Adam Smith

Hi-Fi World

July 2008

RINGMAT PURE SIGNAL BLUE INTERCONNECT

"Inserting the Signal Blues into our reference system ... seemed to remove a hitherto unnoticed fine layer of 'mush' from the background of the music, making instruments more stable and vivid within the soundstage. As a result, soft acoustic material gained a better impression of intimacy and atmosphere, while more complex recordings became much better defined. Backing vocalists and instruments seemed to move forward within the mix to become more prominent, adding to the feeling that the performance had gained more of a coherent whole. The low end was confident and detailed, the Signal Blues capturing the rhythmical essence of bass lines to really bound them along with great enthusiasm and alacrity.

All in all, the Ringmat Signal Blues mark a fine and notable step up... and can be heartily recommended."

Hi-Fi+  Issue 49

Jan 2007

Roy Gregory

"Over the years, Hi-Fi+ have tried to develop a strategy that ensures consistent and musically coherent results across a wide range of products. Beyond that they have also suggested that listeners and the industry in general have seriously underestimated the impact that a coherent cable loom can make to the musical performance of a system. With this in mind, the editor, Roy Gregory, has carried out a survey of cables in an over-populated market based on what the magazine regards as 'affordable' and in an article headed 'Information Technology... Audio Cables for the Real World' he has reviewed those that survived the initial selection process. Yes, there are cheaper options out there but few that Hi-Fi+ would entertain in a genuine hi-fi system.

The survey included the Ringmat 'loom', made up of the Ringmat Pure Power Mains Cable, Pure Signal Premium Blue Interconnect (with the WBT Nextgen phonos) and Pure Power Speaker Cable (with WBT locking 4mm plugs). Roy reported as follows:

"The sound of the Ringmat loom is fast, light yet powerful, organized and energetic. Excellent pace, momentum and shifts in dynamic density are achieved without hardness or aggression, while textures, phrasing and vocals display a lightness of touch and air around instruments and within the soundstage. There is a slight rosiness to the upper mid and lower treble, a sweetness if you like, but it doesn't prevent them capturing the full air and beauty of the Gorecki piece, or the space and tension in the Barbirolli. The Cure sound impressively punchy without getting brash or congested, while the message in the music, be it classical, acoustic or pop was always well to the fore.

I wonder how much of the musical clarity and coherence available from the Ringmat cables is down to their use of such excellent connectors. I also wonder how much more you can extract from them (and the system they're being used with) in concert with Ringmat's various support and tuning devices. As they stand and used in isolation, they offer a superbly balanced and extremely musical solution which is well worth seeking out."

Gathered in that article readers will find a report on many other cable brands: van den Hul, Nordost, True Colours Industries, Kimber Kable, The Chord Co., Brilliance Hi-Fi, Cardas, Oehlbach, Abbey Road Cables and Supra."

To find out more, and a wealth of other reviews, buy the magazine: www.hifiplus.com

Hi-Fi+ Issue 19

Sept / Oct 2002

Roy Gregory

Ringmat Audiophile Cables
AUDIO SMORGASBORD
Ringmat join the cable wars...
by Roy Gregory

"Supporters of all things that support, Ringmat Developments recently sent us samples of their latest products, an interconnect and speaker cable. Quite a departure from their usual ground you might well be thinking. You might also be wondering who in their right mind would want to get involved in what is already a saturated marketplace? Well, undaunted, John Rogers has sallied forth with what are outwardly a pair of utterly conventional designs. The interconnect is a simple four core structure, as is the speaker cable, although the latter is both significantly heavier and more flexible than most cables at this price. Despite the four cores it is not intended for bi-wiring. Costs are £120 a metre pair for interconnects, a three metre pair of speaker cables weighing in at £225, and both are nicely terminated with sensibly chosen connectors. Extra length will cost you £7.50 and £25 a mono metre respectively. The terminations themselves are actually much more unusual than they seem, the interconnect using only one core for signal and three for ground (shades of the Eichmann ratio here) while the heavily stranded speaker cables are slightly reduced in diameter (from 56 to 49 strands) before being crimped up. The end result is a set of leads that sit firmly in the one up from budget category. So dropping them straight into the Madrigal starter system, immediately after the Valhallas probably wasn’t the kindest thing I could have done!

Surprisingly, the Ringmat leads stood up remarkably well, which speaks volumes for their musical balance, evenness and coherence. Sure, they lacked the detail, transparency, focus, dynamics and scale of the Nordosts, but at least they were playing recognisably the same recordings, and that’s quite a feat when you consider the extent to which the Valhallas embarrass the vast majority of even the most expensive competition.

So, with good bandwidth, especially at low frequencies, good presence and an excellent sense of pace and musical flow, the Ringmats can certainly hold their own against their price peers. But that still hardly makes them news. No, the thing that intrigues me is the way these cables dovetail with the other Ringmat products. I first noticed it when I used the Statmat CDi Blue in the 390S. A much bigger than normal difference. Experiments with a Ringmat on the record player were similarly impressive, as were the Statfeet.

All of which suggests to me that either the Ringmat products manage to interrelate regardless of system (which is pretty weird) or that John has managed to define certain common features in their performance, features that work in concert with the cables. Certainly, what was an indifferent degree of treble separation and definition in the original system was dramatically improved by the application of other Ringmat products. Similar effects were noted across the range, building detail, dynamics and finesse onto the basis of the cables’ impressive body and presence, lifting the overall performance well beyond the norm. All of which I think you’ll agree, is pretty spooky. 

Good cables at the price, but much better in concert with the other Ringmat products."