The Grand
Based on my positive experience with the Ultimate V3 for my favourite closed-back headphone, Sony’s MDR-Z1R, I just had to hear what the Sony sounded like with the top-of-the-line Lavri. As mentioned earlier, Lavricables Grand is based on 20 awg pure silver wire combined with a graphite core that adds some heft, both visually and sonically.
Unlike the Ultimate V3 cables that were supplied with a more traditional gold-plated 4.4mm connector and locking 3.5mm adapters specifically for the Z1R, the Grand came sporting Lavri’s new rhodium-plated, carbon-accented hardware. Gone were the locking plugs, replaced with sleek-looking terminations that feel no less solid when attached to the headphones. Lavricables have also made the effort to match the hardware finish on the plugs and Y-splitter, so the cable has a much more uniform look to it now.
Sound Impressions: Sony
Having already heard the clarity benefits of using a pure silver cable with the MDR-Z1R, I was expecting the Lavricables Grand to fill in some of the missing pieces I felt the Ultimate V3 left on the table, in terms of performance. I was not disappointed.
Whether it was the rhodium-plated plugs adding a silkiness to vocals and extra detail in the highs, or just the fact that more and better-quality silver wire was letting the signal flow more freely, the end-result is a delivery that basically takes the unmistakable Sony sound to its fully-refined potential.
One of the ‘issues’ I had with the MDR-Z1R and the stock cable was occasional stridency in the upper treble, and the first thing I noticed with the Grand attached is the absolute lack of any treble zing or harshness. The entire upper register was now a smooth, sparkly river of sound, rewarded by better quality recordings, but far more tolerant of poorer recordings too.
Ethel Cain’s expressive but sometimes grainy vocals on her brilliant Preacher’s Daughter LP sometimes leave me wanting with highly resolving headphones like Z1R, but listening with Lavricables Grand replaces grain with sugar, leading to a far more enjoyable experience, and allowing for all the other sonic elements to combine together more consistently.
Down low, some of the lightness I noticed in bass notes with the Ultimate V3 has been filled in quite nicely, not as much as a high-end copper cable would do, but with the added benefit of a bump in resolution and texture articulation.
Bass impact is usually the first thing that suffers with a pure silver cable, in my experience, so the main benefit of moving up to a much higher grade of silver like the Grand is just that – bass impact. The kick drums in the Eagles live rendition of Hotel California have never sounded so good, with a tightness and three-dimensional quality that even the best copper sometimes fails to render.
Electronic drums are no less impressive, Alphaville’s Sounds Like A Melody sounding both melodic and powerful, with a clean, crisp, black background the helps separate the many different synth elements from each other.
Midrange quality is similarly enhanced by the ink black background, with female vocals in particular responding to the cable’s ability to refine even the smallest details smoothly. Heidi Talbot’s sugary voice on Cathedrals is both crystalline and sweet, without a hint of grain or grit. Similarly, Katie Pruitt’s rasping, emotive delivery on It’s Always Been You is conveyed with a fluidity and control that lets me lose myself in the music rather than focus on technical issues with the recording. In both tracks, the vocals are surrounded by a cacophony of instruments that are not only pitch-perfect, but also neatly separated from each other and the vocals. Piano, drums and strings with Heidi, primarily guitars with Katie, each sounding full, clear and ‘correct’.
Treble is where the real value of high-end silver manifests with Z1R, as hinted earlier. The spicy guitar plucks in Nils Lofgren’s Keith Don’t Go are still bitingly sharp, but completely non-fatiguing. There’s no edginess or peakiness here as is sometimes the case, just brilliant musicianship befitting this brilliant live recording. Cymbals and shares are also on point, with older rock tracks like Bon Jovi’s Runaway and Def Leppard’s Love Bites hitting home with a brilliance bereft of harshness or stridency.
Technically I hear the Lavri Grand adding even more expansiveness to the stage, explained again by the darker background, but also by the bump in resolving power. Complex epic orchestral pieces like Audiomachine’s Ashes Of Time and Thomas Bergersen’s Return To Sender delight with tiny details and nuances you might miss with a cable that smears some of the finer transients or masks some of the background cues. Not so with Grand, which delivers all the detail on a silver platter, if you’ll excuse the shameless pun.
Overall, the addition of Lavricables Grand adds a new level of engagement and refinement to the already engaging Sony sound. It smooths over erratic peaks in the upper frequencies but doubles down on resolving ability without the usual compromise of excessive bass attenuation. The richness of the midrange is given more room to breathe, and bass notes, while tighter, still land with a satisfying weight.
Compared to…
Lavricables Ultimate V3. While the Ultimate gets very close to Grand’s resolving ability, I hear the Grand as more refined, with fuller notes and more bass weight. The Grand also smoothens out Z1R’s treble peaks more effectively without sacrificing detail. Build quality is about the same, but I prefer Grand’s thicker cables – even though it’s not what I’d call a thick or cumbersome cable at all. There’s an effortlessness in the Grand’s voicing with the Sony that the Ultimate doesn’t quite match either.
Kimber Axios Cu. This is where things get a bit murky. The Axios is significantly more expensive, but for the extra money you get a cable with unmatched build quality. Ergonomically I prefer the Axios too, although it is more microphonic than the Grand, so keep that in mind if you move around a lot while listening. Sonically the two are more complementary than competitive. Both cables are highly resolving, but Grand has the edge here. While Grand is fuller than other silver cables, it can’t quite match the organic, earthy fullness of the pure copper Axios. Bass impact is also bigger with the Kimber, but bass notes are tighter and more articulate with the Grand. The Grand also smoothens the Z1R’s peak more effectively.
Closing thoughts
These past few months have been quite a journey with the range of Lavricables and getting to experience them with different headphones. I hadn’t heard much about Lavricables before, but they’re now firmly on the map when I’m making any sort of cable recommendations, silver or otherwise.
Going through the gears, from Ultimate to Master to Grand, returns appreciable bumps in quality. Master and Grand are on a fairly even keel, I’d say, with Ultimate the perfect option for anyone wanting to experience the clarity and resolution benefits of pure silver without breaking the bank.
Stepping up to the new Master cables and their delightfully blue hue will complement many headphones I can personally think of, while Grand is the icing on the cake for those looking for the ultimate expression of what pure silver can achieve in a high-end headphone chain.
They may not be the flashiest or fanciest cables available, but their build quality and sonic ability is unquestionable. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how Lavricables continues to innovate, especially as performance margins and real innovation going forward becomes ever rarer.
