When one talks of audio, and I intend to speak of ‘high-end’ audio, one must always bring to the discussion talk of cables and the necessity of cabling. Let me say now, that I am a convert of better cabling. That stuff that comes free is meant for the recycling bin, which brings me to a super fine upgrade, Wireworld Polaris 5 interconnect cable.

Some of you might know that the Polaris 5 is actually an older cable, which was dropped in the move to the 5-squared serious of cables, which have new been superseded by the series 6 cables.

My first experience with Wireworld cables was through reviews, specifically those of the Canadian made UHF magazine. They loved the cables so much that not only did they use them, but offered them for sale to their readers.

My second experience was a pair of Wireworld Atlantis 5.2 bi-wire speaker cables. While in the market for speaker cable, i stumbled upon a used 3m pair at a price that was about 5 times less then buying new. Let’s say these cables converted me from ‘this is good enough’ to ‘how good can cable get!’ kind of persons. At this point in my audiophile life, I think it’s a good direction forward.

My other interconnects are Atlas Voyager, which use Ohno Continuous Cast copper, from the source to the preamp, and then it is Atlas Questor (OCC copper!) from the preamp to the power amp. Now originally, for my pre/amp link I decided to try Atlas Navigator, which cost a little more then Voyager, but had 2 OCC conductors with 2 OCC shields, that “promised” to be a neutral alternative to the Voyager cable. Funny, while I could perhaps say the Navigator was a little more neutral then the Voyager, I could also say it sounded awfully dead, and not in a good way. I have tried this cable in at least 2 systems, and in different configurations, but Atlas Navigator is not a cable I would use.

This brings us to the Polaris 5 interconnect cable, which was second from the top in Wireworld’s catalog when it was new new. It uses silver coated, Ohno Continuous Cast copper, which has become my favorite kind of copper. The connectors are also silver coated copper with a silicon ring that presses against the ground ring for good contact. It’s a pretty white and black cable, that is flexible and easy to snake around the back of your rack.

What the Atlas Navigator did not do, the Polaris 5 did in spades. The Polaris 5 has a super lively sound that makes it hard not to dance when you hear the music. It adds body to sounds while it pulls out details that make it easy for you to believe what you’re hearing. Your brain struggles less with the reproduction of an instrument or voice so you can spend more time enjoying. While I could not classify the Polaris 5 as bright sounding, it does add some sparkle or spot light in the mid range, which might not suit all tastes. The highs though are silky smooth, never screechy or etched and the bottom end is not only extended, but includes copious amounts of detail. If you like guitar rock and your system leans to the dark side, this cable will change your world for the better. Compared to the Atlas Navigator, the Wireworld Polaris 5 has a sense of easy listening, with less ear and brain fatigue and seriously, it rocks like no other cable I have heard so far.

While I really do like this cable, I wonder if the somewhat tarnished silver connectors contribute to the overall shiny demeanor of this cable. In my current setup, it is much like the sun shining through the window on a bright warm day. Yah it’s a little bright, but you love the way it makes you feel. I guess that is one hazard of buying used, but I will try and rectify the situation with a dip in silver cleaner. Even if it doesn’t settle down much more, I will leave this one plugged in for the time being.

This has really wet my appetite for more of David Saltz’s cables. So far Wireworld is 2 for 2 and I am enjoying every track that I play.