The Earth Sound
Contents
We tried the Kinki Studio Earth cables one at a time in the system. We don’t want to vary them too much, because then you have no idea what you’re listening to.
First, we tried the mains cable on the Sonnet Pasithea. This ultra-transparent source directly drives the Pass Labs X150.8 in this test. Fewer links makes it easier to hear cables, so we omit the Pass Labs XP12 in this test. The Kinki Studio Earth mains cable replaces a Yeti Standard in this case.
The power cord
The difference between these two power cords is pretty easy to hear. The Yeti is a touch warmer and shows a little more flow than the Kinki Studio. The latter emphasizes more on the fresh side of the spectrum and air and rhythm in the reproduction. The overall sound is a bit more pointed than the Yeti. What you like better or what you are looking for is personal.
The interlinks
Then the interlinks. We are replacing the Van den Hul CNT. That comparison is completely meaningless, of course. The CNT costs around 12,000 Euro. The Kinki Studio Earth is around 500 Euro. So we also take a Grimm TPM for comparison. That’s a bit more honest.
The Kinki Studio XLRs play narrower but slightly more in focus than the Grimm’s. The TPM feels a little more balanced sonically – quieter – and sets more of a stage than the Kinki.
The Kinki puts a bit more emphasis on the midrange, highlighting vocals a bit more. Rhythm too … it’s a playful sound. That midrange adds a pleasant energy to the music. But be careful about matching. Especially if you include the mains cables. It can go just over the edge.
The speaker cable
We remove the Van den Hul Nova between the TADs and pair the Kinki Studio Earth. Again, this is a bit of a crazy comparison, as the Nova costs four times as much as the Kinki. So we also pick up a Driade Flow, which is a little more balanced in terms of price.
Compared to the Nova, the Kinki sets much more of a stage. In line with the interlinks. It is not very wide, but it is a stable image with fine focus and insight. Again, the energy in the midrange stands out.
Rounding out
Overall, the Kinki Studio Earth cables have a fairly energetic character with a focus on rhythm and air. The character is open and mid-focused. When comparing to the Grimm and Van den Hul and Driade, the stereo image is a bit less wide, but nicely tight in focus.
The conductivity of the power cable is higher as that of interconnect ???????? !