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.

Since changing the Lacorde Statement XLR between pre and power amp, and later between pre amp and phono stage the same stunning results were true - in all disciplines a little more of the good and in none, less. It was clear to me that I will have to describe the Göbel cable to you in more detail. In the meantime, I asked about the price: The speaker cable costs € 10,000 Euros in the standard length, the XLR cable € 2,500. Although that is quite “cracking”, it is still overshadowed by the Audioquest Wild. I tried a little self-appeasement - until Oliver Göbel just casually remarked that his prices are, of course, per cable, not per stereo pair. But even that could not change my opinion after my first listening impressions while testing the noble cables.

When the Lacordes are found in my listening room the second time, the Lumen has resumed its rightful place again. It is quickly clear that an earthy, colorful and slightly comfortably warm bass does not have to be accompanied by a loss of information: With the Lacorde Statement, you do not have to choose between a huge imaginary space or melodic, refined, yet rich bass response. Here, you absolutely get both! The advantages of Lacorde Statement XLRs are also confirmed in various configurations: Between tube pre and power amp, between the Violas with their semiconductors, between Einstein’s The Turntable's Choice using van den Hul’s The Grail SB and the Viola Crescendo, but also, on the input side, the EAR 912 equipped with step-up transformers. I'm sorry, I can not see any basis for criticism with the Göbel Lacorde Statement – well maybe just one: The design of the XLR connectors unfortunately precludes use with equipment that have terminals placed very close together. Before you start raving with unfounded fanaticism about cables priced beyond good and evil, very briefly: The Lacorde Statement are the best cables I have ever heard with my system.

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 XLR – 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 XLR – 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 XLR – Stereo Times

Let me describe how the Göbel ingratiates itself into your favor. It is very different from the Kubala-Sosna Elation! I had been using. First, I can confirm what I read online: you immediately perceive a robust low-end. This is a bottom-up cable; the sound develops from the bottom and moves upward, with the bass dominant and a commensurate drop in treble energy, which you will have to make adjustments to accommodate. (Unless your system suffers from brightness, in which case it will be cured instantly. Every vestige of this particular malady disappears.) Second, stridency has been virtually eliminated. There's no harshness anywhere. Third, the purity quotient increases. The various artifacts common to audio systems are nowhere to be found. Fourth, instruments exhibit increased density and body. Consider these to be signature traits, which I will refer to as the Göbel bouquet.

The Göbel bouquet does wonders to resuscitate the Martinů, plumping up the thin framework with large, dense images of high purity. The well-developed soundstage begins at the plane of the speakers, and recedes in layers, with nothing projecting in front. Depth is good; width is excellent. Image borders are not hard-edged, although they are more sharply drawn than I get from the K-S wires. Black space opens up between the instruments, creating a segregated soundscape; they don't spread out beyond their borders to commingle with their neighbors. The Göbel remains in complete control; there is nothing loose or vague in this presentation. This rendering yields excellent stereo separation and lights up the stage in the manner of a good stereo system. The tradeoff is there's less of a holistic feel. The Göbel bouquet assists in my enjoyment of the Martinů; I can sit through an entire disc fully engaged, without complaining.

I've saved a big one for last—macro dynamics are outstanding. With an extremely wide dynamic range and a tight, powerful low-end of heightened tonal density, you have the formula for cresting wave-fronts with a ton of slam, some of the most powerful I've come across from a cable. These are extroverted wires with lively dynamics that leap and bound in the manner of a young stallion, but they are never reckless; the Göbel always holds the reigns and maintains control over the signal.

These are extroverted wires that quickly ingratiate themselves (given enough burn-in time). Their bouquet of audio virtues includes a precision soundstage that is easily parseable, populated with images of heightened density and purity. Macro dynamics and slam are outstanding. The Göbel bouquet had the important side benefit of fleshing out marginal source material, making them easier to listen to.

They sound beautiful. The Göbel Lacorde Statement XLR Interconnects do just about everything excellently and I was really hard pressed to find any area of weakness. They had an especially strong synergy with my CH Precision reference system.

Link do recenzji: Lacorde Statement XLR – Positive Feedback

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