The entry-level Monolith SE is made of strands of homogenized crystal copper, or HCC, each strand individually coated with a thin layer of amber powder in resin for oxidation prevention. Two layers of 0.05mm, heat treated pure copper net, which are in turn separated by two additional layers of special woven polyethylene that won’t form a coil or ring by virtue of the layers constitute the shielding. Insulator for the Monolith SE is made from woven ultra high density polyethylene filament. The next upper model is the Synapsis SE, a more complicated cable described by the company as “semi-balanced,” which adds a specially woven shielding called Woven Triguard. WT guards against minute electromagnetic field interferences, as well as stray capacitance that forms on the insulation material itself. At the midpoint of the range is the Super SE, augmented by yet higher strands of even thicker HCC.
The next model up, the Analyst, hailed as a masterpiece by the company, is a model worthy of debates. Gold now becomes part of the conductor mix, albeit of a supposedly “modest” proportion via precise computation and repeat testing. A.R.T.’s pride and confidence in the Analyst is such that, “if you use A.R.T. Analysts cables in your system and are not able to obtain the perfect voice, the defect must be in your system components.” I auditioned both the Super SE and Analyst systems.
Gadget-heads take note. A.R.T. doesn’t just produce cables; there are compelling accessories such as the $1,400 Record Clamp made with “100% high density graphite with green copper protective lining,” the $1,600 Power Distributor milled from a block of aluminum, the $325/4 pieces Base Stand also made with “100% high density graphite with green copper and specialized metal, which supports over 1,000kg, the $250 CD Mat Stabilizer made, again, with the 100% high density graphite which “produces static air flow between the CD and the stabilizer to reduce vibrations for an exact read.”
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