High End 2015 • Hot Product

Cables are one of those product categories that are definitely considered best heard but not seen, which presents cable manufacturers with something of a dilemma when it comes to displaying their wares at shows. Unless, of course, they adopt the simple expedient of running the system turned backwards. Fono Acustica’s Felix Avalos didn’t go quite that far, but with a pair of Avantgarde mono amplifiers to play with, he took the unusual, and unusually effective, decision to turn one round, immediately demonstrating just how discretely his cables can be installed -- and just how beautifully they are built.

But his new flagship Virtuoso cables are much more than just pretty. Using multiple solid-core conductors throughout, they are formed from a unique silver/gold alloy that is drawn to his precise specification. The interconnects (€14,000/meter pair) feature an innovative low-contact dielectric structure, formed from a carefully specified Teflon formulation. Both the speaker cables (€27,500/meter pair) and power cords (€12,000/meter length) are quite different in approach, the silver/gold conductors being hand-wrapped in a fine layer of carbon filaments that act as both part of the conductor and a damping layer. These are then inserted into loose silicon tubes to insulate them, with minimal contact from the dielectric material. Terminations are sourced from Oiyade, except for the intricate adjustable spades that can be angled as required and then locked in place.

The finishing touch is the carefully worked silver-plated-copper connector sleeves, the complex engraving executed by a jewelry atelier to Avalos’s own design. The result is a set of distinctive handmade cables where the considerable effort that has gone into their construction is as obvious on the outside as it is inside.