NORDOST VALHALLA 2 ETHERNET CABLE

The Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable is a high-end, audiophile-grade cable designed to deliver exceptional performance in high-fidelity audio and video systems. Here’s a detailed overview:

Overview

The Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable is part of Nordost’s flagship Valhalla 2 range, which is known for providing top-quality sound transmission. This cable is designed to meet the needs of enthusiasts and professionals who demand the highest performance in digital audio streaming. By offering superior data transmission with minimal signal loss, the Valhalla 2 aims to improve the clarity, accuracy, and overall sound quality of high-resolution audio systems.

Key Features

1. High-Speed Data Transmission: The Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable supports high data transfer rates, ensuring that your audio and video signals are transmitted with exceptional speed and fidelity.
2. 8 Conductors of Solid Core Copper: This cable uses 8 conductors made from 23 AWG solid core copper, which enhances conductivity and minimizes resistance. This design choice helps in delivering an unadulterated and clean audio signal.
3. Silver-Plated OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) Conductors: The conductors are coated with silver, which improves conductivity and ensures minimal signal degradation. This ensures high signal integrity over long distances.
4. Precision Dual-Layer Shielding: The cable features a dual-layer shield that protects against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI), ensuring that the audio signal remains pure and free from unwanted noise.
5. Triple-Layer Teflon Insulation: This insulation reduces capacitance and ensures that the signal transfer is fast and consistent. The use of Teflon ensures that the insulation is durable and resistant to external influences, further preserving the quality of the signal.
6. Gold-Plated 8P8C/RJ45 Connectors: The cable is terminated with high-quality gold-plated connectors, providing reliable and stable connections with minimal signal loss.
7. Nordost’s Proprietary “HOLO” Technology:

   The HOLO connectors used in the Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable are designed for optimal signal transfer and maximum bandwidth, further enhancing its performance.

8. Low-Latency Performance: It offers low-latency data transfer, which is particularly beneficial for streaming high-resolution audio and for use in home theater systems.
9. Hand-Crafted in the USA: Each Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable is hand-assembled and tested in the USA, ensuring a high level of craftsmanship and quality control.

Specifications

• Cable Type: High-performance Ethernet cable
• Conductor Material: Silver-plated, solid core, oxygen-free copper
• Insulation: Dual-layer Teflon
• Shielding: Dual-layer shielded for protection against EMI/RFI
• Termination: Gold-plated 8P8C/RJ45 connectors
• Available Lengths: Various lengths, typically ranging from 1 meter to 10 meters, with custom lengths available on request.

Performance Benefits

• Enhanced Soundstage: The Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable is designed to offer a wider and more precise soundstage, which results in a more immersive listening experience.
• Increased Clarity and Detail: The silver-plated conductors and Teflon insulation contribute to a highly detailed and transparent sound, allowing users to experience every nuance in their audio recordings.
• Reduced Noise and Interference: The dual-layer shielding effectively minimizes external noise, ensuring a clean and pure audio signal transmission.
• Improved Signal Integrity: The gold-plated connectors and HOLO

  technology ensure that the signal transfer remains intact, providing a faithful reproduction of the original audio source.

Ideal Applications

• High-End Audio Systems: Ideal for connecting high-resolution audio components such as digital music servers, DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters), and network streamers.
• Home Theater Systems: Perfect for achieving the best possible sound quality in a home theater setup, where accurate signal transmission is crucial.
• Professional Studio Use: Suitable for professional recording studios where precise and unaltered signal transmission is essential.

Comparisons and Market Position

The Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable is positioned as one of the highest-quality Ethernet cables available, catering to audiophiles who want the very best performance from their systems. It sits above many other Ethernet cables in terms of price, design, and performance, often compared to products from other high-end brands like AudioQuest, Wireworld, and Chord Company. However, the Nordost Valhalla 2 often stands out due to its use of proprietary technologies, high-quality materials, and meticulous craftsmanship.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Exceptional build quality and durability
• Superior data transmission and audio clarity
• Effective shielding for noise reduction
• Low latency and high-speed performance
• Suitable for high-resolution audio and video applications

Cons:

• Premium price point, making it a considerable investment
• May offer diminishing returns for non-audiophile or less advanced audio systems

Who Should Consider the Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable?

• Audiophiles looking to maximize the performance of their high-end audio systems
• Home theater enthusiasts who want the best possible audio quality for their setups
• Professional audio engineers and studios that require the most accurate signal transmission

The Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable is designed for those who demand the absolute best in digital signal transmission. Its combination of high-quality materials, innovative technology, and meticulous craftsmanship makes it one of the top choices for high-fidelity audio enthusiasts and professionals. While it comes at a premium price, the performance benefits it offers can be significant for those with high-end audio systems seeking the ultimate listening experience.

If you’re looking to enhance the clarity, depth, and precision of your digital audio experience, the Nordost Valhalla 2 Ethernet Cable is a worthy investment.

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.