Audio Interconnects / Phono Leads

Brilliance Hi-Fi offers a comprehensive range of audio interconnects comprising Clarity Digital Interconnects, Synergy Phono Leads, Euphony audio interconnects, Purity AES/EBU balanced digital cables and the cryogenically-treated Symmetry balanced XLR audio interconnect. All our audio interlinks are custom-made in Manchester, UK, and are available with most RCA, BNC and XLR connector combinations.

For the more advanced audiophile, all of our cables are available with the option of Deep Cryogenic Treatment (DCT), offering even greater sound quality. For those not wanting to use their own system to burn-in new interconnects, Brilliance can now offer such a service to direct customers, (see pricing page for more details).

Clarity Digital Interconnect

To ensure the most effective data transfer, impedance matched components should be used throughout. The Clarity digital interconnect offers just that, a true 75 Ohm design using the latest Teflon coaxial cable with 100% shield coverage and Canare 75 Ohm terminations, (BNC or RCA connectors). A braided sheath improves aesthetics and mechanical protection for the cable, while a Canare boot improves strain relief at the connector. Clarity digital interconnects offer a particularly solid and clear bass, and performance at higher frequencies is similarly praiseworthy. The level of detail is good and stereo imaging is excellent.

Awarding the Clarity the top 5* score in their March 08 review, What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision said “Dynamic and forceful when required, but atmospheric and tender too”.

Purity AES/EBU digital cable

The AES/EBU connection found on a lot of professional recording equipment is regarded as the highest quality digital transmission format available and is being increasingly employed on high end domestic CD transports and DACs. If you have this quality of components, your system demands a quality interconnect such as the Purity DCT from Brilliance.

The Purity DCT balanced digital interconnect has a true 110 Ohm impedance matched design using the latest shielded twisted pair ( STP) cable and Neutrik³ XLR plugs. An astoundingly low capacitance of just 39 pF/m ensures minimal signal degradation on this the most critical of applications and performance is further enhanced by our advanced screening and termination topology. Available only having been Deep Cryogenically Treated.

In the July 2006 edition, David Price said “Hi-Fi World's brief chance to audition this cable, [Purity DCT], has been encouraging; as we've found with the company's other products, it gives results way beyond those expected at the price".

Synergy Phono Lead

The Synergy phono lead from Brilliance Hi-Fi is rapidly gaining recognition from the UK Hi-Fi press.

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision are the latest to review the Synergy and their verdict was "The Synergy is an excellent cable from a company that's new to us, and it's sold at a very sensible price....This well-made interconnect ticks all the important boxes: timing is crisp, insight class-leading and tonal balance spot on.

Hi-Fi Choice reviewed the Synergy and their conclusion was “ The sound seems altogether agile and lively, and we liked these cables a lot.”

Hi-Fi World were as equally impressed saying “The sound per pound ratio is superb. It has a truly open and neutral demeanour….. - you really get the sense that you're listening to the hi-fi and not the cable ".

Again a braided sheath improves aesthetics and mechanical protection for the cable, while appropriately coloured boots provide the necessary strain relief at the connector.

Teflon is one of the best insulators available and with a capacitance of only 57 pF/m, the Synergy phono lead is well suited (and keenly priced) for medium and long RCA audio interconnects as often necessary with remote mono-block amplifier configurations. This is also a parameter important to some older valve kit.

The value of the Synergy phono leads make them an ideal choice for multi-channel audio applications, (see our AV interconnect cables page for more information).

Euphony RCA Audio Interconnects

With the Euphony audio interconnects, things start to get a little more serious. Their shielded twisted pair configuration, Teflon®-insulated copper conductors and use of the excellent WBT¹-0144 midline plug offer an extremely high level of performance, rewarding the listener with an outstanding neutral presentation and startling level of musical insight.

Recently reviewed in Hi-Fi+ with our Prodigy speaker cables, Roy Gregory said "Immediately likeable and inviting to listen to ..... Pace and rhythmic expression are both easy and relaxed, which combined with the sense of detail, focus and texture allows the listener to hear the performance.... Excellent value at their very reasonable price".

David Price of Hi-Fi World was similarly impressed "performance speaks volumes", "Utterly on the pace with an expansive, detailed and engaging sound" and "Overall an excellent interconnect that just plays music"

Agility Pure Silver Audio Interconnect

For those seeking the performance of the highest standard, we have our flagship Agility pure silver interconnects that employ an array of Teflon ®-insulated pure silver conductors, delicately woven so as to maximize noise rejection. Performance is further enhanced by the use of Deep Cryogenic Treatment. Plugs are WBT¹’s top of the range silver NextGen 0152Ag model that also permit those growing number of audiophiles to make the most of equipment using similarly WBT¹-designed RCA socketry.

Our choice of conductors, cable geometry, plugs and DCT means that the Agility permits a breathtakingly informative musical presentation, helping to highlight sounds, nuances and timbre never previously registered. In addition their lower frequency performance may surprise some listeners in terms of uniformity and precision. The elimination of a screen means that the Agility exhibits a huge soundstage permitting an amazing width, height and depth to your choice of music.

Pure silver has its own distinctive sonic signature and we acknowledge that this will not suit all tastes or systems. It is difficult to please everyone but for those seeking that final degree of detail and refinement, the Agility is without doubt our flagship analogue interconnect.

Euphony Balanced XLR Audio Interconnects

Listeners with high-end systems that support balanced interconnections can now benefit from a balanced cable that is the match for our Euphony RCA interconnects in terms of sonic performance, design and construction, but in addition reap the benefits from the inherent superior noise rejection specifications of balanced audio interconnections.

The Euphony XLR variant has been specifically developed and fine-tuned to maximise their performance in a balanced audio system. The new wide bodied Neutrik³ XLR plugs permit the termination of a cable constructed using two stranded copper conductors with Teflon® insulation in an overall screened twisted pair geometry, almost identical to that employed within our reference Euphony RCA interconnects. As per the Symmetry balanced leads our custom assemble approach allows us to employ an advanced screening and termination topology that considers the use of passive components to optimize the rejection of RF interference and minimizing the effect of ground loops with non-conventional internally grounded equipment.

The Teflon® insulation gives us a low capacitance design making the Euphony XLR audio interconnects ideally suited to longer-length applications such as systems employing remote mono block amplifiers or active loudspeakers.

Symmetry Balanced XLR Interconnects

There is a general trend by high-end audio and AV equipment manufacturers to utilise the common mode noise rejection benefits of balanced interconnects. Enter the Brilliance Symmetry Balanced XLR Interconnect constructed using a Teflon-insulated cable of the highest specification. To terminate we use top of the range Neutrik³ XLR plugs with gold plated contacts, permitting maximum performance from this extremely capable cable. Capacitance is a mere 46 pF/m making the Symmetry an ideal choice for those requiring longer than normal interconnects with mono-block amplifiers or active speaker set-ups.

For all Symmetry balanced interconnects, Brilliance employ an advanced screening and termination topology that considers the use of passive components whilst at the same time optimising the design against RF interference and minimising the effect of ground loops with non properly internally grounded equipment.

Please note that unlike a majority of suppliers, Brilliance do not offer cables for the mixed interconnection of balanced and unbalanced equipment. These configurations remain prone to hum and noise problems since these two types of signal operation are incompatible.

Deep Cryogenic Treatment, DCT

Brilliance Hi-Fi can now offer some of their top range cables benefiting from Deep Cryogenic Treatment, or DCT.

Cryogenics was first discovered by a Scotsman, Sir James Dewar, the physicist who first liquefied hydrogen and invented the Dewar Flask for the storage of liquid nitrogen, at the end of the 1800s.
From these early beginnings, the cryogenic treatment of metals and plastics has been developed, with much being owed to NASA who used the process to achieve performance enhancements in materials for the space race. Although relatively new to the music and hifi industry, the cryogenic treatment of cables and circuit boards is gradually being considered by many as an important factor in assisting with the reproduction of a pure and transparent sound signal. Many suggest that notable increases in the quality of sound reproduction can be achieved when using cryogenically treated high quality cables specifically designed for use at audio frequency.

The original users of this process with respect to high-end hi-fi cabling was Townshend with their Isolda DCT cables highly regarded by many in the trade. Brilliance cables are treated using the latest vapour process, the parts being slowly ramped down to a very low absolute temperature of circa -185C and then held there to soak for 24 hours. The ramp up to room temperature takes about 12 hours.

Orpheus Audio who are evaluating a pair of Symmetry DCT interconnects said “… there is an improvement in coherence and realism”.

Further information on deep cryogenic treatment DCT can be found at the website of Frozen Solid, processors of cables for the likes of Townshend and Black Rhodium.

For our complementary range of Prodigy single and bi-wire speaker cables with a choice of Profigold² banana plugs or Ixos spade connectors, please see our speaker cable page.

For our complementary range of Prodigy single and bi-wire speaker cables with a choice of Profigold² banana plugs or Ixos spade connectors, please see our speaker cable page.

For details of our audio-visual cabling solutions including digital interconnects, sub-woofer interconnect cables, RGB component interconnect leads, RGBS / RGBHV projector / HDTV cables, composite video cables and multi-channel audio cable sets please see our AV Interconnect Cables page.

¹WBT is a registered trademark of WBT Industrie GmbH.

²Profigold is a registered trademark of Profigold Cables.

³Neutrik is a registered trademark of Neutrik.