High fidelity REVEAL interconnects

@thankful Yes, I just ordered a pair of their 1.5 meter power cords. While I am a new voice on this thread I will not be able to say much for a while. First, I was surprised they really don’t have a stock pile of this new product ready to ship. I ordered mine and have been informed they need to build it before it ships. Then -- and this is really great news to me -- they are now applying their proprietary burn-in process on all cables before they ship. So that will add even more time before shipping.

That said, I don’t know that I’ll be able to offer much commentary because it seems most folks want to know how it compares to this, that or the other cable with which the member poster here is already familiar. For myself, I am replacing a loom of high end Shunyata cabling while staying with my existing Shunyata power conditioners, the Triton V2 and Typhon combination.

I want to be careful and to avoid speaking categorically, to include speaking for others by extension, but in my specific conversation with HFC I was asking where the most improvement might be sought. Based on my conversation regarding the HFC line (and we were really talking specifically about the new Reveal line, as I bought several pieces in one fell swoop), I was informed that power is the first place to put your HFC money, then ICs, then speaker cables and lastly speaker jumpers.

There are many opinions about this topic but that was my impression in speaking with HFC. I won’t speak for them but am simply relaying what I was informed, based on my specific questions and conversation.

I also ordered a special relatively long run of the new Reveal XLR/balanced ICs. In so doing, I realized I was going to need a new shorter run of speaker cables, and I bought the new power cords too. I believe but cannot state unequivocally that I will have the first new customer set of Reveal XLR/balanced ICs. They are bought and paid but have not yet been made. We are awaiting an opinion from Rick as to whether he recommends an additional waveguide be installed due to their unusual seven meter length.

The adage "more magnets make more music" might apply; but as these are balanced for long runs, we are waiting to see what Rick says. They do come with one waveguide standard. But, as has been noted here, a customer can order his with more waveguides if he wants too. Due to the nature of the balanced design (versus RCA) the number of waveguide is double that of standard RCA, and thus double the price of the additional waveguide installation.

I will be delighted to give some impressions of the new Reveal line upon receipt but I am not sure how useful that might be to others on this thread because I am replacing so much cabling in one fell swoop and because what I am replacing might not be known to others.

One last thought about comparing the various HFC offering: It is my understanding that the affordability of the new Reveal line is due primarily to the absence of magnetic treatment at the connections. Also, the waveguides themselves look a bit different to my eye but I didn't inquire about them. In other words, HFC already offers the CT-1 and up models. How can the Reveal come out and better the CT-1 and some say challenge the Enhanced at a lesser investment? I believe it is because the Reveal model does not have magnetic dressings at the connectors. That said, the actual cable itself, about which some early adaptors have commented on the weight and quality itself, which does contain waveguides, is not second rate at all. Then we have the flexibility to add additional waveguides.

At any rate, long story short, yes I have ordered the new Reveal power cords. Due to their affordability it allowed me to step in to the Reveal model balanced ICs and speaker cable at the same time and kill several birds with one stone, so to speak. I thought this philosophy might give others something to thing about.

Rounding out my HFC loom: HFC Enhanced phono cables; HFC RCA adaptors on .5 meter SUT (non HFC) cables; HFC Ultra power cord on the preamp.

@thankful You’re already hip to Shunyata? Yes, that is where I’m coming from. I absolutely love Shunyata products! But the cornerstone in my decision to continue to migrate to the HFC line is the affordability of the Reveal line. The verdict is still out on whether that was a good decision. But my fingers are crossed as my HFC Reveal cables and cords are being assembled. 

@jayctoy I’m not an engineer-type guy but I came across this review and I thought it might begin to address your question:

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue68/highfidelity_enhanced.htm

Some highlights:

"Without delving too deeply into the technology, it involves using magnets to maximize transmission through magnetically permeable conductors (presumably variants of mu metal) rather than the typical copper (and/or silver) used in 99.9% of conventional audio cables." - source: the reviewer

"High Fidelity Cables are not tone control-based cables and do not impart a sonic signature like conventional high end cables made from silver, copper etc." - source: Rick Schultz

The review does not state they are made from mu metal. He is presuming as much. I would have no idea. But I did google mu metal just to see what it means:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu-metal

Also, I just came across this Q&A excerpt from a webcast:

"We use a solid core conductor that is a permalloy mixture. As you go up the line of products, we make the mixture more ferromagnetic. Mu metal is one of the key ingredients.... The cable is magnetized alloy [and] in most cases it has high nickel or carbon content. We have a metallurgist who owns part of the company [and] he helps determine the wire used."

Part of my order has shipped. There were two basic "segments" to the order.

First, I returned my CT1-E phono cable, which I had been using for about two years, for a correct factory burn-in. Why would I do that after it had been installed for so long? Because I had read and HFC confirms that phono cables need a professional burn-in due to the light voltages they convey. In other words, they would otherwise never really achieve burn-in and their full potential. I also sent them a new Ultra power cord that goes on my preamp. Those have been professionally cooked on their new burn-in machinery. 

The second segment of my order was for brand new Reveal products: 1.5m power cords for the amps; 7m balanced ICs between the pre and the amps; and 1.5m speaker cables. 

Meanwhile, I wanted to follow up on the discussion about adding an additional wave guide to the balanced ICs. The question was put to Rick and he said, no - due to the nature of the balanced cable that was not where he would put his money. So the 7m balanced ICs will come with the standard wave guide but will not be hot-rodded with an additional wave guide. 

Rick relayed that if you want to add wave guides, the power cables would be the first place to consider them. Since my power cables are but 1.5m I did not request them. All my Reveals will be stock. 

In overview, I will have a full loom of HFC power cables, speaker cables and interconnects, to include the phono, with the exception of a piece of .5m non-HFC between my SUT and my preamp. That piece, however, will receive the RCA adaptors on both ends to add magnetic conduction there. 

My HFC order is coming back in pieces so I cannot give a full and immediate review. But I'll be happy to report my findings at the appropriate time just the same. To say it again, all current HFC product is now being professionally "cooked" before it leaves the factory. I think this is as of about the first of the year. So my final at home burn-in process should be quite accelerated. 

@hawkrising I think the issue right now is that after the initial batch they released around Christmas of last year they have run into a production delay. Specifically, they were until this week waiting on parts.

The saga is unfolding on HFC’s homepage at Facebook, where one can watch videos and updates. It seems the parts came in this week and production is being ramped up. Meanwhile, aside from the initial run, no one has had his order filled and shipped.

I have an order in and I intend to post my impressions here when my shipment arrives and is installed. So I don’t think there is so much a lack of interest on this thread as there is a lack of product. Let us hope good things come to those who wait.

@jayctoy I installed the power cords two days ago. Because they were part of a bundle of Reveal cables I received and installed at once I’m not sure how I might even address this. There are simply too many variables, including initially putting them straight to the wall, only to retreat back to where they can be run through my Shunyata power conditioners. That’s where they are now. I bought a pair for my power amps. That’s germane to what I’m about to inform you.

A couple of quick observations: If you plan to stack them direct one atop the other at the wall duplex you would need to either a) pull back the thin insulation/protection bands at the connector or b) plug them in to separate wall duplexes. The bands make them just slightly too large to stack one atop the other. However, if you just roll back the bands on one of the connectors then the remaining bands on the second cable’s connector will fall in to the grooves of the other and you’re good to go. Make sense? Look at the pictures and you’ll note the bands I’m discussing. They make the connectors just a hair too fat to stack in a duplex.

On the other hand, if you are plugging them in to a power conditioner, as I am now doing, you should be good to go if you have enough outlets that they don’t have to be positioned directly next to one another.

The cables themselves seem to me to be identical in construction to their more expensive offerings, the difference being at the connectors and the egg-shaped magnets that sit midstream. I won’t speak for them that the cable itself is the same but it visually appears to be the same to me. They are pretty heavy and are more flexible than many of the gargantuan in girth cables out there, such as the Shunyatas I am replacing them with. I like how they look. If you have any HFC items already, I would say each cable from Reveal on up is just as flexible as the next and, again, I think the cable itself is identical.

Please wait for me to return with something more substantive to offer as far as the sound. While they were apparently cooked at the factory before they shipped, I’m guessing they still need some quality time before they should be evaluated.

I had got things up and rocking recently and the ports on my loudspeakers partially closed up. (They are Tannoy Canterbury SEs which rely on natural friction to keep the sliding ports open -- not ideal in my dry climate and at serious rocking volumes.) So my initial thoughts were that they were bass shy but that might not prove to be the case. I’ve opened the ports back up and they are sounding much fuller.

Off the bat, I would say the articulation and micro-dynamics are excellent. Percussive instruments like bells, chimes and shakers are coming in with great definition. But, as I say, the tonality had shifted in my room and now I need to spend more time with them. That, plus the fact that I installed some Reveal interconnects at the same time make a proper review difficult. I plan to come back with more but I wanted to cover some housekeeping and let you know I’m still on this thread. I’d look forward to others’ impressions as they come in.

A couple observations. @ozzy You were asked to confirm the directionality and subsequently replied they are the XLRs; meaning they could only go one way because the male and female connectors will dictate that. I’m convinced you have them pointed in the right direction, which is with the arrow tip always pointed "downstream," the ultimate downstream destination being the speakers.

Now as to burn-in. I installed a pair of Reveal XLRs between my preamp and my amps this past weekend. They have less than a week’s burn-in on them. I think they get a little better with time but nothing real dramatic thus far in my experience. Mine, however, sounded great right off the bat.

Soon after on that same day I also installed a pair of Reveal power cables but I did have an hour or so with just the XLRs and knowing it takes time for the magnetic energies to take effect I still thought they sounded great even before burn-in and other settling effects on my system.