What makes Aural Thrills Different?
The unique feature of Aural Thrills Audio
is the fact that ALL EQUIPMENT
(except sending components) in my reference audio system has been
developed by me! From the phono stage, pre amp, mono blocks and cables, to
the final sound of the speakers. Each product has been developed and
tested by one person. This gives me a unique understanding of the
reproduction of sound. With four years of college ear training, ten years
as a professional musician in NYC, and unmatched passion, I feel that I
have the tools necessary to create the finest reproduction equipment in
the world. I have spent the last ten years learning the intricacies of
tube amplifiers. Every part. Every wire. Every component. They all matter.
Connecting all of this equipment with compatible cables has become a daily
obsession. As one of my customers said, "I live audio."
In these days of endless loops of
frustration, you can count on getting a real person when you deal with
Aural Thrills. No press 1, press 5, etc. You get a real person from the
beginning. Someone who can answer all of your questions. Emails are
answered many times a day. Leave your number and I will call back, really!
With a 60 day, no questions asked policy on all of my cables, you can be
sure that your purchase will work with your total system sound.
Lastly, it is my commitment to make sure
that every product is made to my standards. Every product guaranteed to
bring a smile to your face. Every order processed with the passion that
only hand made goods can deliver. I put my reputation on the line with
every product I make. I try my best to do all that is needed. I also try
my best to keep prices reasonable. Please consider that you are buying
more than a constructed product. You are buying my mind, my craftsmanship
and my ears which have worked on each component obsessively for countless
hours.
Cable Design Theory
Aural Thrills Audio only sells
very special cables! Designed to provide your system with the ultimate
sound. They will not degrade the signal as many other cables tend to do.
Why? Our cables have been specially designed to provide a clear, deep
sound by utilizing solid core technology. Stranded wire has many points
where the wires touch each other. This creates a smearing effect as the
signal jumps from one wire to the other. The larger the wire, the more
this effect becomes evident. Research also shows that stranded cables
creates time distortions due to the uneven manner in which the signal
travels.
Next we must
look at the wire size. I am always amazed by the "oh wow" reaction of
audiophiles upon seeing a very fat cable. In true American fashion, the
belief that if a little is good, more is always better comes to mind.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! The major portion of an audio
signal actually travels as a wave on top of the wire, much like a train
travels on top of the tracks. A very small part of this wave travels
inside the wire. Since the wire actually slows the signal down a time
distortion is created between the signal on top of the wire and the part
of the signal in the wire. The best way to minimize this effect is to use
a small diameter wire so that very little signal is traveling through the
wire itself.
The third item
in cable construction to consider is the material surrounding the wire.
Some companies use many layers of coverings to convey the image of huge
size. Again, this is not a good thing. These layers act as huge capacitors
for the signal. Capacitors store and then release their energy. The result
is a smearing and time warp creating a cloudy sound. The cleanest sound is
achieved by using Teflon. Teflon will not absorb any of the signal. This
means the total signal arrives at the same time. None is released later
causing distortions.
To shield or not
to shield? In most cases adding a shield to a cable takes away a little
bit of the spaciousness from the sound stage. Unshielded cables are great
for Solid State equipment using lengths of under nine feet. They deliver a
spaciousness and clarity of sound that most people find very appealing.
When using Tube equipment or cables over ten feet shielding is needed. The
transformers of tube amplifiers are gigantic EMI producing machines. Using
an unshielded cable with tube equipment will result in an induced hum.
Always use a shielded cable with tube equipment. Cable runs of over ten
feet tend to act as huge antennas picking up local radio stations. (RFI)
To avoid this you MUST use a shielded cable. Lastly, phono cables must be
shielded. Cartridges produce very small amounts of voltage. some moving
coil cartridges produce only .2mv. This low voltage is very fragile and
must be protected from your local radio stations which will overpower this
miniscule signal.
Cable Break In
All cables take a certain
amount of time to burn in. This may sound crazy but it is true. I have
heard many theories for this, but the one I tend to go with is the
alignment of atoms within the wire. It changes as the wire is subjected to
electrical charges and ends up aligning in the direction of electron flow.
Most cable will sound good for the first hour or so. Then they start to
degrade. They become bright, edgy, distorted, and closed in. The worst
sound is at about 50 hours of play. Slowly the sound will began to improve
and at about 100 hours things will start to really improve. The one
exception to this scenario is Silver wire which breaks in much more
slowly. We do offer a burn in service using the Hagerman professional
model. It takes 48 hours to complete the process. The cable is subjected
to a frequency sweep which contains signals above and below the
frequencies of Human hearing. Although additional break in is still
required, this really speeds things up.
Amplifier Design Theory
I am committed to simple
designs which do not feature a lot of additional circuits. I love the
early designs. They tended to stick to the basics and did not add a bunch
of "correction" circuits. I have constructed and listened to most types of
tube audio designs. The more circuits that you add, the more they start to
sound like solid state. If that is what you want, why not just buy a Solid
State unit? My amps use the old designs but with an important twist, high
end parts. Modern capacitors and resistors are faster sounding, but still
retain the tube qualities we all love. The best of old and new.
Warranty
Due to the length of break in I
offer a 60 day return policy on all cables, no questions asked. Just pay
for shipping. I can offer this warranty because I am so sure you will not
want to part with this cable. All cables carry an unconditional lifetime
warranty to the original purchaser. Just return to Aural Thrills Audio and
we will take care of any problems. Cables that have been abused or
mistreated will be repaired for a slight cost to be determined upon
inspection.
My Laboratory
This is my pride and joy, no,
my obsession. As you can see, all components (except sending units) have
been constructed by me. This gives me a unique perspective on sound
reproduction. I am an avid record collector of 50's Jazz as well. I have a
good collection of the regular labels, Blue Note, Verve, Pacific Jazz,
etc. and also a bunch of not so well known labels and artist. You would
not believe how good some of these 50's recordings sound. Most were
recorded with tubes so they just seem to sound right in my all tube
system. My system generally looks terrible. I am always trying new
combinations of circuits and design ideas. It's all about sound.
As you probably noticed, I
watch movies with this system as well. I really believe that the sound is
superior to five channel home theater systems. The soundstage is more
real, not manipulated and much closer to reality. A good Stereo VCR is
close to a record for sound quality. Rich, warm, just awesome Analogue. I
hate to admit it but I have become a fan of the musical.
The mono blocks are Aural
Thrills Audio 300B, push pull units. Each puts out a big 25 Watts but
still retains the beauty of the 300B. As you might expect, the filaments
are AC powered. PP configuration cancels out noise and the sound is big
and rich. These amps sound like the reason you wanted a tube amp to begin
with.
The speakers are a very
efficient 96db. Max continuous power is 45 Watts. 25 Watts will blow you
out of the room. My love of early design, low powered tube amps led me to
these back end loaded horn design. The drivers are full range which
eliminates the need for a crossover. My theory for audio is always "less
is better."
The bass that comes out of
these speakers is unbelievable. The transmission line design is tuned for
50Hz. The sound coming out of the lower outlet is also delayed a little
bit. This creates a wonderful ambience for Jazz and Classical. These
cabinets have been constructed of 1" Baltic Birch Plywood. A very dense,
slow growing species imported from Russia. Unlike normal plywood, any
voids in EACH layer are cut and filled with a plug. You can see that there
are no areas without wood, on each layer! The speakers weigh about 175
pounds each. As is the case with a single driver, imaging is spooky. Final
finish will be done soon
A VPI TNT with speed controller
mounted on a Lead filled VPI stand is the basis for all of this great
sound. A Graham tone arm is used. I love this arm. It is very easy to
mount a cartridge and alignment is accomplished to an amazing accuracy. I
usually use Low Output MC cartridges. Mounted now is a Benz Gold. A very
nice cartridge for the money. The table is connected to an Aural Thrills
Phono Stage by an all Silver Aural Thrills tone arm cable with five pin
Cardas connector. Next the Phono stage is connected to a Two Stage Cathode
Follower pre amp of my design by a pair of Aural Thrills Bass Boss cables.
Output to the 300B mono Blocks is handled by an Aural Thrills, Tube
Powered Active cable. All amps are connected directly to a dedicated line
by Aural Thrills 10awg Power Cords.
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