When Oliver Göbel brought over the balanced signal and speaker cables from the Lacorde Statement line to the test review, he didn’t give much away regarding questions about the construction of the conductor. At least I was able to get out of him that for both applications, a vast number of the same, individually insulated conductors with the same diameter were employed. Of course, for the speaker cables, significantly more strands of wire were used to reach a larger cross section. The alloy for the fi ne, drawn wires consist of copper, silver, and a third material, that Oliver Göbel does not want to name. Experiments had shown that a cryogenic treatment provided no sonic improvements to the alloy. The most difficult stage of development was to determine the most harmonious relationship between the measurements of resistance, inductance and capacity and to realize it through the cable’s geometry. The individual wires were specially woven to achieve the desired parameters.

Cable tests are for many colleagues and myself not really popular because the findings are not easily transferable. The result strongly depends on the electrical parameters of the connected inputs and outputs. For that reason, I'm glad I tried connecting the Lacorde Statement speaker cables between the Ayon tube power amp and the LumenWhite speakers as well as from the Ayon to the Acapella Violon and the transistor Viola Concerto and the Lumen. And the result was still just as good - probably the understatement of the year! In the first brief encounter with the Göbel cable, the Acapella Violon stood in the listening room. Beside the power cable, the entire system was connected all with Swiss Cables that had inspired the previous test with superb transparency, distinctive detail and expansive spatial impressions. However, in conjunction with the Lumen it was missing a little warmth. With the Acapella, however, I didn’t miss anything at all in this part of the frequency spectrum.

The change over to the Lacorde Statement brought about more details and created a larger room with more realistic instruments. The low frequency range seemed to be minimally stronger, but thanks to the colorfulness and perfect definition, it was not too much of a good thing. The differences were so clear to comprehend that it needed no further changing of connections. Simply unbelievable that so much resolution can be accompanied by such strong tonality and such a rich foundation!

With this speaker cable you do not need to exchange advantages in certain disciplines for disadvantages in others. You definitely know this phenomenon as well: A cable or a component, which has slightly leaner bass or a slight accentuation in the upper midrange, subjectively has better transparency. On the other hand, a thoroughly enjoyable, slightly fatter upper bass reproduction takes away from openness. Not so with the Lacorde Statement: Here there is more fi ne detail and air, yet not the slightest hint of coolness or fatigue.

Oliver Göbel proves with his creations that we neither need to give up a solid bass foundation in order to get outstanding spatial illusion, nor the highest resolution in order to enjoy a colorful low frequency range with lots of power. The Göbel High End Lacorde Statement conjures a little more out of your system in every discipline. Unfortunately, this comes at a price. Anyone who doesn’t need to worry about that must be quite happy.

Link do recenzji: Lacorde Statement Speaker – HiFiStatement

With the product and the pedigree like Lacorde Statement cables I didn't want to jump any quick conclusions letting myself being affected in the first wave of the impressions. The performance must be steady and revealing thought the whole prolonged process. Without continuity there is no real sense of highest performance or true value. Musical impact, true transparency and harmony of musical reproduction must all be met when this are taken on the ultimate plane. Lacorde Statement cables managed to embrace this with the best attributes.

Like in the world of high-end photography the best of the photo camera breed brings an impressive amount of anchor points that are helping in recreating the believable illusion of reality. In similar way Lacrode Statement cables offers a highly impressive and intricate insight into the music with the far out amount of audio anchor points. They stand out in their ability to recreate the complexity of music and most importantly in keeping everything harmonically correct.

There is no universal high-end audio cables. Still, Lacorde Statement cables managed to bring the best universality I’ve experienced so far on my path of high-end audio pursue. Stating that one cable can perform all the demanding tasks, impedance matchings etc. would be a nonsense. Yet, Göbel High End audio cables showed real coherency repeatedly to a such extend, that these became a rule setter. Luckily both Robert Koda and Analog Domain were perfect matching and could show Lacorde Statement performance ability and quality of the utmost level.

Göbel High End Lacorde Statement audio cables are the proud receiver of Mono & Stereo Upper Echelon award. They represent something unique, special and meaningful stand out achievement. Until now only Skogrand cables impressed me to to the extend to give out the award, but Lacorde Statement universal implementation and execution brings something so positively different, that moved things to the new horizons of musical reproduction.

Usually, we don't associate warmness and harmonic richness with typical German high-end audio products, but Göbel High End reflects Oliver Göbel vibrant personality. Lacorde Statement high-end audio cables are a mighty, surprisingly transparent, enchanting and most importantly a very welcome change in both appliance and highest performance! They are setting the standard to look upon with the unusual ability to hold the best attributes across the complete frequency spectrum. Even at the upper echelon range of utmost performers its very complicated to ensure the real linearity without typical frequency bumps. Lacorde Statement are writing the new history in this regard. Oliver managed to design a complete set of flagship cables, that builds on the best singular attributes of other ultimate audio cables. These cables in most cases highlight only the some portion of excellency. Göbel High End audio cables is a grand leaf forward from what we’re usually expect even in this price level.

Let me conclude with the general observation regarding the ultimate high-end. We finally reached the point where high performance and executing is starting to meet the luxuries pricing. Its about time, that we’re stepping out of the blind following of the so called established products. Göbel High End Lacorde Statement cables are the most prominent messenger of the new era and a true representer of how ultimate high-end audio should sound and look like.

Link do recenzji: Lacorde Statement Speaker – Mono & Stereo

My first listen was Lazy Afternoon from trumpeter Mark Isham's "Blue Sun" CD. This longtime favorite is Mark's ode to Miles Davis and is his first straight-ahead jazz project. This CD contains fast-paced as well as melancholy tracks. Each of the nine is wonderful in its own right, and the sound quality is excellent. One of the things I like most about Blue Sun is the exceptional bass energy. With the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables, I felt something I’d never experienced in the 20 years I’ve owned the CD: the bass energy went from the speakers to the surrounding walls and into my listening seat. The whole room shook. I thought that maybe a heavy dump truck had gone down the street. Or that my son, in the room located directly below, had turned up some heavy, synthesized rap song. Nope. I smiled. It was the cables. Thrilling. Hearing a more solid, quick and taut bass is expected (if the cables are a successful design). But the Göbels allowed me to hear a level of bass I had never known existed. And it wasn’t just about weight and volume, but more about an enhanced low-end resolution of harmonics and overtones combined with greater clarity and nimbleness.

The infamous '60's Impulse, Prestige and Bluenote label jazz recordings sound surprisingly more contemporary. Finally, the sound has more dimension, instruments have more harmonic overtones and the scrim (noise that rides on the upper frequencies) - that has served as a time-stamp to this great era of music - has finally lessened. Lee Morgan's 1965 gem of a recording The Gigolo (Bluenote) serves as the perfect example. Lee's trumpet play along with Wayne Shorter searing saxophone solos never sounded this fantastic and refreshing.

Surprisingly, at the end of about 400 hours of burn-in, I was able to play my system via the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables at increased volume levels way beyond what might be considered normal (or sane) before the sound started to distort. And even then, I have a sneaky suspicion that it was my ears and smallish (17' x 21') listening room, rather than the cables, that started to cave in. I also noticed the frequency extremes to which the Göbels reach. They are brighter without exhibiting any hardness whatsoever and at the same time go substantially lower than any cable I have had the pleasure of experiencing in my listening space. In side by side comparisons, the Klee sounded less extended in the bass and lacked sparkle and brilliance in the highest frequencies. The Klee Acoustics, which I always characterized as the most natural sounding of cables, for the first time sounded duller and less than pristine. Progress waits for no one I guess.

The only downside I can discern thus far - apart from the unlikely chance they do not create a near-perfect synergy in your system - is their exorbitant asking price. The high-end audio hobby is a tricky one indeed. A high sticker price doesn't guarantee a better sounding product. Unfortunately however, the best products I know of and have heard over the past twenty years do usually come with a hefty asking price. The Göbel Lacorde Statement are quite expensive but are also the best looking and sounding cables I've heard. Period.

The Göbel Lacorde Statement has enhanced my appreciation of what is actually possible in the 'here and now' with regard to both cable engineering and musical appreciation. Like the Sunny Majestic loudspeaker, Laufer Teknik Memory player and Behold electronics before them, these cables have now become an integral part of my system, my work and my musical muse. In the final analysis, the Göbel Lacorde Statement has not only performed beyond what I believed imaginable, they've reintroduced me to hundreds of classic songs. When it's ALWAYS about the music first, that's the highest compliment I can offer any product.

Link do recenzji: Lacorde Statement Speaker – Stereo Times

My system has always been on the natural - but detailed and refined - side of neutral. But never to this degree. The up-click in speed, pitch, definition, all wrapped up in a quality ofnatural I have not encountered before. Case in point, while listening to Herbie Hancock's Edith and The Kingpin from his award winning CD, "River: The Joni Letters," the first thing I noticed was how much tighter, quick-footed and lower the bass frequencies had become. Far more easily discernable of what was making these unusual percussive low end effects. Each instrument sounded markedly more separate, yet cohesively tighter and on a grander stage. In a word, the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables are vastly cleaner and more natural sounding than anything I have had the privilege to hear or have heard of. This designed cable seems perfectly suited for the choice of music and components I've carefully chosen over the years. This phase thing that Oliver Göbel speaks of on his website, is said to give the listener a better sense of rightness with respect to "natural dimension and space," seem to offer some technical reasons behind its sonic wizardry. I've always second guessed glossy promotional hype. That is until now. For the first time in my audio travels has a cable taken hold of my system with such conviction and grace. Regardless of genre or style of music whether it be jazz, R&B, instrumentals and/or classical, the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables did not lean towards one over another. It does not play favorites. After all the initial bedevilment of sonic surprises, the one thing I found out after months of careful observation was WHY this cable sounds so good. Among the many things Oliver Göbel states, the most obvious, yet overlooked, is their ability to remain remarkably free of noise and distortions. This is WHY these cables possess such a naturalness at almost any volume. Whatever passes through these specialized metal alloys Oliver Göbel has secretly chosen does so without the usual smoothing over effect most other brands employ.

Over the years, CP and I have talked about the wonderful symbiotic relationship that exists between the Behold series of components, Sunny horn loudspeakers and the Laufer Teknik Memory Player. In his review of the Göbel Lacorde cables, he intimated that these cables not only co-exist, but actually improve on the relationship of these three long-time personal reference components. All in all, the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables infused my system with such musical vitality and potency that I found myself hyper-ventilating on occasion, leading me to discover, these Göbel Lacorde cables can produce a level of excitement that goes beyond just emotional. In my case, it can prove downright physical.

CP, who also uses the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables as his reference also, had forewarned me "not to listen unless you can afford them." Of course, I didn't believe anything could perform above the level of excellence I was presently experiencing with a newer version of the Klee cables recently delivered. So, I challenged CP to a listen. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have just bought the Göbel cables before they even arrived at my doorstep. Because, truth be told, CP has never steered me wrong. Not once! Yes, I also enjoy CP's discussions on the various systems he's heard throughout his travels, but it was his system's performance that impressed above all others I have heard.

The only disappointment I have with the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables is their asking price. The speaker cables retail for ($25k), one-meter XLR digital cable ($7500) and six-foot AC cords are a whopping ($9100 ea). What I've learned through my journey as a music lover first - and reviewer second - is that price is not always indicative of performance. Unfortunately, the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables are the most expensive cables I've had the luxury of listening to - and that I would wholeheartedly recommend. For the first time, the Göbel Lacorde Statement cables have allowed me to hear beyond the music. For the first time, I get the sense that I can tap into the very soul and essence of the musician. CP was right. So much in fact, I went out on a limb and purchased them as a Christmas present to myself....Happy Holidays!

Link do recenzji: Lacorde Statement Speaker – Stereo Times

Link: Goebel Lacorde Statement Speaker – MonoandStereo – Upper Echelon Class

Link: Goebel Lacorde Statement Speaker – The Stereo Times – Most Wanted Components 2014

Link: Goebel Lacorde Statement Speaker – The Stereo Times – Most Wanted Components 2015