Atlas Ultra RCA.
Technology : Innovation in practiceLess is more. That’s certainly true regarding the design of analogue audio cables, where the goal is to render the cable effectively ‘invisible,’ or more accurately, inaudible, in terms of impact on the signal.
Ideally, cables shouldn’t add or subtract anything, but in reality, numerous factors combine to have an audible and measurable effect — which is a form of distortion.
One of the essential elements in the mix is the connector plug. Atlas recognised over a decade ago that the traditional CNC-machined metal-bodied RCA connector was a weakness, with demonstrably significant performance loss.
Our research showed that a Polycarbonate and latterly ABS for the plug body was a superior material, allowing us to create an RCA plug with a low dielectric constant, low-mass, non-conductive body but retaining the physical resilience and stability of a CNC-machined product.
The outcome was our original Integra connector, used in our entry-level Element and Equator cable ranges, but we quickly came to realise the superiority of the approach for all our cables, with further R&D resulting in the development of the Ultra RCA plug for our higher performance ranges.
The original Ultra was constructed from solid PTFE, a more complicated material to work with, but which immediately reduced the dielectric constant further and offered improved bandwidth and fidelity.
Ultra RCA. The Digital Generation.
Ultra is now utilised on the S/PDIF cables in our Ascent, Mavros and Asimi ranges, distinguished by its gloss red finish.
Analogue cables now use our ‘next generation’ Ultra L (Latik) RCA connector, which refines the Ultra concept still further, while demonstrating the quality and longevity of the original design.
the performance connection
