Resolution Where It Matters Most – Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 Interconnect Cable
Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 is a 557 Euro per 2 meter pair, or $648 USD per 2 meter pair of XLR Interconnect cables, designed for High Fidelity music reproduction, having an analog XLR design, to be used in between a DAC and a headphone or a speaker amplifier. Today we will review the dedalus XLR and also compare it with other high-end cables including Ricable Invictus XLR Reference (862 USD), and LavriCables Grand 20 Core Silver V4 XLR Interconnect (505 USD).
Introduction
Ricable makes cables, speaker cables, interconnect cables, and all kinds of cables for all hearts and pockets. Today we review their middle ground, they have more premium, they have more affordable, but Dedalus XLR DX2 is the classic option, the one aimed at most customers, with a colorful jacket, superb resolution and outstanding quality, being matching with the Speaker Dedalus cable that we’ve reviewed in the past.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Ricable has provided the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4m7qUDR
Official Link – https://www.ricable.com/en/prodotto/ricable-dedalus-xlr-cavo-audio-di-segnale-stereo-bilanciato-high-end/
Build Quality – Design – Subjective Usage
Ricable makes their Dedalus XLR cables for those who plan on using the balanced connection, to help them achieve the best transmission quality, with extended dynamics, a neutral timbre and a well-characterized soundstage. Dedalus XLR DX2 is a high-end cable with a promised high neutrality, revealing sound and a bright musical sound. It uses a MARC conductor, 0.5mm2 conductors made of 7N MARC or Multicore Annealed Ricable conductor copper with strands 0.08mm, with a smoother and more compact surface, allowing for 70% better audio transmission compared to OFC copper.
For the connectors, Ricable employs Neutrik’s Top-Of-The-Line XLR connectors, with a modified for Dedalus XLR connector featuring pure copper contacts, plated with 24K Gold, a promised 30% increase in quality over brass. Ricable also employs a refined construction with a balanced geometry, with chorded insulation and conductor with connecting rod-crank detorsion, to eliminate any stress placed on conductors. Insulation materials are derived from the R-TEC technology, with a special polyethylene and treated cotton construction. They use a triple total shielding with a mixed copper / aluminum / magnesium system to cover all audio frequencies from EMI / RFI interference.
As Ricable puts it, Dedalus does not correct, but it reveals the potential of your system. You can order a standard DX1, DX2 or DX3 pair with 1, 2 or 3 meters of length, or DX05, for a 0.5 half meter length for this cable. But you can also request a custom length, as Ricable can customize your cable for you, including the jacket color and length. Among the excellent features Ricable has for their products, they have a lifetime warranty for their cables, a satisfied or reimbursed policy, and their cables are made in Italy. Technically, Ricable XLR DX2 has a capacity of 27 pF/m, a resistance of 50 OHMs / km, an outer diameter of 10mm, and a conductor section of 2 x 0.55 mm2 + Ground.
Sound Quality
Pairings – As Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 is a cable that connects DACs and AMPs I have used it for systems including FiiO S15 Streamer DAC driving a Singxer SA-1 V2 Headphone Amplifier, FiiO K17 DAC driving a pair of Topping B100 Monoblock Speaker Amplifiers, TempoTec March V5 DAC driving a Aune S17 PRO Evo Headphone Amplifier, Rose Technics RT-5000 DAC driving a Feliks Euforia Evo headphone Tube Amplifier, and a HIFIMAN Goldenwave Serenade paired with a HIFIMAN Goldenwave prelude Headphone Amplifier. For all those setups, I got a rather long variant at 2 meters, except for the pairing of FiiO K17 and dual Topping B100 Stereo Monoblock amps, as for those the distance is just right.
Overall Signature – Ricable always has a kick for making the sound a tiny bit smoother, a tiny bit more musical and more cohesive, but the effect that Dedalus XLR DX2 has on music is simply insane, it is the kind of cable that transforms a system, takes the edge off, but allows it to stay transparent. You can still hear all of your favorite characteristics, the reasons you bought your system to begin with, similar brightness of the treble, bass depth, but with a refined, more nuanced presentation, easier to hear details and with less aggressiveness, DX2 makes music more calm, soothing and more fluid.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – The biggest change and improvement a cable can bring to a system is within the more refined, smoother textures it can give that system, or in other cases, in how it aggravates the textures and reveals more. Ricable XLR DX2 is on the smoother end of things, it really helps round the edges in rock, metal, for guitars, but also trumpets. If you like a richer, more cohesive presentation, you will love what DX2 does for music.
Soundstage – Ricable always had a nice, rounded soundstage, and this is true for DX2 too, as it is a cable with a staging that expands equally in both the lateral and depth plane, has a really strong instrument separation, and keeps things natural. There is a considerable increase in the definition of each layer and of each instrument when using DX2 compared to super entry cables like ddHifi BC30XLR, but we are talking about vastly different price brackets.
Comparisons
Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 vs LavriCables Grand 20 Core Silver V4 XLR Interconnect (648 USD vs 505 USD) – Lavricables made thinner, more flexible cables, which have less EMI and RFI isolation, and which have easier to scratch in their Grand 20 Core silver V4 Cable, but Dedalus XLR DX2 is thicker, less flexible, but also more resilient and more colorful in design. Sonically, Grand Core V4 is a more dynamic, more transparent, brighter sounding cable with a more hard impact and more edgy texture presentation. Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 is smoother, fuller and warmer sounding cable, with a less hard, more liquid, more refined edge and texture. Soundstage is a bit wider, more airy as presented by Grand Cover silver v4, but Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 has a slightly better instrument separation that is more defined. Basically, Grand Silver V4 is wide, a bit splashy and bright, Dedalus DX is focused, warm, a bit thicker, smoother and fuller sounding while being a bit more relaxed and richer in the midrange.
Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 vs Ricable Invictus XLR Reference (648 USD vs 862 USD) – This is the one you’ve all been waiting for, but the more affordable DX2 is much more flexible, and more colorful in the design. Both cables have an excellent resolution and clarity, but XLR Reference is a bit more crisp, more detailed, more revealing, bass is harder, but midrange is a bit richer and more vivid, more colorful. Although the price difference is not that large, reference is a bit more reference, more neutral too, while DX2 is a bit warmer and smoother, more lush, thicker and sounds a bit warmer too.
Value and Conclusion
As we try to build better systems at lower prices, we are really happy with the performance of the Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 cable. It is incredibly vivid and rich sounding despite being more affordable compared to the reference series from Ricable. It also has a more colorful jacket and you can further customize it, but you still have the full return period provided by Ricable
At the end of the day, Ricable Dedalus XLR DX2 Interconnect cable is one of the best options if you don’t want to spend quite that much, but you want a nice cable for your system, if you want full customizability, colorful jackets and high-end connectors, and if you want it all provided with a lifetime warranty and excellent return windows for you to make sure that the cable works well in your system.
PROs
- Outstanding design and pretty jacketing
- Transparent and cohesive sound
- Excellent resolution
- Revealing with a hint of warmth and smoothness
- Highly conductive with no signal degradation
- Excellent RFI and EMI isolation
- Easy to use and convenient
- More flexible than the pricier XLR cables from Ricable
Cons
- Still quite pricey for an interconnect
Technical Specifications
Capacity – 27 pF/m
Resistance – 50 Ω/km
Outer Diameter – Ø 10 mm
Conductor Section – 2 x 0.55 mm² + Ground
Conductor Structure – Twisted with each other and with the insulation with detorsion system
Diameter strand – 0.08 mm
Material Conductors – MARC Pure Copper 7N 99.99999%.
Geometry – Balanced
Dielectric Insulator – Polymer with low dielectric constant
Internal Shielding – Mylar and Aluminum
External Shielding – OFC Copper Braid with High Coverage
External Protection – High-density sheathing with Polyethylene/Nylon braid
Connector Material – Copper
Contact – Hand-welded with special Sn/Ag/Cu eutectic alloy
Features Connectors – 24 K Gold Plated Contacts, Top of the Range Neutrik
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4m7qUDR
Official Link – https://www.ricable.com/en/prodotto/ricable-dedalus-xlr-cavo-audio-di-segnale-stereo-bilanciato-high-end/
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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