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RINGMAT OFC SPEAKER
CABLE
We offer two Speaker
Cables, Ringmat Pure Power and Power Line. They are of the same
grade, and in the appropriate systems offer the same performance, as
explained below. The Power Line Cable uses thinner strands.
RINGMAT OFC PURE POWER SPEAKER CABLE
RINGMAT OFC PURE
POWER is a sizeable speaker cable with an outer diameter of
13mm. It is very flexible and the interior mould of the outer jacket
hugs 4 substantial conductors in position around a central filler.
Although the cable can be used to bi-wire to 2 pairs of terminals,
it is designed for use as a single run cable from one pair of
terminals to another pair, with the ‘opposite’ conductors paired. It
also sounds very much better that way. The design of the cable is
such that it has very low capacitance and very low resistance,
resulting in exceptional tonal performance and a transparent and
accurate sound reproduction. The sense of power and space is
awesome, and yet resolution and fine nuances are exquisitely
presented.
Inside the cable jacket the ridges that hold
the conductors in position are talc lined, enabling the cores to
adjust position as the cable is wound and handled, avoiding
permanent twists and knots. This also helps reduce vibration
internally and further enhances the sound.
Conductor sheaths are colour coded. Accordingly, cores north and
south (blue) should be joined together as, say, positive, and cores
east and west (black) joined together as, say, negative.
The cable is directional. Normally, signal direction is the same as
the print on the cable, but the manufacturers cannot warrant it. We
shall check it out each time there is a production run.
TERMINATION
The Pure Power Speaker Cable is available either in 3m or 5m stereo
pairs, terminated with various connectors (see below), or off the
reel. On request, other lengths, terminated, are also available. See
our price list.
For some systems, it may be sufficient that the full 56 strands of
the speaker cable are used, as provided when unterminated. When used
in this manner, the cable has the additional merit of smoothing over
deficiencies in many systems.
However, when the number of strands has been reduced from 56 to 49,
the clarity and other aspects of sound quality are transformed. When
the cable is provided terminated, this reduction in the number of
strands has already been done.
The insulation of the Cable is quite easy to cut with a sharp blade,
rather like hard cheese, and full guidance is either given at point
of sale or, perhaps where the sale is not direct through Ringmat
Developments, subsequently on request.
The terminated strands at the end of each conductor should not be
soldered to any connector or plug. Use of solder not only destroys
the benefit of removing the 7 strands, it also limits the overall
performance of the cable.
RINGMAT OFC POWER LINE SPEAKER
CABLES
Why another new speaker cable? The reasons are explained below.
The difference between our existing OFC Pure Power cable and the new
OFC Power Line cable is as follows:
OFC Pure Power
4 conductors, each containing 56 strands of 0.30mm diameter, so each
conductor is about 4mm², with a nominal D.C. Resistance of 4.3
Ohms/Km.
OFC Power Line
4 conductors, each containing 50 strands of 0.25mm diameter, so each
conductor is about 2.5mm², with a nominal D.C. Resistance of 6.8
Ohms/Km.
Picture:
Ringmat OFC Power Line Speaker Cable
In all other respects, the design of the
two cables is the same.
So while the Pure Power Cable measures
like a dream, has tremendous power handling capability and
reproduces better in many ways, especially in the bass, certain
amplifier designs look for more resistance in the load presented to
them and may therefore react more dynamically with the Power Line
cable than with the Pure Power Cable. For this reason the Power Line
Cable might also, in some circumstances, be suitable as a bi-wire
cable. In this case, the Power Line Cable can be terminated with
smaller 4mm banana plugs, such as the ones shown in the photo below.
As with our OFC Pure Power Speaker
Cable, the Power Line Cable is available either terminated or off
the reel. Termination is the same as with the Pure Power Cable. We
would recommend that the number of stands of each conductor of the
Power Line Cable be reduced at the point of termination from 50 to
49. Cutting the insulation is easy as it is the same material as is
used in the Pure Power Cable.
The terminated strands at the end of each conductor should not be
soldered to any connector or plug. Use of solder not only destroys
the benefit of removing the single strand, it also limits the
overall performance of the cable.
PLUGS AND CONNECTORS
Where the speaker terminal sockets are sufficiently substantial to
take the paired conductors, it is obviously better to connect in
this way rather than use connector plugs. However, the thickness of
the paired conductors of the Pure Power Cable is often too great for
direct insertion into most speaker cable sockets. It is then
necessary to use plug connectors to clamp onto the bare wire cores
and for the pins of the connectors to be inserted into the speaker
cable sockets.
Picture:
Ringmat large diameter 4mm stackable banana plugs
The design of the plug connectors
used with the Pure Power Cable is very important, which is why we
have chosen to use either our selected UK made 4mm stackable banana
plugs or the WBT Insulated 4mm banana plugs (also stackable) or 8mm
spades when the Cable is provided terminated. All other plugs we
have tried have degraded the sound. Our selected UK made 4mm
stackable banana plugs are not insulated, therefore it is important
to ensure at all times that they do not touch one another or other
conductive objects whilst connected to an amplifier which has not
settled after being turned off, or has not been muted in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Terminal plates - ugh! It has become the practice of some speaker
manufacturers to provide pretty gold coloured plates to connect same
polarity speaker sockets where making provision for the single
wiring of bi or tri-wirable speakers. These plates destroy the sound
and should be replaced with speaker wire similar to that used for
carrying the signal from the amplifier to the speaker (assuming this
cable is found to be satisfactory). Whilst this is a general point,
in practice we would expect our Pure Power Speaker Cable to be used!
USEFUL HINTS FOR USERS
In general, it is usual to connect the
positive (red) conductors/connectors to the red speaker cable
sockets at both ends and the negative (black) conductors/connectors
to the black speaker cable sockets. However, there are two reasons
why this may not be the best way.
1. Some speakers have certain of their drive units out of absolute
phase to the other drive units. We find this arrangement damages the
sound, and so where separate terminal sockets are provided at the
rear of the speakers for each drive unit, it may be desirable, in
respect of those drive units out of polarity with the others, to
reverse the connections. In such cases, connect the positive (red)
conductors/connectors to the black speaker cable sockets at the
speaker end and the negative (black) conductors/connectors to the
red speaker cable sockets. Treat both speakers the same.
2. To accurately reproduce recorded sound, the absolute phase of the
signal to the speakers should be the same as that used for the
recording or embedded in the software (record, disc, tape, etc.) The
absolute phase of the recording can either be at 0° or 180°, and
will vary between tracks and at edits. The same problem exists with
broadcast sound. To obtain most pleasure from your music, it may be
necessary to invert the phase of the signal to your speakers to
match that used for the recording, in which case reverse the
polarity of the connections for each pair of terminals at the back
of both speakers. Before you do so, however, first ensure that the
(power) amplifier is switched off and allowed to settle, or its
output muted, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
How do you know which is the correct absolute phase to use? The only
way to find out is to listen, both with and without the absolute
phase being inverted. Stick with that which is the more musical and
where the detail of the image is the most defined and focused. We
have interesting developments to report on this subject, which we
shall publish in due course. When our Remote Controlled Absolute
Phase Inverter is available, this will make the whole business much
easier with the sound on a very much higher plane.
Remember, when listening after a change of cables or of any
equipment, allow some time before the transfer of the signal, and
therefore the sound, settles down. It should start to improve after
half an hour and will be better after two hours, but will improve
still further after a few days. The same applies each time the
system is switched on, though the time taken will usually be less
when no changes have been made, depending upon how long the
equipment has been left turned off.
Another aspect affecting the sound when changing cables or equipment
is the change in the ‘loading’ of the system. Not enough is yet
known about this ‘loading’ factor, but it appears to have a great
deal to do with the timing of the signal and the timing of sound
reflections. Inevitably, this affects the timing of the music, which
can suddenly seem to go flat after a change in the system. These
tiny changes in the timing of sound reflections can also give rise
to what might otherwise be thought to be distortion, and can be
found throughout the frequency range. It is, however, possible to
accommodate most of these changes in timing by adjusting the
distance the speakers are placed from the rear wall and the extent
to which the speakers are ‘toed-in’.
This ‘loading’ factor is a quite separate issue from that related to
the need for some amplifiers to have a load into which to drive, and
to which reference has already been made above in connection with
the need for our two Speaker Cables.
You may also like to read:
-
Incorporating Ringmat & Statmat Products into your System -
- The Story of Ringmat Cables -
-
Back to other Cabling Products -
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Back to News -
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