New TEO Audio ICs, who has them?

To Taras22 or Teo_Audio, Guys you really have me confused. I own a somewhat high-end system that consists of a YBA Genesis CD4 CD player used as a transport, a Musical Paradise MP-D2 Tube DAC, a 135lb, 40W/ch, Mastersound Reference 845 Integrated, SET amp and a pair of Beauhorn Virtuoso speakers w/Lowther PM5A drivers that have Ticonal magnets.

I replaced my ICs with your Teo Ultra ICs, which I love, 2+ months ago now. I have considered even moving farther up the Teo line, but your offerings here on Audiogon are the GC Jr., GCII, Ultra, and Kronon ICs. Yet when I go to Teo’s own webpage the analog ICs are listed as the ApheHelios, Splash, Splash Rs and Splash Rc and to make things even more confusing above that it lists the liquid ICs as Reference, Splash, and Standard!

Can one of you two clear things up for me?  Please tell me plainly... 

• what is your present line of analog ICs these days from top to bottom?
• where is the Ultra IC in this line?
  
• what improvements would I hear moving up to Kronos or higher?
  
• also is my Teo Ultra ICs a single or 3 conductor cable?

Thanks, Thetubeguy1954 (Tom)

Tcscata, here is another thread on the Forum about “current” Teo Audio cable’s:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/anyone-try-teo-gc-jr-interconnects-yet

I don’t know the relationship between the cables on their website and their current offerings.

I believe the (GC) Ultra includes a single liquid metal conductor. But with respect to the 4 Teo Audio IC’s you’ve listed in your post, their quality increases as follows: GC, GC-Jr, GC2, GC-Ultra and Kronon.

Thanks Mr. Celander for jumping in the breach and mapping out the lower end of our line. From there the line extends to include the Solfeggio, the Ref J, and the Ne Plus Ultra which are all based on what we call a three conductor assembly and use a WBT plug ( all the other cables are based on a single conductor assembly, and with the exception of the Kronon, which uses a WBT plug, use a KLE plug ).

Ascribing qualitative value to each cable is difficult as everyone weights various sonic factors differently but to our ears the GC group of cable have a familial sound that becomes increasing better as you move from the Jr to the Ultra. The Kronon however takes takes the significant changes that exist within the GC family, and adds dramatic to the significant change. Its a really stellar cable, and my particular fave in the line. 

The 3 conductor cables take the Kronon strengths and add a robustness to the presentation ( the analogy I use is like going from a great 2-way speaker to a great 3-way...I happen to like 2-ways which is why I have a preference for the Kronon, Ken prefers the three wire assemblies ). The only other strength the three conductor assemblies have is they are better suited for longer runs beyond two meters.  

And btw there are also Double Double versions of the single wire assemblies available and they have the particular charm that defines that sort of design ( in addition to that special voicing that TEO design brings to the table ).

Hope that helps.

Taras22: So all GC-labeled offerings below the Kronon is a single liquid metal conductor IC; the Kronon is a two liquid metal conductor IC and everything above the Kronon is a three liquid metal conductor IC. And then one has the Double-Double series, which doubles the number of liquid metal conductors of the original IC, which I gather applies only to the GC-labeled series (GC-Jr, GC2 and GC-Ultra).


So the Kronon will be better than any of the GC series and the Double-Double versions of the GC series, owing to the connector being different.

Is that a fair characterization?

Well....first, the Kronon is a single conductor assembly....and as for the comparison between the Double Double cables and the Kronon ?....that is a tougher question to answer because we are really talking apples and oranges. Its sort of like saying a big block Mustang, which is loads of wild fun, is better than the precise handling Miata because it has a vastly better 0-60 time....or.... a Klipschorn is better than a planar speaker because it really kicks out the jams. 

The Kronon, while admittedly not as spectacular as our Double Doubles ( and gawd they are spectacular...as an aside methinks the special sauce in any double configuration is bandwidth extension which btw given our liquid metal conductor we were already at a very marked advantage in regard hard metal but in a double configuration , ooo-weee-baby,  the joint is really really rocking ), is still the more precise instrument. A more definitive and fair comparison will probably have to wait until we finally get around to figure out how to build a Double Double Kronon.

Sorry not a complete answer as this was done in some haste...dinner was calling and my blood sugar was dropping.