Skogrand Purist Ignis Speaker Cables

Over the years – I’ve had experiences with all sorts of cables and truth be told, I have often been far more impressed with sonic improvements in my system by changing cables than any other piece of equipment. At times, the dreaded break-in time has been almost excruciating but the end result has also been worth the wait. Not all cables require tons of break-in time with musical signals running through them before they provide optimal performance but it’s often been my experience that suggests cables typically don’t come into fully optimized mode until a fairly significant amount of playing time has occurred. At a minimum – whenever installing new cables in my system, at a minimum, I always allow several days of constant music signal running through them before attempting to do any sort of serious listening. Sure I’m curious when something arrives and from time to time, I will sneak a peek but I also do not allow my naïve enthusiasm to get the best of me and follow my tradition. Also, whereas I am not an engineer, nor technically astute enough to fully understand what the break-in process actually does, I know that from extensive listening over many years – it is often best to do as the manufacturer suggests and don’t try to take short cuts.

Getting Acclimated

These cables arrived in protective cases that seemed to very effectively withstand the perils of their shipment all the way from Norway. Opening the case with a high level of anticipation exposed a very attractive set of cables, actually two pair of speaker cables, with what appeared to be excellent craftsmanship. The Skogrand cables are handmade and with exacting care given. The terminations were with gold finished spade lugs and the overall look was quite exquisite. Once in my hands – they felt very solidly built and although somewhat stiff, they were also workable and I had no problem getting them dressed appropriately in my system. I don’t often think of cables as being attractive but for sure, these speaker cables actually are. The design of the outer jacket along with the fabric used is definitely eye catching and artistic.

As with any other product and particularly cables – I was all set to provide these gems all the time they needed to settle in before they started producing their magic. And, the good news is that in time – they did just that. However, getting to this level wasn’t something that simply happened overnight. In fact – it was quite the opposite and getting these cables to a point where I considered their overall performance to be anywhere near what I expected, it took quite some time. Throughout the break-in period – I provided a constant flow of musical signals running through them for needed conditioning. According to the designer, Knut Skogrand, it should have been something around the 300 hour mark for complete break in. Not sure why it took longer at my place and through conversations with the designer – there were some insights as to what happens when cables are going through this process.

For starters – these particular cables were brand new and without the advantage of having been in someone else’s system for an extended period of time prior to arrival at my place. I would venture to say that it took me almost twice the amount of time for a complete and thorough break-in. Sure there were incremental sonic improvements during this time line but until I reached full break in, I felt the cables simply were not at their peak performance. Don’t get me wrong, they actually sounded quite good, but I was waiting for something special and where the manufacturer had described to me through a series of email conversations. I was expecting something quite on the order of wonderful sound with these cables and I was yet to hear it.

At one point – I decided to simply start over so I removed the cables from my system, put my reference cables back in and recalibrated my ears to what I was previously accustomed to hearing. After about a week or so, I put the Skogrand speaker cables back in my system. Surprise of surprises – literally within a relatively short period of time, the sound seemed to almost completely transform from what I had heard previously. I should also mention that I was actually running two separate pairs of these speaker cables and specifically for bi-wiring purposes. It occurred to me that perhaps the break in time was somehow impacted due to this hookup configuration where possibly each cable pair did not receive full conditioning during the initial break-in period. Again, I am not an engineer and can only report what my ears were telling me. Bottom line – what I was now hearing was significantly improved over what I had heard before and I was now quite impressed and thoroughly enjoying the sound of my system with these wonderful cables in place.

One thing I should mention and that is how important it is for a reviewer to allow sufficient time to acclimate themselves to whatever product they are auditioning and assessing the inherent strengths and/or weaknesses of a given product. It is far too easy to assume that our cherished reference system holds all the musical truth and that whatever sonic differences that comes with the review product may be a departure from the truth. I can say for me that over the years I have at times been blessed with finding a product that in fact, betters what I have in my reference system and if I’m in a position financially to pursue it – there have been instances where I simply bought the review sample. That’s not always possible given the fact that financially one of the potential challenges is over exposure to some really fine products and not having the wherewithal to actually make a purchase each and every time this happens.

Making Beautiful Music

OK, so what does this have to do with the Skogrand Purist Ignis speaker cables? Simply put – I’m a real advocate for cables and have had the good fortune of hearing noticeable sonic changes in the overall sound of my system when I’ve replaced some cables. The Skogrand cables under review similarly provide that type of temptation due to their overall sonic strengths. Fortunately I was able to observe the sonic character of these wonderful cables over an extended period of time and feel quite confident in my overall assessment of their performance capabilities. I should also mention that in order to make sure I had the so-called house sound of Skogrand cables in my house; I requested and received a one meter pair of their Markarian 421 balanced interconnects. Even though my reference IC’s are up to the task, I simply wanted to ensure synergy of sound with the same brand of cabling throughout my system.

Once these cables had been in my system and without being disturbed, the sound they delivered an elegant sense of rich harmonic textures and tonal colors. The sound was big, open, smooth, clear, dimensional and sweet. The sound also had a very quiet background and a very neutral tonal balance. They were perhaps ever so slightly warmer than my reference cables. They also provided a nice sense of fullness without bloat or loss of articulation. For sure, the sound wasn’t anything like being on the cool or lean side of the sonic equation. The sound had a relaxed, slightly laid back perspective. This was in contrast to my reference cables where the stage perspective tends to be more up front and vivid by comparison.

With the Purist Ignis cables in place, they actually allowed me to crank up the volume a bit more than I’m accustomed to yet my system maintained its composure and with no apparent signs of strain or distress. The music simply became louder without any sort of shouting type sonic qualities – just an increase in gain. Also, soundstage ambiance with these cables was also revealed very impressively with subtle musical details emerging from a quiet black background and with a smooth, realistic sonic character. The sound did not illicit edgy or overly sharp transients but instead portrayed the music with a wonderfully natural sonic character. This is similar to what I observe when attending a live concert – that sense of loud but also relaxed. Live music typically does not come with an edge – transients extend from the stage smoothly and float in the air in a very open manner. The Skogrand Purist Ignis cables excel at portraying reproduced music a very authentic sonic character. Bottom line – these cables deliver a replica of the real thing and in a very convincing manner.

As the saying goes….”the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” Appropriately, the proof of enjoyment with these cables was in the listening and listen I did. Reaching into my stash of favorite recordings (i.e., both old and new) – first up was the stellar Ray Brown recording titled Soular Energy. On this recording and particularly the cut titled “Cry Me a River” – not only is Brother Ray featured doing his thing on the acoustic bass; you also get some really excellent (and exciting) piano playing from the fabulous Gene Harris. With these cables – Brown’s big bass produces solid, powerful, robust, tight and controlled sound throughout this recording. Harris’ piano comes illuminates the stage with its very clear, open sound including sharp attack of the keys as Harris tinkles the ivories. Another favorite tune from this recording is “Sweet Georgia Brown” and here you find these two artists once again weaving a tapestry of sound that is both enchanting and wonderful. Brown provides a walking bass line on this tune that really becomes the anchor. Harris and others complement the sound also in a very lyrical and exciting manner.