9th December 2014 – Kilmarnock, Scotland – Atlas Cables, the world renowned audio cable manufacture, is excited to announce that its new Mavros Ultra interconnect cable and Mavros XLR are available from today. After a two-year shared development programme with the range-topping Asimi Ultra interconnects, the Mavros Ultra combination shares much of the technology and research that has made the Asimi Ultra the ultimate reference interconnect.
Hand-built at its factory in Kilmarnock, Scotland, the Atlas Mavros Ultra interconnect cable is available now with a UK SRP of £875 for a meter pair. Other lengths are available upon request.
What has improved?
Atlas wanted to apply new knowledge when updating the already successful Mavros interconnect. As well as building on the acknowledged success of the existing Integra plug, which uses a clever design that significantly reduces the plug mass and eliminates potential negative eddy currents that reside in all metallic plugs and connectors, Atlas also wanted to make the cable more efficient and ‘faster’ in its performance, whilst solving the issue of screen distortion.
Velocity of Propagation
The speed characteristic of analogue cables is determined primarily by the dielectric performance of the insulator applied around the conductor. Depending on the design and purity of the conductor, which in the Mavros Ultra is made of a single solid core surrounded by 6 groups of 12 interwoven strands of superior Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) grain-free copper, getting the design of the dielectric right is critical in achieving the desired product fidelity. For the Mavros Ultra, Atlas has implemented new technique, which uses a highly porous microporous PTFE (Teflon) tape, which is wound around the bare OCC copper conductors, then covered again and stabilised using an extruded protective PE (PolyEthylene) dielectric sleeve. This process allows the required geometry of the conductor within the dielectric to be maintained and offers greater manufacturing consistency and wider bandwidth.
Screen Distortion
To combat the negative affects of RFI interference, traditionally cable manufacturers use a combination of metallic foil and/or braid, which surrounds the cable and is terminated at one or each end of the cable. The mechanical process of terminating cables via this braid usually involves partially removing and twisting it. This introduces mechanical screen distortion deep within the cable structure and thereby delivering inconsistent RF performance. To improve absolute performance and manufacturing consistency for the Mavros Ultra, Atlas has developed the Dual Drain system, a clever system that connects the screen effectively to the cable return plug interface whilst maintaining critical 360 degree screening at the plug.
Ultra Plug
This new plug employs a novel approach to the problems associated with mass reduction, residual conductivity (eddy currents) and dielectric discontinuities, all of which can affect the mechanical and electrical properties of a finished cable assembly. The all-new Mavros Ultra plug has a 57% reduction in mass over its predecessor and employs an internal non-conductive sleeve matched to the dielectric properties of the cable (Teflon). As with all Atlas plugs, the Ultra plug maintains the renowned solder free construction, self-cleaning insertion and material consistency that helps deliver the best fidelity.
The integration of new cable and plug technology delivers Atlas’ finest copper-conductor cable to date. Rather than having an audible characteristic, the best cables should add nothing to the signal. In the case of the Atlas Mavros Ultra, thanks to the technology and new thinking, virtually none of the signal is lost either.
Commenting on the launch of the Mavros Ultra, Kevin Kelly, Managing Director at Atlas, said, “We are in a state of constant research and development here at Atlas. The new Mavros Ultra cable employees many of the advancements made in the Asimi Ultra launched this year. However, due to the different conductors used, we have combined all our knowledge to bring to market the best copper conducting cable money can buy. Our advancements in dielectrics and RFI management along with our unique Ultra connector ensure that the new Mavros Ultra is a significant leap forward in sound quality.”
The Atlas Mavros Ultra and XLR is available in the following lengths:
Mavros Ultra RCA connector termination:
5 meter £655.00
75 meter £765.00
0 meter £875.00
5 meter £1095.00
2 meter £1315.00
Mavros XLR connector termination:
5 meter £780.00
75 meter £890.00
0 meter £1000.00
5 meter £1220.00
2 meter £1440.00
