Haselsh1
09-01-2015, 13:26
ATLAS EQUATOR Mk III INTERCONNECT
MINI REVUE
09/01/2015
OK, so I’ve been using these interconnects on and off now for just over a year and I finally have some conclusions about them. My reference pair were Van Den Hul D102 MkIII HB’s with their hybrid carbon/copper construction but these now take a second place in my system.
TREBLE:
The extreme high frequencies when using the VDH’s are very sharply focused and highly precise. On Jacob Dylan’s album ‘Seeing Things’ the first track ‘Evil is Alive and Well’ has the most amazing precision to the steel strung acoustic guitar whereas the Atlas cables produce a sound that is just as bright and well balanced but lacks a little ‘zing’. The treble has a little less precision compared to the VDH’s but appears to be more of an acceptable balance and less likely to scare the cats out of the room. Cymbals and other not-so-high frequency items are always displayed in a very pleasant way when using the Atlas cables as is Rick Wakeman’s Mini Moog on ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth MkII’ which contains that classic sizzle of the filter. Altogether, a very balanced presentation by the Atlas cables.
MIDBAND:
Using a selection of Acoustic Alchemy albums here for their quite gorgeous midband instruments I find that there is a very limited difference between the Atlas cables and the Van Den Hul’s. Using one of their tracks called ‘Egg’ it becomes apparent that the Atlas cables are much more in control that are the VDH’s as the sound has a much tighter control and focus to it. Both cables excel in the midband but I feel that the Atlas cables just win by a very narrow margin.
BASS:
OK, this is where things hot up quite a bit. You know that when people play bass you get that characteristic ‘fret buzz’, that rasp and snap that makes your skin rather shivery…? Don’t expect to hear it using the Van Den Hul’s but expect it to be lovely and clear when using the Atlas Equators. They are just so superior in this respect it is hard to believe these cables are so similar in price. The Van Den Hul’s basically produce a large, wallowy, fat, over blown bass that is simply not going to win any arguments anywhere. My speakers are KEF Q500’s which are simply not known for these traits and this trait is certainly not present when using the Equators so the finger of intense suspicion has to lie with the VDH’s.
These cables are clearly comparable in price however, similarities end there. The Atlas cables are very thick and not very pliable. The VDH’s are thinner and highly pliable. The Atlas cables require a large curve in which to bend behind your sound system whereas the VDH’s do not. The VDH’s come in lengths of 0.8m whereas the Atlas’ are the real deal being a full 1m.
Stereo imaging is extremely wide and expansive with either of these cable types so it may all come down to tonal variations in the end.
As a starting point for someone like me with a budget system I can easily recommend the Atlas Equator MkIII but sadly, I can no longer enthuse over the Van Den Hul’s.
One other thing I have discovered here is that between the source and the preamp is far more important than is between the preamp and the power amps.
Many thanks for reading.
MINI REVUE
09/01/2015
OK, so I’ve been using these interconnects on and off now for just over a year and I finally have some conclusions about them. My reference pair were Van Den Hul D102 MkIII HB’s with their hybrid carbon/copper construction but these now take a second place in my system.
TREBLE:
The extreme high frequencies when using the VDH’s are very sharply focused and highly precise. On Jacob Dylan’s album ‘Seeing Things’ the first track ‘Evil is Alive and Well’ has the most amazing precision to the steel strung acoustic guitar whereas the Atlas cables produce a sound that is just as bright and well balanced but lacks a little ‘zing’. The treble has a little less precision compared to the VDH’s but appears to be more of an acceptable balance and less likely to scare the cats out of the room. Cymbals and other not-so-high frequency items are always displayed in a very pleasant way when using the Atlas cables as is Rick Wakeman’s Mini Moog on ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth MkII’ which contains that classic sizzle of the filter. Altogether, a very balanced presentation by the Atlas cables.
MIDBAND:
Using a selection of Acoustic Alchemy albums here for their quite gorgeous midband instruments I find that there is a very limited difference between the Atlas cables and the Van Den Hul’s. Using one of their tracks called ‘Egg’ it becomes apparent that the Atlas cables are much more in control that are the VDH’s as the sound has a much tighter control and focus to it. Both cables excel in the midband but I feel that the Atlas cables just win by a very narrow margin.
BASS:
OK, this is where things hot up quite a bit. You know that when people play bass you get that characteristic ‘fret buzz’, that rasp and snap that makes your skin rather shivery…? Don’t expect to hear it using the Van Den Hul’s but expect it to be lovely and clear when using the Atlas Equators. They are just so superior in this respect it is hard to believe these cables are so similar in price. The Van Den Hul’s basically produce a large, wallowy, fat, over blown bass that is simply not going to win any arguments anywhere. My speakers are KEF Q500’s which are simply not known for these traits and this trait is certainly not present when using the Equators so the finger of intense suspicion has to lie with the VDH’s.
These cables are clearly comparable in price however, similarities end there. The Atlas cables are very thick and not very pliable. The VDH’s are thinner and highly pliable. The Atlas cables require a large curve in which to bend behind your sound system whereas the VDH’s do not. The VDH’s come in lengths of 0.8m whereas the Atlas’ are the real deal being a full 1m.
Stereo imaging is extremely wide and expansive with either of these cable types so it may all come down to tonal variations in the end.
As a starting point for someone like me with a budget system I can easily recommend the Atlas Equator MkIII but sadly, I can no longer enthuse over the Van Den Hul’s.
One other thing I have discovered here is that between the source and the preamp is far more important than is between the preamp and the power amps.
Many thanks for reading.