Introduction
William Eikos was founded by William Funnell-Pilcher. Speaking to Bill, I was impressed with his vast experience and knowledge on audio-related matters, and his passion for music. He started work in the hi-fi industry in the 80s and was responsible for developing a variant of the Spica TC-50 for the United Kingdom market. I recall the moment I first saw and heard the TC-50 (yeah, I’m that old). The triangular wedge-like speaker had little bass, but offered the most amazing staging and imaging I heard at that price point. He also worked with Pioneer UK to develop the Precision range. We reminisced about old times, gems like the A400 amplifier (my first proper amplifier) and the usual things that vintage audiophiles like to talk about.
The subjects on review here are the Ultra-Litz Field Cables. Bill explained that he developed them to pair with his Aurigen loudspeaker, after determining that available cables on the market curtailed performance.
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Leather case for the cable split. |
Description
The Ultra-Litz Field Cables are definitely something different and are an out-of-the-box approach to cable design. William Eikos explains on their website that they believe that conventional cable insulation (usually petrochemical-derived plastics such as Teflon and foamed insulation) hurt the sound by distorting AC signals. Similarly, solder and strand interaction are also cited as sonic issues afflicting the competition.
Litz cables consist of many fine wires that are individually insulated to prevent skin-effect and strand interaction. Put simply, higher frequency signals travel at the surface of the wire where the smaller cross-sectional area presents greater resistance. By using individually insulated conductors, current flows equally through each strand.
In the case of the line-level cables, you have 750 strands of litz wire for each leg (and 8000 strands for the speaker cable). Each strand is less than half the thickness of a strand of hair. Great care is taken in assembly of the cables, including attention to reduce oxidation and avoid the use of solder. The RCA cables are terminated in solderless WBT Nextgen plugs and the speaker cables utilise a special solid silver spade connector custom-made for William Eikos that are connected to the wire strands using high-pressure crimping. For sake of brevity, I am grossly oversimplifying the various processes applied. Do head over to William Eikos’ website for a more detailed read.
The unboxing experience was also unique, with the cables packed in re-usable cloth bags and a refreshing freedom from environmentally-damaging packaging. The wool felt jackets were chosen not just for their near-ideal dielectric qualities, but also damping of micro-vibrations. William Eikos cites the use of felt in pianos, pipe-organs and other musical instruments as an example. Other natural materials like leather and silk are also used in construction of the Ultra-Litz cables.
During installation, I found that the RCA plugs did not fit PCB-mounted RCA sockets, or any tightly spaced jacks for that matter. Removing the felt socks would be necessary in such a case. Otherwise, everything went smoothly.
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The felt socks can be removed for tight spaces or for tightening the plug screw collar. |
Sound Quality
It may be helpful to explain what these cables do not sound like. First up are cables that create a sonic impact from the get-go, much like the brightest display panel in the shop. Then you have the cables that provide an obvious bump in their tonal balance. Instead of taking you out with a sucker punch, the Ultra-Litz cable impresses you over the long-term with their naturalness and musical flow. I would describe their tonal balance as soft-neutral - with a full and weighty bass, and even-handed presentation. There is a realistic presentation of music with a balance between the leading-edge and fade, avoiding the sharp and incisive presentation of some other cables.
The textured and full bass provided the necessary authority and scale when required, while retaining plenty of detail when listening to instruments like double bass. I noticed that the vocals enjoyed a subtle degree of projection, providing a more intimate presentation. The Ultra-Litz cables did not sound overly bright or airy in the upper frequencies. Metal percussion instruments sounded clean and crisp, but presented in a gentle way that seamlessly blended with the midrange. Although these cables are highly resolving, they served up fine detail in a subtle and unforced manner. It’s all there for you to discover, but more like the way colour and details are presented to the eye, as opposed to a photo post-processed for visual pop.
From an imaging and soundstaging perspective, the Ultra-Litz threw a wide soundstage, with very good image height and depth. The sonic images were somewhat larger in size compared to my usual cables, with a beguiling energy imparted to voices and instruments, as well as the acoustic space around them. This lent a rare quality of dimensionality that eludes most other cables on the market and is one of the key sonic strengths of the Ultra-Litz cables.
Trying the interconnects and speaker cables separately, I found both to have an equal contribution to sonic performance. I did have some misgivings that using both together would result in too much a good thing, but this proved to be unfounded. Using the cables together built upon their collective strengths and achieved a higher level of performance.
I found the Ultra-Litz cables to excel in reproducing acoustic instruments like the piano and string instruments which were portrayed with stunning realism. However, the full bass tone would not be my choice for EDM or other types of fast music where there is a need to sound tight and pacey.
Conclusion
The Ultra-Litz Field Cable set new standards on how natural sounding a cable can be. The elephant in the room would be cost. These cables are very expensive indeed. Detractors may argue that these costly cables should be perfect in every way. My own experience is that no such perfection exists, except as conjured up by creative copywriters. Give these cables a listen and let your ears decide.
William Eikos Ultra-Litz Field Cable
Price : USD 9,000 - 1.0m RCA cable pair. USD 11,200 - 1.0m XLR cable pair. USD 19,625 - 2.5m speaker cable pair.
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