With the full range of Tellurium Q cables here, I wanted to try them all... the problem was deciding where to start but actually things really pretty clear after seeing and hearing the impressive results of Tellurium Q Black, that Geoff Merrigan from Tellurium Q had sent us, I was very keen to put my hands on the Ultra Black.
After turning on the system and let it run for 1 hour, then it was time to sit and listen. Still with reference loudspeaker cable on the system, American-made and cost around 300 euros per meter (slightly more expensive than the Ultra Black), and the best cable at that price level that had been here so far.
We heard several pieces from different genres of music to try:
Isao Suzuki Quartet, Blow Up - Aqua Marine
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio Misty - Misty
Patricia Barber, Companion - The Beat Goes On
Johnny Cash American Recording - Bird on a Wire
We proceed to a rapidly changing cable and put in place to test Tellurium Q Ultra Black.
Normally, when we speak of a cable one tends to look for differences in timbre nuances, more or less level of information, location of instruments, acoustic levels. In all these respects the Tellurium Q Ultra Black is fantastic and clearly above the reference lead.
At the beginning of Aqua Marine’s metals we can distinguish how they move through the virtual scene with a clarity and a level of reality that is now truly incredible, while we can clearly distinguish the sound of the different metal sounds. The bass played with a bow by Isao Suzuki on this piece has a lot of amazing detail: we can hear when the bow rests on the strings, the movement of fingers across the neck etc...
The timbre of Ultra Black is extremely natural, the level of detail and the amount of information that comes through now is fabulous, but Lord, what is really amazing is how the Ultra Black allows the system to play the attack of the notes and their decay. That is something that simply had never been heard in this way before. On the theme Misty, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto's piano is experienced like never before. The notes are now well defined, we can clearly see with a surgical precision, reality and total accuracy how the hammers hit the strings, the sharp attach of the notes and their decay, the actions on the piano’s pedals, and something even more amazing: the silence between notes! The feeling is that Mr. Yamamoto plays piano in a more decided way and that the music flows more naturally ... all with an absolute natural timbre, a superb soundstage and tons of detail.
Patricia Barber's voice and the sound of Johnny Cash are very good ... the bass line has a depth and definition that should be taught in cable making schools, if any existed. Patricia Barber’s voice has a full and soft sound, while Cash's voice is presented in its "weight" and solemnity, and we appreciate with clarity the soft sound of Johnny’s lips as they prepare for the next word that he will sing, great!
Speaker cables may be better, but so far I have not heard them.
* Mr. Colin James Wonfor, the designer of Tellurium Q cables, tells me that there will a new reference soon... I can't wait to see if the Ultra Black can been surpassed!
