Atlas Cables has announced an updated version of its Ascent Ultra interconnect cable. As well as building on the qualities of the existing Integra plug, which 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.
The speed characteristic of analogue cables is determined primarily by the dielectric performance of the insulator around the conductor. Depending on the design and purity of the conductor, which in the Ascent Ultra is a single solid core surrounded by 64 interwoven strands of Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) grain-free copper, getting the design of the dielectric right is critical. For the Ascent Ultra, Atlas uses a fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), which is extruded around the bare OCC copper conductors in a thermally stable manner. This process allows the required geometry of the conductor within the dielectric to be maintained and offers greater manufacturing consistency and wider bandwidth.
The new Ultra 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 Ascent Ultra plug has a 57% reduction in mass over its predecessor and employs an internal non-conductive sleeve closely matched to the dielectric properties of the cable. As with all Atlas plugs, the Ultra plug maintains the 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.
Kevin Kelly, Managing Director at Atlas, said, “We are in a state of constant research and development here at Atlas. The new Ascent Ultra cable employs many of the advancements made in the Asimi and Mavros Ultra launched over the last year. Our advancements in dielectrics and RFI management along with our unique Ultra connector ensure that the new Ascent Ultra is a significant leap forward in sound quality over its predecessor.”
Atlas Ascent Ultra is available in the following lengths and prices:
0.5 metre £505.00
0.75 metre £540.00
1.0 metre £575.00
1.5 metre £645.00
2 metre £715.00