Taralabs cables

Even Taralabs Grandmaster Evolution series cables can improve if you use a Tripoint Troy Signature to remove EMI/RFI. Check out this review from a WBF member. Dealer disclaimer.

About two weeks ago I received the new Taralabs grandmaster evolution (6 ft) loudspeaker cable and Taralabs grandmaster evolution (1,5m) ic cable. These new top of the line cables are not yet officially launched by Taralabs. However the word spread rapidly that the Grandmaster evolution cables are something extraordinary and they can be ordered, although the availability is restricted (partly because it takes quite some time to produce them). Being a music lover and audiophile for more than thirty years I have learned the hard way that a lot so-called break through products do not live up to the expectations. And although I was a little sceptical that the new grandmaster evolution would outclass my taralabs omega gold and zero gold cables, after talking several times to Matthew Bond and Devon Scott I took the jump. Boy, what am I glad that I did!

Having listened to them for about 50 hours I can say the following: the grandmaster evolution cables are by far the best loudspeaker and ic cables I have ever heard. These cables sound on the one hand very calm/serene but are on the other hand the most dynamic cables I have ever experienced. Furthermore they are very refined (velvet) sounding with a huge soundstage (deep as well as wide) but at the same time with a focus that exceeds easily all other cables that I am familiar with. Probably as a consequence of the great extension of the grandmaster evolution cables they also give you the impression that the soundstage is larger in height without making the players and instruments larger than they are. For example, the distance in height between various players in a large orchestra can be noted easily. Talking about an inky black background and transparency: the grandmaster evolution excells in this regard.

BTW, I connected the (double box) Taralabs grounding device to my Tripoint audio Troy signature se grounding device and noticed that the haze on some vocals was (nearly completely) gone. Spooky!

If I am informed correctly, the new Taralabs evolution line (situated directly below the top of the line grandmaster evolution cables) is right now being tested and reviewed by one of the leading audio reviewers. So if you find my great enthusiam hard to swallow, wait for this review and find out if there are oher people who are as impressed as I am.

Top notch products never come cheap and the same applies to the Taralabs grandmaster evolution line. So probably some WBF readers will jump on the issue of pricing and will be very criticall. I am not going to react to this and can only advise the following: try to give the grandmaster evolution cables a serious listen. They are phenomenal imho.

For those who are interested I include some info from the Taralabs website. Happy listening to eveybody.

"The Grandmaster Evolution Interconnect with “Dual Mono-block” HFX Floating Ground Station System

The Grandmaster Evolution Series from TARA Labs is truly beyond belief. It is quite simply the new watershed in the art and science of audio cable design. The Evolution Series is in a class of its own, beyond all other audio cable products in the history of the audio industry worldwide.

The Grandmaster Evolution Interconnect uses the same multi-lumen air-tube concept invented by TARA Labs as used in the ZERO Interconnects and the AIR Series Interconnects originally developed in 1986. However, the Evolution Interconnect is remarkably flexible.

The Evolution Interconnect uses the same displaced and Floating Shield design together with a new Dual Mono-Block HFX Ground system with greater absorption of RF/EMI and a vanishingly low background noise.

Incredibly, the new Grandmaster Evolution Interconnect boasts a remarkably low capacitance figure of just 2 pF per foot. This means that the new Evolution has a High Frequency bandwidth that is more than 300% greater than any other high-end cable in the world.

• The most advanced air-tube technology and design
• All new proprietary “dual mono-block” floating ground station (HFX) and floating shield system
• Controlled spacing of conductor to conductor geometry, produces record low interconnect capacitance of a mere 2 pf (pico farads)
• Additionally the conductor to shield capacitance is remarkably low so the EMI/RFI coupling from the shield to conductors is negated
• The outer shield is expanded and spaced away from the conductors to such a degree that the background noise is at an all-time low
• Two layers of anti-corrosion coated SAOF-8N copper shield
• Compared to the Zero Evolution, The Grandmaster Evolution has a larger, more complex system of Teflon and Aero-PE filaments that ensure a complete air dielectric system.
• The most revealing and lifelike presentation possible
• Compared to the Zero Evolution, The Grandmaster Evolution has a high-frequency bandwidth that is 50% greater, with a stunning low level of background noise contrasted with more image outlines and fine detail
• Revolutionary liquid micro-film (LMF) dielectric ensures a linear transfer of low-level ambient and spatial information

The Grandmaster Evolution Speaker Cable

The new Evolution speaker cable is a stunning achievement, boasting the greatest current-carrying capability of any speaker cable in the world, together with the High Frequency extension and linearity of a 32-gauge conductor. The Evolution Speaker Cable is an all air-dielectric design with 288 Rectangular Solid Core ® conductors per channel.

Importantly, the gauge size for each channel is far greater than any speaker cable ever made or ever conceived in history. The gauge size is not 10, or 6, or 4, or even 0. The gage size for an Evolution Speaker Cable is 000, that’s an area of 85 square millimeters per channel.

• BSM (with 1/4”or 5/16” Spades or Bananas)
• Gauge size is 000 = an area of 85 Square mm per channel
• SA-OF8N® copper.
• Each channel comprised of 288 Rectangular Solid Core ® conductors per channel
• Aero-PE® GMI™ dielectric.
• Separate positive and negative conductor run for each channel.
• Helixed Rectangular Solid Core® conductors and air-tube technology
• Gauge size is 000 = an area of 85 Square mm per channel
• Spectacular power and clarity. Absolutely neutral and coherent.
• Superb resolution of micro-detail and ambient information.
• Incredible dynamic contrasts & vivid imagery
• Holographic soundstage & superb resolution of micro-details
• Excellent imaging & absolute coherent and neutral
• Holographic soundstage & superb resolution of micro-details".

Grandmaster Evolution Interconnect, 1 meter - Retail $28,000.00
Grandmaster Evolution Speaker cable, 8ft/2.4m – Retail $42,000.00

Audiolabyrinth, the WBF member asked my opinion about Tara Labs and I recommended them as a great choice. To many other cable manufacturers add to much false dynamic energy of their own are very editorial. Tara Labs conductor choice and grounding concept is a great match to showcase Tripoint strengths. Regarding Tripoint Troy Signature benefits, I promise you that the EMI/RFI noise rejection capabilities of this product is uncharted territory for most folks.

It's best to talk to existing Tripoint owners regarding their experiences. Plenty of them out there. The new Tripoint Emperor Ground and Emperor AC just went to a show in Asia where they made audio history. Check out one of the reviews from the show.

我是代我父的友人貼上以下文章：

I wish reviewers from the west would have come for the 2nd AE super show. The crew successfully set the international benchmark for public demonstration. I should say this is an “attitude” that simply does not exist elsewhere in the world. I have read so many positive reviews about the Vox Olympian speakers driven by a suite of Kondo flagship electronics in Munich 13/14. To be fair, I attended the Munich Show this year and had been to the room orchestrated by Kevin Scott of living voice. I spent 45 minutes there. The selected music for demonstrations was all well calculated. Tonality is beautiful and audiences were easily engaged by the music. To my picky ears, the system however lacks speed and transient resolution.

To be fair, the Cessaro performance in Munich 2014 driven by Tron’s cheaper line of electronics really sucked. There was no refinement. Resolution was vague. Details were rough. The speed might be there but sorry the roughness really hurt my brain. I had to leave after 15mins. I came back for the 2nd day, slightly better but the inferior quality of the electronics continued to prevail.

The AE guys are tremendously famous in the internet. Audiophiles from the west probably see them as a bunch of rich Chinese audiophiles who want to show off their expensive audio trophies. I felt the same beforehand until I attended the 2nd AE show. I was in “awe”. What I experienced last Sat in Hong Kong was simply “Live music” with a vanishingly low noise floor that allows the inner detail of music to bloom with genuine color. Those damn expensive ground filter boxes by Tripoint must be doing some serious works from behind. And one of the AE crews told me those SRA boards contributed no less than the ground/AC filters. Whoever you are, I can’t verify your claim. I can only comment from a total experience point of view.

Dynamics are almost no different from live concerts. And I do mean it because I come from the music industry. The replay of Peter, Paul and Mary was astonishing because it was so freaking real as though the audiences were teleported in time to the venue where the concert was took place. The Spanish guitars duo was another show stoppers. That exhibition hall was at least over 120 square meters. Energy fills the entire room. Refinement and resolution of details are all there without highlighting themselves. I suspect some seats might probably have more bass volume than others. But that is natural. The only criticisms I can imagine would have come from those “imaging freaks” associated with conventional speakers. Those who sat in the first few rows may find imaging bigger than those at the back row. Try listen to Jacky Cheung live in the first few rows in the HK Coliseum, imaging is much bigger with excessive bass. I can see the Chinese audiences were truly engaged by the whole event. And the standard is much higher than western counterparts. I truly mean it is a few planets away than what I experienced in CES and Munich.

If guys like Srajan, Edward Baker or whoever thought the Vox Olympian driven by Kondo was spectacular in Munich, my honest words to them – “Sorry pals, you have never had any experiences of ultra fidelity yet.” What they thought so great attained by the best in Munich is mid-end at best. And Ralph Krebs of Cessaro probably never knows what his speakers are really capable of if he keeps using Tron years after years for the Munich Show. The electronics by that skinny Robert guy and the white hair Yamada are way better than what was chosen for the Cessaro/TW acoustics room in Munich.

AE truly put forth a system that plays music as a wholesome experience. In comparison, the guys over Munich/CES shared a room purely to economize costs as the priority. Sound quality comes second without considering synergies. How do you explain Cessaro allowed cheap Tron electronics (mostly front end) to partner with the Lizst retail well over EUR120,000. To compare, the British chap is smarter. That was why he succeeded in winning compliments from audio journalists because he voices the big Vox with Kondo electronics. And that alone made him stand out as he had complete control on mating. And this room is indeed well ahead than those big German brands like Burmester and Avantgarde that sounds metallic and plastic respectively year after year. The standard of the Hi Fidelity industry is getting worst and worst with ever increasing price tag.

The whole execution of this show is one of a kind. It is unique and it is much higher class than anything out there. The boss seems like a man who excels in public speech. That probably deepened the color of the event. But I don’t care who runs the boat from behind. It is the content that matters. I am not an AE customer and will unlikely be one anytime soon. But I have to say that the AE crew had achieved something genuinely splendid. I admire the spirit of challenging the ‘status quo”. I encourage journalists from the west to attend the 3rd AE show next year. There is so much more to learn and write from just one single company than the sum of many companies who simply wandered in the audio forest with inadequate planning. Audio designers who think you have done a great job in designing electronics should look for a manager who can put together a system that allows your designs to shine through. If not, it does more harm than good very much too often.

Audio Aristotle

Audiolabyrinth, Are you calling my customer Audiorack a liar? Have you ever heard the Troy Signature in combination with Tara Labs Grandmaster Evolution series? To assume that the HFX station is benefitting the EMI/ RFI filtering capabilities of the Troy Signature is completely absurd without knowing any of the design philosophies of the Troy? I challenged anyone with Tara Lab ground boxes to a challenge. Bring your checkbook.