When audiophiles think of Siltech, my guess is that they often have visions of audio cables that run into the many, many thousands of dollars. Everyone knows that this company from the Netherlands manufactures some of the best audio cables -- made from their proprietary blends of sliver and gold -- available at any price. And those prices can get quite dear, especially for their Royal Signature line.
At Munich's High End 2011, however, the company quietly launched their first line of cables made entirely of copper. Copper, being obviously less expensive than silver and gold, means the prices are lower -- these Explorer cables are considered Siltech's entry level. The first time I saw the Explorers I was surprised that these cables from the outside look very much like the more expensive offerings from Siltech: You get the same great Siltech build quality the company is known for, the same engineering expertise, even beautifully machined jewel-like connectors complete with serial-numbered barrels. But instead of paying many thousands of dollars per cable, since these are made of Siltech's Mono X-tal copper instead of silver and gold, the prices are closer to the realm of the ordinary audiophile. Not quite DH Labs prices, but not Royal Signature either.
I have in for review the 180L speaker cables ($1800 for a 2.5m pair), 180ix XLR interconnects ($800 for a 1m pair, $950 for a 1.5m pair), and 270P power cords ($600 per 1.5m cord). They are warming up in my system as I type this. They're hooked up to Ayre, Bel Canto, and Calyx electronics, along with Magico speakers -- hardly budget gear, but very revealing components with which to test cables. I'm very much looking forward to finding out if the Explorers offer Ultra Audio sound at just-above GoodSound! prices. Look for a review this summer on Ultra Audio.
