This is another Tara lab's comment, I am not sure which cable model this reviewer is talking about other than the description has to be some of the top model's of Tara Lab'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 |
Gslone, your older cabl's are not the 8-nines pure copper, they are the occ 6-nines copper, refering to the old master gen 2 cable, however, depending on when you bought the one cable's, I would need to know that to tell you if your best cable is current technology of conductor's? |
Hi Gslone, consonant alloy is pure SA-OF8N 99.999999% copper (super-annealed, oxygen-free, eight nines pure copper, it is not an alloy at all, if you know what the word consonant mean's, just constant,you go a way's back, I remember the master gen2 cable's, I use to own them my self,I am pleased that you have been a long time Tara lab's owner, congrat's, the new cable's are far beyound the ole master cable's, if you wanted to do a cheap very cost effective up-grade on the older cable's, I can give recommendation's, however, I am not a dealer, you would of course have to buy from a dealer or direct from Tara lab's, reply when you can, thankyou for coming to this thread. |
This by far is the best outlet's to be used with top tier Tara labs cable's, I wanted to share the spot on review of this outlet because these do have complete synergy with Tara cable's, we all know synergy is hard to come by, this should be of help to Tara lab's cable owner's,Furutech GTX-D Rhodium Outlet
The Furutech GTX-D is built like a jewel and sounds like it, too. Unfortunately, such quality does not come cheap, and those who are used to $1 light-weight, plasticky outlets used in most large residential developments these days may be somewhat shocked by the $239 price tag for the Furutech GTX-D Rhodium. Going straight to the source, Furutech, there are reasons their top-of-the-line outlet costs what it does.
In an ideal world, pure copper would be used for power connectors and outlets, but unfortunately, pure copper is quite soft and malleable, which would deform and loosen over repetitive use, leading to a potential disaster for AC power chain. This is the reason most power connectors and receptacles are made with materials with worse conductivity such as brass or phosphor bronze. Furutech has developed a technique that allows the use of their best conductor material, Alpha-treated pure copper, as the base conductor. Alpha-copper means being blessed with Furutech's patented cryogenic treatment and demagnetization process, good enough to be used in Furutech's premium signal cabling products. This copper is strengthened with nonmagnetic stainless steel spring system that maintains a very firm grip on power blades while avoiding damages to male connector blades. These receptacles receive the world-renowned Furutech rhodium or gold plating, becoming (r) or (g) versions of GTX-D.
Attention to detail does not stop there, and in order to minimize vibration and resonance, the receptacle body is made from a heavy-duty composite of nylon and fiberglass, which is impregnated with carbon powder and "piezo nano" ceramic. This technique is used to convert mechanical resonance into heat while performing shielding duties from EMI. Some of the other features include a curved pressure clamping system that increases surface contact area between the electrical line and the receptacle, accommodation for either spades or bare wire, special protective clamp cover, patented wire clamping system, nonmagnetic stainless steel mounting strap, and an anti-resonant rear dampening clamp.
If still not convinced regarding the price, one just needs to hold the GTX-D in his hand to realize this has to be the best built, most sturdy, meticulously thought-out, non-resonant piece of audio outlet available. Every moving part, screw, strap inspires confidence that this jewel will last for generations and still deliver. If still not convinced, one only needs to listen to it. Before listening to the Furutech, I was initially worried the rhodium plating may sound too analytical, which is the somewhat accepted reputation for rhodium; the corollary is that gold plating yields warm and euphonic sound. This description somewhat matches my previous experiences with these plating methods with other products, but GTX-D (r) managed to walk the fine line between resolution and warmth, while definitely avoiding any hash, grit, sheen, brightness, or harshness.
GTX-D achieved the highest levels of both resolution and smoothness, something usually not seen together in one product. If one switched from the $1 house outlet to GTX-D, the staggering amount of previously-unheard resolution, clarity, and dynamics will likely be startling to the listener. All that extra information and energy is delivered in a defined, controlled way, without various sound bites getting out of control and ragged as can happen with lesser outlets. Bass is not overblown or obscuring; instead, it is tight, defined, and extended with energetic dynamic punch. Tiny sounds from various nooks of soundstage come alive with crystalline and pure delivery while instrument positioning, layering, and depth become effortlessly obvious. To make matters worse (?), GTX-D delivers a gorgeous, tasteful, 3-dimensional solidity in the all-important midrange without going overboard with overly round and thick presentation. This outlet is not held back by a overly "balanced" but boring presentation with polite, reticent midrange presence, either. The voices have superb reach into the room and soundstage, vivid and forward enough to be engaging while not overcooked, especially in the sibilance and presence region.
What are the flaws? Well, Furutech must have a reason for making the gold plated version of GTX-D as well for a different flavor. Some of the Furutech vendors recommend the rhodium version for neutral to warm systems, probably with tubes, which may mean the gold version, may fit better in neutral to cool systems. Not having the GTX-D Gold in house to compare to Rhodium, it is difficult to say for sure, but going by prior experience with gold vs. rhodium plating, one might presume that GTX-D (g) might have a warmer tonality with possibly more bass quantity, albeit with less tightness. It may also have more forgiveness but not as much detail resolution. Would that make (r) version any less worthy and flawed? Any well-heeled audiophile would already know that systems are different and that one does not fit all. One outlet may serve a certain type of system better while the other outlet may synergize a little better with a different type of system, with final results heavily being dependent on the listener's personal tastes as well. Once again, there is no substitute for actually trying the product in one's own system, and for those audiophiles who are willing to pay the tariff and do the hard work, the Furutech should be on the rather short list. |
audiolabrynith, I have a variety of older model Tara Labs Cables from 1999 - 2007ish. I will be happy to list them for you, but it will take some time for me to sort them out for now.. there's a lot there from Master Generation2 to The One. I am just curious if you could educate me/us on what is "Consonant Alloy" Tara Labs has promoted/boasted about Consonant Alloy, but has never been clear about what it is... but I do like it.. whatever it is! |
This is the matching Tara Lab's speaker cable to the GrandMaster evolution I/C, The new flagship speaker cable model from Tara Lab's,Pr. The Grand Master Evolution - 8ft/2.4m
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 |
Gslone, also, if you have question's about any cable Tara Lab's now makes,or older discontinued cable's, I can help you here, the more affordable cable they now make is a huge bang for the dollar to out compete against the competition, then you have their state of the art cable's as well too,I am happy to read that your Tara Lab's cable's have served you well for years, what model do you have? cheers. |
Hi Gslone, Tara labs still uses the Gen 2 conductors, however, it's the way they are used now, the new cable's I have been listing on this thread have an all new dielectric's, new invented more flexible air tubes, the outlay of the conductor's, etc..., if you back read alot of this thread, you will see that these new cable's are a departure from anything they have ever made before, only the gen 3 conductor's are used in the Tara Lab's GrandMaster Evolution I/C, all other current production cable's use the Gen 2 conductor's, The new 0.3 cable is the only I/C Tara lab's make's that has pure silver shield in the cable with copper Gen 2 conductor's, Tara Lab's now has a huge library of cable's for every price point, they just introduced new I/c's, speaker cable's and power cable's for the first time in many,many years, an absence long awaited, Tara Lab's is Back! |
calvinj, your ok, you can talk to me any time, stay in touch, we go back along way, your still my buddy, call me some time on the phone if you like, thankyou for the kind words. |
@keith. No worries keith. I won't post or comment on this thread or say anything else to you. You stay here and I will stay there. I speak for myself and I have my own opinion and experiences. Don't group me with anyone. Enjoy your cables and equipment I wish you well. One more thing. Don't let other people's opinions or words bother you so much. Be confident in your own observations. Don't worry about them. I don't. |
@audiolabryinth. I wasn't attacking you or your opinion about your cables. I was actually trying to be nice. I wasn't putting down your cables. I wasn't commenting on your cables. You are too sensitive about your Tara Labs. But that's cool I guess I should expect that. You took my comments and ran in a negative direction. No worries I wont come to this thread or even post in your direction again. Best wishes. #Dont talk just listen. I don't know what the majority of the Tara Labs cables sound like so I don't comment on how they sound or if they are good or not because I don't know. I haven't heard them. But anyway, sorry if you were offended. Good luck and I truly wish you the best. Now get back to posting to the faithful. |
Audiolabyrinth - do you know if Tara Labs has moved on from their proprietary conductor they used to call: Consonant Alloy copper? I haven't kept up with Tara Labs in a while, so I don't know much about what they've been up to. My entire system is wired with their older design RSC cable, which I am still very happy with. The conductors are the RSC Generation2 (Consonant Alloy copper). They have served me well for years. |
The Grand Master Evolution w/Duel mono block HFX ground station 1.0m/3.3ft,This is the flagship top model interconnect of Tara Lab's,
Extended Bandwidth - Interconnects
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, this interconnect is the only model that use's the new Tara Lab's Generation 3 RSC conductor's in place of the generation 2 conductor's found in all the other Tara lab's model's.
•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.
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. |
calvinj, I read your thread, I post fact's on this thread about the sound and the way the cable is made of different Tara Lab's cables model's, I post review's and audiophile user comment's to back what is said here, it's better than the same 4 people gushing over and over about their cable's,also, you need to understand, although the cable's all of you gush about that seem exspensive to some on your thread, none of you likly will not pay the price for the Tara Lab's Zero Evolution or Grandmaster Evolution cable's, their is a reason why they are far more exspensive than the cable's all of you rave about, I do not come to that thread and comment about what the 4 of you do there, I expect the same here, thankyou. |
@audiolabryinth. Man you got a nonstop tara labs motor. If it's sounds great to you continue to enjoy. |
I challenge anybody to compaire the very best of Tara Labs to ANY cable out there, take the Tara Labs Grandmaster Evolution or Zero Evolution cables to your audition, you get what you pay for! |
This is a comment from musicman that went to CES two years ago about the Tara Labs Zero Gold I/C and Omega Gold speaker cables, musicman •2 years ago
I also think that some of the cable and amplifier prices are over the top, but saying that, I did hear both Nordost and TARA Labs at CES, and both were great! I did feel that TARA Labs was better than Nordost when it came to overall sound. Let's face it, this is a very expensive industry to be involved in. MBL, Rockport, Magico are extremely expensive gear to own. But if you have the money, and want the best, then you'll buy MBL< or Rockport, or TARA Labs. No matter what industry, the best will always cost more.
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Hi calloway, how have you been, my system now sound's the best I ever heard in my life, my building and tweaks are paying off way more than I ever expected here, you should hear this system with the Tara Labs cables I have, installed a single poll 30 amp breaker on my modded Krell 700cx, played in for 17 hrs, talking about wow!, unlimited current!, like a bomb going off in my home!, I have done numerous thing's here, audiogon member's have help me alot through private E-mail's with advice, krell has helped too by phone and E-mail's, this 700cx is way beyound the stock oem 700cx, Damn, I put $4,000.00 in the inside, and $400.00 more soon, this system is singing with Tara Labs cables, synergy is all so important, most never get this kind of system synergy, Happy Listening. |
Jeffrey Weber is a twenty-five year music industry professional. He has produced over 135 CDs with releases on just about every major label as well as a host of independent labels. Along the way, his projects have yielded two Grammys, seven Grammy nominations, at least seventeen top ten albums, two number one albums and an assortment of other honors.
Among the many artists that have fallen under the banner of "Produced by..." include: Nancy Wilson, David Benoit, Steve Lukather, the Utah Symphony, Jackson Browne, Marcus Miller, Michael McDonald, Bill Champlin, Gerald Albright, Tom Scott, Chick Corea, Stanley Clark, Etta James, Linda Hopkins, Kenny Burrell, McCoy Tyner, Jackie McLean, Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), Cozzy Powell, the Count Basie Orchestra, John Sebastian, Ronnie Dio, Ritchie Blackmore, Pat Boone, Buddy Miles, Billy Preston, Kenny Rankin, Diane Reeves, Diane Schuur, Rita Coolidge, Luther Vandross, David Crosby, Simon Phillips, Jeff Porcaro, Patrice Rushen, Toni Tennille, among many others.
Jeff is well known for his involvement in high technology recording techniques, especially live two track recording, live multi-track and digital recording. Because of their sonic excellence, his recordings have been repeatedly selected by major hardware manufacturers (Sony, Toshiba, Threshold, Boston Acoustics, Jeff Rowland, Martin-Logan, Psion, to name a few), to demonstrate their product lines.
Why Jeffrey Weber Loves TARA Labs!
Jeff Weber knows how to get a live performance to sound unforgettable, and he knows how to master a CD to sound like a live performance. Jeff used TARA Labs (RSC) Rectangular Solid Core cables throughout the recording process. From the TARA Labs (RSC) Microphone cables in the studios and booths, right through to the TARA Labs (RSC) Air AC Power cables in the control room.
The Power Of The Performance
In evaluating a systems sound, the goal is feel that we are in the presence of live music. To hear the rich harmonic textures, and to convey the emotion of the music and the artist.
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Audiolabyrinth..whatever TARA Labs is paying you...if anything.... it's not enough..i do applaud your fanaticism...if not addiction.! |
I made an error on the above post, the post should say,An example of not useing a Tara labs cable properly is useing a ground station straight to the interconnect without useing the jumper lead's that are required and supplied with a NEW extended band width cable system when bought new, the lead's come with the set-up. |
I have been told by Mr Devon Scott of Tara Labs, which is the vice president of the company, they are going to be doing instructional video's of Tara labs cable's over the next few month's to go on their web-site, this is very good to help all Tara cable owner's to get the best performance out of their cables, an example of not useing a Tara labs cable improperly is useing a ground station straight to the cable without useing the jumper leads that are required and supplied with a new extended band width cable system when bought new, the leads come with the set-up, the forth coming video's will make this clear to use everything that is supplied, cheers. |
tara labs
Air Evolution Interconnects
as reviewed by Marshall Nack
The Jazz Mecca
At one time, you could club hop along 52nd street in New York City and hear the likes of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, et al., jamming until the wee hours of the morning. More than thirty clubs ranged along the street known as Jazz Alley, at a time when NYC was the jazz mecca of the world.
All gone. Only Birdland survives, today relocated eight blocks south on West 44th street. NYC commemorates this glorious musical past by hosting the Annual Americana Jazz Festival, now in its 40th iteration.
Lynn and I happened to be free that Saturday and looking for something to do. So…why not? We made the trek uptown. Alas, it turned out to be just another of those ubiquitous street fairs with the predictable clan of vendors. The sole nod at a "Jazz Festival" theme was an open-air stage, where the Duke Ellington Jazz Vocal Competition was held. (Later I was happy to come across a couple of jazz LP vendors down the street and snatched some choice originals.)
But the Vocal Competition was of interest. Twenty-two artists at various stages of their careers were given two minutes to sing a tune. Although competing with street noise and amplified over a Bose PA system, each vocalist conveyed a distinct personality and style.
At the time I had some newly arrived interconnects on my mind, and it struck me—this competition could be a useful analogy in that cable review. We'll come back to it a bit later.
The product we're looking at today is an interconnect in TARA Labs' new Evolution series of cables. TARA Labs was keeping a low profile the last few years. Now they're back, ramping up with an advertising campaign. You'll be seeing a lot of audio press reviews coming in the near term. The Evolution series hits many price points: the Air Evolution Interconnects (MSRP $1895) on hand are one level up from the Air Forte, the low rung in the series. At the top you have the Zero Evolution and the off-the-charts Grandmaster Evolution.
I'm listening to Lutoslawski's "Chain 3," volume 1 from the four-CD series of Lutoslawski Orchestral Works recently released by Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (CHANDOS CHSA 5082, SACD). Somehow, this young conductor has ignited a magical frisson with the second-tier BBC, resulting in a major discovery of this late 20th-century composer. Neglected and sidelined in the USA, Lutoslawski deserves more—in Europe, he is well-esteemed and programmed often. And it sure helps his case that the performance is captured in brilliant CHANDOS engineering. This is an example of why SACD should be adopted as the recording standard.
I inserted a run of balanced Air Evo interconnect between my CH Precision C1 DAC and the Trinity Preamp, and another from the Trinity to the Audionet MAX mono-amps. The rest of the system remained Kubala•Sosna Elation! cables, including the new XPander Power Distributor.
Even on first listening, after a week's burn-in off on the side, the clarity and spaciousness of the soundstage is striking. Massed strings murmur briefly at the opening of the work, quickly followed by tympani and double bass punctuation marks, which come and go fast and tight, like the quick jabs of a lightweight boxer. The orchestra swells into mezzo forte with continuing percussive jabs, then quiets down before moving into a sustained Largo, scored mostly for low strings, which continue to murmur underneath the chattering woodwinds.
The full orchestra ramps up again at about four minutes and the sound takes off, spreading laterally across the span between my YG Anat speakers. Soundstage width is excellent; depth is fine, if not quite as good, but no reason to complain.
The Air Evo are neither bright nor dark: when they went in I did not have to re-balance or make any adjustments. Frequency response is smooth and evenly allocated, with good extension on both ends. I found the treble slightly more pointed and focused than the bass and midrange, which makes this band a little more forward. This has a two-pronged effect: On the one hand, it promotes clarity and articulation; on the other, I would not characterize them as laid-back.
Air Evo transients are sharp edged and fast, as fast as any cable I've come across. Related to that, the tail of notes, while not exactly truncated, is on the short side. This handling makes for very quick coming and going of events.
The Timbral Envelope
I must say, strings are impressively rendered. They don't exhibit any abrasiveness. (I always find TARA's Ceralex, described below, to be useful here.) While not lavish, timbre and tone are convincing and the gestalt of the instruments is nicely conveyed. The soundstage is populated with tall and a bit skinny images, their borders sharply defined, so imaging is discrete with little overlapping or blending. Resolution is sufficiently high so that a solo instrument can be readily distinguished from a duet. Likewise, the volume occupied by a mass of instruments is conveyed.
Soundstage
This amalgam of Air Evo qualities makes reading the orchestra an easy call. There is no confusion, no vagueness; each instrument sounds like itself and is located where you expect it to be. The Air Evo doesn't seem to add anything. It's a very straight-ahead type of sound, totally free of mechanical artifacts and noise on the one hand, and musical embellishments on the other. The cables clearly conform to TARA's enviable reputation for neutral voicing.
Cable Categories
Now it's time to recall the Duke Ellington Jazz Vocal Competition. The twenty-two artists spanned the gamut of talent with most in the average category, a few dreadfuls, and two or three outstandings. This was over a PA system at an open air street fair—a truly low-res situation. Of course, in an actual concert hall, there would be a ton of additional info. Yet, it was easy to discern differences in vocal quality.
That's what made it entertaining and I imagined the judges were going to be in for a tough time. And that's when the analogy to audio cables came up. Cables come in a variety of price and performance points. What do you get at the different levels?
A while ago, my colleague Bob Levy used to rank cables into price categories as follows:
- $4000 and up, per meter: Top Tier
- $2000 to $4000: Mid Level
- up to $2000: Low End, with several sub-tiers
This was back in 2010. Given inflation plus the general tilt towards more expensive products, the rankings need to move as well to be realistic in the here and now. The Air Evo, at $1895/meter, clearly fall into the Low End of today's market. Shocking, isn't it?
What's Expected
What are the expectations for a $1895/m product? I asked around among the cognoscenti and came up with a consensus opinion: a cable at this price point should have good all-around performance and not evidence serious fall-off anywhere. It should not have any issues.
Yup—you could certainly say that about the Air Evo. I mentally checked off every item on the Audiophile Report Card and there is no area of slackness that I need to call to your attention. Well done.
What It Doesn't Do
Actually, it is a lot better than that. It wasn't until I compared the Air Evo to the Top Tier cables that omissions became apparent. Against my reference K•S Elation! (MSRP $6000/m) and other Top Tier cables, the differences lay in the realm of escalating refinements.
For example, the Air Evo does the imaging thing, placing instruments in space at discrete points and layering depth. However, compared to the Top Tier, instruments are less fleshed out and have less individual depth, less 3D rounding. They appear a bit flat. Timbres, as noted above are good, but the full complexity and beauty of the higher-priced spread is not there. Musical flow, defined as what happens when going from one note to the next (a particular strength of the K•S Elation!) is not the same. And the quality of air and ambience in different recording venues is left unresolved.
What the Top Tier offers is the icing on the cake, heard in the refinements that bring you closer to the performance. It is not a huge difference, but it is an important one and the cost is huge.
On a side note, another observation expressed by the cognoscenti is that as you move up within a cable brand, the house sound should remain a constant. For example, comparing TARA's The 0.3 with HFX (MSRP $8,900) to the Air Evo, there is a percentage of "better" in every category: still, the voicing is recognizably by the same designer. There should not be a radical change from one cable to the next within the same brand.
Cable Construction
The Air Evo interconnects have a newly designed air tube construction with Teflon and Aero PE filament, which ensure a high percentage of overall air dielectric. TARA Labs claims an amazingly low 4 pF per foot capacitance for the Air Evo interconnects, which provides "…more than twice the high frequency bandwidth of the famous Air 1 Interconnect."
Conductors
Each leg of the Air Evo interconnect uses a separate positive and negative run of conductor material made from SA-OF8N copper utilizing Rectangular Solid Core Gen 2 geometry. (The Super Annealed™, Oxygen-Free Eight Nines process creates one long, unbroken single crystal, or mono-crystal, structure.)
Cable Grounding
TARA Labs Technical Design Team has always been a big proponent of floating the ground on their cables. That's why they have an elaborate system of pigtails, mini bananas, RCA plugs and sometimes outboard Ground Stations.
Like the upper-end TARA cables, the Air Evo interconnects have pigtails sprouting on both ends. The source side of the cable has mini-bananas that plug into the outboard EVO Floating Ground Station (FGS). The EVO FGS, in turn, is connected via mini-banana pins to ground somewhere on the component's chassis. In this way, the EVO FGS provides an independent ground path.
On the load side, the Air Evo has mini-bananas that lock together. Thus, the ground wire is lifted on both ends—a true floating ground.
EVO Floating Ground Station
Ceralex Compound
The EVO Floating Ground Station employs passive noise reduction technology in the form of a patented compound called Ceralex. Whatever EMI/RFI is riding along the ground wire is dumped into the EVO FGS and absorbed by the Ceralex inside.
You hear this as the removal of noise and smearing. The Floating Ground Station doesn't change tone or timbre but makes everything clear and sharp. Disconnect the FGS and you lose focus.
Conclusion
The TARA Labs Air Evolution Interconnect with EVO Floating Ground Station is advertised as "completely neutral and absolutely revealing with high frequency and airy detail that is not found in comparable audio cables." It is certainly neutral, revealing, and loaded with detail.
At $1895 for a meter length, the Air Evo fall into what must be considered the Low End price point for audio cables. How they stack up against the competition required some investigation. I queried the audio cognoscenti for definitions and expectations at different price points.
They clearly exceeded the base-line for a Low End cable, in most respects falling in line with expectations for a Mid Level product. Shortfalls only appeared when I shifted gaze to Top Tier cables. What the Air Evolution doesn't give you lies in the realm of refinements, the tasty garnishes that are like icing on the cake and only available from the best-of-breed.
The bottom line is TARA Labs new Air Evolution cables are out-sized performers and offer a big bang for the buck. Highly recommended without reservation for those shopping at this price point. Marshall Nack
Air Evolution Interconnect
Retail: $1295 / 1m
Air Evolution Interconnect with EVO Floating Ground Station
Retail: $1895 / 1m, Additional meter $250.
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The Air Forte is a high-performance and highly affordable speaker cable. Each channel is comprised of two separate large Teflon tubes. Each Teflon tube is helixed with 24 RSC Gen 2 conductors, making a total of 48 conductors per channel. This speaker cable takes full advantage of air dielectric design principles.
The Air Forte speaker cable has tight bass frequencies, with a neutral and revealing midrange, where images are rendered with precision and lifelike quality.
•BSM (1/4” spades or bananas)
•SAOF-8N copper conductors
•10+ gauge conductor runs
•Each Teflon tube is helixed with 24 RSC Gen 2 conductors
•Neutral & revealing
•Linear and extended high frequencies
•Natural midrange and vocal frequencies
•Tight and articulate bass frequencies
This is is the matching speaker cables to the Air Forte I/C. |
This is a brand new model in the Tara Labs cables model line-up, this model is 9 model's from the top flagship cable, this also is an affordable cable, this is more affordable than the new Air Evolution cable, The Tara Labs Pr. RSC® Air Forté – 1.0m/3.3ft interconnect, TARA Labs proudly introduces the Air Forte interconnect and speaker cable.
In the case of the Air Forte interconnect the high-frequency extension is clear and linear. The high-frequency extension is defined by the electro-static field, more usually known as the capacitance. The capacitance of the air forte is a remarkably low 5pf per foot. The inductive reactance known as inductance is also remarkably low. This means that the Air Forte interconnect is 200% – 300% greater linearity with frequency than similar priced cables. The sound of the Air Forte is completely neutral and very revealing with high frequency and airy detail.
•All new air tube design
•Controlled geometry for stable electrical characteristics
•Aero-PE filaments ensure a high percentage of overall air dielectric
•Anti-corrosion coated copper shield
•Each interconnect channel is a twin-axial design
•Extremely neutral, detail high-frequencies
•Resolution of fine ambient cues |
Happy new year to you calvinj, thankyou for the kind words. |
Thankyou Jafant, I had a great new years day, we rented a hotel for new years day to watch the college play off game's, needless to say, it was priceless to see Alabama loose!, Happy new year to you Jafant. |
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Good talking to you yesterday Audiolabyrinth-
I have been on both A'gon & Audio Asylum for over 10 years.
Hope you and your family are enjoying this last day in 2014. I am ready for a new year! Keep me posted & Happy listening! JA |
These awards and review's here were before the introduction of the New Tara Labs model line up, however, the cables that did win most of the award's and review's Tara Labs still has in the current model line up, notably, The Tara Labs Zero Gold and Matching Omega Gold cable loom that is 3rd now in the Tara Labs cable line, 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, Tara Lab's 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., Happy New Year to all the Audiogon community, cheers!
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Jafant, Do I have to join up to be a member like here on audiogon?, likly I bet, I have no problem with that, I am also a member of one other audio forum site, audiogon takes 90% of the forum time, but I will look into it, how long have you been a member of audio asylum? |
Another thought Audiolabyrinth, as I know, you love your Krell amps. Check out audio asylum, look into forums and look in the amp/preamp thread. There is a gentleman asking info about his cool-running KSA-100 power amp.
Read it over and let me know your thoughts. Happy Listening!
-JA |
If anyone has question's on Tara Labs pricing, call Mr Devon Scott there at Tara Labs, their is two differnt version's of the new Air Evolution interconnect's, one version has the Evolution ground station, and this version is called the Extended bandwidth version, however, Do not get the Evolution ground station confused with the HFX ground station, the Air Evolution ground station is a down graded station for only the Air Evolution interconnect, none the less, their is a price difference between the Extended bandwidth and regular Air Evolution cables. |
Hi Jafant,I enjoyed talking to you on the phone as well, I will take a peek at the thread you are talking about, anyway I can help with question's about Tara Labs, I will do my best, Thinking about putting a Furutech FI-50 Rhodium wall plug on the Krell to match the Furutech GTX-D Rhodium outlet in the wall, what do you think?, these furutech top of the line product's are a complete synergy match for the Tara Labs Zero Gold I/C, Omega Gold speaker cables, and Cobalt power cord that has oyaide termination's, look forward to your answer, Thankyou Jafant. |
As always, very nice talking to you earlier today Audiolabyrinth. Hope you are doing well and enjoying your Krell power amp. Look over the thread "most holographic" power cords and give the gentleman some opinion on Tara Labs. I am sure he will enjoy your point of view, as we, were talking about Kubala Sousna and Stage III Concepts (my reference) power cords. Keep me posted & happy listening!
Happy New Year! |
Why Rectangular solid core conductor's?,
The patented RSC conductors have become the definitive technology in high-end audio cables. The rectangular shape offers a unique advantage over round conductors. They have the necessary mass for solid bass, yet are thin enough for a coherent reproduction of mid-range and high frequencies. The RSC is not subject to the same high frequency losses that hamper traditional round conductors. To further understand the principle behind RSC technology, it is necessary to understand a phenomenon known as "skin effect" This principle states that in a round conductor, higher frequencies will tend to travel towards the outside (or skin) of the conductor, while lower frequencies will travel closer to 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. |
Misternice, what have you been doing?, did you get the furutech GTX wall frame and cover plate for any of your outlet's? |
This is a help tool on the Tara labs web-site, it is a program on their web-site that gives recomendation's for cables per system, it is a basis to work from, however, tast for sound is the the end result when obtaining cable synergy, we all often have different likes and dislikes, again this Tara labs Cable recommendation system is a basis, but it does work well,,,CABLE RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM (CRS)
TARA Labs Cable Recommendation System (CRS) is an objective calculation of the components in your system. By choosing and clicking on the brand names of manufacturers, CRS will analyze the information and offer two cable recommendations for that system. Please note that room acoustics & material, speaker placement, in additional to numerous other factors greatly contribute to the overall sound of an audio system. Knowledge of your preferences for the sound you are seeking is also important and is one of the many factors that helps determine our recommendations. |
Merry-Christmas to all the Audiogon community, and God bless you all, Happy Listening. |
Louis / CO says :
Purchased a pair of TARA Labs Air Evolution interconnect's online and was really amzed by how they sounded in my system. Blew away my Transparent Reference cables.
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This is the matching speaker cables to the above interconnect's, Pr. RSC® Air Evolution - 8ft/2.4m
Category: Speaker Cables
As part of our continuing research into cable technology and the application of air tubes to reduce the effects of dielectric content in the speaker cable design, TARA Labs proudly introduces the Air Evolution™ Speaker Cable. This cable provides exceptional performance and a current carrying capability that is greater than a 6 gauge conductor. Each channel is comprised of 2 large Teflon tubes, each having 35 Rectangular Solid Core conductors helixed around the tube.
The Air Evolution Speaker Cable has tremendous bass weight and authority, with a neutral and revealing mid-range with high frequency and airy detail that is not found in comparable audio cables. Images are rendered with precision and lifelike quality.
•BSM (1/4” spades or bananas)
•SAOF-8N copper conductors
•10+ gauge conductor runs
•70 RSC Gen 2 conductors per channel in an Aero PE dielectric
•Extremely transparent & neutral
•Well-defined & revealing
•True reference quality
•High-frequency response
•Extremely linear & extended
•Bass frequencies are tight, clear & neutral
merry christmas to all! |
This is 8 cable models down from the top model interconnect of Tara Labs, it is a new model to their line up, A very good entry cable, this is far better than the well known Air 1 series 2 interconnect that was discontinued years ago, this cable is alot better than the competition with-in it's price class, a very affordable way to get into Tara Labs family,,, Pr. RSC® Air Evolution - 1.0 meter
Category: Interconnects
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.
•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 |
The “TARA” in TARA Labs is an acronym for “The Absolute Reference Audio.” Since the company’s beginnings, TARA Labs has been known among audiophiles as a manufacturer whose cables set the performance standards and whose technological innovations and patents constantly advance the frontiers of the industry.
TARA Labs started in Sydney, Australia in 1986. They began by developing cables and experimenting with different types of conductors. An early result was the Phase II speaker cable which was submitted for review to Stereophile magazine in 1988. The response to the very favorable review from this little-known cable manufacturer was overwhelming. TARA Labs moved to the United States later that year.
The introduction of Rectangular Solid Core® cables in 1992 is an example of the type of innovation that is responsible for the continuing success of TARA Labs. RSC® cables are the only cables in the world to use a solid, extruded conductor with a rectangular cross section. These conductors improve on the performance of regular round solid core conductors by having the current-carrying capability (power) of a large conductor, combined with the frequency linearity (musical accuracy) of a small conductor.
Another recent innovation is the introduction of Isolated Shield Matrix™ technology, which uses the world’s first completely isolated, floating interconnect shield and a separate unit called a Floating Ground Station (HFX) to remove radio frequency interference and electromagnetic interference from the audio signal.
As well as these innovative high quality audiophile products, TARA Labs also produces a range of audio cables under the names of TL™ series, Prime™ series, Onboard™ series, Zero™ series and Omega™ series to name a few. The TL & Prime series utilize many of the features and technologies developed for TARA Labs’ high-end products but offers them at more affordable prices.
Today TARA Labs produces a full range of cables and accessories which are sold through dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada and in 38 countries worldwide. Products are regularly reviewed in respected audio magazines the world over, including Stereophile and The Absolute Sound in the USA, Audiophile magazine in Hong Kong, and numerous professional audiophile magazines throughout the world. Recent reviews, as well as technical information and product descriptions, can be found on the TARA Labs website: www.taralabs.com.
TARA Labs operates and manufactures all of their cables in Ashland, Oregon, USA. |
Here is the matching Tara Labs 0.3 speaker cables to the above interconnect's, these speaker cables are very good and is a brand new speaker cable model to the line-up, Pr. The 0.3 - 8ft/2.4 meters
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 a more affordable interconnect that places 4th in the New Tara Labs model line-up, the only interconnect that has silver as part of the shielding, this is a new product, Pr. The 0.3 w/HFX - 1.0m3.3ft
Category: Extended Bandwidth - Interconnects
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.
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The Tara Labs Cobalt A/C power cable is what's on the Tara labs web site currently as top a/c power cable model however, these models under this is the NEW power cables from Tara labs, you can call Devon Scott there at Tara labs and ask about these NEW power cables to buy, As Always Brought to you by Audiolabyrinth, Enjoy!, The Cobalt AC Power Cable
The Cobalt AC Power Cable is an extreme performance AC Power Cable having both High-Frequency conductors (Rectangular Solid Core) matched with specially adapted Low Frequency conductors.
The Cobalt AC has 14 high frequency conductors for the Live run, and 14 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. The Low Frequency conductors are 18 AWG solid core conductors that are fitted with Ceralex(R) capsules, designed to eliminate High Frequency noise such as RF or EMI in the cable. The New power cables are mentioned here, starting with the cobalt reference.
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.
Omega Evolution AC Power Cable (as compared to The Cobalt Reference)
The OMEGA Evolution uses more conductor mass as compared to the Cobalt Reference; the Live, Neutral and Ground runs use 18 rectangular conductors each, whereas in the Cobalt Reference or Cobalt AC there are 14 high frequency conductors used for the Live and Neutral runs and no high frequency conductors used in the Ground runs.
Additionally, three low frequency conductors are used for each Live, Neutral and Ground (Earth) run. The low frequency conductors act as 'low-pass' filters because each LF conductor is fitted with individual Ceralex(R) capsules, designed to reduce RF/EMI interference. The Omega Evolution AC is fully shielded. Each of the Live, Neutral and Ground runs are separately shielded and then the shields runs are connected electrically to each other. The resulting sound is a much more powerful, dynamic, rich, detailed combination of sound qualities not heard in any other AC power cable.
Grandmaster Evolution (compared to Omega Evolution)
The Grandmaster Evolution AC Power Cable is the ultimate AC power cable. 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. The shields are combined to provide a phenomenal ground path together with RF/EMI rejection., cheers and happy listening! |
Making Sense of …. Tara Labs brand new model Grandmaster Evolution Digital, just introduced to the model line-up,
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. |
Tha Tha thats that's all folks. Lol. |
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. |
Making Sense of …. OMEGA CX Speaker Cable
The TARA Labs OMEGA CX is the first controlled bandwidth speaker cable from TARA Labs that uses a balanced Inductance and Capacitance conductor arrangement. While Tara Labs high end speaker cable normally feature separate conductor paths for the positive and negative runs, to make one channel, the OMEGA CX is an integrated conductor configuration with positive and negative runs in one cable per channel.
The balanced Capacitance and Inductance measurements for this cable make it appropriate for wide bandwidth amplifiers and loudspeaker applications. The OMEGA CX is especially recommended for systems with a tendency towards harshness or high frequency glare
This is the only cable like this that tara Labs makes, it is a new addition to their model line up. |
