NORDOST Norse 2 High Performance Cables Instruction Manual
- June 3, 2024
- NORDOST
Table of Contents
NORDOST Norse 2 High Performance Cables
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of Nordost’s Norse Series 2 cables, genuine benchmarks in audio performance. Unlike many hi-fi cable products, they use proprietary technologies and construction in a purpose built configuration optimized for audio only applications. The benefits of this dedicated approach are clear to hear in their musical performance – and the musical performances they deliver. These cables exist for one reason and one reason alone: to bring recorded music to life. You are now in a position to enjoy your music more than ever before and we are confident that these cables will put a smile on your face. After all – that’s exactly why we designed them…
INSTRUCTIONS
To obtain the optimum performance from your Norse Series 2 cables you should proceed as follows:
For signal cables –
Make sure that all components in your system are switched off before
disconnecting your old cables or connecting your new ones. Next, identify the
connections on the cable. The red or purple heats rink designates the positive
connector and should be connected to the red, or positive connection on the
rear of the component. The connector with the black or negative heats rink
should be connected to the black, or negative connection on the rear of the
component. Install the cables so the ends marked with the directional arrows
are connected to the receiving components.
Example: From a CD player to an amplifier the arrows would be connected
to the amplifier, and from an amplifier to a speaker, the arrows would be
connected to the speaker. Once all your connections have been restored, you
can turn the system back on, starting from the source components and finishing
with power amps, active speakers or subwoofers.
For tonearm leads –
See the supplemental “Tonearm Cable + Instruction Manual” for detailed
information on installing your cable.
Note: When inserting IEJ type 5-pin connectors into tonearm bases,
establish the socket orientation before installing the cable. Once you have
determined the correct orientation, ensure that the plug is pushed firmly home
and then, if necessary, dress the cable correctly using the facilities
provided on the turntable plinth.
For digital leads –
Norse Series 2 offers dedicated 75 Ohm and 110 Ohm digital designs. The S/PDIF
75 Ohm lead uses the same directional coding as the other cables in the range
and it is important to follow this protocol. The connector is a combined
BNC/RCA plug. In general, BNC will offer a superior performance and if the
option exists this is the preferred connection.
For power cables –
The Norse Series 2 Power Cords are straight replacements for all 15 Amp and 20
Amp IEC type stock cords. You should ensure that the termination matches the
male socket on your equipment and that the plug is of the correct US, Schuko,
AUS or UK 13 Amp type. Before installing the Norse Series 2 power cord, ensure
that your equipment is switched off. Then simply remove the stock AC cord and
install the Nordost lead in its place.
We strongly recommend treating your cables with Nordost Eco3X CD and cable
treatment for even better performance.
GOING THAT EXTRA STEP
Having obtained the musical benefits of Norse Series 2 cables, with their superior construction and technology, you can maximize those benefits by extending that technology across the whole system. The more Micro Mono- Filament cable you employ, the more obvious its performance attributes become – and the more musically communicative and natural your system sounds. This coherence to your system’s cabling is the most underestimated and important factor in optimizing the performance of your electronics, and includes AC, interconnects and speaker cabling.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
In order to obtain the best performance from your new cables we recommend
thoroughly cleaning the contacts on your components, amplifier and cables with
a good quality electrical contact cleaner, such as Deoxit.
Then, as noted earlier, we recommend treating the outside of your cables with
Nordost Eco3X static dispersant for even better performance.
In addition, a little care in installation will reap further performance
dividends:
Keep signal cables away from power cords, and where they do cross, try to
space them as much as possible and cross them at right angles. Avoid running
signal cables alongside power cords.
Try to let interconnects hang free of contact with walls. Lifting speaker
cables off of the floor does improve their performance, but may not always be
practical. If you do lift your cables, always use the minimum number of risers
possible.
Do not coil spare lengths of speaker cable; you will increase its inductance
and affect your speaker’s bass performance. If speakers are bi- or tri-
hirable, replace the supplied jumpers with Nordost’s dedicated Norse Series
Micro Mono-Filament designs.
You can find additional details on how to optimize system cabling and
performance in the Downloads directory at
www.nordost.com.
A WORD ABOUT BURNING IN
Considerable changes take place in a cable or component when it is first used.
When your new cable is first installed in your system the sonic benefits will
be very apparent. However, the musical performance will significantly improve
as the cable is used, the greatest change coming in the first 100 hours, with
smaller improvements continuing to accumulate thereafter. In order to
accelerate this process, Nordost has developed the Vidar, a dedicated cable
burn-in machine. This puts an extremely wideband and complex signal directly
through the cable, significantly accelerating the conditioning process.
This essential service is available through your local Nordost dealer or
distributor.
For logistical reasons this service is not available from Nordost’s factory.
TECHNOLOGY
Most Norse Series 2 cables employ the breakthrough combination of Micro Mono-
Filament construction and silver-plated solid-core conductors. These
conductors are drawn from high-purity, oxygen free copper, and then heavily
plated with silver. They are then highly polished to achieve surface
consistency, before being wrapped in a thin, helical coil, the FEP Micro Mono-
Filament that supports and spaces the extruded FEP outer jacket, reducing
dielectric contact by over 80%. These complex processes achieve the cable
designer’s Holy Grail of excellent mechanical stability, precise geometric
accuracy and an incredibly low dielectric constant of less than 1.38.
But in addition to its electrical sophistication, Norse Series 2 adds
significant mechanical refinements to the mix. The dimensions, spacing, number
and topology of each cable have been mechanically tuned to further optimize
musical performance. These new cables are then combined with specially
modified, lightweight connectors, embodying the same mechanical and
geometrical approach.
The result is a range of cables with unprecedented transmission speed and
phase accuracy, wide bandwidth and remarkable levels of musical detail. More
importantly, because that detail and dynamic information arrives in the right
order and at the right time, the performance is much more natural and
intelligible, or – to put it another way – it’s much easier to hear who’s
playing what, which makes your music and your system much more enjoyable.
NORDOST WARRANTY POLICY
Nordost warrantees its cable products (with the exception of its headphone cables, which carry 24 month warranties) to be free from defects in workmanship and materials to the original purchaser, under normal use and service, for the lifetime of the product from the date of original purchase from Nordost or its authorized reseller. Nordost’s sole obligation under this express warranty shall be, at Nordost’s option and expense: to repair the defective product or part, deliver to customer an equivalent product or part to replace the defective item, or if neither of the two foregoing options is reasonably available. Nordost may, at its sole discretion, replace the defective product with a new product of equal or superior value. All products that are replaced will become property of Nordost. This warranty is non- transferable and is valid for products and parts from Nordost or its authorized reseller.
To qualify, please visit www.nordost.com/product-
registration.php and fill
out the form, together with proof of purchase, within 30 days of purchase
.
OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE
If and when your registered product is in need of service, customers must first contact Nordost (or an authorized Nordost dealer) to obtain a Return Authorization number. Before sending any products in for evaluation and service, the sender must mark the outside of the package with the aforementioned RA number. All returns/repairs must be sent prepaid and packed appropriately for safe shipment. It is recommended that the package is insured or sent by a method that provides tracking of the package, as Nordost is not liable for any goods before arriving at the factory.
Nordost 93 Bartzak Drive Holliston MA 01746 USA
Email: info@nordost.com
Website: www.nordost.com