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TARA Labs The Zero interconnect

Let me take you by the hand, and together we'll jump off an audio cliff. I promise a soft landing, though there might be some turbulence on the way down.

When I reviewed the mbl 101E Radialstrahler loudspeakers two years ago, MBL's Jeremy Bryan asked me if I had the required double runs of speaker cables. When I told him I didn't, he said he'd bring some, but instead of cables he brought a cable manufacturer, Tara Labs' Matthew Bond. A surprise visit by a cable manufacturer is about as welcome to me as a case of head lice. Even a scheduled visit makes me itch.

Here at…

TARA Labs The Zero interconnect Page 2

A web of polyethylene filaments woven in a "large-windowed" braid is wrapped around the Teflon tube and acts as a spacer to separate the conductors from a shield of braided copper wire. Unlike in most other interconnects, the Zero's shield is allowed to "float." That is, neither end of the shield is attached to ground. Instead, both ends of the shield terminate in thin wires, to which are attached tiny pins (see later).

Fitted to either end of the Zero and soldered in place are complex RCA plugs, machined to mil-spec tolerances and fitted with O-rings and a clamping mechanism capable of…

TARA Labs The Zero interconnect Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

The Zero: Air-dielectric, evacuated interconnect with Rectangular Solid-Core conductors (available in analog, digital S/PDIF and AES/EBU forms) and Floating Ground System. Capacitance: 3.4pF/foot. Inductance: 0.018µH/foot.
Price: $14,900/pair in lengths of 1m, 2m, or 3m. Other lengths, prices vary. Approximate number of dealers: 8. Warranty: 5 years, nontransferable. Under separate warranty program, the cable is guaranteed to maintain its vacuum condition. The original purchaser may at his option send the cable to TARA Labs for a free diagnostic service,…

TARA Labs The Zero interconnect Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, TW-Acustic Raven, Kuzma Reference turntables; Graham Phantom, Continuum Cobra, Kuzma Air Line tonearms; Lyra Titan (stereo & mono), Blue Angel Pink Ivory, Transfiguration Orpheus, Lyra Skala cartridges.
Digital Source: Alesis Masterlink BPT-modified hard-disk recorder, Musical Fidelity kW DM25 CD transport/DAC.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead, ASR Basis Exclusive phono preamplifiers; Musical Fidelity kWP preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity kW monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson…

Listening #48

People love it when audio reviewers reach for that highest of all compliments: "I enjoyed the thing so much, I decided to keep it" (footnote 1). Manufacturers love it for obvious reasons. Readers love it because nuance is out of style at the moment, and the ambiguities implied by less decisive conclusions can be frustrating to adults who read with their mouths open. Publishers love it because strong, declarative statements have been scientifically proven, in double-blind reading tests, to attract subscribers.

But things aren't always that simple—as I learned early in 1998, when…

Listening #48 Page 2

Which brings us to the present day, and to Funk Firm's brand new Vector Link. Like the Pink Link, the new modification kit uses a DC motor, in this case a decidedly expensive European jobbie with an ironless rotor. But the old-style Pink Link power supply and its chunky battery have been done away with, in favor of a new electronics design called the KR-Shunt control. As Khoubesserian explains, the new motor is so steady and noiseless that it eliminates the need for a relatively complex charging/isolating system.

The metal top has also been replaced—by a very sleek-looking plate made of…

PrimaLuna ProLogue Three tube preamplifier & Seven monoblock amplifier

Everybody loves a bargain. No—make that: Most people love a bargain. Some just want the best, and they don't care about the cost. Some even distrust and reject out of hand any product that's not expensive enough. If you're one of these people, you might as well stop reading this review right now—the PrimaLuna ProLogue Three and ProLogue Seven are not for you. $1395 for a tube preamp? $2695 for a pair of 70Wpc tube monoblocks equipped with four KT88 tubes each? Must be based on old designs in the public domain using cheap parts carelessly assembled...

But in fact—and putting…

PrimaLuna ProLogue Three tube preamplifier & Seven monoblock amplifier Page 2

It seemed logical to begin by comparing the ProLogue Three preamp with the CAT SL-1 Ultimate, keeping the Audiopax amps in the system. In evaluating preamps and power amps, I always do some matched-level comparisons, which in this case was complicated by the fact that the CAT preamp has a switched-resistor volume control with fairly large steps. What I did was to set the CAT's volume at a moderate level, measure the voltage at the amplifier speaker terminals when playing the 1000Hz tone on Stereophile's original Test CD (Stereophile STPH-002-2), and set the ProLogue Three's continuously…

PrimaLuna ProLogue Three tube preamplifier & Seven monoblock amplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Prologue Three: Tube line-stage preamplifier. Tube complement: two 5AR4, two 12AX7, two 12AU7. Maximum gain: 12dB. Frequency response: 4Hz–110kHz, ±3dB. THD: <0.2% at 775mV RMS output. Signal/noise: >93dB(A) ref. 775mV. Input impedance: 110k ohms. Output impedance: 2800 ohms. Power consumption: 46W.
Weight: 23.5 lbs (10.7kg).
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: 05060314.
Price: $1395.

Prologue Seven: Tube monoblock power amplifier. Tube complement: four KT88, two 12AX7, two 12AU7. Power output: 70W (18.45dBW). Frequency response: 20Hz–85kHz, ±…

PrimaLuna ProLogue Three tube preamplifier & Seven monoblock amplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: PS Audio Lambda II CD transport, Perpetual Technologies/ModWright P-1A/P-3A digital processors, Monolithic Sound P3 power supply.
Preamplifier: Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate.
Power Amplifier: Audiopax Model Eighty Eight Mk.II monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Avantgarde Acoustic Uno 3.0, Silverline Audio Prelude, Fujitsu Eclipse TD-712z.
Cables: Digital: Mystic Reference I2S, Illuminati Orchid AES/EBU. Interconnect: Nordost Quattro Fils & Valhalla, AudioQuest Sky, PS Audio xStream Statement. Speaker: Nordost Valhalla.…