“The Silver Audio Hyacinth sounds uncannily
liquid and buttery smooth in my reference system... What the listener needs to
keep in mind is that this cable holds its own against the very best out there at
a mere fraction of the cost…I strongly urge any audiophile looking for an
upgrade to seek out an audition of this under exposed high-end
over-achiever”
Gregory
Kongo:p>
Planet Hi-Fi
March/April
2000
“…every configuration I tried
with the Hyacinth resulted in an audio improvement. This was reflected by an
increase in soundstage depth, fine detail, and sonic transparency…I couldn’t
recommend these cables any higher”
Michael James
Secrets of Home Theater
and High Fidelity
August
2001
First revealed at CES 2000,
Silver Audio’s Hyacinth™ introduces design motifs of our Jetstream™ and
Appassionata™ at a much lower price and was originally intended to replace the
venerable Silver Bullets 4.0s in our product line. However, with sales of the
Hyacinth and Silver Bullets still roughly equal to each other, Silver Audio will simply continue to
offer both and let minor system matching considerations dictate a choice between
two similarly priced, equally high quality, solid silver cables.
While the Silver Bullets require
fairly thick wall insulation to create appropriate conductor spacing, the
Hyacinth instead uses a very thin, central Fluoropolymer air core which in turn allows
a mere micro-thin Fluoropolymer coating over each of its eight wires instead. Thus steeper angles and
predominantly thin air as the dielectric between opposite polarities contribute
to the Hyacinths faster, more
extended and transparent overall
character than the Silver Bullets, which have a somewhat “softer” top octave
response and slightly more “forward” midrange.
Conceptually, the Hyacinth has a
bit in common with a very revealing, zero feedback type amplifier as it runs
“wide open” in a minimalist design that is optimized for maximal sensitivity to
micro-detail. The ability to track
the most minute signal voltages contributes to the coveted “startle factor”,
which is a function of exceptional harmonic and spatial accuracy. In the context of a well chosen,
musically satisfying system, the Hyacinth renders of a degree of grainless
clarity and tonal accuracy that is simply unmatched by any other cable in it’s
price range and by many far more expensive ones as well.
NOTE: Though it has very
effective strain-relief inside its connectors, the Hyacinth’s exceptionally
“signal friendly” design does make for a more physically delicate cable compared
to typical rubber jacketed, solid insulation type cables. Therefore, the Hyacinth is not
recommended for any application requiring bending at sharp angles or exceptional
resistance to crushing and abrasion.
If in doubt, please consult Silver Audio directly for advice prior to
ordering.
*Topline solderless WBT 0108 RCA
option highly recommended for maximal signal transparency.
Standard RCA (WBT™ 0147, private
stock lead-free milspec solder): $300.00/1m pair, $250.00/0.5m pair
$75.00
additional half meter length (pair).
Balanced (silver plated Neutrik™
XLR): Add $10.00.
*Topline WBT 0108 Solderless RCA
option add $110.00 (four connectors).