Reviewer: Joël Chevassus
Financial interests: click here
Source: Esoteric K-03, Lumin S1, Apple iMac Lion OSX w. Audirvana, Trends UD-10.1, MacBook Lion OSX with HiFace USB to S/PDIF interface
Amp/Preamp: Coincident Technology Statement Line preamplifier, SPL Volume2, 2 x Luxman M-800a bridged, Trends TA-10.2, Angstrom Research Stella [on loan]
Speakers: Vivid Audio K1, Magnepan 20.7 [on loan]
Cables: Skywire Audio 2020 digital cable, Naturelle Audio interconnects Live 8 MK2, Grimm Audio TPM interconnects, High Fidelity CT1 Enhanced speakers, Triode Wire Labs interconnects [on loan]
Power Cords: Supra, DIY, Triode Wire Labs 10+
Stands & room: Music Tools Alicia furniture, DAAD 4 bass traps, Microsorber room insulation, PYT panels
Review components retail in Europe: €420 Beta RCA interconnects 1.2 meters,  €580 Beta speaker cables 3 meters


Context. This was my very first exposure to Esprit Audio cables. They are a French company founded by Richard Cesari 15 years ago. All Esprit cables are designed to achieve top transparency for their price and use proprietary connectors. Contrary to the TWL cables of my previous review, Esprit only sell through a network of authorized dealer, not direct, and offer a very large range of nine ranges starting with very affordable wires and ending up with more inaccessible statements. In that way Cesari intends to serve the entire swath of entry-level customer to very demanding audiophile.


All Esprit cables are guaranteed for life and made by hand safe for the entry-level Linea range starting with raw copper conductors.  When cables manufacturers solicit us for review, they usually suggest their top models to achieve the very best results in absolute terms. Richard Cesari didn’t. Instead he proposed I review similarly priced products compared to the Triode Wire Labs review. Such modesty is uncommon. In France, Cesari is well known for his cables but also as the inventor of the Rendistor, a component tweak adopted by a few French loudspeaker companies. Its main principle is a dielectrically coated conductor into which electrical connectors plug from either side without any contact between them whilst creating a magnetic field to polarize the central conductor. This Rendistor invention addresses HF/RF noise.


In fact, Richard Cesari’s background isn’t limited to the manufacture of audio cables. As a passionate audiophile since the tender age of 16, he released his first product at 22 with the turntable Esprit. He worked in loudspeaker manufacturing since 1995 via design collaborations with EKLA and ARC Audio.  In 1997 he started his first studies oh cables and the first versions of Esprit cables launched as the Reference, Signature and Master. By 2002 he launched his first Esprit speaker called DB7 that would never be formally marketed. This was a very original design of a closed enclosure with a top-firing woofer and an isolated mid/hi baffle floating in front of it. The enclosure stacked wooden layers of 8cm thickness. The total weight of 127kg per unit was just as impressive as the unusual design.