Inakustik LS Reference 4004 AIR - finally arrived

Kuoppis

Kuoppis

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Very content with the latest system upgrade: Inakustik LS Reference 4004 AIR loudspeaker cables. They arrived last week and have been playing continuously ever since. The dealer estimates 150 hrs. of burn-in, so still a bit to go, but already super-nice. I really like the sound, or actually the lack of it, to be honest.

Honest is a good description for these cables. They do not add anything to the tonality, or take anything away. Music is just passing through. What they add though, is tons of more detail w/o any sharpness or grain. Great airy top-end, nice timbres, subjectively bass goes deeper and adds detail. This is fantastic.

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So what’s so special here? Air is the superior dielectric and provides the best insulation compared to any other means. What we typically see is cotton, teflon, and all kinds of materials wrapped around the conductors for shielding. Not here. Instead 16 wires are guided through the wire with small plates in a helix structure. The lacquered wires are essentially hanging in the air. Therefore the name: 4004 AIR.

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Just tried these a couple weeks ago for the fun of it. Shouldn’t have, curiosity has consequences [emoji3]. Check them out if you like, glowing reviews in German audio magazines, such as Stereoplay. Reference level they say. This is Inakustik top-of-the-line loudspeaker wire.


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One other nice detail. In addition to the spades being rather substantial, they are fastened to the cables with small Allen screws. In case of system changes, a switch between spades or bananas is just one hex wrench away.

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Someone must have been listening to audiophiles.


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Hey Mike any chance of getting Inakustik to send some for review? Maybe participate in the Florida Expo? Would love to hear your thoughts.
 
XV-1 said:
One of my mates reviewed them a couple of months ago. I should check with him if he bought the review pair.

https://www.soundstageaustralia.com...akustik-referenz-ls4004-air-loudspeaker-cable
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Thanks for sharing, great write-up.

I tried to say something similar, but your pal did it so much more eloquently. Would be interesting to hear whether your friend kept his reference or opted for the demo pair. Neutral is my new black, really like it.


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nc42acc said:
Hey Mike any chance of getting Inakustik to send some for review? Maybe participate in the Florida Expo? Would love to hear your thoughts.
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In Germany they’re selling like hot cakes, despite the price. When I was auditioning the demo pair, my dealer told me one guy called four times a week to check whether they’re back [emoji3].

I could imagine these working pretty well on the M3s with Constellation.


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CPP said:
Those are some rather large cables. It would be rather hard to hide these from the wife.

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Nope, no way of hiding these.

Due to the construction principle they are not too heavy, but do have a serious diameter. 4-5 times my earlier WyWires Platinums for sure.


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Kingrex said:
Those are a lot larger than my LS 2404 Air, or you have small hands.
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I have compared both at the dealer’s. The 4004 AIR are probably 1/3 thicker compared to the 2404 AIR. The difference is significant enough you cannot mistake one for another.


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Impressive design and execution. I imagine the employees who route the wires have great concentration to maintain the spiral configuration.
 
Kuoppis said:
Thanks for sharing, great write-up.

I tried to say something similar, but your pal did it so much more eloquently. Would be interesting to hear whether your friend kept his reference or opted for the demo pair. Neutral is my new black, really like it.


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How much are the cables in Germany? I am wondering how much us Aussies are getting ripped off.
 
XV-1 said:
How much are the cables in Germany? I am wondering how much us Aussies are getting ripped off.
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I would guess it is similar to buying US gear in Europe or Australia. For US gear we pay several K for shipment (large gear) and an additional 19% of import custom fee.

Price is somewhere 5K plus in €.

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Sitting here this morning and listening, I notice that my music system has really taken a quantum leap forward recently.

The combination of the detail retrieval, transparency and neutrality of the 4004 AIR cables, combined with the Niagara-induced spatiality, dimensionality and ability to spotlight every nuance of the music, and pretty much the non-existence of any kind of background noise, elevates the listening experience to a new level.

Kudos to Garth Powell and the great engineers from Inakustik.


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Insightful pictures from the product page on the manufacturing process.

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Sixteen strands of braided copper wire in the cables.

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I wonder how much more neutral they would sound with silver?

that said, once silver has completely broken in its very liquid, transparent but not bright
 
XV-1 said:
I wonder how much more neutral they would sound with silver?

that said, once silver has completely broken in its very liquid, transparent but not bright
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That is an interesting thought. Would be interesting to see a silver cable done like this.

But so far I am very happy with the neutrality of the copper cables. Pretty much a pass-thru to my ears. And very also liquid sounding.


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One thing that mostly captivates me this morning, is how much more reverb and decay I am hearing.

Test object: Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio “Gentle Blues” on vinyl.

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The reverb of the piano is really interesting. There is no mistaking the instrument for anything else than a grand piano. Use of the pedals is very evident, when Yamamoto decides to stop a note, by lifting the reverb pedal.

Second thing are the cymbals. Often you hear impact and decay. Here I hear, impact of the drumstick’s immediate impact and the emanating sound. Then the decay of the cymbal making a waveform, volume deteriorating and almost stopping at one point when the brass swings from impact before coming back. And then the remaining decay swinging out. Really fascinating.


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