New Audio Cable

[calloway]

I thought I would write a short review of a new to me, interconnect cable that I recently purchased,that has taken my system to a new level of excellence.The creator of the cable is probably well known to many in the
audio world. Rick Shultz has started 2 previous audio cable companies,Virtual Dynamics and High Fidelity Audio.I purchased a number of his HFA cables and was very satisfied with their performance. Rick is a very interesting and very respected cable designer. He also is a very nice gentleman who I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with at a previous Axpona show.His new company is called Rick Schultz Audio. His approach to cable designing is unique and many of his designs have been patented.I found his HFCs to be among the best I had ever had.HIs new cable lines are not a complete departure from this HFCs but rather a significant new technology.( for complete information see his advertisements on Audiogon).I initially ordered a 2m RCA cable from his Illumination line for my system to connect my Lumin X1 to my Chalice Audio 'Grail' SET mono blocks.I let them burn in for about 100 hours before doing any serious listening.The cables are directional.My initial impressions of the Illumination cables were multiple.The soundstage was so much better than any previous cable I had tried.It is so much more consolidated with a Hugh improvement in clarity.Vocals were so much more tonally correct.I am hearing micro details not previously noticed.in my albums.After spending about a week with them I texted Rick to have him send me a pair of his 'Apparition' cables to compare, not really thinking I would find them significantly better.I was and am so wrong.They are more expensive, true,but are, without a doubt, the best RCA cables I have had in my system and they are not going anywhere.The improvement over the Illumination,was to me, worth the extra price.Now...the Illuminationis are incredible and will significantly improve the performance of most any system they are introduced into.
In addition to Ricks new cables , he has a new 'Contact Enhancer that is superb.I used it on the Apparition and it significantly improved the sound,The sonic PRESENCE was amazing. I previously was not a fan of contact enhancers ,having lost a speaker to a prior companies version.This enhancer is great.It flushes out the detail.Again...I can't say enough about how great these cables are.By far...the best I have had in my system.

 

[Synaxis]

I thought I would write a short review of a newt me, interconnect cable that I recently purchased,that has taken my system to a new level of excellence.The creator of the cable is probably well known to many in the
audio world. Rick Shultz has started 2 previous audio cable companies,Virtual Dynamics and High Fidelity Audio.I purchased a number of his HFA cables and was very satisfied with their performance. Rick is a very interesting and very respected cable designer. He also is a very nice gentleman who I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with at a previous Axpona show.His new company is called Rick Schultz Audio. His approach to cable designing is unique and many of his designs have been patented.I found his HFCs to be among the best I had ever had.HIs new cable lines are not a complete departure from this HFCs but rather a significant new technology.( for complete information see his advertisements on Audiogon).I initially ordered a 2m RCA cable fro his Illumination line for my system to connect my Lumin X1 to my Chalice Audio 'Grail' SET mono blocks.I ket them burn in for about 100 hours before doing any serious listening.The cables are directional.My initial impressions os the Illumination cables were multiple.The soundstage was so much better than any previous cable I had tried.It is so much more consolidated with a Hugh improvement in clarity.Vocals were so much more tonally correct.I am hearing micro details not previously noticed.in my albums.After spending about a week with them I texted Rick to have him send me a pair of his 'Apparition' cables to compare, not really thinking I would find them significantly better.I was and am so wrong.They are more expensive, true,but are, without a doubt, the best RCA cables I have had in my system and they are not going anywhere.The improvement over the Illumination,was to me, worth the extra price.Now...the Illuminationis incredible and will significantly improve the performance of most any system they are introduced into.
In addition to Ricks new cables , he has a new 'contact Enhancer that is superb.I used it on the Apparition and it significantly improved the sound,The sonic PRESENCE was amazing. I previously was not a fan of contact enhancers ,having lost a speaker to a prior companies version.This enhancer is great.It flushes out the detail.Again...I can't say enough about how great these cables are.By far...the best I have had in my system.

I always love hearing about people's experience with different gear and companies products.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[viola]

I thought I would write a short review of a new to me, interconnect cable that I recently purchased,that has taken my system to a new level of excellence.The creator of the cable is probably well known to many in the
audio world. Rick Shultz has started 2 previous audio cable companies,Virtual Dynamics and High Fidelity Audio.I purchased a number of his HFA cables and was very satisfied with their performance. Rick is a very interesting and very respected cable designer. He also is a very nice gentleman who I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with at a previous Axpona show.His new company is called Rick Schultz Audio. His approach to cable designing is unique and many of his designs have been patented.I found his HFCs to be among the best I had ever had.HIs new cable lines are not a complete departure from this HFCs but rather a significant new technology.( for complete information see his advertisements on Audiogon).I initially ordered a 2m RCA cable from his Illumination line for my system to connect my Lumin X1 to my Chalice Audio 'Grail' SET mono blocks.I let them burn in for about 100 hours before doing any serious listening.The cables are directional.My initial impressions of the Illumination cables were multiple.The soundstage was so much better than any previous cable I had tried.It is so much more consolidated with a Hugh improvement in clarity.Vocals were so much more tonally correct.I am hearing micro details not previously noticed.in my albums.After spending about a week with them I texted Rick to have him send me a pair of his 'Apparition' cables to compare, not really thinking I would find them significantly better.I was and am so wrong.They are more expensive, true,but are, without a doubt, the best RCA cables I have had in my system and they are not going anywhere.The improvement over the Illumination,was to me, worth the extra price.Now...the Illuminationis are incredible and will significantly improve the performance of most any system they are introduced into.
In addition to Ricks new cables , he has a new 'Contact Enhancer that is superb.I used it on the Apparition and it significantly improved the sound,The sonic PRESENCE was amazing. I previously was not a fan of contact enhancers ,having lost a speaker to a prior companies version.This enhancer is great.It flushes out the detail.Again...I can't say enough about how great these cables are.By far...the best I have had in my system.

I have to echo Calloway's observations on these interconnects. I have had a 2-meter pair of the Apparition XLRs in my system for several weeks. My system is highly resolving: Dohmann Helix 2, Mk 3 turntable with Thales Statement tonearm and Sound-Smith Strain Gauge SG-410 reference cartridge system → Tidal Audio Prisma preamplifier → Westminster Labs Rei mono blocks → Tidal Audio Contriva G2 speakers. Consequently, any power cord, interconnect or speaker cable change is very noticeable. These Apparition interconnects are the best I have ever heard, and that includes interconnects costing $25k or more that I have auditioned. They convey details that were not apparent from other interconnects with a virtually unbelievable speed, frequency extension, imaging and sound staging. They have a liquidity and purity that I have not experienced from any other product. I have to admit that I do not really understand the patented technology behind these interconnects. All I can say is that they are truly outstanding in a highly resolving system.

 

[agisthos]

I had the High Fidelity Cables CT-1, Enhanced, Ultimate, then Ultimate Reference RCA cables. Even the lowest level HFC cables were better than any other cable I had heard. The hype about those cables was real.

Still running the CT-1 Ultimate Reference, and am very interested to hear from you guys who have the Apparition - how much better it is over the previous HFC stuff?

 

[viola]

I had the High Fidelity Cables CT-1, Enhanced, Ultimate, then Ultimate Reference RCA cables. Even the lowest level HFC cables were better than any other cable I had heard. The hype about those cables was real.

Still running the CT-1 Ultimate Reference, and am very interested to hear from you guys who have the Apparition - how much better it is over the previous HFC stuff?

I have never used any of Rick Schultz's earlier interconnects so I cannot personally answer the question you posed. Rick told me that his newest cables were much better than his earlier models, which I suppose is not surprising in light of the progression of technology and material science.

 

[agisthos]

If any of your guys want the ultimate spdif digital cable for your transport/streamer and dac, try one Rick Schultz interconnect and use that.
The nature of the magnetic technology Rick uses means the cable topology must be a coaxial transmission line, which is a digital cable topology.

So its a spdif cable anyway, and perfectly suited to this application. When I used the HFC RCA cable for spdif digital, I found the effect was even greater on digital connection than on analog, it was huge and again, way better than any other digital cable I ever had.

Right now I am using an ethernet input streamer/dac, so my HFC digital RCA cable is safely packed away, waiting to be unleashed if I ever go back to streamer and dac separates.

 

[calloway]

agisthos...I did have Rick's CT-1 Ultimate RCA cables previously. great cables.His current 'Appparition' cable is far superior.Like 'viola' stated ...they are better than any he has used previously.I agree with him totally.

 

[zman1]

A delight to find a forum where the goal of members is not to polarize a discussion by preaching their own gospel......

A brief review of RSA cables (Rick Schultz Audio). Started with Ricks inventions after reading a 6 Moons review. Got into things with a loom of Reveals, then worked up the line to CT-2 and Signatures. Then covid hit and HFC and Rick went away - unfortunately.

Now he's back - and a tour du force. The illumination/apparition lines better anything that I had from HFC, although I never got to hear the Professional line. Every addition brings something new to the ear; interconnects, speaker cable and now the Apparition Magnetic Vortex power conditioner. It's uncanny how natural things sound now, even from a digital source. While I had little to complain about with the sound before, with this addition it's become obvious what was missing. The addiction continues..

Been hanging on to some of my older HFC but it looks like they're going on the market

 

[calloway]

zman1...Rick is certainly a genius at cable making. I too had a number of his previous HFC cables and loved all. The current line is so much better..thanks for your post..