SLIC Innovations Eclipse Cable Review

Here is the first user report for the new SLIC Innovations “Eclipse” interconnect prototype that was send out for evaluation………………….

Here is my honest appraisal of these “mystery” interconnects:

I will say this is one of the hardest appraisals I have ever had to do, not that I have not been impressed by what these mystery cables offer in sound quality terms, more the sheer inadequacy of the English language in expressing what I am hearing and not falling into using the same all too often used superlatives that have little meaning now due to their over usage, therefore I will leave all the gilding off and use language more familiar.

CONSTRUCTION
All I have is a rather nondescript pair of black shrouded interconnects with what feels like a plaited multi-conductor construction. I have been given no indication as to what materials have been used. 

SOUND
All too often I will be impressed initially by a cable on first hearing and then once the initial euphoria has waned, I then begin to find weaknesses that were not immediately apparent at first hearing. It is for that reason that I prefer to wait at least a whole day BEFORE any opnions are formulated.

So, how do they stack up? Firstly, I will deal with the bass registers. I cannot detect any bass overhang with them at all. Bass certainly is fullsome and very powerful with superb definition and timbre. In most other cables I have heard regarding bass performance, it is without exception traded off in other areas like treble or midrange, or worse still, swamps, muddies and overwhelms the other frequency bands. Not so at all with this cable; the bass is almost “detached” (in a positive way) from the other frequencies, so any bass line is easy to follow as a seperate entity if one so wishes, without ever disturbing or imposing itself elsewhere in the audible spectrum. Whatever CD I played I could easily follow the bass lines without bloom or smearing – even the favourite tracks I have heard many thousands of times before over the years. I have just listened to Focus’ “AnonymousII” and it has completely blown me away with the clarity, dynamics a sheer raw energy this track contains, which all too often even high end systems manage to turn into a mushy cacophany. Pink Floyd’s “Wall” album has within the title track a tambourine well back in the mix that most systems allow it to fade in and out, especially when the dynamics get hectic, but this cable allows you to hear that tambourine so clearly and consistently right the way through no matter what else is going on in the music. Get the LP/CD out now and listen out for that tambourine in the background! So just for one moment I will add the typical cliche about hearing so, so, so, so much more from very familiar recordings I have owned for close on 40 years and more, played on some esoteric systems too. From a mere cable? Yep, no doubt whatsoever, it has ‘upgraded’ my own humble system by no small margin and that really is hard for people to swallow I will readily concede, but true it certainly is.

Likewise, the midband and treble registers operate within their own distinct “pockets” within the sound envelope. Treble is so “clean” and truthful with no ringing or splashiness, ambience details are conveyed so crisply and accurately it’s uncanny to say the least. Imaging construction is deep from front-to-back, tall top to bottom and way out beyond the speakers. A struck cymbal sounds exactly like a struck cymbal SHOULD do, full of energy and vibrancy, anyone can clearly hear wooden drumstick against metal, a struck triangle sounds so exquisite it makes you feel like rewinding again and again to simply enjoy that delicious sound! Live recorded music is live in every sense of the word with venue ambience and reverb stunningly recreated and it is shocking to hear that an audience actually SOUNDS like an audience instead of sounding like a frying pan cooking bacon rashers. This is further enhanced by the lack of any background noise, which I think is THE hardest parameter to achieve in a cable design with any pretensions to being high end. 

SUMMARY
Make no mistake, this cable is certainly no “tone control” whereby you could use it to correct shortfalls or inadequacies in your hi-fi system. It does not have good bass at the expense of a muted or stinging treble, or vice versa. Top to bottom it excels in all areas of the audible spectrum.

Given that there are countless cables available to spend your hard-earned on, where in the great scheme of things would this cable rank amongst the herd? I have had through my hands over the years some cables costing many hundreds of pounds per metre and I cannot think of a single one gone before that had the performance this cable has. Sure, some had bass or treble performance to die for, but SOMEWHERE there was a trade-off, nor can I think of a single one that could match the eerie background silence this cable has and as for picking out the finest minutae in recordings and painting aural pictures in the air, none come even close. The one area where it does get it’s backside slapped hard is the appearance. I quizzed David Brook about that and he tells me what I have here is only a prototype with inexpensive plugs fitted and the production version will get top end Furutechs. That addition would make this cable legendary I reckon.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion then, in my opinion this cable effectively re-writes interconnect cable design in a radical way and the industry leaders should begin perspiring now. It does not act as a notch filter or tone control, it offers no hindrance to what a hi-fi system is actually capable of, it has no sonic signature of it’s own to worry about and ends the search for “synergy” because there are no peaks or troughs to synergise with. I will finally say that I don’t intend to persuade anyone else to put their hand in their pocket to purchase one on my say-so alone, as I will be doing that myself – no matter what the final price tag is. For more information I would suggest you contact David at MCRU. 

When word gets out just how good these cables really are, then kindly remember you heard it here first.

Mr Frank Marshall