A glimpse through the keyhole:
a test listener’s experiences with the LS-4004 AIR

Brief interview

Dirk, can you tell us how old you are and how long you have been involved in high-quality music reproduction?
I was born in 1972 and have had a keen interest in high-end audio since the age of 17.

Which components do you have in your system?
Naim Uniti Star and KUDOS C20 in white, CHORD cable with hex banana plug, in-akustik digital opto cable

What were your reasons for choosing these components?n
As a teenager, I spent hours gazing at a Naim through my dealer's shop window. So I saved and saved until I was finally able to fulfill my dream, that was in 2020. I could have opted for a Linn, but I never forgot my youthful yearnings and the plain, straightforward design. As I want to avoid the NAS route, the Uniti Core music server will be arriving in February 2022.

What is particularly important to you in terms of the sound of your system?
I wanted a warm, velvety sound, and components that are not too dominant in the living room in terms of their location.

 Why did you decide to try out the LS-4004 AIR?
To find out whether Referenz cables really do deliver such a major difference in sound. With the CHORD cables, I believed I already had a sprightly connection between the KUDOS and the Naim.

Dirk's listening report.

My 7 days with the in-akustik Referenz LS-4004 AIR speaker cable: I would first like to write a little about myself before I move on to my verdict on in-akustik’s Referenz LS-4004 AIR. I've been involved with hi-fi since I was 17 years of age. I had built my first own loudspeaker even before that and was quite happy with the result. My cousin, a carpenter by trade, prepared the necessary MDF panels according to my wishes and volume calculations, so that they could accommodate the tweeters and woofers I wanted to use. The housing was quickly assembled, then filled, sanded and insulated. My first loudspeakers were laminated with bird's eye maple (no veneer). The speaker cables I used at the time were purchased in the required length from my local DIY store. Further speakers followed a few years later, enhanced, of course, to please my own eyes and ears. The first loudspeakers I built myself were sold on to friends, and didn’t result in any disruptions to our friendship.

There was a high-end audio store in my home town, and I used to press my nose up against the window there. But, as a young person, the prices were well out of my range. So I saved up and used my pocket money (and later my apprentice’s salary) to upgrade my existing technology. Enough money came together to gradually start buying black boxes from "Stereoplay” magazine. The foundations of my system were laid. Years later, I took a brief detour into the field of surround sound (BOSE). It was OK, but I was a child of stereo, and ultimately it was not my world.

The years went by and I found myself returning to the audio store of my youth, but this time as an adult. In 2020 (the year of the pandemic), I finally decided to spend the money necessary to realize my dreams. I had already decided on an English manufacturer. My wife and I agreed that all-pervading technology shouldn't be allowed to dominate the living space. It had to fit in with our lives, the house and the furnishings. So a decision was made in favor of NAIM Audio and the British loudspeaker specialist KUDOS. The speakers were connected up using CHORD cables. These cables were purchased with custom lengths and terminations, and were an immediate hit when attached to the KUDOS. Their sound is warm, clear and incredibly rich, altogether harmonious. My music sources include the NAS, Qobuz and the good old CD, in its original form or as music stored on the NAIM Core. We are extremely satisfied with the overall performance. That concludes my brief retrospective...

Read the full listening report