 Similar to the case of the Italian company AudioNemesis, I have paternal feelings for the Australian company Eichmann Technologies International. This is not a personality disorder and transfer of unsatisfied needs to a third party, as I have very good children and I feel fulfilled in that matter, but it is about a normal feeling of being responsible for something that is an outcome of my work in some way. I mean that I received the first cables from this very interesting company just after its expansion beyond the Australian continent and implanted them quickly on Polish grounds. This happened due to the actions of one fantastic man – Robert Woodland – at that time the chief of the sales at Eichmann Technologies, that I met and befriended during the first High End show in Munich. Bob could talk in such an interesting way, that even I, a veteran of PR fights and accustomed to hearing about breakthroughs, revelations, exceptions and eminences took the interconnect eXpress 6 for testing with interest. But I think, that even the personal appeal of Mr. Woodland would not suffice, if the company would not be backed by serious research and fresh ideas. And Keith Eichmann, whose name the company carries, is one of the most experienced professors of materials technology that is also able to transfer his theoretical achievements into practice. All is about the theory of the influence of metals on a conductor with flowing current. Sounds familiar? It should: the same philosophy is shared by another interesting person, Dennis Morecroft, the owner of the British company DNM Design, responsible among others for the DNM Reson cables. OK, we are home now. Reson are solid core cables, with widely spaced branches, thin, with plastic plugs. Morecroft claims that the less metal elements near to electronics and conductors, the better. I don’t know who inspired who, but Eichmann seems to be much more advanced in his research regarding conductors and maybe he provided the theoretical support for the Reson. )
Regardless of that, nobody will take the product-icon from Eichmann: the Bullet Plugs (United States Patent 6604962, link to the patent description HERE). Available until recently in a copper and silver version it acquired a third form, together with the Quiessence line, where the negative in is silver and the positive from a CuTe alloy. I did mention the name of the new line on purpose. Until recently ETI products, that is now the company name - ETI Research, were cheap. Indecently cheap. I think, that this is incredibly fair toward the clients, but one did not take into consideration the mentality, who tend to look at the price instead of the sound. That is the reason, that Keith Eichmann cables never found place in the hi-end. This was a mistake, but the case is closed. Maybe that was the reason, that ETI decided to design a new line of cables priced similar to other cables of similar quality of know competitors. This means expensive. But because Professor Eichmann is an honest man he did not take any shortcuts and did not just repack old products. New cables look completely different than the eXpress series and have a different internal design. Even the Bullet Plugs were redesigned to match the new cables. The Quiessence series is quite worked out. We start with the cheapest product, the interconnect Q100, that is still three times as expensive as the most exensive to date eXpress 6… SOUND )
Before I go over to the detailed description and evaluations of the separate aspects of the sound, I want to tell, that the ETI cable, although inconspicuous, sounds like expensive, successful construction. Through this, it is not an evolution of that what we knew from Eichmann Technology cables, but rater a new quality – and this is how you should read the test. The cable clearly puts the sound stage away from the listener. This is the first time that caught my sight after changing my Velum to ETI. This is not silting or fogging, but backing a step with the first line on the stage. One of my friends listening to my system mentioned that the sound is special, but everything is heard as if we would sit in the place where the microphones were: ideal, but a bit too close. This is related to the philosophy of reproducing music and this how we would like hear it at home – for some people, like for my friend, music should sound as close as possible to the live event. Because he listens mostly to classical music he can easily verify this on a random concert. In my opinion it is different – we should reproduce that what is on disc, and the natural perspective should be captured by the sound engineers. If this is not the way, a pity – the equipment should be maximally accurate, and not creative but reproductive. Sometimes however, an incredible power of impact cannot be denied to such way of presentation. Despite my internal conviction about such a recreation, then if other elements are kept, like resolution, timbre, etc, then we can assume, that this is a proposition on par or even superior to the other. And the ETI made my system sound more in the way the classic lover wanted it to. What was interesting this did not bother me, like in the case of systems that try to emulate the live event regardless of the way the disc is recorded, probably due to the fact, that Keith Eichmann’s interconnect has a very well led treble – thorough and detailed. In addition, the stage albeit pushed back behind the speakers, is deep and broad. I even have the impression that this aspect is better than with my Velum. It is just how it is. The tonal balance of the ETI is a bit shifted to the middle. The bass is accurate and well defined, but it lacks the power of the Velum – either when connected between the CD and preamplifier or between the preamplifier and power amplifier it shallowed that sub-range and did not give that strong support I am accustomed to. Here the Velum and the Furutech Reference III (tested in the same issue) sounded with more authority and better defined timbre. I think that exactly this element causes the direct and strong sound of my system. The depth of the stage is good, but it has no chance in comparison with the stage in the Ancient Audio system I usually write about during the KSS meetings (one of the reports HERE). It is clear, stable and full despite that. ETI broadened it a bit, but the depth remained the same, only the first plane – and in consequence the further ones – was placed a bit to the back. I mentioned timbre – it is clear, that someone really worked on the treble range in this interconnect, that resembles to a big extent that what can be heard from the best Tara Labs cables. Everything is drawn very precise, one can clearly hear the nuances of the percussion playing from the brilliant disc Pyramid The Modern Jazz Quartet (Atlantic/Warner Music [Japan], WPCR-25125, CD). And with all that the treble is not underlined, even more – in comparison with the Velum and even Wireworld Silver Eclipse 5 the top frequency range of the Australian cable is clearly calmer and not that strong. I am not sure, which “truth” is more authentic, but this kind of reproduction is a splendid addition to the fantastic space. This is a dream of many audiophiles – to have a good sound stage but without emphasized treble. Those two things can be combined, but most of the time in very expensive products. So when I heard the Q100 in action I knew that I am dealing with a classy product. )
I mentioned “truth” – ETI presents the events from a greater distance and more delicate treble than, for example the mentioned Furutech. I was thinking, if I should write that the treble is softened, but the truth is, that I am not 100% sure, which presentation is more factual. Both are examples of high quality, maybe not yet on the level of ISM The 0.8 Tary Labs, but this is really a high level. Let us take for example the sibilants on the discs of Chris Connor Lullabys of Birdland (Bethlehem/Victor Enterteinment, BCP-6004/VICJ-61452, K2 HD CD), Jacka Johnson Sleep Through The Static (Brushfire Records, 756055, CD) and Allan Taylor Old Friends - New Roads (Stockfisch, SFR 357.6047.2, CD): in the Ancient system, as well as in mine, with the Velum cables something hisses from time to time. This is not emphasizing, but I think, a natural consequence of close microphone placing. ETI shows that much softer, nicer, one has the idea that everything was ideally tailored during the recording (all those discs present the voices in a brilliant way, but in a characteristic “close” manner). What version should be regarded as the true one? Listening to Connor on the Stax Omega II (test of the previous version – HERE) I heard a slight emphasis of the sibilants, but when listening to the same material on the AKG K701 with the Lebena CS-300 amplifier then it was not there. Taking into account that the AKG with the Leben slightly round the treble I could suggest that the reproduction made by STAX and Velum was closer to the truth, but this is not backed by any hard facts. Hence, I can easily say, that the treble of ETI is fantastic. I wrote much about the treble and the bass, but this is due to the fact that there is much to write about, and because the resolution and the timbre of that cable are on such a high level, that I could concentrate on the really important things and on things that distinguish ETI from the best. Some problem can even be caused not by the distancing of the stage, but with the dynamics of the cable. On the micro level it is splendid. With broader planes it seems to be a bit quieter. This is related partially to the lesser intensity of the transmission than with the Wireworld, Tara or Velum, but on the other hand this is a result of its character. When in the piece Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes from the disc Graceland Paul Simon (Warner Music Japan, WPCR-12417, CD) from the beginning we hear the vocals of the black skinned musicians, prime and strong on the Velum and Tara they are incredibly intensive, full of energy. ETI shows them probably even more precise than the Velum, but without that excitement. Nothing will surprise us with this cable; nothing will attack us from behind the corner. This is balanced, thought through sounding, maybe without high adrenaline, but in many aspects outstanding. In further perspective it reminds that what is offered by the cables from the company DNM Reason, only in a more refined form. Hence the need to fit the cable to the system. Most solid state devices sound with a dry sound and there the Q100 will be ideal. Even with very expensive devices ETI will sound great. I now know, that I am more than interested to hear what the more expensive cables from the series present. DESCRIPTION )
The Quiessence Series from the company ETI (Eichmann Technologies International) is the newest idea of that company placed in the price list much higher than the previous products. This is the reason it gained its own sub-page on the web page of the manufacturer. The idea behind it is very simple: apply all company “patents” regardless of the costs – in the best possible way. From the company page we learn that the most important element of this approach was a novel way of conducting measurements: almost always cables are measured based on the “hot” wire, treating “cold” wire as ground, applying similar approach to both while designing the cable. Eichmann did differently – he treats both wires differently. This is not explained thoroughly, but it is written that a Ground Nulling Circuit (GNC) is created that way, a passive filter, made only by a special path of the cold wire. The Model Q100 is the cheapest proposition from the Quiessence series. The cables are very flexible, surrounded with black sleeve and fitted with Bullet Plugs, also a company product. In this case the plugs have metal body. Differently to the usual situation, the hot pin is made from CuTe alloy, and the cold one is from 99.99% pure silver. The cables are directional what according to Eichmann means that they were pre-burned-in at the factory with current flowing in one direction. The plugs that should be connected to the receiver are marked by a pressed ETI logo. Nothing can be said about the internal buildup, but based on the construction of the older series, we can assume that solid-core leads were used with different diameter for the hot and the cold wire.
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