16 June, 2014 | Category: Reviews | Written by Tomasz KarasińskiHarmonix it is a brand owned by a Japanese concern named Combak Corporation, under theaegis of which many types of audio devices and many various accessories are made. The
company is responsible for high-end Reimyo electronics, Bravo monitors, Enacom filters and awhole bunch of gadgets. In the catalogue one can find many different kinds of cable insulators,
anti-vibrational platforms and feet, tapes improving the sound of cables, turntable mats and evenspecial rings boosting the acoustics of the listening room. Prices which unambiguously suggestthat Japanese accessories are designed for advanced in their disease audiophiles add piquancy
to the matter. For example, turntable mat Tu-800Exi costs £269, but it is nothing compared withthe above mentioned room tunings discs RFA-7800 which set (18 pieces) was priced at £1479.
Compared with such products the price of the cables sound quite reasonable.

To make things even more interesting Harmonix has recently introduced improved versions ofsome cables and on that occasion has cut down the prices. The Japanese wanted to bring theircables closer to the wider circle of customers, so that they were perceived not only as high-end
toys for the most affluent music lovers. Is really that special offer worth taking advantage?

Design and functionality
If you want to buy cables to impress your friends, Harmonix is a wrong choice. We got theJapanese set in the most common, cardboard boxes. Furthermore, the cables themselves lookfairly inconspicuous. They have no colourful braids, thick snakes or transparent bands. Honestly
speaking, they look somewhat like an iron lead cable or middle class HDMI cables which can bebought at a supermarket. Maybe I exaggerate a little, but if Harmonix has been making a career inthe world of high-end audio, it is certainly not caused by their looks. Ideal cables for audiophiles
who have to hide their expenses from the family. Only thick gold-plated plugs attract attention in
HS-101 Improved S interconnect. Usually I am not very keen on such inventions but in that casethe plugs turn out to be quite convenient to use. While connecting one must take notice of arrows
informing about the correct direction. CS-120 improved Version looks even more modestly. Single
strands enclosed by a protective braid, divide into two more flexible at the endings. They weremarked with arrows showing the direction of the connection and spades without any decorative
sleeves, plastic covers and other inventions. As far as I know it is the only available type of thecable end. It forced me to test the Japanese cables with an amplifier that does not usually work in
the reference system I'm using. I am not able to connect forks to the Naim power amplifier so Ihad to use all-in-one T+A Music Receiver. To make the listening test more reliable, forcomparison, I had to utilise all available cables in our editorial office. Details can be found in thetest configuration.

Sound performance
Audio equipment and accessories can be divided into three groups. First are the products geared
towards a model neutrality. How they cope with this task, is a different matter. The sound of thesecond group aims for a specific direction. It can for example be clear and dynamic or warm anddimmed. Basically, it must have unique characteristics. It is usually a more risky choice, though inthe right setup giving more pleasure. Third group are the products that blend both worlds, mixing
the opposites, sounding neutrally and characteristically as well. Warm but not muddy. Clear but notaggressive. Universal but not boring.

Finding such gear is difficult but not impossible and it does not always mean a search in thehighest price range. For me, Electrocompaniet ECI-5 MkII can be a model product from the thirdgroup but I would have also include in it Pylon Audio Topaz 20 loudspeakers. The described cables
belong for sure to this elite company. Last time I heard something similar when I placed Fadel
Aphrodite series cables in my reference system. On the one hand we have brilliant dynamics anddetail, and on the other - more peace and warm timbre in music. Cables which can deliver moredetails and by the way make the sound more compact and elegant are a real rarity.

When I write about products that bring us closer to the true picture of music, usually it isconnected with a certain sharpening, cooling down or accumulation of details, but in a long run it isnot always pleasant. In some cases audiophile sense of realism verges on masochism. In my life I
have met many people who have been looking for a gear playing as ugly as possible, bringing theworst out of the recordings. I means that the sound is true, according to them. The Japanesecables show that the realistic sound can be fun, pleasant and captivating at the same time.
Nobody goes to the concert because instruments sound ugly.

Build quality and technical parameters
The Japanese are crazy about resonances, what can proved by the number of anti-vibrationaccessories available in the Harmonix catalogue. To find out more about this phenomenon theyexamined the sound of the best violins, measuring vibrations at different points. As it turned out,
the sound was tuned to one frequency, regardless of the place of measurement. Apparently it let
the designers to control audio equipments’ harmonic resonances. What does it mean and in what
way does it translate into the internal build of the cables? Unfortunately I do not know answers tothese questions and I am not going to decide if the violin measuring stories have any meaning ornot. According to manufacturer’s data, high quality copper PCOCC is the conductor in HS-101
Improved S. Plugs were made of the same material and covered with rhodium (relevant contactelements) and gold (outer chassis and screw). In the speaker cable specification one can find
only flowery descriptions of their sound properties. It is known that plugs were made of copper
covered with the double layer of gold and rhodium. The sets of 1 to 3 meters of length areavailable.

System configuration
Divine Acoustics Proxima, Naim CD5 XS, T+A E-Serie Music Receiver, Enerr Tablette 6S,
Gigawatt LC-2 mkII, Audioquest NRG-2, Ostoja T1, AriniAudio Individual, Sevenrods ROD4,
Equilibrium String, Albedo Geo, Argentum Sw-0,5/1, KBL Sound Hologram.

Verdict
I do not know if the secret of our Japanese cables lies in the resonance measurements, purecopper or good plugs but the result speaks for itself. HS-101 Improved S and CS-120 Improved
Version is an offer not only for sophisticated audiophiles, who know that such combination of theopposites is real art, but also for sound lovers who want to find themselves closer to theirfavourite music and enjoy it at the same time.

Technical data
Cable Type: analogue interconnect, speaker cable
Available connectors: RCA, spades
Conductor: PCOCC
Prices: £699 (1 m interconnect), £679 (2 x 2,5 m speaker cable)

Tonal balance

Dynamics

Resolution

Sound temperature

Quickness

Coherence

Musicality

Soundstage width

Soundstage depth

Build quality

Functionality

Price/performance ratioGallery