Meet Network Acoustics.
It’s been a few years since I read about Network Acoustics and its products, particularly the network solutions. They started with a few networking products, like filters and high-quality cables. As I learned more about them, I noticed how their product portfolio had evolved and how well their initial offerings were received and praised. This clearly exemplified that they were on the right path and how significant engineering innovation consolidated each product. On forums and in reviews, Network Acoustics consistently demonstrated that there was something truly special about them, and more people began to try their products, moving beyond the harmful rhetoric of “snake oil.” There is no such thing in the Network Acoustics engineering process, only hundreds of hours of measurements and listening tests. They are a prime example of how pure innovation can thrive and succeed even in a field that sometimes seems frozen in time and old paradigms.
Network solutions are very important today as more and more people expect higher streaming sound quality. However, the convenience factor is what wins, especially with the younger generation. Trying to get the best quality of streaming and getting closer and closer to a pure analog magic-sounding system is no longer a chimera; it is becoming a reality with the high-end equipment and innovations put into practice, like those of Network Acoustics. Today, Network Acoustics’ range of products includes high-quality and impressive network cable and filtering solutions, a full range of digital cables, and a top-of-the-line low-noise ethernet switch. Their product line is getting maturity and reaching for excellence with the newest products. Somehow, Network Acoustics is becoming a standard in digital streaming solutions, competing with a few times more expensive products. They clearly reached a breaking point and proved at least a few times that excellence is not just about cost and budgets. The subject of today’s story is just one example of an outstanding product with sound quality reaching far beyond the proposed price.
I’ve been reflecting on how Network Acoustics is redefining our expectations in the niche world of high-end audio streaming, especially when it comes to options that are more accessible for everyday enthusiasts. The company, based in Eastleigh, near Southampton, now has a solid reputation for crafting high-quality digital cables. With the muon2, they aimed to take things to the next level and create their best USB audio cable. At £1,412 (+ VAT), it might seem like a hefty investment for a cable, but please consider there are options out there costing ten times as much. My reference USB cable is more than four times more expensive. So, where do my expectations lie at this price point? Usually, I would say not very high, but considering what I have learned about Network Acoustics and being the first product that I got my hands on, I would say that I was excited and hopeful. What happened, in fact, is definitely not an anticipated outcome, to put it mildly. It was a surprise of monumental proportions…
Muon2 USB cable.
There was a former muon cable, so it makes sense that this new arrival should be named muon2. I learned this second generation was concluded after about eighteen months of research, development, and listening tests. New conductors and dielectric are used for three separate runs for data, earth, and power lines. The goal is to reject as much noise as possible from external sources like mains, connected equipment, Wi-Fi, and the surrounding polluting mesh of electromagnetic radiation.
That is why Network Acoustics employs a unique topology starting with the first muon USB cable. The USB uses three independent runs for data, ground, and power. This topology is remarkable, as I have not encountered it in such an extreme form in other cables. Most “educated” USB cables separate the voltage wires from the data wires. Separating everything makes complete sense, as different conductors are used in each run and various RFI rejection technologies are applied. It is a well-considered decision based on measurements and testing.
Moun2 comes in a standard length of 1.50m, which is not a random figure but one validated through meticulous and repeated listening tests —a fact I highly appreciate. In summary, here are the features:
- New proprietary high-purity silver/copper conductors.
- Proprietary high rejection RFI filtering technology.
- Bespoke dielectric specifically designed and optimized for the Data, Earth, and 5V lines.
- Physically segregated cable architecture.
- Shielded connectors with gold-plated contacts.
- Standard/recommended length of 1.5 meters.
Packaging, Build, and First Impression.
The cable came in a much larger box than I expected. The packaging is well-designed and offers a nice unboxing experience, which is above expectations in this price range. It is well thought out for protecting the cable inside, even with a cotton bag. Because lifting the cable from the box was an eerie experience. Let me explain.
The cable is very light, and the one thing I can compare it to is a feather. It has some stiffness and, being very light, the independent conductors give it even more lightness and airiness. The connectors are high quality, and once unwrapped, the feeling of fragility disappears, replaced by a strange sensation of an unknown material that is both incredibly light and durable at the same time. Those two qualities do not seem to add up at first. The nicely stamped leather tag with the company logo at one end is a nice touch, and I remember this from something much more expensive… not quite sure where.
Each connector is also customized with the company logo and the cable name. Everything looks quite pristine and well put together, definitely indicating a high-quality product with industrial finishing perfection, which can not be easily achieved only by hand.
Muon2 is a Network Acoustics higher tier model. There is also an eno2 USB cable with a below 1K price point for the standard 1.50m length. As you guessed already, the portfolio has three product ranges: eno, muon, and tempus. For now, the higher one, tempus, consists of the Network Acoustics top-of-the-line network switch – Tempus – Precision Ultra Low Noise Ethernet Switch. But for the Tempus line, we shall wait for another story.
The Muon line of products now includes a brand new Muon2 Balanced Digital cable, an alternative to the USB connection for those who prefer the streamer’s AES/EBU output. Also, there are a few very robust networking filters: Moun Pro Ethernet filter and Muon Pro Streaming System. The latter is a complete solution with filtering and high-quality cables. And, of course, the well-regarded Muon Pro Streaming network cable concludes the Muon family.
I also want to mention the impressive user experience on the Network Acoustics website. As a designer, I was truly impressed by how clear and logical the website layout is. Unfortunately, I don’t see this level of clarity and attention to detail very often. So, well done to Network Acoustics for providing a great shopping experience and for the smooth process of discovering a product to actually buying it!
The Test System.
I used my daily setup, which includes Antipodes OLADRA as a server/streamer/reclocker (you can read the in-depth review here) and LampizatOr Poseidon (KR Audio 5U4G, 6N30P-DR Super Tube, and L63 CV1067 GEC NOS) for digital-to-analog conversion. The Trafomatic Glenn (KR Audio 300 B XLS) powered my Raidho TD 2.2 speakers and switched places in a friendly fashion with the Chord Ultima 5 power amplifier. The Poseidon integrated preamp was used alternatively with the Trafomatic Lara line preamplifier (6N30P-DR Super Tube). Everything was plugged into the Keces IQRP-3600 power conditioner.
The muon2 USB cable connects the Antipodes OLADRA server/streamer/reclocker to my Poseidon DAC, as my reference USB cable previously did.
Sound Quality.
Here we are at the fun part. Finally, whereas you know, music comes first!
I knew that a proper burn-in process would take some time, around 150 hours, but you know what? I was so eager to overcome one of my fears that I connected it immediately and started listening. I was concerned it might sound overly analytical and light, just like it feels in my hand. From my experience, the first impression of analytical equipment tends to stick. It may sound constrained or blurry at first, but if the sound lacks substance and is overly detailed for no reason or feels lifeless, that impression usually lingers even after burn-in.
It was definitely not the case. I was caught off guard by the impeccable level of detail reproduced in such a silky and refined manner. Not only did the music have proper mass, but it was also more open and cohesive, with brilliant introspection and vividness. I could not believe the level of definition and color and the greater feeling of hearing more into the soundstage. The sense of being alive was overwhelming and totally unexpected.
I did not switch back immediately to my reference cable. I know that such comparisons can be deceiving in a hurry. I continued to listen to that day and the following ones. I discovered how the cable is changing for the better, leaving some stiffness and becoming elastic and extended with an even better natural sound and a mind-blowing speed and immediacy. I have already mentioned my reference cable price, and I am still in awe of how the performance of the muon2 cable can be achieved at this price point. We learn quickly in this hobby that for even a tiny fraction of performance, one has to pay so much more.
I listened to Barry White’s “We’re Gonna Have It All” from “Put Me in Your Mix” (Qobuz | Tidal) that day, and I was astounded by how clear and present the keyboard high notes sounded, along with the proper gravity and detail in Barry’s voice. The bass was sumptuous and well-defined, tight, impactful, and correct. The air of the sound enveloped me in such a colorful way. I did not expect this Right Here and Now presence of music, such perfect timing with proper timbre.
Right Here-and-Now.
Yes, this remains the main characteristic of Network Acoustics muon2 cable and has become more refined along the way. This is the main feeling of listening to muon2: the feeling of presence, the introspection inside the smallest musical details, the liveliness and color without altering the timbre and tonality. The feeling that you get so much more in such a dynamic and dramatic way—if you want—is addictive.
Muon2 is precise and alive, with speed demanding full attention. The level of detail is staggering, not by its presence but by how smoothly it is delivered. There is no brightness or exacerbation in the upper sound registry; the level of refinement and slight sweetness with which all the air and respiration are delivered is off the charts. The impeccable transient reproduction speaks only about a right here-and-now event; there is no hint of laziness or laid-back melancholy.
I was intrigued by the excellent timing and liveliness, which seemed to enhance the emotion rather than spoil it. I listened to many of the voices I cherish to grasp what I might be losing here, if anything. I learned the hard way that there’s no such thing as a free meal; there’s always something to lose in order to gain or be transformed.
Listening to Buika’s – Mienteme Bien (Qobuz | Tidal), Diana Krall’s – Fly Me to the Moon (Qobuz | Tidal), Etta Cameron’s – You’ve Changed (Qobuz | Tidal), Nina Simone’s – The Other Woman and Don’t Explain (Qobuz | Tidal), Peia Luzzi’s – Mori Shej (Qobuz | Tidal), Shirley Horn’s – Dindi or You Won’t Forget Me (Qobuz | Tidal), I got expressiveness, presence, and emotion in such a natural and structured way that everything becomes more personal and closer now. It was less recording and more music; if you want, you are grabbed more into the music and the event itself. You are no longer a spectator; you are there in very close proximity to the artist. It may sound like a stereotype… but it was like you come closer to the stage, sometimes on the stage.
Muon2 demands your entire presence and emotional involvement; it captures every trace of musicality in an expansive way, vivid and alive. This is not a cable to relax and fall asleep in the sweetest piano notes just to wake up later in a full symphonic crescendo. Muon2 will keep you right there, at the moment, fully aware of the beating music’s heart.
A small comparison.
I can compare only to my reference USB cable, Crystal Art Series Monet USB (4.500€, 1.5 m), and it was a new level of understanding for me. After a while, I decided to switch back to my reference cable. I started by playing Smog – I Was A Stranger from the “Red Apple Falls” (Qobuz | Tidal) album and was surprised by how different the presentation was. Just hold your horses… it is not so simple as apple with apples…
Crystal Monet USB also sounded spectacular, and of course, it did. But in a different manner. Where muon2 deconstructed everything in space and time, the Crystal cable brought it together in a much more relaxed way, providing an exceptional music flow. Where muno2 grabbed you by the shoulders and got you in the middle of everything, Crystal allowed for a step back and less demanding listening. The flow was still captivating, and even if all the details were there, Crystal presented with a fluency that seemed slower at first and recessed sweeter.
After a while, I grabbed the meaning of each contender’s intentions. Very different indeed. Crystal is constructing everything with a more grounded approach, like building up and down from a lower midrange point of view. It is not so expansive but more fluent, and it does not try to expand and deconstruct but to unify and bring it all together in a fluent and cursive proposition. The bass is a bit slower, the mid is the ground point with presence, bloom, and color, and the upper treble is softer and more relaxed. One can fall asleep and dream in pink with Monet’s piano notes.
Munon2 is more lively, articulate, decisive, and definitely more expansive. Without it, I immediately missed the sense of vibrancy and full bloom in musical reproduction. It is fast and precise, like a scalpel, with a greater sense of detail and vividness. It is awe-inspiring how successfully it deconstructs everything without being tiring or harsh. The level of refinement is incomprehensible at this price point. It is never bright, harsh, or out of order. There is a unique sweetness in the upper registry that covers every sharp edge of the incredible detail. And it is detailed across all frequency ranges, so it seems speedy and precise. Highly impressive!
For now, I am in love with the new apparition, however unfair that may sound. I find it more addictive and rewarding. I still love Crystal’s fluency and grounded approach sometimes. But it is love at first sight with Muon2, and who can change that? This is how life is, and Muon2 made me more alive and aware of my emotions. It is an addiction, I know, but a sweet one that still shows no downside yet.
Being in love and alive. Or it is just the noise…
I might miss the rush of the love hormones. Well, we can not love forever, like we did in our twenties. Or can we? Be aware – this is just a story with a high level of exaggeration to make everything more apparent. One can not and may not judge it all in such dramatic terms.
Jokes aside, it is clear that the profound introspection into the subtle intimacy of sound provided by the muon2 results directly from maintaining an incredibly low noise floor across the entire frequency spectrum. The fact is that the engineering, endless measurement, and testing are paying off significantly here. Keeping the noise floor so low allows for clear sound with perfect tonality, resulting in no harshness and remarkable refinement. Blooming with color in such a vivid and coherent manner, the muon2 is a powerful and vibrant component within a system. Elevating the equipment scale will only reveal how much more it is capable of achieving. I would argue that you get far more value for your money than most can hope for.
For me, it’s definitely a component that I want to keep in my system. Once you hear it, there’s no turning back. It will spark a love for being alive, overwhelming you with music and emotions. It will make you fall in love in a safe way for your real love life. Nobody will suspect that you lost your head over a… USB cable.
In Conclusion.
First, being pragmatic here, at last, muno2 is a very safe investment compared with… almost anything else out there. The price is genuinely fair, and one cannot find many products with such a powerful price-performance ratio. In general, not just for a cable.
Second, Network Acoustics succeeds with muon2, a remarkable achievement regardless of the price. It is the best USB cable I have ever listened to for so many reasons. It is not perfect, as nothing is in life, but it is much closer to perfection than so many. It has such a low-noise floor that can translate any musical event in a vivid, honest, and natural way. The level of detail and articulation is totally off the roof with exemplary refinement. It is alive, blooming with color and emotion, fast, precise, and determined. It will make the music present and alive, correct, and beautiful at the same time. And be aware – it may induce a high level of love hormones! For the music, of course.
Third, we have no choice but to award Network Acoustics’ muon2 cable one of our most important recognitions — a Highly Impressive Award! Yes, it is a highly impressive product. It is so impressive that I would buy Closed Eye, their top-tier network solution, the Tempus switch. If they succeed in getting so much performance from the USB cable, I am confident that this extends to the top of their engineering. I hope this will follow soon enough.
Last but not least, I want to thank Rob Osbourn, the head and soul of Network Acoustics, for allowing me to test the muon2 cable and opening the door for me to his company’s house. I am truly grateful. Thank you so much, Rob!
Until next time, I wish you to hear only the best!
Network Acoustics Muon2 USB cable details:
- £1,412 (EX-VAT)
- New proprietary high purity silver/copper conductors.
- Proprietary high rejection RFI filtering technology.
- Bespoke dielectric specifically designed and optimised for each of the Data, Earth and 5v lines.
- Physically segregated cable architecture.
- Shielded connectors with gold plated contacts.
- Standard / recommended length 1.5 metres.
- Available with USB-A & USB-B Connectors only.
- Free express worldwide shipping.
- 2-year manufacturer warranty.
- 60-day money back guarantee.
Associated Equipment
- Digital source: Antipodes OLADRA or a custom passive server with Euphony, Roon, JCAT NET XE powered by linear power supply – FARAD Super 10
- Transport: Antipodes OLADRA
- D/A converter (DAC): LampizatOr Poseidon
- Amplifier: CHORD Electronics Ultima 5, Trafomatic Audio Glenn 300B SET monoblocks
- Preamplifier: CHORD Electronics Ultima PRE2, Trafomatic Audio Lara line preamplifier
- Loudspeakers: Raidho TD 1.2, Raidho TD 2.2
- Headphones: Meze Elite
- Headphone amplifier: Trafomatic Primavera
- Speaker Cables: Marohei Statement SE, Crystal Art Series Monet Speak Diamond2
- Interconnects: Marohei Statement SE balanced, Crystal Reference2 Diamond XLR
- Digital Cables: Marohei Statement SE AES/EBU, Crystal Monet USB Diamond2, Network Acoustics Muon2
- Network Cables: Crystal Da Vinci Network Cable
- Power cables: Marohei Statement SE, Crystal Ultra2 Diamond Power, Roboli Charlin
- Power: Keces IQRP-3600
- Network: Melco S100/2 switch powered by FARAD Super 3, Lumin L2 switch/music library
- Racks: Woodyard Suspended Triple, Woodyard Baby Modular
- Anti-vibration accessories: Arya Audio Labs RevOpod, Viablue UFO DOME Cable holders, Viablue UFO Vibration Absorbers
