High Fidelity Cables CT-1designed by Rick Schultz


In December 2011,I wrote that High Fidelity cables led by cable designer Rick Schultz was putting together a new cable.The cable came to market as CT-1.The CT-1 has FINALLY made it into my system!I had obtained a version of the prototype that Rick had been working on.It blew my previous reference Genesis by Virtual Dynamics.I thought I had finally found my end with this cable.This prototype delivered to my ears "Nirvana".Could I be at the end of my quest for the ultimate sound?
No. I received two pairs of CT-1 to replace my prototypes.They went into the system this past Friday.Unable to dedicate time until Sunday listening,I stole a few moments,ducking away from company with anticipation.My guest could tell even with the music set for"ambiance"something was intriguing and I was in for a treat!
The experience:
First off,CT-1 was very user friendly.Installation was simple;the cable is very nice and light.The female RCA fit beautifully unlike any I had found in other cable.It was secure and reliable.It seemed much thought was dedicated to developing a designer fit to an aesthetically stunning RCA connector.Install entailed a few wiggles to ensure what seemed like a compression fit on my RCA.
It was 2-3 hrs. for the 1st step of break in to be complete.At that point I had something different!Today,although they only have 10-12 hrs. on them,I can`t put into words how much my system has transformed.Believe me,I loved my prototypes.However....there is simply no comparision.
The clarity and sound is so natural.
The soundstage is like nothing I ever heard.Resoulution is breathtaking and inner detail is simply hard to believe possible.
The sound has transended and now it simply does not seem as thought I have speakers.
My system is musicians playing music.
I am told with time they will improve and I trust that as it was revealed with the prototypes.I wanted to share my thoughts with you that now.
Unequivocally,a testament to High Fidelity,as the name declares.
High Fidelity Cables for me,the last word on it,after 12 hours!
Truly Amazing

Al
alpass
Ddraudt,

Sad Sabai with the empty life here. I believe my points are well made regarding the price/performance ratio of cables. If I look at my system and consider the components, the tweaks and accessories, and the cables that have visited my home, the worst price/performance ratio has consistently been with cables.

In the case of High Fidelity where you have high-performance cables, and this goes for so many other cable makers, some that I have already cited in this thread, the prices are outrageous. I mean $12,900 for a single power cord and $7,500 for a pair of speaker wires? Give me a break. If you are OK with this sort of thing, no skin off my teeth. But $50,000 for 4 power cords?

There is a very attractive alternative. You can make your own high-performance cables for a tiny fraction of the cost -- with stunning results. Why not give it a go if money is a concern? There is so little to lose and so much to gain. In fact, you can make a whole roomful of your own cables for a fraction of the cost of a single over-priced cable -- including neodymium magnets that run about 50 cents apiece. Ozzy and I have worked on this with great success after owning multi-thousand dollar cables. And I'm quite sure there are others out there doing the same thing who prefer to sit on the sidelines, understandably.

Now, it's true that some components may also be somewhat over-priced. But you usually get pretty good value if you choose your components carefully. You will need to change components a lot less often than cables if you purchase wisely.

It is also true that some tweaks and accessories may carry outlandish prices -- such as Synergistic Research HFTs that go for $60 a pop. But in this case, you can also make your own. I got some of the ideas from Ozzy with HFTs and mine work great. I also make proprietary DIY tweaks that are stunning. So, with some imagination and not too many dollars you can really stretch the audio budget.

This is a concern for me because I live overseas and buy and try can be very expensive. OK, I have a pretty liberal audio budget. But why the heck should I just thrown money at the audio thing when I can do better by using my imagination -- and have a bit of fun, as well. There is nothing more satisfying than making your own speaker wires or power cords that allow you to sell off multi-thousand dollar cables that were performing really, really well.
Sabai, looking at your system you have a lot of what I would call 'tweak' products. This means you are not a traditional skeptic, you have just rightly not been impressed with high end cables. Almost all high end cables are just another flavour of sound, they do not justify the extra cost over a decent $500 cable.

This is where HFC is different. It's huge leap in realism. You are kidding yourself if you think you can make some yourself. There is a lot more going on with these cables than magnets that makes them perform so special.

In my opinion the CT-1E Interconnect is a huge leap in performance over any IC cable type I have had, and I have rolled my own of every geometry and wire type you can think of.

Unlike some on this thread I am not so keen to pump the very expensive lines as being 10x better e.t.c The CT-1U and CT-1UR are in my system incremental improvements, they are for the well to do with money to burn.

The CT-1E gets you a large chunk of performance for a price that does not involve cutting your arm off. You should try a pair.
@agisthos. High fidelity is different for the last 5 or 6 years I tried cable makers big and small 25 brands or more the high fidelity ultimate will be my reference cable. It's difference is that in my system it has better speed and realism. It's like a faucet with a bigger more free flowing spout.
It's like a faucet with a bigger more free flowing spout.
Are you talking about the cable or the $$$ flowing from your bank account to Rick Schultz's? $100K (or more) for a full loom of cables? Get real...this is one of the key reasons why people think audiophiles are crazy!
Agisthos,

What people call tweaks can make as big a difference to SQ as a component or a cable. This is what my experience tells me. I also believe that "almost all high end cables are just another flavour of sound ..."

There is also "a lot more going on" with my DIY cables than magnets. I am not denying that High Fidelity cables may be exceptional. What I am saying is that you can make great cables yourself without having to mortgage the house. I mean, most people have at least 4 power cords in their system. How many can afford to spend $50,000 on 4 power cords?

Thanks for the tip. I will look around Singapore for these cables.