Merlin Tarantula MK6 review

Best mains cable, Awards 2010. A good tweak for a hi-fi or AV system.

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Best mains cable, Awards 2010. If you’re looking to tweak a hi-fi or AV system, this could be the cable you’re looking for

Pros

  • +

    Cleaner, smoother sound

Cons

  • -

    Nothing at this price level

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

We weren't overly enamoured with the last incarnation of Merlin's Tarantula mains cable, and a three-star rating was duly dished out.

But, the company's MK6 version is a spectacular improvement. Plug it into hi-fi electronics and, compared with your standard kettle lead, the Tarantula helps your system produce a much cleaner, smoother sound.

The lack of noise allows more detail to seep through into the soundstage, with greater separation between instruments and vocals.

But the benefits aren't just hi-fi based: plug the cable into a TV, and images appear crisper, while there's greater punch to the overall picture.

It's not a spectacular difference, but we think it's a worthwhile improvement nonetheless.

See all our mains cable reviews

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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