High Fidelity Cables CT-1designed by Rick Schultz


In December 2011,I wrote that High Fidelity cables led by cable designer Rick Schultz was putting together a new cable.The cable came to market as CT-1.The CT-1 has FINALLY made it into my system!I had obtained a version of the prototype that Rick had been working on.It blew my previous reference Genesis by Virtual Dynamics.I thought I had finally found my end with this cable.This prototype delivered to my ears "Nirvana".Could I be at the end of my quest for the ultimate sound?
No. I received two pairs of CT-1 to replace my prototypes.They went into the system this past Friday.Unable to dedicate time until Sunday listening,I stole a few moments,ducking away from company with anticipation.My guest could tell even with the music set for"ambiance"something was intriguing and I was in for a treat!
The experience:
First off,CT-1 was very user friendly.Installation was simple;the cable is very nice and light.The female RCA fit beautifully unlike any I had found in other cable.It was secure and reliable.It seemed much thought was dedicated to developing a designer fit to an aesthetically stunning RCA connector.Install entailed a few wiggles to ensure what seemed like a compression fit on my RCA.
It was 2-3 hrs. for the 1st step of break in to be complete.At that point I had something different!Today,although they only have 10-12 hrs. on them,I can`t put into words how much my system has transformed.Believe me,I loved my prototypes.However....there is simply no comparision.
The clarity and sound is so natural.
The soundstage is like nothing I ever heard.Resoulution is breathtaking and inner detail is simply hard to believe possible.
The sound has transended and now it simply does not seem as thought I have speakers.
My system is musicians playing music.
I am told with time they will improve and I trust that as it was revealed with the prototypes.I wanted to share my thoughts with you that now.
Unequivocally,a testament to High Fidelity,as the name declares.
High Fidelity Cables for me,the last word on it,after 12 hours!
Truly Amazing

Al
alpass
@audiolabryinth. You are right I haven't heard the better tara labs. High Fidelity stuff in my system right now just has me on an audio high. I can trust it because I know it works in my system. I don't doubt the tara labs are great. I just know what I'm hearing now and it's amazing. I have heard this stuff in a total of about 8 or 9 systems with different components in different set ups and it delivered every single time. I guess that's why I respect it so much. Nothing against tara labs or other cables. I just know what im hearing right now is faster and more natural than anything I have ever heard.
Thanks Calvin, I love your report. I think the power cords take less time to sound amazing than ic's. I totally agree that The UR stuff eclipses all other cables I've ever heard. i think your in for even more audio fun! looking forward to you next installment.
I know you'r enjoying the music.
D
Hi Calvinj, you know you have not demoed any top tier Tara Labs cables before, The one and the Two are the middle of the road in the line up, the two is lower than the middle of the line up, go to the Tara thread, you can read where someone is talking about one of the new Tara Labs Models he has on order,His name is Rebel721, cheers.
@Ddraudt I have been burning them in I'm up to a interconnect and 2 ultimate reference power cords. They are opening up and they are sounding glorious. The more they burn in the better. I was a little worried at first but it seems the more that I play them and the more high fidelity ultimate reference I add the better it sounds. The realism is getting better and better. The pianos are to die for. The prat is unreal. The speed of the cable is of the charts in a good way. On drums and cymbals is where the speed and prat shows out on faster jazz tunes. I just put a cd in by a soul singer named kem. He tours with Sade and opens for her. Very soulful voice and great band. Voice is realistic. Great midrange. His band uses a lot of instruments and has smooth rhythm. The high fidelity ultimate reference shines in these regards. They use some wood winds in the background. The ultimate reference gets it right. I will continue to burn these in and add more. Will report on this again in a week or so. @audiolabrynth. I know you are on the tara labs. I just know that the high fidelity ultimate reference is killing all the other cables I have owned or demoed.
@ Calvinj, That is Great calvin!! Be prepared for further mind blownness.
Yes, this Technology is really different in a totally superior way and hearing is believing. Oh boy are you in for some fun!!!
@Tbg, Great post! again you have distilled an amazing experience to just a few words " YOUR ESTIMATION OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE IN TERMS OF MUSICAL REPRODUCTION WILL CHANGE FOREVER"
As a guy who rambles trying to describe the un describable, i really appreciate you gift for words.
Calvinj, If Rick is coming over, try to get him to bring several of the Ultimate Reference Rhodium power cords also. It will be expensive for you, but your estimation about what is possible in terms of musical reproduction will forever change.
@Ddraudt I will be trying the full high fidelity ultimate reference loom by the weekend. I will try to break them in. I'm excited. The clarity and naturalness and speed of the power cord alone was amazing. I will add the cables in and go through my paces. Im excited because even though I have listened to a number of different cables this technology is really different. Will report back soon. Heard some Coltrane on a high fidelity setup and I was blown away.
Morningstaraudio, Bill, I look forward to hearing your report on the sound of the speaker cables after break in period, and again after more time has passed.
As I interpret what Rick told me," although breaking in wire on there devices works to some degree…due to the magnetic permeation of system components.. It takes breaking them in with the system they will be used on."
The one way it works faster is if you have had another magnetic cable plugged into the system prior to this cable.
This is not speaker wire, not wire in the traditional sense so, we may need to see if the very different Magnetic Conduction requires different methodology. Your break in experiment may help determine this. Thanks Dave
Guys, my first experience with the HFC pcs was having put one of the URR pcs on the HFC WGPC. Rick and I listened briefly and went out for lunch. On returning and hearing the first several notes, I looked at him and said wow. I think the pc actually made more impact than the WGPC. But I have heard no ac filter that is as good as the WGPC. I will say that the URR pc on the WGPC did make quite an improvement on devices servered by the power center more with the URR pc on it.

There just is no way around the reality here. I wish there was.
Dave, 600 hours? I was using the Panny digital amp for burn in of the UR speaker cables, I purchased a couple of 8 ohm 250 watt resistors some years back, Been running the Panny for another 100 hours so I'm at 450 hours. The resistors were one of the best purchases for making sure my amps see a load and has now done double duty with burning in the speaker cables. 2 more weeks I should be just about there, running the Panny 24/7 with after a few days give it a 2 hour break to cool down. LOL
Powder1, Good question. I hope to have a full answer this week as my URR PC will hopefully arrive very soon. Yes, it seems reasonable to think the HF UR power conditioner (WGPC) would be of more benefit to the system as a whole. Although the URR pc has advanced waveguide technology over the UR power cord. I've read that the HF UR WGPC was preferred over the HB Powerslave Acrylic and that the URR pc was more real sounding that the Stage III Kraken. Tbg has both URR pc and WGPC and said he could not let go of either, so You will be amazed by either and even more amazed by both. You can't go wrong with either. If you hear them, you will not want to let go. I plan to take Tbg's suggestion and plug the URR into the WGPC that way getting the benefit of both on all components. ?WWRD? I wonder, what would Rick do?
Hello, Ricks power cords interest me as does his power conditioner. Would not the power conditioner be more benefit to an entire system than one of his Rhodium power cords? They are of similar price and I could see reaching for one but not both! C
Dave, I love your post about your new power cord you are awaiting, Awsome and cool!
Calvinj, I hear that you may audition the HF UR speaker cable, that is Great! I believe The UR cable has the same qualities as the UR power cord. Amazing, hard to believe realism.
A reminder; the power cord sound wonderful quickly, the cables take a long (long) time to be their best. Especially if you we're not using a magnetic speaker cable before hand. Do to the fact that magnetic permeation of the components is part of the desired effect of magnetic cables, and that permeation takes time, say 600 hours. Even if they do sound good or great right away, they will sound much better with playing time.
Enjoy the music!!
Calvinj, I've not yet got a copy of Saturday Morning by Ahmad Jamal. may go to amazon today. (not the river).
I will surely regale, or bore you with my experience with the HF URR.
My system sounds so REAL with all the High Fidelity gear I have now it has astonished me and 3 other audio folks this week. listening in silent awe to every type of music played. with occasional gasps, laughs and expletives due to mind being blown.
@Ddraught. Did you try ahmad Jamal. Saturday morning cd. When you get that high fidelity power cord. Give us your review.
Thanks calloway, I read the review that you brought to my attention, very impressive!, these power cords appear to be the most exspensive on the market?, I am sure they are worth it considering what has been said on this thread, cograts to all that own the Rhodium Plus power cords, must be nice to have such a power cord!
Great review by Jack Roberst of Dagogo on the CT-1Utimate Reference Rhodium Plus Power cord...
New Review of the High Fidelity Ultimate Reference Rhodium Power Cord
Re chain The Kraken!!
I just read Jack Roberts review for Dagogo. Wow!!! the picture Jack painted really made me want one.. Really a lot.
But wait… I already have one on order. After I finish this post I am going to go wait by the door until my URR arrives. could be a week.
The comparison between it and the Kraken tells it all as he describes some of the abilities that make the HF URR so superior in realism.
This phenomena is also present in their signal cables. The Highest Fidelity Ever. Enjoy
I saw and heard Ahmad Jamal at his club in Chicago in the late 1950s-great show.
I played it from the cd. Ahmad Jamal is a legend. He probably is old school and records well. The original recording is so important the album is Saturday Morning. It is perfect for my Saturday morning listening sessions. Lol.
Hi TBG, sorry fellas about getting off topic here, I only have pcm format at the moment, my question is, where can I buy 24/192 recordings of all types of music from, that is reasonably priced at?, thankyou Norm, cheers.
Audiolabyrinth, yes but so often I've heard major improvement in just the playback equipment of the same recording.

I now have original double DSD recordings played that way as well as 44.1/16 played double DSD. The former is much better but the latter is much improved with just the filter move way up.
calvin, what format is the saturday morning by Admad Jamal?, you know 44/16, 24/96, 24/192,ETC... As we know, software plays a big roll in all this, the ole saying, A system is only as good as the recording!
@Ddraught. @audiolabryith. Cables are components at this level. I put that ultimate reference power cord in and bam. A big piano appeared in my room. I was listening to an album called Saturday Morning by Ahmad Jamal. The great jazz piano player. It is one of the best albums I have heard this year. The piano, drums, cymbals drove me as close to audio nirvana as I have ever been. Ddraught try this album. I think you would like it. These high fidelity cables are next level. The speed in the magnets is taking my jazz to another level.
wow dave!, your room sounds impressive, a room that sounds great at a big exspense surely pays off.
$100,000.00 amp, We've been speaking about expensive Magnetic components lately. It reminded me that Rick from High Fidelity Cables
has in his home, an amp built with Magnetic conduction technology.
I doubt anyone can actually imagine how fantastic this thing sounds.
So for all of you looking for a 6 figure amp, you might check with Rick.
Thanks Keith, Yes, cables are critical components. For more than 30 years, I've benefited from having the best cables I could afford.
What one looses in cable and PC's cannot be regained by any other component, no matter how fantastic or expensive it is. HF cables are one of the finest components I've ever experienced!

Another critical component is the room, ignore that at your own peril.
I've rebuilt the walls, ceiling and floor for audio and have 37 finely tuned custom tube traps. So, even crazier than first thought! ;-)
Crazy good music here!!
@ Ddraudt, Ha, Ha, You gave me a great laugh, Now, I really do not feel so alone in this club, as I said, alot of others on audiogon would think we fell off our rockers, whatever, I can imagine we reap the benefits, and they can only think, what if!, Bravo to Norm and Dave for believing cables are a componets themselfs!
I've really enjoyed the recent postings, thanks...Anyone have ideas about shipping expensive items outside the US?
Must be able to insure for from $1,250 to $7000. Got looms of U And UR so, The former has to move . Hope everyone is enjoying he music. I'm having a great time! My music is much richer, I am much poorer.;-)
@Ddraught. @Audiolybarinth. It does seem crazy but it is audio nirvana. It's like getting to OZ at the beginning of the movie. You just hear a clarity and natural sound coming from your instruments that you never heard in your system with the ultimate reference power cords. One more thing is the speed. I was listening to the percussionist Kendrick Scott Oracle. His album Conviction was a Grammy nominated Jazz album. The speed of the cymbals and drums are unmatched by any other cable I have heard. It is the speed of the magnets in the technology that make them faster than all the other cables. I heard a 9tap cymbal that I never heard before. I heard all 9 taps with proper decay. The backgrounds are so quiet on one of my Christian Mcbride albums when it is quiet you can hear him breathe. This cable is a winner
Calvin, Norm, Keith, I enjoyed Calvin's post! Love to see that amazement
I feel like the a charter member of the "Crazy Club", a polite way of saying Audio addict. My full loom UR cables, + UR - WGPF, + URR pc
cost 9 times the amount of the rest of my system. And why the H would anyone do that? It sure sounds crazy to the uninitiated. But the Incredible Sound, the Astonishing Experience of High Fidelity products can be irresistibly alluring. like sex or drugs to some. Which is why we say "don't listen to them if you can't afford them" because they are exceedingly hard to let go of.
I'm listening to music much more than ever before because the Wow factor is off the charts. I'm so continually Thrilled, Emotionally Involved, Enveloped, Transported, and Awed by what I hear these days the adequate descriptors allude me. What price for that, my friends, what price for that?
Before I heard these dangerously good products I would have never imagined spending this type of money. So… Is it crazy to hear these
gems or crazy not to?
TBG, A member of audiogon once told me, those who die with the most toys, WINS!, Enjoy the music.
Audiolabyrinth, maybe you are right, saying "crazy like a fox." But it is going to be very few that will take our advice. I'm in wonder that I ever got to this point. In part, I think it is good fortune and in part, I think it is just getting old and wanting the best before I leave. But whatever, I'm really enjoying my music.
@ TBG, Ha!, Your not alone, I currently have a stock form digital player I am modding extensivley that cost $2,500.00 new before I go to work on it, and I got a pair of Tara Labs Zero gold with HFX grounding station $15,950.00 1-meter, and a $5,450.00 Tara Labs Cobalt power cord with Top Oyaide plug and IEC, As I add up what the both of us have done here, My wife says my cables are $21,400.00 worth of cables, your total on your $1,780.00 BMC Pure Dac for cables is $22,475.00, LOL!, you beat me by $1,075.00, you know if we tell to many others on this site this, they will both think we are CRAZY, I say crazy like a fox!, cheers.
Calvinj, I can sense your enthusiasm which I think is the best measure of a review. You, like me, are in the strange place of loving a power cord that costs exceeds the component on which it is used and further remarking that we don't want to do without it.

Mine is a little more warped, as I have a BMC PureDac ($1780) plus a pair of HFC UR ics ($8900) and a HFC UR RHODIUM 1.5 m pc ($13,575).
Great Review Calvinj, It's all about the music, No matter what brand of cables that are used, I am happy that you got the exsperience of world class listening to audio now, you will never be the same, this happened to me, and I am sure a few others here,Even though my game changeing exsperience is with Tara Labs,,, LOL!, Now, are you going to buy this power cord?, your new found audio-nerversa should kick in right about NOW!, Ha, Ha, BUy the cord!, I know I am a bad influence, cheers calvin.
@Ddraught @Calloway@audiolabyrinth. I put the High Fidelity Ultimate Reference power cord today and all I got to say is wowwwwww. I put it on my amplifier I only have a classe ca2200 and it opened it completely up. It was a very musically natural sound. It just flat out improved everything. It took the piano and put it in my room for real. I can hear the inside of the drums. I can hear every cymbal tap and decay. Cymbals trail off like vapor now. It's layered properly. It's just musically fast in a good way. It single handily improved my PRAT. The pace is just amazing I was listening to the Christian Mcbride Trio and it was just amazing how sounded. It gives all of the bass playing of Mcbride with the speed and timbre of the instrument which is not easy to do. Everything now has more air around it. Spacing between instruments is done properly as well. It is a natural coming together. I know. All of this from a power cord? I couldn't believe it myself. Rick said to me that this power cord will make the difference of a component change. He was right. I know that my amp only retails for about $6000 but this power cord gets every single bit of performance out of it and adds to the rest of the system. Today I got the best sound I have ever had after inserting the High Fidelity Ultimate Reference Power Cable. Highly recommended. It is seldom when I can say I heard the best item in a equipment area I have ever heard. Today is one of those days.
Ddraudt...sorry if i did not make that clear..the HF UR was clearly the better pc..again, i am sorry for the confusion..
Morningstaraudio, Great, great report!! Thanks! That really painted a picture!
Calloway, in you statement:
i have had the Elrod Statement Gold and have auditioned the HF UR powercord and the difference is significant....in my system,.....much faster..better vocals..tighter bass / transient attack..better instrument seperation..just BETTER..

Just to clarify, which of the two power cables was the Better in you system?
Just some notes taken during different times in the break in process.
UR IC's, Wonderfully taut percussiveness,quick, with notes hanging in the air,deep bottom end on Carla Lowther's Captain Courageous, the lows plummeted to new depths. On Chris Botti's Lisa the horn was smooth with just the right amount of bite.
385 hours on the IC's. Highly recommend Cross My Heart by Suzy Bogguss.
Also (I wish I had a) Heart of Stone by Ballie and The Boys, kind of Country but nice music to listen too, nicely recorder forCountry&western, there is a lovely delicacy to the lingering of notes, just hanging in the air but also with speed and intimacy that is captivating with low hours in the break in period. Deep bass but not in a warm bloated way, more in the range of the nether region, taut percussive plumbing to deep depthbut lows not akin to RCA Black-plate tubes which somehow seem a tad bloated.
UR speaker cables have only 18 hours on them at this point.
They just excel in information retrieval. Startling dynamics that make you jump and look where that sound came from.
It's Alive
Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny ( The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) makes me never want to go see them as they are performing live in my listening room. Their Two For The Road sounds so beautiful.
Ry Cooder & Manual Galba'n ( Boler Sonambulo) ,think slow tango with a groove had me dancing with a rose between my teeth,lol. Everything is you are there in the venue.
Brian Bromberg ( Goodbye) For my Father is so acoustically true, if I could listen 24/7 I would, the experience of listening is so much more enjoyable, I loved my system before but it is at such a levell now I just can't imagine it getting that much better and that is with only 35 hours on speaker cables.
200 hours now on speaker cables, now upper mid-range is stunning. Notes throughout frequencies has settled out so smoothly.
I broke these in on a Panny XR700 for burn in purposes, as it was the only digital/SS amp I could use one of my Hypex NC400 mono's went belly up. All my evaluations have been done with tube amps (as expected).
The annunciated breath and their vocal pronunciation is in the first class traveling section of High Fidelity.
300 hours now. Melissa Ethredge (Angels Would Fall Live has incredible realism in her voice and sonic.
Montego Bay by Razoof is deep deep deep,albeit not my favorite genre of reggae, as it is to current with its Dub sound, that being said it is the best it has ever sounded.
350 hours now has Eva Cassidy What A Wonderful World which has a bass line that is fat and live at Blues Alley makes me feel like I'm in the club, simply wonderful.

Thats about it for now, more hours needed, probablt double what I have on them but as others have said" Rick is onto to something very special here.
Rick said he would send me out a couple of those new Power cables to give a whirl, can't wait!
Thanks Calloway. BTW being in Australia it seems my posts indeed take longer to show up which can interfere with my posting regarding others posts. No matter.
Ddraudt`s(appears to be as crazy as myself with system detail haha)last post, which i was unaware of at the time, has kind of already answered my previous post.

So you guys think it might be wiser to just start off with the UR wave guide and use that with Elrod Gold until i can afford the UR+r power cord?
Basically i would only be in a position to get one or the other FTTB.

So FTTB it would either be -
Elrod gold > UR wave guide.
UR+r > Acoustic Revive ultimate passive.
Then upgrade the other at a later date.

So guys, any more thoughts as to which might be the most effective first step or which you would choose yourself?
Cheers.
Thankyou Dave for a very good reply, I enjoyed reading what you had to say, It made alot of sence to me, If you do take a power cord with you, let me know how the competition stacks up against the High-fidelity power cord, cheers.
Petieboy..i have had the Elrod Statement Gold and have auditioned the HF UR powercord and the difference is significant....in my system,.....much faster..better vocals..tighter bass / transient attack..better instrument seperation..just BETTER..
Also, for those who own them both, if you had to choose between the UR PC`s paired with existing quality conditioner. Or a wave guide conditioner with existing quality PC`s?
Sorry maybe a bit of a hard question. Basically which would be advised to get first.... if too hard to discern in any other way.
Anyone here ever compare the Elrod diamond line to the High Fidelity UR power cords?
I have been considering retiring my Elrod Gold for maybe a Diamond MB X2 or UR.
Anyone?
Just to let you guys know, i got my replacement Ultimates last week. This new set still does not fit as tight as the CT1, but they are way better fitting than my original Ultimate.

This new set arrived in a pelican brief case. Very Nice!!!!!