New UK Cable Manufaturer

[stupinder]

I thought i'd give the heads up or this new cable manufacturer in the UK because I know the guy that runs it is far too modest to do so himself. I do have an interest in that I helped the guy to design his website, but that's where my connection ends.
The company is Reference Fidelity Components (http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/)
Paul, the owner has a solid engineering background, talks sense and isn't a merchant of foo. His cables are built in small quantities, to exacting standards and using the best available components. He's also a really nice bloke and offers great advice on whats good practice and what's hype.
I helped him do his site, ended up buying one of his headphone cables extensions.:doh:
I know that many here will already know Paul, but, given his modesty, few will be aware he's up and running this business.
I hope that mods allow this to run as RFC deserve to do well. Paul has had the bottle to stand up and be counted and put his money where his mouth is with regards to what he believes is important in cable design and for that he should be commended.

[sq225917]

You don't consider anything from Furatech to be foo! Holy schmoly.

[Marco]

Nope. My system is full of their superb IEC plugs and sockets, which to my ears have unquestionably (and significantly) improved the sonic performance of my system, totally without a hint of any "foo" - just simple, solid engineering!

Therefore, let's have less of the provocative remarks, designed merely to 'poke fun' at perfectly valid areas of audio, which you simply choose not to accept. Ta!

Marco.

[stupinder]

I think what he's doing is choosing the components he considers to be the very best on the market and that satisfy his and his customers demands.
If you take the time to read his website you'll see that what he bangs on about is pretty sensible - well engineered ingredients put together with skill and care to give a product that satisfies all the criteria he thinks are valuable in the manufacture of cables.
I'm in the anti foo corner well and truly but I did spend my own hard earned and order a headphone cable -
1. It was what i needed.
2. The price was competitive -I paid the price on the website!
3. The components used were names I knew so if they were substandard I knew I could shout.
3. The construction values satisfied my demands.
5. The service was second to none.

Some folk believe in cables making a difference and some don't -that's fair enough and an argument that will go around and around ad nauseum -but from my limited understanding his arguments don't seem to be entrenched in the usual foo merchants hyperbole. He seems pretty grounded in his arguments to me.

[jandl100]

I've not tried the higher priced RFC Furutech-tipped cables, but for several months now the copper hyperlitz-braided cables made by Paul of RFC have been my cables of choice.

I've got several stereo pairs, of 1m and 2m lengths, and for the first time in a long while my curiosity about other cables has reduced pretty much to zero. They seem to do the job very nicely.

Yes, of course I am a bit curious about the Furutech connections used by both Paul at RFC and, I think, Mark Grant ... in fact Paul keeps threatening to send me some to try! :doh:

[Marco]

Stu,

That's often the case with the products of cable manufacturers, whose ideas are grounded in solid engineering principles, but have actually also taken the time to do some proper subjective testing and listening, and thinking outside of the box, instead of dismissing the value of anything more 'exotic' than an ordinary 'kettle lead', simply because the principle doesn't align with some blinkered and dogmatic objectivist's scientific wanking material! ;)

Marco.

P.S You need to add your first name to your profile, mate :)

[northwest]

scientific wanking material! ;)


I have seen some of that. It's disgusting.

[synsei]

More choice in the marketplace is always welcome and having had a brisk flick through the website it is obvious Paul hasn't skimped on quality and his cables offer good VFM. I'd be very interested to hear what a pair of Fidelity Cables could offer over and above the Belkins I'm using at present. It's so nice to visit a website that just tells it as it is...

[Marco]

Indeed, and returning briefly to the subject of "foo", one of the reasons why systems AoS have demonstrated at Scalford have consistently received very positive comments is precisely because of the use of said "foo", in terms of sonically-optimising specialist equipment supports, cables which have been very carefully chosen to sonically synergise with the partnering system, and mains and digital noise filters that help combat the detrimental effects of the awful mains supply in hotels!

Remove said "foo", and you consequently remove the system's ability to reproduce music as faithfully, and in turn, communicate it as effectively to the listener. When we do a show of our own next year, we'll be demonstrating precisely that effect to anyone who's willing to leave their prejudices at the door and listen with an open mind :)

That said, as you were now, chaps! :cool:

Marco.

[jostber]

Interesting post on connectors:

http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/?p=444

[synsei]

This is equally interesting: “High End Cables” or Smoke and Mirrors? (http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/?p=327)

[MCRU]

I thought i'd give the heads up or this new cable manufacturer in the UK because I know the guy that runs it is far too modest to do so himself. I do have an interest in that I helped the guy to design his website, but that's where my connection ends.
The company is Reference Fidelity Components (http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/)
Paul, the owner has a solid engineering background, talks sense and isn't a merchant of foo. His cables are built in small quantities, to exacting standards and using the best available components. He's also a really nice bloke and offers great advice on whats good practice and what's hype.
I helped him do his site, ended up buying one of his headphone cables extensions.:doh:
I know that many here will already know Paul, but, given his modesty, few will be aware he's up and running this business.
I hope that mods allow this to run as RFC deserve to do well. Paul has had the bottle to stand up and be counted and put his money where his mouth is with regards to what he believes is important in cable design and for that he should be commended.

Hi,
Just a tip as if you designed the site you must surely know it has to have an address visible somewhere? Cannot see it. Curious to see if the owner lives next door...:)

[Clive]

Hi,
Just a tip as if you designed the site you must surely know it has to have an address visible somewhere? Cannot see it. Curious to see if the owner lives next door...:)
I too would be nervous dealing with a site with just mobile number and no address. Given the recommendation on this forum I'm sure all is kosher but people who don't read the forum would be put off by the anonymity of the vendor.

[stupinder]

Good point well made r the address -now added :-)Should add that it was there but hidden on the contact page -my error ...doh!!!! NOw made it much more prominent. Thanks guys.
With regards payment Paul chose to use Paypal as the only online method of payment for the very reason of ensuring buyers felt secure.
Apart from that, I say he's a good bloke -isn't that enough ;-)

[ursus262]

Sorry, would somebody mind telling me what "foo" is?

[sq225917]

Stu,

...instead of dismissing the value of anything more 'exotic' than an ordinary 'kettle lead', simply because the principle doesn't align with some blinkered and dogmatic objectivist's scientific wanking material! ;)

Marco.



Well at least you accept the explanations defy the laws of physics, that's a start Marco. ;-)

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Can I offer a couple of simple tips on Wordpress, hope you don't mind :)
In "widgets" in the backend of Wordpress drag the meta widget out of the sidebar ... It's no good to anyone visiting the site really
Also, if you go options - permalinks and select the "post name" one ... That will give him some nicer URL's
Hope that helps :)

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Also you can probably take the Wordpress link out of the footer by editing footer.tpl
Stop nosey fuckers like me making remarks ;)

[Marco]

Well at least you accept the explanations defy the laws of physics, that's a start Marco. ;-)

I've always been a law unto my own, Simon - ain't gunna change now! ;)

Marco.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Well now, if you're interested in the Laws of Physics, you should trundle over to the Accessories page (http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/?page_id=359) of the site (lovely clean design by the way Stu - nice!). When you get there take a look at the 'Planet Protector' contact cleaner (fantastic name!).

I couldn't help noticing this bit:

"By virtue of the Quantum Tunnelling effect, this thin film between mating conductive surfaces has excellent electrical conductivity properties".

.....so I started to wonder just what the hell the Quantum Tunnelling effect is when it's at home.

I poked around the w's for a while and discovered it's tricky stuff! The Wikki usually speaks to the Thikki's amongst us like me, so after a while I went there. This is what it said:

"Quantum tunnelling refers to the quantum mechanical phenomenon where a particle tunnels through a barrier that it classically could not surmount. This plays an essential role in several physical phenomena, such as the nuclear fusion that occurs in main sequence stars like the sun,[1] and has important applications to modern devices such as the tunnel diode.[2] The effect was predicted in the early 20th century and its acceptance, as a general physical phenomenon, came mid-century.[3]
As a consequence of the wave–particle duality of matter, tunnelling is often explained using the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Purely quantum mechanical concepts are central to the phenomenon, so quantum tunnelling is one of the defining features of quantum mechanics and the particle–wave duality of matter."

Hmmmm. OK.........still none the wiser - so then I found this video:

1a5mdcZcG0w

It seems a lot of trouble to go to just to get yer phono sockets shiny!

[synsei]

From reading the description Chris I believe it improves the electrical conductivity of the connection... ;)

[stupinder]

Can I offer a couple of simple tips on Wordpress, hope you don't mind :)
In "widgets" in the backend of Wordpress drag the meta widget out of the sidebar ... It's no good to anyone visiting the site really
Also, if you go options - permalinks and select the "post name" one ... That will give him some nicer URL's
Hope that helps :)
I don't mind at all - thanks:). It's something i've just sorted this morning with the hifipig site (http://hifipig.com/). I've now changed the permalinks on the RCF (http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk) site too -good suggestion.
I'll leave the meta as its useful to us and the wordpress link in there as i feel it deserves the mention.

[stupinder]

Well now, if you're interested in the Laws of Physics, you should trundle over to the Accessories page (http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/?page_id=359) of the site (lovely clean design by the way Stu - nice!).

Thankyou!
I work in return for Hifi ;)

[DSJR]

The Fidelity interconnect should be a fine choice too. Same as Rega Couple (as far as I can see) and twenty quid cheaper. Great Klotz cable (IMO) and good plugs. may be better in soms ss based systems with sharp, slightly "crisp" sounding tweeters but NO loss of subtle details (unlike one or two VDH interconnects which try to do the same thing via carbon based spark-plug leads ;))

[Reffc]

Hi

As I was informed that I'd been "mentioned in dispatches" I thought I'd mosey on over and see what AOS was all about! Nice forum from what I can see.

Yes, the Fidelity is the same as Rega Couple in terms of components, but with one exception: it uses Cardas quad eutectic solder which I'm a big fan of (I use this for all my soldered connections). Whilst not up there with the (only slightly more expensive) offerings from the Reference stable, it's a very good interconnect.