real treat. My system has never been so transparent. Bass was clean and well defined, the mid-range and treble were detailed, and the top end was smooth without any grain.
Listening to jazz, especially live recordings, produced an absolutely stunning result. Any music that involved a female vocalist was just plain beautiful. The sound stage on the Hifiman Susvaras was wider and deeper than ever before, and the space between instruments was impressive.
The one issue though, is when your system is this transparent, it begins to become a more traditional HiFi system. As I said above, while I respect and appreciate traditional HiFi sound, it is not the experience that I aim for. Wireworld's flawless execution of transparency allowed me to confirm this assumption about myself. These comments should in no way be taken as a negative to the Wireworld cabling, in fact it is quite the opposite. I am blown away by how transparent the cables are. The Wireworld Platinum series showed me that I like the sound of cables in my system. It also showed me how transparent my system can be, and if every audio recording in my collection was of reference quality, I would never want my system to sound any different. Sadly, I don't live in that world, and therefore require a system that is transparent enough to show off well recorded music, but is fun enough to make any recording sound good.
Wrapping Up
The Wireworld Platinum Series of Digital and Analog interconnects set a new standard in transparency. I have never heard cables that sound like nothing, it is shockingly hard to describe the absence of something. When you remove the sound of cables from your system you are left with an incredible amount of detail, space, and transparency. You may lose a bit of fun, but if you have the right components the result may very well be the difference between listening to a recording, and being transported to a recording studio.
I was so impressed, that I ended up purchasing the Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 BNC cables. The extra bit of transparency that they provided to the digital side of my system was revolutionary. I could not allow them to leave my system once I had heard them for an extended period of time.
Thank you Larry and the rest of the Wireworld team. This experience has made me more curious to explore remainder of the Wireworld products, and my ears look forward to the next time I get to evaluate these amazing cables.
Platinum Eclipse Interconnects
Retail: $1700
Platinum Starlight 8 Dual BNC Cables
Retail: $850
Platinum Starlight 7 USB cable
Retail: $850
Wireworld
