Displaying items by tag: interconnect - StereoLife Magazine

If the mainstream media is to be believed, our world is collapsing piece by piece. Paradoxically, with the end of times fast approaching, the market for luxury goods has strengthened, and this includes stereo equipment. Manufacturers of electronic components and loudspeakers are introducing bigger, more powerful versions of flagship models, which just a few years ago they described as their opus magnum, a benchmark that cannot be surpassed. Stereo systems presented at the biggest exhibitions are becoming more expensive every year. The top-of-the-line Tellurium Q cables are a prime example of this. When their second version went on sale about six months ago, I was unable to review them, as they were already scheduled for a "tour", which could not be completed, because every so often the Statement IIs found a new owner. The distributor ordered two more sets, one of which went from dealer to dealer, and the other was sold almost immediately. More sets had to be brought in, and finally, I managed to snatch up an interconnect and speaker cable worth just over €16,500.

Designers of hi-fi equipment will never cease to amaze me with ideas for the names of their products and brands. We have already seen gear lineups inspired by celestial bodies, mythological characters, precious stones, weather phenomena, and popular drinks. I remember when a friend working in one of the showrooms told me with some disbelief that he would now sell cables called, for example, "Root Beer" or "Vodka." At first, I thought he was screwing me, but it turned out that he was earnest, and now these cables can be found in Audioquest's catalog. Hendry Ramli, the founder of Vermouth Audio, went one step further.

Many manufacturers of high-end cables try to convince us that we are paying for advanced technical solutions, incredibly precise engineering, exotic materials, and details worked out to perfection, such as patented connectors coated with silver, gold, rhodium, or all those expensive metals altogether. To some extent, this is true, for it is difficult to achieve great sound when trying to build such cables from cheap conductors, the worst quality dielectrics and connectors worth two dollars. It's easy to imagine that when all these components are the best money can buy, the price of such cable goes through the roof. Is this madness? Probably yes, but it doesn't change the fact that there is no shortage of people willing to buy high-end cables, as well as companies ready to provide them with what they want. What is shocking for a novice audiophile does not seem so strange to someone who has been building their system for many years, and has already spent tens of thousands of dollars on speakers, amplifiers, sources, and anti-vibration racks.

Audiomica Laboratory has updated its product line with two models that belong to their reference Red series. The current Audiomica Labs catalog includes over 60 proprietary cables, and the existing models are successively modified and updated after extensive testing. The latest cables are the Red Reference series which have been recognized by demanding music lovers around the world for their great value for money.

It has been a while since I had a brush with Tellurium Q products, however, I regularly receive questions from audiophiles who ask which of their cables will be the most suitable with this or another system. I even get the impression that some music lovers try to solve this puzzle in the worst possible way - not based on the listening but rather the reviews, users' comments, and comparing weird figures found online. Yet, they are still convinced that they should buy Tellurium Q cables. They just wonder whether they should choose Blue, Black, Black Diamond, or Ultra Silver series, even though there are lots of other very interesting cables on the market. Why these, then?

Gryphon Audio Designs proudly announces the release of a whole new series of cables. It is the very top of the line from Gryphon and it is a new evolutionary step in Gryphon Cable Production. The Vanta Series will offer Speaker Cables, Interconnects, Power Cords and finally Digital Cables as well.

Audiophile cable market may seem very complicated at first glance - hundreds of brands and products, and the only thing that seems to be connecting them all is the general purpose. However, among new companies and those whose products are now fashionable for some reason, there is a number of manufacturers who have their permanent place at the table. Audioquest, Nordost, Monster Cable, Cardas Audio, Van den Hul or Kimber Kable have largely created this market and continue to shape it to the greatest extent. In most cases, the whole philosophy of the company is linked with their founder, and therefore we were extremely happy to meet one of the legends of the cable world - Ray Kimber.