This shakes the reindeer right off the sweater! SpinX from Finland magnetically coats the conductor!
“Technologies for a cleaner environment,” so it is written! Not in the Bible, but in the image brochure from Spindeco, a Scandinavian cable manufacturer with a delightfully whimsical approach. The Finnish company has made it a primary mission to optimize energy efficiency in large-scale industrial enterprises with power cables featuring a coating that enables the polarization of conduction electrons. At first glance, that would seem to have less to do with high fidelity and more with quantum physics. But at some point, a clever Finn came up with the idea to fashion these wonder cables with a standard household plug and then incorporate them into a stereo system. And that shook the reindeer right off his sweater! I’ve never heard the Leningrad Cowboys prance through the house with such crisp tones as with these energy-saving strips. Vautsi! (That’s Finnish for Wow!) Development couldn’t have been so easy going, however, since it takes the educational level of the geeks from The Big Bang Theory to understand exactly how the Nordic wonder cables work. What we can say is this: Miniature magnets in the coating regulate the spin properties of the electrons, which reduces the dissipation of energy (or in this case, the very finest signal information) into the surrounding environment. For those who want the specifics: The Finnish company’s website and the archive of the UEF (University of Eastern Finland, Department of Applied Physics) provide more detailed information on this complex process.
The contents of my newly delivered package containing cables from SpinX are less puzzling. Use of the connector strips as well as the power and speaker cables is self-explanatory; their look is pleasantly uncluttered. Black outer cover, functional plug suggesting a high quality that builds confidence — and everything put together by hand without a big fuss that drives up the price; obtaining special lengths can also be arranged. Only a bit of precious metal in the form of gold or rhodium on the clip connectors of the speaker and the pins of the power cable safety plug creates a subtle ornateness. One nice detail of the connector strip is the integrated child-protection feature that prevents access to open sockets by means of small spring plates. What an exceptionally good idea! What I like even better is what happens when I gradually exchange first the power strip, then the power supply for the Einstein amp, and then, finally, in a last step the speaker cable. It would be exciting to find out what a set of matching cinch cables would do. But to my great dismay, right now signal cables are only available as symmetric versions with XLR plugs.
With every additional meter of the wonder cable, the very familiar bass line from the Aphrodite & Moloko remix of “The Flipside” seems to sound a bit more succinct. And that’s by no means everything! Since replacing my cables with the black strips from Finland, I’m no longer desperately torn — I’m simply blown away. No one really wants to listen to the tired Eagles’ perennial “New York Minute” any more. That makes the piece all the better for checking out the impact of new components. In just a few notes, the difference is clear: The SpinX cables hone the edges of the strings to such a fine point they could (metaphorically) almost lacerate your finger. Please don’t take that the wrong way! It’s not about bitingly sharp in the sense of scathingly stinging, but in the sense of the delicate seasoned zestfulness of a good curry that lets the taste buds dance the Bhangra. It’s so good you just can’t stop, even when your brow breaks out in a sweat.
Power strip, power cable, and speaker cable | SpinX Distributor Power Cable 1.5, Power Cable 1.5/2.7 and Speaker Cables 3.0 | Prices: three-outlet filter strip: €450; power cable: starting at €350, speaker cable: €390 (three meters)