Design Concept
Nostalgia Audio's latest collaboration product with Hong Kong's Vortex Cables, Durandal (& Hruodland), is actually inspired by the classic “La Chanson de Roland), from the renowned Carolingian cycle.
Roland, the renowned champion of Charlemagne, was known for his bravery. His legendary sword Durandal was considered one of the mightiest swords in the world.
The name Durandal itself carries an immense symbolic meaning, representing unwavering strength and valor, just like the legendary blade in Roland's hands. This spirit of unyielding power is undoubtedly embodied in Nostalgia Audio's Durandal headphones as well.
Introduction
Durandal employs a unique triple-driver configuration, combining Sonion dual-membrane bone conduction drivers, a custom dynamic driver, and four balanced armature drivers. Through a meticulously designed 4-way crossover, the strengths of each driver type are fully utilized.
This unique driver arrangement and crossover design allows Durandal to excel in both low-frequency performance and mid-to-high frequency resolution and detail retrieval. The mid-range and vocal presentation is naturally rich and full-bodied. For users seeking natural, lifelike vocal reproduction, powerful bass performance, and crisp, clear high-frequencies, Durandal is an excellent choice. The innovative driver setup and crossover engineering allow it to deliver a comprehensive and coherent sonic signature.
Technical Specification
The Durandal features four balanced armature drivers dedicated to the mid-high and high frequency ranges. For the mid-high frequencies, two of the balanced armature drivers work in tandem, ensuring a rich, natural, and organic sound quality. Vocals, instrument timbre, and other nuanced details are reproduced with precision, making the listener feel as if they are present at a live performance.
The remaining two balanced armature drivers are responsible for the high frequencies, guaranteeing an exceptionally clear, transparent, and detailed high-end performance. The resolution, soundstage, and overall sense of fidelity reach the highest standards, imbuing the Durandal with a truly magnificent sonic character. This meticulously engineered multi-driver configuration allows the Durandal to deliver an exceptionally refined and cohesive sound signature, satisfying the most discerning of audiophiles.
Sonion Dual-Membrane Bone Conduction drivers
The Durandal's exceptional mid-range and vocal performance can be attributed to the incorporation of Sonion's latest dual-diaphragm bone conduction driver. This specialized driver is designed to enhance the clarity and precision of the mid-range and vocal frequencies.
By utilizing bone conduction technology, the sound vibrations are directly and efficiently transmitted to the inner ear, bypassing the traditional sound transmission path. This approach results in a more direct and clear sound delivery, while also reducing the influence of external interference on the listening experience.
The driver's outstanding sound reproduction capabilities enable the mid-range and vocals to be reproduced in a more authentic and nuanced manner, providing a truly natural and realistic sonic experience.
As a high-end IEM equipped with a bone conduction driver, the Durandal is able to maintain a powerful resolving capability and detailed presentation, even under the enveloping and impactful low-frequency performance. This allows it to deliver an exceptional, natural-sounding vocal quality and presence.
9.2 mm Dynamic Driver
The Durandal features a custom-designed 9.2mm dynamic driver unit. Nostalgia Audio's R&D team has meticulously engineered and tuned this dynamic driver to exceptional performance.
Through advanced manufacturing techniques and rigorous quality control, the Durandal's dynamic driver is able to deliver an extraordinary low-frequency performance. It can present a profound, deep, and profoundly impactful bass response that resonates within the listener's soul.
Remarkably, the driver maintains an excellent level of resolution and detail retrieval, allowing every subtle low-frequency nuance to be vividly rendered. This rare combination of powerful, immersive bass and refined clarity results in a truly captivating low-end performance.
Stainless Steel Front Chamber
To further enhance the low-frequency performance and overall tonal balance of the Durandal's dynamic driver, our R&D team has incorporated a custom-designed stainless steel sound chamber in front of the driver unit.
This stainless steel front chamber has been manufactured using precision engineering techniques, with its shape and dimensions carefully optimized to provide an ideal acoustic environment for the dynamic driver.
The choice of stainless steel is no coincidence. As an exceptional sound wave conduction material, stainless steel offers superior sound transmission, echo suppression, damping, and anti-magnetic properties. This custom-tuned stainless steel sound chamber not only reinforces the dynamic driver's low-frequency output capabilities, but also helps to minimize various distortion and interference factors, resulting in a more stable and refined sound quality for the Durandal.
By meticulously engineering this specialized stainless steel front chamber, the Durandal is able to unleash the full potential of its dynamic driver, delivering a powerful, controlled, and cohesive low-end performance that seamlessly integrates with the rest of the frequency spectrum.
Customized titanium sound nozzle
Durandal is equipped with a specially designed titanium nozzle. We drew inspiration from the design of convergent-divergent nozzles, commonly found in fields such as gas turbines and rocket engines. These nozzles are designed to improve jet efficiency and performance by manipulating the speed and pressure distribution of the airflow.
We incorporated this concept into the IEM design, creating a tapered and widened channel in the output nozzle. This allows for the adjustment of sound distribution and shape, resulting in improved sound performance. The tapered section helps guide and concentrate the energy of the sound, enhancing clarity and dynamic range. The widened section contributes to a more expansive soundstage and stereo effect. This design enhances the clarity and spatial perception of the Durandal's sound, providing a more immersive and surprising music experience.
Cable Specification
To further enhance the exceptional sound quality of the Durandal headphones, Nostalgia Audio has partnered with the renowned Hong Kong cable brand Vortex Cables to specially design a high-end, custom-tailored cable solution.
The exclusive Hruodland cable created for the Durandal headphones perfectly inherits Vortex Cables' signature design style. It utilizes artificial silk yarn as the wrapping material and features a unique four-color scheme that perfectly complements the collaboration's theme.
The Hruodland cable is constructed using a single-crystal silver conductor, leveraging its exceptional conductivity and signal transmission capabilities to significantly enhance the Durandal's performance across all frequency ranges. The tuning and optimization of the cable have also been specifically tailored to the Durandal's characteristics, ensuring seamless compatibility and synergy between the headphones and the custom-engineered cable.
The collaborative effort between Nostalgia Audio and Vortex Cables to develop this exclusive Hruodland cable for the Durandal earphones underscores the commitment to delivering a truly exceptional and cohesive listening experience, where every component is meticulously engineered to work in harmony.
The Hruodland cable utilizes a Shielded Twins Pair structure, which not only effectively reduces external EMI interference through the shielding layer, but also employs an S-Z Multi Strand core design. This S-Z Multi Strand structure allows for increased signal conductivity within the same AWG, enhancing the cable's conductive performance and reducing impedance and signal attenuation. Furthermore, the twisted positive and negative conductors help to mitigate the proximity effect and skin effect within the core, resulting in a cleaner, blacker background that contributes to an exceptionally pure and refined sonic character.
Ultra Twins Pair
The Hruodland cable utilizes a proprietary Ultra Twins Pair design, which builds upon the foundational Shielded Twins Pair structure. The Hruodland cable incorporates the latest Litz Type 9 design principle, where the total AWG (American Wire Gauge) of the conductors and the total AWG of the shielding layer are matched. This innovative Ultra Twins Pair construction not only delivers superior EMI shielding performance, but also further optimizes the conductivity and signal transmission quality, resulting in a purer and more refined sonic presentation for the Durandal.
Japanese NUC "Air-Injection" Technology
Vortex uses the technique of "air-injection" to create the insulation layer's outer skin using polyethylene. As 25% of the insulating material is air, the insulation layer even has a lower dielectric constant than PTFE, further reducing the accumulation of microcharges in the insulation material and making the high-frequency signal more accurate.
Composite Insulation Damping
In addition to using air-injected polyethylene for the main insulation of the core and twisting the positive and negative poles, Vortex has also added a damping layer for the first time to counteract external vibrations and take the already quiet background to the next level. Internal damping has been widely used in HiFi applications due to its significant effects, but it is rarely seen in headphone cables due to limited wire diameter. Conductors already occupy a large percentage of the cross-sectional area, adding a damping layer significantly increases the difficulty of production and manufacturing.
Hruodland - Vortex Cables
Customized Royal Blue Symbio W Eartips
The Durandal IEMs will come bundled with a custom version of the New Symbio W eartips in our signature Royal Blue color.
This collaboration allows us to offer an even more personalized listening experience, with the Symbio W's renowned comfort and noise isolation perfectly matched to the Durandal's impressive sound quality.
Packaging
Powerful Collaboration - Crafting the Purity of Musical Beauty
Nostalgia Audio and Vortex Cables, two renowned personal audio brands from Hong Kong, have come together for their first-ever collaborative project - the launch of the Durandal. This collaboration combines the unique technical expertise and brand identities of both companies, presenting audiophiles with an unprecedented sensory experience.
Vortex Cables has always been meticulous about sound tuning, accessory design, and cable construction. Driven by the pursuit of sonic perfection, breakthrough innovations, and knowledge sharing, they have consistently delivered exceptional musical experiences for audio enthusiasts.
At Nostalgia Audio, we are dedicated to bringing fresh perspectives and masterful craftsmanship to provide our customers with truly innovative listening experiences. We firmly believe that only through the relentless pursuit of attention to detail and quality can we unlock the unparalleled joy of music appreciation.
The Durandal, our collaborative model, seamlessly integrates the core philosophies of both companies. Nostalgia Audio's signature classical aesthetics and cutting-edge acoustic design, combined with Vortex Cables' premier cable technologies, have resulted in a flagship audio product that embodies the pinnacle of sound and visual excellence.
Whether you are a Head-Fi enthusiast seeking pure sonic fidelity or a design aficionado, this headphone promises to deliver a truly transformative aural and visual experience like no other.
Simply fascinating. Stellar local only DAP. The triple timbre options are no gimmick. The ease of use is top notch. Screen clarity and UI responsiveness are near flawless. Best resolution, and this includes the ibasso DX170 and Sony A306. Sonically, what we have here is a technical yet musical affair, that is highly transparent while retaining a warm character, with fantastically resolving bass and extended treble that’s resolute but never shrill. As I said earlier, this is a nearly flawless Dap, as long as you’re not a streamer. This has been a true pleasure.
I love the opportunity to change op apps. The included one is my favorite. If you are thinking about it, it's a great product. Great build quality and feel in hand, unique design. So nice.
One month ago I bought EE Hero and its sound was missing low range according to my preference. A bass was very slightly present although its genuine cable made from 4 copper wires (24 AWG) and some silver plated strands
After exploring many brands and cables I decided to go for Code 24C counting on thicker major wires (18 AWG) and better purity of copper.
The Code 24C sounds absolutely amazing, with full audible spectrum, strong bass but not overwhelming to me. The sound is accurate, tight but warm bass and creates extended stage space.
Moreover, very fancy dark purple colour which is really nice and not distracting as i thought by looking pictures. The set for connecting is perfectly design to apply 2.5, 3.5 and 4.4mm in a high quality manner.
Definitely, it’s thick and not allowing to make small rounds requiring a more space for protection (in a folder or a box).
I recently purchased this cable through MusicTek. I found that this silver cable is very transparent, having balance throughout the frequency response. I found, the only slightly elevated region is the treble air regions, allowing a slightly wider soundstage. I also found that this cable adequately improved my Monarch Mk. 3, with noticeably better separation of instruments. This being that the Monarch Mk. 3 does slightly poorer on soundstage and instrument separation. Those iems often have trouble on busier tracks, and this cable noticeably improved that aspect, for me. This cable is for iems that already have amazing sonic properties, only improving upon those characteristics with transparency and a slightly wider soundstage, with more separation.
