Hardware Reviews

Montaudio scales the cable heights down under

montaudio cable loom review https://the-ear.net

Montaudio Bowen AC-1, Godley USB, Rakaia EH-1, Chatham SH-1 cable loom

Apparently, there aren’t as many sheep in New Zealand these days so audio companies are taking up the economic slack, one such is Montaudio who make a wide range of cables and a beautiful rack, the Manuka MR, which is priced towards the top end of the market.

Here, we are looking at their entry-level range of analogue interconnects and speaker cables, along with the digital ethernet and USB cables, which are aimed at the discerning audiophile who appreciates the tactile and visual qualities of the gear as well as their sonic beauty. The cables I am looking at are built around both copper and silver-plated copper cable cores. Montaudio has prioritised the rejection of both vibration and airborne noise in their designs. The people behind the brand appear to know something about the subject and also sell a range of products, including ground boxes, isolation feet and cable elevators, not forgetting the Manuka MR rack of course. Montaudio is proud of its New Zealand heritage and has named each product after something unique to the country, Manuka being a plant that is endemic to this group of islands and something of a favourite among bees.

Montaudio was formed in Auckland in late 2013 by a group of like-minded audiophiles who collectively sought to create products that they felt exceeded the quality of what was available on the market at the time. Their range of cables follows a common theme of using polyethylene dielectrics on the main conductors and limiting metal as far as possible beyond the necessary contact points. As well as adding both class and character to the cable, judicious use of walnut is found in many of Montaudio’s products, the wood being chosen for its vibration-damping properties. To further add to the range’s vibration-killing ambitions, natural cotton filler is used within each cable. Each range has markings which designate the type of conductors used. Platinum-grey means that silver-plated conductors are used; gold-yellow represents copper conductors, with metallic-blue reserved for the top-level ‘Stewart’ cables, which have monocrystal silver conductors.

montaudio cable loom review https://the-ear.net

Bowen AC-1 interconnects and Chatham SH-1 speaker cables

I will begin with the Chatham SH-1 cable, which is quite a beast. This cable takes its name from a group of islands marking the most Easterly point of New Zealand. Three lengths are listed as being available to order: a 1.5m pair retailing at £649, a 3m pair at £779, and the 5m pair which we looked at is are £929. My samples are terminated with pure red copper banana (BFA) plugs with 24K gold-plated connectors; spades are also available, although, for some reason, this termination costs more. To designate its silver-plated copper conductors, the Chatham SH-1 is wrapped in a silver braided dark blue jacket. With a diameter of 15mm, it is a physically imposing cable that you will not be hiding under the carpet. The connectors feel reassuringly solid, and these cables exude a quality feel.

The Bowen AC-1 analogue cables are the natural partner to the Chatham SH-1 speaker cables. I was sent a 1m pair of each, which cost £349 for the RCA version and £399 for the XLR. Alternative lengths are available up to 3m. These cables are covered in a metallic brown jacket with a gold/yellow braid and are based around triple-core copper conductors. The Bowen AC-1 is considerably narrower in diameter than the Chatham cable at 8mm, although the diameter of the conductor within each cable is 22 AWG. These interconnects are fully shielded with a copper foil in combination with an OFC mesh. Both the XLR and RCA plugs, as with the BFC connectors of the speaker cables, are of pure red copper with 24k nickel-free gold-plating. Natural walnut barrels with direction arrows cover the cable terminations, which feel and look pretty classy. These arrows are common to each of the cables, so this range of cables is directional.

montaudio cable loom review https://the-ear.net

I compared these cables to both my usual Townshend Audio loom and a second, well-regarded one, which retails for a little less than the Montaudio. My current reference setup tends to work best with XLR cables, so most of my listening notes are with the Bowen AC-1 XLR interconnects paired with the Chatham SH-1 speaker cables. I did, however, try the Bowen AC-1 phono cables with the Bluesound Node Icon streamer that we recently looked at and found they had a similar balance to the XLRs; indeed, I found this streamer worked better with RCA than XLR cables.

Analogue sound quality

Although this set was well run in, I found that they took a few days to settle down, but once they did I was treated to a vivid, energetic and exciting presentation of the music. This was certainly a somewhat lighter and breezier balance than I get from my Townshend cables, but not without weight and impact when the music demanded. These cables highlight air and acoustic ambience but without any unnatural brightness. Music via these cables sounds powerful, involving, fast and dynamic. Often, such characteristics are at the expense of instrumental body, but I did not hear that from this Montaudio pairing. Although the more expensive Townshend cables do possess more weight and solidity, this has always been a trump card that few can match at any price. Despite this, I can see how the extra life, vitality and space of the Montaudio loom could win out in certain systems.

montaudio cable loom review https://the-ear.net

This was the case with a particularly laid-back pair of speakers that I have hosted recently, with which these cables provided a welcome shot of adrenaline. Soundstage information is well-preserved via the Bowen/Chatham pairing, which excel in the forward plane, although width and depth information are equally well-preserved. Despite the tonal balance being more brightly lit than that of my Townshend cables, the entire frequency range remained remarkably integrated and, indeed, temporally correct. Often, when a component combines treble energy with poor timing, the result is unpleasant brightness, so the coherent musical results I got here are a credit to the Montaudios’ timing abilities. Unfortunately, excessive brightness proved an issue with the cheaper loom I tried in this system prior to installing the Montaudio set, so this substitution was a welcome relief. With suitably well-balanced components, these cables will thrill like few others at their price point.

I got great results with the Bowen AC-1 RCAs between the Bluesound Node Icon and Heed Canalot III headphone amp, feeding my Sendy Peacock headphones. Here, I noted significant improvements in all aspects of musical reproduction over the ageing resident Kimber cable. Again, speed, timing, and definition were highlights, but notably, the soundstage was now globe-like; Don Henley’s Boys of Summer (Qobuz 24/192) has never sounded so three-dimensional via headphones. Snoop Dogg’s Drop It Like It’s Hot (Qobuz 16/44) was suitably punchy and dynamic; the synths were more fleshed out, colourful and full-bodied. This is a cable that sounds fast and vivid without compromising the instrumental body, as is often the case.

Godley UH-1 USB cable

This USB cable is a silver-hybrid design, this time with 4 x 22AWG cores. Similar to the analogue cables, the Godley EH-1 is adorned with wooden-covered, gold-plated connectors. Digital signals are perhaps even more susceptible to high-frequency noise than analogue, so to combat such evils it is triple-screened with two layers of copper foil and an OFC braid. Again, a high-quality polyethylene dielectric is used on the main conductors with a natural cotton filler. The cable is pretty flexible, which makes a reviewer’s life easier and is just slightly thinner than the Bowen AC-1 cable at 7.5mm in diameter. The sample tested here was the 1m version, which retails for £479.

montaudio cable loom review https://the-ear.net

Having been spoiled recently by two of the very best USB cables on the market, the CAD USB-11-R and the muon2 from Network Acoustics, I began the listening session with a cable that is similarly priced to the Godley UH-1 and well-regarded. After a period of acclimatisation the Montaudio provided a welcome relief. Again, it was the timing that first impressed me, which seems to be a theme with Montaudio’s cables. The Godley UH-1 is far from a one-trick pony here, however. It has a lovely smooth top end and possesses a natural fluidity and tone. With it placed between my Melco N1 server and Moon 780D DAC, Fran-Dance from Miles Davis’s recently released The Birth Of The Blue (24/192 Qobuz) highlighted this cable’s greater timing skills. Here the brushed drum strokes sounded more natural, and the bass was more tuneful. John Coltrane’s saxophone was more rounded and less brash despite it being placed slightly further forward in the soundstage than via the similarly priced cable.

Janet Kay’s Silly Games sounded fast yet controlled across the frequency range. The top end was wonderfully airy yet precise, and the keyboards had real texture and body. The bass was fast, full, and punchy, which made it tough to stay still. The Muon2 takes things up a bar or two again in terms of resolution and excitement, and CAD’s USB 11-R is fuller and warmer without sacrificing resolution. However, they are considerably more expensive, at £1,395 and £1,500 respectively, and their superiority did not diminish the Montaudio cable’s compelling musical qualities. So, as with the Chatham and Bowen cables, the Godley UH-1 from Montaudio is a worthy addition to a well-populated market segment.

Rakaia EH-1 ethernet cable

Following the theme of the Godley USB cable, the Rakaia Ethernet cable is named after a river in Montaudio’s homeland. The steel blue jacket has silver/grey braiding designating silver-plated copper, in the case of the Rakaia there are eight 22AWG silver-plated LC-OFC cores. This ethernet cable is triple-screened with two copper foil and one braided silver-plated OFC screen. With a diameter of 9mm it is a comparatively thick cable, but still a flexible one. The Rakaia EH-1 is terminated with high-end Telegärtner MFP8 Cat 8.1 connectors, which are a popular choice. A one-metre sample retails for £699.

montaudio cable loom review https://the-ear.net

Initially, I placed the Rakaia EH-1 ethernet cable between my router and the Chord 2Go/Hugo2 portable streamer/DAC combo, feeding my Sendy Peacock headphones. This cable replaced a £62 Chord Co C-Stream cable, which marks a great entry point into the world of quality network cables. As expected, the Rakaia EH-1 upped the game significantly. Music now sounded more open and, much like the rest of Montaudio’s cables, more energetic and of a brighter balance. I noted a general improvement in instrumental separation and a fuller, firmer bass. A recently downloaded version of The Beach Boys’ classic Pet Sounds in DSD benefited considerably from the cable swap, which via the Rakaia now sounded considerably more vivid and dynamic. The vocals, which are so much a part of what makes this album special, sounded fuller and better resolved.

The next step was to try this cable in the main system between my Melco S100 switch and Moon 780D streaming DAC. For this I used my Audioquest Vodka ethernet cable for comparison. This cable retails for £469, and I have always considered it to be one of the best sub £500 cables available. It has a big sound, particularly in the lower frequencies, which are fuller and weightier than most cables at this price point. The Rakaia EH-1 sounded leaner in this respect but impressed overall with its big soundstage and forensic detail across the frequency range. It sounds more spacious than most and, as with the rest of the Montaudio range of cables, timing is a highlight. Well-recorded classical music benefited from the Rakaia’s ability to resolve the natural acoustic. Electronic music, such as Mop Mop’s Lunar Love from the album of the same name (Qobuz 16/44), sounded huge. Here, the drum sound impressed in terms of both impact, precision and vibrancy.

montaudio cable loom review https://the-ear.net

The final track on Nils Frahm’s latest album Paris, called Hammers (Qobuz 24/96), requires the system to deliver detail and precision if it is to involve the listener, and the Rakaia EH-1 proved the ideal companion. Now, I could follow every note produced by his elaborate keyboard, and the music expanded into my room within a cavernous soundstage. Nils’s ‘vocalising’ along with the music during this track, whilst picked up in this recording, was not closely mic’d and can be difficult to discern if your system lacks resolution. The Rakaia EH-1’s low-noise floor meant these, er, noises, were now easier to follow and brought them forward within the soundstage. At this price point, the Rakaia EH-1 is clearly aimed at the more committed streaming fan, but it produces such a thrilling performance that I have no doubt it will prove popular.

Conclusion

This area of the cable market does not lack competition, but this Montaudio range deserves a place within it. The build quality and visual impact will doubtless win admirers even before an audition. Their balance is definitely on the more vivacious side. Still, their control, timing qualities, and overall coherence fitted in well with the components I paired them with and produced enjoyable music that carefully walked the line between vividness and unnatural brightness. During the time they were with me, I felt no inclination to remove the Montaudio cables from the system, which speaks volumes. I can see a bright future for Montaudio, and it will be interesting to see how the brand develops over the next few years. I am told they have already gained a good following in the Asian market, and, on the basis of these cables, they are sure to prove popular across the globe sooner rather than later.

Specifications:

Bowen AC-1 RCA/XLR
Type: analogue interconnects
Topology: triple conductor
Termination: Pure Red Copper + 24K nickel-free gold-plated
Conductor: 22 AWG silver-plated LC-OFC
Dielectric: polyethylene
Diameter: 8mm
Length: 1m
Warranty: 2 years

Chatham SH-1
Type: speaker cable
Topology: not specified
Terminations: Pure Red Copper + 24K nickel-free gold-plated BFA/spade
Conductor: 2x silver plated LC-OFC + 2x LC-OFC
Dielectric: polyethylene + cotton filler
Diameter: 15mm
Length: 5m

Godley USB
Type: USB 2.0 digital cable
Conductor: 4x 22 AWG silver-plated LC-OFC
Dielectric: polyethylene + cotton filler
Shielding: twin copper foil screens + OFC Braided
Connector: gold plated USB A to USB B
Length: 1m
Diameter: 7.5mm

Rakaia EH-1
Type: ethernet cable
Conductor: 8x 22 AWG silver-plated LC-OFC
Dielectric: polyethylene + cotton filler
Shielding: twin copper foil screens + OFC Braided
Connector: Telegärtner MFP8 Cat.8.1
Length: 1m
Diameter: 9mm
Warranty: 2 years

Price when tested:
Bowen AC-1 RCA 1m: £349
Bowen AC-1 XLR 1m: £399
Godley USB 1m: £479
Rakaia EH-1 1M: £699
Chatham SH-1 5m pair: £929
Manufacturer Details:

Montaudio
http://www.montaudio.com

Type:

RCA, XLR, USB, ethernet & speaker cables

Author:

Chris Baillie

Distributor Details:

Symphony Distribution
T +44 7776 511691
symphonydistribution.co.uk

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