Cables
R Us Part 7: Solitone
Roy
Harris
Audiogon
was the source of discovery. I was browsing the cables-for-sale listings
and noticed a product unfamiliar to me. The description was very enticing.
I contacted the US distributor, Aura Audio, and was sent a one-meter pair
of interconnects and an eight foot speaker cable—the Model One,
which is the least expensive in the line. The retail prices for these
cables are $349 and $850, respectively. The manufacturer in Hungary did
not reveal any information about the design, construction and materials.
During the 2006 CES, Solitone exhibited with Von Schweikert and Spectron
in the Alexis Park hotel.
The
Sound
My
first selection was Steely Dan, Aja, “Deacon Blues”, MCAD
37214. I sensed a floating, gentle, unforced presentation, the antithesis
of what one expects from digital recordings. Donald Fagen’s voice
was slightly veiled and there was no grain structure. The words were easy
to follow, but the sound of sharp consonants was rounded. The sound of
the tenor sax was free of excess treble harmonics. Regardless of how loud
the soloist played, the sound was not unpleasant.
A close-miked female voice is a challenge for any stereo system. My reference
recording is Holly Cole, DON’T SMOKE IN BED, “I Can See Clearly
Now”, Alert Z2 81020. The body of the acoustic bass was vibrating
and one could perceive a thick, dense string, indicative of adequate lower
midrange presence. The bass notes were not obscured. Although the sibilance
of Holly Cole’s voice was slightly subdued compared to other stereo
systems, there was no loss of clarity or vocal expression.
At
the beginning of Ravel’s “Alborado del Gracioso”, conducted
by Ernest Ansermet, London 414046, I noticed a string tone which was less
sharp than experienced from other stereo systems. The clarinet solo was
a bit more distant, deeper into the orchestra, relative to other reproductions
of this music. The bassoon was timbrally accurate, exhibiting a harmonious
balance between the upper and lower registers of the instrument, rather
than an oboe-like character which I have heard when using other cable
products.
Wynton Marsalis, THE MAJESTY OF THE BLUES, “Happy Feet Blues”, Columbia
CK 45091, has a Dixieland flavor. The trumpet had less of a bite than
I experienced listening to this CD on other stereo systems. The clarinet
and cymbal also manifested a slight attenuation in the upper midrange/lower
treble region. The effect of the observed spectral balance was a non-forward,
unforced sound. The snare drum was positioned further into the background
than typically presented on other stereo systems and the contact of wooden
drumsticks with the metallic rim of the snare drum was slightly blunted.
Conclusion
All
components are imperfect. Some of the cables I have reviewed have exhibited
additive colorations. An experienced listener can recognize flaw(s) if
given enough time to observe them. Assertions that a component has no
sound or is neutral indicate that a flaw(s) has not be noticed or that
the word “neutral” is misused. Human beings cannot attain
perfection. It is better to acknowledge defects and go on from there.
A flaw is not a problem if it does not interfere with the enjoyment of
music. There was noted a spectral balance shift toward the lower midrange,
with a slight loss of energy in the upper midrange/lower treble region.
As a result, some instruments were positioned further into the sound field.
One could use the terms “laid back”, “distant”
or “increased depth”, or all of them, to describe this occurrence,
depending upon one’s point of view. The slight deviation from neutrality
of a subtractive nature which I noticed did not rob the music of its emotional
or programmatic content. Rather it lent a pleasant, listenable quality
that could make one forget that one was listening to a digital source.
Associated
Components
Speakers: Magnepan
1.6
Amplifier: VTL Deluxe 120 Monoblocks
Preamplifier: Mapletree Ultra 4A SE Special Edition
Interconnects: Sunny Cable Technology
Speaker Cable: Sunny Cable Technology
AC Cords: Sunny Cable Technology and Soundstring
Accessories: PS Audio P300, PS Audio Juice Bar, Enacom Filters, Sound
Boosters,
Chang 6400, Blue Circle Audio Sound Pillows Mk III , Room Tunes and
Nirvana Audio isolation transformer
All cables manufactured by Solitone
SOLITONE™ TEAM
H-2142 Nagytarcsa
Hungary
