Reviewer:
Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Sources: 27" iMac with 5K Retina display, 4GHz quad-core engine with 4.4GHz turbo boost, 3TB Fusion Drive, 16GB SDRAM, OSX Yosemite, PureMusic 3.01, Tidal & Qobuz lossless streaming, COS Engineering D1 & H1, AURALiC Vega, Aqua Hifi Formula, Fore Audio DAISy 1, Apple iPod Classic 160GB (AIFF), Astell& Kern AK100 modified by Red Wine Audio, Cambridge Audio iD100, Pro-Ject Dock Box S Digital, Pure i20, Questyle QP1R]
Preamplifier: Nagra Jazz, Vinnie Rossi LIO (AVC module), COS Engineering D1, Wyred4Sound STP-SE Stage II
Power & integrated amplifiers: Pass Labs XA30.8; FirstWatt SIT1, F5, F6, F7; Crayon Audio CFA-1.2; Goldmund Job 225; Aura Note Premier; Wyred4Sound mINT; Nord Acoustics One SE Up NC500MB monos; Linnenberg Allego monos
Loudspeakers: Albedo Audio Aptica; EnigmAcoustics Mythology 1; soundkaos Wave 40; Boenicke Audio W5se; Zu Audio Druid V & Submission; German Physiks HRS-120; Eversound Essence
Cables: Complete loom of Zu Event; Ocellia OCC loom: KingRex uArt, Zu and LightHarmonic LightSpeed double-header USB cables; Tombo Trøn S/PDIF; van den Hul AES/EBU; AudioQuest Diamond glass-fibre Toslink; Black Cat Cable redlevel Lupo
Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra and Three 11R
Equipment rack: Artesania Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc Krion and glass amp stands [on loan]
Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators
Room: Rectangular 5.5 x 15m open floor plan with two-storey gabled ceiling, wood-sleeved steel trusses and stone-over-concrete flooring
Review component retail: from £50 - £2'500
 
From Wikipedia: "In Greek mythology, the Titans were members of the second generation of divine beings descended from the primordial deities and preceding the Olympian deities. Based on Mount Othrys, the Titans most famously included the first twelve children of the primordial Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky). They were giant deities of incredible strength who ruled during the legendary Golden Age and comprised the first pantheon of Greek deities.


"The first twelve Titans were the females Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea and Themis. The first males were Oeanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius and Iapetus."


As in any good Greek or Shakespearian drama, the Titans were eventually overthrown by their own kin, the offspring of Cronus. And how the good ship Titanic ended, we all do know. Still, naming a hifi company dedicated to power delivery Titan Audio remains suggestive.


From the dog-eared handbook of patriotism. But let's rewind. During our prior 8-year Swiss residency, I took great satisfaction from pursuing smaller domestic brands like Boenicke, Colotube and soundkaos. After all, how many reviewers with global exposure worked out of the Helvetic Confederation?


Once we'd relocated to Ireland in the spring of 2016—the Republic of—I saw my patriotism retired. Except for Ardan Audio's desk-top speaker supports which I had covered many moons prior, I wasn't aware of any hifi companies in Eire.


Imagine my surprise when David Campbell of the DGR Group tickled my Inbox with an intro and review solicit. Living four plus hours north on the same island and having collaborated with Belfast's Queen's University and the Northern Ireland Science Park for research and resources, he already had a catalogue some seven power cords deep.


Styx Tyco Helios Elektra Eros Nemesis Nemesis Signature
£50/1m £100/1.5m £175/1.5m £400/1.5m £600/1.5m £1'500/1.5m £2'500/1.5m
universal low current high current low current high current low current high current
copper sourced from Denmark OFC copper sourced from Japan long-grain copper sourced from Japan silver-plated OFC sourced from Japan mono-crystal copper sourced from Japan mono-crystal silver sourced from Japan mono-crystal silver sourced from Japan
standard MS mains with upgraded busman fuse, cryo'd MS mains with upgraded busman fuse, cryo'd MK mains, upgraded fuse, cryo'd MK mains, upgraded fuse, cryo'd Furutech Rhodium-plated mains Furutech Rhodium-plated mains
standard Oyaide clear IEC , pin plating to match conductors Oyaide Blue IEC, pin plating to match conductors Oyaide Red IEC, pin plating to match conductors Oyaide red IEC, pin plating to match conductors proprietary IEC proprietary IEC
PTFE dielectric PTFE dielectric PTFE dielectric PTFE dielectric microporous PTFE Teflon dielectric microporous PTFE Teflon dielectric microporous PTFE Teflon dielectric
parallel parallel parallel parallel parallel triple braided quad braided

As the table suggests, there are three pairs of low/high-current optimized cords. The entry-level Styx is simply priced to thrill and kill the throwaway generics packed with affordable kit. AC power blocks will be part of the same portfolio, with two of the Styx £150 6-outlet units already part of my loaner bunch and two more ambitious models to follow. Affordable plexi cable risers are available and signal cables are to come. In short, my patriotic juices gurgled. David's review solicitation, so much was very clear, would not on deaf ears fall. For those sick of hifi's pricing ascendant, the famed luck of the Irish looked set to take root well outside the Emerald Isle especially with the first three power cords and entry-level power strip.