What is TFA return?

TFA Return has three paralleled conductors, and is the negative lead in the Space and Time Phase II/TFA Return combo. The positive lead, Space and Time Phase II, has two conductors.

I bought some Space and Time Phase II way back in '89 when Tara Labs was just getting started in the USA, and the Phase II stuff was still being made from Australian copper. This replaced multi-stranded QED stuff and made a fantastic improvement in my system.

I heard that the Cable Company had convinced Tara Labs to bring this back, and I thought I'd order a pair just for old time's sake. And I thought it would be nice to have a 10 foot pair of cables as a spare - to be able to lend out to friends, or to be able to move my speakers around a bit.

I ordered a 10' pair from the Cable Company for $75, cashing in on their offer of free termination with spades. I was surprised when I received them (drop shipped from Tara Labs; arrived three days after ordering) as they shipped the more expensive TFA return jobbies.

I put these into my bedroom system, replacing my DIY silver foil cables. They sounded pretty closed in initially, but I ran them moderately loud while I was at work, and after a couple of weeks they opened up pretty nicely and sound quite good. Not in the same class as the foils, but quite satisfactory.

The cables are not the same size - the return leg is quite a bit thicker than the send leg, and that's what I think the TFA return is all about. There's two solid core wires in the "negative" side.

I did not want the TFA return versions, but they seem OK. I don't have any idea whether these are better than the cheaper model, but it did not cost me anything, so I'm OK with them.

The sound is very cohesive, with nice weight in the bass, and the top end has settled down nicely and they are quite musical and satisfying. The price is right.

Regards,