
Ricable
Contents
Primus and Magnus
Cable | Ricable Primus and Magnus |
Balance low, mid and high | Primus: feels a little thin, but is in proportion.
Magnus: Bass is a little tame. But otherwise it is tremendously open. Cymbals rustle a bit (maybe burn-in?). |
Timbre of vocals and instruments | Primus: Not very detailed. Bit rough. Vocals are a bit flat.
Magnus: Light in sound. Vocals really tell a story. |
Stereo image | Primus: Feels ‘sticky’
Magnus: Wow! Beautiful. The room is really there! |
Rhythm | Primus: Plenty of reverb. Pacing is a bit tame. Magnus: Pacing and timing is good. On point. |
Overall | Primus: Lacks depth. You just don’t get as involved.
Magnus: Emphasis is on music. Drive and drama. May get a little more body. |
Material and construction | Primus: 7N copper, 3.1 mm2 per pole.
Magnus: 7N copper, 4.3 mm2 per pole |
Price | Ricable Primus: 240 Euro, Magnus: 414 Euro |
Dedalus (Elite) and Invictus
Cable | Ricable Dedalus, Dedalus Elite and Invictus |
Balance low, mid and high | Dedalus: treble is a little pinched. Bass is well detailed and in proportion.
Dedalus Elite: lots of air and space in all instruments. Balance is good. Invictus: lots of subtlety and nuance. Treble has nice extension but remains mild. |
Sound color vocals and instruments | Dedalus: Airy and lighthearted.
Dedalus Elite: Very nice vocals! Lots of nuance. Invictus: Neutral and correct timbre. Rich piano with Mammal Hands. |
Stereo image | Dedalus: Stage feel. You can see the layers in the stereo image very well.
Dedalus Elite: Feels like a live performance. Great stereo image. Forward placement. With Mammal Hands, you’re right on top of the piano notes. Invictus: Nice depth and layering. Pleasant distance. You’re really in the music. |
Rhythm | Dedalus: Flowing and nimble. Good propulsion. Transients are a bit rough (burn-in?)
Dedalus Elite: Excellent pacing. Emphasis on the melody. Lots of flow. Invictus: Not most pointed cable. Mostly flow. Controlled is the word that fits here. |
Overall | Dedalus: Light-footed, airy and rhythmic character. Tad harsh in the treble.
Dedalus Elite: Made for Opera! Lots of presence. Lots of air and space. Invictus: Fine balance. Neutral and lots of control. Calm reproduction. Good performer! |
Material and construction | Dedalus: 7N copper, 6.4 mm2 per pole.
Dedalus Elite: 7N copper, 6.4 mm2 per pole. Invictus: 7N copper, 7.6 mm2 per pole |
Price | Ricable Dedalus: 626 Euro , Dedalus Elite: 882 Euro, Invictus: 1518 Euro |
Hi team,
This is quite an amazing project that you have done.
I am trying to use this information to help my selection decision making on some new cables. My conclusion is that the Audiomica ones which you tested seem to be the best value in terms of price vs your feedback about their sound. And from the qualitative feedback it seems like those cables would play well with most systems. Is this a correct conclusion to draw from the testing?
I understand that I would probably want to try the cables out on my system to make sure that they fit with the sound that I like.
I am relatively new to hi-fi so I apologise if this is a question that is a philosophically wrong way to think about things.
Hi Leon,
It is corrent that the Audiomica hits a sweetspot. They deliver very decent quality for a decent price. They are not cheap, but they are very good sounding. And yes: we estimate that they will work in most system.
It is always wise to first try a couple of cables and – if you found your match – buy them. We never advice to buy anything ‘blind’. Always try before you buy!
Thank you for the response and thank you again for putting together this review!
Welcome!
I wonder, if the impedance of the cables would not provide a more significant perspective instead of individual values of R, C and L ?
Well. We measured impedance. So check it out.
Here (impedance vs phase):
https://www.alpha-audio.net/review/megatest-speaker-cables-32-cables-listened-to-and-measured/attachment/audioquest-impedance-2/
is one cable data incomplete!
I see. Slp 14/4 phase. It was accidentally measured in rad. That’s why i left it out.
Hey Jaap, that is a really nice test with lots of information, thanks for that! Would it be possible to have it all into one table for a good overview, instead having to scroll through the individual pages? May be too much to ask 🙂
Keep up the awesome work!
Standard cable of 2.5mm2… I am using 16mm2 “standard wire”, 3m long. Very low resistance. That ticks one box. I guess I can theoretically calculate the inductance and capacitance. Wonder if these are of significant consequence at 20kHz. Maybe I can twist the cable to reduce the inductance if it has some impact.
Let me know how it turns out… ;-).
This is beyond – need to study it – not just read, to understand.
Thanks for including the “peasant” installation cable AudioQuest 14/4 – I use the more expensive version XTRM 14/4. My question is – how did you terminate the cable and in what configuration? I have it terminated with nakamichi bananas and connected in a star-quad configuration.
Martin
It is terminated with spades.
And, just like that, Alpha-Audio shoots to the top of the audio reviewer heap! The GOAT of tests and shoot-outs. Well done kind sirs, that was an impressive and Herculean effort!
Thanks,
Eric
Thank you Eric.