VL CARBON AGE™ balanced XLR 80cm

CARBON AGE balanced XLR   (pat.pend.)

"An intoxicating experience....tremendous improvement...the increase in resolution is everywhere..." Jeff Dorgay/Chris Harr, ToneAudio, Nov.2024

Goosebump moments thanks to a patent pending new interconnector - the beguilingly free and clean-sounding new „wonder cable“ (HiFi Sound&Music) from cult high-end manufacturer Voodoo Labs. “Perfect beauty” (J.Pfeiffer, HiFi Sound&Music, 2024). "It was simply better, sounded more like the character of the amplifier and the speakers, or the signal source, somehow more intense and much, much clearer." (Daniel Brezina, HiFi-Voice, 2024)

Pair 0.80m 8,800.00€ 

Available in studio black. For studio lengths give us a call or mail.

Free of the inductivity and capacitance problems of the usual Coax balanced cables. Created as unique pieces by master craftsmen in Northern Germany. They easily reach and exceed the level of the most renowned high-end cables, this also applies to the price. Unique signal quality, incredibly fast and tonally correct with optimal aging resistance. One for the island, between sources and pre-amp as well as between pre- and power amp. Ideal for CD players, streamers, amplifiers. Due to the (relatively) minuscule resistance following our patent-pending approach even perfect for phono pre to amp connections. Trust us, we’re running these ourselves in the studio.

- singular for a balanced cable: physically separated phases
- highest quality pure, shielding-free carbon construction
- completely metal-free except for the termination
- approx. 600,000 carbon nano tubes per individual cable
- 4 valence electrons in the atomic outer shells for perfect signal propagation
- silver-plated connection with silver solder to the pro-grade XLR terminator
- minimal internal resistance 
- completely hand-crafted in Northern Germany

The bespoke cables are individually handmade.

Delivery time is currently approx. 5 days.

Unless otherwise instructed, your CARBON AGE will be delivered in a fine wooden wine crate made from NIMP 15 certified pine wood from sustainable forestation by the Bordeaux casemaker working for Chateau Petrus as well. Great for storing Jazz records in, too.

More information and special lengths on request: info@voodoolabs.org or +4940485535

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Read Jeff Dorgay and Chris Harr on ToneAudio on our Carbon Age cabling, Nov. 2024:

"One of the most over used cliches in the world of audio writing is that a cable delivers a “component level” upgrade. However, after Chris spending a ton of time with these evaluating and comparing – and me just stepping in at the last minute for a victory lap, I must say the Voodoo Labs Carbon Age Standard interconnects at $8,200 for a .8m pair are definitely at the top of what I’d pay for a set of cables, but to be very fair to Jan Geschke, the owner and designer of Voodoo Labs, worth the investment if you have a system that warrants it.

The grouchy ones in the crowd are going to freak out at this, however in perspective there are far more expensive cables than this offering far less improvement in system performance. A good comparison would be the jump in performance you hear from a mid-level Clearaudio MC cartridge to the Goldfinger.

Chris has a fantastic system, anchored by a pair of Focal Scala Utopia EVO speakers (with a REL Carbon Special sub), powered by the latest Mola Mola Perca power amplifier, and Audio Research LS-28SE linestage. Analog duties are handled by the Mola Mola Lupe phono stage, driven by the AVID Acutus table with a Kuzma 4-point tonearm and the Hana Umami Blue cartridge. Digital duties are handled by the dCS Vivaldi One.

Define better

What we look for in any component, especially a cable, is something that reveals more music in every way without merely being a tone control. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but in this instance especially – the increased ease and ability of the system from changing two sets of interconnects was not one of those moments where we sat straining to hear a maybe difference. This was a dramatic difference – all for the better.

Just as we were skeptical of VL’s unusual Gauss Magnesium Alloy cable lifters, (as we are with all of these types of system tweaks) we came away positively surprised and our independent observations were consistent. While we are focusing primarily on the two pairs of interconnects, the Voodoo Labs wine crate (made of made from NIMP 15 certified pine wood from sustainable forestation, by the Bordeaux casemaker working for Chateau Petrus.) also included a 2m pair of their VL Witchcraft speaker cable.

It always helps tremendously when one person can switch cables while the other can listen, and here, Chris gets the credit for doing all the legwork. This time we started in the opposite direction; I had spent about an hour listening to various favorite tracks I’m familiar with and then the cables were switched back.

Major clarity

As Chris listens to more Techno/Electronica than I do, he noticed the immediate increase in energy in the lower bass region, especially after downsizing slightly from a pair of REL Carbon Specials to one. I was working late and getting a lot of late night texts on his listening impressions. And after hearing them myself, I concur with all of his conclusions.

When tracking through some choice Thomas Dolby cuts, the snappiness and weight of his synth-bass lines are heaver, faster, and more well defined tonally. Chris notices the same thing with Massive Attack’s Heligoland, finding the lower octaves much more tactile, instead of feeling like one note bass.

Yet the increase in resolution is everywhere. We both notice the way the MA vocalists’ voices are present and three-dimensional, providing a realistic recreation in between the Focals. That sounstage size is everywhere, with synthesizer effects in “Flat of the Blade” sometimes appearing straight up and nine and three o’clock, while others feeling in front and behind the listening position. My fall back position of Aimee Mann’s Lost in Space offers a similar level of dimensionality, in ways I haven’t heard to that extent.

We both concur that this is an intoxicating experience, both with audiophile pressings and music we love that is not necessarily one-step material. Tracks like “Your Mine” from Portishead, and “Mary, Mary” both from RUN-DMC and The Monkees are less sibilant and more tolerant, without being muted or rolled off. Chris winds the listening sessions up by saying, “these cables provide a pleasing tonal balance, tonal density without bloat, air without blur or brightness and resolution without sounding dry.” What could I possibly add to that?

We’ll talk about the speaker cables in another review, but suffice to say they offer tremendous improvement as well – however not quite as dramatically as the interconnects.

The secret

The secret to these cables is their use of carbon nanotubes to pass the signal. There is no metal in the signal path, save the connectors. Mr. Geschke has obtained a German patent for his technology, so this isn’t a random attempt to merely extract money from our audience.

You can read more about his process here.

Cables at this price will not make sense for everyone’s system, just as a pair of the latest carbon fiber wheels and Michelin Cup Sport 2R tires make sense for everyone’s car. But if you have a highly resolving system, or a Porsche GT3RS, these are essentials to extracting the maximum performance.

The Carbon Age cables do just that, they extract maximum performance from your components without any penalty. And they don’t wear out in a couple thousand miles like a $3,000 set of Cup Sport 2R tires! Highly recommended."

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Read legendary (of Audio and Hifi Sound&Music fame) editor-in-chief Jo Pfeiffer‘s first short review, long version to be published shortly:

US DER REDAKTION – NF Connector Voodoo Labs "Carbon Age RCA"

It's an old story that in the world of High Fidelity, new developments constantly emerge aiming to reveal the finest acoustic nuances. Experienced engineers and developers work on it, as well as some supposed eccentrics. My esteemed "mentor" in the journalistic High-Fi realm, Hannes Scholten, founder of Audio (and Video as well as the German stereoplay magazine), once wrote an editorial titled "Take the Eccentrics Seriously." This saying stuck with me, as some seemingly crazy ideas eventually proved to be quite valid. So, before the audiophile community collectively holds its breath, I'd like to emphasize that for a few weeks now, I've been dealing with a new small-signal connector - an NF cable that connects devices like phono stages, D/A converters, CD players, and others to a full or preamplifier, and the latter also gladly to a power amplifier. This cable, called "Carbon Age," is made entirely of the finest carbon strands, allegedly over 600,000 of them. The basic idea is certainly not new. Aalt Jouk van den Hul was probably the first to use carbon as a conductor material for HiFi applications (at least to my knowledge). His first "The First" cable was actually made entirely of carbon, but later van den Hul used metal in so-called hybrid creations for unspecified reasons.

The "Carbon Age," however, dispenses with that. How exactly this works and why no unwanted side effects occurred in all test setups remains top secret for now. However, the extremely low resistance value of the "Carbon Age" of (for carbon!) extremely low 0.63 ohms is indeed no secret. At least not until the patent for Carbon Age is granted. It's already applied for.

It follows the recently tested "Witchcraft" speaker cable/"grid" from the same North German/Danish forge, Voodoo Labs, whose internal resistance is on the edge of measurability.

The acoustic advantage that Carbon Age offers can be outstanding; at least my experiences in my test cases were extremely positive. Personally, I greatly appreciate high-quality streaming, as offered, for example, through Qobuz. In my audio chain, the fantastic Grimm MU 1 receives the digital signal and forwards it for further processing to the digital/analog converter SPL Mercury. The connections to the preamplifier or to the power amplifier are then made using very high-quality cables such as the Fadel Art Coherence or Nobel cables from Audioquest and Co. The result fascinates me every time anew. I really like streaming, but I love playing records. With the Carbon Age between the phono stage (currently SPL Phonos, as will be reported in the next print magazine) and the preamplifier, for example, the Cello Audio Suite or a power amplifier like the Symphonic Line "La Musica Edition," the highly praised analog chain surpasses the digital streaming branch of my configuration. This repeatedly gives me goosebump moments as an old hand when instruments and voices detach themselves from the speakers even at low volume and this small, so uplifting step towards more authenticity promises. However, when I switch to Grimm and Co., the result is great but not so emotionally touching. If I exchange the Carbon Age for a high-quality copper-based connection between the phono stage and the preamp, analog and digital playback get closer: the performance is superb even without Carbon Age, but the big magic unfortunately disappears. In return, the Grimm/SPL combo gains when the Carbon miracle (in this case with a high-quality adapter from XLR to RCA in the signal path) plays its audiophile trumps.

Between preamp and power amp, I wouldn't want to do without CA RCA anyway. Here, the second test specimen has found its ultra-red place of use. If I remove it from the chain, I almost feel like I'm robbing the music of its soul. When Simon Ghraichy plays his Fazioli grand piano on the album "33," I not only recognize the instrument but also the intention of the performer. A single note, a struck string reveals perfect beauty.

Conclusion: The Carbon Age effortlessly reaches the level of the most renowned high-fidelity cables, but unfortunately, the price of the connection also reflects that. Nevertheless, or precisely because of that, I personally stand behind this new development, which, due to the extreme aging resistance of carbon without oxidation effects, in my opinion, will also not make any age-related compromises in quality in the long term.