The Nu Diva certainly lives up to its name.
One would think interconnects can only get so good. After all, every cable company basically strives for the same goal: transparency. The real question is, who really knows when that goal has been met? Who’s to say, “Yeah, that’s it…that’s what it’s supposed to sound like”? It’s an ongoing quest with no real end, and will keep us in perpetual hi-fi spirals. Ten years from now, we’ll look back through the slinky and laugh at our primitive ways. Meanwhile, we’re pretty damn happy with the Ecosse Nu Diva interconnect.
The Nu Diva (also NuDiva) is most unique in its construction. On your best day, you couldn’t smuggle a small team of Germans to build its equal. Let’s start with the materials— There are six layers to the NuDiva. The innermost layer is the conductor, oxygen-free copper (OFC) plated in silver. This is insulated twice: once with polyethylene, and around that with foamed polyethylene (just incase). Two layers of shielding are around that: one is conductive polyvinyl chloride (PVC); the second is a silver-plated braid. The final, outermost layer is made of soft PVC.
The actual terminals used on the NuDivas are beautiful, stylish silver barrels that snuggly grab the cable. The center pin and shell (part that grabs onto the female plug’s outside) are made of silver-plated copper. Actually, Ecosse claims to be the only cable company in the world that uses copper in the contact joints, as well; their terminals are as high-quality as they come.
Now for the exciting part, how the NuDiva is made. Ecosse achieves uniform mechanical properties with an interesting process: the NuDiva is deep-cryogenically treated (DCT). Basically, they just freeze the hell out of it. They hold the cable at close to –185C (-301F) for a few days, then slowly bring the cable back to room temperature in a precise computer controlled process. Why? I’ll let them explain that from their website, folks:
“Sub zero treatment of the material at these temperatures results in reduced residual stresses in both conductor and dielectric. [DCT]…enhances the materials’ properties. By slowing down atomic movement, the internal molecular bonding energy is increased which promotes a pure structural balance throughout the mass of the material. The end result being a material with an extremely uniform, refined and dense microstructure with vastly improved properties.”
So there you have it. Freezing a cable makes it better. I scored, you scored, we all scored for ice cord. That’s not to say putting your beloved cables in your icebox is a good idea, but it’s not a bad idea for the broken ones…in hopes that one day we may find a cure for cable cancer (the quiet killer).
How do the NuDivas sound? Freakin' awesome! The cables have been connecting a Cirrus Logic DAC (DAC707) to a C.E.C. HD 53R headphone amp, and I’ve been listening through AKG K701 headphones. The NuDivas offer superb clarity and detail across the audible frequency spectrum. They’re a little rough on the tiny DAC because they’re so tenacious in material, but that’s nothing more than a testament to the massive amounts of materials used in the construction of the cable.
Realistically, these cables are a lot of money to move an audio signal one meter. Let’s be brutally honest: in order to appreciate the difference, you should be connecting the highest fidelity gear with the NuDivas. If not, get out of here (your kind aren’t welcome). But, if you do have an ideal listening environment and high-end audio components, then it’s important to remain consistent in the audio setup, even if it’s just to maintain the nostalgia of owning an expensive system.
The NuDiva is packaged very well. Not only does it come in a silky blue pouch, it also comes with its very own "birth certificate"— a certificate of authenticity. The certificate qualifies the product, including its assembly and testing information.
Enjoy the Ecosse NuDiva interconnects. They are a class act, a beautiful product and an integral addition to your hi-fi system.
The Verdict
