Wireworld Horizon review

Speaker cables are a vital part of any hi-fi or home cinema system, but let’s face it, they’re not exactly attractive to look at. Not only that, they can also be a minor tripping hazard. Which is where a cable like the Wireworld Horizon can come in very handy.

Build

Pulled from its packaging, we’ve got mixed feelings. It’s fair to say the Horizon doesn't exactly have the robust feel or look of some rivals we’ve tested at the money, but then again, it looks and feels like that for a reason.

At just 1.4mm thick and 10mm wide, it’s super thin, pliable and perfect for running under carpets and reaching places in your living room or listening room that other cables can’t.

Our review sample is terminated with 4mm Z-type banana plugs which, we can report, won’t slip out of your speaker or stereo amplifier terminals any time soon. They’re a really tight fit with our ATC SCM50 reference speakers and Burmester 088/911 Mk3 pre/power combination, so be careful when pushing or pulling them so you don’t damage the plugs.

Don’t forget that a tight fit is a very good thing: the more contact between the plugs and your speaker/amplifier terminals the lower the resistance and the better the signal transfer. Which is good for sound quality.

Sound

Without any running in, the Wireworld Horizon starts out life with a character that mirrors its design. The general presentation is rather thin, flat and a little insubstantial. On a quick listen, you’d be looking at a so-so three-star rating.

But this is a good example of why it pays to treat your cables like any new component in your system and give them time to run in. We give the Horizon a couple of nights to properly bed in, and notice some of those coarser edges are smoothed out.

Play Kid Cudi’s Day And Night and there’s a more believable texture to Kid’s vocal and less of a rough surface to the track’s synths. The cable just helps to deliver a more satisfying overall sound: bass notes sound fuller and weightier and the song doesn’t sound as tonally grey. There’s more space around the different elements too.

Switch to Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven and the cable helps to communicate the harmonics of the piano and the differentiation between key strokes. The ebb and flow of the track is communicated with greater clarity. Notes sound natural and realistic. The speaker cable doesn’t allow dynamics to shine quite as brightly as the very best at the money, though, and there’s a slight emotional disconnect from the music.

Verdict

The Wireworld Horizon is up against some tough competition at this level, namely the AudioQuest Rocket 11, but it’s still a very capable and versatile performer and could be a smart choice if you want to keep cable clutter to a minimum.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Compatibility 4

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