Crystal Cable is part of International Audio Holdings, which oversees the brands Siltech and Crystal Cable. Both companies have roots in the small Dutch town of Elst, where Edwin Rijnveld founded Siltech more than thirty-five years ago. He joined forces with his wife Gabi (a concert pianist in her younger years) to co-found Crystal Cable in 2004. Today, the couple’s shared passion for music and great sound has found expression in both Siltech and Crystal Cable products, which are well-respected in high-end audio circles.
Dream Duet is the latest in the Crystal Cable Portable series. The cable uses 18 “hair-thin” strands of ultra-high-purity monocrystal silver per conductor around a Kevlar fiber core. The company has incorporated both medical-grade plastics and eco-friendly materials into Dream Duet’s design. Crystal Cable also applies its spiritual (some might say holistic) philosophy when selecting the color of the cable leads. With Dream Duet, it claims it chose red and black because they represent “passion and power” in nature—an interesting approach.
Duet is the lightest and most flexible headphone cable we’ve come across, but Crystal Cable proves that weight and size don’t matter. Dream Duet is fast and resolute. Transients zip across the soundstage effortlessly, leaving no smearing or congestion. The midrange and lower-midrange are velvety smooth and detailed. There’s a feeling of warmth, but there is no muddiness. Sometimes an excess of warm textures can leave a sort of silk cloak around the soundfield, acting as a filter. That is not the case here. The Dream Duet vividly and masterfully captures the natural tonality of vocals and instruments. Crystal Cables has produced a winner in Dream Duet, sonically and physically. Having such a lightweight and pliable reference-level cable is a serious treat for any headphone enthusiast.
Specs & Pricing
Price: €1400/1.2m configuration for IEMs; €2250/2.5m configuration for headphones
INTERNATIONAL AUDIO HOLDINGS
Nieuwe Stationsstraat
6811 KS Arnhem
The Netherlands
crystalcable.com
By Michael Mercer
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