Leery and weary. That's me. About most cable reviews. For their insufficient performance deltas. Yikes. Then there's not enough in 'em to justify toxic tariffs. But spare me WiFi headaches so no cables no joy. I'm not blind to the obvious. I'm just plenty stocked not stoked on 'been there done that'. Hence bestowing cable awards is even rarer. Today I'm enthusiastically contradicting myself. These handsome easily dressed leashes made very obvious differences except for the power cord of which I only had one. Their action was so pronounced and unambiguous that as far as these things follow rhyme and reason, I expect it to translate, period. It's like color. Unless we're colorblind, blue is blue, not red or purple. We may disagree about exactly which shade of blue—here much depends on vocabulary—but not the core color itself. Ditto for these cables. Their 'color' is as described. Then they dare cost a fraction of what I compared them to. Leonard Cohen. Hallelujah. Which implies not that they'll suit one and all. A corner-carving Corvette is no family car. Forget mounting a kayak on top. An energizer loom could misfire in a seriously serene system. It could overstretch tension in an already bristling build. It could get too detailed aka cerebral at the cost of embodiment and guts. Yet in its class of accelerator and illuminator, the loom of Kinki's Earth is very much a tangy yet juicy fruit. As a Taoist symbol of the five elements, 'earth' actually seems poorly chosen relative to sonic expectations. It's in the meaning of Planet Kinki that it flowers. These cables breathe the same air as Kinki electronics. Not only do they belong, they're pathways to their sound. Enablers.
Our award captions endeavor to distill a component's essence into a brief byline; emphasis on endeavor. This time hitting upon six suitable words in my distillery came easy. These Mr. Shoon designs really are all about speed and transmitting the energy encoded in phrasing, enunciation and beat keeping. You might want something else. No problem. The market awaits your patronage. There might be other wires which do exactly the same; or still more of it. No problem. Go forth and prosper. Today is for those who want a guaranteed thing; for these not silly stickers. Perhaps that's the real meaning of the Earth label? Cables which keep their soles solidly on terra firma? They're simply no sticks in the mud; quite the contrary in fact.
I've not been this enthusiastic about cables in a very long time. It's probably because they're intended for systems like mine built around the aural aesthetic of Kinki amps (substitute with Bakoon, Crayon, Enleum, Goldmund or earlier LinnenberG if those ring more of a bell). In that context they nearly strike me as the missing link. As usual, I didn't know a link was amiss until it manifested. LinkedIn. Question. Which other brand of electronics with a recognizable sound has engineered its own cables? There are Göbel and Kharma types if we have the funds. Lumin work with Westminster. In today's sector, I can't readily think of any.
Whatever else that may say, it certainly speaks loudly to Kinki Studio's commitment to have their clients enjoy the same sound which M. Liu pursues in his design lab. I find that most excellent reason. I also call out perfect delivery on the promise I was told embeds in this project's brief: to banish common distortions like confused fuzzy treble and slow bloated bass. Finally, the enhanced transparency from this loom's quickening blesses low-level SPL with greater conviction. We hear more of the contextual data which resurrect music in acoustic spaces other than our own. That means we needn't listen loud before those gossamer veils parts. Hence we won't fatigue as quickly or wear out neighbors and significant others quite the same.
Are we grounded yet?
Having said all this, I nearly feel as though I just emerged from Night Klub Kinki in the wee hours of a morning with a fading stamp on my hand: Earthed!
Now that the bouncer knows me, I'll be back!
