Ecosse The Conductor CA1 £75

A Scottish gem of an interconnect from Kilmarnock aiming to set the gold standard

A particular feature of this cable is the use of a sandwich of two dielectrics employed to insulate the central conductor. These are a high-grade, low-loss polyethylene and an ultra-low-loss, increased-air, gas-foamed polyethylene (FPE). As for the central conductor, it’s a multi-stranded UHP-OFC (ultra-high purity, oxygen-free copper). Over the top of the dielectrics is a conductive PVC covering, designed to provide screening from RFI, EMI and ESI (electrostatic interference).

This screening is further enhanced by a layer of close-lapped braiding of UHP-OFC to ensure maximum protection from external interference. This approach, according to the manufacturer, increases the random closing of gaps in the screening, designed to reduce signal leakage and improve the connection to earth. The latter issue is considered by Ecosse to be of particular importance as current flow in an earth conductor can be detrimental to the audio signal. The cable is finished off in a soft, gold-coloured, low-density PVC jacket, which, although quite chunky, provides protection against microphony-induced noise resulting from external physical vibrations.