Part 2 of the Vermouth Audio review covers their Reference Speaker Cable and their Reference Interconnect Cable. The Vermouth USB cable will come in another review that takes a more in-depth look at digital audio. You can find Part 1 of the review, which covers the Reference AC Cable and the Reference Power Distributor here.
Vermouth Audio Reference Speaker Cable
The Vermouth Reference Speaker Cable design follows the same pattern as their Reference AC Cable. They are made of multi-strand copper of various gauges that is split into two via three layers of PTFE tape. Then they are housed in a PVC sheath and further wrapped in a white PVC braided sheath. Each end uses cold-forged rhodium plated connectors with telluric copper, in this case, banana connectors. Another reviewer called this design a “burrito”, as there is a lot going on.
The Reference Speaker Cables were easy to connect to my system. While the main length of the cable is thick, it was fairly easy to manipulate into my smaller listening space. The long leads at the ends are tipped with cold-forged rhodium-plated banana plugs. They were a snap to hook up to the speaker and amplifier.
Listening Sessions
I listened to three different speakers and two different amplifiers to test out these cables. I used the Mystère ia11 and Orchard Audio CRISPIN amps. The speakers were my Teresonic A55s, PMC TB2is, and Lowther PMA2 drivers in the Acousta 90 cabinets.
For this review, I had ample time to listen to a large variety of musical genres, everything from Merzbow to Patsy Cline. The characteristics of the cables were consistent in all system configurations. They produced a refined top-end that was easy to listen to over long periods of time or at higher volumes. They also had an open and detailed mid-range that greatly helped the three-dimensional image of good recordings and a rich and powerful low-end.
Vermouth Audio Reference Speaker Cables
I enjoyed the Reference Speaker Cable very much. Anyone looking for a refined and deep bass tweak for their system should give these a listen. As a side note, with these speaker cables in the system, I found myself listening to music more often from my listening room and at a higher volume, I was also listening with the door open while doing other things around the house. They really helped set an afternoon’s mood while cooking dinner or enjoying family time.
I most enjoyed these cables when connected to the Teresonic A55 speakers as they helped offset the A55’s sharp high-end and subtle bass. But even with the PMA2 in the Accousta 90 cabinets, the bass was never bloomy or over-blown. It was always rich with texture and detail and full of life.
Vermouth Audio Reference Interconnect Cables
The Vermouth Reference Interconnect Cables offer the same physical sense of exquisite manufacturing and class as the speaker and power cables. In fact, all the cables and the power distributor from Vermouth have exceptional manufacturing. The analog interconnect cables also use the same design pattern,multisize OCC copper blended and rectangular OCC copper cables with double PTFE table and Cu Mylar wrapping. They also have an OCC copper shield and Tellurium copper and rhodium-plated locking connectors in a carbon fiber shell. In short, they are great to look at and hold. Better yet, their sound continues to make as good an impression as the other Vermouth cables.
I only had one set of interconnects to listen to, and while I did use them in my bigger systems, I also used them the most between my Orchard Audio PecanPi DAC and Burson HA-1 headphone amplifier. I used my trusty, but not perfect, Audeze LCD-2 headphones with a Stager Silver Solid headphone cable and Cardas XLR to RCA converters.
The interconnect cables shared the same focus on an open mid-range, as the speaker cables. However, the high-end had a subtle hint of a liquid that reminded me of a 211 amplifier. It was a very enjoyable sound which was emotionally provoking and enticing to listen to. While the LCD-2 headphones are great, they are not all that extended or crystal clear in the high end. This made listening for hours on end effortless, but didn’t allow me to explore more of this liquid sound from the interconnects. However, the Vermouth mid-range clarity continued to bring both emotional and analytical enjoyment to everything I listened to.
Overall I like the sound of these cables. I have to admit though, they aren’t as live as my WyWires or as cost friendly as the Stager Silver Solid interconnects. Compared to my Stager Silver Solid interconnects I would say the Vermouth cables opened up mid-range and had more clarity in spacing. They also had a very interesting and unique liquid top-end.
Conclusion
Overall I have enjoyed my time with the Vermouth cables. Both Joshua Masonsong and the owner/designer Hendry Ramli are very nice and patient men. They have been good to get to know. If you are searching for very high-quality cables for your system at a reasonable price, the Vermouth cables should be on your listening list. Look for part 3 of the review on the USB cable coming soon!
Read Part 1 of this review here.
Vermouth Cable Prices:
Vermouth Reference Speaker Cable – Price not available
Vermouth Reference Interconnect Cable – USD $1,520 for a 1 meter pair (and an extra $160 for each additional 0.25 meters)
