Tighter bass - Great dynamics Important increase in neutrality, detail and openess - More air around voices and instruments - Changes your system in a way you fully enjoy your music. Given the (high-end)results, the price of the VDH FIRST ULTIMATE is really cheap (it''s still a fraction of snakes from the likes of Transparent, MIT...)

In the two systems I''ve tried it : none

The VAN DEN HUL THE FIRST ULTIMATE is really a cable that can change (or rather : enhance) your system. As always a cable should be tried before purchase, because of system-matching. However, I do believe it is nearly impossible to fault this cable. I''ve tested it in my system (with Sphinx Myth-amplifier, Teac-CD-drive and Wadia-DAC en Magnepan 0.5 speakers) and in a friend''s system (BW 801 MATRIX with Denon pre- and poweramps and Sony CD-player). Twice the results were similar : Voices and instruments are neutral and more clearly detailed without exageration, both having more air around them. Sounds are simply "hanging" more in a natural-sounding accoustic surrounding. Bass is getting significantly tighter and more tuneful. All in all, your CD''s will sound more natural, less agressive. However, if you really suffer from a harsh system, I feel you should also audition VDHUL FIRST and SECOND, both offering still a softer noise, at the price of being less dynamic. This last point also being a strong point of the FIRST ULTIMATE : great dynamics with no hint of congestion on complex material. All in all, given the price : THE FIRST ULTIMATE offers you high-end without having to pay redicilous prices! It gives you the opportunity to enjoy your music and forget about the electronics.

Similar Products Used:

Monster 400 - Nagaoke Jeweltone - Supra Eff I

Extremely neutral. Good shielding. Doesn''t sound bad as long as you keep them short (they don''t do any longer than 1.0M anyway)

Comparatively slow and flat. Doesn''t have the detail and fastness of metal cables. High resistance, not recommended for analog source. Not everyone''s taste.

First of all i''ll say they sound very neutral. Or i can say sounds flat. Using Carbon fibre instead of metal does eliminate the metalic and bright sound. I lived with it happily for years thinking they''re the best; until i recently tried others. They sounds worst with analog equipment. Having a different pair of interconnects give me an opportunity to compare. The VDH is lacking the detail and speed from a decent pair of copper interconnect. It does offer great shielding that i didn''t expect. I think it is a must have product as reference and comparison. Great for testing equipment beczuse you''re not hearing the character of the cable. It served me well for a good few years. I''ve found better ones now and i doubt i''ll get another pair of VDH again.

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Ecosse The Quartet MS2 Nordost cables Kimber Silver Streak etc

Errr none

I'm using this as a digital interconnect. I have a very open (and big) system using Mirage M1's (top of the range reference level speakers).
I've been using Chord Prodac for just under a year which is 65 pounds for 1metre in the Uk. A very accomplished cable.
I fitted this cable which requires no burn in and was struck by it's fuller sound and added clarity. This has a softer sound than the Prodac, but is alround better.
Amazing, go out and buy this! It's particularly effective on budget transportsdacs.
I never realised that digital interconnects mattered so much!

Similar Products Used:

Chord Prodac, Isox digital interconnects...

I was looking to upgrade the cables from my tuner and CD. The cables in place, (LAT 200D & Audioquest Emerald ),were fine for their position until I upgraded to a Magnum Dynalab 101A & CAL IconII. I knew from listening to these pieces inother systems that I wasn't hearing it all but balked at spending over 25%
of the components cost for interconnects. After reading the material at the
Van-Den Hul website and some old reviews I managed to get hold of 2 pairs of
this cable, (used), for evaluation. The improvement was not small!
Neutral is the best word to describe the tonal balance. The bass improvement
was immediately noticed. Firm, deep & without a hint of bloat. The timbre of
instruments and vocals was just right. The treble was smooth,extended and
without any grain. Dynamics are superb. I'm hearing far deeper into the music,
percieving the sonic nuances and microdynamics as never before. This extra
detail gives precise imaging within a broad, deep soundstage. The downside of
course is you now hear the deficiencies in the source more readily.
The cables appearance belies its performance. The connectors especially looked
like an afterthought. The cables are very flexible though.
At well under $200 per pair used they satisfied both my Scrooge factor and
golden ears.

Excellent tonal quality and sound stage. Very open and natural sounding

Horrible colour

I'm using this between my PC (soundblaster live 1024) and a kenwood 3020SE and LS-7 speakers. My system is stuck abroad awaiting shipping arrangements!. However, I never thought that this cable could do the magic it has to such low end sources. Also tried a cabletalk studio 2 which seemed harsh, lacking detail and quite metallic in treble. Then came the first and first ultimate (bought second-hand very cheaply). I never believed that such an open, transparent, and tonally accurate sound could come out of these frankly, cheap, speakers and from a PC!!!. The dynamics, and ground swell in exciting pieces of music is outstanding. Tonal quality is sounds astoundingly accurate. This sort of outlay for speaker interconnects is recommended for systems about ten times the price of the cable. Thus, very surprising for such a difference at the extreme low end.

Similar Products Used:

The first Ultimate, VDH Source HB

Open dynamic and very natural sound, with an exceptional spatial definition.

As someone mentioned earlier, the colour :-| it's plain ugly...They must do something about that!!!

This is the ultimate cable (for me anyway). the spatial definition is so good it sometimes gets very scarry. The bass freq's are well proportioned, hell...all freq's are well proportioned, plus the digital harshness of the sound (though already low due to 24bit fine DRIVE in my cd-player) is absent (as compared to the other none carbon cables I've tried).
If this cable is perfect for you?...I don't know, either you like'm or you like'm not, there's no inbetween...
Just test the DAMN thing and make up your own opinion >:-)

Oh, almost forgot to mention: this cable will last a lifetime, a metal cable will never.

BTW I bought the First "ultimate" the enhanced version of the First.

Similar Products Used:

Monster & VDH (non carbon/hybrid)

If you are worried because the sound of your system is "bright" or "metallic", the First Ultimate is a very good solution. It won´t bring you more detail than some cheaper cables as my Nordost Magic1 but you will discover that you can have both detailed and sweet highs. The midband articulation is superb and the bass is more consistent than nordost's; the voices are just perfect, sweeter than before but with the same presence in the musical scene(not as other cables where the voices seem to have disappeared in comparison with my old nordost). I´m using the Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cable and the sound of my system is now superlative, you never get tired of the sound even at high levels...
In the box of the cable they say this is a reference cable, I thought they were crazy because it doesn't costs a fortune...but for me this is the best sound I could expect from any cable: five stars.

Similar Products Used:

Nordost Magic1

very neutral and balanced cable,sweet bass

none if youhave right components

highly rated interconnect by audiofiles , audio magazines and if you have right components you are the in right place .But if your system is neutral already you will lose detail and depth of the sound stage.The cable is excellent with bright systems or components wich make brightness in your system.It did not work with my cd(my system is very neutral with good exposure of mids)but works great with my sony MD(neutralizes sound),which was too bright with other cables.Do not listen to people-borrow the cable and check it out with your system,this is the right choice.

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never heard(too much personality)

Relaxed Presentation, Can tame bad quality harsh equipment, Not Bad if Used as a DIGITAL Cable.

Bloated and Undefined Bass, Very Colored Midrange, Soft and Rolled Off Treble, Seriously Compressed Dynamics and Attack

This is one of the few products that have been excessively overrated by some people.
"Straight out of the box" this cable had an open and enjoyable character and we were all quite excited to listen to it after it's "Burn in" period.
Around 3 days later, the whole sonic character of this cable collapses permanently to one of the worst cables we have ever heard.
The Treble is very soft and rolled off, The Bass becomes bloated with a mashmallow like Softness, Midrange is very laid back with an uneven balance, and Dynamics are seriously compressed.
There is no argument that it always sounds "pleasant", but it's sound is soooo non-neutral in Balance that trying it in ANY System it always ADDS it's sonic character to the sound.
Comparing it with the Outstandingly Neutral and Transparent AudioQuest Diamond 3, all persons in our test panel concluded that this cable is really a joke, and a real rip-off for what it offers.
The Cheaper VDH "The Second" although still very colored compared to the top AQ Cables was more exciting and much better value for money.
I can only recommend this cable if it's going to be used as a DIGITAL Interconnect,since in this case it sounds open and clear with a much better overall Balance, but again it is still far behind the AQ VideoPro....

Similar Products Used:

Analog: AudioQuest Diamond 3, AudioQuest Lapis, AudioQuest Quartz, Van Den Hull "The Second"
Digital: AudioQuest VideoPro Pure Silver Cable

Very detailed and completely balanced from top to bottom.

Will bring out all weaknesses in your system.

I bought these after my friend brought a pair over for auditoning on my system. We hooked it up between the amp and pream. Right off the bat we noticed an extension into the bass region and very solid bass lines comming from my Vandersteen 2ci speakers. All bass sounded muddy and bloated before and. I now have the cables hooked up between my DAC to preamp and preamp to amp. The sound seems to explode from my speakers with excellent detail and dynamic range. The only problem I have encountered is now the voices sometimes have a siblance to them everytime the letter S is pronounced.Is this a character of the speakers or is it a weakness in my hardware. I don't know. I'm betting it's in my hardware. When I listen to piano music the overtones from the strings now seem to radiate in to the room with full extension. I would put these interconncects up against any brand at any price. You will not experience a more neutrally balanced sound from top to bottom. I give the value a five star rating because when you compare them to other elite interconnects out there, they're a steal.

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Transparent Link 100
Radio Shack Gold Series
Kimber Select