Van den Hul The River review

Convey decent tonal balance, but dynamics are just too bland

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

They’ll convey decent tonal balance, but dynamics are just too bland

Pros

  • +

    Helps deliver a rich smoothness and well-integrated tonal balance

Cons

  • -

    Reduces dynamic punch and rhythmic precision

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At £200 a pair, these interconnects aren’t cheap, but they’re well made and feel solidly dependable.

Using The River with our Roksan amplifier and Audiolab CD player reference combination, we found the sound had a rich smoothness and well-integrated tonal balance. Detail is also good for the money.

So, why three stars? Well, we also found our kit’s sound lost some dynamic punch and rhythmic precision with these interconnects.

It’s perfectly listenable… just uninteresting. At this price, these interconnects need to deliver much more to keep up with top rivals.

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