Back in 2011, while writing for 6moons online publication, I had the privilege of reviewing what was, at the time, the most expensive interconnect cables ever to grace my system. Stratospheric stuff at US$42K for a 1m RCA stereo set. Yep, one of the world’s most extravagant. It was a “wow” moment then and, truth be told, still a “wow” moment now. Well… maybe a touch less ‘wowie’ nowadays. Schlepping along my timeline to the here and now, through a journey punctuated by long-term listening with several seriously upmarket cables, once again I find myself deep in super-dosh territory. Even my personal reference cables, which are far from modest, are leagues away from the realm inhabited by Siltech’s Master Crown. Mucho gold coins. And yes, the precious metal is literally part of these flagship cables’ allure. There’s silver and gold in them thar hills…
Metals Ain’t Metals
On a crisp, misty morning in the Blue Mountains, the doorbell chimes me out of the listening room. One of the regulars on the region’s freight circuit, this courier is well-acquainted with the hefty boxes that he often delivers to ‘Studio Kramer’. With a knowing grin he mutters, “Got another heavy amp for you, mate,” as he grapples with a wince yet another large box. Yet this is no amp, not this time… but this is something equally substantial. It’s a full loom of Siltech’s flagship Master Crown cables. And yes, it’s every bit as heavy as an amp, actually.
Receiving such a luxurious cable loom got me thinking about the often vigorous debate expensive cables seem to ignite among audio enthusiasts, especially across forums and social media, where keyboard warriors remain faceless. Controversies aside, the arrival of the Master Crown loom prompted me to reflect on what impact high-end cables, particularly at this echelon, may or may not have on a system’s musical presentation.
Cables, no matter the price, conductor, or configuration cannot add sonic qualities to an electrical signal. What well-designed cables can do is omit less or mask fewer subtleties than less elaborate design. In other words, they may subtract less from the original signal where another would distort the message. And that’s before considering factors like RFI and EMI interference, the effects of varying shielding strategies, the interplay of capacitance, resistance and impedance, the connector interface methodology, and the subtleties of microphonics, among other factors. Of course, even omissions, or suppressions, though often subtle, can be the differentiators that elevate a system from the impressive to the sublime.
Philosophising aside, with the full loom of interconnects, loudspeaker and AC cables in-situ, what I heard would convince me that, in the case of Master Crown cables, the “omissions” were nigh… Zero. Zip. Nada. Nicht.
Siltech’s CEO and CTO Edwin van der Kley Rynveld is a metallurgist and an engineer with a Masters in Electronics (other engineers at Siltech also hold PHDs). The man knows his stuff. Rynveld provides interesting insights on the influence of metallurgy, insulation, materials, and much more, in my recent YouTube video interview with him.
XLR/RCA Interconnecting Cables: I was sent samples in both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA configurations. Both cable types feature Siltech’s highest purity proprietary S10+ pure monocrystal-silver conductors. The conductor metallurgy has been arrived at after stringent material science experimentation and development by Rynveld and his team of engineers.
The two S10+ conductors are arranged in a twisted pair configuration and are assembled in what Siltech calls a new ‘Balanced Ground Principle’. This is said to deliver improvements in dynamic range while lowering noise to the greatest extent yet attained by the brand. The interconnects’ conductors are air-insulated within the jacket, which itself is constructed from a mix of Kapton, Teflon and natural silk.
Internal MFD (Magnetic-Field Distortions) has been reduced to what Siltech states as “the absolute lowest level ever measured”. Also reduced is CSD (Current-Shielding Distortion) which “minimizes the interference between external currents and the natural audio signal”. A new one to me, as far as analogue cables, is cable jitter which Siltech states has been reduced in order to improve Zero Crossing Distortion to “greatly influence the audible recognition of voices and instruments”.
On the RCA cables, a simple ground switching system is incorporated into a large gold housing. A small high quality metal switch allows shifting between directional grounding or disabling both ends of the shield to ‘float’ the ground. The balanced XLR cable provides the same grounding feature while also adding an option to “optimise the sound of true balanced equipment” by switching between Standard and True Balanced. These features are located on weighty, solid metal housings which have been gold plated and finished to an exceptional level of quality.
Both the XLR and RCA cables feature bespoke ‘X-tal’ connectors produced in-house that can be tightened to better clamp the receiving socket via a small rotating knob (female end only on XLR and both ends on RCA) built-in to the connectors’ barrel. This differs from the WBT-style full locking barrel and, in my experience, is a unique approach. The connectors are effectively an extension of the conductors’ metallurgy by featuring Siltech’s S10+ monocrystal silver pins plasma-plated in gold. The conductors are pressure-welded to the pins in order to eliminate less than ideal transmission points. Silver solder is then applied over the conductor-to-connector interface in order to provide a more reliable junction.
Loudspeaker Cables: There are similar technologies employed across the large gauge Master Crown speaker cables too. The rather heavy speaker cable comprises a bundle of six “large diameter” S10+ solid monocrystal silver conductors in a “perfectly” symmetrical ‘Hexagon’ construction. Siltech again utilises its MFD and CSD technologies to minimise distortions and maximise dynamic range. The bespoke monocrystal silver spade connectors are plasma plated in gold. Siltech’s marketing claims the cables can handle signal from 10kW right down to 8 femtowatts (“0.000000000000008 Watt” as quoted!). Sheathing consists of Kapton, Teflon and air insulation including ‘Wide-Range’ shielding.
Again, a large gold plated metal trim motif is used here, housing a plaque with the cables’ serial number and the ‘Master Crown’ logo. Like the rest of the Master Crown cable line, the twin end runs are dressed in dark blue leather.
AC Power Cables: The AC power cables are a tour-de-force of cable construction. Physically, they’re thick and heavy. Architecturally, the Master Crown AC cables feature S10+ monocrystal silver and G9 silver-gold alloy ‘Siltech Special Multi-Cell’ wire in a massive configuration totalling 18 conductors. The use of pure silver extends to the AC plug’s connecting pins/contact points. Thoroughly engineered grounding negates the ground ‘lifting’ technique as used by some audiophiles who claim its sonic benefit, as Siltech mentions in its marketing.
Additionally, Siltech’s research suggests that magnetic leakages, even those outside the audible range, can induce subtle distortions. This phenomenon occurs in a narrow frequency band at high/peak current draw and, while not directly musical, they can affect nearby electronics and interconnects. These aspects of AC power cable electrical behaviour were researched using advanced COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software and what Siltech calls the “world’s most advanced measuring equipment to minimize the effects of these peak-current distortions”.
The Master Crown AC Power cable features the same level of build quality as its stablemates, with leather end runs and the gold plated metal trim block design featuring the Master Crown line’s logo/crest and the serial number.
Setting up the Master Crown cable loom presented a moderate level of cable guidance, but mostly with the interconnecting cables. Going from the Totaldac to the preamplifier had me gently guiding the XLR (and RCA afterwards) behind the rack without hassle. The brilliance of the tension screw on the RCA connectors, in particular, instilled a reassuring sense of security – no socket slippages, no sudden disasters. Just a firm, confident connection that is well implemented.
In my system setup, the Gryphon Antileon EVO power amplifier sits between the speakers on its own atop a dedicated floor platform. The dedicated circuit AC power sockets are about half a meter away. So, a modest curvature on the AC power cables and a leisurely stretch of the loudspeaker cables took care of the wiring at that end of town.
Royal Rapture
So, what does a band of cables totalling in excess of AU$500K (yes, you’ve read correctly!) bring to the table in the context of a mercilessly exposing system which, by the way, is also capable of very satisfying musical engagement (I wouldn’t have it any other way). Well, there’s the cliché which often pops up in these scenarios – “a veil has been lifted”. I tell you, with these cables, I know why the cliché is a cliché (if you know what I mean).
While that old chestnut is descriptive, it can also be used to somewhat exaggerate the outcome being described. In the case of Master Crown, this is no mere rhetorical embellishment. Meaning that one of the key strengths of the Master Crown cables – when used as a near-full interface loom in my audio context – is the fleshing out of the low level detail that is often somewhat smeared or not given precise clarity.
Take the “Allegro Ma Non Troppo” movement, a Mercury Living Presence recording of Prokofiev’s Concerto № 3 played by Byron Janis with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra under Kiril Kondrashin’s baton. The Master Crown cables revealed enormous levels of the piano keys’ low-level detail and excellent tonal balance across the entire board. Yet, it was presented in a way which cohered with the music. In other words, Master Crown is not about gratuitous exposition and resolution (“look mum, no hands!”), it’s about conveying the signal with unwavering precision and fidelity.
On the title track of Heartland, an exquisite collaboration between Australian First Nations’ artist William Barton and violinist Veronique Serret, the melodic contrast between didgeridoo and violin was striking. Barton’s didge pulsed with authority and low-end extension. Meanwhile, the Master Crown cables revealed the violin’s finest subtleties, exposing Serret’s expressive detail with precision. Barton’s breath, drawn just before his entrance, registered with startling realism, even as Serret hammers away with her trademark enthusiasm. ,Her vocals soared towards the end of the track with a seemingly boundless dynamic expression.
Master Crown cables’ extension at the high frequencies is tremendous. On “Stadium,” from Trio Elf’s MusicBoxMusic album, the solo piano introduction revealed mesmerising harmonic decay and a tone that sounded stunningly lifelike. As the acoustic bass comes in, it delivered taut, incisive attack with zero note overhang while retaining the instrument’s natural sense of bloom.
The sheer wealth of low level detail the Master Crown cables delivered made for a very enjoyable presentation of acoustic guitar. On Doug McLeod’s “My Black Pony” from the album Whose Truth, Whose Lies? his steel-string fingerpicking technique was rendered with exceptional precision – each micro-dynamic nuance fully illuminated, yet without exaggeration. Ditto for the accompanying acoustic bass which played with real heft and pace. Oh boy, and when that kick drum enters the fray… real punch-to-the-gut stuff here, with total control and immediacy.
I also gaped at the scale, power and energy of Rage Against The Machine’s “Bullet To The Head” from the band’s iconic self-titled album. This is a stunning rock recording mixed by the incomparable Andy Wallace and mastered by legend Bob Ludwig. Few rock albums can convey the savagery, the power, and the ‘liveness’ of the instruments that this production offers. The short bass solo towards the end of the track is a devastatingly punchy and tight example of how to record the electric bass. Then, when the madness of the track’s crescendo hits, boy, there’s no holding back the sheer chaotic shock of this Leviathan-of-a-band at full dynamic tilt. With Master Crown cables, your components’ signal transmission is truly maximised.
Conclusion
OK, so here I am concluding an assessment of the most expensive cables I’ve ever reviewed – and I’ve reviewed some costly doozies. And I get it. I know what’s coming. There will be the keyboard judgy spilling condescending anger, preachers alleging indulgence, and there’ll be rage from guardians of your finances. They’ll mock and dismiss.
That’s cool. You know why? The Master Crown cable loom is for those who not only are lucky enough to afford such luxuries – if only I was one of them – but they are also for those with the passion and courage to manifest their audio ambitions. They are for those who aspire to reach the highest high-end peaks where oxygen is thin. And for those who will also find themselves listening deeply, because that’s what these cables inspire. They’ll savour nuance, and control, and scale, and vivid soundscapes, all a product of deeply committed engineering. Those lucky ones are not justifiers… they are the delighted.
There’s little doubt in my mind regarding the Siltech Master Crown cables’ uncompromising fidelity. And a full loom will bestow signal riches only a true monarch could deliver. Yes, Siltech’s Master Crown is a kingly loom, a Royal Flush in the über cable interface realm.
… Edgar Kramer
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Associated Equipment
- Speakers — Wilson Audio Alexia V, Axis Loudspeakers VoiceBox S (nearfield monitor), Vermouth Audio Little Luccas Mk.II Limited Edition, Atacama stands
- Amplifier — Gryphon Audio Antileon EVO
- Preamplifier — Supratek Cortese, Totaldac d1-triunity (periodically, direct to amplifier)
- Sources — Digital: 432 EVO Aeon Mk.3 Reference Music Server/Roon Core, Yamaha CD-S2100 transport, Totaldac d1-triunity DAC. Analogue: Transrotor Crescendo with Konstant Studio controller, Reed 1X Tonearm with upgraded internal wiring, Shelter Harmony cartridge, The Funk Firm Houdini cartridge decoupler, Supratek Cortese & REDGUM Audio RGPH2 phono stages
- Processor — DEQX PreMate (part of arsenal/casual use)
- Cables — VYDA Laboratories Orion Silver Reference HFC IC and speaker cables, PSC Audio custom design XLR, Vermouth Audio Reference loom,Tubulus Concentus USB
- Audio Rack — SGR Audio Statement MODEL V, Aspire Audio Belgravia amplifier platform (customised for Gryphon Audio Antileon EVO), Stereotech Aluminar Dark 3-tier rack
- Acoustic Treatment — Vicoustic Multifuser Wood, Wavewood Ultra, Cinema Round Premium and Super Bass Extreme
- Miscellaneous — Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro network switch, GigaWatt PF-1 EVO power strip, Les Davis Audio Viscoelastic CLD discs, Voodoo Cable Iso-Pods, Bocchino Audio Mecado, VRC Vinyl Record Cleaning systemplus miscellaneous accessories
Siltech Master Crown Cables
Price: Master Crown AC AU$48,399 (1.5m), RCA/XLR AU$92,999 (1.5m), Speaker AU$142,299 (2m)
Australian Warranty: Five Years or 10 Years Registered via app within 3 months of purchase at authorised dealer
Australian Distributor: BusiSoft AV
+61 3 9810 2900
www.busisoft.com.au
International Audio Holding – Siltech
Edisonweg 8
6662 NW Elst
The Netherlands
+31 481 374 783
www.siltechcables.com
