MC Silver IT MkIII's three central cores are designed for balanced interconnects but can also be used to build a single ended cable. Conductors are oxygen free copper that is mechanically silver-plated. These are insulated in Teflon and double shielded for maximum noise rejection. The external red jacket is in vdH's preferred Hulliflex EHD, a halogen-free plastic with very sound ecological qualifications. Terminations are vdH's own high-quality varieties.

This flexible cable does a phenomenal job of resolving the last degree of musical detail. Unlike other supposedly high-end cables, the treble is very well extended and totally clean. So many interconnects create slight high-frequency distortion that

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one starts to suspect source components to be at fault, but this van den Hul proves that even expensive cable is fallible. MC Silver IT MkIII produces totally realistic and palpable tonal rendering. The bass isn't as demonstrative as some, but it is totally convincing, powerful and weighty.

The cable also has a strange ability to make other interconnects sound ‘loud' or distorted, presumably by virtue of an extremely clean, neutral balance and high transparency. This lets through both the fine detail that gives each note realism and the energy that enlivens the music overall.

Three and a half grand is ‘excessive' for an interconnect cable. But, although there is like priced competition aplenty, van den Hul's MC Silver IT MkIII is in a class of its own and it does deliver the goods. Audition at your bank account's peril.

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van den Hul MC silver IT MkIII ¦ $3499 (0.6 metre) ¦¦ www.duratone-imports.com
For: We have never heard lower distortion from a cable
Against: The price is not sensible
Verdict: These cables are designed for the very high end