This is the only interconnect that has the new Tara Lab's Generation 3 conductor's, A new design that surpasses past attempt's of conductor design from Tara Labs, The Grand Master Evolution extended band-width interconnect w/ duel mono block HFX ground station 1.0m/3.3ft
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 (picofarads) •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
@jmac it is the circle of life what a difference a year can make. After listening to the top of the line of both of these great brands I chose to go the HFC route. I'm not downing tara labs they make a great product. High fidelity won my ears over. I no longer cable search. @audiolabryinth. I just put my helmet on for you to tackle me now. Lol If tara labs does it for you keep enjoying it. They both sound great. cheers my friend.
Hi calvinj, I do like your sence of humor, I got a good laugh, however, we both know you have never had any top Tara Lab's cable's in your system, like the Zero Gold, Zero Evolution, Grandmaster Evolution, heck, I do not believe you have had the 0.8 cable's in your system to evaluate, the 0.8 is not one of the top cables, I'm good with that you like HF cable's and had no exotic cable's by no other brand, if you like what you have, by all mean's, your search is over indeed, congrats, cheers.
Hi audiocrack, I tried to go to whatsbest forum, does it cost money or something to go to the threads?, congrat's on such an awsome grounding device, and thankyou for answering my post, reply when you can.
I am happy with my Tara Labs Zero Gold interconnect, Omega Gold speaker cables, Cobalt power cord, sure the new two top models are better, however, I have not encountered any other model by any other brand to do better on my system than what I have other than the Zero Evolution, Grandmaster Evolution, that's it!
Hi audiocrack, I went to whats best forum, will you copy and past your last 12-21-14 post from your Tara Labs thread here on this thread please, it's like wow!, Audiocrack, please tell me your exsperience with the Tara Labs Grandmaster power cord, I have none with that model, I have the Cobalt with Oyaide termination's from the Tara factory, I know, I know, it's far better than what I have, I would like for you to tell me about the sound differences, and the sound in general, Thankyou audiocrack, sorry we got to a bad start months ago, cheers!
your right about explaining about the speakers, I do not own $600.00 speakers!, if you choose to believe that go right ahead, that is the same as if I said you have $1,000.00 amp on what you use, even though you might not, if enough people read your fabication over and over, they will believe you do, the idXXT that started that lie about me owning some kind of cheap speaker's is a lier!, and then you believe him, now that is the joke, makes you look bad, not me!
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 85,000 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 • TARA Labs "C" hook revolutionary new termination • 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
That is very funny!, I own $600.00 speakers, ok then, whatever you say,ha,ha, some people say anything to discredit someone, shows your character, I have Tara Omega Gold 8ft speaker cable's, they retail $24,000.00, and if I paid $2,000.00, does that mean I have $2,000.00 speaker cable's, really!, BTW, I did not pay $2,000.00, make sure I say that, next thing you know, there would be a rumor that I do not have Omega Gold 8ft speaker cable's, ha,ha.
Jmcgrogan2, Yes, I remember that post from a year ago. I'm still waiting too for Alab to actually listen and compare the two cables. BTW, in that last copy and post about Tara cables they can't be both 85 square millimeters and 85000 square millimeters.
Audiolabyrinth..... I am also highly skeptical of your claims to have heard the effect of Rick's current flagship line of cables, either within your system or elsewhere! And therefore your credibility in commenting thus.
Hi Ronnjay, yes it took a year, however, I did get to compaire the two different brand's of cable's, and the Tara Labs Grandmaster Evolution speaker cable's are 000 awg and an area of 85,000 square milimeter's per channel, cheers.
“The new physically flexible TARA Labs Omega Evolution, incorporating almost twice as many rectangular, solid-core "8 Nines" oxygen-free copper elements (280 versus the Gold's 156), adds the speed, transparency, dimensionality and, especially, textural suppleness….”
After my first post on the WBF I have been silent about the Tara Labs grandmaster evolution loudspeaker and interconnect cables because I wanted to break them in and learn more about them while doing so. I believe they are more or less played in by now and after some changes to my AC I believe I am in the position to make a final judgment. I am even more amazed and impressed now than I was at the time of my first post. These cables are so transparent and dynamic it is almost frightening. Furthermore, they present a huge soundstage, in particular the depth is unbelievable. Yesterday evening I played inter alia an old EMI recording of Shostakovich symphony no. 6/11, conducted by Paavo Berglund (beautiful recorded BTW by recording engineer Stuart Eltham), on my Forsell/Koetsu coral stone/Kondo step up/Zanden 1200 mk III (on the latter I used the special EMI curve) phono combination. The soundstage was phenomenal in depth. The stringtone was oh so sweet and at the same time the micro details in the recording were brought alive so easily and beautifully; I have never heard this recording sound so impressive before. In short, the Taralabs grandmaster cables are by far the best loudspeaker and interconnect cables I have ever experienced in my audiophile journey of more than thirty years. I urge everybody who is in the position to do so to give these Taralabs cables a listen: they are imho phenomenal. – Audiocrack
correction for audiocrack of the number of conductor's in this cable, The Omega™ GOLD 8ft/2.4m
Spectacular power and clarity. Absolutely neutral and coherent.
Superb resolution of micro-detail and ambient information.
Powerful dynamic contrasts. Superbly defined and vivid images.
The Omega™ GOLD is the high performance speaker cable from TARA Labs, designed for use with only the finest extreme-performance systems. It represents a snthesis of the most important technologies pioneered by TARA Labs over the past 20 years. The size of the Omega™ GOLD (6+ AWG) hints at its incredible power. But because this effective gauge is achieved using fine gauge Retangular Solid Core® conductors (168 per channel), the Omega™ GOLD doesn't suffer from loss of claity or detail. On the contrary, this is the only cable that can extract superb resolution of micro-detail and ultra frequency-linarity from power-hungry extreme-performance speakers. Glass Microsphere-infused dielectric (Aero-PE®) provides the most neutral dielectric environment possible while giving the cables their necessary flexibility. This is a connoisseur product, to be recommended only for the select few who have the extreme-performance system to support it, and the discernment to appreciate it.
TARA Labs Awards and Recommendations The Absolute Sound magazines 2006 & 2010 & 2012 & 2013 "Editors Choice Awards" The Absolute Sound magazines 2006 & 2007 & 2008 "Product of the Year Award" Audio Excellence 2007 "AEX" Award, and Absolute Sounds JV "Golden Ear" Awards Stereophile magazines 2012 "Best-Sounding High-End Audio Products" Award Stereophile magazines 2012 & 2013 & 2014 "Recommended Components" Awards Positive Feedback (pf) Online magazine 2007 "Writers Choice" Award Hi-Fi magazines 2009 "Best Sound at Show" Award Visual Grand Prix 2008 "1st Place Digital Cable" Award RMAF/Apex Audio, Absolute Sounds – 2012 "Best Sound at Show"Award CES/ Ayon 2013 AV Sound "Best Sound" Gold Show Award Super AV Magazine 2011 & 2012 "Outstanding Overall Performance" Award Newport/ Ayon 2013 Stereophile "Best Sound" Show Award RMAF/Apex Audio 2011 "Gold Show Award Room" Axpona/AV Showroom 2014 "Best Sound" Show Award The Absolute Sound magazines RMAF/Apex 2014 "Best Sound of Show Cost No Object"Award The Abslote Sound magazines RMAF/Apex 2014 "Best Analog of Show" Award
In addition, we've received an enourmous amount of "Recommended Components" awards & "Positive Reviews" from Audio Techniques magazine, Hong Kong Journal magazine, Bound for Sound magazine, High Fidelity magazine, The Audiophile Voice magazine,Hi-Fi magazine, Hi End Audio Journal magazine, Sonic Review magazine, Home Theater magazine and Sound & Vision magazine. Including online publications magazines: 6 Moons, Positive feedback (PF), AV Guide, Audio Review, Head-Fi, Soundstage, Digital Home,Audio Shark,What's Best Forum, and the list continues with reviews and shows around the world. *TARA Labs has literally hundreds of positive reviews, in multiple languages from prestigious hi-end audio magazines from around the world
This is the brand NEW Tara Labs Cobalt Reference power cord, not to be confused with the standard Cobalt power cord, the Cobalt Reference yields more performance, this new model is one level above the standard Cobalt power cord in the revised model line up for power cord's.
The Cobalt AC Reference Power Cable
The Cobalt AC Reference Power Cable is a reference quality AC Power Cable having both High-Frequency conductors (Rectangular Solid Core) matched with specially adapted Low Frequency conductors. The Cobalt Reference AC has 18 high frequency conductors for the Live run, and 18 high frequency conductors for the Neutral run. The Ground path is comprised of shielding and 18 AWG solid core conductors that are fitted with Ceralex(R) capsules.
This is the NEW Omega Evolution AC Power Cable that is two level's above the original Cobalt power cable, and sit's second under the flagship Grandmaster Evolution power cord,
Omega Evolution AC Power Cable
More than twice the conductor mass is used in the Omega Evolution, the live run uses 18 rectangular conductors, the neutral run uses 18 rectangular conductors, and the ground run uses 18 conductors where as there is no ground run in the Cobalt. The Omega has more than twice the conductor mass.
Additionally, three low frequency conductors are used are used for each live, neutral and ground (earth) run. The Omega is fully shielded with each live neutral ground runs being separately shielded and then the shields runs are connected electrically. This is a much more powerful dynamic rich clean detailed combination of sound qualities not heard in any other AC power cable
This is the NEW Tara Labs flagship power cable, The Grandmaster Evolution A/C power cable,
Grandmaster Evolution AC Power Cable
The GM Evolution AC power cables is the absolute ultimate power cable design. It employs twenty four RSC conductors for each of the live, neutral and ground “earth” conductor paths. A total of nine low frequency conductor paths is used combined with the 72 RSC solid core high frequency conductors. The 72 RSC high frequency conductors are shielded in three separate groups for live, neutral and ground. Then the shields are combined to provide a phenomenal ground path together with RF/Emi rejection
This is the NEW Tara Labs Generation 3 conductor's, no other interconnect in the world has conductor's this revolutionary, A true break through in cable technology, the Gen 3 conductor's are only used currently in the top model Grandmaster Evolution interconnect, only the best of system's will benefit from such a cable as this, to be able to listen to the full glory performance of the Tara Labs Grandmaster Evolution it would be a requirement to have componet's and speaker's of same performance to hear how this cable touches the humane emotion's of ,as real as it gets sound, Making Sense of….Gen 3 Conductors
TARA Labs, Inc. has just announced the introduction of its Generation 3 Rectangular Solid Core® conductor, to be used exclusively in its state-of-the-art interconnect cable.
TARA Labs claims that the Gen 3 conductor has an increased bandwidth or high-frequency extension, that makes it unrivalled in important test measurements and listening tests.
TARA Labs’ Vice President of Product Design, Matthew Bond, said that the new Gen 3 conductor has the same current-carrying capability of a 28 gauge conductor but has the high frequency linearity of a 40 gauge conductor.
Matthew Bond explains why this is possible. “In a conductor with a rectangular profile, there is a huge reduction of ‘flux-linkage’ or ‘coupling’ of electromagnetic lines of force. These lines of force are created as the signal (music) passes through any conductor.” Bond said further, “In a round conductor there is a large center that tends to roll-off or attenuate much more of the high frequency information … this does not happen in a Rectangular Solid Core® conductor”.
According to Matthew Bond, the new Gen 3 Rectangular Solid Core® conductor is smaller than the current Gen 2 conductor used in most of TARA Labs’ audio cables. The Gen 2 conductor measures approximately 25 thousands of an inch wide and 12 thousands of an inch in height. Bond says that the Gen 3 conductor is about 66% of the size of the Gen 2 conductor, and that it is Super-Annealed™ to increase its conductivity.
Both the Gen 2 conductor and the smaller Gen 3 conductor are said to be Eight-Nines™ pure copper, which is 99.999999% pure. TARA Labs’ trademarks for this technology are 8N™ and SA-OF8N®. SA-OF8N means Super Annealed – Oxygen Free 8 Nines copper. According to Bond, the term ‘annealing’ refers to the method whereby a conductor can be made softer and more conductive.
More feed-back about the new Tara Lab's Evolution series cable's, The pinpoint imaging of voices behind the mikes was surgically precise. The cable mastered relative distances between the singers and, as a bonus, it also depicted relative heights of the singers. Usually I hear this track with the voices coming as if from the same horizontal level – this time I could hear how tall the singer were.” - Audiodrom online magazine 2014
“By the clever design TARA Labs have managed to achieve the goal when timing is unified across the frequency spectrum and the system provides crystal clear view of the soundstage not only in spatial domain, but also in temporal domain.” – Audiodrom online magazine 2014
This is yet, another NEW cable introduced recently by Tara labs, one of the few I have not listen too, only because it is a digital cable, instead of an analog interconnect, Making Sense of …. Grandmaster Evolution Digital
The TARA Labs Grandmaster Evolution Digital Interconnect uses a pair of RSC® Gen 3 Rectangular Solid Core® conductors.
In the AES/EBU format, the conductors are critically spaced to ensure an exacting 110 Ohm characteristic impedance; this is the AES/EBU format used with XLR connectors.
The RSC Gen 3 conductors are smaller than the Gen 2 version, and this provides a more extended bandwidth for the digital signal.
The TARA Labs Grandmaster Evolution Interconnect uses a system of woven filaments constructed from small Teflon tubes, to expand and displace the shield further away from the signal carrying conductors.
In this way, the Grandmaster Evolution Digital Interconnect is able to reduce digital distortion, called ‘jitter’.
Jitter explains why Digital cables sound different from on to another.
The most significant reason for the different sound in digital recording and playback systems is the phenomenon of ‘errors’.
The most widely known error is called ‘jitter’. 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.
This is the NEW replacement of the Tara Labs Air 1 series 2 I/C, it is a totally differnt animal of an interconnect than the original Air series cables, this new cable comes in two differnt version's, cotrolled band-width, or extended band-width that uses a ground station called, The Evo HFX grounding station, not to be confused with the HFX grounding station that is a higher end station, also, I wanted to point out that there is no interconnect on the market today by any other cable brand in this price range that has the capacitance of 4 pico-farads per foot like this interconnect does, Pr. RSC® Air Evolution w/Evo HFX - 1.0m/3.3ft
The Air™ Series and air-tube™ technology from TARA Labs has been at the forefront of audio cable design for nearly 20 years. The Air 1 Interconnect was The Absolute Sound ‘Product of the Year’ and has been one of the best-selling high-end audio cables of all time.
Now TARA Labs proudly introduces the Air Evolution™ Interconnect that provides phenomenal performance and a Capacitance figure of only 4 pF per foot. This means that the Air Reference has more than twice the high frequency bandwidth of the famous Air 1 Interconnect. Of course the construction uses a minimal amount of dielectric material and a pair of the Rectangular Solid Core™ conductors.
The sound of the Air Evolution is completely neutral and absolutely revealing with high frequency and airy detail that is not found in comparable audio cables. There are two versions of the Air Evolution. The higher priced Air Evolution also includes our HFX Floating Ground Station System. •All new air-tube™ design •Controlled geometry for stable electrical characteristics •Teflon and Aero PE filament ensuring a high percentage of overall air dielectric •Each channel is a twin axial •Each channel uses a RSC Gen 2 conductor for separate positive & negative runs •Anti-corrosion coated copper shield •Extremely transparent, detailed, open & revealing •Fine resolution of fine detail •Image outlines clearly defined, life-like imagery
most of us read or see the term Aero-Pe when checking out how alot of Tara Labs cables are made, to give a better understanding, I wanted to share this will everyone, this is a trade marked and patenent process, Aero-PE
A proprietary dielectric material developed by TARA Labs and used as insulation in most TARA Labs cables.
Dielectric materials sound different because of the different rates that the materials store and release energy at different frequencies. PVC, a common dielectric material, causes distortion and coloration mostly audible in the mid-bass and mid-range frequencies, whereas Teflon® causes distortion in the upper treble frequencies, making coloration less noticeable.
TARA Labs uses a proprietary dielectric material called "Aerospace Polyethylene™" or "Aero-PE™." This material is chemically treated to have low dielectric absorption and high dielectric elasticity. It reacts less with the signal in the conductor, making it more sonically neutral than other materials. Aero-PE is also extruded at a lower temperature than other insulating materials. Copper conductors insulated with Aero-PE are not exposed to high heat and therefore retain their specially annealed qualities.
TARA Labs Airtube™ technology emerged from our determination to minimize dielectric content of cables and eliminate coloration. Featured in all RSC Air™ interconnects, Airtube technology is used to suspend conductors inside Teflon® tubes to prevent the adverse sonic effects caused by typical dielectric material, such as fiber or PVC. These materials absorb energy and release it back into the conductor out of phase with the audio signal, causing distortion and coloration in the highly audible mid-bass and mid-range frequencies. By removing dielectric materials that cause distortion and coloration, Airtube technology allows listeners to easily experience neutrality, transparency and a wonderfully detailed, spacious soundstage, Some word's from me, I do not know if anyone know's that Tara Labs invented the Air tube technology, many cable brands these days have followed suite useing a similiar method with an inferior result, their are many other Tara Labs inventions that the cable industry followed, many audiophile's do not realize this, that is why Tara Labs is known as the leader setting standard's in the cable industry today, cheers.
This unique and proprietary shield design is central to the Isolated Shield Matrix®. Unlike conventional shields, which are connected to the cable at the load end, the Isolated Floating Shield floats at both ends. It is completely decoupled, both mechanically and electrically, from every component in the system, including the cables themselves.
This is an important distinction because it has a profound effect on lowering the amount of RF intermodulation that can be introduced into the system via the cables. TARA Labs' in-house testing shows that the best of conventional shield designs are not effective at preventing RF intermodulation. The Isolated Shield Matrix, with its floating shield, dramatically reduces RF intermodulation of the audio signal.
In a typical interconnect the shield may prevent a certain amount of RF from modulating the signal through the conductors. But the shield is not deflecting RF energy in the environment - it is actually being absorbed. That energy is then returned to the system through the chassis of the component because the shield is coupled to the connector at one or both ends. By floating the shield at both ends, the Isolated Floating Shield avoids this problem. Energy absorbed by the shield is then transferred directly to the Floating Ground Station
The ability of conductors, separated by dielectrics, to store electrostatic charges. Interconnect cables should have capacitance figures of 24 pF or below. High capacitance cables produce sound which is rolled off - soft with a dulling of transients,
Impedance
A measure of the complex resistive and reactive attributes of a component in an alternating-current (AC) circuit. Impedance is what restricts current flow in an AC electrical circuit; impedance is not relevant to DC circuits. In DC circuits, resistors limit current flow (because of their resistance). In AC circuits, inductors and capacitors similarly limit the AC current flow, but this is now because of their inductive or capacitive reactance. Impedance is like resistance but it is more. Impedance is the sum of a circuit, or device's resistance AND reactance. Reactance is measured in ohms (like resistance and impedance) but is frequency-dependant. Think of impedance as the complete or total current limiting ohms of the circuit -- the whole banana. Since AC circuits involve phase shift -- i.e., the voltage and current are rarely in phase due to the storage effects (think "time;" it takes time to charge and discharge) of capacitors and inductors, the reactance is termed "complex," that is there is a "real" part (resistive) and an "imaginary" part (bad terminology, but it means the phase shifting resistance part). To summarize: resistance has no phase shift; reactance (capacitors & inductors in AC circuits) includes phase shift; and impedance, is the sum of resistance and reactance. Just that simple.
Inductance
Inductance in a wire (self inductance) is a measure of the result of current flow creating an electromagnetic field around the wire. As this is an alternating field, it induces voltage back into the wire, opposing current flow. Due to “skin effect” this become negligible at high frequencies. RSC™ is shaped to reduce the effects of inductance at all frequencies
Heterodyning
An effect caused by intermodulation of two or more signals, where additive and subtractive tones, known as beat frequencies, are created. For example, mixing two frequencies of 100 KHz and 1 KHz results in the following frequencies being created:
100 KHz
1 KHz
101 KHz
99 KHz
Intermodulation
Interaction between two or more spontaneously produced signals. A situation to be avoided in audio or video signal transmission, as it generally results in some type of distortion
A solid, extruded conductor with a rectangular cross section. This technology is a TARA Labs exclusive.
Rectangular Solid Core® interconnects and speaker cables have become the reference standard for reviewers and serious audiophiles the world over due to their extremely accurate, neutral and frequency linear performance.
To understand the principle behind RSC® technology, it’s necessary to understand a phenomenon known as the “Skin Effect.” This principle states that in a round conductor higher frequencies will tend to travel towards the outside (or skin) or the conductor, while lower frequencies tend to be concentrated at the center of the conductor. The larger the diameter of a round conductor, the worse the effect will be, resulting in a significant roll-off of high frequencies in large gauge conductors.
Because of its rectangular cross section, an RSC conductor essentially has no center like a round conductor. Therefore it does not suffer the same high-frequency losses. It is the only conductor that is able to combine high current-carrying capability with extreme frequency linearity across the musical spectrum.
This is the Generation 2 conductor's found in all but one Tara Labs model cable's, The Tara Lab's GrandMaster Evolution interconnect has the brand NEW just introduced Generation 3 conductor's, The RSC Gen 2 (SA-OF8N) Conductor
Super Annealed, Oxygen Free, Eight Nines Copper (SA-OF8N) is the new standard in high performance copper purity.
TARA Labs Rectangular Solid Core® conductors are completely produced in the USA. We start with Oxygen Free Eight Nines Copper (99.999999%), and the copper rods are extruded into long, unbroken, mono-crystal copper rectangular conductors. The conductors are extruded into a unique rectangular shape having specific ‘frequency-tuned’ proportions. Rectangular Solid Core conductors are annealed with a process known as Super Annealing™.
Super Annealing™ or SA, softens the RSC® conductor and increases its conductivity. After annealing, the RSC conductors are polished in-line, and will become finished SA-OF8N® Rectangular Solid Core conductors ready for insulation using advanced polymers or liquid-film technology.
TARA Labs has continuously advanced the design and materials used in its conductor technologies. Previously, in our lower priced consumer grade cables, we were limited to the use of 6N, or six-nines (99.9999%) pure copper and the OCC or Ohno-Continuous Cast copper technologies.
Since the development of Rectangular Solid Core, we have moved beyond these lesser quality materials with the use of higher purity copper and our exclusive USA technologies.
I wanted to share that my info has come from personal E-mails from Tara labs, and of course their web-site, I have had a long personal relationship with Tara Labs, no I do not work for them, no, I am not a dealer, though that would be good, however, in my exsperience, Tara labs is the forefront of all cable design, magnetic condution is fair, only takes you to a place that is an illusion of this is it, when anyone can afford to get to best available, then this is the one stop shop, the science behind what I have personally listened to is mind blowing, do I have such cables, LOL!, No, however, I do own some very good Tara cables that sit 3rd in the model line up, all this is sytem dependent, but tara labs web-site provides a server sytem that provides a match, atleast a very good choice on given equipment, and an answer to what cables one may need, may not be exactly accurate, but this is far and away better than any other company out there, no one does this on a web-site any where, cheers to all, I have enjoyed all that I have done here!
This is a free service offered by Tara Labs, the down load is free off the Tara Labs web-site, this is a burn-in disc that is alot better burn-in disc than most can buy at any cost, to celebrate a mile stone of this thread, to all readers, thankyou,this down load is for all of you, enjoy. The Cascade Noise / Burn in disc
Although there have been other “burn-in” test discs used by audiophiles in the past, the discs have mostly been a mix of pink noise and sweep test tones. The new CASCADE noise burn-in disc is a proprietary combination of white noise with frequency tone bursts and pink noise mixed at different levels. However, what makes it really effective is a series of descending and ascending (cascading) multi-octave square sweeps for better and more complete results than any other “burn-in” discs that have been made to date. The CASCADE noise burn-in disc may be used with audio electronic component and with audio cable including cables with attachments such as batteries or filter networks. Before and after results will be obvious with any of these cables.
The phenomenon commonly referred to as “burn-in” is confusing to some people. We prefer to think of the phenomenon as the conditioning of the system with continued use. The phenomenon of burn-in is actually a polarization of effects on a microscopic level. This microscopic world might be as little as a few thousandths of an inch along the length of the conductors within a cable; the thickness of one to three sheets of paper. At this level one can visualize the subtle electromagnetic waves around a conductive wire. These waves are moving through the dielectric (primary insulation) around the conductor. There is a problem at this microscopic level; not all frequencies carried by the electromagnetic waves will pass at the same attitude at every point of the conductive wire. For example, at some point along the conductor, there might be a tiny point of oxidation, and this will limit the range of high frequencies that can pass easily between the same amplitude, perhaps turning AC into DC and creating random audible noise in the cable. At other points, imagine air-gaps between the conductor and the insulation near the conductor surface. These tiny differences cause changes with respect to the different frequencies that are “stored and released” from conductor to dielectric and back again.
The new CASCADE noise burn-in disc is designed to completely condition the capacitive and diode-like effects within audio components and audio cables. The result is a more coherent and extended high frequency reproduction without the glare, along with a sense of listening experience. This will be noticed after just a few hours of using the CASCADE noise burn-in disc. Continued use of the disc, just a few hours at a time, or when you are able to run your audio system at normal listening levels for many hours at a time, will be extremely beneficial in improving the performance of all audio cables and components.
If you could improve the sound of your audio system, what would that be? Expansive soundstage? High-frequency detail? Less glare? Warmth & richness?
TARA Labs cables are the perfect match for any audio system, regardless of the combination or complexity of the components you have. If your "sound" needs more detail, more air, expansive soundstage, or if you feel there is too much high-frequency glare, or your sound lacks warmth? Our new Controlled Bandwidth and Extended Bandwidth cables will not only upgrade your sound, but will also enable you to have the perfect relationship between component and cable. Controlled Bandwidth & Extended Bandwidth Information
TARA Labs is known as one of the worlds' leading manufacturer of high-end audio cables. Currently the business model employed by the company has been one of both technological innovation and design. This ideology has enabled TARA Labs to remain at the cutting edge of the high-end audio industry. With an eye towards continual manufacturing advancements being made in audio components such as speakers and amplifiers, TARA Labs continues to lead the industry in developing new cutting-edge technologies. Our latest research and development has enabled us to create new reference grade audio cables that work extremely well with many of the newly developed materials used in speakers such as Beryllium, Titanium, Kevlar, and Ceramics in addition to standards such as carbon-fiber, fabrics, polypropylene, paper, etc. TARA Labs are categorized into two lines: Controlled Bandwidth and Extended Bandwidth. These two categories offer a wide range of reference-grade cables that will enable the audiophile to accommodate and upgrade the majority of the high-end audio components available today. Controlled Bandwidth
The ISM™ OnBoard Series of cables employs the Controlled Bandwidth technology from TARA Labs. The ISM™ OnBoard Series presents a range of cables with more presence, mid-range warmth and richness without sacrificing detail and high frequency extension. A common misconception is that the words warmer and richer may indicate a sound with smearing or coloration of the upper bass through mid-range frequencies. This is not the case with any of TARA Labs' cables. The sort of smooth or rolled-off sound is found most often with cables that employ filtering such as inductors and resistors found in network filter box designs. By contrast, the sonic signature of a TARA Labs cable is one that is more coherent and natural. The sound is often described as being lifelike with bloom and body. The ISM™ OnBoard Series of cables is especially recommended for systems that have wide-bandwidth electronics (with limited filtering*), or with systems that use loudspeakers that have a tonal balance that emphasizes the high frequencies. In general the ISM™ OnBoard Series (Controlled Bandwidth) is recommended for systems that are slightly etched sounding or overly detailed, perhaps with a sense of glare. *Higher frequencies in the RF bandwidth, or Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) can be picked up easily by longer lengths of interconnect cables, especially those with low Capacitance. Connecting this type of cable (especially single-ended) between high-powered solid state amplification can sometimes be a problem with components having limited filtering. Controlled Bandwidth - Onboard Capsule
The ISM™ OnBoard concept is unlike traditional shielding methods or filter networks. Even complex shielding methods still remain in proximity to the conductors, thereby distorting the audio signal. Filter networks in boxes at the ends of the cables often contain low quality resistors, inductors and capacitors to perform the filtering. These reduce RFI/EMI in the cable itself by being soldered in series and parallel between the signal conductors. This alters the integrity of the signal, in particular, the higher order harmonic structure of the music.
In the ISM™ OnBoard system, RFI/EMI is dissipated and absorbed within the OnBoard capsule. This function occurs in isolation from the signal conductors.
The signal path is not cut and fitted with additional components. The OnBoard capsule is effective in eliminating the noise of RFI/EMI without the attendant high-frequency anomalies of filter networks Extended Bandwidth
What this means is that the cable design employs a cable construction that takes advantage of the electrical characteristics such as Capacitance and Inductance. For example, we can reduce the Inductance in a simple conductor by changing its size, and in the case of a Rectangular Solid Core(R) the shape of the conductor can reduce the Inductance in the conductor. By reducing the Capacitance value in an Interconnect cable, we can extend the high frequency detail. These factors, including reducing the dielectric construction in a cable will make the cable sound more open and neutral. The Extended Bandwidth Series of cables is recommended for most audio systems. A very good example of the EX cable design philosophy is the Air Series of cables from TARA Labs. In most systems, the Extended Bandwidth cables deliver a sound that is more revealing, open, neutral and transparent. Most audio electronics use filtering and do not amplify extremely high frequencies such as RF/EMI. The best loud-speaker systems are generally phase coherent and do not sound forward or overly harsh, or even bright. However there are some combinations of audio electronics and loudspeakers that create strain or glare in the sound. Extended Bandwidth – w/HFX Floating Ground Station
The HFX Floating Ground Station is an extraordinary component that is included with all reference Extended bandwidth interconnect cables. TARA Labs proprietary ground station is made of mil-spec aluminum alloy. Our specific metallurgical properties allow for the reduction of RF and electromechanical resonance; EMI/RFI. It's 18.23% heavier and stronger than aircraft-grade stock. Equipped within the HFX station is a patented ceramic composite of metallic oxides and an amalgam of mineral elements in a ceramic binder called "Ceralex." Because the HFX functions completely outside of the signal path, its ability to dissipate and eliminate the effects of EMI/ RFI (Electromagnetic interference & Radio frequency interference) which also includes sonic distortion, noise, "snow", and lack of image clarity. The appearance of the HFX station is one of beauty and elegance, in addition to its superb performance.
This is a new model of Tara Labs speaker cables, all new to the model line up, The 0.3, The 0.3 - 8ft/2.4m
The 0.3 Speaker Cable is a state-of-the-art speaker cable using an all PTFE (Teflon) air-tube construction and a trio of helixed Rectangular Solid Core® conductors. Each channel uses 144 Rectangular Solid Core® conductors with a total gauge size greater than a 6-gauge conductor, together with the high frequency extension and linearity of a 32-gauge conductor. This cable provides exceptional performance and high current carrying capability. The 0.3 Speaker Cable has tremendous bass weight and authority, with a neutral and revealing mid-range, together with warmth and airy detail that is not found in other audio cables. •BSM (1/4” spades & bananas) •144 RSC Gen 2 conductor per channel •8+ gauge conductor runs •Positive/negative run for each channel •Positive/negative conductor runs are 72 conductors each •Extremely transparent and neutral •Midrange and vocals are life-like with realism and presence •Increased sense of warmth and richness •Vivid and detailed imagery
This is the all NEW matching interconnect to the NEW 0.3 speaker cables, this cable model has been on the market less than a year! The 0.3 w/HFX - 1.0m3.3ft
Extended Bandwidth - Interconnect
The 0.3 is a state-of-the-art analog interconnect cable using an all PTFE (Teflon) air-tube construction and a pair of helixed Rectangular Solid Core conductors. The extended Bandwidth technology is employed using a product design that has a perfect air-dielectric environment and minimal dielectric construction to extend the high-frequency bandwidth to provide a linear and uncompromising approach to the sound of the interface. A complex system of braided shielding made of pure copper and silver is used to control the RF and EMI interference. The shield is part of a specially designed Floating Shield System, where the shield floats at both ends of the interconnect cable. The floating shield is connected at the source end, to the HFX Floating Ground Station. The Floating Ground Station uses Ceralex devices internally to absorb and dissipate RF and EMI interference in the shield. This is done outside the signal path, and so the 0.3 Interconnect with an ‘out-board’ Floating Ground Station does not affect the high-frequency signal within the signal carrying conductors.
The 0.3 with the Floating Ground Station is designed for component interface of all extreme high-end audio components, but not always for electronics that have limited filtering. The sound of the 0.3 OnBoard Interconnect is tonally balanced, very linear with frequency, extended and airy in the high frequencies and very revealing. •RCA “Torque-lock”/XLR •All new, fine tolerance construction •All Teflon air-dielectric spacers and center air tube •Twin-axial design features RSC Gen 2 conductors using Aero-PE dielectric •Anti-corrosion coated SAOF-8N copper shield •Finely tuned frequency response ensures greater frequency linearity and phase coherency •Very revealing of low-level ambient and spatial cues with exacting focus •Extremely open & detailed •Clear & precise , tonally coherent frequency spectrum •New resonance control dielectric produces vanishingly low noise floor
"TL Grand Master Evolution ultra high end cables Okay guys. Non-believers in the cable side of this hobby please hit the back button immediately. Last week I received Tara labs new grandmaster evolution speaker cables and interconnects. These cables are definitely at a price point that only a handful of people would consider. Just a little over 100 K for a 3 m set of speaker cables and a one and a half meter interconnect and a 1 m interconnect….
The only thing I will say is wow. Out of respect for my other cable manufactures i do not want to go into much detail at this time …..
I know this is a truly crazy amount of money for cables. But could the performance increase possibly be justified? For the people that can afford it I will say a very big yes. Comments from Whatsbest forum,,, 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 excels in this regard.
A few word's by me about the Tara Lab's Grandmaster Evolution speaker cable's, although they are 000 awg speaker cable's, there is no bass bloat, no exagerated bass at all, these speaker cable's reveal the full potential of world class state of the art componet's and speakers in every way possible, most of us would only need the new Omega Evolution cable's or the original Omega Gold speaker cable's that I have, is there a substantial difference, sure there is!, however, in the real world of what we can afford, all three model's of speaker cable's are world class cable's, all this depends on what one can afford, and system matching of course, cheers.
also I will add, to my finding's, interconnect's can give a system deeper bass, articulate, very clean, hard hitting slam with Tara labs the further you move up the cable food chain, this caught me by surprise when I had this exsperience, I knew speaker cables would do this, interconnect?, well they do in a big way, along with of course the complete top to bottom resolution and exotic sound stage presataion, happy listening.
I have stated numerous times, I have been sent personal E-mails from Tara Labs for information, also I have used the web-site, and My personal exsperience from the numerous models of Tara cables I have owned, and to put things in more perspective, I have had the opportunity to listen to and audition Tara labs cables I do not own under and over my price range of affordability,I have owned Tara cables for the last 25 years, I am sure their are some of you out there that had Tara cables before then, one of my very first cable's was the Tara Labs prism cd for cd-players that was an interconnect around $45.00, now I am up to the Tara Labs Zero Gold I/c that retailed for around $15,000.00 a meter, I have exsperience with other brands of cables, in the end, I enjoyed Tara Labs products more, now, all I own is Tara Labs products, I have auditioned others in the last couple of years, Tara Labs is my sound, cheers to all.
very funny, I do not have the capital nor a store front, or a means of a customer base, and I do not have a means of distribution, your motives on the other hand is transparent for all to see here, you are the owner and designer of a cable brand in competition!
Hear is an example of what I am saying about motives from other cable so called competition, this is from his own thread,03-14-15: Sabai Sts,
Do you mean that you don't like what I say on the forum so you are trying to get at my business? No need to be cryptic and mysterious. Just let everyone here know what you mean -- and what you are up to. Honesty is the best policy
This also will give a perspective as to why so many come to this thread to disrupt the thread, LOL! TARA Labs Awards and Recommendations The Absolute Sound magazines 2006 & 2010 & 2012 & 2013 "Editors Choice Awards" The Absolute Sound magazines 2006 & 2007 & 2008 "Product of the Year Award" Audio Excellence 2007 "AEX" Award, and Absolute Sounds JV "Golden Ear" Awards Stereophile magazines 2012 "Best-Sounding High-End Audio Products" Award Stereophile magazines 2012 & 2013 & 2014 "Recommended Components" Awards Positive Feedback (pf) Online magazine 2007 "Writers Choice" Award Hi-Fi magazines 2009 "Best Sound at Show" Award Visual Grand Prix 2008 "1st Place Digital Cable" Award RMAF/Apex Audio, Absolute Sounds – 2012 "Best Sound at Show"Award CES/ Ayon 2013 AV Sound "Best Sound" Gold Show Award Super AV Magazine 2011 & 2012 "Outstanding Overall Performance" Award Newport/ Ayon 2013 Stereophile "Best Sound" Show Award RMAF/Apex Audio 2011 "Gold Show Award Room" Axpona/AV Showroom 2014 "Best Sound" Show Award The Absolute Sound magazines RMAF/Apex 2014 "Best Sound of Show Cost No Object"Award The Abslote Sound magazines RMAF/Apex 2014 "Best Analog of Show" Award
In addition, we've received an enourmous amount of "Recommended Components" awards & "Positive Reviews" from Audio Techniques magazine, Hong Kong Journal magazine, Bound for Sound magazine, High Fidelity magazine, The Audiophile Voice magazine,Hi-Fi magazine, Hi End Audio Journal magazine, Sonic Review magazine, Home Theater magazine and Sound & Vision magazine. Including online publications magazines: 6 Moons, Positive feedback (PF), AV Guide, Audio Review, Head-Fi, Soundstage, Digital Home,Audio Shark,What's Best Forum, and the list continues with reviews and shows around the world. *TARA Labs has literally hundreds of positive reviews, in multiple languages from prestigious hi-end audio magazines from around the world
LOL! Get lost cable manufacturor, this is a lost cause for you to all see, Omega Evolution - “the best speaker cable I've ever heard”– Y.K. Chan /”Audiophile” Hong Kong, 2014
Comment by Audiocrack from Whatsbest forum:
“The new physically flexible TARA Labs Omega Evolution, incorporating almost twice as many rectangular, solid-core "8 Nines" oxygen-free copper elements (280 versus the Gold's 156), adds the speed, transparency, dimensionality and, especially, textural suppleness….”
After my first post on the WBF I have been silent about the Tara Labs grandmaster evolution loudspeaker and interconnect cables because I wanted to break them in and learn more about them while doing so. I believe they are more or less played in by now and after some changes to my AC I believe I am in the position to make a final judgment. I am even more amazed and impressed now than I was at the time of my first post. These cables are so transparent and dynamic it is almost frightening. Furthermore, they present a huge soundstage, in particular the depth is unbelievable. Yesterday evening I played inter alia an old EMI recording of Shostakovich symphony no. 6/11, conducted by Paavo Berglund (beautiful recorded BTW by recording engineer Stuart Eltham), on my Forsell/Koetsu coral stone/Kondo step up/Zanden 1200 mk III (on the latter I used the special EMI curve) phono combination. The soundstage was phenomenal in depth. The stringtone was oh so sweet and at the same time the micro details in the recording were brought alive so easily and beautifully; I have never heard this recording sound so impressive before. In short, the Taralabs grandmaster cables are by far the best loudspeaker and interconnect cables I have ever experienced in my audiophile journey of more than thirty years. I urge everybody who is in the position to do so to give these Taralabs cables a listen: they are imho phenomenal. – Audiocrack
Comment found on Audioshark forum
"TL Grand Master Evolution ultra high end cables Okay guys. Non-believers in the cable side of this hobby please hit the back button immediately. Last week I received Tara labs new grandmaster evolution speaker cables and interconnects. These cables are definitely at a price point that only a handful of people would consider. Just a little over 100 K for a 3 m set of speaker cables and a one and a half meter interconnect and a 1 m interconnect….
The only thing I will say is wow. Out of respect for my other cable manufactures i do not want to go into much detail at this time …..
I know this is a truly crazy amount of money for cables. But could the performance increase possibly be justified? For the people that can afford it I will say a very big yes.
Additional Comments from Whatsbest forum
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 skeptical 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 excels 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!
Additional Comments from Whatsbest forum
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 enthusiasm hard to swallow, wait for this review and find out if there are other 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 critical. 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.
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