Signature Series Balanced XLR Interconnects

"I thought love was only true in fairy tales...............................then I found the Snake..............now I'm a believer"
Connected a 1984 NAD 5120 TT (modded) and a 2023 Black Ice tube pre-amp PLUS
a 2005 Wilson Benesch Full Circle TT and a 2025 Sutherland Mini Loco SS pre-amp THRU
a Pathos Aurium Headphone amp (allows multiple connections) TO
a Pathos LOGOS 1 integrated amp by means of the Signature Series Hybrid XLR cable.......................RESULTS = Totally Bitchin!

Today I put a new pair of Snake River Signature XLR cords between my PS Audio Stellar phono preamp and my Hegel H190 integrated amp, in place of an Audience Front Row RCA pair.
BIG WIN for the Snake River interconnects -- more air and space, more natural images set in better-defined 3D space, beautiful tonalities, more lifelike ... breathtaking!
I've now gone all Snake River in my systems, replacing much more cost Audience wires. The difference is astounding, and it's been corroborated by a couple of friends who have very good ears.

This cable brings tremendous power and depth to my music. There is a new incredible layering of the soundstage — the stage now feels wider and deeper and taller. The low end resolution and clarity are impressive, and the highs are all present while feeling balanced with the rest of the frequency spectrum. Tonally, my music now has body and roundness — I don’t have to pick between resolution or tonality — I get BOTH. And the music sounds more real and present — there is a richness that feels immersive. Also, these cables are beautiful and it feels a shame to hide them behind my components!

This was the first Snake River cable I tried in my system and was instantly impressed by the improvement over my existing very well reviewed and similarly priced interconnect. Additional weight at the bottom end without boom, more detail at the mid and top end and a superb combination of added clarity without harshness and more compelling involvement with the performances, across the full spectrum of my musical tastes. Absolutely superb cable and I would recommend it to anyone. I' ve since changed my entire cabling loom over to Snakes and the improvements only get bigger as more cables enter the system.

Derek S, 01/10/2015

I have to admit that I have not been an advocate of cables in the past, however I have had a minor conversion in the last 5 years, where I have experienced a sizable improvement in system performance due to a change in cables. This has been both educational and somewhat humbling since I dismissed cable technology for so long as, ah.. Snake Oil.

So why did I volunteer to review the Snake River Audio cables when offered the opportunity? Maybe it was because the company is homed in Idaho and I have always liked Idaho; or maybe it sounded fun and I did not know what I was getting into. For whatever reason, I received a full complement of cables to review: a power cable, interconnects – both XLR and RCA, and speaker cables.

I realized that I needed a methodology to follow with this review so I decided to start with my phono stage using the XLR interconnects and then add the power cable to my phono stage as a two step experiment. I would later add the speaker cables to produce a total Snake River Audio solution. As a second phase, I would move on to digital, using the RCA interconnects and then add the power cable. I also selected a group of six albums to serve as my reference as I switched the cables in and out.

Phono
My phono stage is a Simaudio LP5.3, without the optional and separate power supply. It has both RCA and XLR outputs and I usually use the XLR for most listening. This offers the opportunity to compare the RCA directly against the XLR cables. In this scenario you are obviously comparing the amplifier design, differential vs single ended, as much as the cables. I happen to own both RCA and XLR version of the Nordost Blue Heaven interconnects and have spent a considerable amount of time comparing between these two outputs before deciding that I prefer the more detailed sound of the XLR over the warmer sound of the RCA. What would the result be from switching in the Snake River Audio interconnects?

Snake River Audio makes three levels of interconnects all named after snakes: Adder, Cottonmouth and Mamushi. I reviewed the Mamushi interconnects which are their high end model. All of their cables are handmade in the USA and are of high build quality. The Mamushi cables are finished in a jacket that is of a vibrant blue and purple color and they definitely stand out. Connecting the XLR into my system was easy. The cables are not the most flexible cable out there but they are not the stiffest either and you get an impression of a solid connection when you push them into their proper positions.

I listened to my first two albums, Grover Washington’s - Mister Magic and Fleetwood Mac - Rumours, both albums I know fairly well. The sound seemed more fluid and a bit more relaxed. There was nice high end detail and tonal balance. The drum strikes had more sharpness and definition and there was better inner detail for the instruments. This was not a night and day type of a change but it was a definite improvement. On the Rumours album, the song – The Chain, the bass was great. I’m kind of a picky bass person but if you have heard the tonal texture of a good bass you recognize it and this was it. Lastly, the sense of space, meaning the three dimensionality of the sound was improved. I don’t get great imaging in my system but it was getting better with the Mamushi interconnect.

I moved on to Heart - Dreamboat Annie and had more of the same experience: great bass, improved inner detail. Previously when I had opted to use the differentiated output over RCA I gave up some warmth in the sound but now the warmth was back and I had all the detail to.

At this point I deviated from my planned listening material to play Nazareth – Close Enough for Rock ’n’ Roll, a high school ‘ish rock LP which I’ve always liked. It sounded great with drums, cymbals, distorted guitars and vocals. I then switched back to my Nordost Blue Heavens and replayed the LP. The sound was noticeably flatter and while the bass was still good, it was not great. Also I noticed that the music seemed lower in volume when going back to the Blue Heaven. I’m careful about keeping my volume control consistent but with the Mamushi, the dynamic impact was improved and it gave a sense of louder volume.

By this time I had a couple of hours of listening under my belt and the sound seemed to be improving. It might be that I was just getting used to what the Snake River interconnects could do but I think there may have been a modest amount of settling-in that the cables were achieving. I can’t explain it but the more I listened, the sound was continuing to improve.

Add A Cottonmouth
So now it was time to add the Cottonmouth power cord. In all the world of electronics, the improvements made by power cords have to be the hardest to explain. To say I’m skeptical is an understatement but as I stated at the beginning of this review, I have witnessed the positive effect they can have. I plugged in the 2M Cottonmouth which is a substantial hunk of cable and prepa...