Review sample supplied by SMR Cable Technologies
Retail Prices (ex VAT):
4-foot (122 cm) – 4.800 USD
6-foot (182 cm) – 5.600 USD
8-foot (244 cm) – 6.200 USD
10-foot (305 cm) – 6.600 USD (as reviewed)
Once considered the only aspect that mattered, it’s rare among cable manufacturers these days to quote measurements, let alone focus on measured perfection. The last company I recall that did this was Analysis Plus, which provided measurements indicating that their Oval cables were better at reproducing square waves. That seems like ages ago, and today, measurements are largely considered irrelevant when it comes to cables. This is understandable, especially since such measurements do not always correlate with what is perceived when listening to them. These days, companies often highlight exotic or special materials, geometries, and treatments, without mentioning the electrical properties.
SMR Cable Technologies takes a different approach, and they do not mince words, according to their tagline: “Measurably Superior. Audibly Sublime.”
About SMR Cable Technologies
The Vanish line of loudspeaker cables was created by Steven M. Raedy, P.E., who has two degrees in electrical power engineering and over 30 years of experience in developing power electronic products and analyzing electric utility power systems. Mr. Raedy also invented and developed the first commercially available multi-kilowatt inductive charging system for electric vehicles.
The designs of SMR Cable Technologies’ loudspeaker cables are based on years of experience in refining high-efficiency and accurate designs, ensuring effective management of electric and magnetic fields.
Vanish cables are supplied in a custom-made box with a magnetic flap.
Uniquely, the cables are wrapped individually in a highly effective, yet previously unseen manner.
The cables are very heavy and feel incredibly solid, yet they are also remarkably supple. They instill a sense of immense quality, even before one has listened to them.
The cables are packaged in a custom glossy cardboard box with a dense foam insert featuring precise cutouts.
Vanish Range
The Vanish range is designed and developed to provide the discerning listener with a product that SMR believes to be equal or superior to any cable on the market at any price. More specifically, the cables are designed to be sonically invisible at all audio frequencies, and they are said to be unmatched in relaying all of the information at the dynamic and high-frequency limits of the finest amplifiers and loudspeakers. The result, according to the manufacturer, is zero discernible signal loss between the amplifier and speakers. Hence, VANISH.
While one would never do this in practice, Vanish 334 cables can actually conduct over 50A of current at 20 kHz all day long (25,000 Watts into an 8 Ohm load!!) and still run well below the cable rating. At normal levels, the signal loss of Vanish cables is essentially negligible.
Vanish cables are custom-made to order in Raleigh, NC, USA. Every cable is individually serialized and tested to quantify all performance metrics and verify adherence to the design and quality standards.
Every cable shipped includes a certified test report sealed by a licensed professional engineer, which includes the following measurements: Resistance, inductance, and capacitance across the audio frequency range, Crimp integrity (micro-Ohm contact resistance) for each terminal, Terminal X-ray plating thickness, and Overall Mechanical Integrity.
Vanish cables are designed with a huge effective cross-sectional area and a unique braided and interwoven design to minimize inductance without a commensurate increase in capacitance. This inherently eliminates susceptibility to induced voltages from exterior magnetic fields at power frequencies and higher frequency harmonics created by the amplifier input current.
Next: Listening – technical info continued, description, Review Context, and Foreword
