Product Review Part II - Tendon Stereo RCA Audio Cable

[rcarlton]

I had the opportunity to compare the Tendon Stereo RCA Audio cable to generic cable that I use. What can I say? I don’t spend much on cable.

TendonUSA is a web-based company that provides audio/video cables, firewire, computer connections, DVI cable, and networking connectivity products. They were founded in February 2003 with a “focus on design integrated with the in-depth understanding of end-user's needs and utilization of engineering for global markets.” They make the claim that their products will perform to exact standards; materials are better than or equal to other cables, sturdy and durable, and are 100% inspected. They also guarantee the cable to function properly or if you break it they will replace it at no extra cost. I had not heard of them until I was contacted to review their product.

Construction

The cables consist of an inner pure copper conductor wire, high quality PVC insulation, spiral copper shielding to minimize EMI, and finally a high quality PVC wire jacket. The RCA connectors have a gold plated connector and a slotted outer ring for a secure fit. They cost $10 for 1 meter. The fit and finish of the cable is top notch and much better than the generic cable. The generic cables are the low price cables found at Target or Wal-Mart, they look like lamp-cord with RCA connectors, either brass or silver colored. They came with the components that I have collected over the past 30 years.

The cables fit into my components snuggly, with a very solid feel. The RCA connector is oval shaped and fits between your fingers well when inserting it into the components. Each connector is color-coded. The size of the connectors required I stagger them so they fit. I had to rotate every connector a little so it could fit securely in the Oppo DV981HD and the Outlaw 990.





Testing

I connected the cables to an Oppo DV981HD and an Outlaw 990. I intended to test multi-channel and stereo SACDs that I am very familiar with. The Outlaw was connected to a McIntosh MC-275 feeding the mains (Klipshorns), McIntosh MC-250 bridged to the center (Heresy II), and a McIntosh MC-250 for the rears (LaScala). These are very efficient and revealing speakers.

I listened to Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon SACD in multi-channel, and Patricia Barber Café Blue in stereo. First listened with the generic cable and then the Tendon RCA cable. Notes were made of the subtle sound effects on DSOTM, 3-D imaging, midrange vocals. With Café Blue I paid close attention to the female vocals, subtle drum sounds and of course 3-D imaging. I also tried to pay attention to the reverb trail (trailing off of individual notes).


Conclusion

Which do I prefer? I could not tell the difference in sound between the two cables. Both provided a wide sound stage, pin point 3-D imaging. The mids and female vocals all seemed to be spot on. So why do I prefer the Tendon cable? The main reason is not the sound, but the quality of construction and price.

I had some generic RCA cables I used with an X-box much like those used in this review. For some reason there was a poor connection, which caused the connector to rust (oxidize)! It is easy to see from the picture how this could affect the sound. Clearly a case in which better construction is worth the investment.



I have ordered another RCA cable from Tendon for my upstairs system. I wanted to try their website for ease of use. It was no problem to find the cable, they had good descriptions and great prices. Very quick shipping. They take Pay-Pal. It made for a very easy and secure transaction.

If you are interested in Tendon cables their website is http://tendonusa.com/shop/home.php

[chas]

Nice looking cables...great prices. Thanks for the honest review..I had never heard of these before.

[rcarlton]

In the next few weeks I'll be moving up the audio chain with a new preamp. With that in mind I decided to purchase a couple of RCA cables from Blue Jeans Cable: LC-1 Low Capacitance Audio Cable. "By shrinking the center conductor to 25 AWG and foaming the polyethylene dielectric, Blue Jeans Cable was able to get capacitance down to an extremely low 12.2 pF/ft. Capacitance can be important, particularly in long cable runs, because it contributes to rolloff of higher frequencies." Blue Jeans LC-1 cables are terminated with the "Taversoe RCA plug, a high-quality RCA plug with an all-metal body and shell specifically designed for the perfect dimensions for use with LC-1. Its all-metal body, crimped tightly to the shield braid, completes the shielding assembly from cable end to cable end, to ensure that the cables do not become an entry point for noise. These plugs are gold-plated on all jack-contact surfaces, and employ a set of leaf-spring style grippers on the outer RCA ring which apply just the right amount of force to the jack to grip it firmly without overtightening."

All of that sounds good. So in the next few weeks we'll see if there is sonic improvement.