Lavricables Ultimate Line Review

Today, we are looking at Lavricables Ultimate Line aftermarket cables.

 

Disclaimer: Lavricables sent us the Ultimate Line v3 cables for this review. I only covered the import taxes and fees. As always, I am here to share my honest experience with the product.

Lavricables

The Lavricables brand was created in 2012 as a hobby by a group of passionate audiophiles. After seeing that many companies in the audio industry were selling their products at an exorbitantly high price, the group decided to start making their own cables. Lavricables is based in Latvia and they specifically use pure silver wires. Their product range is impressively rich and they offer unlimited customization options. They make headphone cables, speaker cables, interconnects, USB cables, and more. Today we will review an IEM cable and a headphone cable from them! 

Lavricables Line-up

Lavricables has divided its cables into 4 different categories. The first and most budget-oriented one is called Reference Line. Reference Line is made of solid-core silver and has a purity rating of 5N. This line-up utilizes Teflon for RFI and EMI rejection. 

Next is the Ultimate Line, which we will review today. In this range, the cable geometry is different and the cable thickness is increased along with several other improvements. The Ultimate Line uses AWG24 5N multistrand litz silver wire and Lavricables states that it has a softer, more flexible cable jacket featuring zero microphonics. Additionally, the Reference and Ultimate Line cables are soldered with Mundorf 4% fine silver audio solder. I actually did build some cables with this solder and I find it easier to use compared to WBT’s %4 silver.

Master Line and Lavricables’ TOTL Grand Line use even thicker, silver cables. Here we see cables with both litz configuration and solid core configuration. Of course, there is improvement in specifications such as purity, wire geometry, and material quality compared to the other two categories. If you’d like to more about the specs, you can do so here.

Lavricables is not one of those companies that have been producing and selling the same cable for years. I checked their blog and found that they are constantly improving and updating their designs based on user feedback and in-house testing. Which is worth mentioning.

Lavricables Ultimate Silver – Hifiman Upgrade Cable

Hifiman’s Edition XS has been my favorite headphone since its launch and I listen to it every day, so I’m pretty well acquainted with its sound signature. I’ll be testing the Lavricables Ultimate Line 24 AWG litz cable with the Edition XS. The sample I received uses Lavricables’ own plugs and connectors. The headphone cable costs about 250 USD. Here are the specifications including pretty much everything about the cable;

Wire: 24 AWG Multistrand Litz, 5N Pure Silver

Configuration: 4-braid, Lavricables Carbon Y-Splitter, No Silk Sleeve

Termination: 4.4mm Lavricables Rhodium-Plated, Dual 3.5mm Lavricables Gold-Plated

Solder: Mundorf 4% Fine Silver Audio Solder

Lavricables Ultimate Silver – 2-Pin Upgrade Cable

My go-to IEM on a daily basis is Vision Ears’ VE7. It is a great benchmarking tool with a highly resolving signature and I use it to evaluate gear. I’ll be testing the Lavricables Ultimate 2-pin upgrade cable with the VE7 & several others. The IEM cable costs about 220 USD. Here are the specifications of the 2-pin cable;

Wire: 24 AWG Multistrand Litz, 5N Pure Silver

Configuration: 4-braid, Lavricables Carbon Y-Splitter, No Silk Sleeve

Termination: 2.5mm Lavricables Carbon Gold-Plated Plug, Lavricables 0.78mm 2-Pin Gold-Plated Connectors.

Solder: Mundorf 4% Fine Silver Audio Solder

Packaging

The cable arrived in a black, velvet pouch. On the outer side of the pouch, the Lavricables brand name and logo are written in silver font. Just below that, we see a slogan: ‘Hear the difference with pure silver’. Inside the pouch are a small Lavricables sticker and a business card with QR links to Lavricables’ social media and website.

Build Quality

Let’s start this paragraph by noting that the cables are made by hand and that they are made to order. If you feel that what is offered by the website is limited, you can contact Lavricables for more customization options. I honestly like the default, Lavricables connectors. They have carbon details and are in this blue steel color. The connectors are made of aluminum and feature an anodized, matte finish. Ultimate IEM’s 2.5mm plug and Y-splitter share the same coating, but the 0.78mm 2-Pin connectors have a slightly more reflective, glossy finish. The same goes for the headphone cable. Its connectors come with a slightly more reflective coating compared to the rest of the cable.

The connectors feel rigid and durable: The 4.4mm rhodium-plated plug is lighter than other plugs I’ve played with, which is a nice bonus in terms of being more portable. The cables are light and quite flexible. I don’t know what kind of insulation they use, but I love it. The 2-pin cable’s ear hooks are kept short and do not contain a memory wire. In terms of ergonomics, the cables are quite good. The memory part feels smooth and does not cause itching, even after long listening sessions. The shapes of the ear hooks are symmetrical left and right and the lengths of the shrinks match. As someone who has braided cables by hand before, I know how tricky it can get. The braid tension of Labricables’ cables is quite optimal. Not loose, not too tight. Just perfect. The shrink Labcables uses in the ear hook part is quite thin, which has a huge, positive effect on ergonomics since I wear glasses and the space there is already limited.

Overall, I am quite satisfied with the meticulous craftsmanship behind these cables and the quality materials Lavricables has chosen. There are many alternatives for SPC and copper cables, but there are not many companies that combine pure silver with high-quality components at this price segment.

 

The review continues on Page Two, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.

Page 1: Lavricables, Lavricables Ultimate Line, Design & Build Quality,

Page 2: Ultimate Line IEM & Headphone Upgrade Cable Sound, Last Words

4.5/5 - (270 votes)
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedin

Long time Tech Enthusiast, an ambitious petrol-head, Yagiz likes his gadgets and always finds new ways into the tinkerer's world. He tries to improve anything and everything he gets his hands onto. Loves an occasional shine on the rocks.

Be first to comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.