USB DONE RIGHT: Two magic boxes that let computer audio ...
USB DONE RIGHT: Two magic boxes that let computer audio ...
USB DONE RIGHT: Two magic boxes that let computer audio ...
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When we first reviewed<br />
Listening Feedback Room<br />
New Atlas Cables<br />
Atlas <strong>audio</strong> cables a<br />
number of years ago, it<br />
wasn’t with the intent<br />
of adding any of them to our Audiophile<br />
Store, because — as ever — the<br />
listening comes first, the store listing<br />
comes second. If ever. But the listening<br />
was convincing, and so were the prices.<br />
Those first Atlas cables offered quality,<br />
but also value, or at least a number of<br />
them did.<br />
But time marches on. So do copper<br />
prices, and we mean upward. Atlas has<br />
replaced many of its cables, including<br />
some of our favorites, with new ones.<br />
Would we be as happy with the new creations?<br />
Might they have taken shortcuts<br />
to save money, and thereby downgraded<br />
the performance? That’s what this<br />
review session was all about.<br />
This was a blind test. It wasn’t double<br />
blind, because Gerard knew what the<br />
cables were. However Steve and Toby did<br />
not, and Gerard avoided all comments<br />
during the actual session.<br />
Hyper Asymmetrical, 1 m, $309<br />
We were surprised by Atlas’ use<br />
of the name Hyper for this series. The<br />
Hyper series of loudspeaker cables are<br />
amazing for their modest cost, but they<br />
are made from conventional oxygen-free<br />
copper. The Hyper interconnects use<br />
single-crystal continuous cast copper,<br />
created with the Japanese-invented<br />
Ohno process. That’s more expensive, or<br />
52 ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine<br />
it should be. There are, as we shall see,<br />
two versions of the Hyper interconnect<br />
cable.<br />
This “asymmetrical” version is made<br />
the way most interconnects are made,<br />
with a coaxial construction. The centre<br />
conductor is the one with OCC copper,<br />
but the ground return is also the shielding.<br />
That shield is made up of two layers<br />
of braided copper. The connectors are<br />
solder-free, and are structured so <strong>that</strong><br />
they don’t compress the wire.<br />
This was an all-analog test, using<br />
three LPs. We compared the test cables<br />
to the expensive Atlas Mavros interconnect<br />
<strong>that</strong> runs between the phono stage<br />
and the preamplifier in our Omega<br />
reference system.<br />
We began with the Non Allegro from<br />
the Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances<br />
(Reference Recordings RR-1504). The<br />
Hyper did quite well, but predictably<br />
it did not compare with the Mavros.<br />
Though there was good depth and a<br />
plausible stereo image, there was some<br />
confusion in the highs, accompanied<br />
by some hardness in the strings. Some<br />
loud passages seemed too loud, though<br />
the volume level was untouched. There<br />
appeared to be a tonal shift favoring the<br />
higher frequencies. Overall the sound<br />
was more constricted and less refined.<br />
“The triangle has a sound comparable to<br />
lens flare on a photograph,” complained<br />
Toby.<br />
Steve had a compliment <strong>that</strong> actually<br />
wasn’t one: “The music is easier<br />
to take because it is less emotionally<br />
overwhelming.”<br />
We continued with an old favorite<br />
choral recording, Laudate! (Proprius<br />
PROP 7800 — the exclamation mark is<br />
part of the title). Listening to it with the<br />
Mavros was an experience, but it paled<br />
with the Hyper. The female voices were<br />
somewhat hard, and male voices lacked<br />
their usual richness. Dynamic contrast<br />
was reduced, but paradoxically some<br />
passages seemed too loud. “It’s beautiful,<br />
but it’s less realistic,” said Gerard, after<br />
the session was over.<br />
The final recording was another<br />
old favorite, Hard Day on the Planet<br />
by Loudon Wainwright III (who, by<br />
the way, is the father of two other<br />
well-known artists, Rufus and Martha<br />
Wainwright). It sounded very good with<br />
the Hyper, but not as exciting as we had<br />
hoped. The words were actually easier to<br />
follow, but <strong>that</strong> was due to an artificial<br />
“edginess” which also added confusion<br />
to some passages. Toby compared the<br />
effect to the “speech” button on the radio<br />
of his old Volvo: it helps comprehension<br />
at the expense of enjoyment. Rhythm<br />
was strong, but Loudon’s voice was dark,<br />
despite the brightness, and even harsh.<br />
The Hyper Asymmetrical is not<br />
inexpensive, and for its price we had<br />
hoped for better performance. We can’t<br />
recommend it.<br />
Hyper Symmetrical, 1 m, $413<br />
Never mind the similarity of name,<br />
this is a totally different cable. It’s the<br />
replacement for a long-time favorite of<br />
ours, the Navigator All-Cu. It’s “symmetrical”<br />
because it has two singlecrystal<br />
conductors to ferry the <strong>audio</strong>.<br />
The two shields, one of them braided<br />
and the other consisting of copper-plated<br />
Mylar foil, are connected at only one<br />
end, and thus are not involved in <strong>audio</strong><br />
transmission.<br />
The price difference with the preceding<br />
cable may not be huge, but the<br />
performance gap certainly is. “This one<br />
is closer to awesome,” said Toby. “The<br />
flow and the dynamics are more liquid,<br />
though <strong>that</strong> liquid is too viscous and not<br />
as free-flowing as with the reference.”<br />
Steve found the timbres of the oboe,<br />
clarinet close to perfect. Gerard noted<br />
<strong>that</strong> the woodwinds seemed more dis-