Belden ICONOCLAST Interconnects and Speaker Cabling

Cables
4316

Techically you are going back to the very beginning of the system’s ground. You can’t cheat the total system ground reference on the POWER side. That would be to EARTH literally. The power box grounds aren’t the GROUND yet! But they go there eventually. We can’t change that ground too easy so we work on the ones we can.

If we make every new ground PERFECT, we are still dealing with the ground loop to true earth from the power strip to the earthing rod. May as well not make that worse than it is.

On the signal side we can re-reference the ground as the DC ground from the power supply circuit. Or, we can FLOAT the ground like XLR’s do and fully balance the system so the ground is virtual. The signal doesn’t reference earth on the power supplies DC side. It references that new “reference” point that could even be ABOVE earth ground. As long as you reference a single reference POINT, the voltage potential doesn’t care. A million volts reference to one-million and one volt is one volt “potential”. Just don’t touch the signal ground to EARTH at zero volts. BOOM.

This is why some circuits are double insulated. The internal circuits reference is above or below true earth ground and they can’t be connected to earth or YOU that will contact earth ground. BOOM again.

Best,
Galen

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4317

Hi Galen,

Thanks. That explanation really helps. I appreciate your knowledge.
Especially when trying to optimize performance.

Thanks,
Mike

4318

Iconoclast at the Pacific Audio Fest. Michael Fremer spent a lot of time with Galen. Michael seemed to have some knowledge about good cables. Iconoclasts picks up at about 13:35 min in.

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4319

Thank you for the post and link! Now, if I can find a way to get cables in to Michael’s hands.

4320

He seemed interested. And he has a decent technical mind, so Galen’s papers will probably make sense to him.
I can’t imagine he would refuse to review some cables.

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4321

Did anyone see the electrician that M. Fremer used with the “audiophile” electrical panel? Interesting stuff. In the video that @DrPain is referring to.

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4322

Rex Hungerford. He’s the same guy who designed my electrical subsystem for my renovated sound room (mentioned in a different thread). He’s a regular member of Whatsbestforum (WBF) and is a licensed electrician. My system now plays with a dead quiet background, unrestricted dynamics, and a greatly improved low end. It was the classic “you don’t know the extent of your problems until they’re gone”. The P20 is good, but no substitute for a dedicated power subsystem. He knows his stuff. What he does works, IME.

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4323

Michael did seem very interested in Iconoclast. Galen and I both hold Michael in high regard and appreciate the significant knowledge and understanding he has of the value presented by Galen’s designs. Getting cables into his hands and having him publish his thoughts presents challenges. Surely everyone considers why products are selected for review and why it is exceeding rare that a reviewer says that a product is not recommended.

In the years that I was VP at Legacy Audio, I developed relationships with numerous members of the audio press. I spent well over $100k per year in “print” advertising running 1/2 and full page 4-color ads. And this was considered a small amount. Hardly a month went by without a Legacy presence. We had benefit of the very talented Ron Rollet our full-time graphics artist and no one had a better eye for photography than Bill Duddleston. Our annual product catalog was perhaps the nicest in the industry. We printed thousands and thousands of them.

I joined Legacy in 2000. I was hired by Steve Markowitz the President and CEO of the Allen Organ Company in Macungie, PA. to begin transitioning Legacy from a factory direct to a dealer supported business model. I had been highly successful as Legacy’s “first” brick and mortar showroom dealer (in Orlando,) beginning in 1995. So, having been a dealer and integrator I could surely empathize with dealers, spoke their language and “no one” had more enthusiasm for Legacy speakers!! Bill and I had a great relationship and worked very well together. Bill recommended me for the position.

In the years before my arrival, there had never been a Legacy speaker review in a “major” audio publication. It’s not difficult to build relationships with contributing reviewers and editors and their media advertising sales teams when you play by the rules. In those days it was certain death to be factory direct so the move to dealers began the process and when coupled with regular advertising in their publications resulted in the first of many very positive reviews. Some of my fondest memories include wheeling a pair of crated Legacy Whispers into Anthony Cordesman’s DC flat and reading Paul Bolin’s Legacy Focus 20/20 review.

This was/is the way business is conducted in “many if not most” audio media and press outlets. There are the “good guys” who are genuinely interested in sampling and auditioning audio components, speakers, cables and accessories. They have no requisites that you spend money advertising with them and request no compensation for your submittals. Jay at Audio Bacon and Constantine Soo/Douglas Schroeder/Dan Rubin at Dagogo are all members of the “good guys.” Audiophiles around the world benefit from the broader base of products sampled and uncompensated opinions.

Look at this post, made possible by the open nature and good will of the principals and team at PS Audio. Look at the service they provide to audiophiles. We are blessed and grateful to be here.

We received warm welcomes and invitations from both the Houston and San Francisco Audiophile Societies where Galen has facilitated presentations. Some of these are available on YouTube. We highly recommend membership with either of these organizations as they too offer incredible services and fellowship to audiophiles. I am amazed at the programs and presentations they present.

In 20-years things sure have changed in terms of how marketing is conducted. There was no digital media, blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Snap Chat. Iconoclast grows every year organically through this site, word of mouth from our customers, some reviews and what started this year at Axpona and the PAF, “trade shows.”

So, as much as I would love to send Michael cables to live with for a while, there is little chance in “my opinion” that he would accept them. It’s not the way business is done. I did offer to send cables directly to most of the editors at the highly regarded, well-known print media shortly after Galen and I moved to BJC. No takers.

A nice holiday weekend ahead. I wish a great and safe Labor Day holiday to all!

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4324

Seems logical. Is he local to the Pacific Northwest? Or does he travel?

4325

Yes, he’s out of the PNW, and he does travel. But if you’re willing to work with him he will do the design remotely, sending the needed test equipment to measure and monitor, and the materials for the job. He will even work with your local licensed electrician to make sure they do the job per his design specifications. That how I did mine (I have a great electrician). It worked out perfectly.

And oh, I had this job done under permit. Everything passed with flying colors - with the tamper resistant outlets! :rofl:. They seemed to have disappeared mysteriously after final inspection. Not sure how that happened. :wink:

1 Like
4326

Great info. Thank you.

4327

At the plant all morning running SPTPC series II singles. We are on the way. Final production electrical looks on target for nominal numbers around 77 pF/foot and 0.06 uH/foot inductance after final jacketing. We’re in the proper range for lowering the impedance to well below 1 KHz where it matters for power transfer.

I want to adjust cap to tune the low frequency impedance and Vp differential so a number between 60-85 pf/foot or so is the target. Both ends need higher cap, but to a point. Inductance drops accordingly to 0.06 uH/foot range. Nice!

The SPTPC copper arrived such that it will go right in behind the TPC series II so no stops in production.

All you series II SPTPC speaker cable customers (I’m one too) are close to production cable. By the way, the singles look beautiful.

Best,
Galen

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4328

Exciting news! Thanks for sharing Galen.

4329

This production run has been a long time coming! Patience is not one of my virtues!

Quite frankly, comparable programs of this nature don’t exist elsewhere in the cable industry. 120+ years of Belden presence and experience, the resources and capabilities in manufacturing and testing at the Engineering and Design center and Galen himself at the start up to crack the whip and make sure things are done to his standards. Expect great things here.

I am excited to finally have this underway.

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4330

Sigh. When can we start ordering SPTPC trial pairs, Bob? :roll_eyes: :sweat_smile:

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4331

Great question!

4332

I’m so excited. I want to secure my place in line for these. I have been saving and waiting a long time to see and hear the SPTPC Series II cables. They are what I consider to be the pinnacle of cable design. As an aging Audiophile these may likely be the last cables I will ever own. I have plans to use them as speaker cables and as jumper cables to my super tweeters.

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4333

We will do our best to keep updates coming. :blush:

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4334

@BobBJC /Galen - I managed to FOLD OVER one of a pair of Icono XLRs. Does that affect things as it does with CAT cable when exceeding bend radius? Thanks.

4335

badbeef,

I assume you mean they were KINKED? Not good for electrical as the geometry is changed there but not near as bad as a RF range digital cable like you point out.

Can you message it back into shape at the kink?

Best,
Galen