This is another short look at Vertere’s new Vertere Redline Cable range. You may recall as a regular visitor that I received a 5 pin DIN to 5 pin DIN as an upgrade to the Naim provided SNAIC between a Supernait 3 and a Naim ND5 XS2 streamer. The result was quite an uplift and it surprised me enough to inquire more about this remarkable cable.  Since this revelation, I have received a 4 pin DIN to XLR Vertere Redline Cable upgrade between my own NAC-N 272 and my NAP 250 (not DR, yet!).

Design – Vertere Redline Cable

Redline Output from NAC-N 272

The Redline series is a new line for Vertere drawing on their top of the range hand-built products, labeled HB.  The Redline series is double shielded with an outer screen braid and a conductive foil, delivering lower noise.

The Press Release goes on to say “Seven independent high-purity copper (not pre-used or reclaimed) conductors per channel of different thicknesses and plating surrounded by low-dialectic constant FEP are utilised per channel (x1 Ground, x3 Signal (Hot), x3 Signal (Return)). This allows the flexibility of different configurations for different uses. The six (two thin and four thick) signal conductors are silver plated.  The thicker dedicated ground conductor is tin-plated.”

Vertere are at pains to note that cables cannot add to performance only take away and their less is more philosophy certainly chimes with my own, but the difference is marked.  The focus really does seem to be not imparting any colouration (affecting the tone), interference or distortion to the signals being transferred.

Quality

The cables themselves are stiff to the touch but do not retain a given shape (i.e. they don’t coil up straight after getting them out of the box), this is rather reassuring.  The terminations are lovely and they have a longer sheath than most over the cable to the connector.  The cable is a meter long (but comes in additional 50cm lengths) and it is 4.8mm thick per channel.

Performance

Set-up

Redline Input to NAP 250

As I mentioned I have been listening to this 4 pin DIN to XLR Vertere Redline Cable upgrade between my own NAC-N 272 and my NAP 250.  I have KEF R700 speakers that are my pride and joy and they breathe wonderfully for the music I relax to.

First Impressions

Of all of these small upgrades, this feels like one of the most effective changes to make

I left the interconnect running for a couple of days with a combination of Naim Radio and Radio Paradise, why not?  I have found these cables to improve significantly to the soundstage that I am experiencing.  In particular, when I listen to Ryan Adams’ Carnegie Hall recordings the vocal is cleaner and more central and overall better in my ears.  My R700s are very vocal so this all makes some sense.

I’ve gradually tried many small increments to my HiFi set-up, without going nuts, just to see where the value is.  I’ve started putting most of my equipment on a graphite base (a chopping board from Wilko, £10 each) for isolation purposes.  I use an Atlas Power Conditioner which is an excellent addition to any system and I’ve tried the IsoAcoustics Gaia III isolators, which were really effective on the speakers.  I’m hoping to get an XPS DR power supply for my Naim pre-amplifier which I am expecting to make a big difference to my system performance.  But this Vertere Redline upgrade has given me a cleaner tone and greater soundstage, that I really like.  Of all of these small upgrades, this feels like one of the most effective changes to make.  Having seen the same with this upgrade on the Supernait 3 recently, there is a consistency in performance improvement.

Overall

This Vertere Redline Cable has added value to my system test by taking less away, as an incremental upgrade these cables are definitely worth listening to

This Vertere Redline Cable has added value to my system test by taking less away, as an incremental upgrade these cables are definitely worth listening to.  I would recommend these interconnects as a performance upgrade having seen the improvement they deliver in the two systems I’ve heard them in recently.

Take a look at Vertere’s philosophy on the YouTube video here, on their site.