Attention Audioholics! Here's a great opportunity to own some ultra high end Stage III Vacuum Reference RCA interconnect Cables for a fraction of what they cost new...M.S.R.P. @ $3000.00, yours for only $1329.00!!!
Review/Info:
The Vacuum Reference cables are Stage III Concepts’ vintage top-of-the-line range. The construction is even more labor-intensive than that of their other cables, and as such is even more impressive. The Vacuum Reference cables start with "custom-extruded, continuous-cast pure-silver ribbon conductors and gold micro-strands (99.999%-pure Ag / 24-karat Au)." There are a total of eight conductors for each interconnect cable. Each signal-carrying component -- meaning the conductors and the connectors -- is first cryogenically treated to, in designer Luis de la Fuente's words, "optimize crystal structure." The connectors themselves are "ultra-low-mass, solder-less, solid-silver RCA plugs.
The raw materials appear to be impressive, but the Vacuum Reference’s construction process, as described by Fuente, is Herculean. The silver conductors undergo a "multi-layered construction process" whereby a "Nylon vacuum core and PFA Teflon [is used] as [a] final dielectric [and] is vacuum drawn to 28.5" Hg [inches of mercury]." Added around the cable at that point are a layer of Nylon, a layer of Nylon-reinforced urethane, a plated-copper braided shield, a "fine silica granule mechanical damping layer," which is then encased with a layer of Tygon, another braid made of Mylar and, finally, a decorative outer mesh. Whew! But we’re not done yet. The cable and plug housings are "made in-house from an inert, non-resonant blend of carbon fiber and nylon-filled urethane
Specs:
8 Custom extruded, continuous cast pure silver ribbon conductors + 8 gold micro-strands (99.999%Ag / 24K Au).
• Custom made jeweler quality solid silver RCA male plugs.
• All signal-carrying parts (wire and connectors) cryogenically treated to optimize crystal structure.
• Multi-layered construction with Nylon vacuum core and PFA Teflon as final dielectric (vacuum drawn to 28.5"Hg).
• Fine silica granule mechanical dampening layer.
• Cable and plug housings made in-house from inert, non-resonant blend of carbon fiber/nylon filled urethane.
• Mylar and plated copper braid shielding.
• Made entirely by hand.
An excerpt from the SoundStage review...
I was surprised at what I would come to find as the gestalt of these products. Not because I was expecting a particular sound, but because it was a unique sound that I’ve not heard from cables before. Undeniably, the Stage III Concepts Vacuum Reference cables’ sonic signature was all about delicacy and refinement, specifically of the high frequencies. Granted, I was listening to finely recorded music: the ethereal acoustic in Mozart’s Symphonies Nos.5 "The Hague" and 29 (Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra; Marco Boni, conductor [Pentatone Classics 5186 002]) as recorded in Waalse Kerk, Amsterdam in 2001. The entire frequency range of this disc was as neutral as I’ve heard, but the upper registers were special. The signature of "Serenata notturna" was reproduced with a very light touch, but I could hear everything; the sound was the antithesis of the beat-you-over-the-head approach to high-frequency detail. In fact, I would not describe the sound as more detailed at all; instead, it was completely devoid of the glitzy sibilance that over time can fatigue and fool you into thinking (to use a well-worn reviewing phrase) there’s more there. What were standing out were subtle shadings and contrasts of the various stringed instruments that spoke to the me in subtle, important ways. It wasn’t more detail, but better detail.
The other surprising aspect of what I heard was due to how I initially heard it. I had connected all of the components in my system with the Stage III Concepts cables and was tidying up the room by storing all of my unused cabling. The system was playing very low -- much lower than I typically listen. Without even being in the sweet spot, and at these very low levels, I could hear dynamic contrasts and shadings clearly. Eva Cassidy’s "Fields of Gold" (Live at Blues Alley [Blix Street 10046]) is touching in its truthfulness, and this was enhanced by the way her voice was honestly reproduced right in my room. As I sat down to listen further, the observation was strengthened: Cassidy’s vocals exhibited a reach-out-and-touch-her quality that I could hear into.The mid and lower frequencies displayed similarly fine -- although not as striking – characteristics. Subtle inflections -- the modulations of tone and pitch of a male singer’s vocals -- were made to sound more human, for example. It wasn’t the big events -- the crescendos of the orchestra or the guitar riffs of stadium rock -- but the smaller shadings and performance details of simple yet truthful recordings that came to life just a hair better.
On hand at the time of my evaluation were cables from Nordost -- the Red Dawn II interconnects ($400 per meter pair) and speaker cables ($1600 per three-meter pair). Replacing the paper-thin Nordost with the dual-garden-hose-sized Stage III Concepts cables was a study in design contrasts. The sound of these two vastly different-appearing products was as apparent as the physical and cosmetic differences.
The Stage III Concept cables are delicately resolving and detailed, while not being forward or etched. The Nordost cables possess transient quickness and an open character that make many other cables sound slow and closed-in. Both products extend well into the upper reaches, too. A fine example could be heard listening to Guster on Ice: Live from Portland Maine [Reprise 48710], during which the ambient crowd noises intermingle in close proximity to the guitar work. Where the pricier Stage III Concepts cables leave the Nordosts behind is in their ability to portray layers of detail in this live performance, rendering a slightly more realistic, dimensional sound. Granted, without hearing the Stage III Concepts Vacuum Reference back-to-back with the Nordost cables, you’d hardly be left wanting with the latter. Nevertheless, the Stage III Concepts cables' retrieval of low-level detail was superior.
Here are the answers to my own cable-auditioning checklist I proposed at the beginning of this review: (1) I love the sound of these cables; (2) they worked flawlessly for me with my equipment needs; (3) their construction appears to be as good as it gets, the company has been in business for years, and their candid approach seems solidly grounded; and (4) I haven’t been able to reproduce the effect these cables have on my system with anything else I’ve tried.
The Vacuum Reference cables excelled at detail retrieval, presenting dynamic contrasts at low listening levels, uncovering subtle tonal shadings, and simply reproducing all of the musical details available in really good recordings. If these performance characteristics are your hot buttons, then by all means get a set of these Stage III Concepts cables to audition and put through your own cable-auditioning tests.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-stage-iii-concepts-vacuum-referencePayPal fees (@3.1% or 0% with friends & family option) & $20.00 ground shipping (CONUS ONLY) are on the lucky new owner. Only available to "verified" members with numerous positive feedbacks and transaction histories. (Others must verbally contact by phone to be qualified) Will only ship to PayPal verified addresses. Non CONUS buyers are responsible for any and all duties, taxes, tariffs, fees etc. and are solely responsible if lost, stolen or damaged in transit and must pay by PayPal friends and family or wire transfer only.
