PRELUDE
You will enjoy music much more once you reveal all of the hidden potentials of your audio system, which is precisely what WAY cables do.
All the music we love to listen to is, in fact, electric current and signals that audio electronics deliver as music – via cables – thanks to analog or digital recordings.
The purpose of audio cables is to remain sonically neutral while connecting audio system components to electrical power and allowing signal transmission between them. Unfortunately, audio electronics are often wired and interconnected with cables, conductors, and connectors that constitute “bottlenecks” in signal transfer and seriously deform sound and music fidelities by artificially colorizing, blurring, compressing, or distorting the tones.
So, even if we have an ultimately selected and expensive audio system, its overall sound will be dramatically inferior if we don’t use cables that allow it to show its maximum musical and sound abilities. Likewise, well-balanced and not necessarily the most costly audio gear can provide excellent sound, much more than expected, if connected with first-class audio cables. In both cases, cables are the crucial link in the chain for maximum possible sound quality.
Wires, dielectrics, plugs, and all cable parts determine its sound features. However, the audio cable will be sound neutral and provide ultimate results only if properly designed.
WAY Cables’ design solutions are not based on mystical theories but on long-term research, development, and extensive listening tests: own empirical findings on which materials and parts have the finest sonic properties and how they can be implemented into cable to achieve its highest neutrality and revealed the highest sound potential of audio equipment and music recordings.
Everything else is the task of audio electronics and music recordings.
A Philosophy of uncompromising product quality and commitment to excellence with fair market values is the foundation of WAY Cables.
If you are an audiophile or music lover or wish to become one, convince yourself by learning more about the WAY cables and hear them in your system and heart. You are welcome to join this exciting and endless audio journey launched in 2013 by artist Miroslav Nune Popovic and his team.
MUSIC & PLEASURE
WAY Cables creates the ultimate High-End audio cable works of art for an unparalleled music listening experience, individually made by hand with unique designs and the finest sonic materials.
By exceptional sound neutrality in connecting and powering, WAY cables allow music playback equipment to show their true character and maximum abilities. They ensure accurate, dynamic, true-to-life music presentation: a detailed, spacious, and lush sound yet full-bodied and dense, balanced throughout the entire audio spectrum without distortions.
WAY cables reveal what High-End audio is all about, showing system sound and musicality to its limits while enabling listeners to experience music they love in its fullness of creation that feeds the soul with profound emotions.
Extensive efforts are enforced into WAY cables to simultaneously reach the highest satisfaction of the end-users and their creator since both sides share the same love and passion. Therefore, WAY Cables describes its mission with two words: Music & Pleasure.
The genuine exclusivity of WAY Cables’ creations and audio features arises from continuous research and development for new possibilities and improvements in materials, designs, and overall build quality. They reflect an uncompromising commitment to discovering new ways for audio cables as the crucial link in the music reproduction chain.
Not interested in mass production and pure engineering practices, the challenge for WAY Cables is finding audio connections to hear, feel, and experience music through an audio system as comprehensively as possible. In every detail, tone, instrument, breath, sigh, move, texture, color, word, voice, and silence – accurately as imagined, played, and recorded. Creating WAY cables is a way of art that goes beyond what’s established or expected.
WAY cables can only be individually handcrafted in the time-consuming, complex, and sophisticated work of several meticulous artisans with specialized skills, knowledge, and commitment to excellence. With rigorous quality checking through all stages of making, assembling, and testing (FNICA-WAY™ protocol), it can take up to four days for the flagship cable to materialize as the artist envisioned. Before dispatch to the ordering customer, every WAY Cables product is again tested and documented.
Observing its 10th anniversary in 2023, WAY Cables launched the X SERIES, pushing the boundaries of High-End audio cables to the next level. It took four years of comprehensive developments to explore and find the best-sounding solutions and conquer new sonic peaks. By applying new findings, WAY Cables has brought uncompromising audiophiles a new reference for an immersive, soul-stirring music-listening experience, enabling ultimate audio equipment to show a soundscape never thought possible. The X SERIES cables are marked with a graphically stylized Latin numeral X.
WAY cables have exceptional sonic neutrality and precious advantage in providing outstanding sound freedom and subtlety in music reproduction. With these features, WAY cables help audiophiles unmistakably determine whether connected system components are compatible or unable to achieve synergy and work like a ‘special tool’ for this purpose.
CONDUCTORS
Depending on the cable series, types, and models, inside the WAY cables are:
– EQL-WAY™ / Identical solid-core wires of 6N or 5N Single Crystal Silver.
– DIF-WAY™ / Different solid-core wires of 6N or 5N Single Crystal Silver.
– TT-WAY™/ Twisted tapes of 6N or 5N Single Crystal Silver.
– HYB-WAY™ / Multi-core hybrid wires (combined 5N Single Crystal Silver and 6N Single Crystal Copper, used only in the power cable Substance Plus).
– MLT-WAY™ / Multi-core wires of 6N or 5N Single Crystal Silver.
Besides, WAY Cables uses 4N Silver-plated Copper or Pure Copper braids and aluminum foils, singly or together, for specifically developed shielding and grounding systems of digital and power cords.
INSULATION
Every conductor undergoes manual polishing and individually insulating with the COT-WAY™, made of Pure Cotton per WAY Cables’ specifications and used in various design configurations, including the final cable layer. The essential reasons for its implementation are cotton’s excellent dielectric and sound features.
COT-WAY™ insulation has a dielectric constant of 1.3k, closest to the ideal conductor insulations such as Vacuum and Air. COT-WAY™ is almost twice as good as other plastic materials commonly used for audio cables. Moreover, it has the most negligible sonic influence, acting as natural and organic as its origin to the cable sound neutrality.
As for power cable conductor insulation and overall power cable protection, WAY Cables developed another unique material – COTEF-WAY™, consisting of Pure Cotton sheathed with an outer layer of soft and breathable yet waterproof PTFE compound. COTEF-WAY™ also has excellent dielectric properties and a very neutral sound impact.
The leather (natural or optionally vegan) jacket for the POETRY family of cables protects its delicate internal structure and improves handling functionality.
The finish of selected cables comprises thick Pure Cotton overbraided with white glass fibers COTFIB-WAY™. This soft, lightweight, and long-lasting material effectively dissipates micro-vibrations on the cables’ surfaces.
The cable rings with the engraved WAY Cables logo and the signal direction arrow is made of Natural Bamboo.
CONNECTORS
WAY Cables uses the finest Silver and uniquely customized connectors, which are in synergy with cable excellence, from materials, engineering, and build quality to sound features.
Depending on the cable series, types, and models, WAY cables utilize:
– 4N Pure Silver RCA, XLR, and speaker connectors.
– 5N Pure Silver (Long Crystal, 24K Rhodium-plated) power connectors with 4N Silver-plated grounding and anodized aluminum housing for damping and RFI/EMI protection, customized by WAY Cables / CUST3-WAY™.
– World-first Ethernet RJ45 connectors with 4N Silver-over-Gold plated contacts, 4N Silver-plated piercings and internal PCB, and 24K Gold-plated 360° shielding housing, customized by WAY Cables / CUST4-WAY™.
– Silver-clad OFC XLR plugs and speaker connectors.
– 4N Silver-plated Pure Copper power connectors with 4N Silver-plated grounding and anodized aluminum housing for damping and RFI/EMI protection, customized by WAY Cables / CUST2-WAY™.
– USB connectors with Gold-plated HQ Copper alloy contacts and housing, customized by WAY Cables / CUST1-WAY™.
– RJ45 connectors with Gold-plated contacts in the fully shielded, non-magnetic metal housing.
DESIGN
WAY Cables developed a Unique Xtreme Damping System (UXD-WAY™) with specific design solutions for each type of audio cable to ensure superior conductor protection from vibration, noise, and interference during the transmission of signals and electricity, thus preventing artificial coloring, blurring, or distortion of sound.
– UXD1-WAY™ / Design for analog interconnects and speaker cables.
– UXD1.1-WAY™ for analog interconnects and speaker cables with the reinforced structure and enhanced connection points.
– UXD2-WAY™ / Design for digital S/PDIF and AES-EBU cables with partial external shielding.
– UXD2.1-WAY™ / Design for digital S/PDIF and AES-EBU cables with advanced grounding formula and separate shieldings.
– UXD3-WAY™ / Design for USB cables with partial shielding for signals and separately isolated power.
– UXD3.1-WAY™ / Design for USB cables with interlinked shieldings for signals and grounding, separately isolated power.
– UXD4-WAY™ / Design for power cables with separate shielding for grounding and the entire cable.
– UXD4.1-WAY™ / Design for power cables with multilayer insulation for conductors and separate shielding for grounding and the entire cable.
– UXD5-WAY™ / Design for Ethernet cables with separate and multilayer shielding.
– UXD5.1-WAY™ / Design for Ethernet cables with multilayer insulation and separate shielding of each conductor, separate grounding and shielding of each twisted pair.
AUTHENTICITY
Each WAY cable made is registered in the manufacturer’s database with all the details and the date of making. Thus, every user can quickly receive full support, such as repairs, appearance refreshes, or upgrades.
AWARDS
Over the years, WAY Cables has gained many satisfied customers and has become recognized as the reference for uncompromising audiophiles and music lovers worldwide.
WAY Cables were verified by prestigious awards, expert reviews, and the highest accolades for High-End audio accomplishments from specialist juries, reviewers, Show organizers, and magazines.
– 2023 – POETRYX XLR interconnects, ENDLESSX speaker cable, and CORE power chord got the 20th ANNUAL WRITERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2023 from the USA Positive Feedback Magazine.
– 2023 – INTUITIONX ethernet RJ45 cable won the prestigious HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PRODUCT AWARD from Super AV Magazine in China.
– 2023 – POETRYX flagship XLR interconnects received a SPECIAL RECOMMENDED AWARD from the prestigious’ 30th Shanghai International Top Audio-visual Show (TAS)’, held from 13-15 October 2023.
– 2023 & 2020 – MIND ethernet audio cable won the EXCELLENT NETWORK CABLE AWARD at the ‘3rd Beijing International Audio Show’, held from 29 April to 3 May 2023, while in 2020, MIND was the only winner in the Ethernet cable category and received the SUPER AV AWARD – Outstanding Overall Performance Award from Super AV Magazine.
– MIND also got the SIAV 2020 AWARD – Pick Of The Show at the 28th Shanghai International High-End Hi-Fi Expo.
– 2022 – CORE flagship power cord received a SPECIAL RECOMMENDED AWARD from the prestigious’ 29th Shanghai International Top Audio-visual Show (TAS)’, held from 28 to 30 October 2022.
– 2022 & 2019 – ENDLESS speaker cable won the prestigious SUPER AV AWARD – Outstanding Overall Performance Award 2019 by Super AV Magazine, while in 2022, it got RECOMMENDED AWARD by High-End audio online platform HiFi.ru.
– 2021 & 2018 – TWELVE+ speaker cable has twice won the prestigious annual SUPER AV AWARD: the Outstanding Overall Performance Award 2018 and the Outstanding Popularity Award 2021, confirming its superb quality in the most demanding High-End Audio market.
– 2019 – SUBSTANCE+ power cable got the GRAND PRIX at the International Audio Show from Japanese experts from renowned Stereo Sound Publishing, held under their competence in Shanghai 2019. It also received the SIAV 2019 AWARD – Pick Of The Show.
– 2019 & 2018 – HARMONY XLR interconnect received the TOO LOUD STAR Supreme AWARD in 2018, also confirmed in 2019 for the HARMONY Plus iteration.
– 2017 – POETRY interconnect cable received GRAND PRIX at the International Audio Show held under Japanese Stereo Sound Publishing Inc. competence in Shanghai.
– 2015 – SILVER 4 interconnect cable received an OUTSTANDING AWARD by HiFi Pig Magazine.
CREATOR
Artist Miroslav Nune Popovic (1974) is the creator and owner of WAY Cables, based in Belgrade, Serbia.
His lifelong ‘infection’ with magical sound happened when he was twelve, thanks to a close relative, an audiophile pioneer in the mid-80s who had a fantastic system with mystical-looking Apogee Duetta Signature speakers and electronics such as Thorens, Krell, Hafler, and VDH cables, among others. Mesmerized by listening to the music this way and becoming passionate about audio, Nune stepped into a world of imagination, creativity, and arts that would mark all of his life.
As a teenager, Nune experienced the sound influence of cables for the first time in his family’s home HiFi system. The sound of music was significantly improved by replacing the standard speaker cables of litz wires with a twisted pair of thick single-core copper conductors, which were commonly used to connect telephones to wall sockets at that time. This seemingly simple change made Nune aware that cables are crucial in the music-reproduction chain and overall sound quality.
Nune had an exciting and complex creative life journey. At the age of seventeen, he published his first book of poems. After high school, Nune had the privilege to learn in a multidisciplinary art school, Tradition of Avant-Garde, from the protagonists of contemporary international art practice in the 60s, 70s, and 80s of the XX century, evolving into a conceptual and socially engaged artist. Among other activities in the 1990s, Nune vocally performed his poetry in jam sessions with eminent jazz musicians and worked as a journalist and editor in independent media. From 2000 to 2010, Nune lived in Slovenia, where he established a creative studio with his wife, a graphic designer. Then, long story short, life brought him back to his hometown, Belgrade, and to his first love, music and sound.
In 2013, Nune conceived WAY Cables and dedicated himself to creating High-End audio cable works of art.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Although flexible and built to last, WAY cables require some user attention and proper and careful handling due to their specific and unique design, which provides ultimate sound. Please consider and follow these instructions to correctly use WAY cables so they will reward you with long-lasting pleasure in listening to music.
- Always TURN OFF electronics before attaching or detaching cables.
- Don’t excessively bend, knot, or twist the cable around its axis.
- Always try to find the natural path of the cable from one connection point to another, which doesn’t require forceful bending or twisting.
- When handling the cable or attaching it to the audio electronic device, loudspeaker, or power supply, hold it simultaneously only for the connector and the hard part with the coil behind the connector.
- When connecting devices, the cable must have enough space behind the audio electronics; if there is insufficient space, it must not be pinched or roughly bent to ensure that the cable is not damaged and that the connection is safe.The cable must not be squeezed, pressed, forced inward or outward, deformed, or trampled under any circumstances.
- Always insert the cable connector as deep as possible into the device socket (or wall socket) to ensure safe contact. Do this patiently and only with the necessary force to optimally push the connector into the socket.
- When using interconnect cables with WBT RCA connectors, unscrew the WBT RCA plug outer case before connecting to the socket. When the WBT RCA connector is plugged into the device, screw its case in the opposite direction (moderately tight). Use the fingers of one hand while holding the connectors’ body on its end with the other hand’s fingers. In the same method, unscrew the WBT RCA connector’s shell before you detach the cable from the audio device’s socket.
- When using the power cable, please TURN OFF the audio electronic device first, connect it to the device, and then to the electric network.
- Use cables in dry and closed spaces, and don’t expose them to moisture or liquid.
- Dust cleaning from the cotton surfaces of WAY cables is efficient and straightforward. A shaving brush or similar soft short-handle brush can be used without excessive force.
- WAY cables are made exclusively for home High-End audio electronics.
REPAIRING AND REFRESHING
Another advantage of using WAY cables is that we can always fix any problem if something happens to them and refresh their appearance to make them work and look new again. Only we at WAY Cables can offer such services, and no one else on our behalf, because we make each cable individually by hand as lasting values that can remain in the audiophile heritage.