Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable
Nordost’s Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable allows music lovers to fully incorporate digital music storage and streaming into their reference audio systems, while maintaining, and even improving upon, their musical performance.
In order to meet the increasing demand for high speed data and increased bandwidth, the Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable has the advantage of eight, 23 AWG, solid core conductors wrapped in a high density polymer insulation. These annealed conductors are arranged into four twisted pairs before being triple-shielded. Each of these design aspects minimizes skin effect, eliminates crosstalk and EMI (electromagnetic interference), and ensures a high performance network cable, offering far more bandwidth than is needed for the typical data demands of today.
To further distinguish the V2 Ethernet Cable from its competitors, Nordost has implemented its unique mechanical tuning process. By meticulously cutting each conductor at calculated and equal lengths, Nordost reduces internal microphony and high frequency resonance. The precise cut of each conductor, at a length which is determined by the cable’s geometry, material, and application, guarantees the uniform arrival of all signals, dramatically reducing timing errors.
To complete this reference design, the Valhalla 2 Cable is terminated with a completely specialized, gold-plated 8P8C/RJ45 connector, designed to resist ESD (electrostatic discharge) and optimized for mechanical reliability. The resulting cable supports frequencies and transmission speeds that easily meet Category 8 requirements.
Each cable is constructed with precision, consistency, and quality fabrication, providing a massive improvement over standard issue, mass-produced, low precision Ethernet cables.
Lengths over 3m available: £510 per additional meter
Nordost’s Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable allows music lovers to fully incorporate digital music storage and streaming into their reference audio systems, while maintaining, and even improving upon, their musical performance.
In order to meet the increasing demand for high speed data and increased bandwidth, the Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable has the advantage of eight, 23 AWG, solid core conductors wrapped in a high density polymer insulation. These annealed conductors are arranged into four twisted pairs before being triple-shielded. Each of these design aspects minimizes skin effect, eliminates crosstalk and EMI (electromagnetic interference), and ensures a high performance network cable, offering far more bandwidth than is needed for the typical data demands of today.
To further distinguish the V2 Ethernet Cable from its competitors, Nordost has implemented its unique mechanical tuning process. By meticulously cutting each conductor at calculated and equal lengths, Nordost reduces internal microphony and high frequency resonance. The precise cut of each conductor, at a length which is determined by the cable’s geometry, material, and application, guarantees the uniform arrival of all signals, dramatically reducing timing errors.
To complete this reference design, the Valhalla 2 Cable is terminated with a completely specialized, gold-plated 8P8C/RJ45 connector, designed to resist ESD (electrostatic discharge) and optimized for mechanical reliability. The resulting cable supports frequencies and transmission speeds that easily meet Category 8 requirements.
Each cable is constructed with precision, consistency, and quality fabrication, providing a massive improvement over standard issue, mass-produced, low precision Ethernet cables.
Lengths over 3m available: £510 per additional meter
Nordost’s Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable allows music lovers to fully incorporate digital music storage and streaming into their reference audio systems, while maintaining, and even improving upon, their musical performance.
In order to meet the increasing demand for high speed data and increased bandwidth, the Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable has the advantage of eight, 23 AWG, solid core conductors wrapped in a high density polymer insulation. These annealed conductors are arranged into four twisted pairs before being triple-shielded. Each of these design aspects minimizes skin effect, eliminates crosstalk and EMI (electromagnetic interference), and ensures a high performance network cable, offering far more bandwidth than is needed for the typical data demands of today.
To further distinguish the V2 Ethernet Cable from its competitors, Nordost has implemented its unique mechanical tuning process. By meticulously cutting each conductor at calculated and equal lengths, Nordost reduces internal microphony and high frequency resonance. The precise cut of each conductor, at a length which is determined by the cable’s geometry, material, and application, guarantees the uniform arrival of all signals, dramatically reducing timing errors.
To complete this reference design, the Valhalla 2 Cable is terminated with a completely specialized, gold-plated 8P8C/RJ45 connector, designed to resist ESD (electrostatic discharge) and optimized for mechanical reliability. The resulting cable supports frequencies and transmission speeds that easily meet Category 8 requirements.
Each cable is constructed with precision, consistency, and quality fabrication, providing a massive improvement over standard issue, mass-produced, low precision Ethernet cables.
Lengths over 3m available: £510 per additional meter
Valhalla 2 - Reference Cables
Valhalla 2 is Nordost’s Reference range of high performance audio cables. These exemplary products benefit from three decades of research and development, resulting in cutting edge production techniques and technological innovations.
Like all Nordost cables, Valhalla 2 starts with a strong foundation: silver-plated, OFC solid core conductors, extruded FEP insulation, a mechanically tuned construction, and asymmetrical grounding. However, that is just the beginning. The advances made from that jumping-point are astounding.
V2 cables use Dual Mono-Filament technology, Nordost’s patented process of separating the conductor from its FEP insulation. During production, each conductor is intricately and uniformly wrapped in a twisted pair of FEP Mono-Filament, before being encased in an extruded layer of high quality FEP. This intricate process allows every conductor to be surrounded by its own air dielectric, which is directly responsible for the dramatic increase of signal speeds and excellent mechanical damping of the cable. This technology, along with innovative, proprietary HOLO:PLUG® connectors, designed to be the best possible interface between the cable and component, propels the capabilities of our reference range to previously unattainable levels.
Ethernet Cables
For hifi enthusiasts who have adopted digital files and music streaming as their preferred audio source, a high-performance Ethernet cable is of the utmost importance. Nordost’s Ethernet cables allow you to integrate Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices into your hifi systems and stream music while simultaneously improving upon the sound quality. By employing technologies and methods proven effective throughout the years in the consumer electronics industry, Nordost has modified the commonly found Ethernet cable to fit this new, highly specified market and has even surpassed industry standards.
Specifications
Insulation: High density polymer
Construction: Mechanically tuned length, Screen Foiled Twisted Pair Design (s/ftp)
Conductors: 8 X 23 AWG
Material: Solid core copper conductors
Overall Shield Coverage: Fully Shielded Triple Braid
Termination: Specialized EMI and ESD resistant gold-plated 8P8C/RJ45 connectors
Expectations were kept in check for this review, and yet now I have to concede that this is a network cable that’s not just a bit sonically different, it’s a palpable triumph in digital audio sound reproduction.
Andrew Harrison, Hi-Fi+
