High Fidelity Cables CT-1 speaker cables
- Thread starter wizard
- Start date
Ego? You have never heard my system and yet you are making absolute comments. Absurd if you ask me. The ego trip is clearly on you, not me.
Do you think internal harnessing in speakers use wires equivalent to your interconnects or speaker cables? Hardly. Take a look inside some of the "best speakers". Same holds for electronics. Plus your "rolloff" comments about silver, is coming from where??
Look, if you are looking to justify a purchase great, fine with me. I don't justify, I listen and if something sounds better, if I can afford it and it doesn't force me to take a huge hit, I will go with it if the trade is worth it, up or down. You are obviously missing something in your absolutism. As I said, the MG does not work well with the Centaur/Magico setup but works fantastic with the ARC/Nola setup, better than any wire I have tried. This is not about absolutism or meaning I have the wrong electronics. Quite the contrary. I can guarantee you that my ARC/Nola setup sounds better than Carl's., the manufacturer of Nola, who uses all Odin in his system.
You posted a long list of equipment with the obvious inferrence that there could be nothing wrong, since each piece is regarded as good on its own. I dont think that is any counter to my suggestion about system inbalance.
Well actually I think if you are using ARC amplification then the cables you have are perfectly suited, but this is purely personal and subjective assessment of the ARC sonic character. What do you use on the EMM/Centaur/Magico ?
I have used copper, silver and hybid silver/gold foil IC's in DIY configurations, some in air tubes, sometimes each leg sandwiched with teflon, and also spaced apart at 3/4 inch (which works very well for solid core). Ultimately I found that the foil conductor is not so suited to the transfer of low level small strength signals as found in source/pre situations. But foils seem to work great in speaker cables. They still roll of the high end measurement wise, but the tone and midrange is fantastic for the price they usually cost.
What confirms this for me though, is over the years seeing quite a few botique cable manufacturers who started off making foil speaker cables, then releasing foil IC's, but eventually ditching foil IC's and going back to more traditional designs.
Well actually I think if you are using ARC amplification then the cables you have are perfectly suited, but this is purely personal and subjective assessment of the ARC sonic character. What do you use on the EMM/Centaur/Magico ?
I have used copper, silver and hybid silver/gold foil IC's in DIY configurations, some in air tubes, sometimes each leg sandwiched with teflon, and also spaced apart at 3/4 inch (which works very well for solid core). Ultimately I found that the foil conductor is not so suited to the transfer of low level small strength signals as found in source/pre situations. But foils seem to work great in speaker cables. They still roll of the high end measurement wise, but the tone and midrange is fantastic for the price they usually cost.
What confirms this for me though, is over the years seeing quite a few botique cable manufacturers who started off making foil speaker cables, then releasing foil IC's, but eventually ditching foil IC's and going back to more traditional designs.
I couldn't agree with you more. Thanks for your coherent email. I went into this experiment very very very skeptical. In fact, I have tried many "recommended boutique cable" in my "reference" system which happens to be the ARC/Nola/EMM system. I just gave up the demo MSB after listening to it for two weeks and am awaiting delivery of my new Diamond in the next two weeks to take the place of the EMM in my reference system.
When I heard Ricks CT-1s I was amazed. I thought they were amazing. It was no contest between what I was using and his much cheaper CT-1s. My only issue was the inability to use balance so I used them from source to preamp. I rather not list the cables I have used in order to flame others who have invested in 10x the expense, but I think you can get an idea, based on what Nola uses where I am coming from. In any case I was recommended MG and small group of engineers, now retired who started by making cables for their buddies. I figured what the hell, a good friend of mine recommended them and there was no obligation so I went for it.
First their Planus II speaker cable. Truly amazing results compared to what I thought was already amazing. Not so much in musicality but imaging was much more three dimensional and what is already a "boxless" speaker became absolutely invisible. However, I was still using a CT-1 and MG recommended I try their ICs. I figured, what the heck, I have nothing to lose and I had yet paid for the PIIs. So they sent me all their cables to play with and after my experience with the PIIs I was still leery for the same reasons you indicate especially with a non-shielded cable. To cut to the chase, while I was trying their cables they released their PIIIs speaker cable as well as their CU2 IC. It took me three weeks to convince myself I liked the CU2 better than the CT-1 and I really did. Now understand, that I had only been sent one AG IC, a hybrid and a CU IC. I loved the AG, didn't like the hybrid and found that both the burn for both the PIII and CU2 was exceptionally long as I came within a day of returning both. Amazingly, as a result of circumstances beyond my control, the cables wound up staying in my system longer than I expected and wanted and was really blown away after about two weeks.
I am by no means putting down other cables. In fact as I state, with the Magico/constellation, they don't work quite so well. The manufacturers of MG will be the first ones to tell you that their cables need to be tried as some may not work well with a particular system and hence why they are so willing to send you their combination to try. They are stopping the hybrid for the reasons you list.
I do like Schult'z cables. In fact, had he called back my dealer I was going to upgrade to his new CT-1E prior to him releasing his new Ultimate as that is how impressed I was with it. I am not married to any particular component, speaker, wire or source. Before I became just an audiophile, I sold this stuff for years in the 80s and was the first distributor in the USA for Siltech. I am just telling you, the combination I am currently using in my ARC/Nola system works incredibly well. Is there better, probably and maybe I will find them in the coming months and/or years. Yes I would love to try Rick's new ultimate series, but not until he releases a balanced version. Maybe I will try his new speaker cables IF he gets the bugs out. I actually got a pair of his CT-1s before anyone even heard about them and loved them and was scorned on another site for recommending them.
As to your last question and a response I never thought I would give, is MIT, works great with Constellation/Magico combo. I don't have their 35K wires nor will I buy them, but they do work fantastic. It reminds me of days past when I had Spectral/Wilson/MIT. It sounds just right.
Bottom line. I share your point of view regarding foil cables. At least before I opened my mind to trying the MG, which have now replaced cables costing 10-15x the cost of theirs. I don't make those kind of moves lightly. AND I still have Rick's CT-1 now sitting in a box waiting to sell them.
Last edited:
Congrats. Their cables have always interested me, but I admit I have never heard them in my system. I would love to hear what you replaced and how they are better.
It is a matter of system matching. As soon as I put in the Purist interconnects, I heard synergy to my ears. I have had over the years WyWire silver, Wireworld, Transparent Reference and even had Nordost Odin (way to over priced IMHO). Also had Frost Audio cables and some custom made cables. Will also try Prana Wire soon, as Joe Cohn is a neighbor of mine.
If you want to sell Purist cables I'm sure you should start your own thread for it.
This is about High fidelity Cables CT-1 but it seems everyone wants to promote other brands instead of talking about this brand.
I wrote this on the other High Fidelity Page.
Much time has passed since this last post. These cables have been very favorably reviewed, and I have an entire loom of the top-of-the-line, Ultimate Reference cables. Frankly, I have never heard any cables that sound like these. The resolution is so complete that you hear details heretofore lost. There is an ease about them that makes the image quite real including precise locations, dynamics, defined bass, and hearing the decay of notes. I should also add that they now have power cords using the same technology as well as an ac filter, which are also exceptional, at least when all the other HFCables are used.
With the exception of the initial CT-1 cables, I have had complete looms of the Enhanced, Ultimate, and Ultimate Reference cables. There are several warnings that I might make. First they take longer and longer to breakin as one goes through the various series. Two, they hate to be moved and might take overnight to recover in many instances. Three, they also hate to be on hardwood floors or carpet. Four, I doubt seriously whether there will ever be a true balanced version. It is hard to conceptualize and EXR stuffed with over a hundred and fifty magnets. I have compared these cables in single ended versus balanced versions of other cables and clearly prefer the HFCs.
I have tried many of the cables mentioned above and must say that I know no other cable that can compete with the top two of the HFC series-the Ultimates and the Ultimate References.
Much time has passed since this last post. These cables have been very favorably reviewed, and I have an entire loom of the top-of-the-line, Ultimate Reference cables. Frankly, I have never heard any cables that sound like these. The resolution is so complete that you hear details heretofore lost. There is an ease about them that makes the image quite real including precise locations, dynamics, defined bass, and hearing the decay of notes. I should also add that they now have power cords using the same technology as well as an ac filter, which are also exceptional, at least when all the other HFCables are used.
With the exception of the initial CT-1 cables, I have had complete looms of the Enhanced, Ultimate, and Ultimate Reference cables. There are several warnings that I might make. First they take longer and longer to breakin as one goes through the various series. Two, they hate to be moved and might take overnight to recover in many instances. Three, they also hate to be on hardwood floors or carpet. Four, I doubt seriously whether there will ever be a true balanced version. It is hard to conceptualize and EXR stuffed with over a hundred and fifty magnets. I have compared these cables in single ended versus balanced versions of other cables and clearly prefer the HFCs.
I have tried many of the cables mentioned above and must say that I know no other cable that can compete with the top two of the HFC series-the Ultimates and the Ultimate References.
At the last CES I entered the BMC suite and ran into Rick Schultz who I have known for many years. I had just three days earlier gotten two pairs of his HFC CT-1 interconnects with one being the original and the other being the Enhanced. I had had time only to insert the CT-1 original and being struck that I had never heretofore heard anything like it. It had the most extended and sweet top end and speed about it.
After saying hi to Rick, I noticed the HFC cables on the table behind him and learned that AAudio Importers was distributing them. I expressed much interest in reviewing them. I was to get cables shortly thereafter with most the new Enhanced version. The Enhanced speaker wires came later.
As would be the case later with the Ultimates and Ultimate Reference cables, I ultimately found the Enhances superior to the originals. Each new design extended the characteristic transparency and speed downward in frequency and control. I will say nothing much about the prices of these cables or other even more expensive ones, but I do know that HFC is a work in progress. Much money is spent in prototypes to achieve even greater influence of magnetics. Recently I have found two more expensive cables don't rival the HFCs.
In my opinion, these cables are something new and original to cable design and a major breakthrough. What is very important in their case, however, is having a full loom. A full loom is far superior to the sum of the individual cables. Hearing this, however, is very difficult with so few dealers still holding out in our internet economy.
I have no financial involvement in HFC but I do like Rick and admire his innovations. And for once he is in Texas where I can go visit and listen.
After saying hi to Rick, I noticed the HFC cables on the table behind him and learned that AAudio Importers was distributing them. I expressed much interest in reviewing them. I was to get cables shortly thereafter with most the new Enhanced version. The Enhanced speaker wires came later.
As would be the case later with the Ultimates and Ultimate Reference cables, I ultimately found the Enhances superior to the originals. Each new design extended the characteristic transparency and speed downward in frequency and control. I will say nothing much about the prices of these cables or other even more expensive ones, but I do know that HFC is a work in progress. Much money is spent in prototypes to achieve even greater influence of magnetics. Recently I have found two more expensive cables don't rival the HFCs.
In my opinion, these cables are something new and original to cable design and a major breakthrough. What is very important in their case, however, is having a full loom. A full loom is far superior to the sum of the individual cables. Hearing this, however, is very difficult with so few dealers still holding out in our internet economy.
I have no financial involvement in HFC but I do like Rick and admire his innovations. And for once he is in Texas where I can go visit and listen.
I have a really full loom with ics, pcs, phono, speaker wires, and a Waveguide power center. I have never heard anything that is even close to this sound. Today I had five listeners in with one bring his well broken in HFC URR power cable to be used on my dac with my four on the Waveguide power center, my NMC monoblocks, and my Koda K 10. When we substituted the fifth URR on my dac, everyone else said wow while I said "****" as I now needed to buy another pcs.
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Co-Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |