What’s the difference between a $20 and a $2000 cable? What is so mystical about them that creates so much discourse? Not much as much one may think, but those small differences, in the end, once multiplied, become very apparent. In the audiophile world, cables, arguably, are the most controversial subject.

This review is not meant to identify one model of Wireworld cables and compare it to the competition. Such review would be neither reliable nor informative. The goal of this review is to break down what makes up a quality cable and to conclude, as what one should look for when buying a $20 or a $2000 cable or anything in between.

What made me initially interested in Wireworld is their unique approach to baseline research and development. Wireworld uses the benchmark of NO CABLE as grounds for everything they do (more info here and here). The basic precise is that they do not start by comparing their cables to competition, but comparing a direct connection to their cables at source level (for example, mono-block amps coupled directly to speakers, source to DAC, DAC or other source to preamp, etc.).

One of the main questions seen on the audiophile forums is the following: will my new, very expensive cable improve my system’s sound/performance? This question maybe worded differently, but likely asks the same underlying question. Is it worth it? To answer this question, let us first get the main point down. Cables do not improve the sound; they simply pass the sound between different components. What this means is that if your source music is of poor quality, then no cable will improve it (inferior cable can definitely make it worse though). A superior cable, in this example, can improve the sound (in comparison to an inferior cable) by not introducing artifacts and shielding from interference. If any of your other components in the chain are inferior, then the cable will also not improve it. This leads up to the next most popular question. Do cables change the sound? Yes, since signal is passed through cable, it will have an impact on it. Different metals, purity, alloys, length, thickness, shielding or form of the cable itself (is it braided, is each wire isolated or anything else) will have an impact on the sound. The best cables offer superior build and shielding while having minimal impact on the sound.

There is a myriad of brands offering wide ranges of cables; however, few offer a comprehensive solution that covers every connector and every price point. Wireworld offers cables in the range of $20-$5000+. They are a mid-size USA company that hand builds cables to order. The cables are very well built, most are very flexible with quality connectors. Their build quality is further reinforced by lifetime warranty against defects to the original owner. Where does Wireworld fit in this multitude of manufacturers? First, let us take a look at their offerings: with cables starting below $20, while most expensive ones cost more than a Toyota Camry, the company covers every possible strata. In general (and this applies to all manufacturers), many elements determine the cost of the cable, such as materials, length, and amount of time it takes to build a cable. The more expensive the cable, the more labor is involved in producing the actual cable. A $20 cable may come from a large spool of custom pre-made cable (to manufacturers specific standards), with decent connectors and shielding. Most of the cost here is not the material and connectors, but other intangibles. Some cables may even come pre-assembled from factory (ones that use molded connectors, like HDMI) Once you get into the premium models, the equation changes. Mid to high end often involves individual attention to cables. Materials also change with conductors increasing in AWG and purity. Once we get into the very high end, then cables becomes much more labor intensive, taking hours per cable and involve several specialized casts and molds to isolate each conductor and then other proprietary processes to create a unique geometry. These cables are built to much tighter tolerances are always designed to last a lifetime.

After all, isn’t the sound just passes through cable as a signal and then either converted or amplified, or just played by the speakers? And, if it’s wrapped in the usual suspects (from Kevlar to Teflon foil to dozens of other (often proprietary) materials that act as an EM barrier) to prevent inference, then the rest is eye candy? That’s the crux though. No one knows for sure, but worst or best of all (depends if you are a glass ½ full or ½ empty kind of person) sound is perceived differently by each person, so it’s entirely arbitrary. What you may think is great bass, I may think is OK. Or if you think this has great highs or separation, I may not even notice. Since sound is perceived differently by each individual, then we have to look at other elements that determine the cost and define the quality of the cable. For example, design of a cable - the geometric relationship between each strand, proportions of different insulation materials, among other things, has more to do with how a cable actually sounds than the materials it’s made of. When expertly weaved together, cable design is an amalgamation of elements, thus creating a high-performing cable (that is more than just a sum of its parts) that will bring a lifetime of enjoyment to its owner.

Sound wise, I find the Wireworld sound to be neutral to warm. On their higher end models, the sound also seems to extend farther and creates better separation between the instruments in the recording. Over the last month, I have been using several of their cables in varying price points ($20 to $550). The first cable I tried was a $300 Supernova toslink optical cable, which is made of 336 strands of borosilicate glass. For a quick test, I plugged into my sound card and directly connected to my DAC. There were two main differences with this cable over mine. The fit and finish was superior. The molding was perfectly done and the cable was not too springy. The cable had to cover 10 feet from DAC to my soundcard. The cable had enough memory to remain tangle-free while maintaining optimal amount of flex. Adding this cable to my chain, I heard deeper bass with significantly improved clarity and separation. Then I replaced my ribbon speaker cables with $580 Equinox speaker cables. I felt this cable had more depth and neutrality than my pure silver ribbon cable. My ribbon cable was warmer, and I liked that on R.E.M’s “Everybody hurts”, but I much preferred Wireworld on Queen’s theme to the “Flash”. Then I replaced my optical cable with BNC, XLR, and RCA in the sequence to see if I could tell the difference. I could not. In the end, they were all same type of coax cable, using different interfaces. I also tried out their $140 Starlight 7 USB cable from my laptop into my DAC. The same applied, I needed something flexible enough to bend but also stiff enough to stay in place. USB cables, paired with few iFi USB purifiers, plugged into an i2s converter and then DAC, had more depth and air than my old cable. With my old cable, once in a while I would get these hiccups and drops in signal, but after about twenty hours listening to two of these (different lengths) I had no drops.

I also had a chance to test their Stratus 7, Aurora 7 and Electra 7 power cables ($120, $200 and $360 respectively). First I tested them with Adam Audio powered sub and speakers. Then I plugged them in my AMR 777 DAC and L.K.S. Audio MH-DA004 DAC. Finally I also tested it with my TV and Furman IT-Reference 20i power regenerator. Because I was already using decent quality power cables, this was the hardest test for me, so I had to spend considerable time comparing stock cables to my cables to these cables. Twenty or so hours later, based on my notes, the only thing I can say for sure is that with Furman, there was not as much difference as others. My guess is because Furman already comes with a quality cable and because it regenerates its power, any potential issues, will mostly be fixed from within. The next lowest difference was with a TV. I am guessing it’s because when watching NFL over the air, there is enough interference / drops with the signal, that it’s impossible to figure out what is what. The biggest difference came with DAC’s and powered speakers. I just felt like the Awolnation’s “Sail” was hitting harder with more separation, while Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” breathed new air in my mind of a song I know well. I felt I heard extra separation in the instruments while retaining that perfect timing. DAC’s was probably hardest to evaluate from POV that I know it was a solid improvement, but I just don’t know how to quantify it. In some songs it sounded extra warm, while others extra wide and with Luis Bacalov’s “Django” it sounded cooler. In comparing cables to each other, the next tier from the other offered purer materials or silver cladding and better quality connectors. After twenty hours, I would be lying if I told you that I could hear clear quantifiable difference between the three, but it does exist. In the end, I really felt like these cables made a difference; especially because the cables, while being 12awg are fairly flexible, so they are easy to maneuver (in comparison to my cables) when you have six of these connected in the same power distributor.

Wireworld has cables for those who are just getting into the audio hobby and just want a cable that looks nice, feels nice and offers more stable connectivity or for those who are building an endgame system and want to squeeze every drop of detail out of their hi-res recording. The degree of improvement completely depends on the quality of your audio chain from the source to your headphone/speakers. Because the company manufacturers their own cables in every possible price range, one can start low and upgrade with time as their tastes refine and system improves. Regardless of the price you pay, you will appreciate the build quality, warranty and support Wireworld offers.