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Equipment Review

July 2007

Legenburg Zeus-IR Reference Interconnects and Zeus-S Reference Speaker Cables

by Frank Peraino

Legenburg Zeus-IR Reference interconnects...

 

Review Summary
Sound "Not a stereotypical silver-sounding interconnect. Bright and thin? No way. Threadbare and lean? Anything but. The Zeus-IR produced dense images with a richly rendered tonal balance." "While I never felt the Zeus-IR was lacking in detail, at times I wondered if the high-frequency extension wasn’t ever so slightly softened." "With minor exceptions, the Zeus-S was cut from virtually the same sonic cloth as the Zeus-IR. The only important difference I could discern was that the speaker cables produced an even larger soundstage with a bit more midbass energy."
Features "The Zeus-IR Reference interconnects…and Zeus-S Reference speaker cables…are part of Legenburg’s flagship Mono-Crystal Rectangular Pure Silver line, which makes an obvious reference to the conductor material used for these cables." "Legenburg chose silver as a conductor material for its perceived sonic properties, including enhancement of the soundstage and great retrieval of musical detail, which it says is 'magnificent and clean.'"
Use The Legenburg cables may cause you to reassess the rest of your system: "With the Reimyo CD player, the Zeus interconnects and speaker cables accomplished what no human seems capable of -- they were too rich. However, with the AMR CD player, the Zeus system, while still meaty and dense, retained enough speed, dynamic ability and articulation to please all but the 'give me neutrality or give me death' crowd."
Value "Given today’s spiraling cable prices, the Zeus-IR is a good deal at its price, holding its own against much more expensive competition, but "the Zeus-S speaker cable, while possessing the same positive characteristics of the Zeus-IR interconnect, is a tougher call given its loftier price."

I have a love-hate relationship with speaker cables and interconnects. On the one hand, I love how they can help me dial in the sound of my system. On the other hand, I hate feeling I’ve fallen prey to some "weakest link" sales tactic to justify spending ridiculous amounts of money on overpriced wire or, worse yet, Doctor Feel-Good’s Audio Snake Oil. I’ve auditioned and purchased many different cables over the years -- from moderately priced to ultra expensive -- and, despite this audio bipolar disorder, my experiences confirmed a few things that you likely already know. First, many of us use cables as tone controls to fine-tune our systems. This tuning can range from addressing a sonic deficiency to bringing out untapped potential. Next, our meat today may become our own poison tomorrow should even a single component change occur, so careful system matching and thorough auditions are crucial when purchasing any cable.

Founded in 2001, Legenburg is a relative newcomer to the audio market and a company with which I was previously unfamiliar. So, when our editor asked if I'd be interested in reviewing Legenburg’s Reference speaker cables and interconnects, I had no expectations or preconceived notions. Curiosity was my guide.

Cables of the gods?

The Zeus-IR Reference interconnects ($1280 USD per three-foot pair) and Zeus-S Reference speaker cables ($6850 per eight-foot pair) are part of Legenburg’s flagship Mono-Crystal Rectangular Pure Silver line, which makes an obvious reference to the conductor material used for these cables. Unless you are in the "wire is wire" camp, conventional wisdom holds that three basic factors affect the sound of any audio cable: conductor material, insulation material, and cable geometry. These factors all contribute to the cable’s inductance, capacitance and resistance. According to Legenburg, it chose to use mono-crystal rectangular stranded conductors in a Teflon FEP/Microporous dielectric for a number of reasons. First, high-frequency signals tend to concentrate to the conductor’s surface when conductor resistance rises -- this is known as skin effect. In addressing this problem, the use of stranded conductors with very thin wires is generally considered beneficial.

However, when testing both stranded and single-wire conductors, Legenburg found the rising curve of conductor resistance of the single wire to be more subtle than that of stranded wire. Therefore, it believes that it's not good enough to simply group thin wires together to reduce skin effect; the shape and configuration of the wires must also be addressed. This is why Legenburg uses mono-crystal rectangular conductors. The company claims that doing so reduces skin effect to zero. Legenburg chose silver as a conductor material for its perceived sonic properties, including enhancement of the soundstage and great retrieval of musical detail, which it says is "magnificent and clean."

...and Zeus-S Reference speaker cables.

The Zeus cables come packaged in nicely appointed faux-rosewood-finished boxes with dense molded foam inserts. Measuring a full inch in diameter, the royal-blue Zeus-S is a relatively stiff speaker cable with high-density braided shielding. Approximately 7 1/2" from each end of the speaker cable is a robust gold-and-rhodium-plated tubular pre-termination connector with two (four for biwire) protruding gold-and-rhodium-plated copper spades. The Zeus-IR Reference interconnect is a bit thinner at 5/8" in diameter and has sturdy rhodium-plated copper RCA connectors. The interconnect is more flexible than the speaker cable and should not prove too unwieldy for most installations. Build quality appears to be both first-rate and durable.

Setting the battleground

In evaluating the Legenburg cables I employed a short-term analytical/long-term musical method. I began with a single Zeus-IR interconnect and then added a second. Switching back to my reference interconnects, I then tested the Zeus-S speaker cables, and I finally ended with an entire Zeus system for some extended listening. Because music’s whole is greater than the sum of its parts, I never judge any product using only the short-term analytical method. Accordingly, I left all of the Legenburg cables in my system for over a month before going back to my reference cables. In my experience, the long-term approach reveals subtle yet important characteristics, because I tend relax into listening to the musical message and not the sound of the system

The Legenburg cables were evaluated in my current reference system consisting of Verity Audio Sarastro speakers, the Lamm M1.2 Reference mono amps, a Conrad-Johnson ART 2 line-stage preamp, and an Aesthetix Io Signature phono stage. Digital sources were a Reimyo CD-777 and the new AMR CD-77 CD players. Vinyl was spun on an SME Model 30 turntable with an SME IV.Vi tonearm and a Dynavector XV-1s cartridge. Interconnects included the Silversmith Palladium and Silver and Kharma Enigma, while speaker cables were the Silversmith Palladium. Power cords were Harmonix X-DC Studio Master throughout, and AC conditioning for the CD players was handled by a Reimyo ALS-777 power conditioner. My 14'W x 18'W x 8'H listening room is heavily treated with a combination of ASC Super Tube Traps and Echo Busters in corners and at reflection points.

Let the war of words begin

With a single Zeus-IR interconnect between amp and preamp, it was immediately apparent this was not a stereotypical silver-sounding interconnect. Bright and thin? No way. Threadbare and lean? Anything but. The Zeus-IR produced dense images with a richly rendered tonal balance. It makes a big, bold statement, has a firm grip on images, and offers a front-row presentation. Attack and focus are sure-handed and stable. Detail retrieval is very good, with images emanating from a black background.

I began my listening with one of Austin, Texas’s hottest bands, Mingo Fishtrap. On "Not the Same" from the band's latest CD, Yesterday [Manor MF004], the Zeus interconnects threw an impressively expansive soundstage and were equally adept at providing a transparent window to the performers. The drummer’s rim shots echoed with power and clarity, accentuating the wood of the stick as opposed to the metal of the rim. The unison bass and guitar lines leading into those rim shots were clearly delineated with excellent pitch and definition, while the band’s signature brass section was full-bodied but with the requisite bite. This cut is accented with melodic four-part brass harmonies, which the Zeus-IR interconnects delivered with rich tone colors and convincing dynamic contrast. The lead singer’s voice was organic, beautifully detailed and transparent. The Zeus-IR interconnects gave the performance a soulful, up-close and intimate feel.

Similarly, David Crosby’s lead vocal on "At The Edge" from the self-titled Crosby, Pevar, and Raymond CPR CD [Samson Music GC0145] had a textured and mature tonal quality with the right amount of the throatiness that makes Crosby's voice unmistakable after almost 40 years in the business. This well-recorded cut includes some delicately detailed acoustic-guitar and cymbal work that confirmed the Zeus-IR's velvety-smooth rendering of instruments. For example, at the 1:04 mark, the drummer strikes his two toms to introduce the next verse. The Zeus-IR accentuated the percussive and reverberant aspect of the impact rather than the more subtle sound of the brushes striking the drum’s skin.

While never syrupy or dark-sounding, in my system the Zeus-IR leaned a bit to the warm, husky side of neutral, but it was not overly so. The Zeus-IR imbued music with a richness that made listening relaxing and non-fatiguing. In this regard, it reminded me of the much more expensive top-tier Siltech and Kharma interconnects, both of which also use gold-infused silver as a conductor material but never sound bright or thin. While I never felt the Zeus-IR was lacking in detail, at times I wondered if the high-frequency extension wasn’t ever so slightly softened. I'm not suggesting that the highs were rolled off or opaque. The effect increased my enjoyment of the music by eliminating any glassiness or stridency in the upper frequencies.

Similarly, the Zeus-IR’s bass response was harmonically rich with enough detail and impact to give the music drive and energy. These interconnects plumbed the depths of every bass torture track I threw their way with authority and heft, yet without unnecessary bloat. As with the upper frequencies, I perceived a hint of softening of the leading edge of transients.

The Zeus-IR’s strong suit is its midrange -- a good thing in my book. Never thin or whitish-sounding, the midrange was consistently harmonically rich with excellent timbre. This trait served classical music particularly well. For example, John Williams’ superb soundtrack recording Harry Potter - The Prisoner of Azkaban [Nonesuch 7567-83711-5] can sound harsh and sibilant on some systems. "The Whomping Willow and the Snowball Fight" is bombastic and busy, yet the strings had no hint of harshness through the Zeus-IRs, which reproduced the string section with a deft tonal balance, allowing me to hear the distinct yet subtle sounds of the wood body, the strings and the bow without hyper-analysis.. French horns were also as tonally accurate as I’ve heard through any system. If your system is slightly on the dry or analytical side, the Zeus-IR may inject that touch of richness or body that may be just what the doctor ordered. And if your system is more neutral, don't be reluctant to audition the Zeus-IR, as it's open, detailed and spacious enough to avoid causing the music to turn to the dark side.

My Reimyo CD-777, like the Zeus-IR, leans slightly to the richer side of neutral. As a result, when I added the second Zeus -IR, it was just a bit too much of a good thing. Every change a single Zeus-IR interconnect brought to my reference system was simply dialed up a notch when I added the second, producing an even weightier presentation.. In the middle of this review, I had the opportunity to insert the new Abbingdon Music Research AMR CD-77 CD player into my system. This is one of the most linear, neutral and adjustable digital front-ends I have heard. Compared to my Reimyo CD player, the AMR is slightly but noticeably more extended and linear at the frequency extremes with better bass articulation and slightly faster transient response. As such, the Zeus-IR was a better fit in my system with the AMR player, sounding more dynamic, quicker and with a less rounded transient attack. With the CD-77 steering the ship, I could have enjoyed the Zeus-IRs on a long-term basis. With the Reimyo at the helm, while the music was wonderfully rich, weighty and non-fatiguing, with extended listening I began to miss the quicker transients and lighter attack my system is capable of producing.

When I’ve auditioned both interconnects and speaker cables from the same manufacturer, I've usually found that one or the other delivers the greater sonic impact. This was not quite the case when I inserted the Legenburg Zeus-S speaker cables. With minor exceptions, the Zeus-S was cut from virtually the same sonic cloth as the Zeus-IR. The only important difference I could discern was that the speaker cables produced an even larger soundstage with a bit more midbass energy. Dynamic prowess, retrieval of low-level detail and reproduction of spatial cues were very good with the Zeus-S and, as with the Zeus-IR, the Zeus-S allowed me to relax into the music. With the Verity Audio Sarastros, I preferred two runs of Zeus-S, which sounded slightly more dynamic and transparent than a single run.

Just as when I added a second pair of Zeus-IRs to the system, the net effect of the entire Zeus cable system was dependent on the digital front-end I used. With the Reimyo CD player, the Zeus interconnects and speaker cables accomplished what no human seems capable of -- they were too rich. However, with the AMR CD player, the Zeus system, while still meaty and dense, retained enough speed, dynamic ability and articulation to please all but the "give me neutrality or give me death" crowd.

Clash of the titans

While some may think comparing cables is roughly the equivalent of watching paint dry, to a certain extent I enjoy it due to the relative ease of switching interconnects and speaker cables as opposed to swapping larger components. Fortunately, comparison of the Legenburg cables with my reference interconnects and speaker cables produced the same kinds of differences and highlighted the same things about each cable as hearing them on their own. Therefore, I've condensed my comments to cover just a comparison of the interconnects.

After listening to the Zeus-IR for an extended period, I re-inserted my reference interconnect, the Silversmith Palladium ($4000 per three-foot pair), and was able to confirm the Zeus-IR’s many strengths and its relatively minor weaknesses. Now, before you focus on that word, "weaknesses," take into account two things: The Silversmith Palladium interconnects are roughly four times as expensive as the Zeus-IRs, and my reference system may have highlighted those minor weaknesses -- as evidenced by the more synergistic match when the AMR CD player was used. On the strength side of the ledger, both cables were devoid of glare, etch, sterility and brightness of any kind. At no time did listener fatigue set in, regardless of the length of the listening session. Both interconnects are among the best in the areas of soundstaging and image stability.

Where these two interconnects differ most is in transient speed, the delicacy of attack and the way harmonic decay is portrayed. The Palladium’s transient attack is noticeably quicker and lighter-handed than that of the Zeus-IR. The Palladium is neither anemic nor thick, and it possesses the best combination of speed, delicacy and harmonic richness of any interconnect I have heard at any price. The Zeus-IR, by comparison, has a more heavy-handed attack. A boxing analogy: The Palladium was like Muhammad Ali, floating like a butterfly yet capable of stinging like a bee -- in a positive way -- while the Zeus-IR was more like George Foreman with its knockout attack. Returning to "At the Edge" from CPR, I noted that the delicate impact of the drummer’s brushes was clearly evident through the Palladium interconnects. Rim shots on "Not the Same" from Mingo Fishtrap’s Yesterday didn’t emphasize either the snare drum’s metal rim or the wooden drumstick, but struck a proper balance between the two.

The Palladium also conveyed better trailing harmonics and decay. This allowed it to retrieve more of a cymbal’s or a guitar string’s sheen and sparkle. This was evident on "Pavanne" from Graham Nash’s Songs for Survivors [Artemis 751130-2]. This black-widow musical tale starts with a steely guitar intro that can be strident and tinny-sounding through lesser interconnects. While the guitar was never harsh through the Zeus-IR, it was a tad too husky. The Palladium interconnects allowed the guitar’s steeliness and twang to come through without sounding thin or etched. With Palladiums’ increased delicacy and transient speed, this characteristic gave the music a livelier presentation with a greater sense of space and air. The Zeus-IR is not slow, ponderous or overly dark; it just isn’t quite able to match the speed and delicate balance of the much more expensive Palladium.

In another battle of unequals, the Zeus-IR more than held its own against the nearly six-times-more-costly Kharma Enigma ($7100 per meter pair). These two cables are much more alike than different. The Kharma interconnects, like the Zeus-IRs, produce dense images with a rounder, more close-fisted attack and a richer tonal balance. Both cables lean to the warm side of neutral, but not enough to sound syrupy or slow. While the Kharma Enigma had a marginal edge in delicacy and decay, in many systems this edge may be so small that it will not justify the huge price difference.

In a more equitable showdown, I switched to the Silversmith Silver interconnects ($1400 per three-foot pair). Though similarly priced, the Zeus-IR and Silver interconnects illustrated how different two cables with silver conductor can sound. The Zeus-IR bettered the Silver with its rich and weighty midrange and denser images, while the Silver again was faster, displaying greater transient speed. However, the Silver was slightly on the white side of neutral and could tend to be marginally bright, particularly with less-than-stellar recordings (or in a drier, thinner system). In my system, this ultimately proved to be a Goldilocks situation -- with the Silversmith Silver interconnects slightly on the brighter, more detailed side of neutral and the Legenburg Zeus-IRs on the richer, denser side. The Palladium interconnects were smack dab in the middle, sounding "just right."

Epilogue

The Legenburg Zeus cables are an impressive debut offering from a relatively new company. The Zeus-IR interconnect is an organic-sounding cable with excellent reproduction of timbre, weighty image density, and a rich tonal balance. It provides a front-row seat to the performance with plenty of detail, good dynamic contrast and fabulous soundstaging. Its lack of razor-sharp leading-edge definition isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and, in the right system, it will be a welcome respite from a hyped-up, "Hey, look at me" sound. Given today’s spiraling cable prices, the Zeus-IR is a good deal at its price, holding its own against much more expensive competition.

The Zeus-S speaker cable, while possessing the same positive characteristics of the Zeus-IR interconnect, is a tougher call given its loftier price. The Zeus-S was never harsh, analytical or bright, and it infused the music with a sense of ease through its beguiling midrange. While it may seem like I am being overly critical of the Zeus-S because of its price, expectations are commensurate with the high cost of admission, and the competition is stiff. However, if your system is on the dry, quick and lean side, or if it’s in need of a Tower of Power-like "Soul Vaccination," the Zeus-S is eminently musical and could be your chariot to Mount Olympus.

...Frank Peraino
frankp@soundstage.com

Legenburg Zeus-IR Reference Interconnects and Zeus-S Speaker Cables
Prices:
Interconnects, $1280 USD per three-foot pair; speaker cables, $6850 per eight-foot pair.
Warranty: Lifetime.

Legenburg Professional Cable
310 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., Ste 107-129
San Marcos, CA 92078
Phone: (760) 598-1753, (877) 708-7805
Fax: (760) 598-1447

E-mail: info@legenburg.com
Website: www.legenburg.com

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