I’ve had a few days now with the Danacable Lazuli Nirvana paired with the Utopia, and here are my impressions over the first 15-20 hours or so of listening I’ve done. Comparisons are done with a Danacable Lazuli Reference which has been my cable of choice with the Utopia for the last 8 months. It is being driven from my Eddie Current Studio B, fed by a Lampi Amber 3.
My initial impression of the Nirvana was jaw dropping, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing… Never have I heard such a huge difference in cable swaps, it was like every facet of the sound was improved upon across the board and I could not fathom how amazing it sounded. Now this was most definitely a case of placebo and pre-bias at work, but as I listened more over the weekend for extended periods of time and then switching back to the Reference in between It became less shocking of a revelation and more grounded. My initial astonishment was very much a case of “first listen” elation, but in fact I’m now positive the Nirvana is a amazing cable that elevates the utopia to new heights.
The Nirvana has a noticeable increase in detail retrieval, specifically microdetail and increases resolution of the headphone overall. The staging is bigger and deeper sounding, more height and depth specifically, with a blacker background. Notes have a more impressive separation within the stage with a higher level of imaging accuracy and more space in between, as well as a greater sense of tonal density. Dynamics have always been a stand out on the Utopia but even here we see a increase in macro with bigger finer swings in sound differentials and a greater sense of control. There is slight increases in bass and midrange texture, with a bit more treble extension for a slightly more airy sparkle. Bass extension is largely similar between both cables, no surprise there since the Utopia already extends very well even stock. There is slightly less perceived bass impact and slam compared to the Reference, but in return it feels more composed which offers a more controlled bass response that feels of a higher quality. The overall sound is presented with a higher level of energy and all of these changes makes for a more organic presentation and tonality.
The Reference in comparison is a much more smooth and laidback sounding cable with Utopia, and has a more subdued sound and tonality. but only in comparison!
I’m happy to proclaim the Nirvana is better than the Reference in pretty much every way, not really that surprising considering the price and material differences. With that said the Reference is a terrific cable and pairing with the Utopia, just the Nirvana really is quite special as the high price tag would have you believe. I’m gonna be sticking with the Reference for now but as time goes on and my system gets more and more refined eventually I do see myself going for the Nirvana to get that last bit of performance out of my Utopia.