Atlas Equator 2.0 OFC
Natural, even-handed and with brilliant dynamic ability, this speaker cable is a must-hear product
Write your own reviewFor
- Nuance
- sharp and precise detail
Against
- Some might find it too cautious
It's difficult to strike a balance when speaker cables are concerned. All use their construction and materials to massage the sound fed through them – bringing out treble at the expense of punch, say, or keeping a firm hand on the bass but losing some sparkle in the process – this Atlas Equator 2.0 OFC cable takes the neutral approach.
We plugged it in to a reference system consisting of an Audiolab 8200CD player, Roksan Caspian M2 integrated amplifier, ATC SCM11 standmounters and Chord CrimsonPlus interconnects – Award-winners to a product – and set the ball rolling.
Atlas Equator 2.0 OFC: Performance
The intro to Radiohead's 15 Step from the band's 2007 In Rainbows is a sure-fire way to test a component's composure, thanks to a drum part that shifts suddenly between lo-fi, syncopated, noisy complexity and down-the-line bass-heavy groove.
Many lesser products make a hash of it, reducing the bass-drum hits to mush and robbing the track of drive, but the Atlas's unerring command of dynamics keeps everything in check.
It has a natural, measured sound that, while sometimes on the cautious side, still brims with sharp, precise detail and fine nuance.
Atlas Equator 2.0 OFC: Verdict
That deliberate approach might not be for everyone – Chord's manifold Award-winning Carnival SilverScreen and AudioQuest's new FLX-SLiP 14/4 do 'energy' a little better – but we think the Atlas is really good.
If brilliant dynamic ability and a measured yet tonally natural sound are what you crave, this is £8.50 per metre well spent.
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