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Extreme Series Interconnects
The ZERO Series of audio interconnect cables represent the absolute state-of-the-art in audio interconnect design. No other interconnect design can approach the performance standard of a ZERO Series Interconnect. The design starts with Rectangular Solid CoreĀ® conductors. The RSCĀ® conductors are specially shaped and frequency tuned to reveal more of the harmonic structure of the music than any other audio conductor. These conductors are suspended within a totally unique TeflonĀ® tube. This tube within the ZERO Interconnect holds the conductors in position along the internal wall of the tube, without the need for extra dielectric/plastic materials that would affect the sound. The ZERO Series of interconnects are truly extreme cable designs. The signal carrying conductors within the cable have such high resolution, that all of the other parts and materials of the cable become the audible differences. If the materials or parts can influence and change the sound, then we work carefully to isolate the sonic signature of the materials and parts. It is therefore extremely important that all of the materials used in the ZERO Series have no āsonic signatureā, meaning that the cables transfer the musical signal with the most clarity, neutrality and transparency possible. There are 3 levels of performance in the ZERO Series of audio interconnects, starting with the legendary ZERO Gold. The next product in performance (slightly less) is the ZERO Onyx, and then we move down to the entry-level ZERO Edge.
Extreme Series Interconnects
ZERO Gold
The ZERO Gold is the ultimate model in the ZERO Series of interconnects. Using RSC conductors, polished by hand, with no insulation material, provides for the most transparent and coherent sound possible. Using specially designed RCA and XLR connectors, the ZERO Gold uses a tube and vacuum system that means that the uninsulated conductors will not oxidize. The theoretical ideal of 2 conductors suspended in a vacuum has become a reality. The ZERO Gold delivers lifelike sounding vocals, pinpoint imaging and resolution of fine detail with ease. You will hear a vanishingly low noise floor and a complete absence of distortion. The reproduction of the recorded space can only be described as holographic. The qualities of reverberation and ambient retrieval are simply astonishing. The performance of the ZERO Gold is beyond comparison to any other interconnect cable design.
ZERO Onyx
The ZERO Onyx provides a level of performance that may be the most popular choice for audiophiles. Although the ZERO Onyx does not use the vacuum-dielectric concept of the ZERO Gold, the ZERO Onyx does use the same construction design and all of the same materials as the ZERO Gold. So, the ZERO Onyx is the same as the ZERO Gold, but without the vacuum-dielectric system. The air-dielectric construction of the ZERO Onyx means that the RSCĀ® conductors need to be insulated, but the insulation is a fine layer of aerospace polyethylene, a very neutral material with minimal audible effect.
ZERO Edge
The design of the ZERO Edge uses the same RSCĀ® conductors, TeflonĀ® tubes and a large volume of air inside a unique construction of Teflon tubes. The ZERO Edge is the more affordably priced ZERO Series Interconnect, but with a very high level of performance and a sonic signature that is audibly similar to the ZERO Onyx or the ZERO
AIR Reference Series Interconnects
The AIR Reference Series Interconnects employ similar design principles as used in the air-tube technology developed for the ZERO Series. The AIR Reference RS-1 and the AIR Reference RS-2 utilize a PTFE [TeflonĀ®] center tube. Instead of placing the conductors within and inside the air-tube, the RSC (Rectangular Solid CoreĀ® conductors are helixed around a center tube and held in position with fine PTFE filaments. There are 2 levels of performance in the AIR Reference Series of analog interconnects. The AIR RS-1 uses a large center tube that spaces the positive and negative conductors further apart and a filament web to move the shield away from the audio signal conductors. In the AIR RS-2, the center tube is slightly smaller, and the shield layer is not displaced from the conductors as much as the conductor to shield spacing used in the AIR RS-1.
AIR RS-1
The AIR RS-1 uses a large center tube that spaces the signal carrying conductors further apart. This spacing reduces the Capacitance in the cable to just 8 pf per foot. In addition, the shield layer is displaced from the conductors, using the same filament web design as used in the ZERO Series. This translates into extremely linear high-frequency extension, more low-level detail and clearly defined spatial cues along with large-scale ambient information. If you want an interconnect cable with the ability to resolve the fine nuances and details of a ZERO Series Interconnect, the AIR RS-1 is the obvious choice at a lower pric
RSC Prime Series Interconnects
The RSC Prime Series uses frequency-tuned RSCĀ® conductors helixed around a center extruded air-tubeĀ®. The air-tube is a relatively large single Teflon tube. The size of the tube is an important design element that determines the spacing and electrical characteristics of the interconnect cable. The RSCĀ® conductors are insulated with a fine layer of aerospace polyethylene, a very neutral material with minimal coloration. The RSCĀ® Audio conductors are helixed around the center tube along with multiple smaller tubes for spacing and stability of the conductors. Teflon and Polyethylene binding tapes secure the conductors and smaller tubes in place around the center tube.
Prime M1
A simple helix arrangement of fine Teflon and Polyethylene tubes are grouped together with the positive and negative conductors around a larger center tube. The larger center tube is the determining factor in the capacitance and the overall sound of the interconnect cable. The Prime M1 (at 14 pf per foot) is an unusually open and revealing interconnect cable that is also well balanced between musicality, smoothness and resolution.
Prime M2
A multiple of small Polyethylene tubes are grouped together with the positive and negative conductors around the center tube. The Prime M2 (at 16 pf per foot) is revealing enough to have excellent resolution of fine detail, but the design and arrangement of the Polyethylene tubes creates an interconnect cable that is slightly balanced more towards musicality and smoothness in the extreme high-frequencies.
Prime M3
The Prime M3 Interconnect cable begins with a simple extrusion of Polyethylene around the conductors. The Prime M3 is a smaller diameter cable with a more neutral tonal balance. It is also well matched with any consumer brand audio equipment. The Prime M3 provides high-frequency extension with natural sounding high frequencies along with punch and detail in the mid-range and lower frequencies. This is an interconnect cable with excellent resolution that can be used with a wide variety of audio components.
Digital Cables
What is the Digital Signal and the Digital-Stream?
The digital bit-stream is a complex series pulses in a simple on or off (called binary) code.
These impulses, in the correct sequence, can be used to reproduce simple or very complex sounds.Ā For example, a single sine wave such as aĀ 200 cycle (200 Hz) sine wave.
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Mathematically speaking, a square wave is an infinite series of sine waves at all of the odd harmonics of the fundamental. Example: A 200 Hz square wave is composed of sine waves at 200 Hz, 600 Hz, 1,000Hz, 1,400 Hz, 1,800 Hz, etc. Only the correct series of sine waves can correctly create a 200 Hz square wave. Hundreds of higher-order harmonics are required to reproduce the correct harmonic structure of a musical note without distortion.
In the digital world, a square wave can be thought of as a āgroupā or āpacketā of digital impulses that will make a musical note. And multiple packets of digital impulses are able to reproduce the combination of sounds that we call music. Why do Digital cables sound different or possibly better? The most significant reason for the different sound in digital recording and playback systems is the phenomenon of āerrorsā. The most widely known error is called ājitterā. Jitter can be thought of as a timing error or a distortion of the digital bit-stream within the digital send and receive components and the digital interconnect cable. The timing errors (digital jitter) can be reduced by using better quality cable with superior shielding to reject interference within the cable.
The Introduction to Speaker Cables
In the interface between an amplifier and the loudspeaker, we have the output impedance of the amplifier and the impedance of the loudspeaker. The impedance of the loudspeaker usually varies with frequency and this is affected by the electrical characteristic called Inductance. To put it simply, Inductance is the technical term for resistance (impedance) at AC frequencies. The complex AC waveform that we call music is the relatively larger electromagnetic wave. The electromagnetic wave in the speaker cable creates inductance thus affecting the sound in any speaker cable. When a loudspeaker cable is designed to have minimal inductance, the sound becomes more lifelike, more authentic because of the additional harmonic overtones. However, as the cable becomes more revealing, then the materials used in the construction of the cable become more audible.
The complex AC waveform that we call music is the relatively larger electromagnetic wave that travels through the insulation and/or dielectric materials. The materials between a positive and negative conductor are called dielectric materials. The prefix di means between. All types of dielectric materials such as plastic or fabric/fiber filler materials distort and color the sound because these materials have different amounts of dielectric absorption.
Additionally, the amount of absorption varies depending on frequency. As you listen and learn how these distortions can be created and how they affect the sound, your reference for a neutral, clean, clear speaker cable will shift towards a design that relies on having no medium between the positive and negative conductors.
Given that any practical solution requires a medium of some kind to separate the positive and negative conductors, the TARA Labs air-tubeĀ® and aerospace polyethylene insulation provides an elegant solution to this problem. Finally, if you want soft, smooth and warm sounding speaker cables, TARA Labs is not for you. The sonic signature of a TARA Labs cable is neutral, clear and revealing without sounding harsh, shrill or bright. If you hear any of these negative qualities from your audio system, you need to consider other components in your audio system.
Extreme Series Speaker Cables
The OMEGA Series of speaker cables represent the absolute state-of-the-art in loudspeaker cable design. No other speaker cable design can approach the performance standard of the OMEGA Series of speaker cables. The design starts with Rectangular Solid CoreĀ® conductors. The RSCĀ® conductors are specially shaped and frequency tuned to reveal more of the harmonic structure of the music than any other audio conductor. These conductors are helixed around unique PTFE (TeflonĀ®) tubes. The tubes within the OMEGA speaker cable vary in size and total conductor count. The conductors are positioned around the wall of the air-tube without the need for extra dielectric/plastic materials that would affect the sound. The OMEGA Series of speaker cables are truly extreme cable designs. The signal carrying conductors within the cable have such high resolution that all of the other parts and materials of the cable become the audible differences. If the materials or parts can possible influence and change the sound, then we work to isolate the sonic signature of the materials and parts. It is therefore extremely important that all of the materials used in the OMEGA Series have no āsonic signatureā, meaning that the cables transfer the musical signal with the most clarity, neutrality and transparency possible. There are 3 levels of performance in the OMEGA Series of speaker cables. From the top, we start with the legendary OMEGA Gold as the absolute state-of-the-art speaker cable. The next OMEGA speaker cable is the highly acclaimed and most reviewed OMEGA speaker cable known as the OMEGA Onyx. Below the Onyx is the high-performance OMEGA Edge.
Extreme Series Speaker Cables
OMEGA Gold
The OMEGA Gold is the ultimate model in the OMEGA Series of speaker cables. The RSCĀ® conductors are insulated with a fine layer of aerospace polyethylene, a very neutral material with minimal audible effect. The OMEGA Gold delivers lifelike sound vocals, pin-point imaging and clear resolution detail with ease. You will hear an accurate harmonic structure extending upwards with the finest and most delicate of high-frequencies. This will be contrasted with a vanishingly low noise floor. The reproduction of the recorded space can only be described as holographic. The qualities of reverberation and ambient retrieval are simply astonishing. The OMEGA Gold is without peer, a level of performance beyond comparison to any other speaker cable design.
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OMEGA Onyx
The OMEGA Onyx does use the same construction design and all of the same materials as the OMEGA Gold. So, the OMEGA Onyx is OMEGA Onyx means that the RSCĀ®Ā conductors need to be insulated, but the insulation is a fine layer of aerospace polyethylene, a very neutral material with minimal audible effect.
OMEGA Edge
The design of the OMEGA Edge uses the same RSCĀ® conductors, TeflonĀ® tubes and a large volume of air inside a unique construction of Teflon tubes. The OMEGA Edge is the more affordably prices OMEGA Series speaker cable, but with a very high level of performance and a sonic signature that is audibly similar to the OMEGA Onyx or the OMEGA Gold.
AIR Reference Series Speaker Cables
The AIR Reference Series speaker cables employ similar design principles as used in the air-tube technology developed for the OMEGA Series. The AIR Reference RS-1 and the AIR Reference RS-2 utilize a PTFE (TeflonĀ®) center tube. Instead of placing the conductors within and inside the air-tube, the RSCĀ® (Rectangular Solid CoreĀ®) conductors are helixed around a center tube and held in position with fine PTFE filaments. There are 2 levels of performance in the AIR Reference Series of Speaker Cables. The AIR RS-1 uses a large center tube that spaces the conductors further apart by simply increasing the diameter of the center tube. In the AIR RS-2, the center tube for each positive and negative run is slightly smaller in diameter compared to the AIR RS-1, and this increases the inductance in the AIR RS-2 by a small percentage. You will hear that the RS-1 is slightly more extended in the high-frequencies as compared to the AIR RS-1.
AIR RS-1
The AIR RS-1 uses a large center tube that spaces the signal carrying conductors further apart. This spacing is the key factor that reduces the inductance in the cable. This translates into extremely linear high-frequency extension, more low-level detail and clearly defined spatial cues along with large-scale ambient information. If you want a speaker cable with lifelike dynamics and the ability to resolve the fine nuances and details of an OMEGA Series speaker cable, the AIR RS-1 is the obvious choice at a lower price.
RSCĀ® Prime Series Speaker Cables
Prime M1800
Traditionally, the concept of Bi-Wire cabling requires 2 funds of cable, one run for the Low Frequencies (bass) and a separate run for the High Frequencies (treble). A singlerun Bi-Wire cable means that all of the Low-frequency and High Frequency runs are placed together in one jacket. The problem with this design is that because the Low-Frequency conductors have larger electro-magnetic waves, these larger waves interfere with the much smaller waves in the High Frequency conductors. The design of the RSCĀ® Prime M1800 is significantly different. The M1800 is the worldās first internally isolated bi-wire cable, meaning that the Low-Frequency conductors are shielded from the High-Frequency conductors. The Prime M1800 is a unique single-run Bi-Wire cable that sounds like 2 discrete runs of cable. The RSCĀ® Prime M1800 delivers a very coherent sounding mid-range with a sound that is liquid and extended in both the low-frequency and high frequency ranges.
Prime M1500
Normal Bi-Wire cable requires 2 runs of cable, one run for the High-Frequencies and a separate run for the Low-Frequencies. The RSCĀ® Prime M1500 is a single-run internal Bi-Wire cable with one outer jacket. This design has most of the sonic benefits of 2 discrete runs of cable, but in one cable run. The RSCĀ® Prime M1500 delivers true bass power and weight, with a natural and clear sounding mid-range that is well extended into the high-frequency ranges.
Prime M800
The RSCĀ® Prime M800 is a traditional stereo loudspeaker cable, using the Gen 1 Rectangular Solid CoreĀ® conductors. This design uses 2 of the Gen 1 conductors for the positive run, and another 2 Gen 1 conductors for the negative run. The RSCĀ® Prime M800 delivers clean and dynamic bass frequencies with a very open and natural sounding mid-range that is well extended into the high-frequency ranges.
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A complex arrangement of sine waves can be made into a square wave.Ā A square wave can be used to represent a musical note with its harmonic structure (overtones). Every musical note is unique and complex.
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All cables made in Ashland, Oregon. USA
