Cable loaner program

The Cable Loaner Program is available only in the USA.

Listening to a demo cable in your dealer’s showroom may not tell you how it will really sound once you bring it home. To know how the cable will sound, you need to listen to it with your own home audio system components, surrounded by whatever acoustical setup you have in your home. Only by listening to a cable in this manner will you truly know what it will sound like.

TARA Labs now offers you this great opportunity! Not only do you get to hear our audio cables in your home, but you also save the time and effort of having to drive to your dealer’s showroom.

We have a wide variety of mid-range to high-end audio cables available for home demo. (See the list of eligible cables at the bottom of this page.)

This program will enable you to actually hear the difference that TARA Labs cables can make in your home audio system. We know that you’ll love them! If not, for any reason, return them to us for a refund of your deposit.

Here’s how it works

• You can choose the cables you would like to listen to (interconnects, speaker cables, digital cables and AC power cables).
• To participate, send TARA Labs your contact information and a refundable loaner deposit (40% of the retail price).
• The cables are shipped to your home. You have 14 days to listen, then you send the loaner cables back.
• If you decide to buy, new cables will be sent to you. If not, your deposit (minus the shipping charges) is returned to you. Easy!
• Contact us at customerservice@taralabs.com to get started!
• *Loaner cables are subject to availability.

Cable recommendations

There are an infinite number of high-end components available today, and sometimes it is not so easy to know which cable would be best in your audio system. We can do it for you! We have 40 years of experience in this industry, and we are experts in what cables can do for your system. We have created an online Cable Recommendation System that you can use: the Cable Finder.

Contact us anytime; we would love to discuss your audio system and help you determine which of our cables will work best for you!

Time frame for listening

Listeners will have 14 days to listen and evaluate.

Shipping

Cables are shipped via UPS Three Day. The customer pays shipping both ways.

Shipping charges will be deducted from the deposit.

Product protection

All demo loaner cables come with their barrels and reducers covered in a clear PROTEX heat-coat to protect against nicks and scratches. This coating is applied only to demo loaners.

Please note that all TARA Labs cables are meticulously hand-crafted at our factory in Oregon. Most high-end products, whether they contain amplifier tubes, transistors or phono cartridges, are fragile and delicate. Our cables are no different. They must be treated with respect and handled carefully when you set them up in your system and when you repackage them for return shipping.

*Newly purchased cables will not have clear heat-shrink protection on the barrels and reducers. We put it only on loaners, because they are repeatedly shipped and re-shipped to customers.

Cable returns, fees and fines

Customers will have a three-day “grace period” to return cables to TARA Labs if they miss all of the UPS attempts. In that case, the participant will be required to drop off the package at a UPS location or store. A late fee of 2% will be deducted from the participant’s deposit if cables are shipped after the three-day grace period. A late fee of 5% will be deducted from the participant’s deposit if cables are shipped after seven days.

NOTE: Listeners will have 14 days to listen to and evaluate our cables. The above fees apply only if cables are not returned after this period.

Deposit

Participants pay TARA Labs a fully refundable deposit (minus shipping costs). Contact us for retail and deposit prices. Payment is made to TARA Labs by PayPal, bank transfer or credit card (Visa/Mastercard/Discover).

Loaner money-back guarantee

If participants decide not to purchase a new cable, they will receive a full refund of their deposit (minus shipping costs) once TARA Labs receives the demo loaner cables back.

Demo loaner cables must be returned in the same condition as received to avoid additional charges for damage, including damage caused by improper repackaging.

*See loaner agreement contract.

Customer agreement

We will reply with an email asking for your contact information (name, address, phone number, deposit method, audio system setup, loaner agreement, etc.) and offering additional information about the cables you are interested in.

Once your request is approved and your deposit is received, TARA Labs will send you the selected loaner cables to listen to and evaluate.

If you decide to buy a new cable

If you decide to purchase a brand-new cable, we will have one of our TARA Labs dealers contact you. Your deposit will be credited toward the agreed purchase price of the cable, and you will send the remaining balance due. Once the amount is paid in full, TARA Labs will hand-craft a brand-new cable and ship it to you at no charge.

*TARA Labs must receive the demo loaner cables back before a newly purchased cable is sent to the customer.

If you decide to purchase TARA Labs cables, the closest dealer to your location will take care of shipping you the cables.

If you decide not to buy

If you decide that you are not interested in purchasing new cables, your deposit (minus shipping charges) will be returned to you within two business days.

Cable damage

By participating in our Cable Loaner Program, you are entering into an agreement that the cables must be returned in the same condition in which you received them. We have protected the cables with PROTEX, but as with most high-end audio equipment, our cables, though well-built and sturdy, are nonetheless delicate & fragile. Should you damage a cable by tearing or ripping the outer sleeve, or by bending or breaking the barrels, it will be your responsibility to pay for those damages and for the cost of restoring the cables to the condition they were in before they were shipped to you.

In closing

If you have any questions, concerns or comments, you can always ask our dealers for help or contact TARA Labs directly. We pride ourselves on superb customer service, and you’ll see why once you deal with TARA Labs. If you’re not impressed, return the loaners, shake hands and part ways. You can’t lose!

Cable lengths and terminations

All cable loaners have designated lengths and terminations (connectors). We chose the specifications below based on popularity. If you decide to purchase a new cable after listening to the loaner, we will custom-make it in whatever length and termination you require.

Demo Loaners:

Interconnects — 1.5 m/4.95 ft length, XLR termination

Speaker Cables — 8 ft/2.4 m length, BSM (banana or spade termination)

AC Power Cables — 6 ft/1.8 m length, 15 A, US plug

Digital Cables — 1.5 m/4.95 ft length, XLR termination (RCA availability noted)

Retail and deposit pricing

Below are the retail price categories for new cables. The deposit required to participate in the loaner program is 40% of the retail price. Our email response will include the full retail price and deposit price of the requested loaner cable.

Loaner price categories

(Click the name of a cable below for more information about that model.)

Interconnects

Speaker cables

Power cables

Digital cables