High Fidelity Cables CT-1designed by Rick Schultz

In continuation from my previous post…

Last August, I moved up from the stunning CT-1 to the Ultra series for all PCs powering the Rowland M925 monos, Rowland Aeris DAC, and Esoteric X-01 transport, as well as for the digital coax between transport and DAC. Well before completing break-in, I experienced a further leap in harmonic density, refinement of micro details, clarification of images, stage concreteness, authority, and something that I can only define as a rare combination of agility and grandness. All these qualities kept moving upwards until they stabilized at about 400 hours.

Considering my overall experience this far with the HFC wires, what has been consistent is the incredible frequency extension which seems inherent with the brand, together with a complete absence of any trace of treble hardness, which in so many other cable brands is an annoying product of residual intermodulation side bands.

Ah yes, and what about the eternal audiophilic question... Is the HFC house sound "warm", or is it "neutral"... Oddly enough, the answer is... Yes to both!

In other words, HFC house sound can be perceived as either neutral or warm, depending on one's particular esthetic inclination. The total lack of artifacts, combined with the complexity of harmonic exposure may persuade the seeker of warmth that HFC is in fact “subtly warm", because of its utterly immersive and captivating listenability. Conversely, the fan of neutral sound might focus on HFC’s even treatment of the frequency spectrum, without perceivable emphasis to any particular frequency band. I venture to suggest that with HFC the warm versus neutral dichotomy is obsolete, and is therefore not applicable.

In other words, HFC transcends the entire warmth vs neutrality issue. A more apt name for its utterly mesmerizing house sound may be "immersively complex" – a quality with the potential of garnering favor in both camps of the eternal debate.

Have I ever experienced any PCs in my system that I prefer to HFC Ultra? The answer is simple and mono-syllabic… No. HFC Ultra has elevated my system performance by a significant margin, and is therefore my new PC and coax reference point!

On the other hand, might the High Fidelity Ultra line be beat... Yes, I have well founded fears that moving up from Ultra to Helix, Ultra Reference, and Pro may be bound to enhance the magic of my system even to further heights… Scary thought *Grins!*

Saluti, Guido

Mapman, since there are hundreds of magnets in the top lines, I doubt, even were your post to be sincere, if you will ever see any field coils.

The purpose of the HFC design is to get rid of the magnetic fields. Electromagnets, however, use magnetic fields to attract ferrous metals. So each is adverse to the other.

@guidocorona. To me HFC just brings clarity and precision that I hadn't ever heard with the other brands. It always finds a way into my system.

+1 Calvinj
I agree...

This is getting so critical. Last evening I was listening to vinyl, in particular to Lena Horne's Watch What Happens and I had done what I do to each LP, namely use a brush to sweep it clean and the Walker Audio magnet to remove static, on the previous side thanks to laziness I had only sweep it. On the second side she sounded older and had less ambience.

After listening to it, I went back to the first side and sweep it and used the magnet, she sounded older and there was less ambience. I think not using the magnet is more real. I must say that with or without treatment with the magnet was among the very best I had ever heard. Of course, today I have to findout whether I hear this on other LPs, But I have my new AMS music server here and want to install it.

Use or don't use the magnet!!! Wow, thanks HFC, Star Sound Tech, Tripoint, H-Cat for forcing me to this. It has always been my goal, but I thought it would be easier to achieve. Now having heard quad DSD recordings, I know that digital also can be taken to new extremes for realism. I will have many DSD recordings to choose from, but Watch What Happening will not be among them. Nor may be many other masters, such as Thelonious Monk, etc.