Volker Franke

STEALTH INDRA Audio Interconnects

I have had the beta version of the Indra interconnect in my system now for a little over six months. Both my listening environment and my system components changed too much for me to write down my impressions earlier. So, belatedly, here are my comments on the best cable I have ever heard!

I had discussed beta-testing and the Indra interconnect with Serguei for a little while before I decided to participate in the testing. The Indra arrived at my house very well packed. Build quality and terminations are high and compare to the best cables I had used. The Indra looks very elegant in all white, but also quite understated. Not as eye-catching as the high-end interconnects from Nordost, HMS, or Transparent. I put it in my system at the front of the signal chain (between DAC and preamp) and it has remained there ever since. The Indra replaced a Cardas Golden Cross which I had enjoyed in the system for a while (in combination with Golden Reference interconnects to the amp and GR speaker cables).

My initial reaction was that the Indra provided a very detailed, neutral, musical, and non-fatiguing sound. It appeared slightly more neutral than the Cardas GC, which has a tendency to add a bit of body and warmth to the sound, but there was not much gain in terms of soundstage or blackness in the backgrounds. I also compared the Indra to its older brother, the Stealth PGS Gold and I could tell right away that both cables share a sonic family resemblance. The PGS sounded a bit warmer but as detailed as the Indra. I did not think the slight difference in sound that I noticed would merit such a considerable difference in price ($850 for the Cardas GC, $2,000 for the PGS if paid full retail). So I called Serguei fully intending to send the Indra back. Serguei was not surprised at my observation, since I had just received the cables about ten days earlier. “They’re not fully burned in yet,” he said and convinced me to keep them as long as I needed to in order to feel comfortable with my ability to assess the sound (that’s great customer service! Serguei cares about the music and the satisfaction of his customers, and not about making a quick buck). I agreed. And boy, am I happy I did!

Now that I have had the Indra in the system for a few months, there is no way I would want to part with them. In my experience, the greatest components don’t sound like anything. They let you hear and feel the music, but not the cable, amp, or CD player. You may not realize how good a component is until you take it out of the system and replace it with something else. Every time I take the Indra out, I hear differences. The GC and PGS sound warmer and slightly compressed, the Cardas GR sounds a bit bright, MITs sound dark … Swap the Indra back in – the music is back!! This cable delivers the biggest soundstage I have heard from any cable to date. It also has more punch in the bass and more air up top. There is just more of everything there! With the Indra, Eva Cassidy, Ben Harper, John Coltrane, Norah Jones are right with you in the room. The Indra bring me closer to the music than any other cable I have had in the system. They are pricey, but then again so are the best cables out there and I truly believe the Indra can hold its own when compared to the very best and might even better some of them. Since I have not heard all of them, I can’t say for sure, but given the level of enjoyment and musicality that the Indra have brought to my system, I have no intention of trying any other cables in their place.

In sum, the Indra is a very special cable that will retain a very special place in my system for a long time. Two more comments about Stealth cables in general: Be patient, Stealth cables need more time to fully burn in and settle into your system than most other cables I have tried. But they are well worth the wait. I have noticed that there is a unique synergy when combining Stealth cables. Add one pair and you hear a difference, change all cables to Stealth and the improvement is magnified. While I cannot afford to buy two more Indras, I have bought two pairs of the PGS and run them from the preamp to the Merlin Bam, to the amps. The whole system now sounds more musical, open, and natural than it did with all my Cardas wiring. I hope I will be able to get my hands and ears on a pair of Serguei’s new Dream speaker cables soon to see if the synergy can be improved even more.

Happy Listening!

Volker

System:

Amplifier: Joule Electra Stargate SET monoblocs
Preamp: Joule Electra LA 100 MK-III
CD: Apl-Hifi modified Sony X-707 ES transport
DAC: Audio-Logic MXL
Speakers: Merlin VSM with BAM
Cables: Cardas Golden Cross and Golden Reference, Stealth PGS and Indra
Power: Equi=Tech 1.5Q power conditioner, Elrod, Stealth M-21, and Signal Power cords
Tweaks: Granite and marble slabs under components, Black Diamond Racing Cones, Walker Audio discs