Precious Metals, Sweet Sound – LavriCables Grand 20 Core Silver V4 Balanced Interconnects
LAvriCables Grand 20 Core Silver V4 Balanced Interconnect cables are a pair of XLR Balanced cables with Palladium Silver, terminated with Aeco XLR Plugs, and made from 20x separated solid silver cores. The variation we are reviewing has a price tag of 505 Euros as it has a length of 1 meter. You can order it in any length you may desire, although for most people, interconnect cables are very short.
Introduction
Lavricables is one of the titans in the audio industry when it comes to quality, reliability, and price / performance ratio. They created some of the cables that I am using daily, including the LAvriCables Grand Silver V2 which I am using with HIFIMAN Susvara, Susvara Unveiled and even DCA Expanse, with the use of the pigtail adapters. Lavricables in general are cables that bring a significant audio boost to your system while offering a far improved ergonomic and usage for your headphones. The model we are reviewing today is made for desktop though, so we shall see how it fits and sounds in the grand scheme of things.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. ddHiFi has provided the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Official Link – https://www.lavricables.com/cables/grand-20-core-silver-xlr-balanced-interconnects/
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
The build of the Grand V4 cables with 4 Cores is quite complex, as it has 20x 5N Solid wires per Channel, in a unique arrangement. All cores are jacketed in an oversized PTFE Teflon Insulation, and we have
- 12x AWG28
- 4x AWG26
- 2x AWG26 Ribbon
- 2x AWG 27 palladium silver
Lavri Grand 20 Core V4 Silver is terminated with Aeco balanced plugs with pure copper pins. Soldering is done using Mundorf Supreme Silver 9.5% Audio Solder. We get a Woven Teflon Litz Construction, ideal to deliver RFI and EMI Rejection together with a low capacitance. The 5N Silver transmits electical signals faster and with less distortion than ordiainy OFC wires. High Grade Teflon insulation gives a predominant air dielectric and it is regarded as one of the best insulators for bare cables.
As we have previously studied in our reviews of cables from Audience with their Studio One desktop cables, Skin Effect can be a problem in audio cables, but it is noticeably reduced in the Grand Silver V4 20 Cores via those 20 separated cores of Silver. Width of the cable is about 9mm.
On a subjective usage level, this is an ergonomic cable, fairly flexible, a bit thick cable that has no microphonic noise or any issues. Aeco connectors are always welcome and fun to use, they are thick, although they scratch a bit more easily, having a glossy surface that is a bit sensitive, if you’re going to transport the cables. For most people, it is going to be free of EMI and RFI, and I even torture tested the cable, by placing it on top of PSUs, Routers and other power cables to see if it stays clean, and indeed it is very clean.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the LavriCable Grand 20 Core Silver V4 Balanced Interconnect Cable I’ve used it to connect multiple DACs and AMPs, including powering Aune S17 PRO Evo from Rose Technics RT-5000, HIFIMAN Serenade and HIFIMAN Prelude, Connecting Fosi Audio ZD3 and Fosi Audio ZA3 Monoblock Amplifiers, Singxer SA-1 V2 driven by FiiO K9 PRO ESS DAC, and Keces S300+ Speaker Amplifier driven by Keces S3 DAC. The main headphones used during the test have been HIFIMAN Susvara, HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled, T+A Solitaire P-SE, and HIFIMAN Mini Shangri-La (this one with Serenade acting as the DAC), while the main speakers used for this review have been either Pylon Audio Diamond 30 mkii, or Elipson Heritage XLS 7.
Overall Signature – Like with most LavriCables cables, the signature of the Grand 20 Core Silver V4 is vivid, neutral, with very high transparency, very low coloration, but it seems to improve the resolution, crispness and impact of the sound, while making voices and instruments more separated from each other. It feels like the sound is less veiled, although there’s a tendency for this interconnect to sound a bit brighter than the one I typically use, which is the ddhiFi BC30XLR.
Bass – We get the full width and depth of the bass, with a quick, snappy and resolving impact. The sound of the low-end is in balance with the midrange and the treble, and Grand Silver V4 does not color the bass in any way, but it seems to improve the speed and impact compared to most cables I typically use and test in my systems.
Midrange – We get a vivid, punchy and dynamic midrange with excellent resolution, and a highly emotional presentation. There seems to be less grain in the midrange compared to the vast majority of interconnects, and this is the place where the Grand 20 Core Silver V4 makes the biggest difference compared to most cables, it has such a natural sound that it feels quite a bit more transparent than most interconnects I have tested.
There’s a nice balance of lower and upper midrange, but it seems to enhance the presence and strength of female voices slightly, while dampening the strength and presence of male voices a tiny bit. This creates a sound that is emotional and emphasizes with pianos, violins, thinner and brighter voices, giving music a rich, but tonally pleasing presentation.
Treble – The biggest surprise of the Lavri Grand 20 Core is the treble, which is very sharp, extended, airy, but refined. There’s no trace of metallic resonance, or graininess, and although I am willing to call it a highly resolving cable, it also seems to remove the fatiguing elements from music. All in all, it has an euphonic, pleasing sound that makes even rock and metal easy to listen to and enjoy
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – Given that Grand Silver v4 is the kind of cable that slightly smoothens textures, I would call the sonic character slightly wet, it has a nice resonance and softer presentation to the textures, which makes all music easy to enjoy, including harsher recorded albums.
Soundstage – Another big reason why people upgrade the cables in their systems is the soundstage, which is much wider, more holographic with good cables, as there seems to be a strong separation between instruments, and Grand 20 Core silver V4 handles staging with a really nice holographic take.
Value and Conclusion
While the price of the LavriCables Grand 20 Core Silver V4 is quite a bit higher than that of most interconnect cables we’ve reviewed so far, it offers a performance that far exceeds most of the competition, it is a lightweight cable with outstanding resolution, and it is a custom made product that you can order in any length you may desire. The actual price / performance ratio is great, which is rare when reviewing cables, but not unusual when reviewing Lavricables products.
At the end of the day, transparency is the first thing that matters for a cable, and LavriCables got that right with their Grand Silver V4 20 Core cable, as this has a vivid, natural, dynamic and punchy, colorful sound, so if you’re looking to have a lot of audio fun, and if you want one of the best cables on the market as an interconnect for your setup, you’ll love the Grand Silver V4 for sure.
PROs
- Balanced Interconnect custom made with any length you may require
- Vivid, organic, natural sound
- High transparency
- High EFI and EMI Rejection
- Flexible and beautiful
- High price / performance ratio
Cons
- Price is a bit high for an interconnect cable
Product Link
Official Link – https://www.lavricables.com/cables/grand-20-core-silver-xlr-balanced-interconnects/
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
- If you have a dime to spare, please donate, and help us! It would make the day brighter for me and my wife-
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
--- Contact Us ---
