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New as of 10/04/23: All site orders for Vygarde will be converted with free upgrade to Vygarde v2 for a limited time. Vygarde 2 fusion silver occ litz+copper occ litz now incorporates our PTL (Pure Textile Layered) design type with 18.9awg total (21.8awg of this as silver occ litz per polarity).
This promo offering will end once we sell a certain number of cables. Feel free to email us at NorneAudioCables@gmail.com to check availability before ordering.
More information coming soon. Also stay tuned for our brand new website launch in November.
Also available is our Raven's Nest Limited Edition version Vygarde v2 (pictured below). A unique design using a combination of silver terxtle sleeving and clear silver occ litz conductors.
When placing your Vygarde v2 order just mention that you would like the Limited edition version below. We will use an all silver barrel and splitter aesthetic tip to tip.
Also price matched for a limited time, in limited quantity. Please note as of 12/05 the Raven's Nest LE version below is now sold out, thank you to all for purchasing this limited run. Normal braid styling Vygarde v2 are still available.
Vygarde v2 PTL + TPU Fusion (new)
Backed by nearly 14 years of headphone cable design experience we bring the new revision Vygarde Series version 2 now with the addition of our specialized PTL (Pure textile layered) layout. A larger 18.9awg per polarity of the highest quality fusion silver occ litz (21.8awg) & copper occ litz in our precsiely selected strand counts, the Vygarde v2 now also utilizes our peerless PTL (Pure Textile Layered) design in combination with TPU conductors. Each of our conductors were carefully developed to find the perfect combination of strand counts, strand sizes, occ metal type, materials and overall gauge per polarity. With the PTL design conductors incorporated we eliminate the use of a polymer jacket and replace it with pure textile. In our case the superior material of 100% cotton primary woven layer (the most neutral in triboelectric series). As headphone cables are always moving in use, this eliminates the static of any materials rubbing / bending. We follow this with our flexible teflon wrap while embedding our 100% cotton cores in the occ litz strand bundles as well. Not only has true PTL design only been seen from us, but the combination of PTL conductors and TPU conductors in a single headphone cable has never been done before until the Vygarde v2. The aim of this cable was to iscover and deliver an extremely neutral tonally balanced profile without fatigue, while also delivering unmatched air, sparkle and detail.
We stand behind every single cable with our 30-day money back guarantee, as well as our lifetime transferable warranty. Discover how our best silver occ litz and PTL incorporated design types can elevate your listening experience.
For any questions please email NorneAudioCables@gmail.com. We are happy to recommend the perfect choice for you and your system.
For those seeking larger gauges than the Vygarde please email us about thge Silvergarde S5 and SC5 models in full PTL design (full silver occ litz and fusion). Or for those that prefer the clear aesthetic in the largest gauges, please email us about the Vykari v2 17.1awg silver occ litz or Vykari v2 Classic models. NorneAudioCables@gmail.com.
Stay tune for our brand new website coming this year 2023.
Overview:
18.9awg per polarirty Fusion design with silver occ litz + copper occ litz (enameled strands)
Litz (enameled coated strands) design providing unparalleld protection from oxidizing and skin effects over time.
Each conductor with our 100% cotton center cores + new specialized strand processing
Combining our PTL Pure Textile Layered design on one conductor per polairty + TPU jacketed on the other conductor per polarity (for full PTL see Skollvar or new Silvergarde S5 models)
PTL = the best conductor design achievable, using 100% pure cotton primary layer, 100% cotton cores, proprietary flexible teflon thin wrap and outer custom textile sleeve.
Great comfort, feel, durability and flexibility (uniform flexible bending).
Lowered microphonics (mechanical noise) due to our PTL design type incorporated
Click image below to enlarge
Shown above: Black + Black with single metallic silver tracer & Caribbean Rosewood (engraved) exotic wood splitter
Shown above: Silver sleeve with metallic silver+copper tracers
Cable above: Focal Utopia + Grey splitter w/ silver raised CNC inlay + Eidolic rhodium 4-pin XLR (gunmetal silver carbon housing)
Shown above: Exclusive Black wtih blue metallic tracer sleeve, only can be had on the Vygarde. The splitters are Slate Blue and Copper.
Shown above: Black + Black/Dark grey herring bone (Copper splitter with black raised inlay, Eidolic 1/4" TRS rhodium gunmetal silver carbon housing)
Please see below for the base color splitter options, you may specify any of these color options in checkout if you do not see it in the dropdown list.
See our sleeve list below for other combinations possible on this series. If not in the drop down, you may combine any two of the below sleeves by putting them in the checkout notes.
1: Black with dual metallic gold + green tracers
2: Black with copper metallic tracers
3: Black with single metallic silver tracers
4: Brown with single metallic copper tracers
5: Black with dual metalli silver + red tracers
6: Red & Blac herring bone
7: Black with metallic blue tracers (exclusive to Vygarde)
8: Dark Grey & Black herring bone
9: Silver with dual metallic copper + silver tracers
10: Black
11: Brown
Shown above are various sleeve options available for the Vygarde, if you do not see these in the site page drop down you may
simply specify them in your checkout notes or contact us to request the combination on your cable.
If there is a particular amplifier or headphone end termination you do not see, odds are we can make do it. Please just email us via contact form to confirm what you are after
and we will work out the details with you. For example Furutech 4-pin XLR or 1/4" TRS rhodium, etc.
Exotic Wood custom splitters:
Please note that all exotic wood splitters are hand crafted on a per order basis. These custom wood splitters take a lot of labor and will delay an order longer than a metal splitter.
If you are after the quickest shipping cables select the metal splitter option.
Exclusive splitter inlays:
Our custom splitter inlays are precisely formed via CNC process and merged with any desired deep recess triangle splitter currently available (see image above). If you want the simplest splitter possible just select the "deep recess logo" model instead.
You can specify the inlay you also want from the list below in the checkout notes, combined with any splitter shown on this product page.
Available inlays are: 1: Silver raised CNC inlay 2: Black raised CNC inlay 3: Copper flush cutout logo inlay 4: Silver flush cutout logo inlay 5: Black flush cutout logo inlay
Custom Sleeves
We are proud to say that our outer textile sleeves are 100% made in the USA to the highest quality and standard. Our sleeves are not simply something you can find off the shelf and they have their own extremly nice quality and feel. The factory we are using in the USA only adhere to the highest standard of quality given their long list of other prestigious clientelle. Not only possessing a top feel, our sleeves are very durable with a lower level of mechanical noise (microphonics).
Packaging:
Every Vygarde Series headphone cable ships with our custom Black bag and retail black box.
Please note: Page description under construction, check back soon for more details. See bottom for specs.
Why OCC?
Used throughout the high end audio industry in most flagship cable products, occ provides the superior quality copper and silver possible today.OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) is the name given to the casting process developed to help defeat annealing issues and virtually eliminate all grain boundaries in copper or silver with a unique patented process. The OCC casting method uses specialized heated moulds in order to draw a single crystal up to 125 meters in length. With only a single crystal in very long lengths, there is an unimpeded free path for the best possible signal transfer. Along with this superior single long crystal structure, OCC provides copper and silver with the least possible oxides and other impurities.
Why Litz?
With each strand utilizing a razor thin enamel coating, Litz based wire provides a cable that will last a lifetime (will not oxidize). Further with each strand acting independently until joining at the termination point, the design negates any bad effects typically associated with normal stranded wire (skin effect, proximity effect, etc.). As another side benefit durability and flexibility are both increased.
Combining OCC (purest metal) with Litz design you really have an end result that is the ultimate cable possible today.
Why Pure OCC Copper, OCC Silver and True Fusion OCC Silver + OCC Copper
We go by the numbers using science as the guideline. All metals have a conductivity rating as describe by the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS). All metals are compared against Copper at the 100% IACS rating mark. OCC Copper is rated at 103% IACS and Silver 106% IACS. Gold is rated at 73% IACS or 27% lower conductivity as compared to standard OFC/ETP copper (given the exact same amount of each metal). Therefore it would take a significant amount more Gold to achievethe higher conductivity rating of copper.
We will never release anything less than OCC copper and will never release any alloys. So what is an alloy? An alloy is defined as a mixture of two or more different metals, making the original metal less pure with worsened electrical performance than the original pure metal. An alloy of 1% gold with 99% silver would yield around 89% IACS rating or 11% less conductivity than standard OFC/ETP copper. While cables made of metals/alloys that are inferior to copper may alter the sound in a specific way, that is not our goal. Norne Audio will always seek to utilize the absolute best materials (going by the numbers) in our pursuit of the absolute best cables possible today. We believe that the cables with the best specifications yield the best possible sound of ones system.
Please watch the above animation if you prefer a quick visual overview.
IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard)
The IACS rating is the metric used to describe a metals conductivity as compared to the standard of copper.
First take a look below at pure metals conductivity ratings.
(1) OCC Pure Silver - 107%
(2) OCC Copper - 103%
(3) Copper (common grade) - 100%
(4) Gold - 73%
Silver is the best there is, in pure form, period.
example:
If you take a 1"x 1"x 1" cube of pure silver and compare its conductivity to an identical 1"x 1"x 1" cube of gold, the gold is considered 32-35% less conductive than the pure silver.
Alloys
An alloy, by definition, is less pure than the original pure metals it is comprised of. Alloys are in existence largely for strength / hardness properties and are not meant for high end audio cables. When you alloy a metal, say gold with silver, you quickly decrease its purity and IACS rating. Even at just 1% gold alloyed with silver the IACS rating drops down well below plumbing grade copper. Alloys in the audio world came about purely as competition increased and there was desperation for new ways to try and market a cable to the uneducated masses.
Norne Audio will always utilize the purest form of a metal and will always use pure silver occ litz, pure copper occ litz, spc occ litz or mixes thereof. Our goal is the design that possesses the absolute top specifications of the highest possible quality.
