Wires 4 Music - Seth

Fernando Alday
12 hours ago
7 min read

The new range from Wires 4 Music doubles down on the brand's commitment to increasing its position in both the national and international markets.

By now, if you find yourself reading these lines, you are surely familiar with Wires 4 Music. This is a Spanish manufacturer specializing in high fidelity cables. Lorenzo, the visible face of the brand, has accompanied us since the beginnings of Et Sona with an attitude of support and attention that is to be appreciated. I apologize to him in advance because, by the time these lines see the light of day, the cables will have been in my hands for a significant amount of time, due in some measure to the transition into the new year. That said, which is no excuse at all, we move on to the description of the contents of the two boxes Wires 4 Music kindly sent me.

In the box, we find an almost complete representation of the Seth line, the house's newest creation. The contents:

2x SETH RCA
2x SETH POWER
1x SETH USB
1x SETH SPEAKER

Now, I declare myself a stranger to the understanding of the Egyptian Pantheon, but a recent visit to the Egyptian Museum in Barcelona (highly recommended, by the way) has left in my memory that Seth is the deity representing power and, in turn, operates as a deity of protection. Associated with the desert and its "red land," we now begin to understand the choice of color for the beautiful leather label that accompanies the cables. Regarding his status relative to divinity, I abstain from commenting.

Construction

Starting with the power cable: built from a monocrystalline copper and silver conductor, it consists of up to 15 internal conductors in an undisclosed pattern. It is insulated by a double tinned copper mesh and protected by cotton, PTFE, PE, and features a Techflex outer sleeve for added protection. Connectors are available in different configurations depending on whether they are for the European, Asian, or American markets. The offered lengths range from 1.5m to 2.5m. I insisted, but the soldering method for the terminals was not revealed to me; I understand, some secrets must be kept.

The speaker cables, again in monocrystalline copper and silver, feature a lower number of conductors (12) but with a larger internal diameter. The tinned copper insulation is covered with cotton, PTFE, and finally, a Techflex sleeve. Connections can be chosen between banana and spade, with copper covered in rhodium plating for better conductivity. Standard lengths range from 2 to 3 meters.

The RCA interconnect cable, finished with Furutech connectors, incorporates the same material as the rest of the line: monocrystalline copper and silver, with 2 internal conductors. The shielding and insulation are the same as the others, with tinned copper, PTFE, and cotton. The Techflex sleeve protects the assembly. Standard lengths are between 1 and 2 meters.

Lastly, the USB: Viborg connectors, monocrystalline copper and silver conductors with different configurations for data and power. Lengths between 1 and 1.5 meters. The terminations, in the case of the cable sent to me, are the "standard" for high fidelity equipment: USB A and B.

Here, I make a few notes. First, the choice of quality materials and the consistency between them give a true sense of a cohesive line, beyond just their design. The sound, when using them as a set, was balanced and pleasant, but we will talk more about that later.

How They Sound

A mandatory review of the associated equipment:

Preamp: McIntosh C504
Amplifier: McIntosh MC502
Turntable: Pro project Xpression 1 carbon, acrylic platter, 8.6 inch carbon Evo arm
Cartridge: Audio Technica AT OC9 MC III / Sumiko No.3 Blue Low
Phono Preamp: Cyrus 40 PPA
DAC: Lampizator Amber 5
Power Treatment: Lampizator Silk
Speakers: Axxess L1
Rack: Artesanía Audio Prestige 4 / Artesanía Audio Glass Turntable Rack
Accessories: Artesanía Audio Damper / GutWire Ultimate Ground Cable

Evaluating cables is complex. I have said this before. It is even more complex when the entire system changes—that is, when you have several cables to test at once. So the approach, in this case, was gradual. First, I thought about incorporating them one by one into the system and noting changes, but experience suggested a different route, and perhaps a false sense of security allowed me to face the challenge by diving into the pool from the 10 meter platform.

I changed the system's wiring all at once, using one power cable as the main supply, while the second was destined for the DAC from the Lampizator Silk. The Seth RCA set went between the Preamp and the amplifier, as well as between the Preamp and the DAC. The USB cable was used from the streamer to the DAC. Lastly, the speaker cables, of course, were used between the amplifier and the speakers. At this point, I realized we already had a considerable amount of money invested in cables (see the cost breakdown in the conclusion), so, putting myself in the shoes of a customer who had placed this order, I clearly expected improvements.

However, the initial impact had to wait for a reasonable amount of time because, honestly, I like to burn in cables even if some believe it is unnecessary. Understand me... cables, being physical elements, go through different construction processes. From my point of view, it is absolutely necessary to treat them as both mechanical and electrical elements. So, rather than a burn in in terms of "electromagnetic alignment" or whatever you want to call it, what I like is to be certain that everything is functioning correctly and is in its place.

After a prudent time, I dedicated several sessions to listening. Generally, the sessions went like this: first, listen with the system and the entirety of the Wires 4 Music Seth wiring. Eventually, I felt the need to compare, so I returned to my original cable for this or that position.

That said, I organize my conclusions based on the notes I have on hand. In terms of the power cables, I perceived an improvement in the system's silent background. Usually, I have observed that my equipment has a good noise floor, but it is true that all the improvements I make to the power treatment front usually bring even greater benefits. The combination of Seth cables between the main connection and as the DAC power supply yielded good results, providing the latter with an excellent bass response and a notable improvement in extension. A notable improvement, by the way, when playing Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti by Rosalía. Specifically at the moment when the orchestration enters around the 30 second mark and the bass is established. These are specific insertions but their depth, with good resolution and extension, strikes almost as deep as the singer's voice, again around the 3 minute mark, with greater intervention from the musicians.

Regarding the interconnect cables, the relationship between my preamp and amplifier has always been very harmonic, while also being very sensitive to the capacity of the interconnect cable dwelling between them. That said, the relationship was positively influenced by the Seth, which provided a dynamic response and a well defined profile. In turn, from the DAC to the preamp, no loss in playback quality was noted, even picking up very interesting details in the recording of Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61: I. Allegro ma non troppo by María Dueñas, Weiner Symphoniker & Manfred Honeck. The performer's virtuosity was transmitted with total clarity, depth, and feeling through the playback chain without tangible loss of information.

Speaking of information, the USB cable seemed remarkable. Lately, I have had the chance to test several USB cables, whose reviews will be coming out close to this one, and without mentioning favorites, I will say that the Wires 4 Music USB has had outstanding performance. I believe, though I might be wrong, that if we ask Lorenzo, he will tell us it is one of the most difficult cables to design. Even so, between the Innuos PULSE Mini and the Lampizator Amber 5, communication was fluid, without interference from digital artifacts, which speaks to good implementation. In evaluating this aspect, I used Do Outro Lado Do Azul by Andrea Motis. Specifically, the song Mediterráneo. The absence of artificial timbre and known digital interference testifies to the quality of the Seth USB.

Moving to the speaker cables, between the McIntosh MC502 and the Axxess L1, Lorquiana by Ana María Valderrama & David Kadouch from IBS Classical gives us an exceptional platform to value their response. The clarity manifested through the Seth cable set has, as its final destination, the speakers. These projected the performance of "Los Reyes de la Baraja" with all the energy and impact, with exceptional timbre and projection from Valderrama's violin. An organic sound that evokes feeling and transmits, also from Kadouch's piano, a realistic image of the recording and the quality of the performers in this brief interpretation.

Conclusions

I believe I have been among those closest to seeing, firsthand, the evolution of Wires 4 Music and its products. Going back to the beginnings of Et Sona with the Initio series, Evolution, some custom made cables (specifically a Coaxial), and reaching the Seth, I will say it seems Wires 4 Music has bet heavily on consolidating itself as a reference in the global market. With each release and revision of its products, it moves closer to this goal.

From the entry ranges, the attention to materials and construction strikes me as top tier. The corresponding jump in quality between the different collections is relative to their price and materials and is well segmented, allowing one to know exactly what is obtained in each line, as well as the expected improvement when moving up. This is not always a given with other brands, as I have found that a more expensive cable does not always turn out to be better.

It fills me with satisfaction to know that a Spanish brand dedicates its resources to creating these excellent quality components, and I sincerely believe we should pay more attention to national products. Not for nothing, as you might have noticed, all the music used for this review has been by national performers and artists. While on the subject, it is important to mention that several Spanish manufacturers, including Wires 4 Music, have joined forces, congregating in the so called Spain Audio Group (SAG).

Prices at the time of review, subject to updates: