It’s a good job for Wireworld that the Victorian attitude towards children – that they should be seen and not heard – doesn’t apply to interconnects today. Going solely on looks, you wouldn’t pick the Luna 8 out of a lineup that also comprises, say, the QED Reference Audio 40 or AudioQuest Chicago competitors at this price level.
But what it doesn’t offer in the aesthetics department it makes up for in its performance – which, considering interconnects are mostly tucked away out of sight, is a skewed balance no other product type could get away with as easily.
Build
The Luna 8 continues Wireworld’s long-standing, near-entry-level interconnect series, following directly on from the Luna 7 that we called “a great option at the money” some years ago. It looks and feels familiar in form to its predecessor, with its thin, grippy, blue rubber cable, which is on the flimsier or more flexible (however you want to look at it) side compared to some. It's terminated with typically on-brand silver-coloured, ribbed RCA plug jackets and silver/gold connectors here, although XLR termination is also available at the usual premium.
Progress has been made where you can’t see it, though. The Luna 8 keeps a copper construction but in a new ‘Tri DNA Helix’ design that comprises more than three times as many parallel strands of flat conductors layered in a bid to carry the audio signal more efficiently and accurately. The insulation Wireworld uses has been upgraded to ‘Composilex 3’, too, supposedly improving tonality and image focus.
Sound
We certainly have no qualms with the Luna 8’s tonal balance or ability to map a precise soundstage. This is a cable that prioritises communicating your system’s sound precisely, in an organised manner and with an appealing finesse. The way it relays Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s The Road soundtrack can only be called “graceful”. It captures the ebb and flow of the pianos and the texture of the keys and accompanying strings in a way that duly cummunicates the mournfulness of the piece.
Conductor material Copper
Length 1 metre
Dielectric material Composilex 3
Connector options RCA
The Luna 8’s delivery feels nicely deliberate and there’s enough dynamic variation to keep things interesting, making it great for couriering music that demands it – even if the rival Atlas Element Achromatic takes faithfulness that little bit further. There is opportunity amongst this praise for a wishlist, mind, and that would be a tighter grip on bass notes. Listening to Eminem’s The Way I Am, we find the jaunty bass tab a little droney and ill-defined through the Luna 8. It’s not the end of the world, but it is noticeable and that low-end drive (and general musicality, actually) comes up second best to the Chord C-Line.
Verdict
The budget interconnect market is a competitive one, but the sophisticated Wireworld Luna 8 deserves a place in it – if not for being a class-leading all-rounder then for ensuring your music sounds more precise, organised and refined than through most at this price.
SCORES
- Sound 4
- Build 4
- Compatibility 4
MORE:
Read our Chord Company C-line review
And our Atlas Element Achromatic review
Our pick of the best audio cables you can buy
