2006 SOUNDSTAGE! REVIEWS ULTRA
Crystal Cable Ultra Interconnects & Ultra Speaker Cables
by Marc Mickelson
Review Summary
Sound “The Ultras are among the most immediately correctsounding cables I've ever heard, so acute is their balance between harmonic resolution and tonal color.” “The clarity through the Ultras' treble and midrange has OTL-like directness, but never the hard angularity that can be a byproduct of such precision.” “Their character [is] one of true neutrality, not a manufactured perception of such.”
Features
“Interconnects and speaker cables that use proprietary [gold-infused-silver] conductors and bespoke RCA connectors.” “All Ultra cables have individual serial numbers printed onto small discs clamped on each length, presumably to discourage counterfeiting.”
Use
“I've become accustomed to interconnects and speaker cables that require some signal be run through them before they sound anything but awful,” but “the Ultra interconnects and speaker cables sounded terrific—lithe and lively—right out of their cool boxes. ”
Value
“While Crystal Cable's Ultras are not budget priced, they do compete with the best interconnects and speaker cables I've heard. Add them to the short list of audio cables to audition when you want to hear only the best.”